Bravely Default Collector's Edition Unboxing Photos

The front of the box.

Well, the delivery estimate for my Collector's Edition of Bravely Default was almost a week ago. After 6 extra days of painful anticipation, it finally showed up at the post office. I must say, the wait was worth it. This thing is the nicest collector's anything I've ever gotten. But instead of listening to me blab on, you probably want to get to the actual meat of this post.

...That would be the photos.

The back of the box.

The opened box.

The Collector's Edition comes with a pack of 34 AR cards.

The back of the card box.

I spread out all 34 cards as best I could.

Here's a close look at the first six cards in the deck.

The soundtrack CD is nestled comfortably on the right side of the box.

A look at the back side of the CD case reveals the names of the 10 tracks.

The CD itself has a beautiful graphic of a praying Agnes.

The deluxe art book slides out of its secret compartment under the soundtrack.

Each main character has a few pages of the art book dedicated to them.

Spend 500 Club Nintendo coins on two Animal Crossing: New Leaf posters! ...Wait, what?

Club Nintendo in America has added a new reward: the Animal Crossing: New Leaf 2-Poster Set. The first poster is a nice shot of townsfolk every Animal Crossing player is familiar with (Isabelle, Tom Nook, and the like). The second poster features every single animal the game has to offer as ordinary citizens. That's all the explaining I can do: those who are familiar with the series know exactly what I mean.

The new reward is going for a whopping 500 coins. This baffles me, as past poster sets have included 3 posters and been redeemable for just 400 coins. I keep expecting Club Nintendo to get its act together and start offering decent items at decent prices, but the program keeps on sinking. What types of rewards would you like to see more of?

Nintendo 3DS XL unboxing and first impressions

Remember when I said I most likely would not get a Nintendo 3DS XL system? Well, I kinda did. See for yourself:

Strangely, the box is about half as big as the one the original 3DS came in.

The smaller box is a hint that the Nintendo 3DS XL doesn't include a charging cradle.

I was frankly shocked at how big the system actually was. It's massive!

Having owned both models of the Nintendo 3DS system now, what do I think of the upgraded XL version? In short, I love it. It solved all of the problems the original had that bugged me. The original had a strange reflective quality in the surface area surrounding the top screen. Problem solved. The stylus fit into a slot on the back of the original system. Problem solved: the stylus fits into a more convenient side slot on the XL. The top flap of the original stuck out over the bottom slightly, earning it the embarrassing nickname "muffin top". Problem solved. The boxy shape of the original dug into one's palms terribly. Problem solved...mostly. The XL is definitely more comfortable to hold than the original, but I still get the hand cramps at times.

I know many are disappointed that the Nintendo 3DS XL system doesn't have a built-in second analogue. If that bugs you, then go ahead and do your thing. I don't find it bothersome at all. I could complain about one or two things, though. These are minor issues, though, so keep that in mind. The XL is fairly heavy. I didn't expect much else, but it does feel a little out of balance that way. Also, I think the 3-D effect takes a hit because of the XL's low resolution. Turning the 3-D on makes a notable difference in the graphics...to me anyway. Fortunately I prefer to play in 2-D anyway, so no big deal.

Overall I think the Nintendo 3DS XL is superior to its smaller counterpart. I can honestly say I'm glad I made the upgrade.

Club Nintendo offers gold-colored nunchuk to North American members

There have been many causes to be jealous of Club Nintendo members in Japan. One of those cases involved a gold-colored nunchuk to match a certain gold Wii remote that came with special copies of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Well, we can all check that off the long list of North America have-nots, because the gold nunchuk has arrived. Click here to check it out. You'll have to drop 900 coins for this bad boy, but hurry: there's only a limited quantity available!

Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble! The Final Round is here!

In Round 3 of the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble, we saw the defeat of Magnus to Medusa (Battle) and the defeat of Medusa (Battle) to Poseidon. Our cliff-hanger match saw Poseidon facing off against Palutena. Who will the winner be? We'll find out today!

