Shinmaru

Yeah, I think I made the Virtual Boy sound a lot worse than it actually was lol. Wario Land VB and Mario Clash (especially Mario Clash) were really good games. I actually spent about an hour and a half playing Mario Clash at Toys 'R Us once. My eyes really hurt afterward lol. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]As for mistakes, there are many. They've obviously made many right decisions though. I think it's important to differentiate between what [i]we[/i] think are mistakes and what [i]they[/i] do. For all the complaining people do about certain practices, Nintendo gets more money thanks to those very same practices. To them, it's the money, and really I think that's all it was ever going to be about. Thankfully they seemed to generally be more about getting sales thanks to quality games than just pumping out licensed garbage.[/B][/QUOTE] It is pretty much a common practice by a lot of Nintendo fans to piss and moan about something that Nintendo is doing that might be different than what they're used to. People have to remember that even though Nintendo is releasing games for people to have fun with, they're still doing what is best for [b]them.[/b] They're in this to make money and if they think that making some changes to their games will make them money, they'll do it. They've demonstrated that in the past. Edit: Forgot to add this in earlier, but I didn't think that the Virtual Boy itself was a bad idea, it's just that I think the whole Virtual Boy regime was handled poorly by Nintendo. Sorry if it sounded like I absolutely hated the Virtual Boy.

Last time I checked, Hiroshi Yamauchi was still the owner of Nintendo. Miyamoto, to my knowledge, has never been the owner of Nintendo.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]Almost all of NIN's CDs are still in print and easy to find. Even most of the singles, although I'm not sure about a couple of the imports. In fact, Pretty Hate Machine just recently went triple platinum. You should be able to find a good deal of their stuff nearly everywhere. [/B][/QUOTE] I think that my problem is that I live in a pretty small town and it can be quite difficult to find a good place to buy music. Most of the stores that I've been to just carry recent releases. But I haven't been to Best Buy in a while, and they have a huge music selection. Now that I think about it, I'd probably find it there.

I think that it would be really interesting to read about some stuff that Miyamoto has pushed that ended up not working. I just finished reading the Yokoi biography on the website and he was a pretty interesting guy. I mean, you don't invent the most successful handheld console in history and not have an interesting life lol.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#335062]Hm yeah, I'm not sure [i]exactly[/i] where it makes reference to Yokoi leaving Nintendo on here...but yeah, I've asked around (a few editors and so on) to confirm my thoughts. They all seem to agree that Yokoi left on his own.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] You know, I just noticed that two sections of this site contradict each other when it comes to how Yokoi left. The actual Virtual Boy section of the website, which is the link located under the updates link and is the part where I got most of my information, says that Nintendo fired Yokoi. It's the last sentence of the paragraph that talks about how the Virtual Boy had to compete with the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation. But the Gunpei Yokoi section, which is the link located under the FAQ link, states that Yokoi resigned from Nintendo, because they blamed him for the failure of the Virtual Boy. I believe it's the first sentence of the eighth paragraph if anyone wants to check it out. So, I think that you're information could be correct, James. It would probably be better if Yokoi left of his own accord instead of getting fired by Nintendo. The man's one of the biggest heroes of video gaming (he's almost as, if not more, revered than Shigeru Miyamoto).

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#335062]I'm not sure that the failure of the Virtual Boy resulted in Yokoi being [i]fired[/i] from Nintendo. From what I remember, he willingly left Nintendo to start his own development firm, Vic Tokai (which produced Dark Rift on the N64). As well all know, Yokoi died before the game was released. V_V;[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] If you want to check out the website where I got my information from, then here it is: [url]http://www.virtual-boy.org/[/url] If my information is wrong, then I apologize for my mistake. After all, we all make mistakes, don't we? That's what this thread's all about. :)

