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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

Nintendo Gives Free Zelda 25th Anniversary Scre...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:10:59 +0000

To commemorate The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary, Nintendo of Japan has provided a free screensaver for everyone to download to celebrate the much-loved series. You can download the Zelda screensaver absolutely free here for either PC or Mac. I downloaded it and installed and and it looks fantastic!

Official download site is at:
Nintendo of Japan

If you don't feel like downloading it or just don't use screensavers, the demo on that site is definitely worth checking out.

A Quarter Century Of Super Mario Bros.

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:46:45 +0000

I'm sitting here thinking to myself, "Can our favorite super hero plumber already be celebrating his 25th anniversary?" It's hard to believe that Nintendo's most iconic character has been delivering video game entertainment for over a quarter of a century. Super Mario Bros. was the very first game I played for my Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). I remember persuading my sister to let me help her on the levels that she was having difficulty with. Even though we were playing a 2-player game, I found myself playing her turn quite a bit. Hey, we were seven years old and I was the one who was addicted from the start! Oh, the memories!

I, myself haven't even had the pleasure of playing all the titles from the main series. I do plan to do so eventually, however. I can't recall a time when I don't feel like playing a Mario game if I'm bored or need a break from another game. I could sit here and ramble on about Mario's 25th anniversary, but why? I'm just happy that he's become the legendary figure that he is. Whenever someone mentions "Nintendo" they automatically associate that word with "Mario." There's no question that our perfectly-groomed mustached plumber will be around for many, many more years. Here's to you, Mario!

Video courtesy of KOO-KI

Pokémon By The Sea

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:20:49 +0000

The closest body of water from where I live is the East China Sea. This sea, not only known for its lucrative fishing industry, is home to a variety of many different types of Pokémon. The sea's shoreline is traced with miles and miles of concrete seawalls that help protect its neighboring communities during rough, tropical storm conditions. The locals here have taken this mundane-looking seawall to en entirely new level. Check these awesome paintings out. There were so many different murals to choose from. This is literally a very small fraction of what was out there.

Each image can be clicked on to view its original size.

Ocean Palace Not Only Seen In Zelda

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 09:21:54 +0000

The first thing that comes to mind when I see "Ocean Palace" is the NES title Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Strangely, the Ocean Palace is also seen in real life in the country of Japan. In fact, it's located right down the road from where I live. This Ocean Palace, however, isn't infested with Ironknuckles, Sorcerers, or flying Dragon Heads. It's much more safe and welcoming. Many people actually live here, free of danger and heavily guarded entrances.

Although there's little resemblance, other than the name, I thought it was proper to post this. I was driving around earlier this evening and saw this.

Would you feel safe going to this palace?

Pokémon and Johnson & Johnson

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:40:10 +0000

A few weeks ago, while strolling the street shops of Japan, I found some really cool Pokémon toothbrushes. They're kids Pokémon Johnson & Johnson Reach toothbrushes and I picked up three of them. I bought two blue ones and one pink one. These are pretty cool items if you like Pokémon.

(click on image for full view)

(click on image for full view)

Happy 25th Birthday, Link

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 21:05:06 +0000

For many of us, it's hard to believe that our Iron Knuckle busting hero celebrates his 25th birthday today. The Legend of Zelda was first released in Japan on this day and in North America and Europe quite a bit later; July 29th, 1987 and November 27th, 1987 respectively. From his fresh-faced appearance in The Legend of Zelda to his latest upcoming title Skyward Sword, Link has been slashing through Octoroks and saving Princess Zelda longer than many of us have been around. I wonder what Link and Zelda will look like for the 50th anniversary. Bruised, battered, and wrinkle-faced, we look forward to many more years of The Legend of Zelda series. Here's looking at you, pal. May your sword never tarnish before the generations of fans that grew up with you!

Video courtesy of SeppeD

Pokémon of 2012!

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:58:12 +0000

Attention, Pokémon Fans! There's new and exciting Pokémon scheduled to debut for 2012. As a matter of fact, I've had the opportunity to see some of them already; up close and personal. No, this isn't Pokémon Gray I'm talking about, either. I'm pretty sure Japan is is one of the only countries that's going to see these Pokémon as well. I really doubt the United States will see them. They almost never see any of the exciting video game obscurities like Japan does. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to flying through 2012 with a brand-new, shiny and exciting Pokémon calendar.

I almost forgot to mention how I came across this. Well, as you can see, there's a McDonald's logo in the top-right corner of the calendar. Yesterday, my wife and I decided to stop in and have a snack. While waiting in line for our food, I glanced over at the condiments area and noticed that there was a mini display of a Pokémon calendar. It was affixed to a small, laminated, triangular vertical-standing Pokémon events advertisement. It kind of looked like one of those specialty menus you see inside a booth, next to the salt and pepper shakers. I should have took a picture of that, but I didn't. I thought it was pretty cool, but didn't really think anything else of it. A few seconds later, my wife asked if I wanted one. I looked at her, but didn't really understand what she was talking about. Then, at that moment, she pointed to the bottom of the ad and there was a price; ¥350 Yen. I couldn't believe it!

