Just a quick blog to get some stuff out of my brain and down on paper... er... I mean computer monitor.



* I finally scored a copy of the Bonk's Adventure remake for the Japanese Gamecube! A few while back I cblogged about how badly I wanted the game, and a few of you even helped me look for it. The damn thing was nowhere to be found.

Well, I just lucked out on Ebay and secured myself a used copy of the game. As long as it's not scratched to hell, I'll be playing that sucker as soon as next week. I'm so pumped!

For more on the reasons behind my sudden Bonk-boner, check the front page at 7am Dtoid-time.



* Question for you Wii owners (and non-Wii owners), do you want more PSP to Wii ports? At the beginning of the Wii's life cycle, the PSP/Wii ports were sort of awful (Alien Syndrome immediately comes to mind), but times have changed. Since then, PSP and Wii games have both gotten a lot better, and I wonder if the two should be paired again.

The PSP/Wii games are actually still coming, but not with the same regularity. The only game that I can think of off the top of my head is Silent Hill:Shattered Memories, which clearly looks better on the Wii, but is coming to the PSP/PS2 as well. Would you want to see more of these "enhanced PSP ports" on the Wii? Would you buy a graphically enhanced version of Ultimate Ghosts N' Goblins, Mega Man: Powered Up, Metal Gear: Peace Walker, Final Fantasy: Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, and any of the countless other AAA-looking PSP games?

I mean, I know that they'd be great on XBLA/PSN as well, but realistically, downloadable games just aren't making enough money yet to justify the costs of porting them from the PSP to those services. Memory constraints area problem as well. The Wii is the most popular home console on the market right now, with way bigger install base than the XBLA/PSN market, and DVD/UMD is still the way to go if your talking about a big series like MGS or FF.

I think that there are a number of PSP games that would be great to see on the Wii (and Wii games on the PSP too, like Tatsunoko Vs Capcom for instance). Do you think so too?

If not, why not?



* I saw three movies recently, and I liked them all. The first was Ponyo. Honestly, I was sure I'd be dissappointed dissappointed with it. Miyazaki is my favorite director ever, but the trailers for the movie didn't look all that great by Ghibli-standards, and the new theme song by baby jJnas and Hanna Montana-mini was pretty awful.

Thankfully, the movie turned out to be one of Miyazaki's best. It's packed with so many set pieces, it' borders on being overstimulating, but unlike in Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, these set pieces are tied to a simple and clean narrative. Ponyo really is a return to the zen-like charm of Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, except with way more visual flair. This is Tototo turned up to 11, and it's awesome.

Plus, the baby-staring contest is perhaps the greatest moment in the history of cinema. I'll be talking about those five minutes of the movie for the rest of my life.

Next up was I Sell the Dead, a period piece horror/comedy starring the hobbit from TV's Lost. The great Ron Pearlman also plays a role. The movie felt like a pilot for a really good TV show that never got picked up. The effects were cheap, but the writing and characters were great. Watch this if you get the chance, especially if you're a fan of "the funny deads" (Dead Alive, Evil Dead, Sean of the Dead, Return of the Living Dead, etc).

Finally, I saw Inglorious Basterds. It wasn't that good, but overall, I was glad I saw it. There are two characters (the nazi Columbo and Brad Pitt) that are completely awesome, and the rest of the movie was sort of a wash. The climax is pretty cool though. Still, if you only end up renting this one, it wont be too big of a loss.



* So, I got a new day job and I'm slowly letting people at work know that my real passion is videogames and Dtoid. I've gotten some pretty mixed reviews so far. Most people who work at my new place are over 30, and they still seem to think there is something wrong with you if you're playing videogames as an adult (unless it's with your kids). Even the women in their 20's at the place seem generally resistant to accepting gaming. It seems to be sports, cars, or clubbing with them. Anything else is weird and mockery-worthy.

The do have a Wii at work though, and the patients and staff seem to like it. Like so many "hardcore" gamers, the "non-gamers" I work with don't think that Wii Sports is "a real game" either, but they actually think that's a good thing. I've already heard a lot of comments like "Sure, I like the Wii, but that's because it's interactive. It's more like a sport than a videogame" and "Yeah, I'll play the Wii, but not everyday. If you play videogames everyday, there is something wrong with you".

It makes me wonder how long it will take for videogames to no longer be considered a deviant pursuit of one's time, and if I'm doing the right thing by "coming out of the gamer-closet" so quickly to my co-workers. How long do you wait before letting an acquaintance know that you're into gaming? Do you think there will ever be a time when it's considered "normal" for adults to play videogames as much as they read or watch TV?



* I feel awful about saying this, but I love sequels/remakes. I know I'm not alone on this, but I actually think it's a huge problem. Almost ever major videogame release and Hollywood movie of the past ten years has been a sequel, a remake, or a comic book/word-only book adaption. People don't like new ideas anymore, they like having the ideas they already know repackaged to them in a new form. That's pretty sad.

I'm no different though. The games I'm most excited for right now are Cave Story WiiWare, RE:Darkside Chronicles, No More Heroes 2, Katamari Forever, and Okamiden. Sure, there are some new IP I'm interested in as well, like the Crystal Bears, Muramasa and Bayonetta, but it's the remakes and the sequels that have me really excited right now.

Am I part of the reason why gaming/movies are addicted to the remake, or is it OK to just shut up and bask in the warm, comforting glow of unoriginality?