Interesting idea. Well, here are my picks (with reasons, of course): Lead Vocalist: Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Trent has to be one of the most underrated voices in music, in my opinion. He has so much range with his voice and he's a fantastic singer. Plus, he can take over the writing duties, which is always good. Lead Guitarist: Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. I love Josh's style. He is an amazing guitarist and that was one of the things that made me a die-hard Queens fan. Bassist: Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age. Nick is a really good bassist. I especially like his little bass solo in 'No One Knows.' Very talented bassist. Drummer: Dave Grohl of Nirvana. Dave has always been a fantastic drummer and he's my favorite drummer. Plus, he can always do guitar and sing every once in a while, because he's a very versatile musician. He could probably play bass too if he wanted to (unless he already has and I don't know about it lol). DJ: Mix Master Mike from Beastie Boys. I've always enjoyed the Beastie Boys and Mix Master Mike was a great addition to the group. Although, I don't think that this band would need a DJ that badly to tell you the truth.

The only thing I'm really, really afraid of is heights. Heights just scare the crap out of me. The thought of falling and maybe dying is just too much for me. But something I've found odd is that I'm afraid of heights, but I have absolutely no problem with flying, where you're basically the highest that you're going to be. I have no idea why this is so, but oh well. Oh yeah, I sometimes get scared in video games like Silent Hill. Resident Evil doesn't scare me, because it's all cheap scares, but Silent Hill really does scare me because it's mostly freaky psychological stuff...it just weirds me out...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]I think we do not need 4 gaming sections. I do, however, think consoles and PC should be kept seperate because of the tech stuff that is included. So basically what I am suggesting is a console forum and a PC forum and that's it. The console forums have been so slow that I just don't see a reason to justify them being seperate. I also think combining them all would lead to far greater discussion between all groups... because it leads Nintendo only fans to read Xbox threads and vice versa.[/B][/QUOTE] I think that's a good idea. Most of the gaming fans on OB are mature enough to handle a mixed console forum without it erupting into an all-out flame war. Hopefully, this idea will be seriously considered because the gaming forums have been getting pretty slow lately.

Seriously, if Kane is unmasked and his entire character is destroyed, then I will be extremely angry. They barely do anything with Kane anymore (what with HHH taking up all the glory) and killing his character would just be a slap in the face. Personally, I'd love to see Kane win and face Goldberg at Summerslam. Realistically, wouldn't Kane be more of a match for Goldberg than HHH? Edit: Great. I should've expected no less from the WWE. When given a chance to shake up things a little and gain back some fan support and let Kane win the World Championship, the WWE has just turned around and done what nobody (at least, from what I've read) wanted and unmasked Kane. What the hell are they thinking?! Kane's mysterious face was one of the best things that the WWE had going for them! For years, people have speculated what it would look like, but some things are best left alone. Kane's face was just one of those things that should have been left hidden. Are they gonna unmask Rey Mysterio next? Or maybe they'll unmask Ultimo Dragon when he arrives? I'm sorry, but the WWE has just severly disappointed me. Raw started out a little slowly. There was a halfway decent match with Booker T. and Steiner facing Test and Christian. It picked up later with Chris Jericho and Lance Storm facing the Dudley Boys. Then, Stone Cold came out with a bunch of other hardcore superstars (mostly former ECW stars) and honored Mick Foley with the Hardcore Title, which I thought was cool. Then, it picked up with Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels facing Randy Orton and Ric Flair. Finally, Rodney Mack and his ridiculous streak finally ended, at the hands of Goldberg no less! It was shaping out to be a Raw to remember, and my hopes were high for the World Title match. I was really hoping that the WWE would throw us a curveball and have Kane win the title. But my hopes were in vain, because in true HHH domineering fashion, he kept the title by cheating and Kane was forced to unmask. They also added insult to injury by having Kane chokeslam RVD after unmasking. Not only does HHH retain the title, but RVD is punished and Kane's whole gimmick is gone. This might be the start of a Kane/RVD feud, but it's way too late for that, and I fail to see how that would be better than Kane beating HHH But I guess I shouldn't have expected any more from the WWE.

