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You dregs should download the new 'Denpa men' demo. It seems to be a dungeon-crawler RPG with an AR character capture feature. Made by the dregs that made the Pokemon Colosseum games, but the demo was fun enough so I'm definitely thinking of downloading the full game this Thursday. Thanks again for bringing the demo to my attention, Mirby.

I'd like to thank: a) my adoring public for the birthday wishes. my fawning public for the birthday wishes. c) Mirby for the awesome Pikmin 2 cake! It's perfect.

I've had hands on with the GamePad(and the Pro Controller) at two separate events and, believe you me, it's even better when you get to play it yourself!

I predict to see a lot of "Brushfire - Now Playing: Netflix" when I check my Wii U Friend List.

Worrying about the Wii U GAMEPAD (if you think it's a tablet you might as well call the DS a tablet) is a little silly considering it's blooming rechargable and you can use it while you charge it(since you can just plug the charger into controller itself or into the charging cradle,, like the 3DS). It's not like the unit is a portable device usable on the go.

If only this were one of those times. The ribbed grill makes it look quite hideous. I always thought it looked reminiscent of an early generation system that might incorporate wood-grain trim. I much prefer the first PS3 "Slim". Also, making the system more expensive. lol Also Bran: you're right this 'slim-slim' system has been known about for quite a while now. An image was even leaked months ago. Seems like Sony can't keep a secret worth a damn. @Brushfire's following post: that seems to be their approach with their handheld machine too! Anyway, how about that Wii U?

I've updated the wintry/snowy source pool post with new tracks. Happy composing, men.

It reminds me of the .

Happy birthday to one of the (if not THE) coolest chicks in the vg music remixing scene!

lol zynga.

New GameInformer-exclusive NSMBU trailer. Looks good. Maybe that'll help you decide for or against the game, Calpis.

Actually Wii U games will retail for $59.99. You want the system on day 1 but don't find Mario compelling lately, you're afraid ZombiU may end up being another Red Steel, and you're not into Lego. How do you feel about Rayman? Call of Duty? Assassin's Creed? The Wonderful 101(Project P-100) I think is a launch widow title. Pikmin 3 releases some time after the system launch too, I'm betting January but it could come out in December. It's a launch "window" title so, at latest March. I think it'll definitely be worth a day 1 buy. Here's a list of retail launch titles. For launch titles, I'm getting NSMBU, ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Also many people may not realize but 1st Party Nintendo games like NSMBU will be available to download off the Wii u eShop on day 1, so there's that option if you don't haw to have the physical box(which are amazingly beautiful).

I look forward to adding you to my Friend List on day one then! What launch games are ya interested in? :3

Um. It's never been a rumor. Reggie spoke it into being a few days ago. It's being published by Nintendo and will be Wii U exclusive. If you're sour that you have to buy a new console for it, consder that you would need a new console to play it even if it were multiplatform. Not the first time that has happened. Similar situation to Resident Evil 4 doing well on GameCube and Resident Evil 5 never hitting a Nintendo system. You'll live. At the very least, you can take a wait an see approach to see if anything else pops up on Wii U that would justify adopting it as a secondary system.

I'm not doubting that the scalpers exist but I don't think they're the main reason the reserves are sold out, as DS's post implies ("scalpers have eaten up all the preorders") I think legitimate buyers are out in full force. I've read a lot more posts than I thought I would of people excited about their preorder and ready to get their hands on the system than I thought I would. I believe there is tangible hype building up from legitimate buyers hoping to own the system. Either way, a system sold is a system sold. If in fact that the 'opportunistic scalper' situation is like the one 6 years ago (or occuring with earlier anticipation, as you're suggesting) can't be a bad thing for Nintendo.

@xzero I can very much relate to the "Sony attracted me while Wii soured me" thing. Early in this past generation, I found myself underwhelmed with Nintendo's motion control and seemingly super casual approach with Wii, so I got a PlayStation 3. I agree that Sony's first party offerings definitely put it in a more attractive place than Microsoft's system, and they get the same great third party multiplatform games anyway. I have a feeling people don't choose to stick with Xbox because of Halo and GoW, they pretty much feel invested in their Xbox Live account and all their friends have one; they've pretty much been buoyed by these things and major third party games to the point where Microsoft can just kick back and do a Halo and Gears game and push their Kinect stuff onto everything. Having said that, I was quickly reminded why I had interest in Nintendo with their behavior following the bucket of ice water they got thrown on them with the not-so-hot reception to 3DSes early paltry offerings. Between the price drop, getting better games out in both the eShop and at retail, and the Anbassador Program, Nintendo have pretty much completely invigorated the platform. If you compare this behavior to Sony's "There's no problem." handling of the PS Vita's situation(where a perceived lack of software and high proprietary media costs have drug it down to depths not even the 3DS saw in its lowest point; regardless of the gaming media's refusal to talk about it as enthusiastically as they did when 3DS was down), the difference should disapppoint the Sony fan in you. Sony makes mistakes and they certainly can make some shameless decisions- the Smash Bros clone is just low. I see nothing wrong with getting a Wii U once the library of 1st party games looks more attractive to you; the Wii itself was very successful as peoples' 'secondary' system, though I think the Wii U will be in a better position if Nintedo continues aggressively courting third party support; it's fair to say "We'll see." and "I feel burned." considering their plan to nab such support hasn't gone as successfully as they would've liked in the past. Again, bold initiatives like their new 'you bring the ideas, we'll cover publishing costs' deal could be a major differentiator, particularly with Japanese dev houses.

