The Morality Behind Amiibo (Nintendojo)

Article Here

Ah yes, this was written up during my brief absence from here in April, and thanks to college I hadn't gotten a chance to post it here until now. In any case, this is an opinion that's been discussed a million times by now, but I still wanted to give my two cents on it.

You know, aside from Ness I've haven't preordered Wave 4 at all...I wonder if I'll ever see Robin or Lucina.

What Could Have Been with Nintendo Land (Nintendojo)

Article Here

I knew the truth regarding this matter would have to be revealed on the blog sooner or later, but yes, I really do consider the Wii U to be Nintendo's weakest console yet, and I still mourn what could've been.

This isn't to say I don't enjoy the console. I play Smash 4 and Mario Kart 8 regularly and still shoot for high scores in Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101, but the overall direction they've gone with Wii U has been quite disappointing, be it the vastly underused GamePad, the utter lack of third-party presence, and the mess that is the Virtual Console. None of this is the fault of Nintendo Land, of course, but that's kind of the problem. What a shame the game remains the system's unsung ideal.

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 24 ~Vs. Mewtwo~ (Pokemon Stadium)

Note: YIKES!!! I thought I published this on time Wednesday, but it turns out I forgot to do so!  Please accept my apologies for this accidently late post!

 

 

Origin: Pokémon Stadium (N64)

Plays In: The battle against Mewtwo.
Status: Original Composition

Composer(s): Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, Kenta Nagata


A month ago, I had the chance to get reacquainted with an old friend. We'd crossed paths quite a few times at other venues within the past several years, but never were those experiences as close-knit as they were in the days of old. When I found out last fall he set to rectify that, I could only count the days until he returned to the crossover field of battle.

When the time came, I greeted him as I did the new selection of Smash fighters: test him out on the Battlefield stage, set to Motoi Sakuraba's gorgeous Melee Menu arrangement from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The morning sun shone on his cold exterior, his chilling eyes scanning an arena he hadn't stepped foot in for so long.

 

As of April 15th, 2015, Mewtwo has returned to Super Smash Bros.

 

There was a time where my favorite video game character wasn't Mario or Ness or Kirby, but instead the most powerful Pokémon alive: Mewtwo. It was a typical childhood fascination with the strong and mighty, and Mewtwo just oozed badassery as easy as breathing. While it the closest Pokémon had to a villain from its host of critters (perhaps it's no coincidence it looks something like a stoic Freeza?), there was a reserved calm around it that lent an air of sympathy, winning over many hearts.
 

 

 

Naturally, Mewtwo was my favorite character in Melee as a kid. While Ness took over that position in later years, that I could finally be in direct control of my favorite Pokémon was just too much for me. It didn't matter that he was far weaker than he was supposed to be; his attack animations (the beam sword dashes!), his item levitation and general apathy were just too cool.

 

Outside of Smash, my love for Mewtwo knew no bounds. I lost count of how many times I rewatched the first movie. My youth compelled me to create an embarrassing username (which I'm reluctant to share) for SmashBoards well over a decade ago. I purchased a Mewtwo doll at the New York Pokémon Center (now the Nintendo World Store), of which had weird poppy joints and had the exact look and feel as that of a Siamese cat. When my own Siamese decided to chew him up, I bought another.

 

I even endlessly challenged the Mewtwo battle event in Pokémon Stadium just for the thrill of battling him, and so I've come to treat the accompanying song as the character's theme. Accompanied by a terrifying set of flutes and guitars, the all-powerful impression of the strongest Pokémon in the world is perfectly expressed in this one theme, and I'm quite saddened it never popped up again.

 

And yet for all my childhood love for Mewtwo, I'm at a loss as to why I was so apathetic to his removal had in Smash Bros. Brawl, especially since he was undeniably the most unique out of all the cut Melee characters. Maybe it was that within the context of Smash I'd long since moved on to Ness and was scared shitless of his potential replacement by Mother 3's Lucas, or that the relentless onslaught of Melee vs. Brawl flamewars continued to break my heart. Things weren't even the same in Pokémon, as he'd long since been unseated as the strongest Pokémon and I didn't care much for Pokémon Diamond.

It's been seven years since then. I've thoroughly enjoyed every following Pokémon installment, I've learned to longer dismiss what I loved in the past (Melee) in response to undying hatred against something I love (Brawl/Smash 4), and am perhaps still awed that we received two different versions of Smash Bros. in the same year. Maybe Mewtwo's not so tough anymore and those Smash flamewars will never cease, but you learn to move on.

