Errol Games

Fallout 3: Point Lookout Review

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:45:33 PST

I haven't played a new Quest in Fallout 3 in a while. I've spent the better part of three years exploring the Capital Wasteland. I finally came around and bought some downloadable content (DLC) to expand on the original story. In comes Point Lookout which I bought for $9.99 on Xbox Live. Point Lookout is an island just off of Maryland's Coast. When you buy the DLC a ferry shows up to take you over. That's a picture of the ferry "Duchess Gambit" above.

Point Lookout is a crazy place. It wasn't hit by nuclear bombs during the war, but the island received radiation from the Capital Wasteland. The radiation attracted Ghouls and Swamp People who are radiated inbred locals. The small local population is reduced to gang of people known as Tribals. Tribals are initiated by traveling to the swamp and ingesting special seeds. The seeds cause you to fall asleep. You wake up with a scar on your head, and a piece of your brain missing. Lets just say that losing a piece of your brain can cause a person to go crazy. Point Lookout is worth a visit. By the time I finished the main quest I was satisfied with what I accomplished. It inspired me to finish the main story so I could start the "Broken Steel" DLC.

PlayStation Vita: 3G vs Wi-Fi

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:24:01 PST

I'm having the hardest time deciding which PlayStation Vita to buy on launch day. On one hand you have the Wi-Fi model which is $249.99 and on the other you have the 3G model for $299.99. Being a gamer on a budget my natural inclination is to go with the Wi-Fi model because it costs less. After some research I'm not sure the Wi-Fi model is the best deal. Here's some reasons why.

When it comes to practicality, the Wi-Fi Model wins hands down for me. The need for 3G simply isn't there for me. My PlayStation Vita (like my Nintendo 3DS) will barely ever leave my house. I'll mostly spend mornings and commercial breaks playing the Vita. The rare times when my Vita does leave my house I don't intend on playing games online. I focus on playing one player games when I'm out in public. Especially when I'm in class because I don't have to focus my undivided attention on what's going on in the game. Besides that, playing a game online in a public place lets people know you have the most expensive Playstation Vita. It might attract unwanted attention from people who might want to steal it from you. The same goes for the iPad in this instance. If you're sitting on the train surfing the web, it says "Hey I can afford the most expensive iPad hear me roar!!!"

Another con against the 3G model of the Playstation Vita (besides it being $50 dollars more than the Wi-Fi) is that 3G service requires a monthly payment for the service. That's a huge no-no for this gamer on a budget. Lets say you decided to go with the $14.99 plan for 250MB of data. That comes out to $179.88 dollars a year for the service. That means you're shelling out close to $500 dollars for your first year with the Playstation Vita. It's not all bad though. You don't have to sign a contract so you can cancel anytime. I'd much rather stay home or hit up a hotspot and use the Wi-Fi for free thank you very much.

At this point I was all but sure that I was going to go with the Wi-Fi model of the Playstation Vita. Then I was introduced to the various bundles Playstation is offering with the 3G model. The first bundle they have is the First Edition Bundle. The First Edition Bundle includes the 3G model of the Playstation Vita, A case for the Vita, The game Little Deviants, and a 4GB Vita Memory Card. The big thing about this bundle is that it allows you to purchase the Playstation Vita a week before it's launch date. Meaning on February 15th you can be playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss while the the rest of us wait until February 22nd. That sounded really cool until I saw the price of $349.99. You're paying an extra $50 dollars to be able to play the Vita a week early. I'd rather go to Boston and play the Vita right now (3 weeks early) at the Vita Hill Social Club for free.

The bundle that has my attention is the Launch Bundle that comes with every 3G Playstation Vita on February 22nd. The Launch Bundle includes an 8GB Vita memory card, a free month of 3G service, and a free Playstation Network game to be announced all for the price of $299.99. This bundle has my attention. The free stuff included is worth over $50 dollars. The 8GB Vita Memory Card alone is $34.99 and a month of 3G from AT&T is $14.99. I was planning on buying a 4GB Memory card because it's the cheapest one, but seeing an 8GB memory card included in the 3G bundle has me curious. Who knows what the free games going to be. Good or bad the PSN game is free my friends.

On launch day my original plan was to buy a Playstation Vita, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and a 4GB memory card. If I go with my original idea, I'm looking at spending $324.97 before taxes. If I go with the 3G bundle, I get a 3G Vita, an 8GB memory card and Uncharted Golden Abyss for $349.98 before taxes. The question I'm left with is this. Is the extra $25 worth it to buy a 3G bundle? I'll let you know what I decide on launch day.

Why You Should Sign the Latest WWE Petition

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:37:37 PST

Have you seen the latest petition against WWE Games? It's from a gamer by the name of John Bonham whose tired of World Wrestling Entertainment games being made by THQ. Just by reading the petition you get the idea that the guy is a dedicated fan. He ought to consider reviewing games to be honest. In the petition he lists a number of valid reasons as to why THQ should stop making WWE Games. He makes a convincing argument. Convincing enough for me to sign the petition.

I signed the petition because I feel like WWE Games aren't welcoming to new players. I come from the old school when wrestling games were fun. The days of WCW vs NWO on the Nintendo 64. Those grapple based wrestling games were beyond fun back in the day. I don't understand why these games aren't still being made today. I've played a couple of the WWE Games, and I don't like them. For starters I have no idea how to even fight in these games. I go to training and I get even more lost. I've literally played 10 minutes of the WWE Games and I was done. Wrestling games need to go back to the N64 model. Update that and you'll probably gain more fans.

If you want to read the petition click the link below.
http://www.change.org/petitions/wwe-games-inc-wwe-inc-move-wwe-game-series-away-from-thq-games#

Feeling Skeptical about Resident Evil 6? Me Too.

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:52:54 PST

Let's cut straight to the chase. Resident Evil 5 was not good. The best thing about Resident Evil 5 was the graphics. The story was wack. The plot spends the whole time trying to surprise you, but I saw the plots twists coming from a mile away. The clues were so obvious. You would think a game with a weak plot would have a great gameplay. Unfortunately that's not the case with Resident Evil 5.

