As anyone could easily notice, we do not report the news at Gamers Unanimous. There are just too many sites with way more resources for us to compete with. Also, it’s boring. We’d rather give our own incredibly biased opinions on major news and games, droll though they are as well.
With that in mind, Nintendo announced a slew of 3DS information, including a price and release date (in Japan). I would be shocked if anyone reading did not know that it will be out (in Japan) in February 2011 for roughly the Yen equivalent of $300. It hits other territories in March 2011, most likely at a similar price point.
Clearly, not everyone has $300 just lying around for a handheld system. It’s a lot of money. Honestly, I did not think that they would break the $250 mark. $300 may be a tough pill to swallow for their “blue ocean” audience, but I’m sure a price cut will not be far behind their initial market penetration. So, should you buy it right away? Of course. If you can find it. The Nintendo fanboys (like myself) will eat this thing alive at any price on day one. But the price aside, the 3DS has some really fantastic features.
One of the biggest features on my own wish list is the “Virtual Handheld”. The 3DS will have a downloadable service similar to the Virtual Console on the Wii for GameBoy and GBA games, as well as “Classic” games, although it is not exactly clear what that means just yet. But, if you’d like to take a look at our suggestions for what games should be on the Virtual Handheld, check out our Top 20 feature.
The 3DS hardware will have a little bit of internal memory for downloading games, and will also come with a 2GB SD card for expanded libraries. Hopefully (and most likely) the system will be able to load games directly from the card so we can all avoid the Wii scenario debacle.
3DSware was confirmed for the system as well (downloadable original software) AND Nintendo claims that you’ll be able to transfer your DSiWare games onto the 3DS-futher proof that they’re starting to get it when it comes to downloadable content.
One of the really cool, and unexpected, features is the ability to create Mii’s on the 3DS, using the camera to help you create a more accurate likeness. It would be really cool if you could migrate the Mii’s to the Wii, but we’ll have to wait and see how integrated these two Mii creation tools are.
We’ll also have to wait for a more solid release date in the US as well as a definite price point. I’m personally most excited for all the downloadable content the 3DS is sure to see. Having tons of games on the go without having to carry around tons of DS cartridges will be awesome. And R4’s down count. Fucking pirates. And I also don’t mean to knock the DSiWare service. There’s some cool content there, but there’s a ton of DSlite owners who don’t even have the option of trying out DSiWare. That is a problem that the 3DS will not have. Since all 3DS owners will have access to 3DSware, hopefully many more developers will jump on board to bring more content to the service.
But I digress. I can’t wait for more information about the US release. March can’t come soon enough. There’s a couple of last hurrahs for the DS, but come March, the king will be dead. And when it is, I’ll be the first to say “Long live the king”.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Getting Things Back Up and Running
I've got a whole full week of content to get primed for the busy months of October and November. We've slacked off a bit since September started, but Carlos got a promotion at his other job, which meant he quit the store and I've had to pick up the slack there. That's been taking up the majority of my time, along with school. But we should have some new people starting up soon, so I'll be able to put that on cruise control and focus more on the site.
This week I'll be posting some more complete thoughts on the characterization of Samus in Other M (Monday), reviewing The Town (Tuesday), giving my thoughts on Nintendo's September 29 3DS announcement, as well as having several features in between. And the next episode of the Nickel Film podcast will be recorded on Thursday, The Jon and Carlos Show on Sunday.
This week I'll be posting some more complete thoughts on the characterization of Samus in Other M (Monday), reviewing The Town (Tuesday), giving my thoughts on Nintendo's September 29 3DS announcement, as well as having several features in between. And the next episode of the Nickel Film podcast will be recorded on Thursday, The Jon and Carlos Show on Sunday.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Bit of a Snafoo
So, Ryan and I just recorded a new podcast, only to find that when we played it back, our voices were much too deep and too slow. Having found absolutely no help on the internet, we decided to adjourn and try to fix it another time. However, when I tried to open the file again, I got a message that said the audio file was in 8-bit (no joke) and that it could not be opened. I finally managed to get it open, but the audio was lost.
So tune in next week for a brand new episode of the Nickel Film Podcast. Until then, I think I'll post an older episode of the Jon and Carlos Show as well as a written review for Centurion.
Because we haven't posted a show in a while, I'm re-posting the All-Pokemon show from March for your listening pleasure. Hopefully new content will be up next week.
So tune in next week for a brand new episode of the Nickel Film Podcast. Until then, I think I'll post an older episode of the Jon and Carlos Show as well as a written review for Centurion.
