The PS Vita - Why Did I Ever Doubt You?

Your standard promotional photo

The other day my wife Paula (pseudonym - her real name is Jasmine) gave me the go-ahead to get a PS Vita. I have been curious about on since I saw the promotions at Taco Bell. So I dropped by the good ole electronics store and snagged one up. She has the 3DS already, so I figured we could round out the portable console world and snag the Vita.

The Console Itself is quite compact. It has the joysticks which are a little small, but they get the job done. It also has your standard PlayStation buttons and two shoulder buttons too. It is definitely centered around the touchscreen. One definite advantage to this touchscreen is that it allows for two finger touch - which is something the Wii U could've and should've - but didn't. Not stopping there, Sony added a touch pad on the back which is quite cool during the gaming experience.

The gaming experience is pretty good. I bought Little Big Planet for Vita on the game "card" and also Little Deviants on the PlayStation Store. Both games show off the features of the Vita, which I'm sure I'll mention some time in the future. The touchscreen gives a nice feature to the games but it's been done before and is being done on the home console beat now as well. The touch pad on the back makes for great potential. In Little Big Planet there are blocks that you can push in with the touchscreen but if you need to push them back out you can do so by touching the touch pad on the back. Pretty snazzy.

One of my favorite features of the Vita is how much better connected I feel to PSN and those who I've added as friends. Messages pop up better and it seems to get you more immersed in sending messages to your friends and comparing trophies and such.

The future seems bright for the Vita. It seems like Sony will be really pushing for PS4 compatibility and playability for the Vita. I'm looking forward to that experience, though I'm still not sold on being a "launch window" PS4 buyer.

I understand that this isn't an extremely in depth look at the PS Vita. It's not meant to be! These are just the broad strokes and nothing more. It's full of other features such as bluetooth, PS3 connectiability, Cross Play etc. I'm impressed with what I've seen so far. I do wish they would've allowed for micro-SD cards instead of the special ones designed by Sony. I felt like I was in the year 2005 with how pricey those things are. Also, one can't help but notice the empty shelves at the stores compared to the 3DS. I do feel, however, the Vita will probably have a much longer lifespan than the 3DS, but that's just my opinion.


Little Deviants, a launch title, was designed to show off the features of the Vita, not to mention get the young gamers on board

Wii U Problems - Third Parties

Go on any twitter account of any reputable gaming....whatever and you'll find the news coming out lately is third party woes for the Wii U. I honestly can say I expected this to happen. We all know that Nintendo has had a rough time getting third parties on board. Some will say that Wii U is a current gen cosole...but they don't have anything in the works for it. Others say it is indeed a next gen console.....but they don't have anything in the works for it. EA has all but given up on it (and I say good riddance, I have a PS3!).


Nintendo fans are like a rabid dog when they feel like they are getting hosed

Nintendo's third party problems aren't because of the third party players. It is because Nintendo thinks outside of the box. Their motion controls were definitely outside of the box. Third parties scoffed and turned away. The Wii console killed the competition with their must have first party games, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. It also helped that the Wii was at an extremely cheap price that helped bring in the huge casual market. Third parties are all about the bottom line. They have concluded that while there are 3 major consoles on the market at all times, only those that are similar enough are worth their time. Simply put, pandering to Nintendo's innovation will cost too much money. One cannot blame them. They have stockholders, families and a reputation to build.

Meanwhile, Nintendo only has one console to work on - theirs. They have a rabid fan base and a huge tradition of loved characters. I mean, who hasn't heard of Mario? Other first party games such as the Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart, and Kirby will move systems on their own. Maybe Nintendo is just too comfortable. Do I think the Wii U will fail or succeed? I don't know. It's too early to make a verdict on that. However, once Nintendo starts adding to the Wii U library, I think the Wii U will be just fine. For any other person who loves the more real sports games or other major titles, you'll have to invest in another console. Which I imagine most of us do.


Third Parties enjoy similar systems to work on (Credit truth459.blogspot.com)

Journey - An Experience Worth The Hype

Photo taken from www.thatgamecompany.com

Today I will be posting my first PS3 related post. What better way than to talk about the PS3 exclusive title "Journey."