Mewtwo's not in my top five list of characters in Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, but I still play as him regularly. I swear his cranium's doubled in size, maybe some of his Melee sound effects were cooler, and he doesn't have that awesome Beam Sword animation anymore, but I'm just so damn happy to have him back. Hopefully, this time it's for good!

 

 

Final Thoughts: I always thought this song would be a great choice for Smash, but the series has never paid much attention to the spin-offs. Oh well.

My Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS DLC Wishlist Pt. 1: Returning Stages!

Hello, everyone! After reading the title, you might be thinking "Wait a minute, Anthony, I thought you said you weren't doing any more columns!"

Heheh...I only said that applied to game reviews. I'd have shut down Biweekly Music Wednesday! (returning tomorrow!) if that weren't the case, so anything else is free game. And with Smash DLC being a hot topic, I figured I'd throw my thoughts and desires into a few articles.

I can't lie: after the announcement of the Smash Character Ballot during last month's Direct, my mind's been going wild with the possibilities of DLC for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Well, that and studying like crazy for finals too, of course, but with a dedicated DLC service confirmed to be in the works, I can't help but dream. With Sakurai's arm acting up and the likelihood of Namco wanting its staff back, I figured we'd just get Mewtwo, the Miiverse stage, and Tourney/Photo Sharing modes.

I would've been okay with just that, mind you, but with the reveal of my beloved Lucas (THANK YOU SAKURAI), Splatoon Mii Gunner outfits announced the other day, we know they're quite active working on new content. So for fun, I figured I'd go over my most wanted content and features for DLC over four posts. It's quite possible none of my requests in these articles will happen, as even I've fallen prey to unrealistic expectations! But that's only a natural consequence of unbridled Smash hype, so just sit back and dream with me a little. Feel free to share some of yours in the comments, too!

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Requests for veteran stages have been very common since the Direct last month, and while I'd definitely like to see some come back too, I believe there's a certain deterrent many people are forgetting: background music. While many stages from both Melee and Brawl returned in both versions, those that didn't had their respective music tracks divided across the new games' stages.
For example, Brawl's Pirate Ship stage--based on Zelda: Wind Waker--didn't make the cut this time, but all of its music tracks were either moved to other stages (such as Dragon Roost Island, Gerudo Valley, and Song of Storms on Temple) or simply axed (Vs. Molgera, boo!)

Now, I want that stage back badly, mainly since a) it was easily one of Brawl's best stages b) it's from Wind Waker c) Skyloft is pretty shitty, and I'm not saying that just because of my anti-Skyward Sword bias (seriously, those drop-off points only last like six seconds!). But I don't think it's gonna happen, and that's because of this music division. Having the same music play in multiple stages doesn't quite gel with Smash's meticulous design. "Big deal," you might say, but let's not forget how Sakurai prizes cohesion in his games. Even if Smash's music is of little importance to you, remember that presentation and the like are still vital.

Many have also called for certain 3DS stages to make the transition for Wii U, but as much as I'd love to see 3DS-exclusive stages like Magicant and Mute City in glorious HD, I don't think they'll be uprezzed for the same reason (that, and non-stage parity, but that's another subject). Luckily, there are quite a few old stages not affected by this problem, and so from that criteria I've chosen five of my most wanted classic stages for the Wii U version. Take a look!

Fourside

Much as I'd like to see New Pork City from Brawl return for 8-Player shenanigans, it had much of its music placed into Onett. All of Mother's stages are like my children, so why not bring back the other city stage from the series: Melee's Fourside. While quite inaccurate to the source material (for one thing, it's never at night in EarthBound!), it was still a great stage to play on and one I've dearly missed. Dynamic elements like the slippery UFO and the crane-operated platform really made it stand out, and it was a great stages to practice wall jumps!

Seeing it in HD would be lovely, too, but I fear it'd get the same bare-bones treatment like Onett did. At the very least, could they please fix that...uh, weird spatial rip floor thing on the background's left portion? I still don't know how to describe it, but next time you play Melee, hop on the leftmost building and fool around with the pause screen camera and you'll spot it. It's bothered the hell out of me since forever.

