Posts by Cory Faller

How do you make a sequel to Breath of the Wild and channel even an ounce of the "wow oh gosh" the first game had? This kind of systems-driven open world with unprecedented freedom in its traversal, you can't just throw in "more systems" and "more world" and achieve that kind of impact. But if we distill the game's primary message to one of "freedom," there's a natural next step: put that fancy boy in the sky.

We all had that nightmare, years ago. A fevered, flop-sweat vision of a future we dared not believe could come to pass. "Nintendo making mobile games." Jesus! I still shudder. The benefits of Nintendo sticking to their own hardware have been well argued, and at the very LEAST we enthusiast game-doers place value on buttons. The notion of Nintendo going multi-platform in the very worst way was not a pleasant one.

So hey did y'all see this Link's Awakening or what. Man pretty rad huh. I love that we've finally hit a point where 2D remakes like this aren't trapped on the 3DS, and can really benefit from the processing power of modern console hardware. Behold! Nintendo's flagship box cranking out this... rinky-dink lookin thing? I mean let's be real, this is gorgeous, so bright and smooth with this slick tilt-shift blur going on.

I wasn’t raised on RPGs. Platformers and puzzle games, these were my bread and butter. I grew up focused on mechanical precision, on timing and finite challenges. So when my little brother bought Final Fantasy VII for the PC I remember chiding him for it. Ha ha, those stupid movies posing as games! What do you think you’re doin with that, that’s not a jumping simulator. I ended up playing it anyway.

Somehow, this finally happened! Don't let the last four posts fool you—mere blips in a five-year span—our hiatus has been in full effect. Until now! Look at this friggin thing! The site I've been meaning to make for upwards of six, eight, some absurd number of years. Laid bare for your judgement. So let's chat a little about what we came up with. I've said this before, but it bears repeating: it's hard to find the time to run a regularly-updating fansite.

I tried to write something eloquent here, and found that I just don't have the words. So here are some pictures of us as children, with the man who embodied everything that could possibly be right about how to make video games, how to value a team of artists and visionaries, and how to inspire impressionable boys and girls to make stupid websites like this one. He will never be replaced.

I swear it's coincidence, but N-Sider seems to echo Nintendo's strategies more often than not. Similarities between the 2013 Wii U lineup and our editorial output are easy to make! Ha ha it's because neither of them exist. Oh man. I'm starting to find that when it comes to hobbies, it's best not to push them. When an enjoyable outlet starts to feel more like a responsibility, it's time to take a step back.

Man I could say so many things about Fire Emblem: Awakening, but at this point all I really want to share is how brain-scramblingly amazing the soundtrack is. I beat the game last night, and got access to the sound test mode, and have just been listening to it all day at work. SO, I am going to just shamelessly vomit out an assortment of Youtube links to songs here.

The Wii was Nintendo's way of saying "nope" to the presumed rules of the gaming industry. While its competitors screamed ahead in the power race, Nintendo sat on its hands, and decided it wanted to play a different game. And hey, it worked out for them pretty well, if you're the sort who gives two shits about sales numbers. But analysts, enthusiasts, and fatheads throughout the world refused to accept it.

Sorta!!! While I can't reasonably see myself ever using the Wii U GamePad's TV remote functionality to actually switch inputs or change channels as Nintendo's promotional materials are fond of romanticizing—my Harmony remote manages my devices in a fashion the GamePad is just literally incapable of emulating—I would be lying if I said the idea of changing the volume of my speakers from my controller didn't tickle me in my down-there area.