#HeforShe: Strong Female Characters

The big news as of posting is Emma Watson's recent speech to the UN as the ambassador for the #HeforShe campaign. I firmly support this movement and hope it can bring about some fresh change.

I have never called myself a feminist, equalitist yes, but not a feminist. In my head a feminist is someone who wants to flip society and give men a piece of their own patronisation. Since SheforHe I have realised this is an outdated view of feminism. The new wave seeks to not only promote woman's rights to be equal to men, but also to allow men to also be free express themselves.

The movement seeks to break down barriers of how society dictates your gender. I would describe it more, but I fear I would do it a disservice. Instead I will incluede a link to Emma Watson's amazing speech below.

My interest of the movement led me to attending the Winchester University Feminist Society. Where during a round of introductions we had to say our favorite female character. This task has created the inspiration for this post of my top females in fiction (in no particular order).

• Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins
  Morrigan was my first thoughts when I thought of a female character I admire. When faced with her world's saviour how does she react? With mistrust, sarcasm and disinterest of course. Yet, over time as he/she proves themselves she can, depending on your choices, soften to you. She is a powerful sorceress and becomes your most powerful ally. Then I read this article, specifically point 2. I realised that she does in sleep with the hero as a plot device, this caused me to question whether she is that strong. Then I remembered that, after the ending, she scarpers with the baby. She has her own goal and that child has a use to her. Also if your main character is female she doesn't jump in bed with you, instead she encourages you to for the same dubious purposes. The child is significant to her in both cases, clearly it wasn't just to save you. Added to this there are points when she is rather vulnerable and the walls of sarcasm fall. After all, if your mother raised you solely to prolong her
  own life wouldn't you have trust issues?
  


• Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty/KingdomHearts
  I will admit I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty; and I won't be talking about the latest Maleficent film. Not that she isn't strong in it, she is; especially during the film's darker moments. But when the film tries to soften her villainous intent she gets too sentimental. Maleficent in KingdomHearts is the example I want to mention. Here she leads an army of Heartless (evil shadow creatures), is the head of a league of evil characters (which includes male villains like Hook, Oogy Boogy and Hades) and manages to resurrect herself from the dead. Yes she is beaten in the first game, but she comes back stronger than ever in the second. She is still somewhere in the game's universe, plotting her return. Plus, she turns into one badass dragon, which is a pain to defeat.






• Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas
  
  Sally is trapped physically by her creator/dad, Dr. Finklestein, and emotionally, by her unrequited love for Jack. She escapes both of these on her own, and manages to save Jack from Oogy Boogy and himself. She is strong-willed and street smart despite being a typical sheltered child. Her personality isn't rough and ready; instead she is deeply caring and eager to help those around her.


• Alice from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland (the novel)
  I think if I fell down a hole into a world of nonsense I would have no clue on where to go. It wouldn't take long for me to give in and breakdown. Alice doesn't, instead she plays the mad inhabitants at their own game and succeeds multiple times. Add to this that she is still a child and I feel rather ashamed.
  


• Elizabeth from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  Elizabeth, or Lisbeth, is a very complex character. With a troubled childhood and a social disorder, she could easily allow herself to be manipulated by society. But she doesn't, even when government agencies and psychopathic individuals try to stop her she fights back. Usually with her own sense of justice which can be rather brutal. She also isn't afraid to connect ties with her love interest, in doing so she asserts her independence. She is a fascinating character due to her amoral attitude towards everyone and everything. She sees no differences between people and only judges on their actions.
  

Honourable mentions:

• Princess Zelda, specifically in Ocarina of Time (Not just a kidnapped princess in another castle!)
• Female Commander Shephard from Mass Effect (Literally can do anything Male Commander Shephard can do)
• Lana Winters from American Horror Story: Asylum

Before I end I want to make you aware that #HeforShe stresses that they also want to promote male rights as well. The right for men to express themselves freely without being judged. For this reason I will follow up this post with examples of male characters who don't adhere to their gender.

