One Of My Faves #4 Pokemon Blue

Growing up I played tons of video games, but I was never the kid on the bus playing on a handheld. I always envied those kids, playing their Tetris or Sonic the Hedgehog, but neither Gameboy or Game Gear appealed much to me. One was way too big, and the other was way too green. That all changed in 1997. There was a cool new cartoon to watch, and apparently it was based off of a game. This was the start of the phenom called Pokemon.

It was so unique, in that it appealed to everyone young and old, male or female. Whats makes it even more special is that it wasn't just a fad, and is still popular today. It is now 2014 and I still play it to this day, maybe not with the same enthusiasm as I once did, but I still find it extremely enjoyable.

There is nothing else that has had such lasting appeal. Not Digimon. Not Pogs. Not Tamagotchi. Not Yugioh. Nothing. The Pokemon craze is still alive and well, and that's awesome.

On line? What's on line?

I still remember that Christmas; my brother and I both got Gameboy Colors, and each got a Pokemon game with it. I thankfully got Blue. Its my favorite color after all. I was immediately hooked. They weren't kidding when they said "Gotta Catch'em All". Honestly, Pokemon Blue introduced me to grinding in video games, and without it I would have continued to suck at rpgs. I still remember searching Viridian Forest for what seemed like hours trying to catch a damn Pikachu. The first few times I encountered it I either killed it or scared it off, but it was all worth it when I finally caught that sucker.

Old School.

Pokemon was just super fun to play. The game is made to be addictive, and that is exactly what it is. Collecting every badge and every Pokemon became a tiny obsession of mine. Thankfully, it seemed as though everyone played a version of this game, and it made trading and collecting enjoyable. Yes, we had these dumb cables to lug around everywhere, but it really wasn't all that bad. Trading Pokemon at home, outside, and even at school. There wasn't a spot that was off limits for trading if it meant getting a rare Pokemon you needed. I'm still waiting for the day when Nintendo finally gives us a console Pokemon game, but in the meantime I keep playing on my 3DS. The Pokemon franchise opened up the world of handheld gaming to me, and I will always be grateful for that. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back to earning my Feather badge in Pokemon Alpha Sapphire.

E3 Came Early...Zelda Wii U

Mind blown. Seriously. When was the last time Nintendo had a presence at any event in the industry besides E3 or one of their Nintendo Directs? It has been quite awhile, and its extremely refreshing to see them take an interest in something like the Game Awards. To be honest I was completely in shock when I saw Reggie and immediately began to wonder what they had up their sleeve. Nintendo, who has historically been very tight lipped about projects still in development, actually showed footage from their biggest games for 2015. Next year was was already going to be a great year for gamers in generally, but Nintendo coming out and saying both Zelda and Star Fox would be released next year was plain awesome.

Even without these two titles, the Wii U is going to have a ton of releases. Having games like Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Devil's Third, Splatoon, amongst many others AND having a brand new Zelda? This is almost dreamlike.

Supporting the Game Awards and showcasing upcoming games was a perfect way to end a great year for Nintendo, and will serve as a powerful way to maintain momentum until the Wii Us next big release and E3. They planted the seeds with what they showed of Zelda Wii U, and it was definitely impressive. To all those haters out there; the game is still a year away. and to critique graphics and other technical aspects of the video is beyond dumb. The purpose of the video was to show fans what they have been working on. A proof of concept to tease fans ,and a way to raise anticipation for the title. The game is still unfinished, but it is still beautiful. I for one cant wait for the finished product.

Zelda Wii U is coming, and the best part of it is it wont be arriving alone. Nintendo is finally making it about the games, and is putting their money where their mouth is. Sony and Microsoft....your turn.

If you haven't seen the footage yet for the game shown at the GA's, check it out below.