The Link Between Super Mario 3D Worlds Launch Event at Nintendo World, NYC

Streetpass continues to be one of the best features of Nintendo's 3DS. It certainly comes in handy when you're waiting in line for a launch event. It makes the cold air a little more tolerable while you're standing on the street. Listening to friends talk about their respective Pokémon Safari is amusing. There's fun to be had being allowed to peek into what games others are currently playing. And of course, the all mighty flicker of a green light indicating you've tagged a fellow Nintendo Enthusiast is one of life's simple yet wonderful pleasures.

I wish my Streetpass was no longer working. I just really wanted to an excuse to get my hands on that sweet new The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 3DS XL!

Foodie Adventures with Nach: Day 2

At Aikage's suggestion, there is a change to the story formally known as "(Foodie) Adventures in How to Ignore a Hipster...".  However and despite the header image, this will not be a romantic comedy about canoedling, cup noodling, canoodling, or canned bread..ling(?).  I happened to take a  picture of some glorious art that day and this is all by chance.  None shall sully this thread! I'm looking at you, Aikage and Swan.  With that out of the way, I will be continuing the story on how Nach visited NYC and ate himself silly almost all of last week and at the start of this week.

Late Night Story Time!

Don't be weepy, sleepy puppies... It's almost time for bed, TAY.  Time to change into pajamas (or if you don't wear any of those... whatever it is you want to do, it's kewl.  I just don't need to hear about it), brush your teeth, dim the lights and curl up under those blankets.  Hm? You're not sleepy yet? TAYV Movie Night gave you the scares?! Oh.  Ohhhh, you wanted me to read you a story before bed! Sure, I can do that.  Actually, I've got about 16 to share!

Story Time and Pajamas: The Dream Team Launch Event at Nintendo World, NYC

Another Mario Luigi and Mario RPG game is out, everyone (as if you all did not already know)! It's called Dream Team, it's for the 3DS and I have not even opened up the game yet.  Nope!  What I did do on Saturday however, was skip to Nintendo World for a Pajama Party complete with musical chairs, story time, popcorn, drinks, cupcakes, the chance to dance with Luigi and Mario and of course, the ability to purchase a copy of the game a day before release.

Hosting the Open Forum 3

Heeelllloooooooo, TAY! Welcome to Thorsday and the Open Forum.  Hello? Yes, this is Zarnyx and I will be your host today.  Thorsdays have always tossed mishaps at me for as long as I can remember.  So today I say: pox on you, Thorsday! We're going to do an ActiviTAY to make us forget that there's one day until sweet, merciful freedom.  That's right! We're going to parTAY like it's Friday.  I'm sorry.  I know Friday is still a thing that has to happen but letmejustconfuseyouwithabunchoftextthathasnothingtodowithanything.  And onwards to our game!

We said it before and we'll say it again.  At the recent launch party at Nintendo World for Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, a game of Mario & Luigi's Mushroom Kingdom Mad Lib was held and it was rigged.  The Top 5 Mad Lib entries were revealed and the team of Hannibal Chau Chow (fellow TAY'er UI 2.0) and Zarnyx did not win.  Maybe we are just bitter that our Mad Lib entry was not chosen (which seems more than likely) but man, I really wanted a Luigi key chain or plush as a prize! Not really but we were wronged, TAY! WRONGED!

Making Friends is Easy! The Animal Crossing Launch Event at Nintendo World, NYC

In my mind, the day was going to be perfect.  I pictured that it would be raining when I got to Nintendo World at 7 a.m. and I would be met by a sea of black umbrellas.  Continuing my fantasy, I believed that as I approached the line, I would certainly be humming my favourite tune.  I imagined the line would be short due to the heavy rain we have been having in NYC.  And I thought I would be extremely elated.

This morning I awoke and was met instead by the sun peeking out from the grey clouds.  It had actually been raining when I awoke at 4:30 but by the time I got to the train, I had to wear my sunglasses.
What's even worse, I got to Nintendo World near 8 a.m. which was much later than I had anticipated and instead of short line with a sea of umbrellas, there was a line that had already reached halfway down the block.

Long Lines and Frozen Digits: The Sacrifices Made in The Year of Luigi

I know better.

I would not say I'm a veteran of standing in lines for launch parties and events at Nintendo World but I've stood in a line for Nintendo on at least four other occasions that I can recall.

I've seen the madness of many of their other lines and hence, I have only myself to blame for cold toes and getting there later than I would have liked, to partake in festivities.

