I didn't stand in line for the midnight release. I couldn't afford to get it from a local game store day one. But now I got it. Nintendo 3DS is finally here, and the air quakes as the curtains of the new era opens. The hype is immeasurable as I open the box and lay my hands on the aqua blue beast. Was it worth it?

Well, since the system is new and I could only afford three games for it, it's hard to tell, but one thing is for certain: the 3D works. Looking into that display like it is a window to another world is really quite astounding. So far there hasn't been any pop-outs, but the depth perception leaves little to be desired, other than the fact that you can't hold it even the slightest off-center, or it won't work. The spectacle didn't hurt my eyes as some said it would, but it did strain them a little, so playing for more than half an hour with the effects on might not be such a good idea after all. I also noticed it was a bit smaller than I'd hoped, but although it feels similar to a DSi, the glossy finish makes it a whole lot easier on the hand. The buttons are still clicky, but the analog pad is a god-sent.

There isn't much more I can say about the system, other than it is pretty much what I thought it would be. But really, what excites me the most about this system is the future. If it turns out half as successful as its predecessor, we'll soon see a new Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Golden Sun (please!), Star Fox; not to mention all the third party support it's received. No game console is better than its games, and my general policy is that there's got to be at least five good titles for any given system to be worth the money; I believe the 3DS not only already have that many out already, come E3, it will start to bloom in earnest into the next big flower in the Nintendo bouquet.

To the untrained eye, Donkey Kong Counry Returns is just what it sounds like: Donkey Kong is back with yet another installment of the series, and with him all the tropes we have come to expect. Like the old days, but new. But as someone who grew up playing the originals, I was actually surprised how much it didn’t feel like a belated sequel. On the surface much is familiar, but the game design is its own new beast, and the atmosphere – a staple of the series – doesn’t compare to either predecessor. That’s not to say I’m not loving every single second of it.

The game may be different, but the quality and charm is still there, and though Rare is no longer involved, Retro Studios lets no fan down creating a game world that breathes Donkey Kong Country from every jump, yet doesn’t rely on nostalgia to make a good experience. In fact, there isn’t much I can say about the gameplay without going into an incoherent rant detailing the whole game from top to bottom, as I can’t remember a single level I didn’t like. This is 2D-platforming at its finest, plain and simple, with perfect controls (yes, even the flailing part) and a well-balanced difficulty level that challenges veterans but is nowhere near impossible.

The graphics doesn’t try to be revolutionary for its time like the SNES-classics, but that doesn’t mean it’s anything but gorgeous. The back- and foreground, besides adding character and atmosphere to the world, also blends into the level design in ways that simply weren’t possible back in the days, such pillars falling on you from behind, or even secret areas in the background reached through cannon barrels. Not to mention the world itself is incredibly well-crafted; whether in a cave, on a beach or the jungle, there amount of details are staggering. It makes Sonic 4 look stale and uninspired in comparison

I really couldn’t ask for a better return to form than Donkey Kong Country Returns. I would have liked more animal friends, and some more original tunes as opposed to remixed tunes from the original, but that’s grasping at straws for a nitpick. This truly is a candidate for the best game on Wii, maybe even better than the Super Mario Galaxies, and a title that can proudly be ranked among the classic Donkey Kong games.

Winter 2010 was THE year of the gamer. Usually we’re lucky to get one or two hits every seasons; last year was so smack full of them, I still haven’t gotten around to half of it (I’m looking at you, Enslaved). The most mind-blowing of these for me were Golden Sun, Donkey Kong and Sonic 4, three series I’ve been in love with since childhood; to get them all only a month or two in-between releases was almost more than my poor brain could handle. And since they all came out in such narrow succession, I never found the time to provide coherent impressions on either. So I thought I’d do just that, albeit belated, giving my in-depth impressions on all three in turn. Starting with Sonic 4.

My reaction to act one was this: OHMYGODSONICISBACKYAY! The graphics was gorgeous, the level design was excellent and the music was upbeat and Sonicy. The physics didn’t seem quite what I was used to, but nothing I couldn’t get around. The proceeding levels ranged from good to awesome, and the ecstasy held throughout the game.

