Castlevania is known for having some of the best game music of all time. While most gamers became aware of this after the series' most successful release, 1997's Symphony of the Night, the series had actually had a legacy of excellent music dating back to the first Nintendo Entertainment System release in 1987. In my 30 year gaming career I have been priveliged to be playing the Castlevania series since it's inception, and have played every game in the series except for the recent American mobile phone release: Castlevania - Order of Shadows. No tracks from that game will be making it's way onto my list.

All other Castlevania games are fair game. There are a few rules I restricted myself with while making this list and they are:

• No remixes: Although there are better versions of some these tracks in other games, it was important to me to show the original game in which the music was inspired. This means that a game like Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is forfeit. While Circle of the Moon has excellent music, it does not have many original tracks within the entire game (actually, it does have one original track...it's called "Awake").
• Only American releases: If I was to include tracks from games that aren't available to the people who might read this blog, the list would become so obscure it would be irrelevant. It also keeps the naming of the games clear as well.
• No soundtrack tracks: There have been sountracks and bonus disks of a wide variety released with Castlevania games over the years. I will only be picking actually tracks from the games themselves.

I will post the entire list on my first post, and add commentary as time allows. Please check back to this blog for more comments and interesting links at a later date if you are interested. The list is in descending order with #20 being the least favorite on the list and #1 being the most favorite.

#20 Ripe Seeds from Belmont's Revenge

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is the best title for the original Gameboy, and that means that many of the game's compositions are no slouch either. The best of the compositions is "Ripe Seeds" in my opinion. It's just a really catchy tune that is upbeat and inspiring. This is one of those examples where the composition goes beyond it's hardware limitations. There was a bonus sountrack disc (Dracula Battle Perfect) released with the Japanese version of Symphony of the Night which contained a remix of this track.

#19 Castle Centre from Legacy of Darkness

While I refuse to acknowledge the existence of Castlevania 64 as a complete game, it successor "Legacy of Darkness" was an excellent chapter in the Castlevania series. To the surprise of many, it is actually my favorite 3D Castlevania...even outranking the recent PS2 releases. While the game is not known for it's music, it does have one original track that is just outstanding. One of the few good Castlevania tracks not composed by Michiru Yamane, Castle Centre is a forboding dark trck with an excellent beat.

#18 Christopher's Theme from Adventure

There was a time in my life where video game music in stereo was a big deal. Yes, that makes me feel very, very old. In 1989, when the original Gameboy launched...the "Castlevania Adventure" came not long after. The Castlevania Adventure may now be considered one of the worst games in the series, but at the time it was amazing to have this close to NES experience in the palm of your hand. It was also amazing to hear Castlevania quality music in stereo for the first time too. Many of us bought Gameboys because of this jump in music quality, even though you could barely see the screen. Christopher Belmont's theme is the most memorable track from this game, and due to the games punishing difficulty, the only track many players ever heard.

#17 Jail of Jewels from Portrait of Ruin

Personally, I consider Portrait of Ruin to be the best thing that has happened to the Castlevania series since Symphony of the Night. While this game also has many, many outstanding tracks, the one that resonates the most with me is Jail of Jewels. An upbeat tune that is surprisingly longer and more varied than most Castlevania tracks, yet still undeniably "Castlevania". There is another excellent remix that was included in the original soundtrack bonus disc.

#16 Horrible Curse from Simon's Quest

From Simon's Quest, "Bloody Tears" is most often picked as the fan favorite. While this is justified, Horrible Curse is often overlooked. The perfect antithesis to Bloody Tears, Horrible Curse is a forboding, dark yet upbeat track at the same time.

#15 Riddle from Dracula's Curse

Found in the final stages on this game, it's doubtful that many players have heard this one. If you have made it to the end of Dracula's Curse then chances are you spent a bit of time listening to this song due to the final stages punishing difficulty. Luckily this track provides the stamina needed to see these difficult stages through. The recently released Order of Ecclesia has an excellent remix of this track in it's later stages as well.

#14 Sinking of the Old Sancutary from Bloodlines

While the sound chip in the Genesis could never match the that of the Super NES', the compositions found in Bloodlines are not to be overlooked. This track has that definate Castlevania feel while taking the music to some new and interesting places, just like the stage in which it's based on. This track's staying power is expressed with remixs appearing in Legacy of Darkness and Circle of the Moon.

#13 Clockwork Mansion from Super Castlevania IV

Super Castlevania IV was the greatest Castlevania game ever released before Symphony of the Night, and a large part of that was due to music. Another part of it was mind-bending "Mode 7" effects which blew our minds back in 1991. I think this track holds it's own without those effects, even though it was played during the most effect heavy part of the game. Others must think so as well since this track also appears in Circle of the Moon.

#12 The Pinnacle from Dawn of Sorrow

While Aria of Sorrow's tracks are technically competent, I didn't think any of them where memorable enough to make my list. Dawn of Sorrow on the other hand was a different story. This game has some really inspiring tracks with the power of the DS hardware to show them off. The Pinnacle is an excellent track that comes so close to Symphony of the Night quality. Castlevania's first DS game showed us that musically, Castlevania games had a bright future on that platform.

#11 Dracula's Castle (opening) from Order of Ecclesia

Of all of the wonderful tracks in Order of Ecclesia, Dracula's Castle is the one that continues to stick out above the rest. While the in-game track is excellent in its own right, the pace of the music in this opening sequence creates an emotional effect that very few tracks can.

#10 Simon's Theme from Super Castlevania IV

There is so much that is perfect about this track it's hard to know where to begin. First, it was the first Castlevania track that wasn't 8-bit sound that most of us ever heard. Second, it defines the series' music in such complete way that anyone listening to it can almost immediately guess which series of games it's from. This track has been remixed in various games, including Bloodlines , Dracula X and Portrait of Ruin, where Simon is conspicuously absent. It is also remixed in Castlevania Chronicles, a remake of the original game for the PSX. One of my favorite versions is from the bonus soundtrack disc that came with the Japanese version of Symphony of the Night, "Dracula Battle Perfect".

#9 Bloody Tears from Simon's Quest

Bloody Tears is the best of a trio of music that will forever define Castlevania, Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears and The Beginning, all legendary tracks hailing from the original Castlevania NES trilogy. I feel that of these three amazing tracks "Bloody Tears" is by far the best one in regards to composition. It has reappeared in many, many Castlevania games. These games include Super Castlevania IV, Dracula X, Castlevania Legends, Castlevania Chronicles and Dawn of Sorrow. It could easily be said that this is the "fan favorite" Castlevania track, and deservingly so.

#8 Successor of Fate from Harmony of Dissanance

Successor of Fate is a clear example of when the composition is better than the technical platform in which it was played. How important is music in Castlevania games? Harmony of Dissanance sets out to answer this question by delivering an adventure that is clearly on par in visuals and design as Symphony of the Night, but given the limitations of the Gameboy Advance hardware gives us one of the worst soundtracks in the franchise. While 8-bit sound never impeded Castlevania games before, the tracks from this game were unmemorable, save Successor of Fate composed by Michiru Yamane. To add insult to injury, the end credits plays a version of Successor of Fate that shows us what it could have sounded like if Nintendo had built the Gameboy Advance with a dedicated sound chip. When all is said and done though, Successor of Fate is a phenominal track that ranks high in Castlevania's musical legacy.

#7 Requium for the Gods from Symphony of the Night

As Symphony of the Night took Castlevania to a new level, Requium of the Gods took Castlevania's music to a new level as well. The eerie church choir theme takes Castlevania from "Monster Squad" to something feeling a little more adult, dark and sinister. In a game where almost every track can be included in top 100 best video game music of all time lists, this one had an incredible inpact in my opinion.

