What and When is NX?

The internet has been in an uproar ever since Satoru Iwata casually mentioned the NX. This has resulted in a huge chunk of the gaming community assuming it is a new console and that it will launch in 2016. Some sources even point towards a July 2016 launch. (yes, it sounds just as ridiculous to me as it does to you) Well, I'm here to discuss just what the NX is and When can we expect to see it.

First thing first, we have to define just what the NX is. Both Iwata and Kimishima have stated that it is not a replacement for the Wii U or the 3DS, and its also worth noting that it was first mentioned when talking about the deal between Nintendo and DeNA. So, If it is indeed a third pillar and not at all a replacement, then I could see a 2016 release being feasible. However, If it is a console, a portable, or a hybrid, 2016 (especially July) seems highly unlikely. Nintendo has already announced some of their flagship titles for Wii U coming 2016, and there are even games like Lost Reavers, which have already had a beta in Japan, and not even released yet in the US. Also, Nintendo at the moment seems to be riding a wave of success lead by amiibos, Splatoon, and Mario Maker. It just does not seem like a wise business decision to abruptly end it all right when they're hitting their stride. A new system launch almost always ends in reporting a loss until it catches on or sells enough software to offset the cost. One source even claims Nintendo expects to sell 20 million in the first year. That is a bit ambitious, and does not sound like a console estimate.

So then what is the NX? To be honest, we have no clue. This is Nintendo we're talking about. They aren't exactly easy to predict. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say its the gaming world's equivalent to a smart device (i.e. tablet, ipod, smartphone), as it was announced during a meeting about their mobile games strategy. As far as the rumors for the console goes, maybe those are actually for the next console, but people are combining all the information they find and thinking it all referes to one thing, instead of multiple device. I honestly believe most of this is people mixing together all the news when in reality, some refers to NX, some refers to the next portable, and some refers to the next console. With a stellar line up already for 2016, and a Nintendo Direct still incoming, I expect the next actual comsole to launch in 2018. yes, 2018, not even 2017, because Nintendo has always launched their portable first, and also seem to launch the console 2 years after announcements of developer kits going out. So, Lets just see just how good I am at guessing.

Until next time: Be you. Be true. Be human.

AWBrawler Replays Xenoblade Chronicles (First 30 minutes)

I replay Xenoblade Chronicles in anticipation of Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U. I'll Try to keep Shulk dressed how he is in Smash Bros, but everybody else is getting weird outfits on purpose.

Do We Really Need HD Remakes?

With all the buzz floating around about Twilight Princess HD coming to Wii U, It makes me beg the question "Do we really need HD remakes?" seriously. What are they adding to the experience that we couldn't experience the first time minus prettier graphics or slightly better controls? Where did this obsession with replaying games but prettier come from? I personally would much rather play a whole new game then replay something I've already played before.

 It gets even worse when you look at Playstation 4. The Playstation 3 was already in HD, so why are we getting remakes of The Last of Us, Uncharted, and so on? It makes me want to scream when I go into a store and see a game that just released last gen and there's a remake that say Definitive Edition. What does that even mean anymore? In the SNES vs Genesis days, Definitive edition meant the version that had better gameplay, better music, better graphics, and even better level design and possibly more actions your character can perform.  Now it seems you can just slap "HD","Definitive Edition", or "Game of the Year Edition" on a box and people will buy it all over again. Windwaker is my favorite Zelda game ever, but I refused to buy the HD remake because i don't believe in rebuying something I already own. I'll take a new experience over an old one any day. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below, and until next time: Be you. Be true. Be human.

AWBrawler's First 30 Minutes of Skylanders Super Chargers with Donkey Kong

I play the first 30 minutes of Skylanders Super Chargers with Donkey Kong. I admittedly I wanted Bowser, but Donkey Kong has thoroughly surprised me with his skills and abilities.

Zelda U is Zelda U

I feel like I had to clarify this for a few people. Be sure to listen to the whole thing and leave your comments down below.

In Defense of Sonic Boom

Reviwers are getting away with these unwarranted low scores. There's no way possible this game should get a 2, that's just utter ridiculousness and lies. I'll be writitng up my full review and doing a video for Sonic Boom soon.

Hardcore Gamers Are Killing Creativity

         Yes, I know reading a title like that may upset, anger, or even confuse some of you, but it's true. The whole hardcore mentality is destroying gaming. I'm not saying we should get rid of hardcore gamers or hardcore games. I'm Just saying that developers are apparently more focused on looking dark, gritty, or edgy, than they are on actually making a fun experience. What happened to games that were just fun for fun's sake? What happened to the talking animals, quirky characters, and nonsensical gameplay that captivated us in gaming's younger days? Gaming is in serious need of a wake up call, but it seems the hardcore crowd would rather tease and mock anything that dares to be different than the standard dark, gritty, edgey, motiff.

   one of the greatest  "What the hell?" moments in gaming came for me with the intro to Nintendo's E3 2014 Direct, but it was not because of the Direct itself. It was because of the saddening reaction it received by the supposed hardcore gamers on the internet. The Direct opened with an over the top, anime styled battle between Reggie Fils-aime, and Satoru Iwata. I personally thought it was very entertaining and funny, but apparently the hardcore crowd thought it was immature, childish, or kiddy. At what point did we decide that anything goofy or funny is kiddy? They are a GAME COMPANY. They create VIDEO GAMES. What is serious about video games? nothing? no matter what game you play, there's nothing serious about it, it's still a game. Lighten up! Why does everything have to be dark and edgey now? Even Epic Mickey felt like it was trying to hard to be dark and edgey, and is most likely why I didn't bother to finish it. Though colorful, the colors felts washed out and faded.

  Another example is creativity being killed off by hardcore, lets look at the Final Fantasy XIV Tokyo Gameshow Trailer. Last Time I checked it was called Final FANTASY. Its right there in the title, so how do you not have fantasy elements? They got rid of the chocobos for a convertible car you drive around. I can drive a car in real life. Give me that weird fantasy creature. The entirety of Final Fantasy XIV looks way more Sci Fi than it does fantasy in my opinion. Its trying to hard to be realistic or believable, but why does a GAME have to be believable? Are not the vast majority of games considered to be the greatest game of all time just unrealistic as can be and full of creativity? That is the beauty of games. You don't have to follow any rules whatsoever.

   So, what can be done to revive the creativity of the gaming industry, so that we can see more than urban environments with dark, gritty, edgey elements? to be honest, I have no earthly Idea. I'm still researching trying to figure out when dark and gritty became so popular even with kids. I think maybe the next big thing will have to pop up out the blue to run off this "hardcore" image. Maybe something like Yu-gi-oh!, Pokemon, or Kingdom Hearts will have to surface. Those three took the gaming world by storm and are full of creativity. Sure we have League of Legends and Hearth Stone on the PC, but Why isn't anything like that on the consoles? It seems like the main console that dares to be creative, is the main one being mocked, Wii U. I'm not going to rant about creative Nintendo games being called kiddy, so I'll stop here. I'll close with this prediction: unless hardcore gamers start showing an interest in games that are nonsensical and fun for fun's sake, console gaming will become stagnant and die a horrible slow death.