For music, Fourside's in good luck here since it's theme hasn't returned since Melee, and there are two other Mother arrangements from Brawl that didn't make the cut. An ideal tracklist could work something like this:

Fourside (The Melee arrangement, of course.)
Humoresque of a Little Dog (This would've been perfect for Onett, if you ask me. But considering it worked just fine on a city stage, it should be okay here, too)
You Call This a Utopia?! (New Pork City's theme should fit like a glove here.)
Fourside (As per the pattern of several other stages, the original rip. I wonder how well it'd work with the nighttime setting, though...)
Battle Against a Machine (My favorite regular enemy theme from EarthBound could work wonders here, courtesy of the original rip)
Theme of the King P (Brawl had some slightly-arranged versions of songs from the Mother 3i/Mother+ albums. Could Shogo Sakai return to do the same here?)
Natural Killer Cyborg (Mother 3's best boss theme. What else can I say?)
Pokey Means Business! (EarthBound's incredible final boss theme, because why the hell not? Little known fact: this is actually a fan-named title, so I wonder what it's name would be in Smash?)

By the way, you know some stages have music cameos from more obscure franchises? I think something from SimCity could work well on Fourside, although I haven't found the perfect song yet (there was the Title Screen, since it provides the backdrop for a sleepy night city, but it might be a tad too repetitive). There's also the matter of legal issues, but hopefully Dr. Wright's AT appearance might pave the way for future SimCity music.

Fountain of Dreams

What's possibly Melee's most popular stage has never returned for reasons unknown, but there's a very likely guess: technical issues. The springwater reflections of the fighters tend to cause strain on the framerate (try playing a four-player Ice Climber match on there sometime), and as they'd likely have to rework that for the new games, they probably thought it wasn't worth the effort for a past stage. With over fifty characters to work with, it's chances for return become ever more slimmer...

And what a shame that is, for Fountain of Dreams remains one of the most beautiful stages in all of Smash. Just imagining the potential transformation into HD gets me all giddy...and depressed, because those dang reflections are keeping us from achieving the dream. Those auroras and Rainbow Resort circle patterns will never grace another Smash game again...

...and yet, its accompanying song is conspicuously absent from both of the new Smash games! That's shocking enough by itself, considering it's one of the best arrangements in the series.

Fountain of Dreams (I hope we get some more orchestrated arrangements in Smash's future.)
Rainbow Resort (Given the Dream Land 64 music "leak" for the 3DS version, we'd probably get the Air Ride arrangement for this. But the Nightmare in Dream Land version remains the best one. I'd be fine with either this, that, or the NES one!)
Vs. Nightmare (It's related to the setting, so why not? This is the NES version, but either it or the GBA one could work!)
Cloudy Park (One of Kirby's most majestic themes would be perfect on one of Smash's most majestic stages)
Vs. Marx (The original rip would be lovely here!)
World Map (Kirby 64) (This would complement the starry setting well, I feel.)
Nebula Belt (An arrangement of the FOD song popped up here in Air Ride, so why not have the actual course theme return the favor?)
The Beginner's Room (One of Kirby's most heartfelt arrangements is found in Air Ride.)
Candy Constellation (Yet another ethereal Kirby theme. This is the version from Rainbow Curse)
Masked Dedede Theme (I was already disappointed there wasn't any Kirby Super Star Ultra tracks or arrangements, so here's one)
Vs. Yin Yarn (And Epic Yarn, too!)
Aurora Area (Rainbow Resort's something of an ice world, so this beautiful song would be great)
C-R-O-W-N-E-D (What's with Kirby and amazing final boss themes?)
Kirby's History (How's this for an unorthodox request? Also known as Triple Deluxe's Continue screen, this stunning combination of Castle Lololo and Cloudy Park from Kirby's Dream Collection would suit the level well. Should this incredibly unlikely request ever happen, they'll probably use the shorter Triple Deluxe version.)
Moonstruck Blossom (No, really, what is with Kirby's final boss themes? I don't know, but man this would be perfect.)
Revenge of the Enemy (And so would this Triple Deluxe song.)

...did I go a little overboard? Maybe, but when considering Port Town Aero Dive also has 16 tracks, I figured Melee's second-best stage deserved just as much.

