James

[QUOTE=Lady Macaiodh][color=darkblue]I do wonder one thing, though. Who decided that eighteen should be the age of consent? It's not as if a maturity switch is thrown in the brain on one's eighteenth birthday. *wink*[/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]You're right, in the sense that 18 is an arbitrary number. But what else would you have the authorities do? Go around and survey every teen who wants to have sex, to assess whether or not they're ready? It's not perfect, but setting some kind of "basic age" really has to be done, in order to protect kids from molestation (and to ensure that pedophiles are prosecuted, should they become involved in that).[/color]

[color=#707875]You know that this thread is unrelated to the forum, don't you? If so, why start it in the first place? If you want to talk to Moderators, either speak to them on AIM or -- preferably -- via Private Message. Our system allows you to send up to five PMs at once, so if you do that a couple of times you can reach everyone. [/color]

[QUOTE=Oceanborn][font=Tahoma]Well... I don't have a serv right now to upload a sig banner... Is it OK if I upload it here and use the link? Is it possible to upload a banner anyhow (not via link use, but from the PC)? Hints? Thank you.^__^[/font] By the way, the manage attachments button doesn't work under Opera. Do I have to switch to InetExplorer each time or is there any cure for [email="this@_@?"]this@_@?[/email][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]We do not allow posting of erroneous attachments (if we did, people could simply leech off the site and not worry about high quality posting). The only way to upload your attachment is to make it relevant to the thread or (in the case of banners), to post a thread in the Art Studio and have a discussion about your work. Please check the rules and FAQ if any of this isn't clear.[/color]

[QUOTE=Unborn Lord Xion][size=1][color=darkslateblue] And she doesn't write about adults taking advantage of children. I believe all her writing is consensual, if there is that much sex she writes (I don't believe she actually writes the sex scenes, but I haven't read much of her work). [/color][/size][/QUOTE] [color=#707875][font=Verdana][size=2]I just want to point out that if a 15 year old is in a romantic relationship with someone over 18...then that 15 year old is being taken advatage of, whether the relationship is consentual or not. It's a maturity thing (physical as well as mental).[/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2]In regard to whether or not it's "perverse"...dictionary.com's definition is obviously relative. Anyone can call anything that they don't like perverse. [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2][/size][/font] [font=Verdana][size=2]I think it becomes a serious concern, though, when we're talking about something that actively [i]hurts [/i]someone. And in the case of pedophilia, there are serious concerns about the child's welfare (and make no mistake, a 15 year old is a child, not an adult).[/color][/size][/font]

[color=#707875]I would also add (as a general note about uploading here at OB), that attachments should not be erroneous. That is, if you attach a file, it must relate to the thread. So if you start an art thread to talk about your banners, that's fine. But don't start a thread about, say...a music band, and then use that thread to upload banners/avatars/etc. Stuff like that is against the rules, 'cause it's a waste of space and a misuse of the space we offer for attachments. I just want to underline that.[/color]

[color=#707875]Please read the rules page, located on the left navigation bar. Not only is your signature image too large (it's too tall -- it breaches the rules), but you've added it as an erroneous attachment to the thread. So, the picture isn't related to the thread. That is also against the rules. I strongly recommend checking 'em out before you continue posting. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Princess of Mer, please don't double (or triple, or quadruple) post. It's against the rules. I appreciate that you're only young (and we all start somewhere when it comes to forums, right?), but it'd be really cool if you could read our rules page (on the blue bar to your left, just under the word "General"). That way, you can learn how OtakuBoards works and have a lot more fun on here. Thanks.[/color]

[color=#707875]What you've mentioned there is something that I discussed with The Harlequin when he was first hired to moderate that area. And basically that's what I'd planned to include. However, he had to retire from his position unfortunately. And that's really thrown a spanner into the works, in terms of organizing that sort of stuff. So, I think it's an awesome idea...but right now we've got somewhat unrelated plans. But I'll definitely keep it in mind for the future; I'd love to do something along those lines.[/color]