I think that it's a fantastic book so far. It's a lot faster paced than the other books; the action just keeps coming. I'm on page 636 as we speak (chapter 28, I believe). And I really have to say that [spoiler]Umbridge is the most evil creation in the world. I hate her more than I have hated any character in any book, game, anime, etc. My hatred for her passes even my hatred for Squall from FFVIII (a little off topic, but it's the truth). Her and her stupid detentions...although, it is really funny how everyone jumps all over her when Dumbledore is forced to escape from Hogwarts to cover for Harry. And she deserves every single bad thing that happens to her.[/spoiler] Okay, I'm finally done ranting and spoiling things about the book. Edit: I finished the book yesterday (about 7:30 AM to be exact) and I'm now just getting to finishing this post...I'm so lazy lol. Now, for some almighty spoilers! [spoiler]Stupid Umbridge! If you ask me, she got off easy at the end...she deserved way more than she got. Her and her stupid "hem hem." I hate her! (funny non-HP moment: My dad bursting in my room and saying "Umbridge is a *****!") Stupid Umbridge...yeah. I'm also sad to see Sirius go. He was my favorite character, but I'll get over it...eventually. But I'm glad that he was the only one killed (for a moment I thought Tonks had died too). And that fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort was absolutely incredible. Needless to say, Voldemort got a major *** kicking. And I can't believe she did it, but J.K. actually found a way for me to be sorry for Snape...that memory was so sad. I can't believe Harry's dad was such a jackass![/spoiler] Okay, enough spoiling for me.

That's a good one. I think that it was also a mistake because with Nintendo censoring the blood and gore, it brought more attention to the Sega version of Mortal Kombat and the infamous "violence in video games" issue that politicians never want to leave alone.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Desbreko [/i] [B][color=indigo] Yeah, that's why I subscribe to both Nintendo Power and EGM. Nintendo Power for the more in-depth coverage of Nintendo games, and EGM more for reviews and news about the non-Nintendo systems/games. I usually just skim over the reviews section in NP.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Yeah, I've noticed that the review quality of Nintendo Power has been getting steadily worse over the years (not that they were any good at it in the first place lol). The NP reviews basically just tell you about the game and barely mention the good and bad qualities of the games (as I'm typing this, I'm looking at the reviews in a recent issue of NP and this is basically how every review goes). But NP is still good for in depth previews and news about Nintendo. They do have the inside scoop working at Nintendo, after all.

Darn it all, this post accidently got deleted before because I got logged out on accident. Before I start this, I don't want this thread to turn into a forum where people can flame Nintendo (or any other company for that matter). I'm just starting this to show people that, as Semjaza told me in a PM relating to this post, that Nintendo is not perfect and that they do make mistakes, hard as it is to believe lol. Okay, I'll start off with an easy one: The Virtual Boy. For those of you who don't know, the Virtual Boy was a "portable" console released by Nintendo in August of 1995 (US release date). There were many faults about the Virtual Boy, but the biggest one in my opinion was the total lack of support by third parties. Although every Game Boy system had this fault, the Virtual Boy had it the worst. Just about every single good game that was made for this system was made by Nintendo. Not a very good recipe for success, despite Nintendo's pedigree. Another fault to the system is that it took either plugging in the system to an outlet or, God forbid, if you actually wanted to test the portability of the system, which I'll touch upon later, you had to use six AA batteries. Six AA's are a lot and it can get expensive very quickly if you use the system a lot (which was also a problem with more advanced technology at the time like the Game Gear and others). Now another big one: the portablility. It's obvious by the way that Nintendo made this battery powered that it was meant to be portable. However, I've never come into contact with a system that was less portable lol. First off, you had to look into the visor to see the games (and who in their right mind would walk around while looking into this anyway?). Secondly, you had to use the controller to control the games, so you couldn't even walk around with this, since you had to hold the controller. So, it was probably meant for table top play, right? Well, the problem with that was that, unless you were short, you had to bend over to see the game that you were playing, which is murder on the back (believe me, I've played the VB enough times to have figured that one out lol). Unfortunately, the failure of the Virtual Boy got Mr. Gunpei Yokoi fired from Nintendo even though he had made them billions over the years (Yokoi was the inventor of the Virtual Boy and helped Miyamoto make Donkey Kong). Nintendo had asked him to innovate all he could with this new system and, unfortunately, it backfired on them. And there you have it. Proof that even the greatest can make mistakes. However, Nintendo learned from this, and went slowly with the Game Boy Advance. They advanced the technology as far as they could while still maintaining optimal portability at an affordable price. I'm sure that there are more mistakes that Nintendo has made over the years (I can think of a few off the top of my head), but I've already had my say. Anyone else have something to say?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#335062]I suppose it's just that they've printed a few really anti-Nintendo things in recent months, which even most gaming sites have disregarded.[/color][/B][/QUOTE] You know, I actually read my new issue of EGM yesterday, and there was actually a little bit of anti-Nintendo sentiment. But I think that was because they were disappointed with Nintendo's showing at E3, because most of Nintendo's new games were of the driving and sports variety. They also felt that since Nintendo is pretty much ignoring online, that they should be going further with the GBA-GC connection instead of the gimmicky stuff that they've seen so far. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James[/i] [B][color=#335062]Still, reading EGM is a whole lot better than reading Nintendo Power or Official Xbox Magazine. At least you're getting something independent with EGM.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] I hear you. That's pretty much why I read the independent magazines. You see so much sucking up in the magazines that are owned by the companies (I haven't read the Official Xbox Magazine, so I wouldn't know about it, but the sucking up is really noticable in NP). At least with magazines like EGM, they aren't afraid to take some shots at the companies who make bad games, no matter who they are.