Resident Evil hasn't been the same since decided to switch the style up and become an action game. The action formula worked great when it was introduced in Resident Evil 4, but by the time it hit Resident Evil 5 it was redundant. Resident Evil 5 is basically a co-op version of Resident Evil 4. If Resident Evil wants to be an action game, it should at least be good. Resident Evil 5 is a mediocre action game at best. Resident Evil 5 couldn't hold it's weight with action games such as Grand Theft Auto or Gears of War.

I am hopeful for Resident Evil 6. One of the main characters is Leon Kennedy. Leon has a track record for being in great Resident Evil games. Resident Evil 2 is arguably the best game in the series, and Resident Evil 4 is a classic. If he's coming back for Resident Evil 6 that's a good sign. The trailer for Resident Evil 6 looks like another action adventure game. A lot of quick time moves are shown throughout the trailer. I really hope they incorporate survival horror aspects into Resident Evil 6 like their doing in Resident Evil: Revelations. I'll definitely be picking Resident Evil 6 up when it's released on November 20th 2012. If it's another disappointment I might be done with this series.

PlayStation Vita Boston Meetup Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:01:34 PST

Welcome to the Vita Hill Social Club. That's the name of the pop up shop where gamers around the United States are allowed to experience the Playstation Vita before it hits stores next month. The shops will be open until launch and allow gamers to try out various games on the Playstation Vita. Today was the official meetup for the Vita Hill Social Club in Boston Massachusetts. I was one of the people who attended, and I figured I'd share my thoughts about the experience.

Overall the Boston Vita Hill Social Club meetup was fun. I got there two hours early, and was able to play the Playstation Vita before the meetup began. I went so early because of the free t-shirt giveaway for the first 100 people that arrived. I expected to have to wait in line for two hours, but the store was open for people to play the Playstation Vita. I walked right in, registered for the PlayStation Vita Social Club, and minutes later had a Playstation Vita in my hand with Uncharted: Golden Abyss to play. Employees made it clear that they wanted me to enjoy my experience, and brought me juice and granola bars while I played Uncharted. It was cool.

The Playstation Vita is a fun piece of hardware. I really enjoyed the time I had playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The graphics were nice and the touchscreen controls were a nice touch. It kind of felt weird using the controls, but I bet I'll get use to them as I play the Vita more. The Playstation Vita is a wide. It's bigger than a cellphone, but it's not as heavy. I brought my Nintendo 3DS to make comparisons, and I'd say the Playstation Vita is lighter than the Nintendo 3DS. I can't really say the graphics to the Vita are better than the Nintendo 3DS though. In 2D the Vita wins hands down on graphics, but the 3D on the 3DS look impressive as well.

At 4:30 we had to wait in line outside for the meetup to begin at 5:30. The hour wait wasn't so bad. Our host for the night, Sid Shuman, appeared and handed out free slices of pizza to the people waiting in line. The pizza was pretty good as I enjoyed having conversations with others waiting in line. The doors opened at 5:30 sharp and I was apart of the first group that got in the door. I received my free shirt, got more slices of pizza, and proceeded to play Uncharted 3 on the Playstation 3.

I was able to play the Playstation TV for the first time at the Vita Hill Social Club as well. The 24 inch screen is small, but the picture quality is impressive. I was captivated, by the level of detail in the picture quality of Uncharted 3 as I played it. I tried on the 3D glasses and they were interesting. It got dark as I put on the 3D glasses which of surprised me. I didn't have enough time to get the full experience of the 3D effect on the TV, but I'd buy one if I didn't already have a TV. I had to leave the Vita Hill Social Club for the next wave of people to experience the Vita, but I had a good time. I plan on buying a PlayStation Vita on launch day, but I might stop by the Vita Hill Social Club again.

Happy Birthday ErrolGames

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:17:02 PST

What you thought I forgot?

2012's Most Wanted

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:42:51 PST

New year, new videogames. 2012 has a lineup of releases that looks solid. This year marks the return of many beloved franchises as well as sequels to some of the most impressive games around. Here's my list of most anticipated titles for 2012.

Resident Evil Revelations

2/7/12

This might be my most anticipated game of the year. I'm curious to see what Capcom has in store with Resident Evil: Revelations. Capcom promises that Revelations will bring the series back to it's survival horror roots, which I couldn't be more excited about. Add the fact that it's release is only a month away and you've got me sold.

Twisted Metal
2/14/12

Twisted Metal makes its next generation debut this Valentines Day. I'm a bit skeptical about this game. I wasn't a fan of Twisted Metal Black, but I haven't played a Twisted Metal game in years. That alone is enough of a reason for me to check this out.

Asura's Wrath
2/21/12

I mostly put this game here because it's an original title. It's not a sequel or a remake, which means it's probably going to have a hard time standing out from the titles coming in February. Hopefully Asura's Wrath gets good reviews and stands it's ground against the competition.

Playstation Vita
2/22/12

Despite all of the negative stories, I'm buying a Playstation Vita on launch day. Why? Because it's being released two days after my birthday. A new portable videogame system sounds like the perfect birthday present to myself. I'm looking getting my hands on one and trying it out. Hopefully the Playstation Vita has an arsenal of quality titles that makes me happy that I bought one.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss
2/22/12

Sony made the right move by making Uncharted: Golden Abyss a launch title for the Playstation Vita. It made my decision to buy a Vita on launch day that much easier. Hopefully Sony keeps up the quality titles on the PS Vita. I've got hope for it.

SSX
2/28/12

2012 marks the return of my favorite snowboarding series. SSX is the NBA Street of Snowboarding. SSX is over the top. It's known for it's gorgeous visuals, and damn near impossible tricks. I've been waiting for a new SSX for years, and I can't wait to see what we have in store with this one.

Mass Effect 3
3/6/12

Another adventure with Shepard? Bring it on. This time it looks like we'll be trying to save planet Earth. If Mass Effect 3 is anywhere near as good as Mass Effect 2, I'll probably invest at least 50 hours into it. Can't wait to play as female Shepard again.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D
March 2012

Metal Gear Solid on the 3DS? Yes please. I've actually never played Metal Gear Solid 3. Ok I did, but I was too focused on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to get into it. Metal Gear Solid 3D is kind of like redemption for the days I put off the PS2 version. I'm curious to see what the game is going to look like on my 3DS.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD
Summer 2012

I must say that it's about time Tony Hawk went back to what it does best. Old school Tony Hawk is one of the best videogame franchises of all time. It just over saturated the market with yearly releases. It's been years since Activision released an old school Tony Hawk game. This summer marks the return of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. This version includes locations from the first and second Tony Hawk, and is going to be sold for a whopping $15 dollars this summer. First Day Purchase indeed.

