Just Go For It! Why You Should Make Your Ideas a Reality

If you have been following me for a while, you know firsthand how poorly I update my Twitter, YouTube, and Blogger accounts. Every now and then ideas pop into my head. They're not the greatest ideas. They're not very original either. But that isn't the point. Instead of keeping my ideas as ideas, I need to make my ideas become realities. Don't worry, I won't quote Shia LaBeouf. I did think about it though...

Instead, I'll insert one of my favorite video game quotes here:

If you're unfamiliar with this quote, it is from Viewtiful Joe, a short-lived series on the Nintendo GameCube. It was eventually ported to the PS2. I'm still holding my breath for Viewtiful Joe 3, but I digress.

The reason I am writing this post is because of an article and video I recently read and watched on Kotaku titled Final Fantasy: The Kotaku Retrospective. In this article, Jason Schreier talks about his opinions regarding Final Fantasy on the NES. What are his intentions? Here's a quote to give you an idea:

To prepare for FFXV, I’m starting a new project here at Kotaku. For the next five months, I’ll be digging into every mainline Final Fantasy game, in order, and taking a look at how the series has evolved over the past 30 years. Why has Final Fantasy resonated with so many people? What makes it so special? What exactly does it mean for a game to feel like a Final Fantasy?

To say my idea was as well fleshed out as his would essentially be a lie. I was really impressed with what he came up with. My plan was to play each Final Fantasy game, write about them, maybe make a video and go from there. What I would write and say would be spontaneous until I figured out a system to stick with. Anyway, the point of all this made me realize that very thing I said earlier: Just go for it! Who cares if it doesn't come together quite as planned? Who cares if no one sees this post or later posts? Who cares if no one watches my videos?

Do I hope people read this? Yes. Do I hope people watch my YouTube videos? Yes. Do I hope people follow me on Twitter? Yes. But those hopes shouldn't prevent me from realizing my ideas. Thank you Kotaku and Jason Schreier. You guys helped me recognize that I should follow through my ideas. I loved what Jason did with his article and video. I learned a lot from it and I enjoyed reading and hearing about his experience with the original Final Fantasy. My brother and I had talked for some time about going through all the mainline Final Fantasy games for years now. I've tried several times throughout the years, but for one reason or another I lost motivation, I lacked the desire to do so. With Final Fantasy XV's imminent release, that fire has been rekindled. I need to stop worrying and start doing and then be consistent. Not too long ago I tried doing a playlist called Final Fantasy Fridays. Long story short, I never recorded the one Final Fantasy Fridays video I did on a Friday, let alone upload it on a Friday...

That being said, here's an example of me starting something and not being consistent. Consistency is key. Will it be rough at first? Yes. Should that stop me? No. Final Fantasy Fridays was a lame idea. I'll come up with something else, but much like Jason, I'd like to share my experiences with each numerical Final Fantasy game leading up to Final Fantasy XV. Hopefully I can keep things interesting and fresh as I do so. If you're facing a similar situation, let's do this together. Thanks for reading!

13 Days Remain to Download Celebi for Pokemon X/Y and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

If you own Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and/or Alpha Sapphire, then you're in luck. The Pokemon Company is currently giving away a level 100 (that's right: level 100) Celebi for owners of the aforementioned Pokemon games on the Nintendo 3DS. Celebi is one of the 11 Mythical Pokemon being released throughout the year.

To acquire your level 100 Celebi, all you need to do is start up whichever Pokemon game you on he 3DS, select MYSTER GIFT, followed by RECEIVE GIFT. After that, choose GET VIA INTERNET and you'll be on your way to downloading Celebi.

If you've already done so, I apologize for the late news. If you haven't done so, then why are you still reading this? Turn on that 3DS of yours and get a(nother) Celebi for free!

Less Than 4 Days to Get Mew (Technically 3)

If you own Pokemon X and Y and/or Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, then you might want to go to your local GameStop and pick up a download code for Mew. The unfortunate thing about Mew is it only knows Pound and is already maxed out at level 100. But, hey, that's one more Pokemon to add in that Pokedex.

Anyway, I hadn't realized there was a full list of the Pokemon we should expect this year. It is the 20th anniversary of Pokemon after all, so you'd think I'd be up to date about all things Pokemon. You weren't either? Now I don't feel so bad.

For those wondering, the full list can be viewed on the Pokemon website here. If you don't want to click on the link and see the fancy page, you can read the following list to maybe encourage you to visit the website. The layout is actually pretty cool.