But how can you blame anything on that adorable green-clothed man?

Is there anything in this picture that isn't adorable? Okay, maybe the one-eyed orange ghost thing is uh, questionable at best.

You just can't do it, can you?! Unless you're a Mario Loyalist, in which case, I am judging you.  Did you feel the glint-laden stare? That was all in jest...

...or was it?

None of the first world problem stuff matters though because lines (once you've secured your spot with a wristband that confirms your existence) can be rather fun things.

You meet like-minded people.

You meet crazy people.

You try to think of yourself as not being a crazy person but others may disagree.

But at the end of it all, you get to buy a game a day early and unwrap that new smell and take it up your nostrils.  I'm not sure where else you would take a new smell up into but I typed ridiculousness and so it shall remain.

With your new game in hand that you will probably throw on a backlog because after all these years you're still one of those people who refuses to start something new if you're already involved in another venture (and/or you're one of those people who just can't play multiple games at once), you happily collect your swag and head upstairs for the party.

This being the Year of Luigi (hey...wait, I thought it was the Year of the Snake?!), Nintendo planned something special for the launch of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. 

There's something completely amazing about a bunch of Luigis in one room and Nintendo decided to dress us up as the younger, better brother.  Moustaches and Luigi hats were given as the gift for this event with the purchase of the game (and if it's free, it's for me!) because somehow Nintendo knew it would be frickin' hilarious to have a bunch of people in over-sized Luigi hats take over a glass building and spill out into the streets.  Who knew?

There was a video chat with the dashing brother himself and he took questions from fans.  Someone asked him about Sonic and it must have been a hilarious response because the person was in a fit of laughter after the exchange.  I began wondering if Charles Martinet was stuffed in a tiny box behind the visuals so that the conversations could be so on point.

A cutie attendant decked out in a formal butler-type outfit operated the elevator to second floor where games of "Luigi Pictionary" and whatever else (I don't know, I did not stay that long as it was crowded as all hell and had a hungry friend awaiting my return for dinner plans - I was scared she would go all zombie on my face) were taking place.

He lied to me and told me there was some interesting surprise waiting at the top - and yeah, there were quite the number of Luigi folks shouting out their best guesses to some terrible drawings - but I was half expecting a Boo to pop out some place.  He made it seem all so mysterious!

There's a game of Pictionary going on in that sea of green hats.

Alas, disappointed at the sad lack of Boo, I watched the back of green hat heads for a while and then made my way out.  I have no idea what sort of prizes were given out but I hope someone got a Poltergust 5000.

Come now, surely the cutest thing you've ever seen, right?

Later that evening when my friend and I made our way to Grand Central with our Luigi hats on our heads, it was cool when people hailed us out.

"Aye, LUIGI!!!", was a pretty standard response and the sort of respect Luigi deserves.

"What's with the Luigi hats?", we were met with by some suits.

Why not Luigi hats?

It's the Year of Luigi, after all.

Time to party or alternately, go hide in a corner.

Fellow 3DS Cool Kids Met Via Streetpass: Only 26 because I did not clear my system.  Don't forget, I had a hungry friend and a zombie situation on my hands.  I'm sure there were so many more tags to be had.

Currently listening to: "I'll Be Alright" by Passion Pit.  At $2.99 on an Amazon deal, I wanted to know what the fuss was about.  Now I find myself oddly compelled to these almost trashy Euro synth, mix...hipster weirdness.  Not convinced that this album is great though but the catchy sort of songs are exactly the kinda things I need these days.  No worries, I'll go back to torturing myself with some The Black Keys soon enough now that I have that much more of an appreciation than I did just a year ago.

Quick Nerdish Sort of Note

It's been a week and a half since H1, BH and I trekked to Midtown ON A SUNDAY (ugh) to participate in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS Launch Event.

And of course, there was a freakin' line.

We went on a scavenger hunt to find gold skulltulas, or uh, rather, H1 and BH went on a scavenger hunt while I waited in line for a keychain (yay?) along with my pre-ordered copy of the game.

That...does not look like the gold skulltulas in the game... I call shenanigans!

We did not stay for the drawing of the prize, making all of H1's hard work useless.  But you know, H1, you had fun looking, right?

I did not take a lot of pictures there and really, what did I do then?

Of course, all that was required of me was to take one picture and even that I mucked up.

Well...it was worth it because I got the game on launch day allowing me to register for the limited edition commemorative cd collection.  Right? Yes.  It was not a total loss.