Grand Theft Auto V
???

Honestly I don't think we'll see the release of Grand Theft Auto V in 2012. All we've seen so far is a minute long trailer. When a new Grand Theft Auto is released, Rockstar makes sure the world knows it's coming way ahead of time. I hope we get more details about the GTAV this year. Is the multiple characters perspective true? What's the time period? Is it going to be on the Wii U? Things like that.

Wii U
???

I doubt the Wii U is coming in 2012 as well, but I wouldn't rule it out. One thing noticeably missing from this list is upcoming games for the Wii. It's a bad sign when the only game I can think of coming this year for the Wii is Madden 13. I do hope we get more details about Wii U this year. What is the price going to be? What games are in development for it? Does it perform better than the PS3 and Xbox 360? Guess we'll just have to wait and find out.

The crazy part about this years most anticipated list is that with the exception of Tony Hawk, all of the games listed will be released in the first half of the year. This either means that the holiday season will bring even more great games, or it will be quiet due to flood of the games being released in the first half. I think the holiday season will be great. Maybe I'll do another most anticipated list as games get announced for the holiday season. Until next time.

Saints Row the Third #GameofTheYear

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:15:06 PST

Pros: Fun Game, Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously, Customizing Cars, Clothes, Looks Etc. is excellent, Shooting mechanics are great, Missions are fun, Level Design is nice, Funny Game, Plenty of Side Missions and Activities to do, & Professor Genki's Mini Game's are Excellent.

Cons: No Jewelry Stores or Customize Crib Options, Not as much depth with customizing as seen in Saints Row 2, Parts of the Story never get explained, & Glitches.

I've been a fan of Saints Row since the first one. Witnessing the growth of the only game that survived the "Grand Theft Auto Clone" era has been a pleasure. Saints Row has truly evolved into it's own series. If Saints Row 2 left any thoughts of a "GTA Clone" in my mind those thoughts are now gone thanks to Saints Row The Third.

The first things I want to point out is the improvements Saints Row The Third has over Saints Row 2. The shooting mechanics are a lot better in Saints Row the Third. You now press L1 to aim and R1 to shoot. This allows for more strategies to use during shoot outs. In Saints Row 2 you had to tap the Right Stick to aim. This lead to me using a mostly run and gun approach in Saints Row 2. I would tap the right stick to aim at times, but I seemed to do a great job at running and gunning. I still found myself running & gunning in Saints Row the Third, but I'd switch it up and aim my gun more often.

I also love the new quick dive ability added to Saints Row The Third. If you're running and you press jump, your player leaps forward and dives. This move has gotten me out of plenty of sticky situations. If you find yourself in the center of a gunfight, you have a chance of surviving by leaping your way out of it. It also makes getting over obstacles, and going from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor much more convenient. One leap and you're there.

When it comes to customizing things in a videogame, no series does it better than Saints Row. I spent hours inside of clothing stores in Saints Row 2 customizing outfits. In Saints Row The Third I found myself customizing more than just my outfits. I'd customize every car I brought to my Garage. No more having to go to Rim Jobs to customize my cars. I still had to go to Rim Jobs, but I'll explain why later.

One store I frequently visited was Image As Designed. I became obsessed with customizing my characters looks. First he looked too old, then he looked too basic, then he looked too plastic. I eventually worked it out and was satisfied with the final outcome of my player. I love Saints Row because it really allows me to play as the character I want to play as. Ever since the first Saints Row I've played as a Caucasian Male with white hair. I initially chose him to defy the stereotype of being an African American male gangster, which evolved into me loving my older British character. I tried to play as an African American Female for my second playthrough of Saints Row the Third, but I felt the that none of the voices matched the person I was playing as. I also imagine my player in Saints Row 3 to be a guy who acts before he thinks. The older male whose both handsome and clueless fits my view of the leader of the Saints perfectly.

Customizing outfits in Saints Row The Third is fun, but I feel like it's limited when compared to Saints Row 2. In Saints Row 2 you had plenty more options about how you wanted your character to wear something. Let's take a baseball jersey for example. In Saints Row 2 you could choose the logo on the jersey, whether you wanted the jersey buttoned, tucked, and you got to choose number. In Saints Row The Third you can only choose the color of the baseball jersey. I found myself spending less time customizing outfits because there weren't enough options with what to do with my clothes. Sure I could change the color, but why not be able to change the design like before? Maybe I want leopard print on my jersey.

The Story to Saints Row 3 could use some work. It took me a second playthrough to realize there are some serious gaps that don't get explained in the plot. One thing the game doesn't explain is what happened to Johnny Gat. One minute Johnny's on a plane talking smack through the intercom. Then you hear him get caught by a rival gang over the intercom. Next thing you know you're at a safehouse with Shaundi talking about funeral arrangements for Johnny. When and how did Johnny die? I would've thought a character that's been a staple to the franchise would at least die on screen. I expected it to be a dramatic cut scene that would make me go "that's messed up," but no. We just hear that Johnny died on the last mission and move on.

Another thing I feel the game never really gets explained is why the Saints are in Steelport. I kept getting the feeling that I either missed something, or the game would explain it later. It says in the Saints Row Wiki that it's from the Saints getting bored of Stillwater at the end of Saints Row 2. I don't remember that part, so a little refresher would have helped in Saints Row the Third.

Speaking of things missing in Saints Row The Third, where are the Jewelry stores? Being able to buy necklaces and rings at a clothes store isn't the same. It sucked seeing random characters wearing gold and silver jewelery while I'm stuck choosing choosing cheesy colors for my choker necklace. I was really looking forward to seeing how the gold or silver on my belt buckle would match my other jewelry, but sadly that wasn't the case. I couldn't even buy belts in this game. I like the idea of buying jewelry and clothes at the same place, but please bring back gold and platinum jewelry in the next Saints Row.

It was also a bit of a letdown that I couldn't customize any of the houses I bought or received throughout the game. Some of the places you stay in Saints Row the Third are flat out crappy. The only good they serve are to get rid of cops and gang notoriety when I enter. In Saints Row 2, I enjoyed walking around a crappy apartment that I transformed into a luxury pad with a few upgrades. Not being able to customize cribs in Saints Row The Third is a missed opportunity.

