Slow week ahead

Expect the next week to be a slow one, folks, as my parents--as well as the hub's dad and sister--are visiting for the first time in ages.

I originally intended to publish two posts a day--just as I always do--while they're here, but now I'm thinking it will be more intermittent than that. So, I may publish just a single post on Monday, nothing on Tuesday, two posts on Wednesday ... you get the drift, right?

Also, I would have published a few more posts yesterday and today, but I've been dealing with a nasty cold for the last two days and I'm so hopped up on medicine at the moment that I can barely think straight.

Will you buy a 3DS now that it costs just $169.99?

You're probably well aware by now that earlier today the powers that be at Nintendo dropped the price of the 3DS around the world.

In Japan, for instance, the system's price was slashed from ¥25,000 to ¥15,000 (from approximately $320 to $190), while in North America the price was reduced--or will be as of Aug. 12--to $170 from $250.

Some of you who bought a 3DS between its launch date and now probably are feeling a bit bummed at the moment, right? Don't worry, Nintendo has your back--at least partially. You see, starting Sept. 1, "early adopters" (those who buy or bought the system before the price drops) will gain access to 20 free NES and GBA games. Among them: The Legend of Zelda (NES), Mario Kart: Super Circuit (GBA), Metroid Fusion (GBA) and Super Mario Bros. (NES).

Don't worry, this isn't the 3DS you'll be getting when you fork over 

$169.99 at your friendly neighborhood game shop.

All that said, how do those of you who have yet to buy a 3DS feel about this? Are you planning to pick up Nintendo's latest handheld now that it'll soon be $80 cheaper, or are you still holding out for one reason or another?

Personally, as amazed as I am with its new price, I doubt I'll add a 3DS to my handheld arsenal until Nintendo releases either a killer app (Luigi's Mansion 2 could be it) or a DSlite-esque hardware revision.

(Via andriasang.com and tinycartridge.com)

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Dead Island edition)

It doesn't take much for a zombie game to catch my attention. Really, all it has to do is include zombies--and lots of them.

OK, good box art often helps, too. After all, it kind of puts me in the mood to mow down zombies, you know?

Speaking of good, filled-with-zombies box art, I'd definitely use those words to describe the covers that have been created for Techland's Dead Island (trailers here), an open-world, survival-horror game that will be released for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on Sept. 6 in North America and Sept. 9 in Europe. (I'm guessing the Japanese version will be released in September, too, although I can't say that with certainty at the moment.)

As far as I'm aware, for instance, this piece of art will appear on all regular versions (i.e., in all territories) of Dead Island:

The following illustration, on the other hand, will grace the cover of a limited edition that will be released in Europe:

Honestly, I'd call the latter piece of box art the better of the two if it weren't a bit too close in execution to the covers that appeared on European releases of Resident Evil 4. Since that's not the case, though, I'm going to declare the stormy standard version the winner of this edition of "Which Box Art is Better?"

That's just my opinion, though. What's yours?

Pre-order: PC version, PS3 version and Xbox 360 version

The Great Gaymathon Review #34: Final Fantasy V (Super Famicom)

Game: Final Fantasy V

Genre: RPG

Developer: Squaresoft

Publisher: Squaresoft

System: Super Famicom

Release date: 1992

I can't remember if this was the first video game I ever imported from the Land of the Rising Sun or if that honor belongs to the PC Engine version of Detana!! TwinBee. Regardless, Squaresoft's second 16-bit Final Fantasy was one of my first experiences with a Japanese game. What prompted me to pick it up--especially when I had to pay a premium (over $50 for a banged-up used copy) to do so? I absolutely loved its predecessor, for starters. I also loved what I had seen of its battle and job systems in the gaming magazines of the day (namely DieHard GameFan and Electronic Gaming Monthly). The latter system is the main reason I keep coming back to Final Fantasy V today, by the way. Sure, the game's story--which involves a bunch of crystals, a group of heroes, 12 legendary weapons and a baddie named Exdeath--is enjoyable, if a bit thin, and its controllable characters are lovable, if a bit generic. Neither compares to the aforementioned job system, however, which allows players to discover, choose and master up to 22 jobs or "classes." (My favorite is the geomancer, who not only can channel the powers of the surrounding environment but can wield giant bells as weapons.) Something that can compare to the game's job or class system: its music. I'm especially fond of Final Fantasy V's more somber tunes--such as "The Day Will Come" and "Dear Friends"--although I enjoy its upbeat tracks, too. ("Ahead On Our Way" and "Harvest" are two good examples.)

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Praise Beckham! Inazuma Eleven will be released on August 26

Unfortunately, the date above refers to when this soccer-themed RPG will be released in the UK, not the US. The brass at Nintendo of America have yet to announce when or even if this DS title, which was developed by the able folks at Level-5, will make its way to the States.

Hey, at least the game--which first hit store shelves in Japan all the way back in 2008 and hit the streets elsewhere in Europe earlier this year--will, at long last, be playable in English, right?



Does Inazuma Eleven's horribly delayed UK launch mean there's still a chance the game will reach our shores eventually, too? I think so--especially since the crew at Level-5 International America (the company's North American branch) recently posted a poll on their Facebook page that asked people to vote for the currently-only-available-in-Japan titles that excite them most.

Inazuma Eleven is one of 10 games named in the poll, with the others being Fantasy Life (3DS), Girl's RPG Cinderelife (3DS), Inazuma Eleven Strikers (Wii), The Little Battlers (PSP), Ninokuni (DS and PS3), Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (3DS), Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney (3DS) and Time Travelers (3DS).

It appears you can vote (here) just once and for just one game so choose carefully and wisely.