Miscellaneous - Home

Stop Complaining, America!

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:25:45 +0000

Living in Japan is a fulfilling experience. I get exposure to a lot of different things here, that I wouldn't normally have access to in the United States. For the most part, the people here are very kind, friendly, and helpful. The culture here is unique, plentiful and very deeply rooted. If there's one thing that I could complain about though, it would be the cost of living. Everything over here is really expensive; really expensive. Now, we all know that Japan has some of the most incredible video games. It's times like this though, that I am thankful that I don't play current generation Japanese video games.

To prove just how expensive the Japanese video games are, I made a trip to the local Tsutaya. Tsutaya is a common video game, music and book store here in Japan. The store itself is amazing. I love going there, even if I'm not there to purchase anything. Today, I went there to grab my copy of the May 2012 CoroCoro Comic book. While I was there, I decided to snap a few pictures of the video games on display, specifically the Nintendo 3DS games. They sell games for all different systems, but I focused on the 3DS games since they were all close together in the same area. Plus, picture taking is frowned upon inside the store so I had to be as cautious as I could. I learned that the hard way last time I was in there "browsing" around.

I took pictures of six different Nintendo 3DS games that were on display; Fire Emblem: Kakusei (Awakening), Shin Hikari Shinwa: Palutena no Kagami (Kid Icarus: Uprising), Mario Kart 7, Biohazard Revelations (Resident Evil: Revelations), Super Mario 3D Land and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Each picture shows the price, in Japanese Yen. Yen is the currency used in Japan and fluctuates every few days or so, depending on the Japanese stock market. As soon as I arrived back home, I converted the Japanese Yen to US Dollars using the CoinMill.com Currency Converter Tool. Shockingly, here's what the outcome was for each game.

Fire Emblem: Kakusei (Awakening)
Japanese Yen - ¥4,800
US Dollars equiv. - $59.63

Shin Hikari Shinwa: Palutena no Kagami (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
Japanese Yen - ¥5,380
US Dollars equiv. - $66.83

Mario Kart 7
Japanese Yen - ¥4,480
US Dollars equiv. - $55.65

Biohazard Revelations (Resident Evil: Revelations)
Japanese Yen - ¥5,480
US Dollars equiv. - $68.07

Super Mario 3D Land
Japanese Yen - ¥4,480
US Dollars equiv. - $55.65

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Japanese Yen - ¥5,980
US Dollars equiv. - $74.29

Nice and expensive over here, isn't it?

Considering the average retail price of a Nintendo 3DS game in the United States goes for approximately $39.99, I'm glad that I use North American consoles and games. So, next time you want to complain about prices of video games, stop and think about this article. You'll probably wish you did.

2012 E3: What Do You Want?

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:14:23 +0000

Each year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) welcomes thousands of professionals to experience the future of interactive entertainment. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the show are the innovative companies that attend. Nintendo, for example, along with many other companies showcase new technologies and never-before-seen products for computers, video game consoles, handheld systems, mobile, and the Internet.

This year, the show takes place at the Los Angeles Convention from June 5th to June 7th. Hundreds of exhibitors will have their booth on the show floor. Unfortunately, for us, we aren't authorized to attend. I remember one year (I believe it was 2008 or 2009) I was going to fly out there for the expo but I soon realized that I would just get the REJECTED stamp because I wasn't representing a company. On the flip-side, however, there is great news for us even if we can't attend. They always have live video feeds for the show so you won't miss anything that's covered.

How much will Nintendo reveal about its newest console, the Wii U?

Will Nintendo shed more light on the brand-new Mario title?

What about titles for the Wii U such as Pikmin, Smash Bros. Zelda, F-Zero? Will we see any of that?

And that Animal Crossing game! What about that one?

I'll start with a simple question.

What are you guys looking forward to this year?

Pokémon Cereal: Catch 'Em And Eat 'Em Too

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:10:35 +0000

You are witnessing one of the greatest moments in the history of cereal. Introduced in 2000, Kellogg's launched the first ever Pokémon cereal, Kellogg's Pokémon Toasted Oat Cereal With Marshmallow Bits, as part of the new Pokémon craze of the late 1990's. The cereal contains oat-based rings, featuring four different Pokémon character-shaped marshmallows: blue Poliwhirl, yellow Pikachu, pink Ditto, and green Oddish. The cereal is fortified with 12 essential vitamins and minerals. Pokémon Toasted Oat Cereal With Marshmallow Bits retailed at an average price of $2.49 for a 13.2-ounce package.

"Kellogg's Pokémon cereal is the latest example of our commitment to bring fun back to the cereal aisle and offers kids a unique way to catch Pokémon fever," said Paul Norman, vice president of marketing for ready-to-eat cereal, Kellogg USA.

"Through this integrated marketing campaign, Kellogg's creates the ultimate 'Pokémon experience,' and allows kids to participate in the Pokémon phenomenon in a new way," said Kevin Smith, vice president, consumer promotions, Kellogg USA.