I also throw the gauntlet down to fellow blogger Amy Elize at The Willow Web to give her list.

Link for Emma Watson's UN speech.

But I also want to know what you guys think.
Who are your favourite characters who transcend gender?


Let me know below.

Morrigan image from Dragon Age Wikia, Maleficent image from KingdomHeartsfanon, Sally image from Writeups, Alice image from e-reading, Lisbeth image from minkmagic.

Seventh Son

What type of person are you? Let’s do a little test to find out. I want you to imagine that you have just found out a beloved book or series of books is about to be made into a film. Are you type A, who upon hearing this news buries their head into their arms and silently weeps. Type B, who gets super excited exclaiming that you finally get a chance to enter an exciting land. Or are you type C, who reserves judgement until later. Well reader, which are you?

Right now I am quite firmly type A after seeing the second trailer for Seventh Son; the upcoming film 'inspired' by Joseph Delaney's Spook's Apprentice series of books. I put inspired in quotations because after seeing the trailer I can't imagine much inspiration came from the page.

To start with the main character Tom Ward, in the books, is aged twelve in book one. Seventh Son's Tom is played by Ben Barnes, a man aged thirty-three almost three times the age of his character. The same can be said of Tom's love interest Alice, played by Alicia Vikander who is twenty eight. In my mind these casting choices have been made so that the film can target an older age range. An age range that has had enough pandering to, in my opinion. Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mortal Instruments and The Host, films whose central characters end up in an teenage angst-fuelled romance. Yes, Tom and Alice have a romance in the books, but at their age it's a subtle one that doesn't match the audience the film makers are targeting. That audience is rather removed from the original book's, which targeted children aged between nine and fourteen. I have to wonder why the makers are shifting the focus of the viewers, especially when this shift dramatically alters the story.

I will give them credit in casting Jeff Bridges as the Spook. He's tall, gangly and sports an impressive beard. He is a great choice for the role and matches the image in my head. The costume he has doesn't quite match. It has the appearance of a knight from the crusades but with a gothic twist: too much chain mail for my liking. Delaney's Spooks wear a long black cloak that leaves them rather fragile and their greatest defence is their knowledge of the dark. In my opinion plates of armour offer little protection from the magic of a witch or the mental torment of a boggart.

This brings me to my next gripe with the film. The book series fits comfortably in the horror genre, it even states on the back 'Not to be read after dark'. I remember when I first read the books feeling slightly uneasy at some of the horror found in its pages. An unease that came from a very psychological place as the story took advantages of very subtle, yet powerful fears. One part that was rather effective came early in the first instalment and young Tom Ward's training. He was tasked with spending a night alone in a cellar haunted by a ghost known for killing those who dwelled within. Before the task begins Tom is briefed on the ghost and the cellar's history, then the candles blown out and we are left alone with Tom in that cellar. Soon thumps and groans are heard from its darkest corner and Tom slowly begins to investigate. The tension created from the approach to the pile of sacks is almost unbearable with great detail made about the slow walk. I won't ruin it for you by detailing his grim discovery; you'll have to read for yourself.

I say this because I can't imagine the scene will be brought to the big screen. From the looks of the trailer subtlety flew out the window when the four-armed monster opened the blinds. It looks like horror isn't the genre the film sits in; instead it looks like a fantasy/adventure film. So, not only does the film want to get in with the tween romance trend, but also wants to ride The Hobbit 's tail-coat too. If the directors don't have enough confidence to allow the film to stand on its own merits why should the viewers?

Talking of The Hobbit, I can't help but think that it 'inspired' the setting of the film. The books are firmly set in England, specifically around Lancaster. It anchored the plot and made it more believable, which when dealing with the horror genre is very important. Freud's work The Uncanny tells us that when what we find familiar is altered it becomes unfamiliar and a sense of unease is created. Think about the view you get every time you open your front door, it's an image that I'm sure is pretty strong in your mind. Now I want you to imagine something that doesn't belong there, for instance a sinister clown, it would unsettle you to say the least, am I right? By changing the setting to something that looks a lot like Middle Earth shatters any familiarity and horror it may have. 