I just got the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, and there is a little part in the rumor section of the magazine that mentions a possible FF7 sequel. Allow me to quote it if you will: "Ever since [i]Final Fantasy VII[/i] first appeared on PlayStation, gamers have wondered if there'd ever be a direct sequel...well, prepare to flip, Cloud mavens: Current gossip indicates that [i]FFVII-2[/i] is in the works for...PSP (Sony's handheld system)! Talk about your killer apps..." And there you have it. I don't know if it's true, but EGM is usually accurate with their rumors. But you can take it however you want to.

I must say that I enjoyed reading that NIN bio very much (Long? Hell, it wasn't long enough lol). Nearly everything a person would want to know about NIN in one post...a pretty good accomplishment in my opinion (for whatever that's worth). I still to this day have not been able to get my hands on NIN's earlier work. Whether it be due to lack of funds, not being able to track them down, etc. it seems that the world just does not want me to hear this music. But even after only hearing The Downward Spiral, I can proudly say that NIN still continues to be a huge musical inspiration to me (probably the biggest, even ahead of Nirvana). The music is just amazing and way ahead of its time. I enjoy the songs just as much (if not more) today than I did when I first heard them. Also, I am an avid songwriter and I have to say that Trent Reznor was one of the people who inspired me to start writing music. The man's lyrics are simply incredible and they compliment the music perfectly. I just can't say enough good things about this band. Also, Semjaza mentioned NIN's videos. If you watch one of NIN's videos, I can assure you that you will never forget it. The videos are that good. Trent Reznor was one of those people who took music videos, brought it away from just having a bunch of idiots dancing around, and made it into an art. There is no word to describe the videos, you just have to see them for yourself (and trust me, they should be watched - they're worth it).