But now that I’ve played through it a number of times, collected all the emeralds and beat most of the Achievements, I have to admit to a few faults I’ve been trying to deny. First and most obvious, the physics ended up getting in the way more than I thought; acceleration took a few seconds more compared to the classic Sonics, and the brakes a few seconds less. In fact, you would just stop dead in your track, like Mega Man. Secondly, many of the music tracks were too short and fast to loop, resulting in some annoying tunes mixed in with the good ones. Especially the boss theme; Robotnik just didn’t seem as threatening as he once was. I can’t really say I’m a fan of the three-act system either; the acts are pretty lengthy, and the theme overstays its welcome by the time you get to the third.

There were a few more minor cons I found, such as the title of each act unwittingly giving the game a “voice” the predecessors never had, and the final boss battle being WAY too difficult compared to everything else, but when push comes to show, Sonic 4 still holds out as a true Sonic title, and a worthy addition to the numbered series. Although, the way I see it, Sonic 4 isn’t really out yet. They made it episodic for a reason; now that they know what went wrong (and the fans WILL let them know), episode two will turn out that much more awesome. I only hope they make it longer, cut each zone down to two acts and moderns up the music a bit. Between Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors, Sega has proven that Sonic has escaped the spiral of mediocrity, and I have full faith they can keep him out of there. Don’t let us down, Sega.

I’ve yet to get around to playing Flower. I’ve yet to write a non-NaNoWriMo novel of decent length. I’ve yet to earn my own income. I’ve yet to finish watching the second season of Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex, which I started several months ago. I’ve yet to finish watching Pokemon in Japanese. I’ve yet to get myself a DS Lite. I’ve yet to reach 50 games for me DS collection.

I’ve yet to read One Piece up to speed. I’ve yet to watch all of Michael Palin’s travelling shows. I’ve yet to get the latest volume of Naruto and Fullmetal Alchemist. I’ve yet to read Wheel of Time. I’ve yet to read 2010. I’ve yet to read Lord of the Rings. I’ve yet to watch Up. I’ve yet to play Jac&Daxter. I’ve yet to proofread my mom’s fanfic.

I’ve yet to get in shape. I’ve yet to start taking Japanese grammar seriously. I’ve yet to go to Japan. I’ve yet to learn perfect Japanese. I’ve yet to have a paranormal experience. I’ve yet to get my own apartment. I’ve yet to get myself a blog audience. I’ve yet to master the art of self discipline.

But at least I finished up Other M the other day.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 was announced yesterday. My reaction was neither Sigh nor Wohoo; just a “What?!” then “Meh.” It’s an interesting though; this is a world that could sure use some elaboration, and there is a lot of room for improvement. But seriously, this makes the third Final Fantasy XIII-related title on its way, which when you think about it is quite staggering; no single Final Fantasy number has ever had as many as four titles under its belt.

Do we need all this extra FF13 goodness? Not really. Do we want it? I do. Despite the problems the original may have, I look back to it with fondness, a part of me wishing I had an excuse to visit it again. A sequel would be just that, and as long as they have a story to tell, I won’t mind running through some more stunning corridors (of which we’ll probably see less, given the fan reactions). And to be fair, there’s a lot of story to be told in this universe.

There are people who would look down upon such tactics, groaning at developers attempt to bring in some cash from popular brand names. I am not one of these people. If I liked the first installment, I would gladly pay for more, even if it is the third spinoff of a Final Fantasy, the eighth 2D Mario platformer or the fifth generation of Pokemon; I just want to have a good time with good gameplay. Plus I’m a continuity geek, and adventures that span multiple games and generations are catnip.

Last November, my mini-laptop met an untimely end. Apparently that particular brand had a manufacturing problem that not only made it crash occasionally, but susceptible to permanent breakdown. Go figure. Falling back on my stationary unit, I contemplated ever since as to whether or not I ought to replace it, and finally decided it was for the best. My savings took a beating, but I’m once again armed with a little big travel companion.