Frigate Orpheon

Now, wait a minute. This goes against my criteria for stages! Indeed, poor Frigate Orpheon from Brawl had nearly all of its music plopped onto the ever-controversial Pyrosphere stage, which fuels hyperbolic Metroid: Other M flame wars and has the hilariously cheap Ridley boss continuing to crush the hopes and dreams of the Purple Dragon Faithful.

But all hope is not lost, for one vital track missed the cut entirely: Metroid Prime Opening/Menu. The absence of such an amazing song is saddening enough, but it's enough to build an entirely new foundation on its own: more Metroid Prime representation! Aside from the incredible Metroid title arrangement, both of the new Smash games had a disappointing turnout for new Metroid songs, so not only would we get a fun stage back in Frigate Orpheon, but more incredible Metroid Prime music! Yeehaw!

...am I really suggesting a stage just for more musical representation? Not to mention, the Vs. Parasite Queen was placed on Pyrosphere, so that'd be awful strange should the lovely abomination return alongside Frigate Orpheon. Well, hey, Sakurai didn't put both of the Donkey Kong Country Returns themes on the Donkey Kong Country Returns stage, so there.

Metroid Prime Opening/Menu (As per Kenji Yamamoto's Smash arrangements, this isn't that different from the original, which is actually based off the credits version, but I actually think it's even better.)
Vs. Space Pirates (One of Metroid Prime's many great battle themes, and it'd be perfect thematically.)
Vs. Hive Mecha (I've always thought Prime should've used this more.)
Vs. Thardus (Creepy, just like our Parasite Queen!)
Sanctuary Fortress (Mmm, just feel that.)
Vs. Emperor Ing (Phase 1) (Also creepy!)
Escape/Vs. Dark Samus (Here we'd call attention to the Dark Samus assist trophy.)
Metroid Prime 3 Title Theme (Feel that chorus!)
Vs. Rundas (Metroid's best battle theme? You bet!)
Vs. Gandrayda (Metroid Prime 3 had an amazing soundtrack, in general.)

Hyrule Castle

So if Pirate Ship is probably ineligible for return, why not one of the best stages from the original 64 Smash? Recently, some Smash 64-era Sakurai translations have revealed of the man's dissatisfaction with Hyrule Castle's backgrounds, as they turned out to be inaccurate to Ocarina of Time. Perhaps now is the time for Sakurai to finally fix the placement of the sun!

Or perhaps not? After all, Kongo Jungle 64 was practically untouched for its transition into the Wii U version, so would this stage be left alone? Actually, I suspect the three 64 stages in Melee (Kongo Jungle, Dream Land, and Yoshi's Island) were chosen in that they didn't have a whole lot of polygon action going on, as most of the others would definitely be jarring in their now-ancient graphics. If that's the case, would Hyrule Castle be completely graphically revamped?

Perhaps that might be for the better. Much as I appreciate Sakurai's dedication to retaining the original structure and code for the classics stages, the character's increasing sizes are starting to outgrow them (particularly the Melee ones). If Mario Kart can do it, why not Smash?

Hyrule Castle (The original theme, naturally.)
Hyrule Castle (Alongside the castle's theme from the series. This is the A Link Between Worlds version.)
Death Mountain (Another A Link Between Worlds arrangement.)
Hyrule Castle Courtyard (Okay, probably not likely in the slightest, but it'd be funny!)
Saria's Song (And here's another Melee arrangement we haven't seen since its inception. It'd be fun to see again, I suppose).
Deku Palace (We need more Majora's Mask music!)
Boss Battle (The Four Swords Adventures version of this A Link to the Past theme assures this won't get repetitive)
Minigame (Otherwise known as the A Link Between Worlds song that actually appeared first in Nintendo Land!)
Lorule Castle (Why not another Zelda castle theme?)

Mushroom Kingdom

Both versions of Smash possess their respective Mushroom Kingdom stages, with the Wii U host to the wonderfully dynamic Mushroom Kingdom U while the 3DS has the melancholic Mushroomy Kingdom from Brawl. Now that we know 64 stages are definitely on the table, why not bring back that game's best stage? I mean, hey, the Wii U version has two Mario Circuits, so two Mushroom Kingdoms shouldn't be out of place.

There's also the possibility of the Melee one coming back, but that's not nearly as good as the original, what with its Warp Pipe hijinks and POW Block action. Already are the memories starting to flow back...

Most of the suitable arrangements are already on Mushroom Kingdom U, but that's no issue here.

