The Mask of Norro

Got to meet Doug Bowser while I was still working for GameStop, he's a genuinely awesome dude and I'm fully confident Nintendo of America's gonna do great with him at the helm. Definitely going to miss Reggie, he was Nintendo of America's identity for more than a decade... was very sad to hear the news but happy that it was for all the right reasons at least.

Saw Wind River recently with my family. They’re up visiting from out of state and we wanted to catch a movie, and while this sort of movie isn’t generally my first choice (they wanted to see it, Lorina and I kinda just went along) I actually enjoyed it. Renner plays a good action hero — unsurprising given his work as Hawkeye — and his character’s background lends a different take on a hunter’s role in a murder mystery environment. Olsen, meanwhile, did an excellent job portraying an out-of-her-depth FBI agent seeking the truth, and gave a very raw and realistic performance overall.

There were some moments that felt forced, and others uncomfortably ran longer than maybe they needed to; however, on the whole I’d say it was a good movie, and delivered where it needed to in action and emotion. The pacing of the story was steady, and kept things moving without feeling rushed. Without spoiling with specifics, I would say the only point that broke the pace for me and felt jarring was the ‘big reveal’ moment, as it wasn’t fully established what was happening when it did.

I still wouldn’t have sought it out to watch, and it’s not in any personal ‘top movies of 2017’ list for me, but yeah. It was a good movie overall, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an action flick with a darker story.

I'm going to admit that I don't follow football as much as I'd like to right now -- usually start paying attention around playoffs -- but I have to ask those of you in the know: what are the chances of the Texans doing anything significant next season? It's hard being a fan of Houston when our team can't ever hope of touching notoriety.

Someone please give me a reason to hope again

Was able to get the messenger bag and the puzzle. Super happy I was able to snag those, was worried they'd be gone by the time the site was DONE FUCKING LOADING.

Navigating it these past few days has been hell to say the least.

On a different note! Anyone else got a good Amiibo collection going? I have the entire Smash series so far (including Rosalina & Luma and Lucario) and I'm planning to get Toad from the Super Mario line. No plans to resell or anything, just getting one of each for my own display and use. Love the things but it's definitely an expensive hobby in the long run.

Echoing SRR here... Death Parade is fucking fantastic. The intro alone is worth watching the show, but the show has done a LOT for only three episodes so far. Love the concept and I love the way the stories come together -- that first episode's ending left me so pissed but it left me wanting more -- and I'm definitely excited to see where it all goes from here.

I feel like I should sue you for copyright infringement.

And will only take part if there is a 500 pound weight limit. I have no interest in recounting the 20 course meals Ruki has every day in-between my detailed reasoning of why I'm not a scummy fuck. I want mafia to be thorough, but not needlessly thorough.

Does Norro even come on here anymore?

Guess so.

Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

When I'm not working, I'm lurking

Yeah... sticking with UFC 2009 in the end. Best career mode in my opinion, and I have nostalgia goggles for the gameplay because I remember playing it on our demo unit back before it came out and loving it, and then buying it and putting countless hours in with friends. 2010 was a great improvement on gameplay overall and UFC Undisputed was best for it, but both suffered in the career mode and this new one just feels too clunky for me. UFC '09 definitely had more going for it overall than the rest for me.

It really does look mostly the same comparing to Undisputed, too. You can tell graphically that it's better but, in all honesty, not by that much. Striking game is really weak too, you can hit a full on strike to the center of the face and it just slides off and the game reacts to it like a glancing blow.

Was worth checking it out, but I'm glad I didn't drop $60 on it. I can't see myself being happy with that purchase if I did.

Next day off is Monday-- got a 6 day workweek next week for the XBox One. Want to try and arrange a game for then?

Fair warning: haven't played Battlefield in ages now, so I'll probably be a bit rusty at first. I'll try and get some practice in before then to get back to old standards

PSN ID: MaskOfNorro

Got my system today after I got out of work and have everything set up. So many games already!! Got Battlefield and Madden installed, Knack and Killzone I'll probably put in tomorrow and then I'll likely wind up picking up NFS: Rivals since the free copy I got I gave to an employee of mine. So freaking excited!!

Already loving the new UI too. I know people were hating on the similarities to the Windows layout but I've always been a fan of simplicity (visually that is, verbally... well, you guys know). I just wish there was more of a reason to have this touchpad on my controller because I was expecting to be able to swipe and click using it on the main screen and it's literally sitting there doing nothing instead. Anyone know if there's an option for that or is it completely useless on the main screen?

Re: this talk about when the show is set in correlation to the movies.