Because we haven't posted a show in a while, I'm re-posting the All-Pokemon show from March for your listening pleasure. Hopefully new content will be up next week.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Apologies for the Silence
Sorry for the lack of updates and features this past week, but we should be getting this running again today. I'll be posting a review for Centurion today and Ryan and I are recording a new episode of Nickel Film tomorrow. Centurion was pretty cool, it's a fun action/chase movie. Neil Marshall is putting together a nice little filmography with this one and The Descent. Doomsday looked nice, if nothing else.
I've spent the past week playing Golden Sun on the GBA. I first played it many years ago, but could not get through the first half hour (or so) of it. There's a lot of talking and running around one little village, but once you push past the backstory, the game blossoms into something incredible. I won't give a full review for a game almost a decade old, but if you've never given this one a shot, you should. And you can find it for a few bucks on eBay or Amazon. It's the best $5 I've spent in a long time.
This TV spot may be a bit too epic for the little GBA game that could, but it's a cool watch anyhow.
I've spent the past week playing Golden Sun on the GBA. I first played it many years ago, but could not get through the first half hour (or so) of it. There's a lot of talking and running around one little village, but once you push past the backstory, the game blossoms into something incredible. I won't give a full review for a game almost a decade old, but if you've never given this one a shot, you should. And you can find it for a few bucks on eBay or Amazon. It's the best $5 I've spent in a long time.
This TV spot may be a bit too epic for the little GBA game that could, but it's a cool watch anyhow.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
On The Importance of Story
Maybe it's just me that's indifferent. There seems to be a lot of hullabaloo about the storytelling in Metroid Other M, specifically on the characterization of Samus, and the voice acting as well. I think the main complaint has been that Samus is not the tough, emotionally cold character that many people (including myself) had envisioned her before Other M. Instead, she is portrayed as eager to please a former superior, who she has a bit of a daddy-crush on. She's vulnerable, not closed-off or robotic. Some people found that displeasing.
Although I can understand why, I'm finding it difficult to care. I mean, you can grab Space Pirates by the neck and blast their fucking heads off. Whether or not she is able to resolve her complex is inconsequential. The God-like powers of the Screw Attack and Power Bomb make an whining tolerable, if not totally ignorable.
I would pose this question though: if Samus were male, would her emotional vulnerability be considered such a detriment to Other M? It seems like everywhere you look there's movies and games about the super spy or hitman who is a little neurotic, and perhaps even a big softie. We may be dealing with a double standard here.
Is it sexist to disdain Samus as a vulnerable character, when it is an interesting trait from a male who is supposed to be a badass? It's a common twist on the male "tough guy". But the notion of how women are supposed to behave is different. Women are supposed to be more openly emotional and complex. Samus lives up to that stereotype. Thinking that behaving more feminine that we originally perceived her is somehow a detriment to her character is very sexist.
If Samus's emotions crippled her in any way from acting in the game, I may be able to jump on the bandwagon that it was a poor character trait. But she is still incredibly capable, and still an ass-kicker. There were one or two moment where she was unable to act, but he had lost her suit as well, her emotions were not to blame.
The funny thing is, when Other M cuts back to when Samus was a recruit, she was more akin to what most of us thought of Samus to begin with: headstrong, independent, defiant. But she evolved as a character into someone more secure in herself, confident, emotionally complex, and able to depend on other people around her, to work in a team. She does not smolder with the generic adolescent defiance that she did in her youth. She grew up.
Clearly, as gamers we have not. I can still understand why someone would not like who Samus has become, but it's getting more difficult to agree. We need to accept that fact that real people, complex people, have complex emotions and problems. Samus is not just a space marine out to kick some alien ass. She has emotional ties to people around her as a result of her growing as a person through her experiences. We have not seen this growth manifested in a narrative before, but the more I think about it, the more I like who Samus is. She's a real person.
Nintendo and Team Ninja shocked the gaming community once again with the same twist: Samus is indeed a woman.
Although I can understand why, I'm finding it difficult to care. I mean, you can grab Space Pirates by the neck and blast their fucking heads off. Whether or not she is able to resolve her complex is inconsequential. The God-like powers of the Screw Attack and Power Bomb make an whining tolerable, if not totally ignorable.
I would pose this question though: if Samus were male, would her emotional vulnerability be considered such a detriment to Other M? It seems like everywhere you look there's movies and games about the super spy or hitman who is a little neurotic, and perhaps even a big softie. We may be dealing with a double standard here.