Mushroom Kingdom (What else?)
Mushroom Kingdom 2 (They may as well make it a haven for NES Mario rips.)
SMB3 Overworld (Why two Super Mario Bros. 3 songs?)
SMB3 Athletic (Because.)
Secret Course (You know, I'm surprised they haven't done a Super Mario Sunshine arrangement yet...)
Underground Theme (This was in the 3DS version, but couldn't find a home on Wii U. While it'd work just fine on Luigi's Mansion, this would be a great fit too!)
Ground Theme v.2 (One of Smash's most bizarre arrangements for sure.)

And that's my five most wanted stages. To tell the truth, there is one more stage I'd like to see return, but that's something I'd like to discuss in a later post.

In any case, you might be wondering why I didn't set the focus on new stages. I figured that the development team is busy enough balancing the new characters, so I imagine they'd rather channel their efforts to porting over older stages. Not to mention, I actually can't think of any I'd want outside of Bowser's Castle, which is long overdue (although several Bowser-centric songs are in a few stages...maybe next time?). Of course, with that Ryu rumor looking very likely, we might end up getting a new stage with a Street Fighter motif...who knows!

Anyway, that's a wrap! I'm looking to finish this feature before E3 pops up, so expect my Smash DLC Wishlist to pop up at least once a week!

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Here we are: the day after my promised update on the blog's status. Granted, the crippling cold I had last week returned with an unholy vengeance this fine Easter, but regardless, it led to another delay. I even missed Biweekly Music Wednesday! last week (okay, so I was busy screaming over Lucas's return to Smash Bros., but still!)

Familiar story, ain't it? Empty promises and frustrating delays have been the name of the blog since maybe four years ago, and it took until I missed every single written assignment due at university last week--right on the eve of my graduation, no less-- to realize I have a work ethic problem, and I have to put my foot down on it.

For over a year now, I've been planning some major overhauls to the blog following my Kirby column, which at this point has run two years. This isn't to imply an ugly redesign or anything like that, but after all these years of experimenting and tooling around with my writing, I'd finally found the direction I'd desired for the blog to go into, and the time's been ripe again and again to finally embark on that path.

Only one problem: I still haven't finished this column, which has taken way longer than it should have.

There are so many factors I could blame on this -- my entirely too large expectations for word length, my Asperger's, school work, whatever. But it ultimately boils down to one factor: I'm lazy, and I have to stop thinking about what I want to do and instead put it in action.

So, for starters, I suppose it's time to finally share what I have in mind. I've divided my plans into the three following segments.

1) From now on, games will no longer be reviewed within columns

For years following Leave Luck to Heaven's inception, I believed my uniqueness in writing would shine best in various column-based articles. This began with four intensive multi-post analyses regarding Super Mario Bros., Kirby's Adventure, Mario Kart DS, and Pikmin. While this system had its own strengths, I found it ultimately distracted me from not just current industry going-ons (more on this later), but real life in general, and it got to the point where I was wondering why exactly I was dedicating so many posts just for one game. Two of them ended up being unfinished, and while there were merits found in the ones that weren't (Kirby's Adventure and Mario Kart DS), many portions of them are rather...difficult to read, to put it kindly.

Granted, I guess many old writings are, but when you're interspersing melancholic self-reflections in articles based on a Mario Kart, it's hard not to cringe.

Since then, Leave Luck to Heaven meandered from irregular postings to promises of articles that never came to be until Ten Years of Kirby dropped by. This is a far more relevant/interesting undertaking, if you ask me, but it also came with its own problems. For starters, it actually began as a review for Kirby's Dream Collection before transforming into the column that takes roughly two/three months to pop out a new entry. By that point, it's no longer quite relevant no matter how much passion I put into every post, and that's been bothering me since I've wanted to move on.

Then I realized something: aside from my innate laziness, what's there to stop me from simply posting about other games alongside the column? It certainly hasn't stopped Biweekly Music Wednesday! posts, and it's been...what, four years since I reviewed the latest game from Nintendo on here? Time for some change.

From now on, game reviews will no longer be subject to columns. Unbeknownst to you all, I've begun replaying certain classic Nintendo series/titles as of last fall, and now that I'm finally equipped with a Elgato Game Capture device, I can now supply game reviews and articles with screenshots of my very own! Bear in mind while this only applies to home console games (apparently handheld capture devices cost a pretty penny...), I've decided now is the time to individually review games without restricting them to columns. Within the coming months, you can expect reviews of Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, Metroid Prime, and Star Fox 64.