You must admit, whether you're a Pokémon fan or not, this is pretty cool. I love cereal and I'd buy this in a split-second if it ever made its way back into the grocery stores. On the official website, you can vote for the cereal, as well as make a comment. If there are enough votes, Kellogg's may just bring this back. What are you waiting for? Go vote and leave a comment.

My CoroCoro Experience

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:46:52 +0000

My sole intent on publishing this article hinges upon my personal efforts to provide everyone with the most current, trending Nintendo gaming information. My ultimate goal is to go beyond the standard means of delivering that information to you. Being an American, living in Japan, I have the privilege of obtaining firsthand access from a wide variety of information-rich resources. Because of this, I can give everyone a pre-emptive view of the latest and greatest Nintendo news. Let's face it, Japan receives many triple A first and third-party titles before any of the other regions, specifically North America. Pokémon Black Version 2, Pokémon White Version 2, Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pokémon Conquest (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition) are just a few of the examples.

In this specific article, I'm going to share a personal experience (mini expedition) I recently had. In the past few days, I've learned a lot, and I do mean a lot. My two-day quest stemmed from seeing all the online pictures of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 from the monthly Japanese Manga publication, CoroCoro. I thought to myself, "I'm here in Japan. It's the perfect place to get insight on the upcoming Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 games!" Suddenly, like a moth to a flame, I set out on my journey to see these Pokémon images up close and personal. I was going to buy my own CoroCoro magazines myself. I know little Japanese, so I knew this was going to be fun. Mwahahaaaahaaa.

The first place I went to was Tsutaya, a Japanese game, DVD and book store. Where I live, in Okinawa, Tsutaya are abundant and plentiful. You can easily find one in nearly every major city. This one, in particular, was located on the southern most part of Okinawa, in the city of Itoman. While trying to find the magazine on my own, I noticed a store worker nearby. I asked her for CoroCoro and she immediately directed me to the end cap of an aisle where there were a large number of them neatly stacked up. She showed me two different books while simultaneously speaking to me in Japanese. I had no idea what she was saying, but I politely smiled, thanked her, bowed and took one of them to the checkout. It was fairly thick and double-wrapped in sturdy cellophane. I was proud as anyone could be. My wife said I looked like a little boy. How could I deny that? I couldn't wait to get home and open it up to see all the Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 pages up close, in my own hands.

So, there I was, breaking through the armor-like cellophane of my new, shiny CoroCoro on my kitchen counter. Strangely though, I didn't see any of the new Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 pages, as shown floating around the Internet. I flipped through all the semi glossy-colored pages and not one of them looked like the images I saw online. This one...looked different. At this point, I became a bit confused. I remember the store worker holding two of the magazines while helping me out. Could I have possibly chosen the wrong one? Were there multiple volumes for each month? I'm not sure, but Saturday was now behind me.

At some point during early Sunday afternoon, I decided to do a bit of research online. The first thing I typed in Google was "CoroCoro." Not surprised, Wikipedia was the first result to appear on the page. I clicked on the link to read more. I think the most eye-opening information on the page was the following:

"CoroCoro Comic is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Shogakukan,starting on May 15, 1977. The magazine is A5-sized, about 6 cm (2.25 in) thick, and often more than 800 pages in length. The magazine has two sisters: Bessatsu CoroCoro and CoroCoro Ichiban!. Both are bi-monthly."

After reading that, I soon came to realize that there's more to CoroCoro than I thought. Basically, there are three main CoroCoro publications. You have the main publication, CoroCoro Comic and two bi-monthly sister publications as well. At this very moment, everything starts making sense to me. I kept thinking to myself, "The one I bought yesterday is nowhere near the dimensions or specifications as described for the A5 book format, nor is it 2 inches thick." In case you're wondering, the dimensions for the A5 book format are 148mm (approx. 5.82" inches) in width by 209mm (approx. 8.22") in length. Well then, if there are three different types of CoroCoro, they all have one thing in common; CoroCoro, which looks like this:

CoroCoro, in Japanese

So, knowing this, each of the three different CoroCoro magazines will have "CoroCoro" in Japanese, along with whatever type publication it is, smaller print. Kevin, we should promote you to Captain Obvious! Hmm...time to do more research!