But first, of course, let's take a look at reader comments! Thanks to everyone who offered their vote! Both of our finalists got some love: Parko is alone in his support for Poseidon, but I see no reason to doubt the abilities of the god of ocean and sea! Anonymous and Skyler have both taken the side of Palutena. Poseidon was able to make it this far, and Palutena is a first-time fighter in this tournament, so it's hard to gauge whether she'll be a real contender or a real push-over. I'm gonna have to put my official vote on Poseidon.

Ladies and gentlemen, I declare it is time to find out! Drum roll, please! Our Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble winner is:

Palutena! And just like that, she sneaks last-minute into the tournament for the ultimate prize!

Whew! This has been a ton of fun for me, so I hope it was for you too! I actually added three new AR Idol cards to my collection since I staged the tabletop tumble, so perhaps we'll see a more well-organized tournament take place sometime in the future. Thanks again to those of you who participated! And congratulations to Palutena!

The Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble continues! Presenting Round 3!

Did you have a good weekend? Awesome! Well, a new week is in full swing, and we're starting it off with a little tabletop action! Last round saw the tough-as-nails human Magnus win against Three-Headed Hewdraw, First Blade, and God of Death, Thanatos. In our cliff-hanger match, we had Magnus vs. Medusa (Battle). The results of that match will be revealed today, but not before I weigh in, as well as discuss reader thoughts.

Anonymous is quite convinced that Medusa (Battle) will walk away victorious. And as much as I want Magnus to take the win, I can't help but lean towards Medusa (Battle) myself. I also think it's prudent to mention that there is a battle in Medusa's name on this card. Surely that means something ominous for our intrepid human. Still, Parko has high hopes for Magnus.  I think it's time we find out, don't you?

Presenting Round 3!

And the winner is...Medusa (Battle)! Magnus is finally taken down! I don't know about you guys, but that is very sad news to me! Time to pull out the big guns!

Match 7: Poseidon vs. Medusa (Battle)

 

We know now to not underestimate the evil Medusa (Battle). But does Poseidon, god of the oceans, have the power to take her down? I'd like to think so! But there's no telling what will happen in this battle! My official vote goes to Poseidon, however. Here are the results!

And the winner is...Poseidon! Unaffiliated triumphs over evil! As we near the end of our tabletop tumble, we realize that there is some major power at work in these final battles!

Match 8: Poseidon vs. Palutena

We have reached the eighth and final match of the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble! You know what that means, don't you? I can't very well do anything but leave Poseidon vs. Palutena as a cliff-hanger match! Does Palutena have the power to match Poseidon's in battle? I'll leave that question for all of you good readers to answer! Let your voice be heard with a comment! See you next time for the big finale!

Welcome back to the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble! Commence Round 2!

If you'll recall from Round 1 of the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble, Pit has fallen to Three-Headed Hewdraw, but not before he managed to take out Mik! Today we learn who the winner of Round 1's cliff-hanger match, Magnus vs. Three-Headed Hewdraw, will be! First, however, let's have a little discussion. Three-Headed Hewdraw surprised me with a victory against Pit, angel of light. But is our three-headed villain a match for Magnus, the strongest of humans? Parko of Play Nintendo seems to think so. Even so, I think I'm going to put my money on Magnus.

Let's find out! Commence Round 2!

And the winner is...Magnus! He really is one powerful human if he can defeat the enemy that defeated Pit!

Match 4: Magnus vs. First Blade

Maybe all Pit needs to win this thing is a weapon! Enter First Blade card! Magnus, on the other hand, has proved a formidable enemy. I think First Blade is the underdog in this match-up. Therefore, I feel I have no choice but to favor Magnus once again. Will my faith in Magnus prove to be my strength or downfall?

 

And the winner is...Magnus! And he triumphs once more! Will this guy ever go down?

