Avi

...There's so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to start. Not only does it fail at providing accurate vehicle information (the 280ZX wasn't produced until 1978, Ultra Magnus used the same cab as Optimus Prime and thus would be the same model, etc.), there's fan-art of things that don't actually exist (Chromedome as an Energon Downshift redeco), mis-matched versions of the characters (Ratchet, Blurr, Hound), the completely inexplicable inclusion of the U-Haul Robot... But nothing quite as amazing as the Rodimus Prime screw-up. That's just... Wow.

If you really want to know what the Autobot's vehicle modes were, go here and start surfing: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Main_Page The people there actually care enough to make an effort.

You people really care that much? You really got that big a hard-on at the thought of some snot-nosed twelve year old teabagging you with Samus while shouting 'LOL SMUS PWND U NOOB!!!1!!' at you? You're *really* that ticked off that they decided not to waste their time with something that they *knew* would just end up sub-par (again) and be better suited to a different series? Y'know, one that's not based far more on exploration and discovery than random mindless carnage? It really pisses in your cornflakes that much?

That's freakin' *pathetic*.

Sometimes you just don't need all that much evolution. Exploring new areas in gameplay can be nice and all, but it can be just as effective to stick with a reliable experience. I've been hankering for a decent, old-school turn-based RPG, and this sounds like it might just fit the bill. The lack of random encounters invites comparison to Chrono Trigger, which is *never* a bad thing. Especially since I @#$%ing HATE random encounters.

Ha HA! Slash.

Honestly. If you're not looking for a serious time waster, why would you even get into an RPG in the first place? The entire 'role-playing' premise originated as a way to escape the drudgery of normal existance by taking on the persona of a denizen of some fantasic fictional world. What part of this concept says 'quick pick-it-up-and-go game' to anyone?

As for his suggested minigames, I'd prefer ones that involve less horse-humping, thanks.

The 1 & 2 buttons kinda annoy me. Those buttons have already gone through three seperate designation changes; in the original animation from last year, they were simply X & Y. Nice, simple, obvious. However, the physical model shown at the same show they were labled a & b, presumably to tie into the NES style orientation. Then the next model, shown earlier this year, had them as X & Y again, with a & b printed next to them in NES orientation. This was my personal favorite, but apparently it was deemed to complicated for Nintendo's new market (y'know, idiots) so we get 1 & 2. Bleh.

I'm still at the point where I'm continually astounded at how *bad* the name is. Anything that requires that much overwrought, convoluted marketingspeak bullsh*t to 'explain' it can't possibly be a good idea.

The 'attracting non-gamers' angle is bull, too. For one thing, they're just as likely to be confused or annoyed by it, and that may well turn them off from even considering the system. For another, they could've just as easily come up with a name with 'non-gamer' appeal that didn't *completely alienate* a large portion of the core 'gamer' market. Keeping such a painfully dorky name could end up being a collosal misstep.

At this rate, the Lite'll sell a million units before it even gets released in the US. This thing's momentum is friggin' amazing.

#7- Presumably because the slang spelling is also used for the Lite. Lite and Phat as opposed to Light and Fat. We're so witty.

#8- Because the Japanese numbers are much more trustworthy. The NPD numbers fail to count major big-box stores such as Walmart and Target, which makes them little better than useless. Also, the Japanese numbers illustrate the continuing cultural zeitgeist that is the DS Lite, which gives some people a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Not the news everyone was hoping for, but some news that was quite unexpected. I wonder, though... If Nintendo's roping in defunct competing platforms for the Virtual Console, are they just gonna do Sega and NEC and call it quits? There's a few other dead consoles they could add in there, like the Jaguar or even the 7800. Or maybe... Do I dare to even hope for it... Virtual Neo Geo?