I had my chance to test out the Nintendo DS over the past week, thanks to my manager at work and an old friend of mine who's currently writing for Ziff-Davis.  Out of the small handful of the games I've played so far, only Feel the Magic: XY/XX demonstrates the system's full potential.  Not only are the game's stylish, smoothly animated silhouettes impressive by the once humble standards of handheld systems, but Feel the Magic makes full use of the system's integrated peripherals.  You'll be sweeping sharp tacks from the street to make room for speeding shopping carts, frantically tapping in numbers to open the parachutes of hapless plane jumpers, and blowing out candles, using your very own breath. 

Feel the Magic offers a level of interaction you're just not going to find in any other game, which sadly includes the other titles released for the Nintendo DS.  Metroid Prime Hunters and Super Mario 64 DS are fine games in their own right, but they only use half the system's full potential.  The graphics are fantastic (people have frequently compared the DS to the Nintendo 64, but trust me, Metroid Prime Hunters looks better than anything you've ever seen on the N64) and the stereo sound is even better, but the touchscreen and microphone are wasted on these games.  The control in both games is clumsy, especially in Super Mario 64 DS, where the simulated analog thumbstick keeps moving out of the reach of your thumb.

The Nintendo DS is a pretty good system, but future games are going to have to demonstrate why Nintendo included two screens, a microphone, and a touchpad in the design.  These peripherals are the only advantages that the DS has over the PSP... Nintendo needs to make the most of them now, so gamers will understand what truly distinguishes the system from its future competitor.

Remember this day, everyone.  It's the day after the launch of the Nintendo DS, a historical occasion in the history of video games.  Whether it's a success or a failure, this system will forever have an impact on this industry, and may very well influence the design of future game consoles.

I didn't pick up the system myself... I plan to wait a few months, until the Nintendo DS has a stronger software library and the price has dropped so that it can better compete against the upcoming Sony PSP.  However, I've been checking the stock available (or in most cases, NOT available) at retail stores in my area, and talking to folks who've purchased the system about its features.

The first thing I've discovered is that the system has been selling quite well at most locations, but it's not impossible to find if you know where to look.  I found six Nintendo DS units at a K-Mart in Greenville, but some forty miles away, the Meijer was completely out of stock.  A friend of a friend had told me that nearly every location in Lansing had sold out.  This suggests that you're better off hunting for the system in a smaller town, where people don't take their gaming quite as seriously and the demand for the DS isn't nearly as strong.

After arriving home, I called a friend who vowed that he would get his hands on the system by any means necessary.  He wasn't around, but his girlfriend assured me that yes, he did manage to find a Nintendo DS.  In fact, she bought one of her own to sell on eBay, a tactic that should be familiar to anyone who remembers the launch of the Playstation 2. 

She decided to keep the second system in the box to increase its resale value, so she couldn't test the PictoChat feature with her main squeeze.  However, what she COULD tell me about the system was both enlightening and very encouraging.  Apparently, Super Mario 64 DS has tons of replay value... it's overflowing with dozens of mini-games, which are unlocked with every stage you complete.  I'm also told that the game "looks just like a cartoon"... I'm not entirely convinced of that after watching the footage on G4, but if she's impressed with the game, there's a good chance that a lot of other players will be, too.

The strangest thing about the system is that you've actually got to register it after you open the box.  You don't get a choice in the matter... you can't play games until you've entered your name and other information into the Nintendo DS.  I'm not sure if this data is sent directly to Nintendo using the system's wi-fi capabilities, or how it's stored, or even if the information can be reset later.  If the registration makes permanent changes to the system, it'll be a whole lot tougher to sell it later when Nintendo releases their next handheld system.

When I arrive at work later today, I'll have a chance to experience the Nintendo DS for myself.  My manager picked up the system on launch day and has been showing it to everyone he knows.  Now, if I had saved the money that I'd spent on my Game Boy Advance SP, along with an extra fifty dollars, I could be playing the DS right along with him, rather than waiting for a turn up to bat.  There's no use crying over foolishly spent money, though... I'm sure I'll get my chance next year, when the price on the system drops.

It's that special time again... the time when families gather to enjoy the bounty of the fall, and when Jess catches up on his gaming knowledge by playing all those first generation Playstation 2 games he missed when the system was first released.

Thanks to a special holiday sale at the local pawn shop, I was able to pick up a handful of critically acclaimed PS2 games, all released within a year of the system's launch.  I didn't own a Playstation 2 until a couple of years after it came out, so I missed a lot of high profile titles... games like Jak and Daxter, Gran Tourismo 3: A Spec, and Dark Cloud.  I've rectified the situation by picking up all three of these games, for less than ten dollars a piece.

First, there's Gran Tourismo 3.  I always dismissed Gran Tourismo as an overrated Sony exclusive which didn't merit the praise it constantly received.  Of course, that wasn't an especially informed opinion, since I'd only played a demo of the original back when I'd gotten my first Playstation back in 1998.  How do I feel about it now?  Well, if nothing else, it's pretty.  Compared to its Dreamcast counterpart Metropolis Street Racer, Gran Tourismo 3 comes out ahead with a faster frame rate and more detailed tracks.  The soundtrack is also pretty catchy, featuring modern covers of everything from 99 Luftballoons to Are You Gonna Go My Way?  However, I've got issues with the gameplay, which is much too technical and demanding for my tastes.  This isn't a game you can  jump right in and play... it takes a lot of practice to get a feel for the handling of your vehicle, and just as much skill to keep yourself from crashing into the guardrails after every turn.  Now, I know some people dig that kind of realism, but as a fan of arcade racing, I just don't have the patience for it.  If I had to make a choice between Gran Tourismo 3 and Metropolis Street Racer, I'd throw them both in a drawer and just play Crazy Taxi or Hydro Thunder instead.