Bear in mind this does not mean Ten Years of Kirby has been put down! After just about reaching the halfway point with Amazing Mirror, I intend to see that column to the end. What this means is that for the next half-year or so, I'll be providing 3-4 reviews a month, with at least two Kirby games per month so we can plow through the column. Eventually, I want the ideal model to be four reviews per month, but don't be surprised if we start off with just two or three.

In regards to new games, you can expect reviews over at whatever site I'm working with (such as Nintendojo) within the month, but their respective reviews at Leave Luck to Heaven might take a little longer. I'm planning it so after achieving 100% completion on relevant games and then initiating deep reflection will I deem it time to provide my complete, full thoughts on those games. For example, DLC factors into this, so you shouldn't expect reviews for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS or Mario Kart 8 until their DLC period is done and over with, so that could take some time. So, as some readers may have gleamed already, you can think of my journalist reviews as appetizers until I provide the full course here.

While columns are done and over with, this doesn't mean I won't have fun with "themes" or the like. For example, maybe one day I'll like to have a Pokémon spin-off month, or a Smash Bros. one in prepration for whenever the next title will come. Who knows, so keep an open mind! I want to expand on Leave Luck to Heaven more and more, so feel free to drop any suggestions.

Oh, and one more thing: I CANNOT GUARANTEE THIS WILL START RIGHT NOW! At the moment, I'm putting my full resources into wrapping up my last four weeks at college, so that's my number one priority. So at the very least, this will begin no later than mid-May.

2) Leave Luck to Heaven will begin opening up new pages and archives for articles

While the blog has always been accompanied by a handy yearly/monthly archive, I think it's high time we had more of a convenient method for tracking down old articles and the like.

Beginning early this summer, I'll be gradually adding new pages to the blog to provide full access for all the blog's articles. This will be divided into reviews as per console/series/alphabetical order, my old columns, all Biweekly Music Wednesday! posts, and all my articles within the wonderful world of gaming journalism.

Bear in mind I know little about the page-building process on Blogger, hence why this will be a gradual process. Regardless, I plan to update them regularly throughout the blog's lifetime, so look forward to it!

3) Constant reactions from Yours Truly on Nintendo news

One thing I've always regretted about the blog is that I've never felt it was in touch with whatever was going on with Nintendo. From releases of new games to major announcements, these were often sidelined in favor of whatever column I was currently working on. As mentioned previously, while they served their purposes before, they ended up distracting me from relevant going-ons in the industry. I still distinctly recall briefly discussing the brand new Kirby's Epic Yarn right before diving back into my Kirby's Adventure feature, for example. Only the annual E3 articles have maintained relevancy, but it's not enough.

As someone who aims to embed himself further into the industry, this is a problem. What's also a problem is that I've been unable to provide constant updates. How can I provide relevant updates while maintaining constant contact with my readers?

I've come up with a solution: at least one to two times a week, I'll provide some commentary on the latest Nintendo news, be it a meaty Nintendo Direct, a shareholder conference, a game announcement, whatever. While obviously I won't fatten the blog with fluff (OMG A ESHOP SALE!!!), at least this will ensure relevancy all the whilereassuring you all that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.

Bear in mind this is a very recent decision, so for the moment the size of my commentaries will be relative to however big the news is, and they won't be anymore than 500-700 words. I also urge readers to constantly read up on Nintendojo's weekend round tables, where I'm certain to comment on the latest going-ons regarding the Big N (reminder: I'm under the name Anthony Pelone) .

And that's it. Once again, this may not be effective immediately, so please be patient. To everyone I've kept waiting, to those who've given up, please know I'm truly sorry for any frustration you've endured. But now that I've acknowledged my weaknesses, I believe my content and work drive will be even stronger moving forward.

With my recent rejection from Arcadia University's MFA program and my future academic career under question (as well as the uncertain status regarding Daily Gamer...I'll let you all know what's going on with that within the week), I'm thinking I'll be spending the summer working on both the blog and constantly striving to improve my writing craft. At the very least, I'll see you this Wednesday for another music write-up.

 See you soon!

Retro Scope: Pikmin 2 (Nintendojo)

Read Here

We had a GameCube-themed week over at Nintendojo, so I volunteered to write about my favorite game for the console. I'm planning on replaying the entire trilogy later this summer, so I'll be able to settle once and for all which is the best.

