Toronto Thumbs

On Nintendo’s E3 Presentation

Considering the huge negative reaction Nintendo’s keynote presentation received from the enthusiast gaming press, we can only come to the conclusion that the company is holding back heavyweight titles for the Wii for future conferences. Wii Music looks like it could be very interesting but considering the limitations of the current Wii Remote, one has to wonder how precise instruments such as the drums will be. Did anyone else watch the demonstration and think of Hit Stix?

It’s clear to us that this year’s E3 was more for the general press than it was for gamers per se. Both Microsoft and Nintendo featured several titles and features that have mass appeal outside of the niche or traditional, stereotypical gamer. And that’s a good thing unless the companies completely forget about their hardcore fans that helped them through tougher times.

And considering that all three companies have games in development featuring IPs that were popular with gamers in the past, I think it’s safe to say we are not forgotten. A little patience can go a long way - and while you’re waiting, have fun with some classic games.

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REVIEW
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

One of my former addictions is Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, a game developed by the Aussie geniuses at Infinite Interactive. Mere words are empty in describing how much this game can devour your soul. After picking up the Nintendo DS version, I’m still greatly tempted to repurchase it on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for its exclusive expansion pack. Now, with the game achieving an Arcade Hit status and a discounted 800 Microsoft Points price, it’s time to turn to rehab.

Puzzle Quest combines two very different video game genres: puzzle and role-playing games. It doesn’t advertise to everyone since casual puzzlers might be unfamiliar with the RPG genre, and the “hardcore” crowd might be skeptical of its epic title. A name like that hints at massive battles, magic and treasure hunts, and that’s what you get in a nutshell.

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The CON/text
Plague Dogs, Paper Gods, and Game Blogs for Dialogue

Growing up with the intention of writing blighted me with a severe tunnel vision for many years.

Even while struggling against the traditional path, I subscribed to some part of it. The idea of furthering education, of developing a sense of voice and style, and of cultivating a self loathing to the question of what it was I planned to do with my life, all of this seemed necessary if I was going to create a great work of fiction.

Today’s minor dose of “Know Your Jamie” is where I detail that intention: I desired only to write fiction if there was a way to augment style and narrative to create a work that felt new, or at the very least presented new challenges. Which is a fancy way of saying, I certainly did not want to write the same story someone else wrote but with new character names.

And that’s a very hard thing to do. My best advice to the aspiring writer is to try to lean heavily on the slipstream. But since I’m not on the best-sellers list, feel free to ignore my advice altogether.

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For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
Happy Birthday, Nintendo

The header image you see is from our April Fool’s eve post where we let our wishful thinking show. Wouldn’t it be great to own a brand-new NES? We think so.

While much of the content in that article was satire, one thing was true. Today is the 25th anniversary (or birthday) of the NES. So play ‘em if you got ‘em and don’t forget to blow on the cartridge contacts for old time’s sake (even though that is actually BAD for the cartridge - so use Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt if you’re going to do this since that’s the most common game.

I find it fitting that on this anniversary of the system that saved home video gaming, Nintendo will be holding their press conference at E3. It’s a press conference that will no doubt be Wii-heavy, what with the announcement yesterday of MotionPlus for Wii, which will give the system’s controller true 1:1 motion recognition.

On this 25th anniversary, Nintendo is once again back on top of the video game world and leading the way in what gaming is all about: fun. Sure, Nintendo and I have had a rocky relationship but there’s no denying that there’s a lot of love between us. So here’s to you, Nintendo - and here’s to another 25 years.

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Will the Wii Mii Come to 360? Oui!

Remember the olden days when the term “Wii-60” used to refer to Xbox-loyalists who also bought a Wii? Now it describes Microsoft’s less-than-veiled rip-off of Nintendo’s Mii.

As of Monday, it’s official. What was simply an Internet rumour about a month ago became fact during Microsoft’s E3 news conference.

Mii History 101: Upon the release of the Nintendo Wii, the Wii’s Miis became the centre of the party. You see, the Mii gained popularity because of the hilarity of parody. Miis are copies you make to represent you on TV so you don’t have to be some generic pansy. Enough rhymes because I ran out of vocabulary.

Fast forward to now. Microsoft announced they’ll be coming out with “avatars” so gamers can better represent themselves. Those “avatars” are widely known as the Xbox Mii.

I may sound critical, but I like the idea. I can’t wait to make myself on Xbox Live. One of my favourite features of Rock Band was creating an exaggerated copy of myself in the game. I guess it’s like the old saying goes: If you can’t beat them, join them.

Posted in Commentary, Wii, Xbox 360 | 1 Comment »