I'm sure that if you've been paying attention to Metroid Prime 3, one of the more notable events in terms of media exposure would have to be when Matt Casamassina of IGN.com wrote an editorial outlining the hype--or lack thereof--of the latest game in the Metroid series. Now, even with a lack of hype, I would have still picked up the game on the first day; but, I'm a hardcore Nintendo consumer and the problem is that not everybody is. In light of the dread that is the Metroid Prime 3 hype, Nintendo put out a downloadable preview channel on the Wii displaying two trailers of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Regardless of the praise put out by both fanboys and myself, I still think that Metroid Prime 3 is still underhyped and probably won't sell well. Here's why:

1. The audience the trailers were catered to: Current Wii owners.

Let face facts first (Heh, alliteration), who has access to these trailers other than Wii owners? Heck, there's a bad-quality stream going on YouTube, but it's enough to generate an even deeper lack of interest since it isn't even a direct-feed video. Nintendo may be nearing it's ten millionth console, but if Nintendo really wants this game to push off, they're going to have to reach out to the general consumer and not just people who already own the system. Halo 3 is generating more of a buzz on the software end, yet Wii consoles are on the verge of surpassing the XBox 360's market share. So, why not spend a few thousand putting together a really good commercial to generate even more awareness? Any computer monkey could clip together gameplay footage, and it's not like Nintendo's hard-pressed for cash at this moment.

2. www.metroid.com

Even sadder than the fact that the preview is only available on the Wii is the fact that Nintendo's Metroid website tells you to download the preview onto your Wii (supposing you even have one) rather than making it available for viewing on the site itself. It might just be me speaking, but I really think that the logic train has been derailed in terms of this marketing correlation. If you checked the Metroid site yesterday, there wasn't even a smidge of Corruption information yesterday. Now, all we get is a picture of Samus from an old screenshot and another picture telling us to download a channel on the Wii? Creative. Brilliant. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

3. The soccer moms won't care.

Stereotype on the people buying the Wii? Hardly. Let's take a moment to consider the enormously high attach rate of either Wii Play or Mario Party 8 when customers get their system. Then let's take a moment to verify the two games into their respective categories. I don't know about you, but the first word that comes to my mind is: Casual. I work at a GameStop, and as much as I know the little outlet mall store I work at doesn't speak for every sale in general, but Mario Party 8 or Wii Play is almost always the first game of choice and, lo and behold, it's a mother buying the system for their kid. Considering this little factoid, I wouldn't exactly expect a mother to walk up to me, ask me for a Wii and ask me for a copy of Metroid Prime 3 to go with it. If any game with a gun is enough to get a thumbs down from a soccer mom, I don't expect Metroid to fare any better than the others just because the controller is good for playing virtual tennis.

4. Madden 2008, Bioshock and Halo 3.

Any gamer should know that the holiday season is the one time of the year where publishers finally release games we've been waiting for. Over the past few years however, Madden NFL, for some unknown (and probably stupid) reason, has signified the beginning of the end for our wallets. Unfortunately for Metroid, it's sandwiched between the gargantuan football game itself and Bioshock, a game receiving extremely high critical acclaim and excellent video game entertainment press coverage. Additionally, Halo 3, another sci-fi shooter that clashed with Metroid a few years back, makes its return and aims to conclude its trilogy-based story (much like how Metroid Prime is concluding its own trilogy). The release of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes in 2004 was done six days after the launch of Halo 2, and under heavy speculation, the release of Halo 2 factored greatly in the lack of Echoes' success. Even with the release of Halo 3 one month away, Madden 2008 and Bioshock have enough incentive to empty out one's pocket before they even get a chance to look at Metroid Prime 3.

Ultimately, I want to buy Metroid Prime 3, and I also pray for its success; but if Nintendo doesn't do anything beyond their current attempts at hyping the game, we're probably going to see Corruption sell as well as Echoes. Personally, I have undying faith that Nintendo will give the game what it needs to be a piece of hardcore interest. The only problem is that I'm not seeing any of it happen.

So anyway, tell me your thoughts on the hype of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Is it at the level you want it to be? Do you agree with me or disagree? Leave a comment or a piece of fried chicken, although I'd greatly appreciate the former.

Ever since the fateful Christmas Day during which I got a Playstation 2, Final Fantasy has been one of the more noteworthy series I've adhered myself to. When I saw four copies of the Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition at work a couple of weeks ago, a purchase was definitely in high consideration. Some part in the back of my brain knew that I shouldn't purchase the game. After all, a high number of reviews said it was still the same as previous versions and that the game as a whole did nothing new. I had also kept in mind that I beat Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls.

