WARNING: Seriously Geeky post

It’s a common fact that I go ga-ga for games from the Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis era. I have the emulators, the game compilations, some original games from back in the day with their cases intact, hell I even have the old Genesis lying around my room for melancholy’s sake. No matter how many revolutionary next-gen techno crap keeps coming over, I still have a place in my innards reserved for old school games.

That’s why a few years ago I bought a Gameboy SP, after I learned that Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was going to be released on it. Final Fantasy Tactics for PSX was by far THE definitive strategy game.

For people don’t have a clue about it, think of it as a game of chess, where the chess board could be a forest, or a castle, or a courtyard with different terrains and heights, and your chess pieces are troops that are able to attack, defend, cast spells and summon unholy hell over their foes. I delivered a very unhealthy addiction to it. Nevertheless, the Gameboy version wasn’t as satisfying and was a bit of a letdown.

But that didn’t mean my SP was dead. I got a hold of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo.

Goddamnit. I left one vice to pick up another. SPF II is of course based on Tetris, and is twice as addictive. I still curse a storm when I lose a round to Akuma (the AI can get very aggressive) and even in the tiny Gameboy SP speakers it’s hilarious when you hear the little characters cursing and insulting you in japanese (I’m pretty sure that Ken has a phrase that sounds something like "CHOCHA CHOCHA!!!!" whenever he scores).

After that I got Golden Sun, one of the best RPG series for the GB.

Great game. When it came out, the graphics and effects were considered revolutionary for such a tiny handheld machine. I could never go to sleep at night without playing at least a half hour of it.

And that was that. I never bought any other GB games after I finished these ones, even though I was more than tempted to pick up a Castlevania or a Metroid.

I seriously thought I would abandon and trade in my GB with all the games for cash, but lately I’ve had an itch caused by a company you may have heard of…

They released an update of their next-gen handheld, the Nintendo DS, called DS Lite. At first, I said "oh great. That’s a nice tactic. Have the fanatical masses buy your slightly flawed first attempt at a handheld system, then a couple of years later, pelt them with a newer, sleeker, more improved version complete with assorted colors, just to fuck with their heads, AND their pockets". It seemed like the big N was taking a page right out of THESE GUYS. Hell, their products are even starting to look alike!! See?

But then not only do they make their new handheld much sexier than it was, they go ahead and throw salt in my wound. They release THIS.

I bet that link brought a few memories, didn’t it?

You’re looking at the first 2D Mario game in over a decade. It’s not a remake. It’s not a sequel. This is some brand new shit. This is THE shit. And It’s only for the DS. And I want to hate nintendo SO much for doing that.

But I can’t.

I want to buy the whole fucking thing. Plop down $130 plus $35 more for the game and just go ape shit and forget about everything and everyone while the Mario fever wears off. But then the other side of my head starts whispering stuff like "you’re never gonna use that" and "you don’t have time for handhelds" or "you could use the money for something else" or "your boyfriend would smack you across the face for spending money on frivolous gadgets!"…

But it’s frikkin’ Mario! The Saint Patron of 8 bits!!!! I can’t just ignore him!

At this point I don’t know what I’ll do. Everytime I pass in front of Babbage’s or Gamestop my wallet starts to quiver and I get all antsy. I have the money and all, I just feel so.. guilty.

So I guess all I want is an opinion. Should I buy me a Nintendo DS Lite? Let me examine what I got going on:

Pros

• It looks so purrrty!
• It has New Mario, and don’t forget about SONIC!!! And also THIS!!!! OMFG!!! I wet myself a little
• It’s backwards compatible with my old Gameboy SP games
• It supports WiFi connection for online play and web browsing
• Most games dont require extra cartridges for multiplayer matches, you can play a 4+ tournament of tetris with only one cart!
• It’s smaller, brighter and more comfortable than it’s predecessor
• It’s gonna have some sort of interactive affair with the Wii

Cons:

• I don’t have much time to play it
• It’s not that expensive, but still, it’s over 100 bucks, and that leaves a dent in your pocket
• I don’t need it… Yet how come I want it so bad?!
• I’ll have no one to play with unless I threaten/harrass/brainwash/beg Darky to buy one also

There you go. I hope all this nonsense sheds some light on my dilemma. I still don’t know what to do, but the gravitational pull of that sleek little devil’s plaything is overpowering. Whatever. Maybe I’ll lose interest and probaly hold out until it’s successor hits the market. Or maybe next weekend you’ll see a new post titled "I Bought it."

Gaaaah!!!! It’s so hard being a geek!!!!

Tags:Games Nintendo DS Lite Super Mario

Posted in Geek Stuff |

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