Let's Play

My friend Dan and I both love video games, and we’ve recently been pondering the idea of starting our own Let’s Play channel on Youtube. For those who don’t know, a Let’s Play is a series of videos that follow a player’s run through of a game, often including insightful or humorous commentary.

Our first mission is to figure out a way to capture footage; we considered capturing from a computer in a Park editing suite, but because we want to record multiple videos per week, we feel using a capture card may be more suitable. A well-known LPer going by the name NintendoCapriSun has a fairly affordable setup with a capture card that is a possibility: a Diamond VC500 with S-Video output.

This video shows NintendoCapriSun's setup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdQ395PdNn8

The second challenge with starting our Let’s Play is figuring out how to record clear audio for commentary. An obvious option would be to rent out a Zoom recorder from PPECS as it is a readily available and cheaper than buying another device; a Zoom H4n can run for about $270. After doing some research online, I found that many LPers record audio using a USB microphone, such as a Logitech desktop mic. While more expensive than the Logitech, a high quality alternative would be the Blue Yeti USB microphone.

Once we get set up, our goal is to produce four simultaneous LPs: a main game, a side game, a co-op game and a versus game. While this may seem daunting, many LPers record multiple LPs at once. For example, the Game Grumps produce daily videos, normally rotating between a series of three to four games. Additionally, the famous LPer Chuggaaconroy has a main LP on his own channel and a cooperative side LP on a collaborative channel. 

Dan and I decided that Super Mario Sunshine would be an entertaining main game, but we still have to decide on our side game, co-op game and versus game. If anyone has suggestions on games to play or ways to capture footage and audio, we would be very appreciative!

Wii U

I'm looking forward the release of the Wii U on the 18th; the system really seems to be a return to Nintendo's roots with a broader selection of games for players of all ages. Assassin's Creed III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition are some of the darker games that Nintendo has added to the Wii U's repertoire.

I've been very impressed by the Wii U GamePad, as it seems to have a lot of potential. The pad has a touchscreen, camera, accelerometer, gyroscope, sensor, and a built in microphone, which I hope will add many new ways to enjoy classic Nintendo franchises. A mini-map and inventory display on the GamePad would certainly be a fantastic addition to a new Zelda!

For those looking for a controller with less "bells and whistles," the Wii U also has a second controller: the Pro Controller. Some critics have noticed that the controller looks remarkably similar to the Xbox 360's controller, but I feel that older fans will find the Pro Controller to be refreshing and a welcome addition to the Wii U's arsenal of periphery devices.

While the Wii U certainly has many new additions, I believe the most exciting aspect of the console is that it is High Definition. I believe that games with rich and diverse landscapes and backgrounds like Pikmin will really benefit from this; it's no surprise that Pikmin 3 will be in the system's launch window!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break. Nintendo has certainly given its fans something to be thankful for!

Pokémon: A Love Story

In class on Wednesday, I jokingly said I'd blog about Pokémon after I heard Arturo call it "nothing." At first the idea of blogging about it seemed silly, but I thought about it for a while and decided to just go for it.

Pokémon came to the great United States in 1998 via the Nintendo Gameboy. Released as two versions of the same game the handheld RPG swept the nation. Almost everybody — kindergartners to college students — were captivated by the Japanese wonder that was Pokémon. Nothing could be greater than exploring a world full of 150 unique creatures that you can raise as your own. I mean, who wouldn't want to be a ten-year old boy that gets to travel the world fighting with these awesome animal sidekicks? I'm as sure as Squirtle going to want to do that.

The following year, in 1999, an animated Pokémon television series made its way to the States. This too, captured the imaginations of people everywhere. The viewers followed Ash Ketchum as he attempted to become a Pokémon master. His adventures were humorous, and he makes friends along the way, finding them in both fellow trainers and in his Pokémon. Ash even made his way onto the big screen, with multiple movies. And to think this all started as a Japanese handheld game.

My personal story with Pokémon started with the TV show, then to the video game. I followed Ash's journey every Saturday morning when I was a child. I would struggle and cry as I had to leave for a soccer game before I found out whether or not he was able to get away from the evil Team Rocket. I would also cry when my Gameboy ran out of batteries and I couldn't play Pokémon Red any more. Car rides were so boring without my team of Charizard, Kadabra, Gyarados, Pidgeot, Nidoking, and Snorlax.

Childhood, so tough.

So what am I trying to get at here? I'm not trying to glorify a children's cartoon, and I'm not simply complaining that a professor thought my favorite game is silly.

Pokémon is a simple idea: a world is inhabited by "animals" that you can capture and raise as your own. We, as people, cling to this because it is both familiar and unfamiliar. We marvel at how absurd some of these creatures are, wishing we could have them as our own. We also see some of them as things we have here in our world: as birds, as fish, as plants, etc. Each of us take the Pokémon and give it a personality, allowing us to be a part of that world.

Something else I find amazing about Pokémon is its cultural impact. Starting 15 years ago in Japan, it has since morphed into Nintendo's second most popular franchise, only behind Mario. There are 16 seasons of the TV series, 14 films, dozens of video games, and a card game. The fanbase must be in the billions. Everything stemmed from the original video game. That's crazy. And I am glad I could be a part in the beginning of something so huge. I love it.