ZR's thoughts on Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 (Response Blog)February 28, 2012 by

Great way to return to blogging, right? *nervous laugh*

Original article




Yes, it's much better than a Pokepark 3, Rumble Explosion or full Pokedex 3D announcement (actually, that'd be pretty cool).


I'd like them to expand the Unova region - the towns were all unique but there just wasn't much to them. Additionally, there needs to be more to do after beating the Elite Four. Aside from battling them again, taking a cruise or visiting the sports arena, there weren't many places I could get significant amounts of exp. for my team.


Yes and no. No: More main series pokemon is never a bad thing and the obvious platform for them to make more money on would be the DS.

Yes: After seeing pokemon in 3D through the Pokedex 3D, it's a shame that I'll be seeing more sprites. Also, simply put, the 3DS can handle much more than a DS can.


Yes, no.


Of course! Many of my friends won't buy a 3DS until (main series) Pokemon appears on the system and I know they're not the only ones. To me? No, and it'll be nice for the next gen. to get a fresh start on the 3DS.


Along with TheJis , I hope that these games will be crafted with the purpose of giving fans more of what they love, not solely for the purpose of making the most money possible. Unfortunately, the fact that they're on DS and that the two "new" legendary pokemon look like Kyurem + Zekrom/Reshiram.


Now that I'm back, I'll blog whenever I get the time. I hope to get a 'real' blog up this weekend :)

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ZeldaRacer's News of Gamescom Part 2 - Resident Evil, Lots of Star Fox and NFSAugust 20, 2011 by

Okay, unfortunately, all anyone seems to care about is Skyward Sword's release date, so before I say anything else, PLEASE GIVE OTHER GAMES A CHANCE!

Now, for some already out-of-date news:


Resident Evil: Revelations

I'm not into horror games of any kind, but Revelations is looking awesome. The graphics are incredible and the story seems quite epic and the gameplay is solid...



Star Fox 64 3D

Star Fox 64 was one of my favorite  N64 games, even if I was terrible; mainly because my gaming skills have expotentially increased in the 4 or 5 years since I last played it.

Slippy's even more annoying than I remember -.-

Now THIS is a trailer: awesome gameplay and epic music.

A little bit of multiplayer gameplay, but a little bit is better than nothing

I think Star Fox is flying a little under the radar (no pun intended) especially when compared to the other 3DS N64 game remake. However, Star Fox really uses the 3DS to it's full potential in terms of graphics, especially with the weather effects, water effects and background images. In addition, earlier today, I was watching the 'Special Vehicles' trailer on the eShop and the on-rails gameplay really makes the objects scrolling towards you actually look like they are coming towards you. Oh, and the 3D on the videos from the eShop are set to 50% or none, so I can't wait for what 100% will look like.


Need for Speed: The Run

It's no secret that I love racing games, I mean, I even incorperated that love into my username. And Hot Pursuit is probably the closest thing to racing game perfection the world will ever know (amazing environments and weather/day & night effects, impeccable drifting mechanics, beautiful cars, upgradable weapons, multiple gameplay modes and you can play as a racer or a cop). So it's no surprise that I'm a little skeptical about The Run, and I haven't been that excited about it (especially since Black Box hasn't made a good NFS since Carbon and their last story-driven NFS wasn't that good), however, the Independence Pass level shown off at Gamescom is making me think twice.

The 3DS version was also featured at Gamescom and reminds me more of the 'Hot Pursuit' events than anything, which is certainly not a bad thing. Plus, the 3DS version doesn't have ANY on-foot, quick-time segments either and the story is shown through comic-book style animations . As for the game itself, it looks quite good and will most likely claim top 3DS racing game at least until Mario Kart 7 comes out later this year.


So, what do you guys think? Do they look awesome or are you mad because there's no Skyward Sword in this blog? Tell me in the coments!


More Gamescom News:

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ZeldaRacer's news of Gamescom Part 1 - 3DS, Sonic, Skyward Sword, a new header, and a random Pokemon storyAugust 17, 2011 by

Before I get to my story or the news, I'd like to thank FreddyFragGrenade for my Blog header. I quite like it and have always wanted a header. The coolest part about this is that I didn't even ask for one, he just made it on his own, and that was really awesome of him, so thanks again.