[center][img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KIlogo.gif[/img] [size=4]End of Volume 1[/size] [size=4][i]James is[/i][/size] [size=5]JAMIE KIDD (AKA "DESERT TAIPAN")[/size] [size=4][i]Shy is[/i][/size] [size=5]JOSHUA (AKA "COWBOY")[/size] [size=4][i]Shinmaru is[/i][/size] [size=5]SHINMARU HAZUKI (AKA "TWO FACE")[/size] [size=4][i]BabyGirl is[/i][/size] [size=5]LELIA ANGELO (AKA "FALLEN ANGEL")[/size] [size=4][i]Queen Asuka is[/i][/size] [size=5]ARIANNA LOVE (AKA "EROTICA")[/size] [size=4][i]Sweetreyes is[/i][/size] [size=5]ANN DOMINION (AKA "SWITCH")[/size] [size=4][i]Heaven's Cloud is[/i][/size] [size=5]JEANETTE MARIE DIAZ (AKA "SANTO MUERTE")[/size] [size=4][i]Semjaza Azazel is[/i][/size] [size=5]******* (AKA "DEATH ADDER")[/size] [size=4][i]Based on the characters "Jamie & Joshua", created by[/i][/size] [size=5]J&S[/size] [img]http://www.otakuboards.com/killadam/KILL_ADAM_EXPLODING_FIST.jpg[/img][/center] Thank you for reading...if you're interested in signing-up for the next volume (which will go live within the next few weeks), please ensure that you [i]do[/i] read this thread. ~_^

[color=#707875]Wow, this thread isn't getting off to a great start, is it? You guys could at least make the [i]attempt [/i]to take the subject seriously. You do a disservice to Unborn Lord Xion by failing to do this. Anyway, my view is basically that we have to realize we're talking about someone's fan fiction. So we are not discussing a real situation, even though your friend apparently feels that a relationship between a 15 year old and a 35 year old is okay. So that's the first point. The second point is, how old is your friend? I know that a lot of girls who are fans of same-sex love stories often draw a major distinction between stories that purely resolve around love...and those that revolve around sex. Perhaps she is making that distinction. Maybe she is only looking at it as a question of love (ie: holding hands and cuddling and so on), rather than some kind of pornography. Obviously there's that critical difference there. So, if she's young, she is possibly only looking at the situation in a fanciful and naive way. Do you know what I mean? This could be very different to the idea of her writing about sex scenes in her literature or whatever. Even then, I'm not into this whole idea that books and literature are dangerous. That's a very quaint, old-fashioned view. People can write about whatever the hell they want to write about -- I'm not going to stand over their shoulder and censor it. The time when it becomes a problem, however, is if these things start to be acted out in real life. If she knew about a real relationship between a 15 and 35 year old and thought that was okay...then that is a far more serious issue. Again, it depends on her age and maturity. She may very well change her view as she grows older. I don't think anyone here would suggest that a relationship like that is reasonable. Apart from the fact that it's illegal, it's simply not reasonable to suggest that such a relationship is feasable anyway. In that regard, I think you are right in what you're saying to her. By the same token, we must draw a distinction again...we must point out that homosexuality [i]does not [/i]go hand-in-hand with pedophilia. There's a key difference between writing about a homosexual couple, compared to writing about a couple (male or female) that involves an adult taking advantage of a child.[/color]

[color=#707875]mckaylyn, please do not double post. I urge you to read our rules page, where you can find further details. Ben, I think you may have misunderstood mckaylyn. My interpretation was that he was saying religion should have no bearing on your friendship with someone else -- not that religion itself should have no bearing on anything in one's life. I tend to agree. I am friends with people who have a broad array of views -- people who are very left wing, very right wing, highly religeous and totally anti-religeous. It has never been a point of contention though, because those beliefs are not what dictates my friendship with them. I am keen to learn about their beliefs and understand them, whether I agree or disagree. But even if I disagree, that doesn't change the fact that we may have many things in common...nor does it change the fact that they are a good person and that I get along well with 'em.[/color]

[color=#707875]I will definitely be picking up GT4. I was a huge fan of GT3...but unfortunately a younger sibling deleted my file, when it was at some 40+ hours of game time. As a result, I just couldn't be bothered starting again and going through all that hard work. Bleh. One thing that disappoints me, though, is that GT4 isn't including any Australian cars other than one of the Falcon touring cars. Considering that there are well over a dozen worthwhile Australian cars that would be [i]great [/i]in GT4...it's hugely disappointing that we won't see 'em. Part of the reason is that HRT has a deal going with EA, so none of those vehicles can show up in GT4. But still, there are plenty of Australian cars that could go in there. Even with Ford, they could include the various Falcon models including the XR6 Turbo and GT-P. Then there's the various other local cars, like the Mitsubishi Magna VR-X, and the Joss supercar. Ah well. Maybe in GT5. :-P[/color]