I've actually been wondering what role the Pro Controller actually serves besides coddling the psyches of people who can't get past the GamePad's screen; the GamePad otherwise largely being a completely traditional controller. Having said that, I'm certainly glad it is being offered as an option. @Crowbar_Man: Ah yes, of course. As a primarily single player guy, I didn't consider that.

Okay here's where I have a problem with your statement. You're saying Nintendo's 'decades of games' have been 'very casual'. I think it's worth noting that there's a difference between 'casual' and 'core'**. For instance, on the Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns might be one of the games you consider 'casual' because it is colorful, stars a Nintendo character, contains no blood or guns, but I would say it's more of a 'core' game because it requires more skill to be proficient in and get every puzzle piece -- certainly to beat every time attack goal-- and, more importantly, a larger time investment to complete. Casual gamers might play it and get overwhelmed by the difficulty, or get distracted and buy a lighter game. The Pokemon games, Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, Pikmin, Super Mario World, Metroid Prime are other examples of games I think deserve the label 'core' and are enthusiastically played by veteran players for a longer time. Something to be considered decidedly more appealing to the 'casual' player would be something like Wii Sports or Wii Fit, that may be very light in content and doesn't require a large time investment, I think. The Wii's "empire" of 'shovelware' has less to do with Nintendo than it does the popularity of such games as 'Big Bob's Carnival Games' and their ilk with the droves of casual players who magically bought into the system. I don't see the connection between that and Nintendo's library of 1st party games. If I'm wrong, please list me games Nintendo has made for 'decades' that you think are 'casual,' if they differ from my definition. On your other point, I definitely think the Nintendo 'stigma', which has existed before the Wii but definitely got worse with this past generation (whether that was due to the motion control push, the lower hardware specs, gamers who had grown up playing core Ninendo titles feeling they have 'grown out of' Nintendo's market, or a mix of all of these) is a tough nut to crack but not completely unbeatable. I definitely think bold gestures like securing Bayonetta 2's exclusivity catches the attention of the cooler-headed 'hardcore gamer', the one who wants to play 'hardcore' games but doesn't worry so much about that 'Nintendo' label on the hardware due to some incurable and irrational hatred of the brand. I think it's certainly possible that Nintendo can earn more of these people as customers if they can continue ensuring that such titles as Grand Theft Auto V, Bioshock Infinite (and yes even older multiplatform games like Skyrim) hit the system, even if the Wii U is only their secondary system. That seemed to work well for Nintendo with Wii, where 'cool-headed hardcore' gamers probably only bought into it for the premium 1st party Nintendo 'core' games. Time will tell. **This is a term Nintendo have used to describe games geared toward veteran players. I tend to differentiate 'hardcore' and 'core', with 'hardcore' being a (possibly mistakenly attributed) term mostly used to define games such as GTA IV, Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Black Ops, Bayonetta, Resident Evil 4/5/6, which fall under the broader 'core' category; these games usually receive 'Mature' ratings. These games have tended to be missing from Nintendo systems of late, but HAVE HAD appearances on Nintendo hardware (and will have, in the case of the exclusive Bayonetta 2). Examples of 'hardcore' games on Nintendo platforms include Mad World, manhunt 2, Resident Evil 4, Conker's Bad Fur Day, et cetera. On the "Nintendo should stop making hardware and sell their software on my system of choice (iOS/PC/Xbox360/PS3)." mentality: This is ridiculously juvenile thinking, especially coming off of one of their most successful platforms yet, whether it catered to your tastes or not). Nintendo would completely devalue it's hardware if they put their games on competing systems. As much money as there is to be made selling Pokemon on iOS at 99 cents a pop, the series is a humongous part of why people bought the 3DS to begin with, and they can sell millions of copies of the two versions of the next main series game for $39.99 a pop on there. They can sell you a $170 machine and a $40 dollar game, versus just 99 cents. Yeah. Great idea.

Sorry my posts don't measure up to the high quality standards of

Haters gonna hate. Whether you like it or not, Nintendo is sending a message with these early efforts, and it is being responded to(and no I'm not talking about a few apparently suicidal retards with an online soapbox). I'd like to think that anyone with the mentality above that of a 2 year old will buy whatever interests them, not cry like a baby or engage in juvenile name-calling. There's a reason the 3DS has completely overtaken the Vita in sales(though I'll concede the proprietary media is a huge factor of that too), and it starts with a 'g'. There's a reason so many people emulate Nintendo games. Anyway, I see good things in store for Wii U owners.

This track jumped immediatley to mind: from Kirby 64 - The instrumentation in this decidedly cute and frigid tune creates a cool little atmosphere while you traverse an area draped in snow. I like it because it's yet another example of the classic genius of Ishikawa that has always been a part of the charm of the Kirby games. This track will be in my mind and many others minds for years to come! :3

You know I really like those packaging colors.