1.66GHz, 1GB RAM (with upgrade potential), and 130GB hard drive is what this thing packs, noticeably more powerful than the old one; it can even stream Crunchyroll videos no problem. The keyboard feels a bit different from what I’m used to, but otherwise it handles like a dream, the initial taming process over before I knew it (though this being my fifth computer, I might have some experience by now).

I promised myself before I got this that if I went through with it, I would take writing more seriously from now on. That, and I’d go easier on the money, at least until I’ve repaid my savings account. Here’s hoping I can keep these, and that this thing will hold more than a couple of years.

I think it would be fair to say that for every generation of stationary console, there's been a throw-back console in form of portables. When Nintendo 64 was king, we still had newly made NES-equivilent games on the Gameboy Color, and Gamecube had the portable SNES that was Gameboy Advance. The DS had all the potentials of an N64, but played more on intuitive gameplay than graphics, which is why we were still seeing SNES-like games. The portable systems allowed companies to make games like we knew them a few generations back, but with its successor, 3DS, with its Gamecube equivalent graphics and stereoscopic 3D, one must beg the question: what's to happen to sprite-based side scrollers?

Gaming technology is now so advanced, even the simplest system is now better than a Gamecube. Does this mean 2D will soon be a thing of the past? Will sprite-based games never be seen again? There are PSN and Live Arcade, and platformers will undoubtedly still be produced; but will it be sprites like Sonic 4 or 3D models like Rocket Knight, Splosion Man and Shadow Complex? I'm sure we haven't seen the end of sprites just yet (Sonic 4 still has more episodes to go, for one), but I can't help but wonder how things will look at the end of this year.

Not that I have anything against 3D. As long as the games are enjoyable, that's all I ask. But part of me will still miss those flat figures of animation. Is this the beginning of the end for them, or are there enough people out there who feels the same to keep them alive?

Usually I'm not a big fan of games that beckons you to do a hundred different side quests at once, forcing me to personally seek out the main plot. That's why I never got into Oblivion, or really any American RPGs. Maybe it's because I'm so absent minded as it is, but I prefer it when games doesn't confuse me as to where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to do. MMOs are the exception of course, since it HAS no main plot – indeed, you could say the side quests ARE the main plot – but when I'm playing a game that has me caring about the events unfolding, I want to keep to them as much possible.

But this is not so in the case of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Maybe it's because the world is so beautifully constructed, or that almost everything you do actually ties in to the plot, but I've gotten stuck doing side-steps for hours in this game. There's always someone to assassinate, some store that needs renovating, or money to be made so you can buy new equipment. I also like how some of the quests are mandatory, but not the order you complete them, which urges you to go out of your way and gives you opportunities to take care of other stuff on the way. At times I do find myself at a loss for all the options available, but then I just have another look at the map, and I'm off to kill another guy or find another secret.

Bottom line: Assassin's Creed is still as awesome as ever. Gotta pick up the one for PSP soon.

Back in the early 80s, when Arthur C. Clarke wrote a certain novel called 2010, he thought we'd be traveling to Jupiter, that we'd be using wall phones, and that Soviet would still be around. With only a few hours left of this futuristic year, we can establish that although none of these things actually came to be (we use tiny screens in our hands as opposed to huge ones on the walls, for one), 2010 was in reality pretty futuristic still. I doubt Arthur was counting on the internet turning into what it is today, nor could he have forseen the Kinect and Playstation Move. Or the iPhone. And with the arrival of 2011, we now enter an era beyond the perceived future; a post-future if you will, where flying cars and humanoid robots might be just beyond the horizon. What wonders will we see rise from the innovations of the human mind? What sort of accomplishments will I personally attain?

