My New Nintendo 2DS

I got myself a couple nice gifts. One is this baby, right here.

 

 

Yup. It's a Nintendo 2DS. I didn't get a 3DS because the 2DS is more affordable, and I felt the whole 3D thing was a gimmick that really didn't enhance gameplay. A great game is still a great game, and a bad game is still a bad game, 3D or not.

 

Of course, you can't use a game system without games. I have plenty of DS games, and the 2DS is backwards compatible, but I wanted to get some of the new games I had been hearing good things about.

 

When all else fails, you stick to the classics...



I cannot wait to start playing these games! They look like they will be fantastic!

As for the machine itself, I find it a fascinating thing to look at. It's got two screens. On one side, there's a joystick and a D-Pad, and the other has four buttons. At first, I was concerned that the D-Pad's position related to the buttons would make it difficult to hold, but when I took it into my hands, I found it actually rather comfortable to play. The design seems to guide people's hands into using the joystick over the D-Pad. The joystick itself is smooth and responsive.

The device is topped by a pair of buttons on each side, L and R. They can easily be reached even with the thumbs on the D-Pad, so that's rather convenient.

It also has a bay with a flip-top lid, where one can put in an SD Card for backing up data. They even included a 4GB card, which I thought was awful nice of them. Thanks, Nintendo!

It has all the standard features of a handheld game system: Headphone jack, power button, stylus holder, volume dial, and all that other good stuff. I did notice a "Home" button on it. I'm guessing that's a shortcut button that can be used to get back to the main menu, like on an iPad.

I played a little bit of it, and I found it enjoyable. A little dependent on the stylus for my taste, but it was fun to use, the menus were helpful, and the 2DS Virtual Console has some games on it I cannot wait to buy and play.

New Warriors #1 (2014) (My first comic review)

This is going to be my very first comic book review, so bear with me, folks.

We're going to look at one of the new series to come from the Marvel NOW! initiative, New Warriors #1!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...

 

Before I begin, let me give you a brief history of the New Warriors as a team. The original New Warriors first appeared in The Mighty Thor #411 (December 1989), and would get their own title cover-dated July 1990.

The beginning of one crazy trip...

The original roster consisted of many characters who had appeared in their own series before, or who were part of other characters' series in the past. The original roster comprised of: Vance Astrovik/Marvel Boy/Justice (Avengers supporting character), Angelica Jones/Firestar (Appeared in her own miniseries in the 1980s), Robbie Baldwin/Speedball (Previously had a brief series in the 1980s), Namorita "Nita" Prentiss (Namor supporting character from the 1970s), Richard Rider/Nova (Previously had own series in the 1970s), and new character Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher.

This group would have many adventures over the years, battling such foes as Terrax, the Hellions, a new Star Thief, Psionex, and others. The gang would also have more personal struggles, with Night Thrasher dealing with betrayal from his legal guardian, Firestar's powers coming with bad side-effects, and Justice's having to go to prison for accidentally killing his father. This era of the Warriors was one of the underrated comic gems, and definite proof that in the 90s, there were still good comics to enjoy from one of the big-time publishers.

Over the years, the team would go through various changes, and incarnations. One incarnation of the team ended up unintentionally causing the events of the controversial storyline known as Civil War. That storyline would give rise to a brief incarnation of the Warriors led by Night Thrasher's brother Bandit, and was comprised of mutants who had lost their powers thanks to M-Day. Another team, called Counter Force, would take up the name to fight Norman Osborn's Dark Reign. After that was over, the team broke up, and the New Warriors were no more. Or so we thought. It turns out, the world needed the Warriors once more.

First, the cover. The cover is really your general "Team of heroes posing" cover. It's not badly done. It's very well-drawn, and each member of the New Warriors gets to be adequately shown. I think it's a good cover for a first issue, it shows the new team and who is going to be in it. Now for the story itself!

We start out in the land of Wundagore, where we see Bova, the cow-woman who was the caretaker of the Knights of Wundagore, as well as the one who served as the midwife for Magda Lensherr (the mother of Wanda "Scarlet Witch" and Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff), in bad shape...

Alas, poor Bova. We hardly knew ye...

I have to admit, it does sadden me a little bit to see a long-running Marvel supporting character (Bova first appeared in Giant-Size Avengers #1 (August, 1974)) go out that way.

