The NX has to be something competitive, and could really stand to stay away from any envelope-pushing gimmicks. I think what most gamers really want right now, is a solid platform, with means of posterity, where they can play Nintendo franchise games. Nintendo systems have never been the go-to for 3rd party experiences, with few exceptions. If they can change that, great, but the system needs to stay grounded with the "standards" of game development (e.g. use a tested control scheme, no gimmicks!). I feel like Nintendo shoots themselves in the foot too often when they try to think outside the box. Maybe they don't realize that they have all the innovation they need, right there in the games they make. Part of their strategy has been to reduce avenues of piracy, and I get that. At some point, however, conformity can be a good thing.

A subscription game service might work, and since everyone else is doing it, Nintendo might give it a go (is anyone actually doing subscription downloads, though?). It would be even nicer if you could simply keep the games you purchase for their virtual console, and have those tied to an account rather than a system. I don't know if they changed this for the Wii U, but I had a sweet library of retro games on the Wii, and lost them all because of this.

Handheld gaming doesn't interest me significantly, but I know it's huge, so I wouldn't be surprised if the rumors are true that the NX will be a console/handheld hybrid. Nintendo has shown interest in bringing their handheld games to the TV, ever since the N64. DS/3DS games pose a twin-screen problem that seems to only be solved by having a Wii U type setup, which, for me, muddles the experience. The beauty of those handhelds is that you can still view important information on the second screen peripherally. Contrarily, a controller in the hands can move out of that vision while focus is on the TV. This can be annoying. This, I think (if rumors are true), will be one of the make/breaks of the new system.

All I really want is a powerful system with a clean UI, a great controller (a WaveBird, with better button configuration would be perfect), and a proper online service. Build it, and they will come.

I don't know that the D-pad was all that innovative, rather a natural evolution of its predecessors (Intellevision was the first to go no-joystick, I think). Wii motion controls were fine enough for Nintendo (although, I would have much rather played Skyward Sword without motion controls), but not so much for 3rd party devs, so I don't know how much they dominated. Game Boy was awesome, and the DS was/is pretty amazing. I think the GameCube is my favorite system that they've put out, beside the SNES (best controller, and best games).

They do make great things, from time to time, but they seem to excel on the software side of things ;)

That's an interesting article, but some of those are a bit of a stretch. I'm nitpicking, of course (as I'm wont to do, sometimes), but a lot of items on that list are simply a natural evolution of existing ideas. Even the first sentence under "The Directional Pad" reads "The directional pad was inevitable." The modern side-scroller? Pitfall was around before Super Mario Bros. The Playstation had the Multitap, which wasn't pretty, but did the same job, and then some (supporting up to 8 controllers, if memory serves) when it came to multiplayer on one console. To say that we owe the innovation of virtual reality to the Virtual Boy is crazy talk (there was nothing VR about it, it was 3D).

Nintendo has made some great things, but there may be a bit of sugar on some of the details. One could argue that Nintendo has also been active in stifling progress in the industry over the years (e.g. the slow move away from cartridges, poor support of online gaming, abstract proprietary control systems...).

Considering that my 3D experience of this movie was bad and that I still really enjoyed it with my son, I think I will pick it up. Also, seeing as how I'm an Amazon Prime member, pre-ordering from Amazon sounds like the way to go. Thanks for letting us know about this!

So excited for this. I'm intentionally putting off watching Daredevil S2 and Batman V Superman until the weekend before Force Awakens releases, so that I can better manage the excitement.

That's a good idea. You'll have to post your conclusion. I think I only have IV available with me, or I'd join in on that, too ;).

Like I said in our most recent conversation, I'm so very glad you're playing Pokemon Blue! I had heard of Pokemon during my high school years, but never really knew much of anything about it. It seemed to be really popular, especially for those that were younger than me at the time. I noticed how many colored versions the game had; Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, etc. At first, I thought this was just a marketing ploy. While that may still in part be true, I don't believe it completely. I became aware of the limitations of those Gameboy carts and therefore it seems this caused limitations in the game. Since they so brilliantly (in my opinion) created so many Pokemon, they had to create new games to fit them all in. So, it wasn't just the same exact game with a different color as a title. Although the games are essentially all the same, each one has unique Pokemon that aren't found in one of those other versions. Many Pokemon are in every one of them, though. Also, the story is slightly different in that in one of the versions your main opponent is Team Magma, while in another game it's Team Aqua. Even if you don't have every color based version of the game, all Pokemon are still accessible, especially by trading, which has grown into a global application.

I didn't actually play Pokemon or really get into it until after I started college and my roommate (Travis) got me hooked on Final Fantasy (VIII to begin with). After that, I was hooked on RPGs and once I found out that Pokemon games are RPGs, well that didn't take too much to convince me. I can't recall what version was my first, maybe Sapphire on the Gameboy Advance. Then I got Emerald (sadly never Ruby). As Pokemon aged, I ended up continuing to get at least some of the new games that were released for whatever generation of the Gameboy. I even have a GameCube game, which was fun and I was actually able to transfer Pokemon from my GBA games to my NGC using the "link" cable.

Then, my son was born and after a few years, he got introduced to Pokemon by me and others, so he became instantly hooked. So now, I've actually bought different versions for both of us, especially on the DS systems. I can't at the moment recall all the Pokemon games we have, but I can tell you we have many of them. Eventually, I even got a copy of the Pikachu Yellow version, which is much like your Blue version.

Most recently, near the end of 2015, I bought Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for both me and Vinny. He decided to play Omega Ruby and I chose to play Alpha Sapphire. So, it became a cool bonding experience we got to share together. Now, another set of Pokemon games is set to release near the end of this year called Sun and Moon. For a while now each generation seems to have three color based games, the first two come out together and then the third comes out some time after.

Yes it's a bit grindy, but to me that's pretty much an RPG for you. It can get old and tiring after a while, sure, but I still love it and I know I'll continue to play those games. Vinny and I have also seen many of the movies and many episodes of the especially long animated series, which I think is awesome. It may be odd to hear about a near 40 year old adult who likes Pokemon, but I can only honestly say that I love it. I think Nintendo has created something fun and interesting, which isn't necessarily something only kids can fall in love with.

Also, for me it's very hard to say what my favorite Pokemon or even type is, they're all very awesome. This is especially true when battling against type differences, such as using a water type against a fire type. But, I think because I love the color blue so much, I tend to choose water types to begin with.

Sun and Moon confirmed for this year:
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pokemon-sun-and-moon-confirmed-for-3ds-coming-this/1100-6435128/

The gag with Magikarp is he pretty much IS the worst. However, if you actually spend the effort to evolve him he turns into Gyarados, a very powerful water/flying type. Abra is probably the best non-legendary pokemon in the game. In Red/Blue Psychic types have a big advantage. Catching one is a pain because they teleport away so fast, but it's worth it to catch it.

As far as the starter Pokemon go, Squirtle Squad 4 life.
http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/7/70/EP012.png

I've pretty much said this before, but I'll say it again. I got Link's Awakening some time around when it was released for the Gameboy. The Gameboy was my primary gaming device, I didn't have a Nintendo or Sega Genesis, although my cousin had all three. I did eventually also own a Sega Game Gear, but that's not too relevant to this post.

Anyway, I enjoyed the game and I probably still have it somewhere around here. I have played the Gameboy Color version, which was cool. I honestly don't recall very much about it other than the things you've mentioned and that it seemed unique in many ways, especially the music. But yeah, it was fun and I certainly enjoyed it. I'm glad you've been enjoying it.