Haven't started watching it yet but I'm quite excited; however, I'm pretty positive it's set before Iron Man 3 & The Avengers. Would be confused if not-- what happens with Coulson in The Avengers, plus Iron Man 3 being set AFTER Avengers, would spell that to me fairly clearly. Unless they retconned what happened to him anyway.

Guess I'd find out if I watched it, huh? Probably should do that

I was in early Elementary School when Pokemon Cards made it to the US. I can't exactly remember when but, at some point, I and a group of my friends started collecting them like crazy, trading them and battling. I remember it becoming such a big deal that my school imposed restrictions on when you could have your Pokemon cards out, because it was becoming such a distraction-- they'd only allow it during lunch and recess, and after-school of course. I'd also joined a Pokemon club at my local library, and we'd trade cards there and talk about strategies and read the latest Nintendo Power and whatnot.

I remember my friends and I started this big group during summer school that would play the card game and the Gameboy game, we all had link cables and would trade to help each other out. Some of us were into wrestling and we'd write fake wrestling matches between the Pokemon (I realize that I got an early start on the bad fanfiction train, yes), we'd also make up stories about fake glitches and cheats we'd heard about on the internet. One memory I have is of someone mass-glitching Mew into their game and trading the glitched Mew to all of us so we could have it in our Pokedex.

My first Gameboy copy was Red, then I got Blue after. It's funny because as a kid I decided, for the sake of what color I got, that I'd choose Charmander with Red and Squirtle with Blue. I only ever got a Bulbasaur from trade. Ultimately decided my favorite was Blastoise and it became a staple of the majority of the 'teams' that I built. Majority of those teams were 'built' on legendaries-- because I was a kid and holy shit legendaries-- but Blastoise never left my side.

Everything else is pretty much 'history' from there. I have to say that despite my fond memories of Red/Blue, my favorite in the series had to be Gold/Silver. I remember as a kid staying up late and thinking about how much an improvement the second generation was, how I loved the new day/night system and all the new Pokemon. By that point Pokemon had seized my little world and I was completely wrapped up in it.

So Lorina and I picked up GalaxyQuest at Goodwill a few months ago for about $3. I'd never seen the movie before and she'd recommended it to me, and we finally got around to watching it tonight. I was already interested in it after looking at the main cast's line-up-- Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, freaking Monk-- nevermind the fact that Rickman was wearing this ridiculous looking alien headgarb on the cover.

So! Like I said, we watched it tonight, and I definitely loved it. It's a parody of Star Trek to put it simply, but done in a style similar to Tropic Thunder-- except, you know, Sci-Fi and made in the late 90s with Tim Allen as the lead. The background cast was incredible too, Lorina and I spotted Dwight from The Office and Ted from Scrubs just to name two. There were some others that I thought I may have recognized but I'd need to go back and check IMDB. Justin Long was another random actor thrown in too. They had one heck of a random line-up.

Was a great movie though and if you've not seen it yet definitely consider giving it a watch. It's funny and memorable, doesn't take itself too seriously but isn't trying to stay funny throughout the entire thing, and the character development's actually very well handled too. Wished I'd heard of it sooner to be honest, I feel like the me back in 1999 would have liked the movie too

Yeah, I got stuck out past 3 on Sunday with family so I didn't even get home until after 5.

Wednesday I'll be at a Nintendo event at my local Best Buy but I'll see if I can't make it online after. No idea how long I'll be there so we shall see.

I'll be out until at least 2PM EST so I SHOULD be getting home around the time you start. This will be my first time playing Minecraft on the 360 actually, so it'll be a learning experience for me to say the least

3PM EST... I'm off this Sunday, barring anything going on at that time I may be in on this good sir.

Might be cutting a bit close but we'll see. Sounds like good fun though

That's the one! Hataraku Maou-sama! is the one we're watching, I've just been calling it "The Devil is a Part-Timer" because I thought that's what it was in English originally. Such a good anime... it's light-hearted but gets serious, has a strong story but stays aloof, knows when to darken things yet every episode is so very clearly a comedy. It's just... it's so different from anything I've seen before really.

This has been an awesome year for anime so far! Could only get better if they'd announce Gun Gale Online already

I realize it's not a popular opinion shared among EWBers but damn it, I loved SAO/AHO something fierce. Something in the story and with the characters clicked with me and Lorina and I never got de-hooked from it. I guess had I read the manga I might not have liked it as much but as it stands having only seen the anime it's still one of my favorites. A GGO announcement would just make my year.

You know, I missed out on Steins;Gate. Gonna have to go back and watch it.