#6 Wicked Child from the original Castlevania

Vampire Killer, Heart of Fire, Stalker and Out of time were all amazing tracks that defined the original NES game, but the track that stood head and shoulders above the rest was Wicked Child. Strangely enough, Wicked Child has not been remixed in many other games. It was remixed in Castlevania Chronicles, but that version of Wicked Child is not close to the original to be instantly recognizable. The best remixes seem to be from soundtracks and what is available on the internet.

#5 After Confession from Dawn of Sorrow

All of the Gameboy Advance Castlevanias had some problems with music, whether it was from not enough original tracks, technical problems concerning hardware, or an overall mediocre composition. The first title for the DS changed all that, with a number of excellent tracks that used the hardware wisely. After Confession brings the soundtrack back to the rock-pipe organ origins of the series 16-bit entries, while updating the technical aspects of the sound accordingly. The result is nothing short of amazing, and distinctly Castlevania.

#4 Iron Blue Intention from Bloodlines

Coming Soon

#3 Baljhet Mountains from Curse of Darkness

Coming Soon

#2 Aquarius from Dracula's Curse

Coming Soon

#1 Dance of Pales from Symphony of the Night

Coming Soon

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I doubt I'll be the only one making the switch. See you all over there.

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As I passed by Hackdirt's General Store, Moslin's Dry Goods, I was surprised to see that it was still open. I had lost alot of arrows taking down the vampires in the ruins to the north, so this was a good opportunity to pick up some more; another chance to inquire about Dar-ma as well. As I entered, the proprietor of the store, Etira Moslin and her comrade, Marlena Brussiner, were getting ready to leave. I could see that she was in no mood to sell me any Iron arrows, so I asked Etira about "Blossom", Dar-ma's horse. Etira replied that it was her horse and that she had "owned it for years" a little too quickly for me to believe her. When I asked Marlena about Dar-ma she simply said that in good time I would meet "the Brethren" and that I would be sorry.

I wasn't sure whether Marlena was threatening me or whether she had been waiting for the opportunity to use her expanded vocabulary, so I bid the women farewell without saying anything more. As I left Moslin's Dry Goods, I met Natch Pinder again who was as friendly now as he was the first time I talked to him; it was taking all the restraint he could muster to not strike me down there and then. I let him be on his way, and walked out of town to take the long way around to Jiv Hiriel's place. I didn't want to get him into trouble, especially if he had useful information.

Jiv was nervous and looked as though he was at wit's end when I entered his house. He said that he needed to get down to the chapel before he was missed; he explained that the residents of Hackdirt had taken to worshipping "the dark ones" in an attempt to acquire their power. I wondered for a moment if "the dark ones" he spoke of were the vampires I had previously met, but it mattered little. He elaborated that Dar-ma had been captured so that she could be offered as a sacrifice in hopes appeasing these demigods. Jiv was obviously the only person in Hackdirt with a conscience, he handed me a key that would allow me entry into the trap doors I had seen all around Hackdirt; he said he couldn't bear to see Dar-ma killed in such a manner. I promised I'd take her to safety and quickly bid Jiv farewell, we both had places that we had to be. As I left he told me that the closest trapdoor to Dar-ma's position was inside the Moslin Inn. I left Jiv's house I made my way towards Moslin's Inn at a full sprint.

I snuck around to the entrance of the Inn and contemplated what I should do with the Innkeeper if he halted my progress, but upon entering the Inn I was relieved to see that there was no one in sight. Everyone was obviously at the chapel, so I had to move quickly before they suspected what Jiv and I had planned. I found the trapdoor in the Inn without much effort; it was tucked away in a corner but not concealed. I used to key, and made my way down...

It was quite impressive and a little disturbing that an entire labyrinth of caverns existed under Hackdirt. I paused for a moment to wonder if the resident I had met over the course on the day had a hand in creating them, but that line of thought was broken when I noticed Dar-ma caged a few meters away. I quickly opened her cage with key Jiv gave me, and told her who I was and why I was there. She was completely aware that something horrible was about to be done to her by these simpletons, and offered no resistance to the idea of leaving immediately. I managed to get her up into the Inn without being discovered, much to my surprise.

As we made our way outside, Dar-ma told me that she couldn't leave without Blossom. That was fine with me; if we needed to run it would be best if Dar-ma was on horseback. We found Blossom and left Hackdirt with everyone being none the wiser. The journey to Chorral took until morning but was surprisingly incident free. Seed Neeus was absolutely ecstatic to see her daughter return unharmed. I received more praise from the both of them than I could bear, but I felt satisfied that I was able to do some good. Yet, how long could it last? Hackdirt's lust for "the dark ones" power may never harm Dar-ma again, but someone was surely to fall victim to this sacrifice. I spend the rest of the day in Chorral, slept a few hours at the Mage's Guild and arose as the sun set. I set back out for Hackdirt, my work was not yet finished.

I had to be cautious. It would be obvious to everyone that I was responsible for Dar-ma's escape, so I approached the town while hiding in the shadows. I stayed close to the outer walls of the houses while moving around the edge of Hackdirt, Thinking I wouldn't be seen. When I peered around the corner to get a look at the town's central square, I was more than a little shocked to see Natch Pinder staring straight back at me. He drew his weapon and came charging at me. I drew my steel long sword, and the battle begun.

For a man that had all the power of hate behind him, it wasn't too difficult to run him through. Soon, Natch's blood decorated the walls in which I had previously sought secrecy. That secrecy had been compromised, for I soon found myself face to face with two members of "the Brethren". These shirtless romance novel clones didn't believe in the benefits of armor, so with very little effort I was able to educate them. As I searched their corpses for clues as to where they originated, I found the same stomach turning material that I had found on the corpse infront of the ruins...mort flesh.

It was midnight again; everyone must be gathered at the chapel. Enough was enough. I grew tired of this town's arrogant and dangerous population, and the ridiculous dogma in which they followed. I felt no remorse as I stood over my latest meat carvings, and a terrible anticipation overtook me. I drew my sword, enraged, embittered and justified, and began walking slowly towards the chapel...

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I set out for Hackdirt the same morning. The settlement is due south of Chorral and after passing through a number of interesting, yet decrepit ruins, I arrive in Hackdirt to find that it isn't in much better condition. A number of the houses have been torched and by the looks of the overgrowth, it had happened years earlier. Upon closer inspection I find that there are a few residents lingering. I approach one and he tells me to leave immediately; they do not take well to outsiders. If outsiders had burned down his home, I could hardly argue against those sentiments. When I asked him about Dar-ma, he merely looked annoyed as if I were fishing for a reason to justify my presence.

My purpose was to find out what had happened to Dar-ma, so I looked for someone else to question that hopefully had a happier disposition. The next man I met wondering around town was a man by the name of Jiv Hiriel, and when I questioned him he was quite forthcoming. He said that he couldn't be seen talking to me, so I should come find him at his home around midnight tonight. With that, I let him be. It was still mid-morning so I had quite a bit of time to look around. I decided I'd check out the local General Store, since they had to get their goods from Chorral, I figured they might actually know Dar-ma. Upon entering the store, I received the same warm welcome that the first man I had met in Hackdirt had given me. I was immediately told to buy something or leave, from a woman of whom the age of her skin did not match the age of her hair.