I heard about Journey through Twitter. PlayStation's twitter page retweeted someone's comments about how the game related to their wanting to reach their lost loved one. I was instantly curious. I then saw that Journey was the number one downloaded game over a span of time. That only sparked my curiosity more.

Well two days ago I decided now was the time to snag Journey and see for myself what all the hype was about. The first thing I noticed about the game was there was no dialogue. I also enjoyed the fact that the cutscenes were to a minimum. In this current culture of video games, it is definitely welcome.

In short, the game is about a red hooded figure with no visible arms that can fly on short spurts whenever its scarf is "powered up." The whole game is centered around a mountain and your goal is to reach the peak. I won't really get much more into the premise. You'll find out for yourself.

The game is quite fun. After clumsily getting used to the simple and fluid controls you'll find yourself fully immersed into this desert world. The landscape is huge - real huge. It is more centered around figuring out how to get past the levels and not on antagonists. Well except for the Legend of Zelda like one eyed flying monster thing that locks in on you and once you're hit your scarf takes damage. The main antagonist, I would wager, is the mountain itself or shall we say nature.

Which leads me to my next point in this little blog. The mountain seems to be something that each and every person can choose to interpret in their own way. Some can see it as their journey to Heaven or to someone who has passed away. Others might see it as their life goals or professional goals and the obstacles that so annoyingly get in the way. Some might just see it as a mountain and nothing more. That's the best part of this game. You can interpret this game as personally or impersonally as you want. There are no right or wrong answers!

I'll suggest this game to anyone. I completed the journey in 2 and a half hours but I can see it stretching into the 3 or 4 hour mark for a more thorough gamer. It makes for a great gaming experience with a desire to replay it. It kind of reminds me of a Wizards and Warriors type replayability. Sometimes a person wants to just play a game and not watch cutscenes for 4 hours before any significant gaming goes down. While short, Journey is a must get and I recommend it to anyone with 14.99 in their pocket.

For a file size of under 600mb I was surprised how great the graphics are

Wii U System Update....it's about time

The new Wii U update is what Wii U owners have been waiting for.

We continue our positive thoughts toward Nintendo in today's post:
It's about time....no literally. I've been enjoying the Wii U's fresh update (version 3.0). They have significantly sped up loading times for the system. It's really interesting to watch some independent youtube videos about this subject. It really helps you understand the significant improvements the update gives us. Simply because of the extra smoothness, I've found myself playing the Wii U more since there is no more frustrating load times.

We all can agree that the system should've been this way from the start. Somehow I guess Nintendo figured they could get the system out and fix it later. The damage has been done, but it's easily forgotten whenever you see this thing work for you. I'm quite happy that this issue has finally been addressed and works as advertised.

These guys better be in top shape if they want their bosses to become relevant this generation.

One can only hope that Nintendo will continue to work at getting the system to move smoother between applications at faster speeds. With the PS4 and new Xbox coming out this Christmas season, they will definitely have to have their system running at its best. It would also be in their best interest to significantly add games to their libraries. The shelves at Wal-Mart and Best Buy look so pitiful. When there's no momentum from the one year head start, they will need to up their game or be lost in the console wars after the Wii domination of the last generation. (Wii domination based on overall console sales)

Nintendo of America Finally Comes Through For Earthbound Fans

Poo, Jeff, Ness, Paula from Earthbound

It doesn't take a genius to know that Earthbound has to be my absolute all time favorite video game. I remember being 12 years old, going to a friend's house and being introduced to Earthbound. Oh the horror once I realized that I loved this game, but had to go home without it! Eventually, I was able to borrow it and finish my first-time experience with Earthbound.


