Justin Baker

Waterfield 3DS XL CitySlicker Case Review -

I’ve owned my 3DS XL since day one, and it travels everywhere with me. Unfortunately there are virtually no decent cases for it, and the ones out there are just re-purposed DSi XL cases. I stumbled across Waterfield’s 3DS XL CitySlicker case online, and deliberated over the purchase for quite some time. Fifty dollars is no small sum, and the shipping is hefty as well. Not to mention the fact that the video showing off the case on their website is for the old case that fit the original 3DS. Needless to say, I was wary, but tax return season rolled around and I took the plunge.

After a few days and some emails with their support team telling me the case was, in fact, out of stock, I received my black on black, leather bound, hand-stitched 3DS XL case. The first thing that stuck out to me was the awesome YKK zipper on the stretchy nylon pouch that spans the back of the case. It felt rugged and, as goofy as it sounds, it zips really nicely. The pouch itself can be stuffed full of things since it stretches, but too much makes the case a hassle to hold and fit in bags. I’m actually able to fit my entire phone in there, case and all, with little trouble.

The flap on the front of the case is held on by two snaps that keep it in place, and it covers three game compartments. While I doubt the system would come sliding out anytime soon, I’m nervous about the games getting loose and falling out of the flap, but so far they’ve stayed snugly in place. The system itself fits into the pouch nicely, and it’s lined with a soft material meant to prevent scratching. My only complaint about the pouch is that the bottom of it has no padding other than the nylon, and since my strap means I put the system in hinge down a high enough drop could likely cause some real damage. Of course, this could be prevented by putting the other edge of the system down, but if you’re like me and refuse to remove your Mario Kart DS strap from 2005 then you’ll that I can’t remove it.

To help with removal of the system there’s a handy-dandy loop to put your finger in for leverage. This might seem insignificant, but anyone who has owned enough handhelds can tell you that more systems are dropped removing them from protective cases than any of us like to admit. Both sides also have small loops probably meant for clips or hooks, you know, in case you want to clip it to your belt while you go skydiving or rock climbing or whatever.

Overall, if there were a multitude of cases available for the 3DS XL, I might tell you that, while very nice, this case doesn’t warrant the almost sixty dollars after shipping that I had to pay for it. As it stands, this seems to be the very best case available for a system that isn’t spawning a lot of accessories, and for now you’re going to be hard-pressed to find anything that even comes close. It has been thoughtfully designed, and I’ve had very minimal complaints with it thus far. The lack of padding on the bottom and worrisome game slots are my only real concerns, and only time will tell if either of them becomes a real problem.

The case can be purchased here.

Wii U Review -

Happy holidays! This Christmas season my wonderful girlfriend decided my cooking has warranted a rather extravagant present: a Wii U. I’ve spent a little over a week with it, and I have to say that I’m impressed. I don’t want to spoil too much of what you’re about to read, but suffice to say I’m having a great time with my new toy.

With most consoles the defining factor behind having a successful launch lies in the hardware, that is, unless you’re Nintendo. Pack-ins, charming additional features, and family friendliness seem to dominate Nintendo launches, with the powerhouse software being saved for later in the launch window. The Wii U is no exception to this, and the Miiverse continues to be one of the most talked about as well as most exciting new features of Nintendo’s next gen console. However, I would be remiss to not mention the large amount of M rated games that have also launched with the system.

This flies in the face of the philosophy that the Wii launched with, but less mature audiences will still find plenty to play here with titles like New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Skylanders. It’s quite a shock coming from a Nintendo that shocked the world by announcing that Bayonetta 2 would be on the Wii U to see them following through with their promise that the system would be better geared towards more avid gamers. Of course, only the future will tell if this practice continues, but at least for now they have delivered. So, without further ado let’s get into it.