Match 5: Magnus vs. God of Death, Thanatos

Time to give Magnus a real opponent! That is to say, I would think that God of Death, Thanatos would be more of a match than, say, Three-Headed Hewdraw. I'm gonna have to pass on betting on this match. Let's get straight to the results:

And the winner is...Magnus! Will Magnus never meet his superior in battle? Do we even want to see him go down?

Match 6: Magnus vs. Medusa (Battle)

It's time for this round's cliff-hanger match. I think Medusa (Battle) is definitely more intimidating than any of Magnus' opponents so far. But hasn't this determined human already proved his mettle? Who will you root for? Show it by leaving a comment! Until next time!

Nintendo Lifeline presents the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble! Let Round 1 Begin!

I gotta say, I've been having a blast with the AR Idol cards that work with Kid Icarus: Uprising. From what I've heard, there will be hundreds of these things! And no, they won't be that easy to get, either. Here's a little tip for you, though: the April edition of Nintendo Power magazine contains a pack of three! So, out of hundreds, I have a whopping 9 cards. How 'bout that!

Anyway, I spent a ridiculous amount of time yesterday playing around with my AR Idol cards. It gave me the inspiration for today's post. Ladies and gentlemen, let Round 1 of the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble begin!

Match 1: Pit vs. Mik

I'm going to have to put my money on Pit in our first battle of the day. He is, after all, an angel. And for those of you who've played the game, you know that the enemy Mik is quite a weakling. Shall we find out?

And the winner is...Pit! Was there ever any doubt? But will Pit be strong enough to face his next opponent:

Match 2: Pit vs. Three-Headed Hewdraw

I'm a sucker for a classic good vs. evil plot. And we all know that good wins! Therefore, I'm goin' with Pit once more for our second match-up of Pit against Three-Headed Hewdraw. Also, I beat Three-Headed Hewdraw myself in the game with Pit, so what else would I do? Let's see for ourselves:

And the winner is...Three-Headed Hewdraw! And Pit goes down! Who'da thunk it?

Match 3: Magnus vs. Three-Headed Hewdraw

 After Three-Headed Hewdraw's surprising victory against the servant of light, I'm starting to think anything can happen in this tournament. Will Magnus pull off the victory that evaded Pit? Or will Three-Headed Hewdraw prove his strength once more? I'm going to leave the commentary open to you guys. Leave your thoughts in the comments! We'll find out once and for all in Round 2 of the Kid Icarus: Uprising Tabletop Tumble! See you then!

Giant AR Card: A Club Nintendo review

I don't expect many of my readers to be big enough Nintendo fans that they frequently use Club Nintendo, but I regard my precious Club Nintendo coins as very valuable. You don't just spend them on anything!

Today's Club Nintendo item is the recent Giant AR Card. I simply jumped at the chance to get this one for 200 coins. You've seen my regular AR photos: little Mii's on my desk, little Nintendo characters at school. But if you're a regular Nintendo Lifeline reader, you've also seen glimpses of what the Giant AR Card can create: a giant dragon coming to life on the back lawn, a giant Mii rushing down the stairs. (For all that and more, visit this previous post.)

Now that you have an idea of what this thing is, let's get down to business. First of all, this card is even bigger than I originally expected. Sometimes it's a little too big. To get it to register with my Nintendo 3DS camera, I've used a rickety ladder and the top of a high deck, among other things. Don't get me wrong, though: the size is great. Best part about it. There is something valid to dislike about the Giant AR Card, though: it is painstaking to get it to register because 1) it's too floppy and 2) it catches glares all too easily. As if it wasn't tedious enough to set up the regular-sized AR card, this one is even more difficult to work with. But if you can get past that, it's quite fun to mess around with.

So is the Giant AR Card worth 200 of your precious Club Nintendo coins? Well, if messing around with augmented reality appeals to you, definitely. If not, the added frustration might not be worth it. Have a great week, and spend those coins wisely!