One thing that makes a return to Saints Row is side missions and activities. The difference now is the activities only have 3 levels (Easy, Medium, Hard,) and they're not required to advance the story. One side mission I enjoyed was Gang Operations. Instead of advancing the story to take out Gang Operations like before, all you gotta do is explore the city. Gang operations pop up on your map as you explore. Once you get to the location of the fist you must kill all of the gang members there. Once they're all dead you own the territory. Simple and fun.

I can't mention activities without mentioning Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax. Professor Genki's activity is a game show based around the idea of killing enemies. You must fight your way through rooms full of enemies and traps. You gain points by killing enemies and once you have enough points you must escape before the timer runs out. This new mini game easily is my favorite Saints Row activity I've ever played. Fight Club in Saints Row 2 was great, but Professor Genki is better. Everything from the commentary to the search for health made me enjoy the game immensely. I hope Professor Genki, as well as Fight Club, makes a return in return in future Saint's Row games.

One thing I have to point out is the small glitches that occurred as I was playing the game. I'm not going to lower the score due to any of them, a patch could easily fix most of them, but I will point them out. One glitch I noticed was during the Vehicle Theft side missions in the Saints Book. There were many instances where I would steal the car I needed, but the game wouldn't acknowledge it. It got frustrating driving all the way to the chop shop for the car to not be accepted. I found the glitch would occur if I managed to steal a car with no notoriety. The boat that's north of that Restricted island comes to mind. Instead of driving through the island I would simply swim to the boat. The game wouldn't acknowledge that I'd stole the boat until I walked on land and received 5 star notoriety.

Another glitch would occur when I wanted a vehicle delivered to me. Sometimes the car wouldn't show up. When I call back I get a busy signal forcing me to have to steal some car that doesn't have nitrous. Places such as alleys and parking lots were notorious for this glitch to happen. My solution was to walk to the street that and call for my vehicle then. 9 times out of 10 my car would show up when I called on a street. It got frustrating when my car wouldn't show up. All of the cars I owned were so fast I really didn't want to steal a slow car from the street. This resulted in me going to Rim Jobs a lot to pick up cars that weren't delivered. If it weren't for the vehicle delivery glitch, I'd hardly ever have gone to Rim Jobs.

The soundtrack to this game is pretty good. My favorite radio station would have to be K12. There was this one song that had no words that was great to me. Every time it came I'd find myself nodding my head. One thing I noticed was there were a lot of Odd Future songs on various playlists. It cool that whoever was in charge of music was a fan of Odd Future, but it's a bit much. I don't really listen to Odd Future. I find their music to be too random for my taste, but it's all good.

Saints Row the Third is my official 2011 Game of the Year. It gets this award for reminding me why I love console games. For most of 2011 I would only play my 3DS with thoughts that console games have gone to hell. Saints Row the Third is mindless fun. I haven't been able to zone out and just play. Thank you Volition for making a great game, and I look forward to the next one.

PAX Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:34:00 PST

PAX East 2012 falls later in the year than usual. Instead of a tradition weekend in March, PAX East will be held the weekend of April 6th - 8th, 2012. That happens to be the weekend Easter Sunday falls. Make sure you get your passes to PAX Easter. You don't want to be left out on the first annual PAX Easter.

PAX East has been awesome ever since it's debut in 2010. A convention that's focused only on games has never been seen on the East Coast. PAX East changed all of that by hosting the first annual PAX East at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts. I was one of the 52,000 people that attended in 2010. It changed my life. It made me believe that being a gaming journalist is really possible. I saw people walking by with different badges that said "Media" on them. I asked myself,

"If people with "media" badges are able to attend PAX East for free to cover the convention, why can't I?"

My search for that answer brought me to PAX East 2011. PAX East really outdid itself in 2011. It moved from the Hynes Convention Center to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) in South Boston. BCEC opened in 2004, and proved to be a better home for PAX East. As one of the 69,000 attendees, I would say it was epic. I feel like I did more to promote "Errol Games" during this convention. I did interviews, I took pictures, and I settled disputes during that weekend. I learned that people who have media badges like to make fun of your 3 Day Pass if they don't like you. I like my 3 Day Pass. I have no problem paying money to cover PAX East my way. It would be nice to go to PAX East for free tho. I feel like I need to win a contest or something to make that happen. I could use some guidance. 2012 should be an interesting year.

#Bestof2011 Nintendo 3DS

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:58:07 PST

What a year for the Nintendo 3DS. After a slow start and speculation that the 3DS was a flop, Nintendo got the ball rolling. The first major improvement to the Nintendo 3DS was it's controversial price cut. The people who paid $249.99 for a Nintendo 3DS were shocked to see the price go down to $169.99 a mere five months after it's release. Nintendo admitted their mistake and gave 20 free games to early adopters labeling them ambassadors to the 3DS. I was one of the early adopters of the 3DS, but I didn't take the price drop so personally. For starters it was a gift, but I had invested so much time playing my 3DS that I felt like I had already got my moneys worth.

Let's face it the first year for any new gaming system is rough. It usually consists of a heavy price tag and a software lineup that is less than favorable. I can't remember a launch title for the Xbox 360 besides King Kong. The Nintendo 3DS software lineup was bleak for most of the year, but there were some gems. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a fan favorite. My personal favorite was Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. That game held me over until the release of Super Mario 3D Land in November. Nintendo always brings their A game when it comes to a Mario Adventure, and his first 3DS outing is no exception. Every 3DS owner should give Super Mario 3D Land a try.

The Nintendo 3DS enters 2012 ready for competition. It's outsold the first year sales of the Nintendo DS, and hasn't slowing down since. The lineup for next years games looks spectacular with titles such as Resident Evil: Revelations, and Metal Gear Solid 3D expected hit stores the first half of the year. The smaller price tag also makes it a tough contender against the PlayStation Vita which is set to be released this February. In the meantime I'm going to get back to Super Mario 3D Land.

#Bestof2011 Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:01:02 PST

I thought Capcom had done it all when they released Street Fighter IV on 360 and PS3. Boy was I was wrong. Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is the best version of Street Fighter I've ever played. I go back with Street Fighter to the early 1990s with Street Fighter II: Championship Edition on the Genesis. Never have I ever invested as much time on any other game as I've invested on Street Fighter 3D. Before you say "I could play this version on the console," here are the things that make Super Street Fighter IV 3D better than the console version.