[color=#707875]Actually, I thought that the original Ratchet & Clank was mimmicking Jak & Daxter a bit too heavily. It felt similar, but had a more clunky feel to me. Jak 2 is a marginal improvement over its predecessor, but it's certainly not pushing any boundaries. I think it could have done without the GTA elements. Maximo is actually another great game that I forgot to mention. The original was fantastic, and I haven't yet played the sequel. I'll definitely have to check that out. I agree with you completely about Super Mario Sunshine, too. The FLUDD element fundamentally changed the game -- I think it was a great addition. And really, regardless of any graphics complaints, SMS was simply a game with brilliant play mechanics. Everything about it was smooth and crisp. Those sub-zone areas that you mention are also a really interesting point. In terms of raw design, they really do hark back to the original Super Mario Bros., in terms of being totally non-linear and entirely focused on your ability with the controller. I thought that they added a great deal of value to Super Mario Sunshine.[/color]

[color=#707875]Wow, it feels like I haven't started a thread in here for a while. I should get back into the action. ~_^ Basically, there's one game that prompted me to post this thread: Jak 2 for PlayStation 2. I was quite a big fan of its predecessor, Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. In many ways I think that it was a game that really silenced the critics. Naughty Dog, the game's developer, had sort of fallen into a rut with the Crash Bandicoot series. Anyone who has played all three games in that series will tell you that the second and third titles weren't all that different from the first; there were some minor evolutions, but there wasn't anything particularly new about each new iteration. Jak & Daxter was really an opportunity for Naughty Dog to do something entirely different, with entirely new characters. And although Jak & Daxter does bear some similarities to the Crash franchise, these similarities are basically superficial (like Jak's ability to spin around on the spot). Although Jak & Daxter wasn't really amazingly revolutionary, it did illustrate to me that platformers were changing. It introduced a large, seamless world, which was full of bubbly characters with beautiful expressions. The voice acting was also pretty good throughout. In general, I don't think I'd ever really seen such high production values applied to this genre of game. And now, of course, Jak 3 is on the horizon. Despite the fact that Jak 2 isn't such a new game anymore, I only just rented it a couple of nights ago. And although I had read about it on web sites and such, actually playing it was a true reminder of one thing; I love platformers. Apart from Super Mario Sunshine, I really haven't gotten into any platformers over the last year or so. Jak 2 doesn't [i]really [/i]change too many of the fundamentals. It doesn't seem to want to reinvent the wheel, despite what some have said. Much has been made of its GTA-like elements, but honestly, I don't think that those parts really add anything spectacular to the game. Instead, I think that comes across as more of a technical achievement than anything else. And of course, it further serves to add a level of "maturity" to Jak's universe. Renting Jak 2 -- and finding myself getting drawn into that universe again -- reminded me that the platformer genre is quite possibly one of my favourites. It's just that, for various reasons, I don't buy many platformers. It could be that I'm too used to the Marios and Jaks of the world, so I don't try out some of the newer franchises. Or it could be that very few companies are really making truly great platformers. One thing that also struck me about Jak 2, is the way that the genre itself has evolved in general. If you look back to games like Super Mario Bros., you've got a situation where there isn't much of a story and there isn't much of a concern with non-linear, open-ended environment design. Instead, the game entirely revolves around your own reflexes and your ability to overcome a small obstacle course. Most of the levels only take a minute or less to complete, but that's also what stops the game from becoming repetitive; you get short, sharp bursts of insane action. And it's a great deal of fun. The old Sonic games work on a very similar principle too. And as both the Mario and Sonic franchises grew up, new elements were added (ie: the need to unlock doors in Mario Bros. 2, or the need to step on switches in Sonic). And obviously, those elements expanded as time went by. Then Super Mario 64 comes along, and introduces us to a relatively non-linear situation; completely different from its predecessors. It really took advantage of its 3D engine, by allowing a level of flexibility and freedom in the levels that hadn't been seen before. And of course, Super Mario 64 introduced the whole concept of "collecting items to finish a level", or at least, it made that concept popular. But unlike some less-loved platformers (ie: Donkey Kong 64), Super Mario 64 didn't ask players to collect a billion types of everything. It was basically just stars and red coins. Nice and simple, never taking away from the core fun of interacting with the environment. Along the way, there have been different variations on the whole collect-a-thon theme, as well as the non-linear level concept. When you consider the number of purely bad platformers out there, I think it's truly rewarding to play a [i]great [/i]one. [img]http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/513/513867/ty-the-tasmanian-tiger-2-20040511094238842.jpg[/img] Then you've got upcoming platformers, like the aforementioned Jak 3, as well as games like Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2. In the case of Ty, the original was apparently fairly average...but from what I've read, the new game looks to inject quite a few interesting new elements. And the production values seem to be pretty solid throughout. Of course, there is a lot more to say than what I've said above. Apart from what I've mentioned, you've also got big hitters like the Rayman series (Rayman 3 is a pretty awesome game -- definitely worth checking out), as well as Ratchet & Clank (which I liked, but not quite as much as the Jak series). So, with that said, I thought I'd ask everyone about their thoughts on the evolution of this genre. What platformers are you looking forward to, and what recent platformers do you think are worth checking out? On that same note, I might as well also ask you which platformers you feel were the most influential on the genre? I was surprised that we didn't have a thread dedicated to this all-too-often ignored genre. ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]I agree with you about the hidden surprises thing, terra. If you have a giant tattoo all over your arms or something...well, everyone can see it. Obviously that's the point, I guess. But I'd much rather have something that only one person (or very few, anyway lol) can actually see. I think that just increases its value, in terms of it being unique and special. That's something I'd look for on another person, if they were so inclined to have a tattoo/piercing.[/color]