Is it sexist to disdain Samus as a vulnerable character, when it is an interesting trait from a male who is supposed to be a badass? It's a common twist on the male "tough guy". But the notion of how women are supposed to behave is different. Women are supposed to be more openly emotional and complex. Samus lives up to that stereotype. Thinking that behaving more feminine that we originally perceived her is somehow a detriment to her character is very sexist.
If Samus's emotions crippled her in any way from acting in the game, I may be able to jump on the bandwagon that it was a poor character trait. But she is still incredibly capable, and still an ass-kicker. There were one or two moment where she was unable to act, but he had lost her suit as well, her emotions were not to blame.
The funny thing is, when Other M cuts back to when Samus was a recruit, she was more akin to what most of us thought of Samus to begin with: headstrong, independent, defiant. But she evolved as a character into someone more secure in herself, confident, emotionally complex, and able to depend on other people around her, to work in a team. She does not smolder with the generic adolescent defiance that she did in her youth. She grew up.
Clearly, as gamers we have not. I can still understand why someone would not like who Samus has become, but it's getting more difficult to agree. We need to accept that fact that real people, complex people, have complex emotions and problems. Samus is not just a space marine out to kick some alien ass. She has emotional ties to people around her as a result of her growing as a person through her experiences. We have not seen this growth manifested in a narrative before, but the more I think about it, the more I like who Samus is. She's a real person.
Nintendo and Team Ninja shocked the gaming community once again with the same twist: Samus is indeed a woman.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Few Games, Many Updates
My review (and our only review this month) for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is up on the site, as is a feature about Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
Best of all, we've got another episode of Nickel Film hot and ready. I'm putting the finishing touches on the editing now, so it will be on iTunes and Podbean tonight, as well as here and on the site.
Best of all, we've got another episode of Nickel Film hot and ready. I'm putting the finishing touches on the editing now, so it will be on iTunes and Podbean tonight, as well as here and on the site.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Calm Before the Storm
This is pretty fucking cool. It's a pretty basic programs they're using, and some of the faces don't paste onto the bodies very well, but it's awesome still. With a little refinement, it could be a great way to kill an hour on the internet without even noticing the time. It would be amazing if Nintendo took notice and took the highest rated hybrid and made it an event Pokemon.
The review for Other M is finally up on the site. My apologies for the delay. I just kept on wanting to get just a little bit further before passing judgement. Long story short: it's really good. It's a little short, but there's a nice 8 or 10 hour adventure to be enjoyed here. Just remember to find every upgrade. You need to.
It is highly likely that the only game we'll cover for the month of September is Professor Layton; not for a lack of content across all platforms, but for a lack of time. Besides, there's going to be way too many games to talk about once September ends. The few of us at GamersU are going to need a few weeks to vamp up for the busy holiday season. Carlos will pretty much be handling the DS side of things, post-Layton. I'll be tackling the Wii review, with some help from Wes here and there.
We're still looking for a reliable source to cover the content on the HD consoles.
The review for Other M is finally up on the site. My apologies for the delay. I just kept on wanting to get just a little bit further before passing judgement. Long story short: it's really good. It's a little short, but there's a nice 8 or 10 hour adventure to be enjoyed here. Just remember to find every upgrade. You need to.
It is highly likely that the only game we'll cover for the month of September is Professor Layton; not for a lack of content across all platforms, but for a lack of time. Besides, there's going to be way too many games to talk about once September ends. The few of us at GamersU are going to need a few weeks to vamp up for the busy holiday season. Carlos will pretty much be handling the DS side of things, post-Layton. I'll be tackling the Wii review, with some help from Wes here and there.
We're still looking for a reliable source to cover the content on the HD consoles.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Jon and Carlos Show
Our latest episode is now up on iTunes for all the subscribers out there. Carlos and I talk all things Metroid, and there's a new installment of Heart & Soul as well. Thanks for listening.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Nickel Film 3
The new podcast is up on iTunes. I'll embed it here and on the site as well. In this installment, Ryan and I review Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Valhalla Rising. We also break down some trailers for the busy fall season. Seriously. There's a lot. Ryan suggested trying to put in some music for a smoother intro and outro for the show. He thought music that fit the movies we review would be appropriate. We used some Sex Bob-ombs for this week's show. Let us know what you think.
Carlos will be coming by tonight for August's Jon and Carlos show. It'll be the all-Metroid show, so keep an eye out for that.
The written review for both Scott Pilgrim and Other M will on the site tomorrow.
Carlos will be coming by tonight for August's Jon and Carlos show. It'll be the all-Metroid show, so keep an eye out for that.
The written review for both Scott Pilgrim and Other M will on the site tomorrow.
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