Better Graphics

You can't reproduce the 3D graphics seen on the 3DS version of Street Fighter on the console versions. Sure the graphics on console have a lot more going on in the background, but the 3D effect is really cool. I notice the detail on the fighters better on the 3DS.

Better Control Scheme

No need to buy an expensive arcade stick for the 3DS version. The button layout on the 3DS is perfect for Street Fighter. The face buttons are low/mid punch and kick while the shoulder buttons are high punch and kick. Having only two shoulder buttons gave me more patience learning the control scheme. The touch screen buttons make Street Fighter accessible to more players because it doesn't require as much effort to learn tough combos. Makes me wonder how come it took so long for Street Fighter to show up on a portable Nintendo console.

Portability
I play this game during times when I can't play other games. They include when I'm in bed and on the toilet. Sorry for the insight, but my mornings get off to a great start as I'm on the toilet playing Street Fighter 3D. At night I found myself playing until I fall asleep. It's awesome. I could also play this game outside, but I prefer to play it with a WiFi connection.

As of right now I've invested 440 hours and 10 minutes into Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. I can't wait to finish writing this blog post so I can get back to playing it. If you have a 3DS you should seriously check out this game. It's my most played game this year.

The Pros and Cons of Using Gamefly

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:22:26 PST

I've been a member of Gamefly since August 2009. In those two years I've been an overall satisfied customer. There have been a few hiccups here and there, but the service has been solid. A friend asked me if Gamefly was worth it? I put this list of pros and cons together to help you decide whether or not you should subscribe to Gamefly. If anybody who has a Gamefly account has anything to add feel free.

Huge Selection

Gamefly is the only place that allows me to rent Nintendo 3DS titles. $40 is a lot of money to put towards a game that I might not even like. It's not like Gamestop is going to give me a full refund on an opened 3DS game because I didn't like it. Whenever a 3DS game that interests me is released, I'm using Gamefly to play it. Gamefly also has a bunch of games that my local Blockbuster doesn't carry. Games include Catherine, Cursed Mountain, & Tony Hawk's Project 8.

Fast Shipping

It usually takes 2 days to receive a game after Gamefly sends me a confirmation email. They also ship out new games the day before they're released which means I usually have a new release the day after it hits stores. An example I use is Uncharted 3. It was released on Tuesday November 1st. Gamefly shipped it Monday, October 31st, and I received it Wednesday, November 2nd. I have no problem waiting an extra day to play a new release. The shipping might slow down next year when the United States Postal Service slows down their next day mail service.

Game Availability

One problem I've encountered is the availability of a new videogame after it's been released. You can almost guarantee a new release will have "Low Availability" for it's first month. I've had it take weeks to receive a confirmation email after a games been released. A game that comes to mind is Batman: Arkham Asylum. If I had been better about shipping the game I had back to Gamefly, I probably would've received one of the first copies of Arkham City they shipped out. I waited 2 weeks for an email that Gamefly shipped out Arkham City, but it never came. I gave up and put dibs on Uncharted 3. I'm current;y waiting to see how long it's going to take before Gamefly ships me a copy of Super Mario 3D Land.

Remembering to ship games back

I've ran into this problem more than a few times. I finish a video game, put it back in the packaging, and leave it in my car for over a week. Forgetting to ship a game back seems like a small problem until you miss the deadline on that new videogame you wanted to play so bad. Now you've got to wait for who knows how long until you get a confirmation email. Another word of advice would be not to ship a game back too close to the release of a new game. Best bet is to give yourself a week. The holiday rush of new games is pretty much over so I guess it's pretty much a game of waiting for a confirmation email. Remember to ship your games back when you're done.

Would I recommend Gamefly???

I absolutely recommend Gamefly if you're a Nintendo 3DS owner. That $40 price tag on videogames is expensive, and most 3DS titles at this point have not been getting great reviews. Save your money and use Gamefly. For everyone else I recommend giving Gamefly a try. They have a one month free trial where you could get a feel for how it works. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Why the 2011 VGAs Rocked

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:46:54 PST

Ladies and gentleman I stand corrected. I had every expectation that the 2011 Video Game Awards were going to be two hours of boring television. Boy was I was wrong. The 2011 VGA's were great. Really great. I enjoyed watching it from beginning to end. Here are some reasons why the 2011 Video Game Awards Rocked.

Better Music

The VGA's made a bunch of additions to the show this year that rocked. One of the additions was an in house DJ by the name of Deadmau5. He's already official when it comes to rocking awards shows since he was the inhouse DJ at the 2010 VMA's. A bunch of people tuned in just to see Deadmau5 perform.

Of course on television his epic music and light shows kept getting cut short thanks to commercials, but he did his thing. Deadmau5 also introduced a new helmet which is way more detailed than the one he had on at the VMA's. The new helmet is cool because it has a bunch of videogame designs on it. The Right Eye is Pac Man and I see a 1UP logo on his right ear. Very appropriate for the occassion.

Great Host

A great awards show begins with a great host, and Zachary Levi was just that. His Portal 2 leap across the venue was a great entrance, and the guy knew what he was talking about. That's a huge step up from last years host, Neil Patrick Harris, who was cool, but I couldn't really relate to the him as a gamer. Zacahry Levi was funny as well. His joke about him and Jane Lynch being sexy male hosts had me laughing. He also kept the show moving. I wouldn't mind if he came back to host the Video Game Awards again.

Better Presenters

Remember the people who presented at last years Video Game Awards? Me either. This year we saw a bunch of famous faces present awards, trailers, and musical guests. The guys from that show Workaholics were hilarious when they presented the trailer to Alan Wake. They came out as if they won an award and went on to introduce Alan Wake 2. By the way they were presenting the trailer it wasn't clear if they knew the game they were presenting or not adding to the humor.

What about Charlie Sheen presenting? That was definitely a highlight of the night. Say what you want about Charlie Sheen, that man is winning. Gotta give kudos to Will I Am and Hulk Hogan. The special guests that attended this year makes me want to go to next years VGA's. I'd get to mingle with some stars for real.