[color=#707875]I don't have much of an opinion on this stuff in general...in the sense that I don't really care what other people do. In terms of what I find attractive on someone else...I'd say that lots of piercings and tattoos just don't do it for me. I'd rather look at someone's body in its natural state, rather than adorned with all kinds of foreign objects. Having said that, I don't mind smaller touches...a small tattoo somewhere private, or a single belly button ring or eyebrow ring or something. Something minor. In terms of myself...well, I've thought about getting both a tattoo and a piercing at various times in my life. But I'm not sure that I'll ever do either. If I got a piercing, I don't know what I'd get...maybe an eyebrow ring or a belly button ring. Anything else is probably a bit too exotic for me (the sheer idea of a tongue ring makes me dry reach, actually lol). And, in terms of a tattoo...again, something small and relatively private. I've thought about various places where I could get one (maybe a small one on my inner thigh or something -- something that only a special person could see ~_^). As far as what the actual image would be...who knows. I'm half tempted to get a little silhouette of 8-bit Mario jumping or something, but that's probably going a bit too far with the Nintendo-craze. ~_^[/color]

[QUOTE=DeathBug][color=indigo][size=1][font=comic sans ms]Then any and all behaviors can be deemed accetable. That's the loggical progression of moral relavitism: anything goes. Speaking of things going, this post is going off-topic, so I'm go to show a rare moment of intellectual self-discipline and end my sentiments about moral relavitism here. Back on topic now.[/font][/size][/color][/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Bingo on your first point. But of course, that's a dramatic over-simplification on your part. We all have our own personal moral standards, obviously. There can be no argument about that, because the evidence of morals being relative is all around you. Some people might be quite okay with the idea of having many sexual partners for example. To them, it might be deemed "successful" or something. To someone else, it might be considered promiscuous. In that case, as with many others, you're talking about one's own morals being relative. Of course there are "moral norms" in society. And to some degree, our laws are based on those moral norms, as well as practical considerations. So nobody is suggesting that "anything goes" in terms of the law -- obviously that's not what we're talking about. But we are saying that morals [i]are [/i]indeed relative. Some view homosexuality as unnatural and immoral, as as a result of religious conviction. While others still view it as being perfectly natural and unharmful, based on any number of other factors (scientific or otherwise). Obviously there's a moral relativism there. So, we all have our own personal morals. And that's what I'm talking about. In a sense you're quite right when you say "anything goes" -- because for some people, that's quite true. Some people simply don't have many strict moral concerns, where others (perhaps the majority) do. If you view those people as immoral, or anything close to it, then that is yet another example of morals being relative. The fact that different moral standards exist worldwide is further proof that morals are relative. Nobody's going to sit there and say that one country's culture is "right" for adhering to a particular moral code. Obviously the truth of that situation (in terms of who is right or wrong) depends on where you live and what you're used to. Therefore, the view on the situation is wholly relative. The only reason that people argue against morals being relative is generally because they want to express [i]their [/i]morals as being the "only" morals, or the "right" morals, which should be a standard through which everyone else in society should be judged. But obviously -- as anyone who lives in a modern society knows -- that is ridiculous and unrealistic. It's like when some Islamic women wear the heard-scarf. Many view that as a question of personal morality. And yet many non-Islamic women (and many Islamic women for that matter), do not adhere to that personal moral...because their morals are slightly different. Is either particularly right or wrong? Are