*Skip this if you don't want to hear my Pokemon story* Okay, I've been playing Pokemon White A LOT recently and caught a Riolu in Challenger's Cave and have been trying for a week and a half for it to evolve into Lucario, one of my favorite pokemon. In addition, I've also been leveling up my Zweilous so it could evolve into a Hydreigon, one of the more powerful pokemon in the game. I remember reading in my Pokedex 3D that it evolves at level 64, so when I was battling a trainer and it leveled up to 64, I knew I would get the triumphant moment of it's evolution after the battle. I did, and then, the screen didn't go back to normal and the animation for Riolus evolution was starting. I literally screamed out loud and it probably made my day after all the hard work I've put in training him the last week and a half and as of now, it stands as my favorite gaming moment since I beat OoT 3D.



Man, I haven't made a blog in a while, luckily, Gamescom has given me plenty to talk about.

NEW Nintendo 3DS Commercials

Yes, I know this isn't technically news from Gamescom but these are so much better than the originals, I just had to include them (and David Turnbull from Nintendo 3DS Blog also agrees with me). The first mistake was having the original 3DS commercials focus on the 3D aspect first, and the games second.

That's better, much much better.

Another problem was that the earlier commercials trusted that you got what the 3DS was, and that that was enough to get you to go out and spend $250+ on one. Now, they've not only highlighted some must-have games, put some praise from big names, but also made a point to make sure you knew this thing is now $170 (in NA).


3DS Virtual Console games

Metroid 2: Return of Samus and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins will be released on the Virtual Console this year (it's only been confirmed for the UK as of now, but I'm sure it'll also be released this year in NA and Japan). I plan on definitely purchasing Metroid 2, but I'm not as sure about SML2, have any of you played it? If so, please tell me your thoughts about it in the comments.

I can't wait to hear this coming out of my 3DS


Sonic Generations

The 3DS version hasn't looked all that appealing to me in comparison to the console versions (mainly because I prefer the console modern sonic over the Rush-style Sonic in the 3DS version). However, there were some pretty cool screenshots of Mushroom hill zone that look great and will look even better in 3D.

Sonic Generations Various

Sonic Generations Various

But, the big news of Generations from Gamescom was the "2 Sonics" trailer, which is extremely awesome and packed full of gameplay from a variety of levels.

This trailer alone made Generations jump to #2 on my most anticipated games list, only behind Skyward Sword.


The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Speaking of Skyward Sword, it FINALLY got a release date: November 20th for me in NA and November 18th in Europe.


So, what do you think, likin' the new 3DS commercials? or not? Are you starting to count down the days until Skyward Sword? or could you not care less? Give me some feedback in the comments!

More Gamscom News:

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Super Mario World: Platforming Perfection (SMW Support Blog)August 9, 2011 by

The last time I was worried about a game losing in Lost_In_Translation's VG tourney, it lost. That game was Super Mario Bros. 3, a game which I think is argueably better than Super Mario World.



I played Super Mario World for the first time on my GBA (I've played it on the SNES as well, the games are nearly identical - it doesn't hurt that both SNES and GBA has the same control scheme) and I do believe it was the second game I ever owned. The game blew me away: the music was fantastic (as you'll hear throughout the blog), magnificent 16-bit visuals, great world design, the amazing Bowser fight, and every level was a blast to play. Speaking of levels, this game had TWO bonus areas, Star Road and the Special Zone.

Even the Bonus worlds have awesome music

However, to get to these areas, first, you had to find certain secret goals. That's right, there are a ton of secret goals that lead to all sorts of top secret areas, like the Top Secret Area.

Ah, but perhaps the best part of SMW are the Yoshis. The green one is cool and can do different things depending on which color shell he's holding: blue shells allow Yoshi to fly, yellow creates sand storms and red lets Yoshi shoot fireballs. But then, in Star Road, you can meet baby yoshis of the red, yellow and blue variety. If you have these baby yoshis eat enough shells, they'll grow up and you can use them in any level in the game. The blue Yoshi is incredibly useful, making extremely frustrating levels easy (since you can just fly over them as long as yoshi is holding a shell).

As mentioned previously, the last Bowser fight is amazing and my second favorite Bowser fight (first is the battle with Bowser in the Sky in SM64). So, I'll just leave you with the ending of Super Mario World...

Don't forget to vote for Super Mario World here!