Hall of Fame

This year the Video Game Awards gave out it's version of the Lifetime Achievement Award by inducting The Legend of Zelda into the Video Game Hall of Fame. The only thing bigger than Zelda being the first game inducted into the Hall of Fame was creator Shigeru Miyamoto being there to accept the award. Both Zelda & Shigeru Miyamoto deserve that first spot in the Hall of Fame.

Despite all of the recent controversy around rumors of Miyamoto is retiring, it was good to see him on stage smiling. Something tells me this isn't the last time we'll see Miyamoto accepting a Hall of Fame award. I give it 3 years tops before Mario makes his way into the Hall of Fame. The Videogame Hall of Fame is a genius award within itself. I look forward to seeing what game get inducted next.

Teabagging

You know those award shows where the person who wins give a really long acceptance speech? The VGA's aren't one of them. Gone are the days of people thanking everyone from GOD to the cleaning lady at their hotel. If you take too long at the VGA's you risk getting teabagged by a US Soldier.

I thought the host was joking when he said if you take too long accepting your award you'll get teabagged. That was until the guys at Infinity Ward set off the alarm for going too long on their acceptance speech for Best Shooter. Next thing you know the soldiers on the stage Teabagging one of the guys from Modern Warfare 3. How's that for a win? You've got the best selling game of the year, the award for best shooter, and you got teabagged on stage. I look forward to the day I get to accept a VGA. The only thing I'll have on my mind is avoiding getting teabagged. Until next year.

Why The VGA's Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:45:36 PST

It's that time of the year again folks. The last month of the year means we have to spend one of our weekend nights watching Spike TV for the Video Game Awards. The VGA's is like a dentist appointment. I don't look forward to going, but I have to go. The VGA's might not be fun to watch, but they do matter. Here's why.

It's on TV
The VGA's matter because they're the only televised videogame awards show around. All the other videogame award shows (the IGA's, GDC's, etc) are invite only. I usually find out who won those awards after they happen via Twitter or a gaming website. With the VGA's everyone's invited. All you gotta do is tune in to Spike TV tonight at 8p ET / 5p PT and you're there. The best part is seeing the games win in real time and and having a collective conversation about it on Twitter with other gamer.

New Game Announcements/Trailers
It wouldn't be the VGA's if we didn't get trailers and announcements for upcoming games. I would say after E3 the VGA's is the place to find the most announcements for new games. There's a rumor going around that Tony Hawk is announcing a new videogame tonight. I'm curious to see what that games gonna be like. I also heard that a new trailer to Mass Effect 3 will be shown tonight. That should be interesting.

Can You Say Game of the Year?
The VGA's kicks off the award giving season we get in videogames this time of the year. I figure since we're all able to watch the show, we should allow the VGA's to be the first to give it out the Game of the Year award. I'm probably going to disagree with their choice since the game that's on my list wasn't nominated, but that's besides the point. At least we all find out who won their Game of the Year award at the same time. It's not like I'll wake up in the morning to people spilling the beans that (insert gaming website here) gave out the Game of the Year Award.

Feel It

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:24:38 PST

Why I Want the Special Edition of Skyward Sword

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:44:07 PDT

I can't even remember the last time I played my Wii. If I remember correctly I was playing Donkey Kong Returns last November. It's sad. I see it everyday in my living room collecting dust. It saddens me to think that I could have traded in my Wii a year ago and not even missed it. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the only reason why I haven't traded in my Wii.

I've come close to trading in my Wii on many different occasions. The first time I almost traded it in, I decided to trade in my Gamecube peripherals instead. They included Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, a Gamecube memory card, and a Gamecube Controller. I got $20 from my friend Simon at Patriot Games, and put gas in my car.

I came really close to selling my Wii the other day. I was strapped for cash and needed gas to get to school. I began to get the cords together when I noticed my one and only Wiimote sitting by itself. I thought of the Special Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

"Doesn't that include a Wiimote?" I thought to myself.

I began to do my research. Not only does the Special Edition of Skyward Sword include a gold covered Wiimote, the Wiimote has the Wii Motion Plus built into it. I then found out that the Wii Motion Plus is required to play Skyward Sword. I've had my Wiimote since 2007. It doesn't have any of bells and whistles that newer Wiimote's have. My Wiimote was officially obsolete. I grabbed my Wiimote and an extra nunchuck I've had laying around and traded both in for $15 dollars at Patriot Games. To the Gas station.

As the holidays approach, the first thing on my Christmas List is the Special Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It's $79.99 and the Wiimote that comes in the Special Edition looks cool. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the final game for my Wii before I trade it in. It's going to be nice to be able to play it with a cool new controller.

Why Multiple Characters in #GTAV Doesn't Make Sense

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:33:17 PDT

I don't believe the rumor of multiple playable characters in #GTAV after watching the trailer. It doesn't make sense. If that was the case more than one person would be narrating their story in the first trailer for the game. Remember the trailer to GTA IV? "Perhaps here will be different" was spoken by the main character Niko Bellic. Alternative characters come in the downloadable content. If you remember, The Ballad of Gay Tony & The Lost & the Damned put different perspectives on the same story. I bet #GTAV will do the same thing.

The trailer showcases a bunch of fancy cars. The one that caught my attention was the red convertible which showcases it's ability to drop it's hard top. That is a beautiful car. I can't wait to ride it down the streets of Los Santos. Is that Los Angeles? I beat San Andreas 5 years ago. I can't remember. I know I saw a sign that said Los Santos in the trailer tho.

It looks like our protagonist this time around is a middle aged American white man. The name of our character remains a mystery, but I'm already interested. It looks like our protagonist has already accomplished everything he wants in life. He's retreated to what looks like Los Angeles for "the magic" as he calls it. Grand Theft Auto V looks like this guys midlife crisis. I don't care though. He is interesting enough for me to want to see what his life is like. Sign me up for the #GTAV. You'll probably see me at a midnight release.

Then again watching the trailer almost 12 hours later opens me up to the possibility of multiple characters. Who's to say you're not playing as one of the homeless people in the street, or as the guy who is running from the cops. Los Santos is definitely set in modern times. All I can see missing is the occupy movement. I can't wait to hear what the radio stations have to say. Maybr the story is about multiple characters. I just have a hard time believing it.