We briefly discussed what that price was actually for. Was it for the mini-calendar, or was it for a full-sized calendar? In case you're wondering, ¥350 Yen is approximately equal to $4.50 US Dollars. That's not a bad price to pay for a mini-sized 2012 Pokémon events calendar, let alone a full-sized one. Quickly, we came to the conclusion that the price was for a full-sized calendar and went up to the counter and asked for one. After handing over the Yen, the slender, smiling, uniformed Japanese lady at the cash register reached under the counter and pulled out a full-sized events calendar. The calendar was in a see-through plastic bag with a handle on it. It was identical to the mini-sized calendar on the display ad, but full-size! My wife said my eyes lit up, and I wholeheartedly believe that. Without a doubt! That might sound pretty strange, that a 33 year-old gets excited about stuff like this, but I really don't care. There are few things in this world that I am passionate about besides family, and that's stuff like this. And video games. Don't ask me what the whole craze is about Pokémon because I just don't know. I just like it. Maybe because it's so dynamic, fictional, and video game related. I truly don't know. Here's some images I took on my counter top once I got back home.

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Front Cover

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Back Cover

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Sticker Sheet - This was a pretty exciting "extra" that was nicely tucked away with the calendar. Sorry for the poor quality. I did the best I could with the lighting I had. The square Pokémon stickers are about one-half inch by one-half inch. The others, as you can see, are a bit larger.

If any of you guys are interested in having one of these, let me know via PM or email and I'll get you one, or as many as you want!

My Trip To Tsutaya Today

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:14:00 +0000

For those of you who do not know, Tsutaya is a Japanese retail store for DVDs, CD, games, and other assorted media to include Manga and comics. What's even better is that there's one located about five minutes (10 max) from where I live. Today, since Super Mario 3D Land debuted here in Japan, I decided to go and check it out. I also saw some other cool games while I was in there. Check the images out. By the way, taking pictures in this store is frowned upon so I had to take these very carefully. The last time I was in there, I took about 20 or so before being politely greeted by one of the employees. At any rate, I didn't get caught this time. Enjoy!

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The first item that caught my eye was this boxed Dragon Quest set for the Wii. I'm not quite sure what all is in the box, but I think it's pretty obvious to note that Dragon Quest I, II, and III are included. It appears that Dragon Quest 6 may be included as well, but I'm not too sure. All I see is a 6 on the box. Maybe CG's brother can translate for us? Also, something else worth noting is the price. The price says ¥4,440 Yen, which is marked down to ¥3,980. How much is ¥3,980 you ask? Well, that's about equal to $50 US Dollars, which is a great price for a collector's edition Dragon Quest bundle. I might even go back sometime soon and nab it, just for the sake of having it. I mean, we'll never see something like this in the states, right?

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Ahh, and here it is. This is the sole reason I took a special trip to Tsutaya today. Look at it! It's all wrapped up in shiny cellophane, placed upon the shelf with the utmost pride and respect. Very nice! It's listed for ¥4,480 Yen, which is about equal to $57.40 US Dollars. That's way too expensive in my book. Also, you're notice that it was even marked down more than ¥300 Yen. Wow...just wow! Nonetheless, it was pretty cool to actually pick it up and sneakily snap the image.

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The last Nintendo-related item I saw on the shelf was a title by Square-Enix, called Slamori 3. I actually am not sure if Slamori 3 is the actual title, and I doubt it is, but that's what the link says above. I only had about 2-3 minutes to research Square-Enix titles so maybe (again) CG's brother can translate that? Man oh man. Look at that sticker price! It's listed for ¥5,580 Yen, which is equivalent to about $71.49 US Dollars. Good lord, what's so special about that?

Well, there ya have it. That was actually pretty exciting.

What do you guys think of these?

Character Spotlight: Sensei

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:05:14 +0000

I decided to do something Grooms had done in his blog, The Hidden Chest. Grooms did one for Professor E. Gadd.

Sensei is one of my favorite characters from Advance Wars. Appearing in Advance Wars 2 and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, Sensei is a retired paratrooper yanked out of his peaceful, mall-walking life to fight the menace of the Black Hole Army. Sensei is part of Yellow Comet, and was the mentor of the current leader, Kanbei. He gets some of the funniest lines in the series.

Sensei is a great character to use also. He gets bonuses for his copters and infantry. He also gets bonuses in movement for his transports. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a good handle on naval units. The copters become amazing during his CO Powers. However, the true appeal of his powers comes from the 9HP infantry that appears at all the bases you own. It makes for great meatshields, and easy money in a pinch if you combine them.