I inquired to the woman about Dar-ma and she said she'd never seen anyone like that. Strange, Seed-Neeus mentioned that Dar-ma had been to Hackdirt many times before. It became clear that the conversation was going nowhere, so I thought I'd head over to the chapel to see if any of the congregation could explain what had happened here. Upon entering the chapel I was surprised to find it deserted, but even more surprised to find it in pristine condition. I thought that was curious as I continued to walk around town, soliciting angry glares from all whom I passed. I then noticed something strange when I passed by an old burnt out house; a trapdoor, which looks to lead underground. Though no one was watching, I give up on picking the locks after breaking three lock picks. I decided to head out of town and take a closer look at those ruins, since I had a lot of time until midnight.

While heading north to inspect the ruins I had passed through previously, I noticed the shape of what looked to be a stone fort not far to the west. I decided to explore this discovery and arrived at its entry only to discover something quite shocking. Looking through the overgrown courtyard, I could see two mutilated corpses deliberately placed on either side of the fort's inner entrance about a meter from the ground. As I approached this gruesome scene, I unwittingly stepped over the remains of some sort of zombie. A quick search of these remains yielded objects I didn't have the stomach to carry, namely mort flesh. Against my better judgment yet in line with my curiosity, I proceeded through the corpse-draped inner entrance door. An eerily quiet, dank yet extravagant catacomb was revealed to me.

It wasn't long before I found the lifeless body of a previous adventurer slumped against the wall, bloody and defeated. It looked as though he had set up a bedroll here, and was attacked in his sleep. I know that Hackdirt isn't exactly hospitable, but setting up camp here takes a special kind of stupidity. If the meat ornaments on either side of the courtyard side of the inner entrance weren't indication enough, what I could see peering through the open doorway should accentuate that notion tenfold. Coffins, elevated on either side of the next room. Perhaps he just didn't want to spring for the price of the Hackdirt Inn. A quick search of his body revealed that he died not from being robbed; he had a decent amount of gold on him. My thoughts again turned to that of gold, for a treasure chest at the foot of one of the coffins in the next room caught my eye.

While I had acquired better weapons during my time in Chorral, the prospect of more wealth was too good to pass up. It should have been for as I was picking the lock of the treasure chest, I was attacked. Vampires! I don't know where both of them came from, but I drew my sword and returned the attacked carefully keeping as much distance as I could. I was fearful of becoming a vampire myself, according to I8bitz it isn't a pleasant experience. I was able to dispose of the first vampire rather easily, but the second vampire was draining me of all my magicka somehow. I had to escape, without the ability to heal magically and no potions; it was only a matter of time before this vampire took me down. I had to put some distance between us. I made for the door, which lead into a long corridor. As I tried to put some distance between the remaining vampire and myself, he continued to drain my magicka. I equipped my bow, Elvin in design with arrows to match, and managed to keep the vampire at a distance with a constant volley of shots. The magical lightning which was sending my way was easy to sidestep, and it wasn't long before I dropped the vampire with a well placed arrow to the forehead. As my magicka returned, I healed myself as quickly as possible, I had to get out of here and I didn't want to cross paths with anything else undead. Soon I was outside, running back through the forest towards Hackdirt.

It was now almost midnight. It was time to find Jiv Hiriel, but something caught my eye in the corner of one of the burnt out houses. Darma's horse Blossom stood there alone, unharmed and unattended.

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What first set me off in the direction of Chorrol was the aspect of joining the Fighter's Guild, so I was more than a little surprised that there was no work to be had in Chorrol after I joined. So I concentrated on getting my recommendation from the Mage's Guild. While achieving this recommendation ended up being incredibly simple, it wasn't very profitable. While I now have the means to learn an incredibly specialized spell, it doesn't help me get rid of the shoddy armor I had been wearing. Although a young girl named Dar-ma introduced herself to me and told me to come to her mother's General Store for some good deals, I needed to line my pockets with gold first. I set off to look around in the caves of the surrounding area, hoping to find some unwitting goblin that had horded more money that it had the means to protect.

Perhaps I should have been a little more thoughtful about entering a cave named "Liar of the Titans", but my thirst for gold dominated my common sense. Even though the cave was just a ways up the hill outside of the south gate of town, on a road constantly patrolled by the Imperial Guard, it wasn't long before I met a pair of Ogres and a Minotaur within the caverns. I was no match for one them of my own, let alone three. I decided it would be best if I run for my life. I reached the door leading back to the outside world, and exited the cave thinking that I was safely back in the forest with the road in my sight. Monsters don't open cave doors and come into the overworld...yet these ones did.

When I recovered from the Ogre punching me unsuspectingly in the back of the head, which promptly drained most of my hit points, I quickly fled down the road, only pausing to throw a few magical fireballs at my pursuers. Before the gates of Chorrol came into view, I was surprised to see an Imperial Guard jump down from his horse and run straight for my pursuers, sword drawn. Of course, with the odds more than even, I joined the fight. The fight nearly drained me of all of my life, but finally the Imperial Guard and I saw victory. While I had taken alot of damage in this fight, so had he. A terrible, yet practical plan started to form in my head, especially after I noticed the Imperial Guard didn't heal himself.

After healing my wounds I was back up the hill and into the cave, as quickly as I could possibly go. I didn't even get as far into the caverns as I had been before when I met another angry Ogre. I was running for the cave door again, and soon running down the mountain with the Ogre in pursuit. I wasn't quite as frantic this time, more leading than fleeing. Sure enough, my Imperial Guard friend found me and leapt to my assistance again...and to my surprise, a dark elf archer from within the woods also joined in the fight. These were great odds...too good for my plan, so I sat back and watched my would-be companions fight the good fight...as I betrayed them to their death.

The first one to go down was the already wounded Imperial Guard. He did a surprising amount of damage to the Ogre compared to the little bit of life he had left. The Dark Elf ranger did alot more damage, for a time I was quite concerned that he was going to take down the Ogre. I was relieved when the Ogre finally beat down the archer and turned on me, now we could get to business. A few well placed fireballs finally took the Ogre down, but not without me receiving an obscene amount of damage first. I quickly turned my attention to the fallen Imperial Guard. I took everything I could carry.

As I stood over him, armor and weapons stripped and his naked corpse on the side of the road, I felt ashamed about what I did. While there would be no repercussions from authorities because I did not land the blows that killed these men, I nevertheless felt perhaps there would have been a better way to do this. A way that didn't have to involve the death of innocents, especially those who were good enough to rush to my aid.

Yet the Imperial Guard's armor was vastly superior to what I had been wearing...and I also acquired a beautiful Silver Longsword, much better than my previous Steel Shortsword. Upon entering Chorrol, none of the town guards said anything to me about wearing Imperial Armor. It looks as though I had gotten away with it, scot free. I vowed to myself that I would make good use of this opportunity; I would use this armor and sword to stay on the straight and narrow. As I pondered my epiphany further, I made my way to the General Store to sell the Ogre's teeth. After I arrived at the General Store, I quickly found that my newfound vigilance would be put to the test sooner than expected. Dar-ma had gone missing.

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The real surprise I've had with my PS3 is how much I'm enjoying revisiting PS1 games. And if I may be so bold, the PS3 really cleans up the 3D graphics in PS1 games and outputs at higher resolutions than the original PS1 did. I'm having a blast going through Symphony of the Night again, and to my surprise, I've gotten into Final Fantasy VII. I don't remember it looking near this good on my old PS1, and even though I still find the story largely confusing and derivative, I'm blown away by how good it looks. I'm not talking about the horribly aged CG cutscenes either, that are clearly not even in stardard resolution. For some reason, I've played alot more Tekken 2 then I care to admit (mostly to unlock all of the characters), but that game also looks almost on par with an N64 game now, in terms of anti-aliasing.