Having an official publication name of CoroCoro Comic, I can use Google Translate to help me figure out what "Comic" looks like in Japanese. Oh, Google Translate also has a pronunciation tool for whatever words you translate. Upon translating "Comic" from English to Japanese, I get something that looks like this in Google Translate:

Comic, translated from English to Japanese

I quickly held my copy of the CoroCoro up to the screen to compare and I realized that it was completely different. "Well, which one did I purchase then? Let's see, there's only two other possible candidates." I chose to translate "Ichiban!" from English to Japanese and this is what I got:

Ichiban!, translated from English to Japanese

Hmm, that doesn't look anything at all like what my CoroCoro has. The only thing that's the same is the exclamation point. Time for me to perform more research! Performing a Google search for "CoroCoro Ichiban!" yields quite a few results, naturally. I look at various different sources and then I finally come across the holy grail of CoroCoro Ichiban! links, in which it lists all CoroCoro Ichiban! publications, by month, along with images of the covers! I now have a match for the CoroCoro I bought at Tsutaya yesterday. So, now that I know this, it's time to go get myself the correct publication, CoroCoro Comic, at the local Tsutaya about five minutes away. At this point, I don't even care about the third CoroCoro publication, Bessatsu CoroCoro. The whole way there, I'm reciting the pronunciation aloud so I can properly ask for it when I get there. I know, it sounds crazy but I'm on a mission here.

To hear the pronunciation for CoroCoro Comic, in Japanese, click on this Google Translate page and click the little volume icon in the box (Japanese) on the left. If you click the volume icon in the box on the right, that's the English translation pronunciation, which would be improper for me to use when asking.

So, now I'm at the local Tsutaya looking around for the latest and greatest CoroCoro Comic publication. I've found the CoroCoro Comic magazines, all stacked up nicely at the end cap of an aisle, but all I see on the nearly 2-inch spine of the comic book is a big "4," which means April. While that's good, but it still doesn't explain why I can't find any of the May editions. Those Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 images online are from the May edition of CoroCoro Comic. I get in line at the check out and ask the man behind the counter "Shitsureishimashita. Korokorokomikku, kudasai?" Basically, I said "Excuse me. CoroCoro Comic, please?" By no means was it proper Japanese, but he knew exactly what I was asking for. He led us back over to the end cap, where I was looking before and politely asked me wait a few minutes. He asked me using both Japanese and English phrases. I was impressed. I mean, he spoke way better English than I could speak Japanese. I laughed and said "You have very good English!" He laughed and said "thank you" and ran back to the counter. I watched him make his way back over behind the check out counter. While holding a piece of paper, he picked up the phone and started talking to someone, probably the store manager or something.

While I was waiting for him, I picked up a random comic book off the shelf and started flipping through it. I was kind of shocked to see a cartoon-ish Japanese couple performing sexual duties on each other. Embarrassed, I quickly shelved the comic book and waited. Moments later, he returned back to where I was standing. I forget exactly how he relayed the information, but I do remember him saying "Kayōbi," or Tuesday in English. I smiled, thanked him, bowed, and left the store thinking that they were just sold out until Tuesday, which was in a few days anyway.

While departing Tsutaya, I remembered that there was a book store in a shopping center a few minutes away. I decided to drive over there to see if I could score a May edition of the CoroCoro Comic. As I entered the book store, I was immediately greeted by the store worker behind the check out counter. I decided to just go right up to the counter and ask instead of looking around. This book store was respectably large, so I decided it was best to just ask first. The lady knew exactly what I was talking about and ran from behind the counter (they do that a lot over here) to one of the comic book aisles. She looked around for a bit and held up an April edition of CoroCoro Comic for me to see. I didn't know how to say "May" in Japanese so I pointed to the big "4" on the spine of the comic and held up five fingers and said "go," which means five in Japanese. She ran back behind the counter, looked at a wall chart, then said "Kayōbi," just like the man from the Tsutaya store.

At this point, I was thinking two possibilities. First, all of the Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 images scattered online were for the April edition of CoroCoro Comic and someone just slipped up and made a typo. The second possibility was that the images online were, in fact, leaked by someone who was able to get a hold of the CoroCoro Comic books before even being distributed for resale. The latter of the two possibilities was beginning to make more and more sense. Hastily, I bought the April edition of the CoroCoro Comic book that the diligent store worker showed me and returned back home.

After getting back home, I immediately pulled up some Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 articles from various sources on the Internet. Many of the most recent article sources I found for the newest Pokémon CoroCoro "scans" used the word "leaked" somewhere in the body of the article, including the article that Chris wrote. This only solidified what I was thinking back at the last book store I visited. And like that, it very quickly became apparent that I was chasing after something that had long been exposed to the world, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I learned a lot during these last two days. I'll be here in Japan for quite some time, so I might just try to make some good contacts. I'm thinking if I learn enough Japanese and talk to the right people, I might just be able to swing a deal with someone where I can get inside Nintendo gaming information before anyone else. These last few days have been fun, literally full of fun!

To see various pictures I took of these books, along with the logos for the three different CoroCoro publications, please check out my personal image gallery.

Zelda Never Sounded So Beautiful

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:12:12 +0000

In about two more hours, California will be resonating with beautifully orchestrated Zelda melodies. The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses will make its 2012 debut at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Fransisco at 8PM Pacific Standard Time (PST). Symphony conductor, Eimear Noone, takes us back in time (1992) with emotional orchestrated sounds from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It doesn't stop there though. She leads up to current (2011) with the Ballad of the Goddess, from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

The tour began last year, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, and only played three shows; London, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, CA. This year, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses will be touring a total of 14 locations in North America alone.

