Category: Otaku

No 3DS For Me?

January 20, 2011

Yesterday Nintendo announced the launch date (March 27) and price (US$250) for the new 3DS handheld.

If you hadn’t heard, this is a more powerful, higher resolution handheld that allows for 3D gaming without using glasses.

Now as you all know I’m quite the early adopter, but I must admit I’m cool on this device so far for the following reasons:

1. The launch games are poor. Not one of them interest me, and without a compelling game what is the point?

2. I don’t care (much) about the 3D. Sure it would be a fun gimmick, but I see myself turning it off most of the time.

3. $250 is a lot to spend for a dedicated device. This may be a strange comment coming from someone who has played one game on his PSP for over 400 hours alone, but given 1 and 2, there is very little else about the 3DS that has me excited right now. Other features will come in time (via OS updates), but why are they not present at launch.

4. The 3DS is region locked. This is a big, big one for me. I hate it. I hate that I wouldn’t be able to buy games in Japan (or Australia) and play it on my American device. Or send games to my Dad (were he to get one) from America. Boo-hoo Nintendo :<

On the other hand – and this is unfortunately significant – the L button on my current DSi is showing signs of deterioration. If it goes I’ll need a new DS immediately. It would be sad if that ended up being the principle reason I buy a 3DS.

Show me some good games Nintendo, and ASAP, if you want me to early adopt.

Yes, More Gamebooks

January 15, 2011

Today was a mix of used bookstores, Japanese stores and bootleg Korean DVD shops. It was also swelteringly hot and humid, and by mid afternoon both Adam and I had “a touch of the sun”. This led to zombification in his apartment around 3 pm 🙂

Here’s some graffiti spotted in Chippendale:

It’s a wall on which stencils were permitted to be used by permission of the owner (Bernard, this is not too far from where you used to work). Look closely at some of the remarkable stencil graffiti on display. My favourite was this guy:

But I liked this goat as well:

Here’s another mural on a wall, in Newtown:

That’s from Burst Angel, if memory serves correct.

My last photo for the day was a busker seen near the Queen Victoria Building. A must unusual busker:

Yep, speed chess busking 🙂

I Sent Four Postcards Today

January 14, 2011

Today my goals were the following:
1) Get back to Sydney
2) Spend at least one day without sunblock on

I accomplished both.

After arrival I went to Westfield Bondi Junction looking for a Thermos for mum and dad. I didn’t find one, but I did find this guy:

I wonder how KLS would have felt had I bought him and brought him home with me?

Speaking of KLS, while in Australia BS sent me some ABC store advermagazines from Hawaii. In one, I found this ad:

I laughed and laughed!

(We saw Hirokawa’s show when we were in Honolulu. It was great, but he wasn’t melding with steel back then. Clearly we’ll have to go back next time we’re in Hawaii…)

Tomorrow is an epic day of shopping. Adam tells me it will involve busses, a taxi and even light rail to get to all the locations worth seeing. Should be good 🙂

Robot Claw