But yeah no Mirai Nikki was a fucking fantastic anime, no doubt. It's just Attack on Titan is the runaway hit of the year right now and shows no signs of stopping. Granted it's not getting as much hypetrain behind it on EWB as Gurren Lagann did, but then we all had more time to freak the fuck out over every episode back then too

Still. THIS SHOW IS SO DAMN GOOD. Between that and The Devil Is a Parttimer, and a host of other animes Lorina and I have on backlog, we're pretty much good all year for anime to watch.

Ugh. I'm excited for the PS4, I really am, but at this rate there is little to no chance I give this year to Sony. If Nintendo handles E3 as well as they've been handling their Directs, and if they keep hyping my wallet over all this classic shit they're re-releasing, nevermind the new stuff, then they've basically won 2013 for me.

I mean hell, they're already dominating it on the handheld end, and I'm already finding myself preferring their multiplat versions of games on the WiiU (Much though I enjoy Injustice on the PS3... the Wii U Pro Controller's D-Pad is perfect for fighters, and I'm hyped as shit over Resident Evil: Revelations). I may be buying a Vita later on for Muramasa and Dragon's Crown, but the 3DS/Wii U combo is a force to be reckoned with.

She's aprilfoolromance

She already found out about it though Ruki, but thanks for keeping an eye out!

So has anyone ever played around with the Pokefusion site? It produces some pretty awesome results.

http://pokemon.alexonsager.net/

Apparently there's a whole community doing art of these fused characters, some of them are really well done too. Reason I bring it up is Lorina and I got back into it recently and she was playing around and wanted to draw one of the results out and asked me to put together a story for it. Was a lot of fun to do something a little dark again, most of what I've worked on has been light-hearted stuff for awhile now:

Dr. William Forscher Experiment Log


Experiment #04781: Magnesect, the Mournful Pokémon.

Early research conducted on the evolution of Paras into Parasect and the process involved with its spores concluded that the spores themselves became the dominant life-source of the Pokémon upon growth. This information was first published by Professor Oak, creator of the Pokédex; however, it’s theorized that early Pokémon masters had a rudimentary understanding of the relationship between the insect and its spores, given the often impersonal relationship maintained between most publicized Parasect trainers and their Pokémon. These trainers would often have strong bonds with their team, yet would utilize Parasect as a type of organic machine, rather than a living creature.

Further study into the curious nature of the Pokémon revealed that, upon evolution, the spores of the Pokémon seem to simply put it in a catatonic state. Though the mushroom does the primary ‘thinking’, the body is still alive in its most basic form, and is still capable and required to function as a living host in order for the spores to stay healthy and strong. It was observed that Parasect consume organic matter for its energy to revitalize the mushroom atop its back; ergo, it was hypothesized that the mushroom was supplying the Pokémon vital nutrients for survival.

In conducting Experiment #04781, our goal was to determine the effects of a living, conscious host integrated with its organic master. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to revive the creature within the mushroom— experiments which often resulted in the release of defensive toxic spores from its back— it was suggested that a secondary, non-organic host be spliced with the Pokémon to balance the attention of the controlling spores released into it. Magnemite was proposed as both an excellent non-organic Pokémon test subject as well as an acceptable power source to successfully revitalize the catatonic creature within the mushroom.

For the purposes of the experiment, we gave #04781 a name: Magnesect. This spliced Pokémon went through several variant degrees of applied electricity before a successful, living result was created. The Magnemite was spliced and dominantly maintained control of the creature’s brain, purging the spores from within it. Its bolts were recreated and used to secure its mutated form in place within the Parasect’s body. The strain of the machine on the Pokémon caused many fissures in its exoskeleton, exposing ligaments often associated with non-insect life.

For the Pokémon itself, the Parasect life-form is capable of seeing— visual electronic receptors installed within the body of the Magnemite that connect to its limited occipital lobe— and is capable of digesting food without the aid of the mushroom cap on its back. Injuries caused from the splicing have shown some consequence: the spores have increased in ferocity within the Pokémon, and are far more numerous. Despite our best efforts to maintain a consistent harmony between the influence of the machine and the mushroom’s spores within the Pokémon, a constant battle for dominance between the two are observed within the Pokémon, with the life-form caught in the painful struggle.

Attempts to raise Magnesect have resulted in across-the-board failure. The Pokémon appears to be in constant, endless pain from these struggles. It seems to only eat via command of the machine and mushroom controlling it; when these influences are forced ‘off’, it ceases all function in an attempt to end itself through malnourishment. Its enhanced vision is put to little use due to visual warping caused by its perpetual tearing and cries. The only seeming benefit of this genetic splicing is the result caused upon the spores themselves: their viciousness and toxicity is unlike any other seen within the Pokémon world. It’s as though it’s attempting to adapt to the machine within the creature in an effort to purge it from— or envelope it into— the Pokémon’s physiology.