The Legend of Zelda series has given gamers an incredible gaming experience. The very first game in the 26 year-old series, The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), was the first game that gave players the opportunity to explore a vast, open world. Prior to The Legend of Zelda, the only method of gameplay was to follow a linear path, as with Super Mario Bros.. The Legend of Zelda has been credited with revolutionizing today's exploration-based video games.

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses on YouTube

For more information on The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, please visit:
Zelda Symphony

Nintendo Nerds Review Challenge

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:50:37 +0000

A challenge has been issued to all those Nintendo Nerds out there. The Reviews section is kinda sparse, and I'd love to see more new reviews. However, I want to see your best!

The contest will run from now until May 1. In order to qualify, reviews must cover either a game released on a Nintendo system, or the system itself, and, as always, the review must be approved. You may enter as many reviews as you wish. At the end of the contest, each participant may choose one of their entries. The chosen reviews will then be voted on by the community. The winner gets bragging rights and a reward.

I am the only person ineligible to take part in this contest.

Feel free to refer to the Review Guidelines.

Club Nintendo Goes Green For St. Patrick's Day

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:05:46 +0000

That's the way it should have been all along! Nintendo celebrates St. Patrick's Day by giving the Luigi the nod instead of Mario. Anybody else think that this should be a permanent alternate skin for Club Nintendo?

https://club.nintendo.com/

A Brand New SNES Game Is On The Horizon

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:35:34 +0000

Yes, you read that right. A full-fledged cartridge game, together with case and manual. Not only that, but it's made of all-new material, thus not cannibalizing already existing SNES games. Super Fighter Team has obtained the rights to and are releasing Nightmare Busters, a canceled SNES game, in 2013. Unfortunately, it will cost $68, and it's already reached its initial pre-order limit of 600. Honestly, it seems really cool. I won't be buying a copy, but maybe someone here might be all over this.

If pre-orders are started again, you can do so here.

Thanks to:
http://blogs.houston...intendo_gam.php

Pokémon Black And White Curry, Anyone?

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:39:44 +0000

A few days ago, my wife and I were browsing around in one of the somewhat local 100 Yen Shops. Here, in Japan, these are about equivalent to a Family Dollar or Dollar General. Basically, the 100 Yen Shop has a huge variety of odds and ends such as really cool stationary, tools, clothes, home decor, etc. Each item (well most) in the store is approximately equal to $1.25 US Dollars. Check out what I found! Below, are images (front and back) of a 5th Generation, Pokémon Black and White packet of vegetable curry. For just over a buck, I couldn't resist!

(click on image for full view)

(click on image for full view)

Glitch Of The Day: Cucco Classic

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:09:13 +0000

And you thought Jesus was the only one gifted enough to walk on water, eh? Today's glitch of the day is attributed to none other than the crazy Cucco, from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo. I was searching for something online when I came across this classic Cucco glitch. And, fortunately, I was able to find a video on YouTube that demonstrated how to make this clucking Cucco perform the cucaracha across the water, or anywhere else for that matter.

If you have a cool glitch that you would like us to feature, let us know!

D'oh!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:14:26 +0000

You'd think someone at Capcom would have caught such an obvious error. Sure, typos get on game boxes all the time, but I don't think I've ever seen a misspelling in such a prominent area. These early misspelled copies of Resident Evil: Revelations will definitely become a collector's item down the road.

Secret of Evermore Retrospective

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:04:12 +0000

Life was hard as a JRPG fan back in the '90s. If games were released outside Japan at all, it was usually six months late, with inexplicable title changes and mangled translations twisting the knife.

Under the circumstances, you can understand why the Square fanbase didn't take to Secret Of Evermore. Conceived specifically to appeal to an American audience, the game was markedly different from Square's similarly titled, but unrelated, Secret Of Mana, which preceded it by three years.

Evermore featured a B-movie plot about a science experiment gone wrong, and an alarming lack of cute rabbit creatures or traditional magic. Even the soundtrack was unfamiliar, with dark ambient tones replacing the wistfully catchy scores that had been ornamenting Square's output for the past decade.

Here's the thing, though: it was brilliant. And it's still brilliant. Firing it up again now, more than ten years since the last time I traipsed across Evermore with my beloved pet dog, I was bracing myself for the cold hard face-slap that often accompanies your return to a beloved childhood game - and it never came. But you don't need to take my word for it: I Asked Jeeves for his impartial butler-opinion and he said, "Please... let me die. Also, Secret Of Evermore is an amazing game." So there you go. It's FACT.

