It's all happening in June

Release of eShop
When I first acquired my Nintendo 3DS, I found that it had an internet browser. Curious, I tapped it. All I got was a message that said internet access would be available in a future update. I'm certainly not the only one who was a little disappointed. In fact, one of the greatest qualms critics had about the system was that it seemed incomplete without all the online features that were promised. Well, the wait is over on the evening of June 6, when internet access and a myriad of other features will appear through the most anticipated update to the Nintendo 3DS system yet. The eShop will be a channel through which WiiWare-esque games can be obtained. It will also include a Virtual Console that will make GameBoy and GameBoy Color games available in all their original glory.

E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
E3 is easily the biggest event of the year for gaming fans. Nintendo will kick off E3 on the morning of June 7 with a live media presentation, which will be available here. Afterwards, Nintendo fans can look forward to daily updates. These are sure to include new game trailers, first impressions, and special Nintendo presentations. As always, Nintendo is sure to reveal new, highly-exciting details about the games and systems the company has been working on. Project Cafe, anyone?

Game Release: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Hardcore Zelda fans such as myself have already marked June 19 on their Club Nintendo calenders as the day Ocarina of Time 3D is released. This game promises to be more than just a remake with updated graphics and controls, the inclusion of the Master Quest, and a brand-new Boss Challenge mode.

It's a great time to be a Nintendo fan, so don't forget to keep your eyes open. I predict that every last Nintendo fan alive will be cheering about something over the coming month.

Nintendo Music: Dragon Roost Island

So I've finally gotten around to writing a new post about Nintendo music. Today's selection comes from the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and it's the music that plays at Dragon Roost Island...I think. Okay, I admit it, I've never played Wind Waker. Never got a hold of that one...

But, hey, I love this tune just the same. It begins with a basic melody accompanied by a robust beat, but about 25 seconds in, it becomes a trio in which the bass takes the surprising role of counter melody. For a huge bass fan like myself, it's rather irresistible...

Perhaps it isn't too late for me to pick up this game.

How Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Lost My Respect: A Review

After expressing my frustration about the poor online experience I had with SSFIV, I feel I should give the whole game a review. It deserves that much.

This is probably a great game. However, being relatively new to the series, and also being a huge Super Smash Bros. fan, this game just seems mediocre to me. The courses, for one, could be a lot more interesting. They're all the same size and nothing that happens on them effects gameplay. And don't get me started on the controls. I'm gonna get started on them anyway. First of all, the player can opt for "Lite" controls. What kind of gamer wants to take that kind of shortcut? It seems rather absurd, if you ask me. On the other hand, "Pro" controls are insane as well. Insanely difficult. After a few hours' worth of practice, I still can't figure how complicated combos are performed. As far as I can tell, they are performed through chaotic, orderless mashing of the buttons and control pad. Any newcomer to this series will be begging for a tutorial. I resorted to the web for assistance, but, alas, I found nothing. Apparently the only people who need help where this game is concerned are ones who already know how to perform a move like this: > v > v  > + KKK (in air). Well, I'm sorry, but I don't even know how to do that. In fact, I don't even know how to do "Stand LP, Stand MP", because I can't see the hidden code that turns two simple moves into something that'll get me through Trial Mode.

I'll continue to get mild satisfaction from playing this game, because everything else about it is quite polished. I just have to ignore the burning rage that grows inside me when I realize that I'll never know how to do C. Viper's Burst Time, let alone Burning Dance. Oh, and forget about getting through 19/24 stages in Trial Mode, even using "Lite" controls.         

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition Online Play: A First

The beating of my heart gradually crescendos until it feels like it's in my throat. I've just initiated an internet fight in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. My excitement peaks when the battle finally begins. I start by flicking the circle pad upward to jump into the air. My character does nothing. I guess my thumb slipped? A split second later, my character jumps straight up. Something funny is going on here. But I keep at it.

Long story short, I don't stand a chance. I land one or two punches, but otherwise struggle to not get clobbered by repeated special attacks. The action that takes place in the game is about a second or two slower than my physical actions on the buttons and control pad are. It ends in total failure on my part.

Is this typical? Is this sluggishness the price to pay for online play? I'm genuinely curious, so if you're reading this and have played SSFIV over the internet, enlighten me, by all means. (Helpful note: I checked my internet connection, and it was perfectly fine, all bars filled.)

Needless to say, I won't be playing this game over the internet at all anymore. But that doesn't mean I can't rant about it a bit here. I've played Mario Kart Wii over the internet many times, and it runs as smoothly as if I were playing locally. Why can't SSFIV be the same? What's different about it? Please, feel free to comment, I'm asking for answers here!

Nintendo 3DS Perplexities: Augmented Reality (AR) Games

I hate to use Wikipedia, but the definition it provides for "augmented reality" is the following: "...a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics."

With that general idea, I'll give you the run-down on how Augmented Reality is used by the Nintendo 3DS system. Every unit comes packed with six cards. No, not game cards. Not SD cards. They are, literally, paper cards with images on them, like any ordinary playing cards. The image in this post may give you a sense of them.

After opening the AR Games application of the 3DS, the system's two outward-facing cameras (two cameras allow for a real-time 3D view) can recognize the images on the AR cards. By this method, the 3DS is able to accomplish a huge number of mind-boggling tricks. Turn any surface into a fishing pond that ripples and churns. Or watch Nintendo characters come to vivid, 3D life on the dining room table. Nintendo has provided a sizable handful of entertaining diversions within this built-in 3DS software.

Still have questions about AR Games? Let me know in the comments and I can respond to them!