What Grand Theft Auto 3 Means to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:42:33 PDT

I remember the first time I played Grand Theft Auto 3. I was hanging out at my friend Tino's house. He was glued to the TV playing this game on his PS2. I saw him in a car driving around a city. I noticed how there wasn't any boundaries to where he could go. He was free to go wherever he wanted. "This isn't a racing game." I said to myself.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Grand Theft Auto" Tino said.

For real? The Grand Theft Auto I remembered was the game with the overhead view and annoying radio stations. The Grand Theft Auto I knew was the one where you had to hold X to walk and the missions were hard. I wasn't a fan of Grand Theft Auto 1 or 2. I pretty much wrote the series off as too complicated for my 12 year old self to understand, but here is this cool game that Tino's saying is Grand Theft Auto.

"Can I play?" I asked.

"Yea" Tino says.

I pick up the control and begin driving. I remember I was in a Kuruma driving around Chinatown.

"Press L2" Tino said

I press it and notice the camera is looking out the left window of the car.

"All right now hold L2 and press O"

That was the moment I fell in love with Grand Theft Auto 3. Something about being able to do drive by's that just blew me away. Something told me that this game was a classic. I realized then that it was time to jump into the next generation of videogames. No more N64, it was time for a PS2.

I had to wait a few months to finally get my own PS2, but it was all good. Not too long after I played the game at Tino's house more of my friends had copies of Grand Theft Auto 3. It got to the point to where you weren't cool in my middle school if you hadn't at least played the game. I would sleep over my friends house just so we could play GTA 3 all night. I remember one night my friend Tom and I were jamming to Rise FM for like 2 hours. We put Claude in a car and just zoned out to the 6 songs on that radio station.

Grand Theft Auto 3 became so popular that by the time I went to buy it 4 months later I had to bring my mother because the lady at Toys R Us said I was too young. It's crazy because I could have bought Halo, which has the same rating, with no problems. At the time Toys R Us had games on shelves so all you had to do was bring the game to a cash register to buy it. With Grand Theft Auto 3, I remember I had to go to Customer Service and ask for Grand Theft Auto 3.

The controversy behind the game dealing with violence, prostitutes, etc wasn't the reason why I wanted Grand Theft Auto. I wanted it because every time I played it with someone it was incredibly fun. If Grand Theft Auto was a boring game that had all of these naughty things I don't think anybody would care enough to want to play it. Instead it's this incredible game that just so happens to have drugs, violence, and prostitutes. That's my fault? I thought not.

On the 10 year anniversary of Grand Theft Auto 3, I wonder when that next game is going to come. A game that creates a new genre and gets it right. An original game that inspires copy cats that are both good and bad, but never better than the original. A game that every gamer knows something about. A game that unites us as gamers... It'll be here one day. Happy Birthday Grand Theft Auto 3. You changed everything.

Patriot Games

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:23:45 PDT

Why I'm Buying Resident Evil Code Veronica X HD

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:29:41 PDT

The reviews are in for the HD version of Resident Evil Code Veronica and they are mixed. It currently has a score of 74 which is all right considering. I've read the reviews from Destructoid which gave it a 5/10 and Gamepro which gave the game 3 out of 5 stars.

These were the CONS from Gamepro's review of Resident Evil: Code Veronica HD:
"CONS: Terrible controls hamper much of the gameplay; puzzles are occasionally way too obscure to figure out without help; forced camera perspective feels cheap later in the game; rarity of items and weapons can get you stuck in a corner if you're not careful."

My question to the person that wrote the review is how many Resident Evil games have you played before? Last I remembered Code Veronica was similar to Resident Evil games before Resident Evil 4. The fixed camera angels weren't "cute" in the year 2000. They made Resident Evil the series it is today! Pressing "forward" to move is nothing new to veterans of the series who think the series has recently moved in the wrong direction. The rarity of items and weapons is also a staple in the series. The game would be way too easy and less scary if you had more bullets than you needed to survival. The genre is survival horror after all. Learn how to save bullets.

Destructoid's review of Code Veronica is similar to Gamepro's except a valid point is brought out in Dtoid's review. They ponder why younger Resident Evil Games such as the Resident Evil Remake and Resident Evil 0 were overlooked for an HD remake. Capcom probably looked past Resident Evil 0 because that game is short. I remember finishing that game in one sitting. Capcom probably overlooked the REmake is already a remake. Why remake a game for a third time? I mean the first Resident Evil is a classic by all means, but give it a rest.

Speaking of games that need to stop being remade can Capcom stop remaking Resident Evil 4? I mean jeez you can play that game on everything from a Gamecube to an iPhone. Giving the game HD graphics doesn't justify releasing Resident Evil 4 for the umpteenth time. The problem with Resident Evil 4 is it created Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 is the worst game in the series. I didn't become a fan of the Resident Evil series because of it's over the top action. I became a fan because the atmospheric fixed camera games. I can not wait for Resident Evil Revelations on the 3DS. In the mean time I'll download Resident Evil Code Veronica HD tomorrow and relive the Resident Evil experience I fell in love with.

Structure Errol Games

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:09:22 PDT

What the Hell is a Deus Ex?

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:02:32 PDT

Forgive my ignorance but what the hell is Deus Ex? All's I know is it's a PC game that came out 10 years ago. My knowledge of PC games is limited to Call of Duty 2 and The Sims. My PC doesn't turn on, but it has an ATI Radeon X700 video card inside of it. I'm guessing that a pretty dated graphics, but I was able to play the Sims 2 on high settings with no problem.

Back to Deus Ex. Apparently a version of the original game was ported to the Playstation 2 in 2002. I wasn't aware of it. I was too busy playing Resident Evil on the Gamecube. The reviews have been pretty solid for Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Human Revolution popped on my Radar after my trip to Blockbuster earlier. I walked in and noticed that all seven copies for the PS3 version of Deus Ex were rented out. I've never seen a whole section of PS3 games rented out at Blockbuster. Ever. I knew it would get worse as I checked the XBOX 360 section. Sold Out. I asked the guy at the counter if he had any copies. He told me they'll be back on Sunday. Great. The game I wanted to spend Hurricane Irene playing will be back on the day Irene shows up.

Looks like I'll have to spend an arm and a leg to buy Deus Ex: Human Revolution. $59.99 is a ridiculous price for a videogame. I'd be cool if videogames were released digitally if it meant I had the option to rent the game before I bought it. Maybe it already exists. Told you I'm ignorant when it comes to PC Gaming. Anyway's I've got a videogame to buy. I'll make sure to not buy it from Gamestop due to them taking the PC version of Deus Ex off it's shelves. I'm not planning on buying the PC version, but I shop where all gamers shop.