Hardware

Anybody following the Wii U will tell you that all the excitement lies, much like the Wii before it, in the new controller that Nintendo has cooked up. The gamepad features a touchscreen squeezed in the middle of a traditional controller. Adding to the impressive hardware of the gamepad are several smaller features including a camera, microphone, stylus, and gyroscopic sensor. My initial worry was that it would be too cumbersome to hold for extended play sessions, and the screen would become as useless as the second screen on many DS games. I was quickly proven wrong with the lightweight design and comfortable form factor of the gamepad, which molds to the hand nicely and seems to be, overall, more ergonomic to handle that a 360 or PS3 controller.

A huge plus for me is that the shape allows me to place four fingers on all four shoulder buttons comfortably, which is a complaint I’ve had about modern controllers for quite some time now. The only negative comment I have to levy against the gamepad is that it’s in fact so light that initially it almost felt like a cheap toy. This is likely from years of holding and getting used to ten inch tablets, many of which are heavy enough to wear yours arms out if you’re sitting at an uncomfortable angle. Again, this criticism is very nearly a compliment to the gamepad since I’m able to sit at any bizarre angle on my couch and be completely comfortable playing the Wii U.

The most surprisingly well liked feature seems to be the ability to play many games entirely on the second screen, a feature that looked like a forgettable addition when it was unveiled at E3. As someone who is leaning heavily towards handheld gaming recently, this makes the Wii U infinitely more valuable as a system. Like many handheld gamers, I actually do the bulk of my handheld gaming at home, but being able to move around the house and free up the TV so my girlfriend can watch Netflix makes playing my 3DS over my PS3 an easy choice. Likewise, being able to move around the house with my Wii U has held the same benefits. The range that the gamepad can go from the console is a little disappointing. My bed is too far away, as well as the master bathroom, but my office and guest bathroom are well within playing range. Most of my gaming takes place in the office, living room, or kitchen, so this isn’t  a major complaint, but adding even fifteen feet would have made a world of difference to the gamepad range. Mix that with a little more battery life, and I would be hard pressed to find something to complain about.

Comfort combined with portability make the gamepad more of an achievement that I ever thought possible, and as long as developers make playing solely on the gamepad a high priority feature I can see myself really enjoying Nintendo’s newest controller.

Software

Without a doubt Miiverse has been the talk of the town, even outshining the gamepad in many conversations. Essentially it’s a message board separated into communities for each game in which players can exchange small black and white pictures, short messages, and in some cases screenshots with one another. All this social interactivity is done under the watchful eye of Nintendo’s over protective moderators. This means you can’t use foul language, share any kind of personal information, or talk about politics and religion. For social service in 2012, this is beyond frustrating. I can understand the moderation of vulgar or graphic comments, but anything more than should be enough to gimp any service.

I say ‘should’ because Miiverse has somehow become a thriving community of hilarious art and surprisingly interesting conversation. To call it the killer app of the Wii U might be going a little far, but it rounds out the system software incredibly well. Before I start a game I generally look around at some Nintendo art in Wara Wara plaza, and after I quit a game I tend to check Miiverse for fun comments. The moderation, while frustrating, is the last thing on your mind when you’re reading the comments on a picture of Yoshi pelting Mario with eggs.

Where the software falters is the loading times. While not completely egregious, the load time going in and out of the system menu are just long enough to be noticeable. They hit that perfect amount of time where I start thinking, “I should probably take care of some things, instead of just sitting here on the couch playing video games,” and then the moment I start seriously considering those things the menu pops up and I waste another several hours in front of the TV. It’s really hard to throw too much hate at Nintendo for this oversight because it’s probably the first thing that’s going to be fixed with the next system update, but it does make me feel a bit like a beta tester instead of a customer.