Here's what I vow to do 2011:
Plow through the pile of games that's been accumulating through the year(s). I've been fairly busy this winter and have already done Dead Space, Zone of the Enders, Golden Sun 3, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Sonic Colors, and I'm halfway through Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Phew, don't you just love name dropping? I plan to work my way back in time, starting with some forgotten PS2 classics and then maybe the N64 (I remember being hyped for Bomberman 64 back in the days, to name one). And also some Wii and PSP, the forgotten consoles.

Read One Piece up to speed in Japanese. I've reached the point in my studies that I can now actually read manga in japanese, as long as I have a dictionary close at hand. I'm currently doing Bleach, which is another one I've been meaning to read forever, and I collect new volumes of Fairy Tail and Lucky Star. One Piece has been on my priority list for ages, but with my newfound Japanese, there's a whole new world of comics opened up for me.

Write more stuff in English. With all this Japanese (and, to a lesser extent, Swedish) going through my head, it's easy to forgot the language I once set out to study: the one I'm using right now. Being from Sweden, why do I run my blog in English? One: so that more people may read it. And two: because I like the language. Swedish, Japanese and English are what makes up my own personal triforce, and I'd like to keep them all alive in some shape or form. So, who knows, we might actually see more stories from me for now on. Or even journal entries, god forbid.

Be more creative. Whether it be stories, entries, studies or role playing (which I've only recently got my first taste of), I need to start using my noggin a bit more. I'm already 22, so it's about time I started working on that best-seller, right?

Get (or at least try to get) a part-time job. Doesn't have to be a fancy writer job, just something to earn me just the slightest bit of in-come. Not just for the money either, but to up my self-esteem, to get out of the house for an activity once in awhile. Living miles away from the city doesn't help, but hey.

And here's what I hope will happen 2011:
PSP2 will hit the market. If the rumors I've been hearing are true – dual analog sticks, PS3-equivalent graphics, touch pad on the back – it might actually top the 3DS in terms of potential for awesome. The major gripe I always had with handhelds (as much as I've always love them) is that they've never had enough buttons to match a console experience, but it they fix that, who needs a big chunky PS3 with all the TVs and cables required when you can get it all in the palm of your hands! I know, let's not judge the game by its console, but the thought of portable PS3 is appealing, no?

Crunchyroll will keep growing, and never put out another show that isn't available in Sweden. This past year I've found myself using Crunchyroll rather frequently, with some of the shows being actually rather decent, like So-Ra-No-Wo-To (Melodies of the Sky), Squid Girl and Milky Holmes. And with up-to-date drivers, it actually runs smoothly on my computer, which makes it even less appealing to turn to fansubs; especially since Crunchyroll's own subs have been of excellent quality lately.

The return of good anime. Squid Girl, being funny and charming and non-tsundere, showed me that even shows that are technically “moé” can be well written, and it gave me just a little glimpse of hope for the future. The winter line-up didn't catch my attention the way I hoped (though I probably will be watching I'm NOT In Love With My Big Brother), but there are three more seasons, so who knows. Maybe there'll even be a show with a lesbian couple that admits they're lesbians and gets a satisfying closure. Oh who am I kidding, that will never happen.

Great progress in the combat against climate change and all its nasty consequences. I may not talk about it much anymore, but I'm still deeply concerned for what will become of our planet. We're already seeing its effect here in Sweden, this being the coldest winter in 200 years (in terms of lasting sub-zero temperature), and unless every nation do their part, we can kiss life and society as we know it goodbye. I wish I were exaggerating, but I don't think I am. That said, I have faith. The issue has already gone a long way since its severity was first brought to my attention three years ago, and is now saturated into our social thinking. Not nearly enough, I'm sure, but it's paved the way for green revolution that is sure to come. You go, We Campaign!


As for the resolutions I made last year, here's a brief status report. Be more active with journal: epic fail. Work on the novel: half-success. Don't underestimate Kanji: satisfactory success. I won't make any excuses, or empty promises that THIS TIME, I will DEFINATELY be more proactive towards everything. Instead, I leave you with this: I promise I'll TRY to make the above vows happen. And I have a good feeling about this year.

Happy New Year, the three of you who actually reads this! And to everyone else.