For readers waiting for the next article on this blog, please look forward to a post tomorrow that will elaborate on my plans for Leave Luck to Heaven this year.

WarioWare, Inc.: Going Under? (Nintendojo)

Link Here

I believe I've discussed my dissatisfaction with the current state of WarioWare in the past? We had an Intelligent Systems-focus last week on Nintendojo, and I took the opportunity to discuss this. The announcement of Nintendo's entry in mobile couldn't have arrived at a better time.

It's amazing to think that in 2003, we were introduced to such an exciting direction for the Wario series--one I personally had a very strong connection with--and it had all but fizzled out ten years later with the arrival of the shitty Game & Wario. Witnessing that game's reception at Nintendo World Store around launch was one of the most sobering experiences I've ever had as a Nintendo fan

I miss this series so hard. Please restore it to its former glory, IS!

Biweekly Music Wednesday! No. 23 ~Butch and the Villagers~ (Mother 3)

Origin: Mother 3 (GBA)

Plays In: The end of Chapter 2
Status: Original Composition

Composer: Shogo Sakai

Shogo Sakai's work on Mother 3 possesses the most heart-wrenching music ever inputted into video games. That the title deliberately stands in stark contrast with its predecessor (Earthbound) is one of its biggest strengths, and one needs only to compare their individual soundtracks to see why. Earthbound is composed of rich, multi-fledged nostalgia -- be it the familiar old scent of Twoson, the music box-esque tunes that rest at the sanctuaries, or the mellow choir of Ness's home, such songs serve to celebrate childhood innocence and adventure.

Mother 3 borrows this template only to highlight the exact opposite: the crippling reality of adulthood. In the context of Butch and the Villagers, Tazmily Village's awkward reception to the deaths and disappearance of certain characters was disconcerting enough, but the town's moral fabric begins to truly unravel through the staged theft of a new, foreign concept: money. Bear in mind only a day or two had passed since the aforementioned tragedies, yet the destruction of a family and a missing person report is quickly forgotten in the face of greed. At this point, Mother 3's exact setting and timeframe relative to the two previous games are unknown, but the former's fragility is already hard at work in providing one of the game's most powerful statements.

Butch and the Villagers is perhaps one of the game's more underrated tracks, yet the way it complements the above scene can't be lauded enough. Mother 3's script already functions as something of a play, and I can't imagine that the way the song channels the basic beats of a closing act is no coincidence. But what's even more powerful is the defeated plucks of a guitar, the one that signals the song's other, more heartbreaking message: "there's no going back."

From now on, the peace-celebrating utopia of Tazmily begins to be no more. One family's tragedy in a formally close-knit village is quickly forgotten in the advent of capitalism and modernism. A grandfather can only cope through his special brand of fart jokes as the world changes around him, the townsfolk roll their eyes as a father spends three years in a hopeless routine of prayer and searching, and a lone boy can only clutch tighter to his dog in the depths of the night.

I listened to this song one night on Mother 3's sound player maybe a month or two after Michael's death, and that one message repeated firmly in my skull. I couldn't go back -- not to the private forum I left after I'd grown disillusioned with its gradual insensitivity, or to the safe childhood I'd taken for granted, or the warmth of my brother's embrace as he went goodbye.

There's no going back...so the only place to go is forward. But you don't know that in despair.

Final Thoughts: Even now I'm choking back tears. Damn you, Itoi!

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What a downer! Hopefully Kirby can make it up to us...been making some real progress on that, so expect that and a Nintendojo article soon!

No Biweekly Music Wednesday! This Week

Hey gang. Sorry for the late announcement, but I just got caught up in providing news pieces for Nintendojo, so we won't be discussing music tonight. In return, I'll be sure to have it back up next week AND have Canvas Curse ready this weekend. Look forward to those!

Retro Scope: Conker's Bad Fur Day (Nintendojo)

Link Here.

You know, until the site mentioned it, I'd completely forgotten it was Conker's 14th anniversary! What a coincidence.

Believe it or not, part of my game-centric Senior Seminar for college just involved an essay for this game too. Needless to say, my peers were in fits of laughter. In any case, enjoy the read! I'm striving to have the Canvas Curse article up sometime this week, so look forward to it.