We then switch scenes to a beautiful two-page spread of Justice and Speedball (sporting sweet new costumes, leaping into action...and my cruddy scans clearly have ruined the effect.




You heard the man! Get yer war on!

I have to admit, I love these new duds Vance and Robbie have, especially Robbie's. It's a great update of his old Speedball costume. It's modern, but he's still recognizable as Speedball.

The duo are in New Salem, Colorado, brawling with a group known as Salem's Seven, a group of magically-empowered supervillains who have fought the Fantastic Four and the Scarlet Witch in the past.

However, Vertigo, the leader, reveals that the Seven are the guardians of New Salem, and that Speedball had a...confrontation with the Seven member known as Brutacus.

Vance is thinking, "Speedball, you are a moron." And cue the Moe Howard-esque slap to the head.

We then cut to Mazatlan, Mexico, where Kaine Parker, the former Scarlet Spider, and Aracely Penalba, aka Hummingbird, are passing through to get supplies to continue their road trip. This is a holdover from the Scarlet Spider series, where Kaine and Aracely left Houston to find out more about Aracely's origins.

All Kaine Parker wanted to be was wasted again in Margaritaville...

The two find themselves dealing with a group of muggers, much to Kaine's chagrin, as he just wants to be left alone, and has no desire to play superhero. Sorry pal, you're a superpowered character in a superhero comic book, this stuff is just going to follow you around.

Hummingbird: "Oh, Kaine...you are such a card."

I have to admit, I'm liking Kaine here. He just wants to be left alone, and he just keeps getting dragged into stuff. And his interactions with Aracely are adorable. As for Aracely herself, she is awesome. She is just so fun and eager, a great foil to Kaine. Makes me wish I picked up the last Scarlet Spider series.

Another detail I'm enjoying is that when a character is introduced, there's a small text box detailing who the character is, real name, codename, what kind of hero that character is (human, mutant, clone, etc), and a quick overview of their powers. It's not a complete history, but it's a great introduction to the character and what he or she can do. More comics should do this.

Next, we check out New York City, aka Marvel Superhero Central. And we see Sun Girl in action, stopping an armored car robbery.

"Good morning Sun Girl, the Earth says hello..."

She flies off, when her suit's radio picks up an alert about Grand Central Terminal, which she happens to be right nearby. The page also shows a nice little nod to Superior Spider-Man, in which she made her first appearance, when we briefly see what she thinks of the Web-Slinger.

"Why do things always explode when I'm around?"

Meanwhile, back in New Salem, Brutacus and Speedball play some video games, while Vertigo and Justice have a nice little talk.

"So, you guys are good guys now." "Pretty much."

Vertigo explains that Salem's Seven have been trying to change their ways, and now act as the protectors of New Salem.

"We get no respect." "Just eat the ice cream, Vance."

It's revealed that Justice is trying to reform the Warriors, but he's having some problems with his undertaking. The main problem is that the group has now become completely associated with the destruction of Stamford (which led to the controversial, polarizing, and downright ugly Civil War miniseries), and that with the Avengers around, Vance is not certain that the world needs the New Warriors anymore.

Vance's comments about the Avengers remind readers that in recent years, the Avengers' roster has greatly expanded. And it hasn't just expanded. There's now more than one Avengers team running around the MU: The main Avengers team, dealing with the big cosmic threats. The Secret Avengers, who work black ops. The Uncanny Avengers, aka the Unity Squad, who are working towards improving relations between humanity and mutantkind.

Vertigo agrees, but reminds him that she was a villain in the past, so she's not the best person to go for advice on such things. Vance tries to reassure her that she's doing the best she can and making the best of things, but heir talk is interrupted by a strange trio of beings with glowing heads, stating their blood is tainted, and they intend to "burn it all".

"Aw, man! That's not the Blue Man Group!" "No. No, it is not."

I actually love this page. This is what full-page spreads should be used for, major reveals like this one. And baaaaack we go to Mexico! Man, this comic can give a bit of whiplash. Kaine and Aracely are relaxing on a beach, the clone of Spider-Man enjoying a margarita. Guess he really wanted to be wasted away in Margaritaville.

Aracely claims that thanks to her ability to sense emotions, she knows that Kaine really does want to be a hero. She reminds Kaine that they have powers, and with those powers, comes the responsibilities to use those powers to help others. Kaine denies this, reminding her of his time playing hero in Houston, and how well that worked out for him.