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3DS: Why the price cut (and more) should make you buy oneJuly 28, 2011 by

As any of my followers know, I'm a huge supporter of the 3DS. It's an amazing machine with many cool little features, but I'll get to those a little later in the post. But of course that's not why I'm making this blog; the huge news of the day is that the 3DS will be getting a massive price cut from $250 to $170 USD, with similiar cuts for all regions. And if that wasn't enough, I'm going to tell you why'd you be a complete moron not to buy a 3DS in the near future.

**I will be referring to prices and release dates in NA throughout the blog, sorry if you live in other regions, but I'm sure you'll get the premise of my points /gauge when they'll be coming out in your region anyways

$80 is a lot of money

Price cuts are always good, but when you take a couple facts into consideration, the price cut becomes even more significant. 3DS games are priced at $40 or less (without tax, but the 80 dollar cut doesn't factor in tax either), which means you can get 2 games with the money you're saving. For example, it's like getting Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 3D for free, doesn't that sound enticing?

Admit it, you know you want this.


The games are (almost) here!

Okay, so the only must have game right now is OoT 3D...Street Fighter and some others are good, or even great, but not worth another $40 for most gamers. Fortunately, about a dozen highly anticipated 1st party titles are just around the corner:

Game - Release Date (NA)

Around 4:00 is where the 3DS action starts


There's still plenty of 3rd party support

While it may seem like every third party game is either getting delayed or cancelled, that is NOT the case. There's an abundance of games to look forward to that don't involve a mustachioed plumber jumping, racing or RPG-ing:

Not Delayed



What we don't know will definitely NOT hurt us

Now I just listed around 20 games that are definitely worth checking out, if not purchasing the day they launch. But just as exciting as those titles are games that we know nothing about, or games that could happen. Super Smash Bros. was announced, but we don't know that much more than that and while letting your imagination run wild with new stages and characters might be a little dangerous, I think it's safe to say that the game will be nothing short of greatness. Additionally, what about Ninty's other franchises like Kirby, Donkey Kong (hopefully of the Country variety), and Metroid? These franchises have appeared on almost every console to date, and are bound to be coming to the 3DS eventually. And let's not forget about Zelda, whether it's in the form of Majora's Mask 3D or a brand new game, it's sure to be a must-have game.


The 3DS isn't all about the games

Don't get me wrong, at the end of the day, the software is what makes (and sells) the hardware. However, the 3DS is full of unique, cool features that shouldn't be ignored. SpotPass, which alerts you of new content, system updates and sometimes even new downloads that are available from the eShop. StreetPass, which let's you exchange Mii's, game data, among other things with other 3DS owners. Face Raiders, a neat little and difficult shoot-'em-upthat works with the camera to provide a truly unique experience. AR Games...you know what? I'm going to let the video do the talking.

It's saying some pretty nice things, isn't it?

There's also the Nintendo Video app, 3DS Sound, a 3D Camera and let's not forget about the...


Ninty's latest online service is pretty great, and by far, it's best. 3D Classics, a decent Virtual Console, most of the DSiWare games, new "3D Games" (think 3DSware), and the occasional 3D video. I love the service, and while it's quick and easy to use, it also has minor faults (like tax) it's still worthwhile to check back every once in a while.


The PS What?

With an amazing upcoming line-up and drastically lower price tag, the PS Vita went from the cooler, more-adult oriented, $250 technically superior handheld to the overly-priced, bulky, PS3 portable with a lack of games (compared to what the 3DS will have at Vita's launch)...and don't be hoping for a price cut on that because $ony was already going to sell at a loss, there's no way they're going to add another $80 lost on each one sold.

Okay, that last paragraph was a little biased, but it's not the worst I could have said (try and prove that rear touch isn't a "gimmick").


So, have I convinced you? or do you still somehow think the Vita is a better buy? Either way, I want to know why, so please tell me in the comments!

UPDATE: Apparently, Ninty is now shockingly selling the 3DS at a loss, so go buy it and some games to make sure Nintendo makes a profit and keeps making the games we love*

*actually, I, along with everybody else, don't know how this affects Nintendo...I'm sure they wouldn't go out of business or anything if the 3DS doesn't sell amazingly well, but still, the 3DS shouldn't be a failure...I just spent 8 or 9 paragraphs telling you why!

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