Nintendo Switch

Today, Nintendo revealed their next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch, the final name for their NX console. Nintendo has a lot riding on this after the flop that was the Wii U. Switch is a hybrid between a handheld and a home console. In addition, it can play more third-party games, including The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Unfortunately, the short, three-minute trailer we saw this morning will be the last thing we will hear of the Switch until 2017. I'd like to give my thoughts and impressions in a separate post.

The Problem With Nintendo and amiibo

With Nintendo out of the toy making business for 30+ years, their new amiibo figurines may be a bit of a flashback for people who are old enough to remember. However, it seems as Nintendo's skills have rusted over these years as their stab at Skylanders takes a turn for the worse. For those who don't know, amiibos are NFC-equipped figurines that allow gamers to use them for new game content or new ways to play, depending on the game. They run for $12.99 each, which is a good deal considering they sell their Nintendo Nunchuck, an accessory to an accessory, for $20, which requires a Wii Remote (not included with a Wii U), for $40. That's $60 right there just to make the console run as advertised. What's nice about amiibos is that they are well-made and durable. You won't find battery acid leaking out of these things anytime soon.

So, that's all fine and dandy... What's the problem? Simple: Nintendo is doing a horrible job as a supplier and a horrible job informing their customers on how they will address it. If you walk into a store that sells amiibos, many will be sold out. These sold out characters are usually from not-as-popular franchises, like F-Zero or Fire Emblem. This shows Nintendo's awful job at suppling. What's worse is their communication to their customers. When fans asked Nintendo if certain characters would return to store selves, Nintendo gave the most vague response of all time.

"We will aim for certain amiibo to always be available."

By "certain amiibo", I can almost guarantee that they mean characters from Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Metroid games will be available for long-term. So if you were hoping to get that new Ness amiibo, I wish you the best of luck. What's worse, retailers don't have great communication with Nintendo on this matter. Because of this, retailers can't guarantee pre-orders will be filled. You walk into the store, show the cashier your pre-order confirmation slip, and like a classic Seinfeld gag about taking reservations, the retailer is out of stock. It's not their fault. It's Nintendo's. Take a look at the Skylanders or Disney Infinity section of that store, and you'll find a plentiful supply. Now, stores can't take pre-orders.

I can understand that all 49 characters from Super Smash Bros. 4 won't fit on store shelves, but there's a simple solution: online stores. If you've seen the inside of an Amazon warehouse, you know what I mean. Club Nintendo, which recently announced that it's closing, could've easily sold these amiibos as gifts.

Another thing, Nintendo doesn't understand the phrase, "The customer is always right." If you post a let's play of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4 will no longer has a Subspace Emissary story mode because of that. If you buy a new 3DS, you have to move all of your games from one to the other. There's no continuity. All the games on the old 3DS will be deleted. Personally, I think Japan-based companies don't like having things in two places at once. That would explain why there are so few eBooks in Japan. Anyways, same case here. If Nintendo fans want a Rosalina and Luma amiibo figure, and some guy who lives in his mother's basement purposely buys 100 to diminish stock, Nintendo should make more and consider selling it at more than one store. Here's the thing, Nintendo has customers eating out of their "Master Hand" with these figures. They can easily make $10 profit from each one. There is no reason why they should stop production of lower-tier figurines.

I feel bad for any collector who can't get their hands on these figures. What's more, I feel worse for the EarthBound fans who won't be able to get their hands on the Ness amiibo. This is the first official EarthBound merchandise to be released in decades. These amiibo have created their own artificial economy. Sold out amiibos can go for at least $30. I've seen some go for $60! Which brings me to my next topic.

No Iwata... I don't understand...

Scalpers, in this case, are people who will buy insane amounts of amiibos just to have them go sold out. They might do it for profit or just because they don't like certain characters. I don't have anything to say about them. Nintendo knows they exist, but they don't do anything about it. They don't even put a limit on how many someone can buy. The discontinued amiibos are rumored to be turned from durable, well-made figurines into flimsy NFC cards. Probably for the same price too. Nintendo is just asking for a bad reputation.