• Mew: February 1-24 at GameStop
• Celebi: March 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Jirachi: April 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Darkrai: May 1-24 at GameStop
• Manaphy: June 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Shaymin: July 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Arceus: August 1-24 at GameStop
• Victini: September 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Keldeo: October 1-24 via Nintendo Network
• Genesect: November 1-24 at GameStop
• Meloetta: December 1-24 via Nintendo Network

Personally, I only recognize 3 out of the 11 Mythical Pokemon being distributed this year. Navigating through the website, I have discovered that all the Pokemon will be level 100. Still, it's kinda cool that we will be able to have these Pokemon free of charge—you might have to leave the house to get some of them, but whatever, right?

I'll be sure to post when a new Pokemon is available and how to get it.

What I've Been Playing—Oct 11 Edition

So... this is supposed to be a weekly post, but I messed up last week. I was in Utah with family and friends, so I didn't get on the computer at all. Much to my surprise, I only really played two games the previous two weeks, so did you really want me to write about those two games back to back?

The past two weeks I have been playing Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus on the PlayStation Vita. I did play some Madden NFL 15 on the PlayStation 4, and Senran Kagura Burst and Pokemon X on the Nintendo 3DS. Both Burst and Pokemon X are about a year old (Pokemon X is a year old tomorrow, I believe), but I have this desire to write reviews for both games.

I know I wrote a first impression post about Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, but I want to reiterate how good I think this game is. It is quite possibly one of the best games I have played on a handheld. Personally, I can't believe how good this game is. Like I said before, I liked PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on the PS Vita, so I guess it is no surprise how much I like Smash Bros. on the 3DS. It's a fantastic game. I really can't wait for this game to come out on the Nintendo Wii U. Can November 21 be here already?

Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is very fun. Levels do get a little repetitive, yet I enjoy the fast pace and the different special attacks that each character has to offer. I also like how many characters you can play as in this game. It will be nice finally being able to know what each character is saying. I pre-ordered my copy from Best Buy. I don't think it will get here on October 14, which kind of stinks, but that is what I get for taking so long to pre-order it. Oh, well. I still have the Japanese version to play anyway.

What have you been playing these past two weeks? Hit me up in the comments section of this post.

What I've Been Playing—Sep 27 Edition

What have I been playing this week? How about I tell you.

As you may already know, I have been playing Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus Versus. How did I manage to get a copy of the game before its imminent release? I'm just that important. Okay... not really. I bought the Japanese version of the game through Play-Asia.com. If you can't wait for the English adaption, you can always order it from there. I've even made a hyperlink for you. How nice am I? The version I am referring you to is $39.99—much cheaper than the $70+ counterpart.

It is a very fun game. I'm still getting the Western version so I can understand what the heck is going on. I'll make sure to write a review of the game as well midway through October.

Since Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was on sale a couple about a week ago, I thought I would see if anyone was online. I'm not sure how many people bought it while it was on sale, but I managed to get an online Trophy, so that was nice. I don't think I will be getting a Platinum though. I should have focused on the multiplayer first. It is just too bad that it isn't that good. The single player campaign was fantastic.

I also had Madden fever. I played some Ultimate Team mode and managed to beat two teams. When your overall score is a 68 and your facing the Green Bay Packers, the odds aren't in your favor. Sadly, that was the case. I'll have to face them another time. I think I lost 9-0. I need to get better at Madden.

So there you have it. That's what I mostly played this week. Being in school limits the time I have to play games, but apparently it hasn't stopped me. Oh, I also played some Hyrule Warriors. I will embed my "Let's Play" video in this post. I like what I've played so far.

REVIEW: Nintendo 2DS

If you have read my post about my gaming history, then you will have known that Nintendo has played a big role in my gaming life. It first started with the Nintendo Entertainment System. After that, video games weren't allowed in our house for a couple of years. Shortly thereafter, my brother and I each got our own Game Boy Color. Then came the Nintendo 64; then the Game Boy Advance; then the Nintendo GameCube; and then the Nintendo Wii.

Little by little, my interest in Nintendo began to dwindle. I never was too excited to get a Nintendo DS (the same could have been said about the PSP). When the Nintendo 3DS came out, I started considering buying another Nintendo handheld. It helped that Ocarina of Time was being ported to the 3DS. I ended up buying my friend's Nintendo 3DS. I kind of liked it, but I didn't like how it felt in my hands. I thought the Nintendo 3DS XL would remedy that, since it was much larger than the 3DS. I traded in my 3DS and bought a 3DS XL. About six months later, I sold the Nintendo 3DS XL.

