Are You Kidding? Wii Are Not!

So here's the deal.

To be honest, I was very relieved when the name was announced. I don't know, it has something to do with me not liking consoles sticking to their code-names (no Dolphin, DS, or Revolution for me, thanks -- though I kind of liked Ultra 64). Besides, am I the only one who thought the Revolution name was a bit too obnoxious?. But yes, I was definitely surprised to see such a negative reaction from the gaming community -- mind you, I come from a place where "Wii" isn't a word related to body parts or potty visits -- but I can honestly say that I inmediately related the new name to the iPod brand.



Sure, it will take a while, but I'm positive that the name will stick around, and people will learn to love it. That's what happened with several other brands that didn't seem to "make sense" when they were first introduced. I certainly think that in the end -- and this may sound like a lame and overused excuse -- the name will not matter, because what gamers will really remember is the gameplay (if it's good and revolutionary). Personally, after almost two years, I can't say I'm fond of the Nintendo DS name, but why should I care when the system has amazing games like Advance Wars: Dual Strike on it?

I do think that Nintendo may have a bit of trouble marketing the name (although they are trying to get girl gamers to play, so having a "Wii" may work in the end, right? -- I KID!), but we'll see. Though Yahoo! turned out pretty well, don't you think?

It's-a-me, Animiggy!

Here's my anime portrait!



Thanks to the talent of Tailzo (forum member at Advanced Media Network's forums), I now have my very own Anime Portrait. Though in the underworld they are called Happiness Avatars (created to stop forum war), I call them portraits to accentuate the quality of the drawings. They are amazing! If you want to see more (though after seeing mine, why would you?) Check them out here.

(If you're not part of the AMN forums, why aren't you?!)

The Blazing Sword -- Top 5 Units

So I finally beat Intelligent Systems' masterpiece, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword (known in the common world as simply Fire Emblem), and I've gotta say that it's my favorite of the series (considering that we have only played three of them -- I mean people who live in the American continent, of course).

The story is magnificent, and I still can't believe that it was done in Game Boy Advance hardware. From the pseudo-cinematic opening to its entire presentation (the artwork is fantastic, and the photo stills in key moments of the story were very well done), Fire Emblem fans who, like me, didn't bother trying out the first game in the series, and started with The Sacred Stones, or even Path of Radiance, should not hesitate to go back and play the one that started it all in the US.



In conmemoration (and because I will be posting again when I finish my second playthrough), I'll post my top 5 units based on both quality (as battle units) and storywise:

5) Florina: Heh, what could be considered as a closeted lesbian (I swear these are not my words, but rather what many people in the forums call her), turns out to be one of the sweetest characters in the entire game. She may be super-shy around men, but this girl is 100% heart, and in the world of Fire Emblem, that's a good thing! She also capped many stats, including skill and speed. You go girl!



4) Serra: So okay, she didn't end up being in my strongest characters, but her personality rocks! She's annoying, self-centered, and her view of life is just fantastic. This girl will probably not know what being depressed is, and for that, kudos. She wasn't as good as Priscilla when it comes to joining in the battlefield, but now that I'm on my second playthrough, I'll see if she can kick some behind when promoted.



3) Lyn: Yeah, I know, safe pick. But when you look at what she accomplished during the entire adventure, you'll learn to love our noble Lady of Caelin. She's also the one who rescued the tactician Miguel from a probable death. On the battlefield she may be quick (and when promoted, deadly), but her heart is golden, and her will is stronger than Hawkeye's arm.



2) Canas: This is the first time I've ever wanted to focus on leveling up a Druid, and that's because Canas is a super cool dude! He's very knowleadgeable about the Fire Emblem world, and the ending -- his ending -- was totally unexpected (and a bit sad, too), but pretty much defined what Canas is: someone who cares. On the battlefield, he's a force to be reckoned with, especially when you consider that he's one of the VERY FEW that can actually hurt the end boss.



1) Hector: Heh, another safe choice, but if you have played the game, you'll see why Hector is a fan-favorite. His personality is strong, but when it comes to his feelings, he has a heart of gold. He is fighthing for his best friend, risking his life so that Eliwood can be happy once again. Sometimes he is the only one who can stand up to the enemy, even if it may not be the most intelligent choice, but he will never forget what he promised -- he will find Eliwood's father. On the battlefield, Hector is a MONSTER. You will notice right from the start that his superior stats (and growth percentage, too!) make him the lord of choice.



Honorable Mentions:

Raven/Lucius/Priscilla: For the weird love triangle they have, lozlozl.
Ninian: Beautiful, and with a heart of gold as well.
Eliwood: Very good character. His interaction with Ninian was my favorite part of the game.
Sain: For being a ladies man, lol.


Now back to the game!