So oddly enough, I've found myself a little more than stoked to scour the internet for deals on old PS1 games more than I'm interested in PS3 games. Here just a few I'd like to pick up:

Final Fantasy IXwhy not complete this part of the series? This game is by far the best PS1 FF in my opinion.

Chrono TriggerI just want to play it on a television, legally.

Chrono CrossThis game scored a 10 from Gamespot. Perhaps worth looking into.

Soul BladeI love the Soul Caliber series. This game was a fitting beginning.

Persona 2: Eternal PunishmentI like the first one, the second one seems to have alot of going for it too.

Silent Hill When it comes to survival horror, the Silent Hill series cannot be topped.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver I had this game for my Dreamcast. Could my PS3 make the PS1 version look as good as that? (Answer: NO)

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete I have to admit it, I just love the music in this game

Command & Conquer I know the PC is better suited for this, but I have fond memories of the PS1 version

Street Fighter: The Movie Because when a game gets this bad, it's good

That's about it for PS1 games that I'd love to get my hands on. Anyone else have any ideas?

There are PS3 games that I would like as well, Call of Duty 4 springs to mind easily. But with Oblivion, I think most of my current generation needs are satisfied.

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While I was on holidays this year I was finally able to play all three current generation systems. The Xbox 360 is an incredible machine, the online features are amazing and the games are unbelievable. Two games that really stood out to me was the now year old Gears of War, and the recently released Bioshock. Both are games that I could play happily continously for years to come. Even though all of my friends back home and over here have an Xbox 360, and I would love to play online with them, I just can't bring myself to take the risk. The high price of importing games due to region lock out and the constant worry of three red rings of death was like watching the Xbox 360 shoot itself in the foot. Mod Chipping the system is out of the question, it potentially locks you out of system updates and screws you on the warrenty if you Xbox 360 does fade out.

I also got to spend alot of hands on time with the Nintendo Wii. Unfortunately, the only games I was able to play was Wii Sports and Wii Play, but I'm thinking that perhaps these two games can give a person a pretty decent idea of the uniqueness of the system. And unique it was. When I first started playing the Wii I wasn't enjoying it as much as I was frustrated with the controls, but I used to them after a sort time and was able to appreciate them. I finally understood the true greatness of the Wii when I had an experience that has been talked about in the gaming world since the Wii was released time and time again. My mother, who I couldn't get to play a game with me ever since the days of Atari 2600, kicked my proverbial ass at Wii Bowling. I then watched my father best my score at Wii Baseball. My sister-in-law faired much better than me in Wii Boxing, and her husband, my brother and advid gamer, schooled me at Wii Golf. Truly, this is something everyone can play. I have great interest in the Nintendo Wii, but there were a few factors in the way of me emulating this experience back home. First off, region lock out. It's really expensive to import games in English n the first place, so I'd be interested in buying most of my software in Japanese, but my Japanese is not at the level where I could enjoy something like Fire Emblem or Metriod Prime. Choosing to import all my software or not play the most important games on the system was not a choice I was willing to make just yet. Secondly, no space. I imagine it's very difficult for North Americans to imagine a fully fuctioning living room about the size of a North American bathroom, yet that's what I have to deal with. I'm fine with that, but I don't want to move the coffee table everytime I want to play Wii. I know the gestures can be made sitting down and in very small movements, but doesn't that take the fun out of it? Finally, no Wiis. Simple enough concept, I couldn't find one to buy even if I did make the decision to buy one.

I made the decision to buy myself a 40 GB, $399.00 Playstation 3. The benefits to me were crystal clear, even though I'm sure my logic is flawed to some. Region free games. Such an important feature to me....I can play most games in Japanese and the ones that are too difficult for me, I can play English imports. Another thing that was important to me was Wireless internet straight out of the box. I don't want to have wires all over my already small Japanese apartment, so this feature will be a great benefit to me. Also, by buying a PS3 in North America, I now have access to my North American DVD and PS1 game collection. I don't intend on using the PS3 as a DVD player very often, but it's nice to be able to watch all of my DVD's on my television.

I must say that I'm loving the Playstation 3. I'm the only person I know that owns one, but it certainly is a very nice system. There are a few things I don't care for though. First is Blu-Ray. I got Spiderman 3 on Blu-Ray for free when I bought the system. Aside from it being a fairly terrible movie in the first place, you'd figure that with 50 GB of storage space they would have a subtitle option for every language on the planet right? Nope. No Japanese subtitles. Chinese, French, Spanish, Thai and even Portuguese are there....yet no Japanese, the mothertongue of the Soony corperation itself. Ridiculous. Looks like I was doomed to watch the movie alone, but considering the quality of it, that's not such a bad thing. Secondly, the online features. While great, still pale in comparison to the Xbox 360. The benefit is that the service is free though. I guess you get what you pay for.

A system is only as good as it's games right? While there has been much said about the exclusivity of Sony's titles, the multi-platform titles that are out there really are of as high quality as they are on any other system. I picked up two games for the Playstation 3 and I love them both. The first,

Oblivion: Game of the Year edition. This was actually a Xmas gift from my brother, but this is the reason I wanted to get a current generation system in the first place. Forget Final Fantasy XIII, this is the definative roleplaying experience of this generation. I feel as though I'm in an interactive Lord of the Rings film, and the amount of content in this game is overwhelming. If I don't buy another game for the rest of the year, this game will most certainly keep me occupied for years to come. I'd like to write a review about it, but I've only logged in 20-25 hours or so to the game and I've only barely scratched the surface. In fact, I've just been running around the country-side exploring and such, and I still haven't got to step 2 in the main storyline's quest. This is truly an amazing game that you must experience if you haven't yet. No having this game in it's library also made it easy for me not to choose a Wii.

DiRT. I love rally racing, and that was the one type of game I couldn't get in my immense collection of Gamecube games. DiRT is such an amazing racing game in so many ways. The visuals, control and car damage are all things that I have not experienced before; the in cockpit veiw, while stolen directly from Project Gotham Racing 3, looks absolutely amazing. Often, I get the sensation that I'm really driving in a real place, which I can't say has happened too many times before. While light on the online options, the single player campaign should keep me occupied for a long,long time. I'm not very good at this game, hopefully that changes.

Even though I always considered the N64 to be a superior gaming experience to the Playstation 1, there were a fewimportant PS1 games that I wanted to add to my collection, and I'm delighted to see that the Playstation 3 emulates them all perfectly. For better or for worse, I have added these games to my collection which definately have a soft spot in my heart.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. A true gem, and a pleasure to play through again. I love this game, this was a defining moment for 2D side scrollers in my opinion.

Castlevania Chronicles. A lesser Castlevania game that harkens back to the older days of the series, but a fun distraction and a collector's item none the less.

Final Fantasy VII. Years later, I'm still trying to figure out why people love this game more than life itself. Even though I don't find it to be the most influential RPG I've ever played, the historical relevance of this game demands my attention. Especially since this was the game that put Sony on the map.

Final Fantasy VIII. I don't particlarily like this game, and although the visuals are amazing for a PS1 game, the story is ridiculous. Still this game was really popular in Japan, and I'm determined to figure out why.

Metal Gear Solid: The VR Missions. I have the real MGS for Gamecube, but this puzzle game spin-off is both fun and relevant. It's surprisingly difficult too. Good practice for Metal Gear Solid 4 perhaps?

Metal Slug X.An excellentNeo Geo side scrolling shooter that's fun. A nice looking arcade shooter PS1 game.