Anyways, those are my thoughts... Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below. Let's hope this situation gets better for us fans and Nintendo.

Why Apple Has Better Gaming Ideas Than Nintendo...

Source: Nintendo Life

Nintendo started their new year on a bad foot. For their third straight year in a row, they've seen a decline in sales. President Satoru Iwata states that they are looking into "smart devices" and how a user might use it for gaming. Welcome to the 21st century, Nintendo! For many fans, imaginary fireworks went off in their head. Mario on an iPhone? Genius! Why buy another device when you can do the same thing on the device that you do everything else on? Especially considering that smartphones have better hardwares specs than of the 3DS and Wii U! Well, Nintendo doesn't get it yet. Even after millions of posts, tweets, and stories of how they should go mobile, they just don't get it. Let me explain. Apparently, Nintendo is actually making a mobile app for smartphones to view details about 3DS and their franchises. Because everyone's interested in that! It's not like we could go to a website for the same exact thing! Then, Nintendo denies this whole rumor and it's just a whole mess.

So, how does this convert into how Apple having better ideas than Nintendo? In recent reports, Apple is rumored to be making a fourth-generation Apple TV. Whether it's the full featured TV set, or a box, I don't know. But, this Apple TV may incorporate using iOS devices as controllers and the big TV as the display. This adds potential to GameCenter to add leaderboards and online multiplayer.

Nintendo will be providing more information on this whole app and smartphone idea tomorrow (Thursday, January 29, 2014).

So, what's your decision? On a computer, you can predict if Nintendo truly has lost their last life on the right-hand side with our poll! Also, feel free to post in the comments section about your thoughts.

Nintendo Land: Multiplayer Review

The multiplayer mode in Nintendo Land is awesome! It gets a party started. However, you might want more than one Wii U for a larger party though. There was very intuitive use of the game pad. Unfortunately, one team or the other team has a HUGE advantage. In Mario Chase, the Toads have such an advantage. They seem faster and can easily find Mario. Mario only has the map. And they have a whole five minutes to find him. In Luigi's Mansion, the ghost has the advantage. He can seek up without notice except for the rumbling of Wii Remotes. However, my favorite game is Metroid Blast. It's so much fun to be the ship. It's the ultimate machine. Anyways, I give this game four-out-of-five Geek Glasses.

Nintendo Land: Coming Soon

Sorry about the late post. I was out all day today. However, I was able to get some hands-on with the Wii U and will put up a post of the review tomorrow. Until then, good night.

P.S. I'm sorry about how short this post is.

Wii U: Released

Yes, that counts as technology. For those who don't know, the Wii U is like the Xbox 720 or the next generation of gaming. Since E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo), Nintendo has been quiet about the game system that is highly anticipated. Recently, Nintendo has announced some new features that could shed some light on the Wii U. In the last Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the rest of the mini games in Nintendo Land, including Mario Chase and Balloon Trip: Breeze. In addition, we now know the price of the Wii U and from my opinion, it's pretty expensive. There are two sets, the Basic Set at $299 and the Deluxe Set at $349. Unfortunately, if you want a white Wii U with the extras of the Deluxe Set, you can't. You can only get a black Wii U with the Deluxe Set or a white Wii U with the basic set. Which means if you like your Wii U to blend in with your HD TV (assuming that the TV is black as most of the HD TVs are), you're going to have to pay another $50 for the black color. You do get great bonuses with the Deluxe Set like the Deluxe Digital Promotion which lets you get extra credits for downloadable games in the future. Now that the Wii U is out (it came out today), I may be able to get a review in soon as I admit, I am a sucker for casual gaming (Mario, Wii Sports, etc.).

To learn more about the Wii U, go to http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/ .