Why is it so great? Well, it isn't because of the characters, who are largely two-dimensional, interchangeable and forgettable. And it isn't due to the combat, which can feel horribly unforgiving at times. It certainly isn't down to its protagonist, who bucks the time-honoured JRPG trend for mute heroism by being an annoying, unflappable jerk. But even with all that taken into account, Secret Of Evermore is simply one of the best exploration games I've ever played.

Source:
http://www.computera...CVG-General-RSS

Eat And You Shall Receive...Pokemon!

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:04:01 +0000

I'm not a fan of consuming the unhealthy food products from McDonald's. I'll admit it though. Every once in a while, a nice greasy double-cheeseburger or six-piece McNugget hits the spot! Recently, I discovered (actually it was my wife) that McDonald's is promoting Pokémon toys! You know those toys that come in the happy meals for kids to swallow and choke on? Well, the McDonald's here in Japan are adding some really cool Pokémon toys to compliment their happy meals. Happy meals here aren't called "happy meals" though; they're called "kid sets." A "number 1 combo" isn't known at any of the Japanese McDonald's either, for that matter. If you want a combo, it's known as a "set" over here in the Japanese McDonald's.

They have a wide variety of promotional Pokémon toys...and I'm gonna try to catch 'em all too! Even if I have to order a kid set and ditch the food, I'll still get a new Pokémon. They have maybe ten or so different ones to choose from. So far, I've managed to get Pikachu, Zekrom and Oshawott. What's really cool about the toys is that they actually do different things. For example, by pulling down on Pikachu's tail, a loud (and quite annoying) audible "Pika Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" screams from the speaker inside the toy. Zekrom's characteristic is much nicer because it's not audible. Zekrom has a little switch. When turned on, it lights up and makes his tail flash a soft blue color. Oshawott's is also pretty neat as well. Although I haven't experimented with it, you can fill him up with water, press down on his tail, and make the water squirt from his mouth. I'm sure all the mothers are really loving that one!

I'll post more pictures whenever I catch more of these!

How I Acquired Pokémon Grey In 49 Minutes

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:05:31 +0000

This is a little story about how I acquired pokemongrey.com in under one hour. The first thing I would like to point out is how the second word in the domain name is spelled. After performing research on Google for about 20 minutes, it became clearly apparent that there are two correct ways of spelling the color "grey" (or "gray"). Personally, I spell it with an "e" only because that's the way I was taught how to spell it. I understand that either way is correct.

On November 19th of 2008, a person by the name of Sandra Fordham, of Kerrville, TX purchased the domain name "pokemongray.com." Back in November of 2008, Pokémon fans around the world didn't ever realize that Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version would be developed. Or did they? On September 18th, 2010, the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White versions were officially released in Japan. Was there evidence that these two versions were in the making close to two years before being officially released? Honestly, I do not know the answer to that, but it was either: A: a good, intellectual hunch by Sandra or B: irrefutable, legitimate insight. Either way, I believe it was a respectful and wise decision to purchase that domain name. The technical data relating to this domain name, as listed in whois.net, reveals that Melbourne IT is the responsible party. Now, Melbourne IT is also the responsible technical party for the domain name "pokemonblackwhite.com," as listed on whois.net. And, "pokemonblackwhite.com" is indeed the official website for the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White versions.

Now, you might be asking yourself, "What does all of this information have anything to do with you acquiring the pokemongrey.com domain?" That's actually a good question; and one that I've asked myself many, many times before making the decision to own it. The truth is, there's just something mystical that draws me to Pokémon. I'm not into the Manga aspect of Pokémon, though. I'm a fan of the video game series. So to answer that question the best I know how, I guess it's all about a passion, and possibly a good opportunity to own a domain name that will someday be notable. Who knows, I may even start a fan site for it. At this point, I simply consider the pokemongrey.com domain a good candidate for a future project; nothing else, nothing more. It may turn out that nothing comes of that domain name and I'll be totally content with that.

A few days ago, I was curious about who, if anyone, already registered pokemongrey.com. It turns out that is was, in fact, registered to someone living in Texas. I think it's pure coincidence that this person and Sandra both listed their organizational address as being in Texas. Although I can't prove that, knowing whether it's coincidence or not doesn't weigh too heavily on my mind to want to perform any research. Once finding out that the "grey" domain was registered, I made a visit to the website. As I expected, I was presented a parked page when visiting the address. This basically means that the domain owner has not hosted any type of content for the domain name. It doesn't necessarily mean that the owner has, or hasn't, but that there isn't any current content being hosted or presented for the domain name. Seeing this, I became more interested in whether the owner had any plans to keep the domain name.

Living in Japan, I had three options at my disposal for contacting the domain owner. I could send an email, call the publicly listed telephone number for the domain contact, or send a text message in hopes of it being a mobile telephone number. The first thing I did was send an email to the publicly listed address listed on whois.net. Once I did that, I immediately received a failed delivery notice. I thought to myself, "Gah! I hate when that happens." The next option I used was sending a simple text to the phone number, inquiring about the domain name. Below is the complete, unedited and transposed text conversation that I had with the current domain owner. The person's real name and the pricing details were left out. Not that it matters, or you couldn't find out who the previous owner for the pokemongrey.com domain was, but I simply omitted the information. I'm going to refer to the person as "John."