At home, I hardly found myself playing the Wii. It was either PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. When Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were announced, I had begun to regret selling my Nintendo 3DS XL. I didn't want to buy another Nintendo 3DS XL, considering how much money it was going to cost me to buy it and Pokémon X. Of course, an alternative came out of the blue. In early September, Nintendo revealed another member of the 3DS family. That is, the Nintendo 2DS. It is probably a long lost cousin, twice removed or something.

I battled with the idea of buying the Nintendo 2DS. There wasn't too many positive things to find on the Internet. It wasn't the easiest decision, considering I would never hold a 2DS in my hands until I bought one. I did it anyway. I pre-ordered the Nintendo 2DS and waited a month for it to be released. I often wondered if I should cancel my pre-order and buy another 3DS or 3DS XL, but I wanted something new. I already knew I had a hard time with the 3DS or the 3DS XL.

The Nintendo 2DS is the strangest looking device I have seen in a long time. Unlike the other DS systems, the 2DS ditches the clamshell design, replacing that look with a slate-like look. Personally, I really like the slate-design of the Nintendo 2DS, as odd as it may look. It reminds me of the Game Boy Advance, which I really liked during my younger years. To add to the weird design, the 2DS looks somewhat like a wedge. The bottom part of the 2DS is pretty thin, but has a thicker build as you move up. Even though the upper part of the 2DS is thicker, it doesn't feel heavier when you hold it in your hands. Nintendo hasn't stopped making weird looking hardware, and the Nintendo 2DS is a testament of that.

The 2DS's design does have some perks though. I wasn't too impressed with the shoulder buttons of the 3DS and the 3DS XL. They were pretty small. The 2DS's shoulder buttons are big. It feels comfortable placing my index fingers on them. The face buttons are placed perfectly on the 2DS. There were times that I didn't like how the 3DS XL would feel in my hands.

I've also noticed that the D-pad and the A, B, X, Y buttons are a lot softer. Even the Start and Select buttons are soft to the touch. I also like the Home button. It is very similar to the Home button on the Nintendo Wii U game pad.

Because it lacks the clamshell design, the 2DS has a switch that puts the handheld to sleep. Sometimes it is easy to forget where the sleep switch is located, but after some use, it becomes second nature. You'll definitely want to buy the carrying case for the 2DS because it is without the same protection that the 3DS and 3DS XL each have. Another thing that is different on the 2DS is the Wi-Fi switch. Instead, you will have to resort to turning Wi-Fi on and off in the Home Menu. All you need to do is click on the wrench icon. It is a little counter-intuitive, so I just leave Wi-Fi on all the time.

I'm a little surprised that Nintendo didn't improve the battery life though. It doesn't last that long, and that is what disappoints me about the 2DS. I have only had to charge the Nintendo DS lite I recently bought one time, while the 2DS has needed to be charge numerous times because of its poor battery life. You'd think that because it lacks 3D, the battery could have been improved, even by just an hour.

As the name suggests, the Nintendo 2DS lacks 3D capabilities. I never cared much for the 3D on either the 3DS or the 3DS  XL, but I can see myself possibly missing it when I notice moments that would be nice to view in 3D. The thing I know I do miss about the 3DS XL is the screen size. I have gotten accustomed to the 5-inch screen on my PS Vita, so having to play on a screen that 3.5-inches is kind of a letdown. You would think that it wouldn't make that big of a difference, but it really does. I tried playing the Kingdom Hearts 3D demo and it was hard playing on such a tiny screen.

The Nintendo 2DS is geared more towards children. The price tag is the cheapest of the three 3DS devices, but it doesn't feel cheap once you get a hold of it. Not only is it cheap, it also looks cheap as well. Holding it in your hands will make all the difference though.

The Nintendo 2DS should be considered an entry level handheld for those new to video games. I wouldn't necessarily recommend buying this device if you already have a 3DS or a 3DS XL. It just doesn't make much sense. Of course, if you're like me, then I definitely think you should buy the Nintendo 2DS. It is a nice change. I have really liked playing Pokémon X and Resident Evil: Revelations on my 2DS.

OVERALL SCORE:

8/10