you going to decide that? I know I'm not. There's also a contextual point. In some countries where the law requires the head-scarf, not wearing one is considered to be wrong. Yet in other countries, there is no law relating to it and it doesn't matter. Again, relativism. Whether or not you think that certain moral codes are right or wrong is entirely up to you -- it's your perspective, it's what you choose to agree with or adhere to. It's your relative view, based on whatever factors you include (your religion, your upbringing, your society, etc). So, it's important to provide a distinction about that in this discussion. It's important that what I'm saying is not misrepresented; I'm not suggesting that people can simply go out there and do whatever they like; there are laws in both our countries that govern, to a degree, what we can and cannot do. That's not the point. The point is that, [i]within the law[/i], there are relative sets of morals for everyone. Everyone has a different opinion on all manner of issues, and everyone has different levels of tolerance for different things. That, in essence, is what I'm referring to when I talk about morals being relative. That is why we even talk about "personal morals" in the first place; you wouldn't have personal morals if there was no moral relativism. Whether or not that is ideal is another question -- I'm only talking about what's realistic and what exists at the moment. And, to be clear, I don't view this line of discussion as being off topic. We are talking about "equality" and the various factors that are related to equality. If you are going to judge everyone by your own personal moral code, then that is very much an issue related to equality on a broader scale.[/color]

[color=#707875]I see what you mean, Box Hoy...and right now I can only tell you that we are working on something related to Battle Arena/Adventure Arena, which will render this particular issue moot when the time comes. I would be more specific, but all the details aren't yet decided. So, at the moment I can only say "you'll see what I mean when you see what we do there." ^_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Ahh, childhood memories... I think that my fondest childhood memory would be when I was in kindergarten. It was there that I met my best friend (who I've now known for some 17 years). I remember that I was playing by myself on some tan bark, and he walked up to me and asked to play. I can't remember the specifics of the discussion, but I remember how it ended; I pushed him and he fell over and started crying. lol Come to think of it, I really [i]don't [/i]know why I did that. I was never that kind of kid. Ahem, anyway... A while later (could have been a day, or a week...or a month -- when you're that old, one day seems like an eternity), I was playing on the monkey bars. In fact, I was pretty proud of myself; I'd managed to climb six whole rungs up from the ground, to the very top. What an achievement for such a short kid, huh? I was [i]so [/i]proud of myself that I lost concentration and fell. On the way down, I bumped my jaw on one of the metal bars, which caused my mouth to bleed. I was pretty dazed and I had no idea what was going on. One of the teachers took me inside and sat me down on a chair, with a tissue. So I sat there with the tissue on my mouth, while all the other kids played outside. While this was happening, my friend (who was my arch nemesis at that time) decided that he didn't want me to be alone inside. So he [i]deliberately [/i]headbutted the metal bar and gave himself a massive bruise...lol. So he was brought inside and he sat next to me, rubbing his head. And the rest is history. ~_^[/color]

[color=#707875]We allow commercial URLs, but we don't allow people to post threads that specifically advertise either their own site or a commercial site. Just wanted to clarify that. ^_^[/color] [color=#707875][/color] [color=#707875]EDIT: Do you want a white-in-black border, or just black? (As in, a black line on the outer edge and a thin white line inside it, like most OB avatars). And...do you want any text or anything like that? ^_^[/color] [color=#707875][/color] [color=#707875]EDIT 2: Okay, I've made the images...I'm just not sure if they are [i]exactly [/i]what you want...so I've kept them pretty safe and relatively un-edited.[/color]