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:30PM
Hello. Is this John?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:32PM
Hey, yes. It is.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:34PM
My apologies for the obtuse introduction. Would you still happen to be the owner of pokemongrey.com?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:37PM
Yes, I am. I would be willing to sell it.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:37PM
What would your asking price be?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:38PM
You don't happen to work for Nintendo by any chance, do you?

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:39PM
No. LOL

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:40PM
$----- (pricing details omitted)

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:41PM
$----- (pricing details omitted) and we have a deal.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:42PM
I can go as high as $----- (pricing details omitted), sir.

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:42PM
Okay, deal.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:44PM
OK. Great! I see you registered the domain with Godaddy. I have an account with them.
Would you be willing to give them a call and transfer the domain to my account?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:46PM
They have an auction system. What I could do is just list it at a $----- (pricing details omitted) buyout and you could grab it.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:46PM
Could you send me that link?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:46PM
Sure.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:47PM
OK, so would you like to get this started?

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:47PM
Yep. I'll put up the auction right now and send you a link.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:48PM
Great!

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:56PM
Okay, if you go to godaddy.com, there's a green auctions tab on the upper right, click "a-z auction listing" and you can do a search. Type in
pokemongrey.com and it should be there soon. It takes a little bit for it to process so it's not there yet, but I will let you know when it is.

Kevin 12-28-2011 @ 11:57PM
OK

John 12-28-2011 @ 11:57PM
And actually, it looks like it just came up.

Kevin 12-29-2011 @ 12:01AM
Great! I think we're all set now.

John 12-29-2011 @ 12:01AM
Nice, thanks a lot.

Kevin 12-29-2011 @ 12:02AM
The pleasure is all mine, sir. I wonder how long it takes for the domain to become listed in my domain manager.

John 12-29-2011 @ 12:03AM
Not sure. Shouldn't take long though.

Kevin 12-29-2011 @ 12:04AM
Ah, I see. The authorization is pending.

Kevin 12-29-2011 @ 12:19AM
It was a pleasure doing business with you, John.

John 12-29-2011 @ 12:19AM
You too. Thanks a lot.

Well, that's my little story on how I became the proud owner of pokemongrey.com. If it turns out to be nothing at all, I'm good with it.

My Most Memorable 2011 Gaming Experiences

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:44:26 +0000

Each year, we find the inattentiveness of gaming technology embedding itself deeper and deeper into our traditional gaming roots. The way we once played video games, many years ago, has rather quickly evolved into a new and powerful gaming experience. With that, I leave everyone a list of the most memorable games that I've had the pleasure of playing throughout this year. I've played many more games, but these are the ones I've spent the most amount of time with. These are
not necessarily pinned on my all-time favorites list, but they're ones enjoyed this year. Many of you will, perhaps, agree that these are in fact great games. In no particular order, here are the picks for my most memorable games of 2011.

Pokémon HeartGold (DS)

Surprisingly, this is the first Pokémon game I ever played. After researching and learning about Pokémon, I quickly became interested and decided to play Pokémon HeartGold. The last time I checked, I had about 90+ hours logged into my game. That's not a lot of time compared to that of a Pokémon fanatic, but I'm not trying to "catch 'em all," either. I just enjoyed playing this game and I'm certainly thrilled it was the first one in the franchise I chose to play. Pokémon HeartGold pretty much gave me a really great introduction to the meaning of Pokémon. From there, I was pretty hooked. Because of Pokémon HeartGold, my Pokémon video game collection has now grown to nine titles.

Pokémon Black (DS)

With some basic Pokémon knowledge learned from playing Pokémon HeartGold, I was able to enjoy the brand new 5th generation lineup of Pokémon in the Pokémon Black version. Not only was there a new generation of new Pokémon to be spoiled with, but there was an entirely new region to explore. The mechanics and gameplay were the closely the same experienced with Pokémon HeartGold, but with some added new flavor. That added new flavor gave me enough satisfaction to log in another 90-100 hours of gameplay.

Pilotwings Resort (3DS)

Pilotwings Resort was my first 3DS game. I played it constantly until I completed each level. You're not just required to complete the levels though; you score points. By scoring big, you can unlock different features in the game. For me, the unlocking part became very addicting. I mean, seriously, who wouldn't want to swan dive from the highest peak on Wuhu Island, soaring through the crisp air while wearing a squirrel suit? The PETA people didn't seem to have a problem with it! This game has great 3D effects and visuals. There's even a level where you can take pictures and save them to your SD card.

Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

This was, by far, the most impressive 3DS title I had the opportunity of experiencing this year. From start to finish, every stage was different and managed to uncontrollably force a silent chuckle (and sometimes audible) from my mouth. If you own a 3DS and haven't had the opportunity to play this game, you're truly missing out on a tremendous 3DS gaming experience. If you're not even a Mario fan, find someone who has this title so you can see how the game takes advantage of the 3DS' glasses-free 3D visuals and effects.

Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)

This was the second 3DS title that I purchased. In addition to that, it was the first time I ever played Ocarina of Time. I never played the original Nintendo 64 version of Ocarina of Time. This was another awesome 3DS experience that will remain memorable for many, many years. Aside from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, for the Super Nintendo, this is my next favorite Zelda title to date. I really enjoyed the rich storyline that OoT offered. It was enough to keep me immersed and interested in completing the next required task. I thought The Ocarina of Time had just the right amount of challenge and fun factor.

Other notables include Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (GBA), Pokémon Rumble Blast (3DS), Super Paper Mario (Wii), Crystal Defenders R1 (WiiWare).

What games were most memorable for everyone else this year? The games you enjoyed don't have to be Nintendo by any means.

Nintendo Set To Finally Reveal Zelda Timeline?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:41:51 +0000

It's something Zelda fans have been theorizing about for a long time. Nintendo is possibly going to release an official Zelda timeline. The purported timeline is supposed to be in the book Hyrule Historia, slated to be released in Japan on Wednesday. Notably, there is a section in the book called the History of Hyrule. Most fan theories are a convoluted mess, so I'm interested to see how this shakes out.

Thanks to Newnintendo.net.

Dragon Quest's Slime Is Now Available As Meat

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 09:15:37 +0000

I really do love living in Japan, everyone. There are so many video game related occurrences it's not even fair. Things I've seen over here, I wouldn't even imagine seeing in North America. The Japanese are most definitely fanatical when it comes to iconic game franchises. Specifically, in this case, Dragon Quest. Not only is the Dragon Quest franchise one of the most popular video game franchises known to Japanese video gamers, but it's also very well known amongst the public. This article displays just how popular Dragon Quest is over here in Japan.

There's something over here (and I just learned what this was) called nikuman, which translates to "steamed meat bun." Well, there's a popular Japanese convenient store chain called Family Mart...and those things are everywhere over here...literally. In fact, there's one about 4 tenths of a mile east of where I live and another about 6 tenths of a mile in the west direction. So, what does Family Mart, Dragon Quest, and nikuman have in common?

Family Mart is currently promoting these Slime nikuman and have limited quantities. I haven't figured why they're promoting Dragon Quest's most notable iconic foe, but I'm going to try my best to find out. At first, I thought it may have been the celebration for the 25th anniversary of Dragon Quest but that was back in May. The only other possible thing I can think of is that the Japanese just, simply, love Dragon Quest.

Despite the edible Slime's appearances, the eyes are, apparently tasteless and said to be made from the same dough as the bun. Additionally, Family Mart assures customers that no artificial coloring is used in the dough. Each Slime nikuman bun is retailed at 170 yen (approx. $2.19 USD) and is packed with pork, flavored with soy sauce, oyster sauce, bamboo shoots, and onions. I'm going to be heading to one of my local Family Mart stores to see if I can nab one of these scrumptious Dragon Quest delights. If I'm able to get one, I'll post my own images and maybe even a video!

Random Interesting Links

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:34:19 +0000

Here's some stories from around the internet for you to read as you contemplate getting the pink 3DS(Don't lie, you can't resist the puppy dog eyes).

10 Reasons Super Mario 3D Land Makes Nintendo 3DS a Must-Have(Wired)
Mario titles are at the very heart of Nintendo’s legacy of quality software. The original Super Mario Bros. reinvigorated the North American home console market, and the continued adventures of the rotund mascot have served as additional high points across the series’ 26-year history. When a new Nintendo console or handheld launches, it is assumed that a Mario game can’t be far behind, and some have postulated that the initially sluggish sales of the new Nintendo 3DS were due at least in part to a glaring lack of Italian plumbers in the system’s launch lineup.
With Super Mario 3D Land now available, the big questions concern its overall quality, its playability and of course whether or not this is the game that will help move 3DS systems off shelves during this year’s holiday rush. In short, is Super Mario 3D Land a legitimate reason for sometimes fickle gamers to pick up Nintendo’s newest handheld? In my opinion, yes, and my fellow GeekDad Andy certainly seems to agree.