With his cloak on the Spook does look right I must admit.

Lastly, perhaps most tragically, the film appears to mess with the rich lore that the series created. In the trailer spooks are described as being 'noble knights'. Anyone who has even read the first chapter will know this isn't true. Spooks are seen as a blight on society, omens of death and misfortune, they are an unfortunate necessity. If one has to call a spook in then one would hope it leaves soon. They are seen as anything but noble. The books also utilize Celtic folklore and contain creatures and myths from the British Isles. I can't imagine much of these are included and indeed the monsters in the trailer look rather CGI and far removed from ancient.

It is a shame the film seems to deviate so much from the source material, especially when other films have shown it can be done, and done successfully. Harry Potter did it right, J.K Rowling kept a firm grasp on the treatment the films delivered and it paid off. The films are a gift to the fans of the book and a joy for them to watch. Twilight does this too, mainly because the makers had true passion for the books. If Twilight can get it right, then surely anything can, am I right?

I found this map which illustrates the books locations.

As you can tell I'm rather disappointed in how Seventh Son is shaping up. I have a feeling that Delaney signed away the rights to the film and ran with the money. Researching this post reminded me of a film adaptation being made of another of my favourite childhood series, Artemis Fowl. I then looked that up and it seems that the film will cover book one and two, this news sent my head right back into my arms, and I'm not coming out.

What do you think about film adaptations of beloved books, or perhaps the other way around? Let me know in the comments section.

Back cover image from Bookcrossing, Cast image from Comingsoon, Map from Larissabookgirl. 

E3 2014 - My Overview

Before I start, I’d like to issue a slight disclaimer. As mentioned in my previous E3 posts I did not go to E3 myself, and all insight I provide has come from live blogs and articles. This is not due to laziness, but living in a totally different country and not having the funds - I would love to go to E3 someday.

With that out of the way let’s take a look at my opinion on E3 2014; an event that has brought back a part of me. For the past two years I have been hesitant to call myself a gamer; I blame this in part to a rather cynical view of the console wars and the handling of the new generation. After last few years of companies showing off who has the biggest CPU, it seems we have finally got back to the games. And to be honest it’s the games that get me excited, not the boxes I play them on. So as I believe that this year focused on the games, it stands to reason that I feel a bit like my old geeky self again.

Favourite Part:

This is an easy one; my favourite part of E3 was Nintendo’s live event. Yes, it can be argued that as the Wii U is the only new gen console I own that I’m biased. But, at least I am honest about that fact. However, Nintendo’s fun and enthusiastic event couldn’t help but raise a smile in anyone who watched. It pays off too, if the creators look enthusiastic then the fans shall be as well. It’s little wonder then that Microsoft, Sony, EA and Ubisoft all seen rather procedural when their announcements can feel like a business meeting. I think this article demonstrates my point; not many executives are seen enjoying themselves so much as Shigeru Miyamoto.

To be more specific, I would say that Nintendo’s showcasing of their Amiibo concept was my highlight. I love the potential behind the idea, and as an avid collect of geeky merchandise, I can’t wait to fill my shelves with my favourite characters.

I can't help but want all of these.

Unexpectedly Impressed By:

On the other hand, I was rather impressed by both Sony’s and Microsoft’s first day conferences. Yes, they may have been a bit business like in their presentation, but they gave us a good look at some amazing games. With the competition between their machine's releases are out of the way we can finally see what they can play. In the exclusivity department I think Microsft did well; with Phantom Dust, Project Spark and Scalebound all looking rather appealing, despite not much gameplay being shown. Sony however, won in my mind with a single game, No Man's Sky - 

which if it is as it appeared, could be revolutionary. Having a genuinely new experience each time you play sounds great, and the fact that you can go from walking on land to space flight seamlessly adds a whole new level.