[color=#707875]Invader Zim is awesome. The banner is cool; but please, try to avoid using BMP in attachments in the future. It's really the worst format to use on the web, especially when you're trying to keep the memory size down. I think the graphics are quite good, but I do think that the text could probably benefit from something...I'm not quite sure what though. Perhaps a very silght drop-shadow? And maybe have it a bit more vertically centered? Other than that, I'd also recommend some sort of border...just because I think it keeps everything looking nice and neat. But otherwise, it gets a thumbs up from me. ^_^[/color]

[QUOTE=DeathBug] What you're describing is moral relativism, which is a dangerous and socially corrosive concept. [/QUOTE] [color=#707875]Moral relativism is a dangerous and socially corrosive concept? Rubbish. Morals are one of the most relative things in human society. Everyone has different personal moral standards. Different cultures have various levels of moral standards...morals are, out of anything, one of the least "set in stone" elements of humanity. One only has to look at the last century of American history to see the way personal morals and social values have changed. So I think it's important to be careful about automatically condemning an idea as dangerous and socially corrosive -- when someone says that an idea is "dangerous", it automatically makes me think that they are a communist or something. lol Anyway, in terms of the current issue of language...I agree that people shouldn't be forced to learn English to enter the United States. I can speak to that issue with some level of understanding, because English is Australia's official language. But having said that, we -- like America -- are a nation made up of immigrants. Australia simply doesn't have a standard ethnicity, really. We are a complete mixture, primarily of European and Asian cultures and people. The thing I like about Australia though, is that while we have a defined national identity, we strongly celebrate the various cultures that we've inherited, as a result of immigration. Also, immigration and the multiple languages that come with it is simply a reality for nations like ours. Unless you close yourself off completely, people who don't speak English so well [i]are [/i]going to enter the country. I mean, in Melbourne, we have very large asian and Greek populations. I think that Melbourne has the largest Greek population of any city outside Greece itself, for example. And in terms of asian groups, you'll find large amounts of Chinese and Japanese people in this particular part of the country. As a result -- particularly in the city itself -- you will see various signs with multiple languages. You'll also go into certain stores and see touch monitors with either English and Japanese (or English and Chinese). The thing is though, I don't sit there and say "Why the hell can't we just have ENGLISH-only monitors?!" It's just not realistic...and why [i]not [/i]celebrate the fact that people speak different languages? I know that nobody here is necessarily saying that everyone [i]must [/i]know English...and I do agree with the idea of English being the emphasis in schooling. I am frequently surprised at the amount of people I see online (who come from English-speaking countries), who are unable to spell on a basic level. But that's more a pet peeve...and it's something that relates to people who were born speaking English, rather than another language (which is either a big condemnation of their own laziness, or of the education system as a whole lol). I think I'll end this post here, simply because it's running away from me and becoming increasingly rambly. And I don't want to put you through that.[/color]

[color=#707875]Pretending to be straight is entirely up to you. I mean, obviously a lot of kids do that for a while because they feel that everyone will hate them if the know they're gay. I think that it really comes down to you and your relationship with your parents. If you feel that they can't handle it, maybe you should try to avoid it for as long as you can...'till you're a bit more independent. Otherwise, I don't know. I certainly am hesitant to just tell you to pretend to be something you're not...because obviously nobody wants to do that in a situation like yours. I wish I could give you better advice, but it's really hard to know without knowing what your parents are like and such. All I can do is wish you luck. ^_^ Oh and...just so you know, I believe wrist cutter was being sarcastic. He's smarter than he's led you to believe there. ~_^[/color]

[color=#707875]Please post about Nintendo DS in [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=36436"]this thread[/url]. I strongly urge you to read the "How to post in Play It" sticky thread at the top of this forum, so that you understand how to create new threads here and how to search for currently existing topics. You'll find that most of your questions will already have been answered in the official thread, although right now no price has been announced by Nintendo to my knowledge.[/color]

[color=#707875]The first game console that I ever played was the old Game & Watch series...although I'm not sure if you'd consider that a "handheld console" as such. Despite the fact that I had played G&W many times when I was little, I never owned one until well after I'd bought a NES. Go figure. Other than that, my first experience would have to have been with an Atari...though I don't know exactly which system it was. It was just a keyboard with two joysticks. So, because I'm not very familiar with the specific Atari systems, I don't remember its name. But I used to play it pretty often at my cousins' house -- they owned video games before I did, despite the fact that my cousin is a year younger. But the first home console that I actually owned myself was a NES; I never bought an Atari, as my cousins always supplied those games. ~_^[/color]