I enjoyed Jak and Daxter much more, although its qualities weren't immediately apparent.  At first, it just seemed like another cookie-cutter platformer from the creators of Crash Bandicoot, but as I continued to play I started noticing what really sets the game apart from Naughty Dog's past work.  The most important distinguishing characteristic is that the playfield is far more open.  There aren't levels in the traditional sense, but one great big world, comprised of different lands which you can explore at your own whim.  There's a sense of freedom here that's missing from most 3D platformers, which force you to collect items and abilities that act as keys to new locations.  Although the graphics seem a bit dated, I was pretty impressed with the voice acting, made appropriately cartoony by industry professionals like Futurama's David Herman.  They even hired Max Casella, Doogie Hauser's unwisely chosen best friend, to do what he does best... play an obnoxious, weasel-like sidekick.  Now that's great casting!

Finally, there's Dark Cloud.  What sounds like a low-grade brand of toilet paper is in reality, an adventure game in the vein of Gateway to Apshai, with just a touch of territorial development thrown in for zest.  Jeremy Parish, the editor of Toastyfrog, once said that dungeon crawlers like Dark Cloud can be strangely addictive, even when they're not particularly well designed.  I'd tend to agree with that statement, but at the same time, Crimson Tears' approach to this style of unending exploration is a lot more appealing thanks to its crisp, futuristic graphics and a far more exciting combat system.  You could say that the ability to create (or more accurately, reorganize) your own towns in Dark Cloud makes up for its boring monster battles, but to me, it feels like this feature distracts you from the core gameplay rather than enhancing it.  I don't know, maybe I need to spend more time with this one.  If Dark Cloud is anything like Crimson Tears (and believe me, it is), there's no doubt that I will.

I also bought a ludicrously cheap copy of Ninja Gaiden for the XBox... not for me, but for my manager at work, who bought the system a couple of months ago.  You'd think that he'd be having a lot more fun with this freshly released, state-of-the-art action game than I would with three crusty old Playstation 2 titles.  Funny thing about that, though... he's already stuck in the first stage, stopped in his tracks by a rocky cliff wall.  When people said this game was tough, they weren't kidding!

You know you've made your mark as an Internet personality when your characters get mocked in shitty webcomics, published on third rate online art galleries.  I mean, really, Sheezy Art?  What, this guy couldn't even get into Side 7?

I have to admit, I was pretty depressed for the past couple of months.  I felt that my site was losing its relevance... that my contributions to the gaming community no longer mattered.  Just when I lost all hope in The Gameroom Blitz; just when I thought the site was a waste of my time, along comes some random cretin on the Internet whose primitive, backstabbing scribbles have reaffirmed my faith in my work.  Thank you, hamhanded, lobotomized fool, for proving to me that The Gameroom Blitz still has meaning and purpose.  If my web page can bother just one mouth breathing idiot enough that he takes a break from his G4 marathons and his Grand Theft Auto to draw sad, humorless parodies of my characters, the past eight years have completely been worth my time.

Here's a word of advice to the rest of the dimwits who have a problem with this site, and the opinions expressed within it.  I edit The Gameroom Blitz for only one person, and it ain't you.  If you can't handle that, there's the door.  Feel free to let it hit you in the ass, the face, and the groin (repeatedly) on the way out.

I'm amazed at the quality of Metal Slug Advance.  This is SNK's first release for the GBA (remember, other companies were responsible for King of Fighters EX and its sequel) and already they're kicking ass with a great shooter that merges the fantastic audiovisuals of the Neo-Geo games with the deep gameplay of the spinoffs on the Neo-Geo Pocket.

First, the bad news (and there isn't much of it).  The level design isn't quite as good as it was in the first two Metal Slug titles, where the game told a story as you played it, rather than waiting to do this with intermissions at the end of each stage.  Instead, it feels as though the designers of Metal Slug Advance have just thrown together bits and pieces from previous games in the hopes of creating what seem like new missions.  Also, it's worth noting that the game is tough.  Weapons are in short supply, and the enemies have an annoying tendency of regenerating when you walk back to collect items you may have missed.  Finally, the Metal Slug tradition of stealing all your prisoners and items when you die is even more annoying here, because they sometimes offer your character permanent benefits.  However, you don't get that armor plating and super-sized ammo clips if you can't complete the stage in which they were collected, making it even more important to stay alive, no matter what occurs.

If you can get past the difficulty and the familiarity of the stages, you'll find that Metal Slug Advance is the best game of its kind on the Game Boy Advance.  The graphics are only slightly downscaled from Metal Slug on the Neo-Geo, with the same lush colors and detailed shading but less animation and a more cramped view of the action.  However, the sound is incredible, featuring the same powerful military themes as its big brother on the Neo-Geo, along with crystal clear voice and booming explosions.  Most importantly, the game is a whole lot more fun than the other side-scrolling shooters on the Game Boy Advance.  You no longer have to settle for cheap imitations like Lilo and Stitch or Turok Evolution if you want a handheld Metal Slug fix... Metal Slug Advance is the real deal!

At long last, I've found a place where I can conveniently purchase Katamari Damacy!  The local Family Video offers a handy service where you can order any game for a currently supported system and have it delivered straight to your house, with shipping thrown in for free!  You just can't beat a deal like that.

So in a few days, I'll finally get my chance to roll a sticky ball over anything and everything in my path.  Now that's entertainment!  At least, that's what everyone else who's played it has been telling me.

I've got to thank Chris for his hospitality.  Work's been pretty stressful lately and this trip helped relieve some of that tension.