Something I would classify as egregious is Nintendo’s treatment of Wii software. After the slightly confusing process of moving all my Wii software to my new system I discovered the way in which the Wii U plays Wii software: completely compartmentalized emulation. What this means is that to play a Virtual Console game you turn on the Wii U, wait for it to load,  select the Wii channel, wait for it to boot into the Wii firmware, select the title you want with a Wii remote, and then proceed to play the title with the Wii remote or classic controller. Simply not being able to play Virtual Console titles on the gamepad was irritating enough, but to completely wall my Wii software in a virtual machine is like a kick in the face. I understand that this is likely because emulating the Wii isn’t as simple due to hardware restrictions, but it’s something Nintendo desperately needs to work out to avoid alienating anymore fans.

Backwards compatibility aside I’ve been enjoying my two Wii U games: Darksiders II and Nintendo Land. Like Wii Sports before it, Nintendo Land is a perfect showcase for your new console. It’s a slew of Nintendo themed mini games that seamlessly integrates the Miiverse into a package that I wouldn’t be that upset to have paid for separately. It’s not deep enough to provide an avid gamer more than a handful of hours of enjoyment, but it’s great fun when other people want to see what the Wii U is all about.

Darksiders II was my add on, which I chose over New Super Mario Bros. U just to see how well the Wii U handles the game. So far I’ve experienced some slight screen tearing, and at one point completely locked up my Wii U. While I haven’t played Darksiders II on any other console, it seems that these are just symptoms of porting the game to the Wii U. However, the ability to play a full current gen game on the gamepad, as well as being able to manage my inventory on the second screen when playing on the TV have far outshined the technical problems I’ve had. I hope that the problems are indicative of a quickly done port instead of problems developers may have with the hardware, but only time will tell.

Final Thoughts

I’m excited about the future of the Wii U, but I’m a little worried about future releases. A lot of big titles slated for early next year don’t seem to be bothering to port their titles to the Wii U, and the only big first party title on the horizon that I’m excited for is Pikmin 3. The hardware is solid, and the majority of my issues with it can be fixed with firmware patches. If Nintendo would relax a little more with their Miiverse moderation I could see their online presence being comparable to that of Microsoft and Sony.

Skyward Sword -

I’ve just recently picked up Xenoblade Chronicles after a short argument with the clerk at Gamestop about whether or not I needed a PowerUp card. When I went to pop it in the old Wii I had to remove Skyward Sword, a game I haven’t touched in a few months. As I held the disc in my hand I realized that I was just going to add it to my growing pile of unfinished games. In a moment of determination I set Xenoblade Chronicles aside and decided I would give Skyward Sword one more try. I was already around twenty hours into it, and I thought I could power through the rest. That lasted about eighteen minutes.

I grew up in what could only be described as a Zelda home. My brother played every console entry in the series several times over while I played every handheld one. It was always a constant, one of us playing the newest Zelda game and talking about it. I’ve come to love the Metroid series much more, but Zelda still holds a place in my heart. So when Skyward Sword came out, I ordered off Amazon and waited patiently.

But, my patience ended in disappointment as I spent what felt like hours in the tutorial. It’s rare that a game with such a unique setting is able to create such a mundane and boring introduction. But, we’ve all been there, some games in the Zelda series just start slow. I pressed on, and into the belly of the beast.

I just don’t get it, Nintendo. This had the potential to be the most unique Zelda game since Link’s Awakening, and look what you did.

The controls are terrible, but not in an outright way. When you get to play around with them at first they show a glimmer of hope, and you can easily see how this could work well. Then you get into an actual combat scenario, which requires quick thinking and fast reflexes to hit the enemy with the right directional slash. It’s inaccurate, which is the word thing combat can be. If a game does nothing else well, but has tight, fun to play combat, it can still stand a chance with me, but this just feels sloppy.

It picks up about nine out of ten swings properly, which sounds much better than most motion controlled swings. Most of the time it works acceptably well, but the one time out of ten that it doesn’t is infuriating. If I mess up in a game because I pressed the wrong button, then it’s my fault, but if I mess up because I was a few degrees off on the angle of my swing or because the game recognized something badly, then something is very wrong. When I can’t beat a boss it needs to be because I’m not quick enough, or because I don’t recognize the pattern, never because the game is just sloppily put together.