Happy Birthday Super Mario Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:08:18 PDT

August 26th, 2002. My entire 2002 summer vacation was spent anticipating this day. I couldn't wait for the release of Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube. I spent countless hours imagining myself playing through the next Mario adventure. Looking back on it the hype and expectations I had for Super Mario Sunshine were definitely met and may have even been outdone.

It all started with the August 2002 covers for Electronics Gaming Monthly. The magazine was doing a special report on Nintendo and gave covers to the 3 Games that ended up defining the console, Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, & Legend of Zelda: WindWaker. Out of the three games that EGM put on the cover I was most excited about Mario. I remember after reading the article I ran to Electronics Boutique (Remember that?) and preordered Super Mario Sunshine. Super Mario Sunshine is one of two games that I've ever preordered in my life. The other one being Zelda: Wind Waker due to the free copy of Ocarina of Time that came with a preorder.

I believed so much in the Gamecube at the time that I couldn't be disappointed in Mario's Gamecube adventure. The way I see it is Nintendo has a stable of characters that they can use at any given point in time. Mario defines Nintendo. Super Mario games on any console define the console I'm playing. Super Mario 64 defined the Nintendo 64, Super Mario World defines the SNES, Super Mario Sunshine defines the Gamecube. You won't find a lot of glitches and bugs in a Super Mario Game. These games are given that extra amount of attention before they're released.

Back to Super Mario Sunshine. I remember putting $20 dollars toward my purchase when I preordered it. I spent almost every weekend of my summer putting money towards my preorder ($5 dollars here, $2 dollars there) until the game was paid for. By the time I had it payed off I began imagining myself buying the game. I saw myself waiting in a long line until the cashier asked about preorders. I'd skip the line and hand him my slips to receive my copy of the game. That made me feel so good.

I called EB on August 26th and they said the game would be in stock on the 27th. I was a bit salted, but I could handle waiting another day. I mean after all I waited the whole summer. When I finally had the game I remember enjoying it a lot. I didn't get all 120 Shine Sprites, (Those blue coins were annoying), but I came close. I don't think Super Mario Sunshine has gotten the right amount of credit it deserves. Sure it got good reviews, but it always gets perceived as a step down from Super Mario 64. I'm here to say Super Mario Sunshine is a great game that should be mentioned in the Videogame Hall of Fame. Long live Super Mario Sunshine

Madden & The NFL Lockout

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:38:17 PST

The NFL Lockout was the best thing to happen to the Madden Franchise. Months after fans voted Peyton Hillis to be on the cover of Madden 2012, fears of a lockout put the NFL season in jeopardy. It wasn't clear if Madden 2012 was going to be released had the NFL season been in lockout. Now that the NFL Lockout is over Madden 2012 will be released on August 23rd.

The NFL Lockout put football news on the back burner for months. Usually we hear about players being traded during the off season, but nothing was happening. Now that the Lockout is over we're being flooded with news about the NFL. In one week Chad Ochocinco became a Patriot, Plaxico Burress became a Jet, and Randy Moss announced his retirement. These are all big stories that build up fans anticipation for the upcoming NFL season. Are you ready for some football?

Madden couldn't be in a better position now that the NFL Lockout is over. We usually get a new Madden the week the NFL Preseason starts, but the Lockout pushed things back a few weeks. Madden 2012 will be in stores August 23rd. The extra time plus the flood of NFL news is only building anticipation for Madden 2012. I'm thinking Madden 2012 is going to be the best selling Madden game up to this point. NCAA Football 2012 was the best selling game of last month. No surprise there, but it outsold last years NCAA Football 11. Some say it was due to the uncertainty of Madden 2012's release, but I say it was due to the end of the NFL lockout. I expect Madden 2012 to feel the same benefit See you at the midnight release.

Nintendo 3DS Buyers Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Errol James) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:19:26 PDT

So you bought a Nintendo 3DS. Let me be the first to say welcome to the family. They say I should be upset about paying $250 dollars for something that's price went down in less than 6 months. Truth is I'm not upset. The Nintendo 3DS is the only videogame console I play and has been since I bought it. Before the price went down I had invested 300 hours into Street Fighter 3D. It's safe to say I got my moneys worth. This post isn't about me though, it's about you and your new 3DS. With any new console comes questions and I'm here to help answer them.

The first question you probably have is what color should you choose? My answer would be the flame red that's coming September 9th to North America. If you can't wait that long you're choices are Aqua Blue and Cobalt Black. I went with Cobalt Black because I wanted to be more low key about having a 3DS. I remember when I bought a DSi kids younger than me instantly knew what it was. The Black 3DS gives kids the benefit of the doubt until they see the screen. The Aqua Blue 3DS is your way of telling the world you own a Nintendo 3DS. No shame in that, but it might attract some unwanted attention. The choice is yours.

Next question you might have is what games should you buy? I strongly recommend Street Fighter 3D. If you enjoyed playing Street Fighter when you were younger play this game. It is the be all end all to the Street Fighter franchise. The hardcore console Street Fighter Players should give this a try as well. I know you spent X amount of dollars on arcade sticks, but you gotta check this out. Only people I wouldn't recommend this two are people who never liked Street Fighter.

Another game to check out is Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. I'm personally not a big fan of the game. I got further than I did when I played it on the Gamecube, but I keep getting stuck. I hate walking around aimlessly trying to figure out what to do next. I respect the games legacy. It's the first 3DS game to sell one million units for a reason. If you haven't played Pokemon Black/White yet I also recommend that game. I've taken a break from playing it, but it was fun while I played it.

The last question you might have is how does the 3D effect look? My answer to that is it looks awesome. I initially thought the 3D meant that things would pop out at you, but that's not the case (so far.) The 3D really brings out the graphics in games that I've played. The background really comes to life when you turn the stereoscopic lens up. I can't play with the 3D too high for that long. My eyes begin to strain and I start seeing double on the screen. I usually keep the settings fairly low most of the time. I can still see the 3D and my eyes don't strain at all. Sometime I play with 2D. Either way I'm definitely enjoying my 3DS. I hope you enjoy yours.

I hope I helped your journey with your 3DS. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer them. Enjoy.