PixlBit

Well, if you're worried, it's on nintendo8.com for free (streaming, no download required), so you could try with a keyboard before buying. I personally don't like it, because ... for some reason it kind of confuses me a bit. The popping up on different sides of the screen by walking far enough in a certain direction is fine, cause it's mostly clear you're trying to ascend, but there are rooms in the game that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do in, and I get stuck. 

Granted, while it's not as confusing, I find the original Metroid overly frustrating thanks to its enemies that like to spontaneously respawn and pass through doors, and I can't say I've played too much of the original Zelda; and though I enjoy what I have played of it, I am definitely not in the "pro Zelda II" camp; so the problem just might be that I am not a "hardcore" enough gamer to get into this stuff. I played NES and SNES growing up, but I don't know that I ever actually beat any games on those systems, except perhaps Toy Story, and that ending level was a bitch, I think.

You might like it though, Aaron. It certainly gets a lot of praise from the older generation who had their own NES, and weren't relying on their older brother's like I did. 

And I think I may actually like the sequels, so I'm off to see if nintendo8.com has the Game Boy version. 

Yeah, it was at least difficult enough for me to write a giant end-of-year blog because it cracked my mind, but to be honest, a lot of it was self-inflicted in retrospect.

And yes, I can imagine you'd be busy. Oddly enough, this seems to be a slow time for my dad, but then he works in pharmaceudical delivery, so that's a bit different than gifting. lol

I imagine those backed-up orders on UPS' part didn't help much. Glad you're still alive. 

Damn. That poor blob ... thing. lol

I love the humor in Mario RPGs, it's one of the reasons those are some of the only RPGs I can tolerate. Those meat-referencing brothers sound funny. Their description reminds me of the moustached Barnaby brothers riding a two-person unicycle in that one Family Guy episode. 

It's great how kids can get you excited for things, just by being excited themselves. My mom loves downloading games on her iPad. One is called Clumsy Ninja or something, which to me looked like she was using it as a virtual replacement for those grandkids my brother and I haven't given her that she keeps asking about. Another game she has, she said she downloaded to tach herself and her students coding. It's this game where you have to plan out the movements of this ball-creature thing by using arrows or functions that use three arrows to ensure they get to the end of the level safely. Basically, it's a bunch of logic puzzles meant to get you into the mindset of someone coding commands.

Speaking of which, I'd have to agree with you about kids today being plenty creative. I edited and uploaded this video. Excuse the awkward transition from quiet to sound by the way, I asked her if I should mute the close-up she wanted, since that was the only video file with a close-up I found that she had, and she said no. I'd have shot things differently, had I been there to do any of the camera stuff, but I digress. Anyway, the video is of one of my mom's kid's who built a LEGO robot that can solve a Rubik's cube. It's based on the idea of another Youtuber, but the kid made it himself. Of course, I'm not disagreeing at all with the author about getting outside more, exercising, socializing, yadda yadda, that's all certainly important. But anyone who has that unbalanced an approach is more than likely incorrect in his over-reaching assertions, according to my knowledge and experience. Plus, most of the jobs in modern (so I guess less traditional) societies will contine to be in technology, I think, so unless he's saying these kids actually want to live in a traditional society, it's a good idea to let kids use the computer, I think. Heck, even though I'm not creative with my games, I think there are definitely useful traits of RPGs that can be used to teach life management or math skills. And just think how cool it would be to go to school, and instead of having banana stickers or monkeys representing your acheivements, having or being an RPG character that levels up when you make good grades, or do good deeds. 

The nature book sounds interesting as well. I think I've heard that thing about the canopies before, but I don't know from where. A game that takes place in a world up in the trees would be cool, I think. I need to start reading more non-fiction like you are, though. For Christmas, I got my dad George Washington: The Crossing and Killing Jesus, but the one I couldn't find anywhere, Ghosts of Manhattan, sounded like something I'd like to read. 