Of course this kind of complaint is always countered with the obvious “Well, I never had any problems with the controls, must be something you’re doing!”

This argument is still neutralized in the face of the obvious response: the fact that I can “do it wrong” means that something is wrong with the control scheme. If I had to press the A button to attack, and I pressed B instead, then yes, I did it wrong. Unfortunately with motions controls there is no exact right way to perform the actions, and that is the problem: innacuracy.

Unfortunately the controls aren’t the only thing wrong here. Nintendo seems to have taken a solid twenty hour Zelda game and shoved twenty hours of fluff into it. Why do I have to find three pieces of a key to open a door, is just finding the key not enough? A more specific example is the propeller. I had to find a propeller to move a windmill to activate a hidden platform to play a song to point to where I needed to go to learn a song to enter the next dungeon. There were no new areas, no bosses, no puzzles, just me finding things laying about. Why was this even included in the game? It is quite literally the definition of fluff: a meaningless character needs a meaningless item to give me a meaningless ability to open a door.

The worst part is that the game is colorful, full of neat characters, and adds a lot to the history of Hyrule. It could have been such a fantastic entry, even with the inaccurate controls. There’s so much potential here buried under the fluff and artificial barriers. To those of you that were able to stick Skyward Sword out, I salute you. At least I still have Xenoblade Chronicles, and so far it’s one hell of a game.

Find Mii II-

Find Mii is one of those games that a lot of people look at, play for a few minutes, then turn off and forget about it. My brother, for instance, hasn’t opened Find Mii once since getting his 3DS. I was the same way until I started getting multiple StreetPass hits a day while on campus, and I figured I would give it a shot. Hell, it’s long enough between good 3DS releases, I might as well find some way to entertain myself with the damn thing.

The premise is simple, use the Mii of people you tag on StreetPass to traverse a very simple dungeon and save your own Mii from  a big baddie. You can spend coins that you get from walking on “wandering adventurers” to help out when you’re not hitting out and about enough to get tags. Each time you tag someone they level up, so it leads to a fun game of trying to go the same spots in your daily routine to get the same people. So, I played through it, a few minutes a day, and beat it. I got some useless hats for my Mii and moved on with my life.

A few weeks later I picked it up again, and found that it’s the exact same game. Same dungeon, same monsters, but some different hats. Hooray, Nintendo, you really outdid yourselves here. Apathy took over and I would go a couple of days in between clearing out my Spotpass gate, so I slowly whittled my way through the game. Finally, again, I beat it, but this time something different happened. The credits rolled and I unlocked Find Mii II.

Suddenly I found myself immersed in what was an RPG that required actual tactics and thought. You can combine adventurers for multiple attacks, buy special potions, and rehire old adventurers that you’ve met. This makes a big difference, because high level adventurers can traverse several rooms before running off, unlike the low-level wandering adventurers that are the grunts of Find Mii. Divergent paths bring make it feel a little more like an adventure, and even the enemies are much more menacing and powerful.

Nintendo really hid this gem deep in the system, and I’m sure many people are unaware of it. I’ve heard mention of Find Mii II before, but I always dismissed it as more of the same. It almost feels like it could have been a full eShop release, so the fact that Nintendo just decided to include it in the system for free is fantastic. The cost of everything rises in Find Mii II, giving me something to finally spend all those saved up coins on. The only reason I can find that the Big N decided not to charge for it is that to play it you have to have coins, which you can only accrue in increments of ten a day. This restricts how much you can play the game, and keeps you from playing marathon sessions. Not that I’m complaining that Find Mii II is free, I’m just unaccustomed to this kind of quality software coming from a company at no cost.

So, in short, if you have a 3DS and haven’t bothered with Find Mii, then give it a whirl. The biggest barrier to entry is the time it takes to complete Find Mii two times. After that, you’re in for a goofy romp through the kid-friendly countryside.