Disappointed by:

This one shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has been keeping even a small interest in E3 -  its Ubisoft. Two reasons for this: firstly, the fact that playable female characters are not being included in two of their biggest upcoming releases co-op modes (article concerning the statement is here). Both Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Unity features co-op with multiple playable characters but with no female option provided. I find it especially odd considering how Far Cry 3 and the Assassin's Creed series have had the option before.  This has been put down to time and resource constraints, which as explanations go is more offensive than the issue itself. There is a lot wrong with Ubisoft’s decision and if I'm honest it is an issue that runs throughout the industry, it will take full blog rant to cover it – look forward to that one!

The second reason is the announcement of a game that has been developed for the Wii U. But wait, surely this is good news? Well no, because Ubisoft refuse to release the game until the Wii U sells enough consoles to justify them releasing the game (article here). This came off as being a dig at Nintendo and a bit unprofessional in my mind. Why mention the game at all? I find nothing wrong with holding back a game ,if you believe it will sell better later. But, when it concerns a sensitive issue concerning another companies product, keep the reason to yourself. 

Looking forward to:

My top three games that I am hyped for are:

• No Man’s Sky
• Mario Maker
• Dragon Age:Inquisition

I also love the idea of Project Spark, however until I see some solid gameplay footage showing the kind of games we could create I will be wary of it. The concept sounds great, but seems a bit too ambitious.


Least looking forward to:

Well the yearly additions of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Battlefield Hardline go without saying. I hate how both series release yearly with little to no new features being added. Yet, the game I dread has got to be Let it Die; which from what I’ve seen, looks like a murder simulator along the lines of Manhunt and Mad World. The only outcome of this game is yet another media outcry against video games. For once too I would agree as the game looks like violence for the sake of being violent.

Conclusion:

Overall I was impressed by this year’s E3 and came away feeling rather enthusiastic for being a gamer again.

What did you think? Let me know in the comment section.


E3 logo from Arkhamverse, Amiibo image from Nintendo, Assassin's creed image from Rkbwrites, Shigeru Miyamoto image from paper architect blog

Nintendo's E3 Live Digital Event

Yesterday evening, at some point between the hours of four and five pm GMT, something changed within me. Or, to be more specific, something was rekindled. I am referring to the time at which Nintendo were conducting their live digital event, an event which made me proud to own a Wii U.  I hoped Nintendo would ease any doubts I have been having as an early buyer of the Wii U, and thankfully they delivered.

Even before the live broadcast, details of three titles currently in development began to emerge. All three were described as utilising the gamepad in new ways. The titles include a Star Fox game too, and even though I'm not a fan of the space mammal I know he is a popular character and sure to get people interested in the Wii U. The other two projects are currently known as Project Giant Robot (a fighting game where you pilot a giant robot), and Project Gaurd (a tower defence game). Little else is known about them yet, apart from that the gamepad will be used as some form of first person viewpoint. For instance, in Star Fox and Project Giant Robot the pad will give the view of a cockpit, whilst the TV screen will show the outside world. I hope that more games will incorporate the pad in such ways as this will prove it to be more than a gimmick.

The digital event itself started with a Super Smash Bros. style mock fight between Global Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata, and Nintendo America President, Reggie Fils-Amie. This fun opener stands in stark contrast with Sony's and Microsoft's very business-like approaches, and highlights Nintendo's continuing focus on fun. They went on to demonstrate Super Smash Bros Wii U, which of course looked awesome due to the new features shown. These include allowing the use of your Mii as a fighter and Nintendo's newest concept, Amiibos. These are basically Nintendo's own version of the popular Skylanders and Disney Infinity games, the concept being that physical figurines can be used as characters in the game's world. Nintendo promises each figurine will be able to develop their own stats and playing style, like a memory card. I love the idea of this, although I'm not sure my wallet will. As someone who has been already taken in by the aforementioned examples, I can see myself having the urge to collect them. Especially if they all look as good as the Mario they showcased:

The Amiibo designs are looking good!