Plus, I am enjoying my game a lot.  A lot.  The details of that I will wait to bore you with at the End of Year review.

Anyway... H1, BH and I will also take away our childhood memories from the trip.  Or at least, BH will have fond, childhood memories of it all.

Memories...and some Shake Shack burgers.

Fellow 3DS Cool Kids Met Via Streetpass at Nintendo World on 6/19/2011: About 40.  Ah yes, I walked away with a lot of those too.  Nintendo's the place to be at a launch event! Did you like my "Rocket Science" moment? Did you?

Like a Loser?

Usually, I'm on the ball. Well, okay, not always.

But in 2006, the day pre-orders were being taken for the Nintendo Wii, I was on it!

The day I picked it up, a week after its release, I walked in there and claimed my Wii much to the annoyance of people in the store desperately trying to get one.

Just about every day for almost 2 years after that, the line outside Nintendo World for the Wii was long due to the high demand of the Wii and the unavailability of the system. Even on days when those people had no right to be standing on line because it was in stock at other stores, they stood there.

In the cold.

In the rain.

In the hot sun.

In the normal weather. Yeah, sometimes the weather was tolerable.

And every day, H1 and I would pass by and shout out, "You should have pre-ordered!" Eventually we would pass by and say, "Okay, now you're just being lame. Go to Gamestop and get one! It's like a 3 minute walk from here!".

The day has come.

The day I might be the tool waiting in line outside Nintendo to buy a DSi.

Just. like. a. loser.

Now, mind you... I can easily go tomorrow and pre-order. There's still time for that.

I can go on to Amazon and pre-order. There's still time for that.

But I'm hoping against all good sense that a The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks comes out with a limited edition bundle. While I highly doubt it since a golden Triforce (ooo...gaudy) edition was already released for the DS Lite, I'm going to do the something-tells-me-it's-a-stupid-thing stupid thing, and wait.

I know those assholes are going to release one in Japan and not here. Isn't that always the case? Don't the Japanese hate me? Yes, yes they do.

Anyways, come Saturday at Midnight, Nintendo World will be open until 2 AM, so you can be the first to pick up your new DSi, and I won't be one of those people.

If Beetchie were here, we'd make another jaunt of it probably, even though she might trying to "yoink" my new stylish DSi and toss me her Lite.

But it's okay, Beetchie... if Link doesn't pan out, and the rumoured re-release of Final Fantasy VI does, and it comes in a bundle, I'll get that so you can swoon. But! Only if Kefka's on the DSi. I don't want those other effer's on my DSi, unless you know, it's like the Phantom Train, Gau or Edgar Figaro or something.

Thank you.

The Scary Stuff at Nintendo World

Bughie J., H1 said I should take this picture for you -



what's that blue one doing?

I think H1 was traumatized and bad memories came rushing back to me as well when I remembered giant spotted bug beasties chomping and rolling.

Secretly...the rolling on always kinda cracked me up.

Currently listening to: "Hurt Feelings" by Flight of the Conchords. I feel like a prize asshole.

A November Morning in Midtown with Animal Crossing

Nintendo World's getting geared up for the release of Animal Crossing: City Folk.

As simple and boring sounding Animal Crossing seems to be, it's truly one of the most fun games the HOchieS ever played.

As much as I tell myself I won't get another in the series because there's barely any change, I always pine when a new one is released because I get nostalgic for shooting presents out of the sky, hearing stupid muscle bound stories of nonsense from Ace and Ace like characters, watching Bugh catch sea bass after sea bass throughout the year and cursing at them everytime, Stylin' up Iggyh's clothes with Communist Stars, and going into Bugh's House and digging through her closets and effin' with her various 'oids.



Sometimes I try to pacify myself by remembering all the bad times such as a house overrun with cockroaches (though what great fun did I take in smushing them and seeing their little cockroach souls dissipate in the house), finding ghosts at 3 AM, being freaked out by Jack O' Lantern on Halloween as he stumbles around town like Jack the Ripper, and running all over town day after day in the afternoons trying and not first without failing miserably countless times to catch that damned diagonal zipping dragonfly.

Perhaps next year when the price drops significantly (if it does) and the reviews are good, I will get us a copy.

This morning, H1 and I gazed up on the display window and took pictures of all our favourite friends - who aren't here.

Only the asshole characters are here.



Stupid Gracie!

Currently listening to: "Scoundrels" by Shiro Sagisu, from the Bleach Original Soundtrack 3