Street Fighter Alpha 3. Agreat fighting game. Though the load times are a little long, and I don't like the PS pad for Street Fighter games, this is definately a good version of a great game.

Persona. Here is an old, unique PS1 RPG. It's definately an unknown game, but it may be more fun than Final Fantasy VII in my opinion. Although the story is ridiculous, it doesn't take itself enough seriously for anyone to care.

Tekken 2. I downloaded this terrible fighting game from the Playstation store because I have good memories of playing it back in my first year of university. It doesn't hold up now, but back in the day it was fairly impressive...although broken.

So here is the latest additions to my game collection, all thanks to the PS3. I also scored Splinter Cell: Double Agent for the Gamecube and Contra 4 for the DS as Christmas presents. Double Agent for the Gamecube is surprisingly good and easy to control, and not all bad as Gamespot's review would have you believe. A worthy addition to my Gamecube collection. Contra 4 is an intense, awesome sequel to Contra III: The Alien Wars for Super Nes, that reminds me that I actually suckat these sort of games. Still, I'll go through it until I have every bullet memorized, as copies of the original NES Contra and Super C are unlockable bonuses.

Damn, I got alot of gaming to do. Happy times.

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I've been lucky enough to come across some extra money as of lately. A wiser man would probably save the money to pay off debts, but I am not that man. I have been thinking about getting a PS3 or a Wii. I'm really torn between the two. Why not an Xbox360? Because I don't want to have to deal with hardware failures, even though the 360 has the best games of this generation. The Wii has Super Mario Galaxy and Metriod Prime: Corruption, but the PS3 is region free. That feature is so important to me. So I'm really torn....what to do?

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While his departure is disappointing to say the least, the speculation that his termination was caused from his Kain & Lynch review along with his comments about it in his final episode of the "Hotspot", has put the very integrity of the site into serious question. Many of you have already experienced an extreme drop in quality regarding some services, in certain cases legitamately thoughtful user reviews have been moderated. Video Reviews as of late are not as frequent of as long as they need to be in order to be truly helpful, and the forums are stale; real debate is a thing of the past. To sum it all up, the weather has been pretty terrible on this site for a while now.

I'm not sure how this will play out, pending on the remaining staff's official comments about the truth of Mr. Gerstmann's untimely departure, I will then make a decision on whether to stick around or not. I guess this site and Mr. Gerstmann's contributions meant more to me then even I realized, for even I'm surprised this has stirred up a response in me. I'm even more surprised that I feel genuinely angered by this.

I've created a profile that mirrors this one over at Gametrailers.com. I invite all of you to join me, if it interests you. I'll listen to next weeks Hotspot and see if there is any real reason to continue participating at this site.

But I don't think I'll find the reason I'm looking for.

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Consoles always undergo a series of redesignes during their lifetime. Some are drastic, like the slimline PS2 or the DS Lite and others are not so obvious, like the Gamecube model without progressive scan support, or the Xbox 360's with CPU's that run cooler.

Recently, an analyst broke news to Gamespot about DS and Wii redesigns in the works. While not much was mentioned about the Wii, the analyst did say that the DS would be losing it's GBA cartridge slot. It struck me as rather odd for two reasons: First, some software requires the GBA cartridge slot (a cartridge used in combination with a DS card), and second, GBA's and GBA software is still selling well enough to be a noticable chunk of profit.

What would a Wii redesign mean? Well, most likely a way to manufacture the console cheaper and faster. What would be one of the first features to go? Gamecube backward compatibilty unfortunately. Here's a few good reasons why:

- Gamecube was Nintendo's worst selling TV console in it's history

- Many Wii owners did not ever own a Gamecube

- The Gamecube market is dead, no new software is being produced

- A future initiative to sell Gamecube games on the VC would be much more profitable

- Gamecube backwards compatibility is not a strong selling point for the Wii

While it probably doesn't take much for the Wii to run Gamecube games given the similar CPU's, alot of money could be saved if each Wii unit didn't have four GC controller ports and memory card slots.

I'll probably make an effort to buy a Wii faster than I had planned to because of this line of thinking. It's ironic that Wii's are in such short supply. If this becomes true, it will make those who already own a Wii thankful they went through such hardships to get one early. If Sony can drop backwards compatibility for the more successful PS2 and sell more consoles.....why can't Nintendo?

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Not that I don't like the DS. I'm cheering it on, and it's nice to see something different come to the market. It's just not for me. Touch screens, microphones and second screens might be changing the way gamers play, but I was never interested in changing the way I play. Or so I thought.

My brother recently came to visit me and brought me an english copy of Phantom Hourglass. I was shocked when I found there was no way to switch the control scheme to the standard D-pad and button configuration. I pretty much wrote off the game for a little while...

Yet it looks like Wind Waker and that really shocked me. Of course, the DS is probably a little less powerful than a Playstation 1, but what they've done graphically to the Phantom Hourglass really surprised me. I always thought that the DS hardware was fairly terrible when it came to 3D, but this game looks really good. As shallow as a reason as it was, that was the incentive I had to attempt to make my way through a game I controled with a pen.

Well, the rest is history. I've now put a few hours into the game and I'm quite addicted to it, and having just as much fun with it as I did with Twilight Princess at the beginning of this year. The touch screen controls are quite good, and I've gotten used to them. I still prefer the old control scheme, but drawing the path of the boomerang makes for some really interesting puzzles.The use of the microphone and second screen has sure made this game interesting at times, and embarrassing to play on a train.Plotting the ships course with the touch screen and then just worrying about jumping and where to shoot makes sailing much more fun than it was in Wind Waker.

I've just finished the second temple...the Wind Temple, and I have to say, from the moment I entered to the boss battle, it was a really differeny, yet familiar Zelda experience. While I've found nothing in the game particularly challenging yet, I've noticed the dungeon designs are simpler than in previous Zelda games. I'm hoping that they get a little more challenging. I'm absolutely in love with sailing, yet the world seems much smaller than Wind Wakers. Perhaps it's just the way the map is divided, but a little more ocean to explore would've been extremely welcome. The story is cool...I'm pretty happy that it's a continuation of Wind Waker. I really liked Wind Waker, and glad to see the new type of Zelda it had established is alive and well. Maybe people won't be so negative about this type of Zelda if Nintendo keeps it on the portables.

Once again, I have to mention it, I'm really surprised at how good this game looks. There is no pop-in of islands on the open sea, there isn't any visible polygon tearing in the waves and the music brings me straight back to fond memories of Wind Waker. Why aren't more DS games this good? Especially ones that use the touch screen?

I have to wonder why Nintendo chose to include this type of game in the Legend of Zelda series at all. Don't get me wrong, I love Zelda and am always happy to play a new one. With Nintendo trying to appeal to more "casual" audiences, I imagine that an established franchise like Zelda can be a bit intimidating to someone who just started playing games a year or two ago. Why have this game with the Zelda asthetic at all? Perhaps it was not meant to draw in new casual gamers for a change, perhaps it was to draw in old men who are set in their ways and avoid trying new things. Perhaps that's why it's in a familiar franchise with a radically different control scheme. Well, looks like it worked.

I was at the local gameshop tonight, and I noticed a bunch of what looks to be a plethora of good DS games coming out over here. Tales of Innocence, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, a new Advance Wars and even more games that seem to be really pushing the system to it's limits. The DS really has come into it's own. While I'm not going to go DS crazy, I'll no longer turn my nose up at games that seem really outlandish and strange, without trying them first. Perhaps I'll enjoy my DS a little more.