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by CalmLikeABomb [/i] [B]You fight Piston Honda two times man. That's what he meant. And he is a little bugger to fight the second time, although I've TKO'oed him in the first round without taking a hit (pure luck.) [/B][/QUOTE] Whoops, my mistake. I probably didn't know because I haven't gotten far enough in the game to know about that lol. My Punch-Out!!! "skills" are in serious need of some refining.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#335062]And EGM...they're known for being a bit anti-Nintendo. Though I haven't read them in a while, so I don't know how true that is.[/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Well, I have to admit that a couple people on the staff might be a little anti-Nintendo, but that isn't the case with most of the staff. Pretty much all of them grew up worshipping Nintendo and they defend Nintendo to the last. Or maybe that's just how I'd like to see it. I don't know. But I'm 100% sure that EGM is not anti-Nintendo (or anti-Sega, anti-Sony, anti-MS, etc. they've said time and time again that they're only anti-crappy games, which is how it should be). I think I'm defending EGM way too much, so I'll stop now.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Majin Buu [/i] [B]Is Nintendo going to die out like Sega did.. I read in EGM that they thought thats what it was looking like.. If the case what will you guys to then? [/B][/QUOTE] I sincerely doubt that EGM said that Nintendo was going to die. Rather, they were probably responding to the vast number of people who seem to think that Nintendo's number is up any day now. Also, I think people keep misinterpreting Satoru Iwata when he says that when Nintendo is out of the hardware business, they are out of the video game business. Apparently, people take that as a sign that Nintendo is dropping out, which is most certainly not the case.

Hey, if you say so, James. I'm not gonna disagree with you. But I think that my ego is getting too big for my body lol. Time to move this away from the spam that I have created. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by James [/i] [B][color=#335062] Competition is what killed Sega's hardware business, also. But perhaps they're in a better place now. More financially viable (though admittedly clawing their way back) and now making games on a broad array of consoles. Surely that's a win-win situation. [/color] [/B][/QUOTE] Yep, Sega is in a much better place now. They're making better games and getting their games spread out to a wider audience (which Sega really needed, because it's a crime that more people don't play their games). So, while initially harmed by competition, Sega is now more successful than they've been in years. Go Sega!

Man, I got to this post way too late...everyone's said everything [i]I[/i] was gonna say lol! First of all, when you're getting a Nintendo system, you should realize that you're getting a [b]gaming[/b] system. No more, no less. Nintendo has never been fascinated with add-ons that connect to other areas of entertainment, only with video gaming, because they are a video gaming company. Microsoft and Sony have DVD players in their systems because they also happen to do other things than video gaming in other parts of their companies (that didn't sound as good as it did in my head, but oh well). Second of all, I guess you have your opinion as to there being a "real Link," but you have to realize that pretty much all of the Links are different from each other (except the Links in OOT and MM, of course). Just because the Link in OOT and MM has a fairy partner it doesn't make him the definitive Link, but that's just my opinion, just like your suggestion of a "real Link" was yours. Third, you have the right to call Nintendo kiddy. That's fine. But I also have the right to call your opinion misinformed. Nintendo makes games that reach out to a wide audience. The themes in the game are made so that they can be played by children and adults alike. However, it would be mostly teenagers and above that could really understand and appreciate the mechanics and superb quality of Nintendo's games and that's how Nintendo reaches their audience. They try to make games for everybody. Fourth, does Nintendo really make "sequels?" Sure, they're sequels in the sense that they're a continuation of whatever gaming series that the game is in, but if you look at most major Nintendo sequels, you can, as James said, see the new gameplay concepts that Nintendo is introducing. The characters mostly serve to familiarize people with the game (if you'll notice, Nintendo has never really tried to create vast stories for their games, with the possible exception of the Metroid series). And that's about it for me. If you actually took the time to read and analyze this stuff I just wrote then you have no life (just like me lol).

I have no idea who my favorite fighter is. All I know is that I got a serious whipping when I got to Piston Honda. [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]I've never ever been able to beat the second fight against Piston Honda. The first is no problem, but I just cannot do the second.[/B][/QUOTE] Not to sound like a know-it-all, but Honda is in the third fight. Glass Joe is first (unless you don't count Glass Joe because he's so easy lol) and I can't remember who is second because my copy of the game does not work anymore and I have yet to get the game in Animal Crossing.

Rage is a really good band in my opinion, but I feel that they didn't make a really good record until Battle of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, they had to break up after they released Renegades which was another strong album (even if it was pretty much all covers).

Man, there are a lot of Conan fans on these boards...and I'm another. Personally, I think Conan is just the funniest of the late night hosts. He's not the sharpest, but he just endears himself to you with his cheesiness and his self-depricating humor. Plus, he's just really weird. Who doesn't love that?