When two whole new Legend of Zelda games were shown my excitement almost killed me. One of them, Hyrule Warriors, I had already heard of and I relish the combination of Zelda with Dynasty Warriors. The footage shown looked epic, displaying not only co-op play but also multiple playable characters from previous games - like Midna, a firm favourite of mine. I especially love the cool looking mega attacks and got a bit too thrilled by Ganon's giggle at the end. The second title (not yet named) is described as an open world Legend of Zelda; something seen only in a limited sense in the series before. The trailer shown was visually stunning, with a beautiful Hyrule vista followed by a lush forest. If the finished product is like this I imagine it as being similar to Skyrim. Something I have always wished to see, clearly shown by how my RPG characters are almost always named Link. No date was given for the second game, but Hyrule Warriors could well be in my hands by September and I can't wait.

There was also some typical cute looking Nintendo games. Games like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. The trailer looked cool, very reminiscent of puzzle games like Fez. Yoshi, too, is getting a new title - Yoshi's Wooley World (A successor of sorts to Kirby's Epic Yarn). Whilst looking fun and unbelievably cute, I doubt I'll be interested as I havent been a fan of previous Yoshi games. Kirby himself is coming back in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. It looks good but, as I have never played a Kirby game before, I can't form a strong opinion. But I like the clay art style so may keep my eye on it.

With so many enemies on screen at once in Hyrule Warrior I'm going to need a co-op buddy!

As many already know Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire are being remade, and initially I was skeptical as to why. It seems, on the other hand, that these are not just straight remakes. The inclusion of mega evolutions in the battles as well as the story suggests more than just superficial tweeking.

Bayonetta 2 looked good, and I like the fact they are including the Bayonetta 1 on the disc too as the first never had a Nintendo release. Looking as mad and quick paced as the original, it is a great example of a more hardcore game coming to the console that many dismiss as being only for families or children. Another hardcore title, The Devil's Third, will be released exclusively on Wii U as well, further disproving that the Wii U is just for casual gamers. From what little footage I have seen showed it to be quite dark and bloody. Finally, Xenoblade Chronicles X continues to uphold the Wii U's serious side. The trailer gave glimpses of an epic and heartbreaking story that makes me want to complete the first game.

One of my personal highlights was Mario Maker, a game where we will be able to create our own Mario levels. It reminded me a bit of Wario Ware D.I.Y. mixed with Little Big Planet. I can see it being fun and addictive, although I'm not sure my imagination is up to the job!

One citisism of Nintendo is their over-reliance on already established characters; looking back at my previous points in this post show this. Yet, the game Splatoon displayed that new concepts are coming as well. This one looks very odd - take the gameplay of Team Fortress, mix in a few painting puzzles from Portal 2 and then add the ability to turn into a squid... Yes, this game looks very odd indeed. It is essentially an online, team-based shooter, however as I am not a big online multiplayer fan I don't know how interested I am in this. If it is released with a split-screen option or single player I will definitely buy as it looks really fun.

In one word...
 hectic.

Nintendo's live digital event left me excited beyond belief, as you may be able to tell. I finished watching feeling nostalgia for the Gamecube era of my life, a time when I was proud to be a gamer, when every new game seemed innovative. I truly believe that Nintendo have proved that the Wii U has some serious potential, but in all honesty I didn't need much persuading.

I'd just like to finish by saying that I hope I haven't missed too much from E3 so far. There are a lot of games being showcased and I am aware of some I have overlooked. Feel free to ask my opinion on any game below in the comments.

What's your opinion on E3 so far? Are you as impressed by Nintendo as myself?