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There was an argument in the Gamecube forums about which game was better, Metriod Prime or Resident Evil 4. I love both games and have completed them and every game in their series. When I wrote this response, I surprised myself at how much I poured into it. I'm posting it here, so that those who are interested can read it, but just mostly so I can read it later on. I doubt my opinion will change in the future, but....you never know.

Greg Kasavin reviewed both Metriod Prime and Resident Evil 4 for the GC.

Metriod Prime 9.7

Resident Evil 4 9.6

The argument is over.

Resident Evil 4 was a technical masterpiece. It really blew everyone's mind. Not only did it show that the Gamecube could be lethal competition to the Xbox and PS2 in the right hands, but it also reinvented the Resident Evil series as a whole. With gameplay that was not only some of the best third person shooting out there, Resident Evil 4 also breathed new life into the series; a series that was severely stagnant. While it is easily the best game in the series, it still brought with it alot of the problems which the series has been unable to shake off since it's inception...namely, terrible characters (especially the villans), ridiculous storylines with NO payoff at the end of the game which beg more questions than answers.

Metriod Prime was not the technical achievement that Resident Evil 4 was, but it was a major triumph in game design. The adventure genre has never been so flawlessly converted to 3D. While many complain of backtracking and seeing the same environments, this is what the adventure genre demands: exploration. The world that Metriod gave us to explore and the ways to explore it was ingenious. Not only was in geographically varied, but it was seemless and believable. The voluntary reading of Log entries told a convincing science fiction tale, narrated from the perspective of your enemies without any cutscene interruptions. It featured a 3D map system that was both easy to understand and useful. The weapons and visors all served the context of the original Metriod premise well. All this perfection after the series had been in a hiatus for eight years. The designer's were new; of a different nationality and experience level. Theprevious game in the series (Super Metriod) was named the "greatest game of all time" ( EGM issue #150 ). In every possible way, this game was destined to disappoint. Only it didn't.

What it really comes down to is:

Some gamers need to shoot things, feel their adreneline pumping and feel terrified as their enemies close in. They love insurmountable odds and beating those odds. That's fine.

Some gamers need to explore. They want to stand on an alien vista, overlooking vast terrian with he presence of a great mystery that needs to be solved. They need to explore and uncover those mysteries at their own pace, as they see fit to do so. That's fine too.

Greg Kasavin is a professional when it comes to opinions about games. He is BETTER THAN YOU. He is better than me. He decided that Metriod Prime deserved a score of 9.7. He decided that Resident Evil 4 deserved a score of 9.6.

The End

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Right now is a good time to be a shareholder holding Nintendo's stock, and Reggie didn't let you forget it. The amount of charts, pie graphs, video clips and interviews to serve the purpose of self-worshipping was not unexpected, but that didn't make it any less annoying. In the months leading up to E3, Nintendo had let all of their cats out of the bag. The software line up was expected and felt very limited considering what we saw at Microsoft's press conference yesterday. MarioKart Wii was the big surprise announcement, and finally Nintendo is taking Mariokart online on a console. Metriod Prime 3andPhantom Hourglass were also shown.Both of these demos were underwhelming as they didn't show us anything insightful that we didn't already know. The must have broke away to success story video clips on the Wii and DS four times during the show, which had this feeling of artificially lengthening it. I think that it's clear that Nintendo doesn't not have as much software coming out this year as it wants to as many titles where announced for spring of 2008.

One thing worth mentioning is that never before seen footage of Super Mario Galaxy was shown, and it's shaping up to look as though it's an incredible game. There were some very traditional colorful Marioesque environments that didn't look as though they take place in deep space. One thing I noticed is that at one point Mario looks as though he has turned into a bumblebee. Could Mario have a variety of animal powers at his disposal as he did in Super Mario Bros. 3? That would be cool.

They talked a bit about Smash Bros. Brawl. I'm sorry but I have no interest in this game whatsoever. The only interesting thing said about it was that it would support up to four different control schemes. I'm assuming the Wiimote, nunchuk, Classic Controller and Gamecube Controller are the four.

The were quite a few new peripherals unveiled at the show. Usually, my attitude towards peripherals is negative, but after seeing their use demostrated I became a bit of a believer. Let's start with the most underwhelming peripheral, the Wiimote steering wheel for MarioKart Wii. At least it looks really stylish, this idea is not new and I've been seeing people attach the Wiimote to steering wheels ever since the release of Excitetruck. Next the WiiZapper. The design looked a little strange and I had to look at it a few times before I finally got it. It's actually quite ingenius. It's just a shell for your Wiimote and nunchuk to sit it, but it looks as though it feels very natural. Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles looked alot like the arcade experience of House of the Dead with the WiiZapper, and by the way it's designed, it just my revolutionize first person shooters. The anolog stick is use to move your character around as it's located in the same place you would usually cock a gun, and the comfortable position in which you hold the WiiZapper makes it ideal for precision aiming. Turning around quickly looks as though it no problem either. The WiiZapper is definately a very simple, yet ingeniously cool idea.

The last perpherial is actually tied to the most interesting software that Nintendo showed...WiiFit. The peripheral as far as I can make out is no more than a wireless weightscale. They've called it the Wiiboard. While this sounds pretty boring, what they've been able to accomplish combining this technology with the Wiimote is absolutely amazing. Mark my works, WiiFit will put a Nintendo Wii in every home in Japan, and at least double the installed base in America. The way the software works is that it has you doing a number of aerobic excersises along with balance techniques and kelestetics all while using the Wiiboard and Wiimote. There are a number of activities that are very much like the minigames found in Wiiplay or Wiisports, making doing these activities quite fun. The showed ways in which you could track your progress with weightloss, posture and physical figure and compare it to other players over a period of days, months or years. This demostration done very much in the style that Wiisports did last year, blew me away. Just at the idea of what this game means for the world of video games, and what Nintendo has done by marrying technology that has been around for years. WiiFit is going to be big. Much bigger than any of the casual software we have seen so far. This is a turning point in the games industry.

While this year's presentation aspect of Nintendo's press event was definately sub-par, the content in which was shown in context to the new peripheral shows that Nintendo will continue to push this industry in new directions. While nothing shown was unexpected, there is a steady line up of games that should interest all players. The demostration of WiiFit was the show stealer and made Microsoft's new mass market controller look ever more ridiculous. WiiFit is the thing to see this year at E3. WiiFit is the game that's going to keep Wii's sold out for the next year all over the world.

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Microsoft is clearly interested in copying some of the Wii's success. With the announcement of a family-oriented board game, four of these new controllers will come packed in with the game for the price of any other 360 title. The controller, which looks like a remote,features a giant red button at the top, with the standard 360 controller butttons vertically aligned underneath. I may have missed it, but no mention was made whether this controller was a motion sensing or not. By having this controller packed in with software and only havving one game at present that supports these controllers, all Microsoft has done is tell the world that Nintendo's formula works better. If they were serious about competing with the Wii, the games and controllers would be packed in with all 360's from here on, and all games coming out this fall would be required to support it. This is too little, too late.

Does Microsoft need to mirror the Wii's success? Obviously, Microsoft is doing extremely well this generation and I believe that success will continue to grow. There was alot of support shown from Japanese publishers with exclusive games. While this helps them compete with the PS3, it will also help them to sell more systems in Japan. There are now alot of compelling reasons for Japanese gamers to invest in a 360. Especially if there's a price advantage...