As for gaming conventions, I've only ever been to SGC 2013, and only then because a friend had a free ticket, but it was a blast! I see that Twitter has changed the handle to SGC 2014, and depending on who will be there, I may want to go again. Which reminds me, I STILL have not dry-set those signatures on my Batman shirt. Hmm.

Where do you work that you had 60-hour weeks? That sounds rough, but at least you made money, and congratulations on the Vita! Gravity Rush looks like a cool game. 

Welcome back! And don't worry, a part-time job and graduate school were enough to keep me away for longer than your crazy schedule, and I probably spent more time worrying than actually working, so I think you have the better excuse. lol

I love playing as Roy and, to a lesser extent, Marth in Melee, but I'm not sure I could handle an actual Fire Emblem game, even on easy mode, since it's already not in my favorite genre. 

I think I might like Ni No Kuni, since I like cel-shaded graphics, and Pokemon is one of few RPGs I can tolerate. If Project X Zone were an action game, I think I'd love it, too. Dream Team also sounds fun, since I enjoyed the Paper Marios, and I do like Luigi better than Mario as well. Rune Factory sounds interesting.

I don't like Poker, but Glados being the dealer could be fun. A Tokyo Tale sounds cool as well. I like DC characters well enough, so Scribblenauts: Unmasked sounds fun. NES Remix sounds less interesting to me now that I find out it's more like Wario Ware mini games, though. I thought they had fleshed the ideas out a bit past that. 

Phoenix Wright vs. Layton sounds like a cool game; haven't played either franchise, but I'd love to play a detective game. 

I do have Steam, so I may check Toki Tori 2 out, but that's dependent on how many deals I do or don't jump on between now and Jan 2nd. lol

I like Mario games, but don't have a Wii U, so I guess I'll stick to playing the classics online. I think I'd love the Luigi's Mansion sequel, since I got bored exploring in the first one, but I did enjoy the missions. The Wonderful 101 looked amazing graphically when I saw it at Best Buy, but I'm not sure if I would like the gameplay or not. I've been watching the Game Grumps play Wind Waker HD, which reminds me, I may want to get a new Gamecube controller at some point. I'll take your word on Pac-man, but I think I'd love Marvel LEGO. I want to see that new LEGO movie, looks funny. 

I've played DuckTales 2 on nintendo8.com, but can't always do the pogo stick mechanic correctly, for some reason. I wish they had the original on there, but the Remastered version does look fun, and that comes with the original game, I've heard. Link Between Worlds would have been one of my most anticipated games this year if I had a 3DS. I might just play Link's Awakening instead, since you mentioned it; I never did play that one. I mostly remember Dragon's Crown for all the "controversy" and that one witch character's hilarious jiggly boobs, but it did look like fun and had a cool art style. I had no idea they remade Castle of Illusion, what about the SNES games? I did not know about the Nintendo/Gina Sisters thing, but that's an interesting story, may have to look that up. Battleblock Theater sounds nice, and I may be getting Bit.Trip Runner on Steam soon, since it's only 99c! I wish I had a 3DS to play Harmoknight, I remember when they had a contest for it on here and you entered. I wish Steam had it. 

2013 sucked for me as well, but I lost a cat, not a grandmother. I'm glad you and your cousins had something to share and enjoy. I also think they should start incorporating some RPG elements like stat points into school teaching to make it more like a game and get the kid's attention, and I would have loved to learn about money management from being the mayor of Animal Crossing. 

And sure, I'd watch your show, but I'm weird and really like awards shows, even though a lot of people I know don't so much. 

Pretty much. 

Since I do like Miyazaki films, cel shading, and Pokemon was one of the few JRPGs I actually enjoyed on some level as a kid, this sounds great.

Did you grow up more with MMOs and RPGs? Because I think the fact I prefer action/adventure or fast/arcadey style games is because they are what I grew up with. 

Portable games, I am a fan of as well, and have been forever. If I could get a 3DS and a PS4, I'd be in heaven.