Amiibo image from Videogamer, Hyrule Warrior image from Zelda Universe, Splatoon image from news.geliyoo

Electronic Entertainments Expo 2014

In just a few short hours the Electronic Entertainments Expo (aka. E3) 2014 will be opening in Los Angeles. For those of you unaware, this is one of the biggest annual events in the gaming calendar. It runs for four days giving companies the chance to announce, show off and generally create hype for the games they have lined up for release in the year ahead. Unfortunately, as a poor student living in the UK I am unable to attend. However, I am going to keep myself updated using various live streams, and will be posting my thoughts on the announcements soon after they go live.

I am actually excited for this year's E3. The last few have passed me by as I felt little to no enthusiasm towards them, mainly because they seemed to be focused more on the consoles than the games. I was initially looking forward to the next generation console announcements, but these turned out to be a let-down in my opinion so I lost interest. To make matters worse, these events showcasing what could well be the next ten years or so of gaming seemed to be poorly organised. The PR handling and fan responses left me with a bad taste in my mouth. If I am honest I still feel disdain towards the Xbox One and the PS4. Sony and Microsoft are trying too hard to create entertainment systems with glitzy graphics, rather than fun and enjoyable games. My attention is rather captivated once more by Nintendo and a few other third party publishers who I believe are making games that are fun rather than visual spectaculars.

E3 begins with Microsoft's press conference on Monday the 9th of June at 4.30PM GMT. They will be followed by EA, Ubisoft, Sony and then Nintendo. This year I hope that because the new gaming consoles have now been released they will go back to focusing on games. I have checked their website to see what is on display and found a list with some promising titles.

A list of games confirmed to be shown at E3 can be found here.

These are the titles that are of great interest to me:

• Batman Arkham Knight
• Disney Infinity 2.0 (Childish I know, but come on. Who doesn't want to see Captain America get owned by Maleficent?)
• Dragon Age: Inquisition (The last part to yet another awesome Bioware made trilogy)
• Hyrule Warriors (The Legend of Zelda series given a Dynasty Warriors Twist)
• Kingdomhearts 2.5 and 3
• Legend of Zelda Wii U
• Mass Effect 4
• Pokemon Omega Ruby/ Alpha Saphire
• Super Smash Bros. Wiiu/3DS
• Warhammer 40K: The Eternal Crusade
• X (Monolith's WiiU game)

Where will Mass Effect go now Shephard's story is done?

And these are the ones that I'd like to keep an open mind for:

• Sonic Boom
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Tales From The Borderlands
• The Order: 1886
• The Evil Within

There are also some that I really don't want to see. For instance, both Halo 5 and Gears of War 4; two series that I loved, yet I think both should have ended by now. I don't want new installments as I feel that both have already had their most gripping story arcs completed. Of course, there is also Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Battlefield 5,  I loathe the fact that yet more is being added to what I believe to be already stale franchises.

I can't help but wish that Master chief
would ride his Arbiter into the sunset.

Lastly, I really hope there are some surprises in store from E3. Although due to many 'leaks' that have occurred it seems like we have a good picture of what is being showcased. This is a shame in one respect as I do like a good surprise, but at the same time discovering what is being shown has also drawn my interest. One of my biggest secret wishes is that Nintendo gives me some real hope for the future of the Wii U.

E3 can be watched live from their website Here, and a list of games being displayed is here.

What are you looking forward to from E3 2014? Let me know in the comments!

Mass Effect image from the fuse joplin, E3 logo from gadgety news, Halo image from jujukind on Tumblr

Nintendo's Death Knell?

It feels like I’m standing in an intensive care unit staring down at a beloved friend who lapses in and out of consciousness. The experts have told me that there is nothing more they can do; that my friend brought it on themselves with the choices they made recently. I can’t believe their opinions myself. After all, my pal’s been with me for most of my life and I feel I know them better than the experts. This isn’t the first time I’ve been standing here, only for them to jump up as though nothing phased them and carry on.