And that was disappointing. No price drop for any model of the 360 was announced at E3. A new Halo 3 themed Xbox 360 will be launched in time with Halo 3. Microsoft seems to think that gamer's hunger for Halo 3 will drive 360 sales. This may well be true to a point, but I can't help thinking with gamers reaction to the Halo 3 beta that was out a while ago, whether the Halo series is past it's prime. A price drop is needed for the 360 if Microsoft really wants to mop the floor with the PS3.

Although nothing unexpected was shown, there is more and more support for the Games for Windows platform Microsoft has created with Vista. Gears of War and Call of Duty 4 will be huge games, both demos were jawdroppingly impressive. It's nice to see more and more games with a console flavour coming to the PC, but it makes me wonder....between the PC and the Xbox 360 there were only two or three exclusive games going either way. Microsoft has, in a sense, started competeing with itself. If you have a PC capable of running all of these games, there is no compelling reason to pick up a 360. If you have a 360, there is no compelling reason to upgrade your PC. Perhaps this isn't as big a deal as I think it is, but the experience on the PC and the 360n are becoming so close, one has to be concerned.

Microsoft's and Xbox Live offerings seem to have a little more variety, and a few console games will add to the flavour of Xbox Live Arcade. Problem is, many of the games camee out of compilations last generation. There are enough original titles to hold interest in Xbox Live over the next few months. Perhaps Xbox Live Arcade has been downplayed a bit in order not to overshadow the console's disc releases for the fall. This would make sense.

It was confirmed that all footage from the previously released GTA IV trailers were Xbox 360 footage, which really satiates alot of concern of how the game will run on the 360. Resident Evil 5 was a nice surprise and Call of Duty 4 was...unbelievable. Let me make this clear: I have had no interest in the Call of Duty franchise up to this point, but I really, really want to play this game. It is for the first time, what I consider, what this generation can do that the previous couldn't. And I'm not just talking about graphics. Be sure to check out all you can on this game.

Overall, Microsoft's E3 press conference gave me the impression that Microsoft is doing everything it can to fight the good fight, and making sound decisions that makes the 360 a safe investment, if not the best investment for this generation. Yet the underwhelming new controller and time spent demoing some unspectacular games like the new Viva Pinata Party Game and Madden 08, give the impression that Microsoft isn't confident about what direction they want to take this platform. They seem to be doing absolutely everything...but with no real focus. If I was a shareholder I would be very concerned. As a person who plays games I am very impressed with Microsoft's game line up for the fall, I doubt Sony can match it and I know Nintendo won't. I'd say that their press conference this year was a success, and the chinks in Microsoft's armor don't warrant any immediate concern to gamers. If you own an Xbox 360, or even a Vista enabled PC, this going to be a great year.

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Gamecube facts:

+ Nintendo's first party titles remain excellent, many new franchises

+ More third party support than the previous console (N64)

+ More powerful than the Playstation 2

+ More M rated games than any previous Nintendo console

+ Excellent load time speed

+ 4 player compatible out of the box

+ Dependable, well manufactured

+ Access to GBA library

- Terrible Online support, the 3 online games required subscription fees

- Questionable cosmetic console design

- Terrible and almost useless Digital Pad on the standard control pad

- Disc format alienates third party publishers

- GBA connectivity feature was overplayed, underutilized

- Game library missing quality titles in key genres

- Over reliance on familiar franchises

- Third party support worst of the three last generation consoles

If the N64 era was the fall from grace, the Gamecube era was the equivalent of hitting rock bottom. By design, the Gamecube had everything it needed to compete. Bad decisions from Nintendo hurt the console constantly. While the console came in #3 worldwide, it still offered a better experience than what was to be expected of last place. Early in its life, the Gamecube saw the birth of many exclusive franchises and strong third party support. While 2006 and 2007 were difficult years for the console, the previous years of its life were filled with the steady release of quality titles. What were the major things than went wrong? Even though this is a matter of opinion, let's briefly highlight a few points we can agree on.

Online support has been mentioned often and is an obvious criticism, along with the system's cosmetic design which includes the controller. A focus on connectivity failed to excite gamers, not because it was bad technology...it was never implemented properly. More on this later. Nintendo never marketed important releases well, like MGS: Twin Snakes or Resident Evil 4. Nintendo's release schedule was not ideal at times. While 2002 saw Super Mario Sunshine and Metriod Prime...holiday season 2003 featured three racing games, Mario Kart: Double Dash, F-Zero GX and Kirby Air Ride, here is where a serious loss of momentum began for Nintendo. Too many Mario Party and Mario Sports entries diluted the quality of first party software offerings. Ultimately, Nintendo's choice of disc format ended up alienating more developers than it did protecting from copyright infringement.

Not all decisions made by Nintendo where terrible. Getting Square Enix back on board was a major achievement at the time. As time has shown, the sale of Rare and the release of Silicon Knights were excellent business decisions, as niether developer has produced anything worthwhile since. Allowing Gamecube owners to access the GBA library through the Gameboy Player made helped players stay interested between calender releases. Excellent relationships with EA, Ubisoft, Sega, Namco and Capcom kept third party software in constant supply, despite the lack of exclusives.

Connectivity could have been a unique feature that defined the Gamecube, yet Nintendo couldn't see past the visions of fatter wallets. With the GBA installed base and the plethora of developers releasing software for the GBA, it could have been the true bridge over the gap that separates portable and console gaming, Playing a game on your Gamecube and being able to continue the experience while away from the system was never really explored. Information exchange of any meaningful gameplay implictations was limited to the Pokemon franchise. Instead, unlockable easter eggs within games were delegated to how much of Nintendo's merchandise you owned, rather than having any real skill in a particular game. This blunder could see the end of connectivity altogether, as neither the DS or PSP is doing anything meaningful with their parent systems.

What did the Gamecube do right? Let's explore that next time...this is turning into a wall of text.

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This morning I saw a commercial on television for Ninja Gaiden Sigma. I should mention I live in Japan. They showed impressive gameplay footage, but something else stuck out to me during the course of the commercial's run. They had player's demonstrating the functions of the sixaxis controller. Not that I found this strange, it was the demographic they chose in order to display this. One of the player's was a young girl, in her early 20's and the other was an old lady, clearly above 65. This was not one of those "extreme granny" commercials that you see advertising the likes of unknown cola or slightly generic potato chips, this commercial definitely had some "Wii"ism to it, where they were trying to "appeal" to the casual gaming crowd. Especially through the motions of the sixaxis controller. The time the commercial was shown was primetime morning television, where everyone in the country is getting ready for school or work. It was on Japan's most popular station, Fuji TV. Clearly, it's fairly obvious who the commercial is for.

There are so many things wrong with this situation; I don't even know where to begin ranting. First of all, let's look at the game in question. Ninja Gaiden Sigma, a director's cut of a director's cut of one of the last generations most difficult games. Let's look at the design of the female lead character, Rachel. S&M outfit, impossibly large breasts with an impossibly slim waistline. Let's look at the game design. Dishing out copious amounts of extreme violence to wave after wave of enemies, with extremely difficult boss battles thrown into the mix. But it makes use of the sixaxis controller, so non-gamers will love it....right?

