DS lite, My New Obsession

So I was there on Sunday to pick up my pre ordered DS lite, and I must say I think it might be one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. This might be why I haven't written an entry in this blog in a while, I've been way too busy playing Brain Age or New Mario Bros. The system itself is very well designed. I would never have picked up the original DS because I found it way too bulky, the screens wouldn't be visible unless you were in complete darkness, and it was kinda ugly. The lite however is really appealing (unless you despise that glossy white iPod-ish look), the screens have 4 brightness settings, the lowest is good for playing in a poorly lit area and the brightest is actually even visible if you're playing in bright sunlight. The system feels very nice in your hands, even for someone like me who has long fingers. The buttons and d-pad have a nice responsive and springy feel to them, and the stylus is a decent size also. As for the games I picked up, New Super Mario Bros. and Brain Age (I guess Brain Age isn't a game), both are excellent. Mario Bros is Mario Bros, just spiced up with 3D character models, but it plays just like Mario Bros 1-3 played, with a few additions. Have yet to try the multiplayer as I'm the only person I regularly see who plays handhelds. Brain Age is actually a ton of fun, doing the exercises daily may not make you feel smarter right away, but it keeps you coming back, and if you miss a day you feel that you have let yourself down. It also includes a bunch of SuDoku puzzles, as craze that I never tried until it appeared in a game (go figure). Basically the long and short of it is, if you are a handheld gamer who has maybe not wanted to go to the DS or PSP, or even if you own the previous DS incarnation, it's time to step into the lite. This system is so much fun, and I haven't even tried half the games I want to yet, and it appears to have a definite upswing, whereas my PSP, well all I'm looking forward to is LocoRoco. Check it out you won't be disappointed.

China Bans Games, and Gamers Shoot People in the Face

Related to comments I made about the violent game bills being passed in the US, China has taken it a step further and actually banned some games from being sold for their "pornographic imagery, gambling or violent content." These games include Blood Rayne II, Obscure, AV Mahjong, and Kong Bu Lao Long (Horrible Cage) (meh, don't think the public is missing out on much). I guess maybe this isn't a suprisee for China, but it made me realize that hey maybe there are some crazy people out there that want to suppresss the game industry, but at least they are not banning games (yet). I'm sure if some Senators and Florida Lawyers (if you don't know who I'm talking about stick around), had there way then yes there would be game bansintot the US too.

Now moving on to discuss the Florida lawyer, his name is Jack Thompson, if you don't know who he is, Google the name and you'll find out. Now the man is quite vocal about his stance on video games and the people who play them, actually I consider some of his statements to be defamation butthat'ss my opinion. His latest statement is regarding arrests of two Florida teenagers under suspicion of murder. Thompson asked that the authorites search their homes for gamingparaphernaliaa, and "M" rated games were found. Thompson went on to make this slightlyy" absurd quote "Nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer." I actually have noting to say after that, except maybe, dear lord!?!? I cannot quite understand what makes this man tick, and to think this is only his latest quote. Like I said before if you haven't heard of him before Google the name and prepare to be amazed at his ignorance.

Microsoft Handheld Speculation, PS3 a Computer ?!?!

There have been a few reports/comments surfacing recently speculating the possibility of a Microsoft handheld device being released Late 2007 - Early 2008. Most of these speculations are stating that the device will not solely be a gaming device but something that would go after both the PSP and iPod audiences, I imagine something like a PDA with a HDD. Now with the announcement of Live Anywhere at E3, there are some interesting possibilities around a device like this and creating a "community" environment for portable users, something that I feel is defiantly missing from the PSP. I can't imagine Microsoft creating a strictly gaming device, it would probably be a new genre of portable device.

Sony's Phil Harrison was asked about Live Anywhere and if they're worried about the seamless networking between PC and the 360. He went on to state that the PS3 is a computer because it will have a browser, allow people to watch movies, and other internet entertainment. Now I dunno if they (Sony) is still in damage control from the price announcement (which when I started to think about it isn't really that bad), or what, but the PS3 will not replace my PC, as I have this strong feeling that it will not support a well known word processor, spreadsheet, or database, and It defiantly will not support Visual Studio.