Continued research and study is suggested: over time, the spores may well adapt into life previously unseen, and the Pokémon may be perfected into new form. With the influence of machine within it, it’s entirely possible that a perpetual state of evolution may be attained over multiple generations. Currently, however, it is not recommended as a battle-ready Pokémon, unless put to use against opponents who utilize non-offensive strategies early in battle— again, the toxicity of its spores are truly amazing.

Submitted for your review. Attached is our suggested entry for our catalog of experimental Pokédex entries. This information is confidential, and should not be published to the National Pokédex.

Details regarding our other ongoing experiments forthcoming.

Pokédex Entry: Its pained cries are filled with sorrow. During battle, it seems to act more aggressive and desperate when its opponent is not attacking it.

—

Artist’s Notes
I wanted to jump in and join the pokemon fusion fun Picked Magnesect because it looked really interesting and undead. To give it a nice touch, I requested by husband to put some background to it :]

So yeah! This thing's a lot of fun to play around with, definitely should check it out. I just wish it had more options than only some of the 1st Gen Pokemon. Hopefully they add more eventually.

Announced during a Direct presentation by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the games will feature more than 50 new Pokémon and contain a system called "Real Play" that "makes it feel as if you are playing with other players around the world".

Please. For the love of God. Let this be something akin to or close to a pseudo-Pokemon MMO, or the first signs of one to come. I will annihilate my pants if that comes to be from this.

Think I'll join you guys on this-- I actually found a new copy of SoulSilver yesterday, complete with the box and a Pokewalker and all, so I'm itching to play it to say the least. I miss my old Feraligatr, so fingers crossed for Water Type!

... what.

This is ridiculous. I more than probably anyone else I know will go to bat for Nintendo constantly, but this? This is suicidal. They had their chance to show that despite focus primarily being on the PS4 and the next XBOX, the Wii U would not only be strong and capable of standing next to them, but potentially steal the show with huge new game announcements, previews for the most-wanted Wii U games (Smash Bros, Mario Platformer, Zelda et all), and a continuation of Nintendo's standard-fare dominance at e3.

Instead, this is the equivalent of waving the white flag. It's effectively saying that in Nintendo's eyes they won't be able to stand against the PS4 and the next XBOX with the Wii U, and that's... that's depressing. Completely depressing. They've held their own with outdated tech before, they've weathered the storms of poor sales against competition in the past, and they've always been about representing themselves to their fans and the public as a key player in the industry.

We still don't know the PS4 or the next XBOX's pricepoints. We don't know if the talk of always online, no pre-owned or what have you is correct, and we've no idea what to expect in how that will change the sales. What we do know is the Wii U is likely the least expensive next-gen console, and Nintendo should be hammering that with everything they've got-- exclusives and first-party announcements included.

EDIT: So, I've looked further into it and it seems that while Nintendo won't be hosting their usual grande celebration-sized E3 event that they're known to do, they WILL still be at E3 debuting new software and showcasing current hardware and tech. Because there aren't any new console launches by Nintendo going on this year they're choosing to focus on key titles and building knowledge of their current library and upcoming titles.

This is good. This is much better than backing out of E3 entirely, and could actually be a smart move. Again, they need to show that the Wii U can stand on its own against the PS4 and the next XBOX, and showcasing what it has now plus what's coming soon in smaller, strategic times and settings could benefit them in the long run.

Still, all that said... it's going to be sad not to see another blockbuster E3 showing by Nintendo. It almost became a tradition there for awhile

I got Injustice yesterday. I have been way excited for this game for a while and it's a lot of fun. I am worried about one thing though. It's a set story where you play as certain guys which is cool. It's a good story so far. My problem is I thought it was more like Street Fighter or MK where I could play through with each character and get a new ending. I don't want to play random assholes online so once I beat the story I'm wondering if it's just going to be whenever I play against Christopher and nothing else fun to do

Actually, once you've beaten the story you can do Single Player Battles mode and it's essentially the MK Classic Tower Mode. They add unlockable challenges to the tower as well, and Superman is basically this game's Shao Kahn. Each character has a unique ending, too, so you'll be playing for awhile to see all of them.

S.T.A.R. Labs is another challenge mode with a lot of replayability, but you have to have infinite patience if you're looking to get 3-Stars on every challenge. For example, I'd offer the biggest, angriest 'fuck you' to Netherrealm for even thinking the Kryptonite Batarangs challenge, or the Dodging Debris against Cyborg challenge, are even close to reasonable challenges. Damn near launched my controller into orbit.