It is no secret, from the moment the Virtual Console came about on the Wii, Earthbound fans salivated at the idea of playing it again. I'm sure there were many, like me, whose SNES broke for some reason or another and the games went into storage and somehow disappeared (ahem brothers and sisters out there) into oblivion. Then once you were out on your own and figured to hit up eBay to see if you could start your new collection of the classics only to find Earthbound was at nauseating prices. Then you find out that Nintendo of America, or NOA, had absolutely no plans to release Earthbound on the Wii VC even after getting a rating from the ESRB. Then there were rumors over the whole music and copyright infringements (which I never believed and still today call bullcrap). It seemed like there was no end in sight for us to finally be able to play again as the silent protagonist Ness with his new friends Paula, Jeff and Poo. For an AWESOME history lesson on Earthbound check out this guy's videos about it By Clicking HERE It is the best videos out there. Just pardon the language and innuendo.

Skip ahead to the Wii U. We got an announcement from a Nintendo Direct that said the VC on Wii U was coming. They decided to do a trickle down (ridiculously STUPID) one game a month for 30 cents with the guise of celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the Famicon. I just think it was a cover that they were not ready with a respectable lineup, but just my opinion. It didn't take long after the announcement for some Nintendo fans to look at the Japan Nintendo Direct only to discover that Japan was getting Mother 2 (or Earthbound stateside) for the equivalent of 30 US cents. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Fans from all over the globe were outraged to say the least. Miiverse was full of complaints and drawings, rumors about the copyright junk swirled again, and people were getting their torches and pitchforks out ready to riot. Nintendo finally got their heads out of their butts and realized that they could make some scratch on us. So they came out with another Nintendo Direct and in less than probably 30 seconds they announced Earthbound would be released in all regions.

FINALLY brothers and sisters, it is HERE......well sort of. There is no release date for it yet. If I were Nintendo I would put a ton of emphasis on this release. There are people that are interested in buying a Wii U just to get their hands on Earthbound without the need for emulators and roms. We all know the Wii U could use a nice jump in sales! After months of a painful drought (seriously Nintendo Lego City was your crown jewel for the spring?) we Wii U owners have SOMETHING to look forward to. Pat yourselves on the back Nintendo, after about 6 months of doing very little right concerning the Wii U, you stepped up and knocked it out of the park with the hypothetical cracked bat!

The thing that makes me the happiest is that there will be a new generation of young gamers that will get their first experiences in the Mother world. Who knows? Maybe they were waiting because they are developing one of those Old School to New School HD remakes. I believe they finally saw that demand was too high to ignore and fans all over the world were reaching their boiling point regardless of a HD remake. Nothing has been even hinted that Nintendo is pursuing an HD remake so don't get your hopes up. Seeing is always believing.

I hope Nintendo learns something from this. I hope they begin to listen to their fans and most importantly their customers. Also I hope they start to take a serious look at the home console market trends and demand. While there are many out there that think this will be the last generation of home consoles, and they could be right, there is still lots of money to be made. Here's hoping this is the beginning of new things from Nintendo of America. History isn't on their side, but us fans are rooting for you. Prepare to battle Gygas one more time folks!!! Buzz Buzz is clearing his throat for the encore presentation.

Lies Nintendo Told Me # 2

Lie # 2 - We will change the living room experience

I remember whenever Nintendo was touting their Wii U they said they would change the way we use the living room. I remember there was a picture of four people with one watching the TV and the others immersed in their laptops or phones or tablets. They then showed the entire family involved with the Wii U.

I've owned my Wii U since November 18 and my living room functions just the same. Now I'll admit, when we have guests the multi player facets of the Wii U are unmatched. Nevertheless, it is quite underwhelming.

It isn't my go-to console for my living room experience. The Netflix app requires the gampad with its horrible battery life to stay on. The TVii app is kind of impressive, but our satellite gives us the information we require to enjoy TV. And as my friends from Gaikoku Gamers (another shameless plug) pointed out, there's NO BLU-RAY OR DVD PLAYBACK. I'm happy I own a PS3 because the Netflix functions way better and I can actually watch Blu-Ray or DVDs. The Wii U simply did not deliver on its promise. It's a shame too because I would've loved the system to live up to the hype.

Frankly right now since there are virtually no games to play right now, the Wii U needed to deliver on that promise. Such a shame it didn't. Until Pikmin 3 comes out I'll just rest with the promise of a console Zelda, Mario and Mario Kart in the not-so-near future with my PS3 getting 90% of my attention.