30 in 30: Nintendo EAD(ComputerAndVideoGames)
Although you might not be familiar with Nintendo's all-encompassing Jôhô Kaihatsu Honbu by name, you're almost certainly familiar with some - if not most - of its games. And if you're anything like us you hold a special love for them.
EAD started off as a smaller team of designers, all with a background in art. Since then it has become a large department housing numerous divisions within it. Nintendo legends Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka currently serve as managers of the EAD studios.
According to Miyamoto each EAD team is made up of between 20 to 30 employees, who are supported by its two-hundred strong programming group. Overall EAD is comprised of five software development teams based in Kyoto, along with an additional 'comprehensive' software development team and two Tokyo-based development groups.
Although you wouldn't be able to guess from soulless, characterless names of its studio, EAD is the magical developer behind all of Nintendo's cherished classics. The many studios under its banner have given us games including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin, Star Fox, Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Donkey Kong and literally dozens of other unforgettable titles that have defined a generation of gamers.

Nintendo Being Sued Over Motion Controls(Gameranx)
Nintendo and a number of third-party developers are being sued over motion-control exercise games.
Ohio-based Impulse Technology has lodged the complaint, citing Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Konami, Majesco, and Namco Bandai for violating Impulse's patent on an "interactive system for measuring physiological exertion." For those wondering who exactly Impulse Technology are, Impulse Technology produce and market the Trazer InterActive Fitness Machine, which is kind of like a Kinect but a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

Nintendo DS' Hidden Gems(Cubed3)
Nintendo DS has been going strong since its initial release in Japan and the US at the tail end of 2004, with numerous big name releases that have gone on to sell millions upon millions of copies around the world. However, equally there are plenty of games that have sneaked onto the market with nary a whisper, nor the fanfare deserved. Therefore, with Nintendo's new portable system 3DS now taking centre stage, the Cubed3 team delves back into the archives of the Nintendo DS software catalogue to highlight some of the underperforming, unfairly treated, downright ignored games that have been released on the DS over the past six and a half years.

NES Master: Level Six: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles( http://keithisgood.blogspot.com)
I'll start this chapter in my quest to become MOST ULTIMATE POTENTATE OF THE NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM™ with this:(EDITOR'S NOTE: NSFW, LANGUAGE)
http://www.dorkly.co...tles-theme-song
Pretty much sums it. Developed by Konami (again?) and released in the US under their "Ultra Games" imprint in 1989, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is known for teaching 7-year-olds the art of controller whipping and swearing (courtesy of their older brothers' friends). Based on the television series of the same name, the game is a hybrid Beat 'Em Up / Adventure game, and like Bayou Billy before it, does neither particularly well.

My Wife Bought Me Tepig

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:05:38 +0000

The other day, my wife and I were in the store browsing around. Like a moth to light, I was immediately drawn to a display of Pokémon plushies. There were five or six different Pokémon, mostly from the 5th Gen Unova Dex but one in particular caught my attention. It was my fire-breathing starter pig from Pokémon Black. She asked if I wanted it and I nonchalantly shrugged and said "Na, that's OK. Thanks though." Moments later at the checkout, she hoisted Tepig up onto the counter and bought it. That was really awesome of her to do that. Tepig is now perched safely inside the dash of my car and keeps a watchful eye while I'm driving. This isn't any ordinary Tepig though. In fact, it doesn't even look like Tepig. It looks like my wife. I know I know. A real sob story right? For those who don't understand that story, I'm not calling my wife a pig!

Club Nintendo Adds Four New Rewards

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:59:07 +0000

Whether you utilize Nintendo's online reward system, Club Nintendo or not, you've got to admit that these new rewards are quite nice. I'll probably get all four of these for future prize giveaways for the community. Speaking of which, I need to finish my post play surveys!

Power-up your next stroll through the neighborhood with these stylish laces. The white pair features classic power-ups from the Super Mario Bros.™ game, while the yellow pair showcases some of Mario's most famous foes.

• Set includes one pair each of white and yellow laces
• Standard length and size fits most sneakers and shoes
• Measurements: 40.75” x .4375” each

Please note that shoes are not included in this reward.

Show off your old-school cred with this classy gray shirt, featuring 8-bit imagery from the original Super Mario Bros.™ game. Mario™, Luigi™, Bowser™, and more—they're all here.

• 100% cotton short-sleeve T-shirt
• Features a Club Nintendo logo on the upper back
• Sizes: Small (18” W x 28” L), Medium (20” W x 29” L), Large (22” W x 30” L), and X-Large (24” W x 31” L)

Take a trip down memory lane with this collection of cards detailing Nintendo's 30-plus year handheld history—from the Game & Watch™ series in 1980 to the Nintendo 3DS™ system in 2011.

• 12 cards featuring hand-drawn art and historical info
• Specially designed pouch featuring system art included
• Dimensions: 6.125" x 4.125"

A giant version of the AR Card included with the Nintendo 3DS™ system – use it create life-sized Mii™ characters and enjoy amazing augmented-reality gaming experience with AR Games!

• Measures approximately 28.5" L x 18.25" W
• Use with Mii Pics in AR Games
• Reverse side features a Mario AR Card print that can be used in "Star Pics"
• This product is delivered in a folded state, so there is a crease along the middle; however, this does not affect photography
• Read the Nintendo 3DS Operations Manual prior to use