Nothing like red tide to ruin your day at the beach.

A funny bit is when Kaine actually drops the tagline of his last series, "All of the power, none of the responsibility." I thought it was a nice little meta moment. It doesn't harm the story, and it brings in a nice little chuckle. The two notice that the water is turning red, and discover some bodies. And the bodies are not human, possessing blue skin. A living figure rises, introducing herself as Faira San Namora of Atlantis, and seeking heroes.

"For the last time, I am NOT Namorita!"

Back in New York (Ow, my whiplash!), Sun Girl is examining the explosion at Grand Central Terminal, and finds the same glowing-headed men that Vance and Vertigo encountered in New Salem, attacking the Morlocks.

Hi, Marrow! Haven't gotten the invitation to X-Force yet, I see.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sam Alexander, the new Nova, is facing off against Hybrid, who had somehow returned to Earth after being banished in Avengers Academy. Hybrid wants some technology that he believes will enable him to take over both Earth and the planet of Wraithworld (Hybrid is half-human, half-Dire Wraith).

"Ah-nold was right about you, Marks! You are one ugly mother-!"

Hybrid tries to trick Nova into letting his guard down by assuming his human form, but before he could finish him off, he's blasted by the glowing-headed men. Nova himself is knocked out from behind by...

"Man, this Nova kid's got a nice helmet!"

THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY.

So far, I have to say, this was a very well-done first issue. Every member (well, except for the Inhuman Haechi, the guy with the horn and no shirt on the cover) gets to have a moment, and we get some nice hints about the crisis that is going to bring together this rag-tag group of heroes. The story also contains a couple funny moments, like Kaine's interactions with Aracely, and Speedball's playing video games with Brutacus.

The writer of this comic, Christopher Yost, has done a lot of work for Marvel since 2002 in various forms. He wrote for X-Men: Evolution, where he co-created X-23 alongside Craig Kyle. They would also go on to adapt the character into the comics. He's also written the X-Men, X-Force, and the last Scarlet Spider series. As for his television work, he's written for the last Fantastic Four and Iron Man cartoons, and for Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a great series that deserved more than two seasons. He's done fantastic work writing these characters, and I can't wait to read the next issue.

The art was handled by Marcus To, a Canadian artist who's done work mainly for Aspen and DC. I love his artwork in this book. It's very clean and expressive. I have noticed that his backgrounds tend to be more loosely drawn than the characters. To be honest, it didn't really bother me that much. The backgrounds are looser-lined, but they're still well-drawn. I found the linework of the backgrounds complimented the tighter lines of the characters, in a way, reminding the reader to keep the eye on the foreground, as that's where all the action is.

The colorist, David Curiel, also deserves a gold star. The comic is bright, colorful, and beautiful. It gives the book a feeling of fun, which is what I had reading it. To me, a comic should be bright and colorful, unless the story calls for a darker palette, so kudos to Curiel for his work here.

I hope this team has a good long run, and I hope this book gets to last a while, because it's one of the better books coming out at the moment. I hope you enjoyed my first comic review, and any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby

Well, it's been confirmed.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are going to be released for the Nintendo 3DS/2DS system on November 2014. They are going to be enhanced remakes of the 2003 Game Boy Advance games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. (For the release years, I'll be using the years they were released in America).

This isn't the first time that games in the Pokémon series have been given the enhanced remake treatment. In 2004, the original two games for the original Game Boy, Pokémon Red and Blue, were given enhanced remakes for the Game Boy Advance in the form of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions.

I believe the names "FireRed" and "LeafGreen" were chosen because in Japan, the original two games were known as Pokémon Red and Green.

In 2010, the Game Boy's sequel titles, Pokémon Gold and Silver, were given the enhanced remake treatments for the Nintendo DS as Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The cynical would say that the purpose of the remakes was only to get more money out of gamers. After all, if one owned Gold and Silver already, for example, why on earth would you pay more from essentially the same game released on a newer platform?

Well, I may have an answer for that. Look at the time between the releases. Pokémon Red and Blue were released for the Game Boy in 1996. FireRed and LeafGreen came out in 2004, almost a decade later. Gold and Silver were released in 2000. HeartGold and SoulSilver came out in 2010, ten years afterward. Ruby and Sapphire was released in 2003, so it was about time an enhanced remake of those two games came about. 11 years, a new record.