Being married to a woman, who doesn't play many games, I can't say that I understand what motivates her to pick up one game over another. I do understand what she and probably many other women DON'T look for in a game:

• - I think I can say women don't like games that make them feel bad about themselves. Games with female characters with unbelievable measurements are pretty much the equivalent of a man being constantly bombarded with penis extension" emails while he plays a game. Even if a woman is confident in her appearance, like my wife, this character design only reminds her that she is married to a pervert who sexual deviance may or may not encompass serious problems involving overpowering and torturing another human being. We don't think much of this because we've gotten used to Chun-Li, Lara Croft and Ivy. They haven't.
• - I think I can say woman don't like games that make them feel like they are wasting their time. If killing wave after wave of enemies was easy is this game, it may have a little more of a leg to stand on. Yet this is one of the most difficult games of its type. It won't take long for an inexperienced player to have their ass handed to them. Alot of time would have to be spent adjusting to the game's difficulty. As people who play games, we have years of skill that's been developed along with the faith that we can overcome any obstacle if we persist. In a game like Ninja Gaiden, there is not much reason to persist if you don't feel the skill required is worth developing. Just try to explain to a non-gamer, that after several hours of torturous failure they'll finally get the skills to slowly proceed. If that's how it was for me, my interest would wane in the first 30 seconds, and so would yours.
• - I think I can say woman don't like excessively violent games. There is just something about having the ability to create life that makes you despise those who take it away. Killing wave after wave of faceless enemies may be entertaining for us, because we understand the complexities of the fighting system and understand the challenge is on-your-feet problem solving requiring quick adaptation and preplanning. Take the understanding of this away and what you have is a game where you simply kill everything that moves as quickly as possible. Not particularly interesting, especially for women.

It may also be worth mentioning that my wife and many other women I know are not really into ninjas in general, but this is an assumption that I can't be sure of. I may appear sexist in my comments, but if there wasn't some truth to this, more of our wives and mothers would have been playing games for as long as we have.

Nevertheless, marketing Ninja Gaiden Sigma to the "casual DS playing" demographic here Japan is ridiculous. Not that it's particularly harmful in any way, but it just goes to show that Sony really doesn't have much of an idea of how they should appeal to this market. Considering the place the PS3 is in right now, I find this quite disheartening. Sony, you've got allot more thinking to do.

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Here in Japan, it's really easy to see that there are only two systems dominating, the PS2 and the Wii. In fact, even with the Wii's popularity over here as it is, I do believe that it will explode tenfold within the next two years. One non-game related trend that's happening in Japan right now is the increasing popularity of home aerobics and exercise machines. The American, Billy Blanks, is making a killing pedaling his DVD's over here (nothing against the guy either...his stuff is pretty good) and has spawned an entire wave of imitators. Awhile back on the Hotspot, I remember them talking about a Wii software application that would have you do some sort of exercise and send your medical information over the internet to be assessed. If this software actually does this, while genuinely providing a decent workout for people, the popularity of the Wii will go through the roof all over the country. In fact, I would be bold enough to say that this is the killer app for Japan in this generation. Wii sports convinced Japanese families that the Wii was an excellent addition to the living room, Twilight Princess convinced the Nintendo fans and RPG otaku, Pokemon Battle Revolution convinced children all over the country that they need a Wii over any other system and this new Wii exercise software will put a Wii in front of every woman in the country. I am truly convinced of this. I don't think it will affect the European or North American markets in the same way, but I'm sure the Wii will dominate Japan, with or without Mario, Metriod or Smash Brothers. This brings me to my next point:

No one here seems to realize that the Wii is backwards compatible with Gamecube games. Why? What would make me think that? Well, long before the Wii was even released, Japanese department stores were getting rid of Gamecube software in order to free up shelf space for more successful systems like the PS2, PSP and the DS. This is completely understandable in an environment that sells new software. Yet, the other day, as part of my quest to find and purchase Beach Spikers Volleyball for the Gamecube (don't ask), I was in and out of the used game shops all day. You would figure with the popularity of Wii, and I know it's popular because there is nothing for the Wii in a used game shop, people would be snatching up used Gamecube games left and right. Why not? They're cheap and there were a lot of good games on the Gamecube. Yet the amount of shelf space awarded to Gamecube games, even in the used shops, is minimal. I asked why this is, and the clerk told me that Gamecube software just doesn't sell. This is surprising to me; I figure that people who have a Wii would be interested in playing Gamecube games. Yet, it's not advertised anywhere on the Japanese Wii box as far as I can see. It seems everyone wants to forget the Gamecube as quickly as possible. That's not good for guys like me that still only have a Gamecube and are looking to expand their collection a bit. I'm not ready to jump into the current generation, because I simply haven't decided which system I want to "invest" in. Until I make that decision, I'm quite happy with my Cube, even though shopping for it has become ridiculous.

The system I've really been leaning towards is the PS3, for the simple fact that the games are region-free. The fact that I didn't have to modify my system and could use the Gamecube's Freeloader software really influenced my decision last generation, along with the region-free Gameboy Player. Aside from the fact that at this time, the only game out on the PS3 I would buy would be Oblivion, the other nuances of the system hold me back a bit. The fact PS1 and PS2 games still adhere to region-coding really annoys me. If I buy a PS3, one of the first games I want to play on it is the ultimate PS1 classic, Symphony of the Night. To find out more about this, I usually try to create some dialogue in the PS3 forums. I guess that wasn't a particularly good idea on my part. I often find myself more sarcastic than I mean to be in the presence of all those Sony fans, who will only give me ridiculously positive information on the PS3 to the point where I'm not even sure it's true. I made a sarcastic comment about the backward compatibility and got a TOS violation for "trolling". Apparently that means that I made the comment with the sole intention of annoying other people in the forum. There is some truth to that accusation I suppose, so I'm not particularly upset about being moderated. The time frame in which the post was written and posted and the moderation took place is absolutely mind-boggling. I guess I can't expect the moderators to be particularly competent; they do this for free and on their own time. Yet, I made the post on May 7th, and I was moderated on the 11th of June, in a forum that hadn't been updated since May 9th. Like I said, I'm not upset about being moderated, I deserve it. I just want to know what kind of moderator surfs dead forums...that have been inactive for over a month, in order to hand out moderations. Do moderators have a quota? Do they have to hand out a certain number of moderations a month in order to stay moderators? That would make them the equivalent of cops that wait at railway crossings trying to catch people who don't stop and look both ways before they cross. A little ridiculous, and really quite sad. Either way, I should stay out of the forums, and try to get information about the PS3 the old fashioned way, talking to people about it face to face. I'm going to have to improve my Japanese first before I can do that.

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I thought that when I brought my computer back online and accessed Gamespot, which I hadn't seen for a month, there would be a wealth of material to watch, read and write about. How disappointing. Not very much happened in May. Well, not much that happened seemed to be very exciting anyway.

There was Nintendo's press event, but living here in Japan where half the DS and Wii games are out here already, so there weren't too many surprises there. Not much has changed in regards to the status of the Playstation 3 or the Xbox 360. Not that there should have been any ground breaking news, I guess I've just gotten used to this being the month of big E3 announcements.

It's great to be back though. Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to talk about the next time I blog. 

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The goat was killed for reasons other than this PR event and Sony said that the employees that planned it were acting without authority from Sony's top executives, but these are fairly transparent excuses. Sony has had a long history of advertisments that push the envolope in the realm of controversy. The white and black PSP advertisments in the Netherlands were bad enough, but this is completely over the line.

I'm not going to go into why it was morally wrong to have a mutilated animal at an event solely intended to sell more copies of God of War II. It's too bad that an excellent game like God of War II will now be thrown into the same category of the often misunderstood GTA games. This is not the kind of attention that the industry and players of video games need. It just got harder for everyone to make non gamers understand the value of this medium. If I was David Jaffe, or any of the other designers of God of War II, I would be preparing to sue Sony for damages.

F*$% Sony. This time they have gone way too far. Hopefully this time, their mistake burns them. If it doesn't burn them, it's going to burn all of us, in the long run.

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