Perhaps I’m overdramatizing slightly (almost certainly). The friend I speak of is Nintendo, and if the opinions of ‘experts’ are to be believed the release of the Wii U is Nintendo’s death toll. But I can’t quite see it myself. As I mentioned, I have been a strong supporter of all things Nintendo for much of my life; I own almost all of the European released consoles. My fondest memories are of playing Super Mario Bros with my brother on our NES, always waiting patiently for his death so that I could step up to the mark and try to prove myself (ironic that I was always Luigi). Whilst I do agree that Wii U sales are worryingly low, I am keen to point out that it’s just a continuation of the trend Nintendo sticks to upon releasing consoles.

Out of context, yes it does look like Nintendo have made a grave error.
But the console wasn't released until Q4 of 2012 anyway!

I can think of numerous times when it has seemed like my choice in buying a console at launch was a mistake. I was an early adopter of the Gamecube, Wii, 3DS and, hell, even the DS, snatching them up close to day one. Each one, I admit, had terrible launch titles which led to bad sales and dreadful reviews. Each generation the gaming experts would point out that Nintendo had made another grave error by including some new ‘gimmick’ in the console. Yet, with each they ended up setting a trend that the other companies followed. The Wii had motion control, which was accused of being too focused towards casual gaming. Fast forward and the Xbox has Kinect and PS3 has Move. The DS introduced touch pad and again it was seen as an unnecessary, yet now our society runs on prodding tablet and phone screens in our palms. If anything, the Wii U’s tablet controller is now behind the times.

The lack of sales, declining projections and increasing number of third party publishers refusing to show support for the Wii U does upset me. There was also a time when I regretted buying the Wii U and not waiting for Sony and Microsoft to show their next gen consoles. At launch and for the first year or so all I really had was ZombiU, and whilst fun, I soon grew tired of repeatedly bashing zombies’ heads in. What I needed was titles that made me proud to own a Wii U; something that I could use to defend my Nintendo fanboy status with. Well, with the launch of Mario Kart, Windwaker HD, Wonderful 101 and the announcement of Super Smash Bros Wii U, I finally have evidence to back my purchase up. Just one example of Nintendo releasing a console early, then drip-feeding us big hitters. Some of the Wii’s greatest titles came mid or late generation cycle - think of Super Mario Galaxy and Xenoblade Chronicles. Both are seen as prestigious games, yet if Wii critics had been believed they shouldn’t exist. Whilst this makes it apparent that the console is in need of more strong games, I prefer this to having mass-released games that I’ll never get around to appreciating.

This chart screams,
 'Have faith we know what we are doing'
,well, to me it does anyway...

The announcement of other contenders just reaffirmed my choice. Microsoft seemed eager to enforce their one-box entertainment system idea (which was more expensive by far compared with buying other entertainment systems separately), before further alienating gamers with various anger-inducing features. The lowest point came at the announcement of tying each disc to your account, which meant lending to friends was out of the question. The handling of such criticism was met with back treading or responses along the lines of ‘deal with it.’ This made me sigh and generally left a bad taste in my mouth. It has reached the extent where I feel dirty upon booting up my Xbox 360, let alone considering buying the Xbox One (or XBone). As for Sony’s PS4, I don’t really have any major qualms apart from the painfully high price and as of yet the games lack appeal to me. Maybe in time I’ll buy it (like a good little hypocrite), but for now I’m happy. Although, the lack of backwards compatibility across all three is beyond belief - have these guys not heard that we enjoy playing all of our games on one box (irony), rather than having to keep multiple consoles for necessity?

Can this playful summer turn the Wii U's fortunes?
If its opening weekends anything to go by then... Yes!

No, right now I am happy with my Wii U – tempted, yes, but happy nonetheless. I would like to make it clear that I don’t think the Xbox One and PS4 are bad, and I am not trying to start yet another console war. I merely point out that my own preference is for the Nintendo and that it upsets me when people dismiss it so easily. For once, show them a little love and support and you’ll be rewarded like we have been before. Although, what were you thinking with the 2DS? I mean, seriously?


(Statistic picture from Statista, Mario Kart 8 image from Kotaku, Nintendo console chart from OldGen)