In the case of the Pokémon series, a whole new generation of Pokémon games can arise between original and remake, bringing about not just new Pokémon, but also new aspects and new features. For example, in Gold and Silver, Pokémon had genders (Well, all the Pokémon did have genders now, not just the Nidorans) and a real-time feature that took advantage of the time of day. For example, some Pokémon could only be caught at night, like Hoot-Hoot, and some events only happened on certain days.

These new features made the sequels more fun, and kept people coming back for more. Every new Gen had new features. Kinda makes you wish the older games had the new features, huh? Well, the enhanced remakes take care of that. The Pokémon remakes were also a great way for new fans to enjoy the older games, and still have the features they were used to. So, enhanced remakes are a good thing to me.

I've been wanting a 2DS for a while now, and now, I definitely will get one for these remakes. I just hope a player of these new remakes can trade with the regular DS Pokémon games. They should be able to, hopefully, as the Pokémon remakes have a history of backwards compatibility.

You know, in a couple years...it'll be the 20th Anniversary of the release of Pokémon Red and Blue, the games that started this whole franchise. New remakes of those two games would be a great way to celebrate it. Maybe Game Freak is working on that.

South Park: The Stick of Truth

First of all, I just want to say that this isn't a normal game review. I'm not going to do that whole "thumbs-up/thumbs-down", "1 to 5 stars", "1 to 100", "F to A+" or that whole "1 to 10" thing, because that's done by the big game magazines. I will just share my thoughts on a game I've been enjoying, good and bad.

Anyway, I am a huge South Park fan, and I have been one for many years. I think I may have seen just about every single episode of the series. I also am a big video game fan, so back in 1998, I got the first South Park.

The image is of the PlayStation version of the game, but I had the Nintendo 64 version.

I will admit, the game wasn't exactly the greatest of games. The levels were a bit hard to navigate, there was little variety in the characters' lines, and the swarming turkeys were a bit much, but to be honest, I had a lot of fun playing that game. I never thought much about the games' flaws during the time I played it because I was having way too much fun blasting turkeys, Visitors, robots, and evil clones.

I would also go on to play a couple other South Park games from the X-Box Live Arcade, Tower Defense Play Go! and Tenorman's Revenge. Both fun games if you're a fan.

Anyway, recently, I picked up the latest South Park game, The Stick of Truth, for my X-Box 360. I was so happy to finally get this game, and pop it in.

I...was NOT disappointed. This game is brilliant. The story is hilarious, and the combat is a lot of fun. It also has some very nice orchestral music, which is composed by the same person that composed the regular South Park musical score.

As for the story, it feels like a second big, epic South Park movie, with all the humor and over-the-top craziness you'd expect from a good South Park episode. Basically, you're the New Kid, the silent protagonist that is invited to join a game of pretend by Cartman, that eventually ends up escalating into a battle to save South Park. Over the game, you fight a variety of monsters and villains, from mutant rats, to crazy homeless people, even Nazi zombies.

One thing I liked was all the nods to various episodes over the series' long history in the dialogue, the junk items one can find on your journey through the game, and the objects that can be seen in various garages and closets. If you're a long-time fan of the series, you'll get some smiles out of seeing things like the Scouts uniform hanging out in Big Gay Al's closet, or finding a copy of Eric Cartman's book "What Happened to My School?".

I especially liked the concept of being allowed to use a support item AND attack during the same turn. It makes battles a little easier, but enemies in this game can have a LOT of hit points, so this feature is helpful. The weapons and clothes your character wears can have certain little patches added on to them to provide them with various extra effects. These patches can be bought from people and found in drawers and closets all over the little mountain town. They're fantastic for adding a little "oomph" to your weapons and extra bonuses to whatever you choose for your characters to wear.

The only thing I can say that has frustrated me about the game so far is the puzzles. Some of the puzzles took me a very long time to figure out how to beat. Luckily, those particular puzzles were few and far between. Also, the game may have more appeal to you if you are a more hardcore fan of South Park. A more hardcore fan would probably get more appreciation from all the various nods in the game.

All in all, I highly recommend The Stick of Truth. It's a fun RPG game with a funny story.