Still, it's Final Fantasy... With shiny graphics.

One minute and thirty dollars later, I became the proud owner of a remake of a remake of a remake. Strangely enough, the purchase didn't feel like something I would regret. I popped the game into my PSP as soon as I got back from work and set off, once again, on a journey as the original Warriors of Light. As I plowed through the intro sequence and beat the first boss, I felt thoroughly satisfied with the game in my hand and went through an almost unavoidable nostalgic rush with the series' roots.

Even stranger than the lack of regret, was the consistency of my joy while playing through the entirety of the game. From beginning to end, there was hardly a moment where I didn't feel the urge to stop playing; in fact, I had spent eight hours in a row playing the game with breaks only meant for eating or going to the bathroom. I don't really know how to describe what was going through my mind at the time, but all I can say is that the video game experience I had during that time was the most enjoyable I've had in a long time.

Then a problem came around. In the middle of a game of Clue with my family, a thought came across my mind: How exactly would I go about reviewing or rating Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition? I definitely thought the game was well done, but at the same time, I knew the game was nothing different from previous reiterations. In my opinion, the game was certainly fun; yet the nagging feeling that the game deserved a low score kept rearing its ugly head. I mean, does a game deserve a lower score just because it's nothing new?

This whole problem came full circle when I was listening to the 07/24/07 HotSpot podcast in which Jeff Gerstmann generally stated that a videogame review should focus on the end consumer more so than personal opinion. I ended up giving the game a 7.4 because I figured the game was worth $30 only if the gamer had no other alternative ways to play the original Final Fantasy. Nevertheless, now I can't help but think that the game deserved a higher score than what I gave it.

I guess in the end I don't really know what in the world I'm doing, but if you have any thoughts to share, I'd absolutely love to hear them. Has there been a game that'd you've found yourself hard-pressed to review? Do you think personal opinion plays a large factor in the way videogame reviews work? Leave a comment... Or a sandwich if you please.

A couple of days ago, I had my girlfriend over to my house where, after a couple bouts of indecisiveness, we decided to play some video games. The first game we played was Super Smash Bros. Melee seeing as how she mentioned a profound interest in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. Thanks to my awesome skills as Mario, I was able to pull off a victory in every match we played (she played as Kirby). After a few rounds of SSBM, we put in the next game: Kirby Air Ride.

Now, before I start tell you what happened with Kirby Air Ride, let me just say that it is probably one of the best games to play at a party. The controls are simple enough for anyone to pick up and everything is balanced to the point where even a veteran could have a hard time with a newcomer. Needless to say, I occasionally had a hard time trying to beat my girlfriend in a couple of the races. Sometimes I even ended up in last place behind all the computer players!

Still, I said my goodbyes after the evening was through, and arranged plans for another rendezvous. I went to bed that night and reflected upon the happenings of the day and smiled a huge smile thinking about how cute my girlfriend was everytime she won. To heck with the fact that I lost, she was one of the few people I didn't mind taking last place for. Anyway, I had a good night's rest and went about the rest of my week lilting in the gore-filled crannies of Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition.

So then comes today. After dropping my older brother off to work and picking up crickets for his tarantula, I stopped by her house for a quick visit and whatnot. We went through a game of Battleship and since neither of us were able to score a hit, we put the game down, called it a draw and went to browse the internet for a couple of minutes. Half an hour later, were on the couch fighting, yet another, bout of indecisiveness.

We played Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine our next activity, and playing video games came out on top. So we scavenged her basement for her old Nintendo 64 and inserted a copy of Goldeneye 007 (she had a few games that I wouldn't have expected her to be a fan of). The rules were pistols, auto-aim, a ten-minute time limit and the map we chose was the Facility since we both loved the bathroom part.

I got killed a couple of times but still ended up winning; though you might want to know I knew where all the body armor was located. There were many laughs and nostalgic memories to be had and, goodness gracious, was it awesome. When we were done with a single match, we took out the cartridge out and put in another. It was the next game that I found myself most embarrassed to lose at and it was ultimately the inspiration for this post. The game? Pokemon Stadium.

Mind you, I love Pokemon games to death, and Pokemon Stadium is no exception. But, what I found most embarrassing about my loss was the fact that the game was one of the easiest ever for the Nintendo 64. The rules were predetermined and our Pokemon teams were chosen for us by the computer. My girlfriend had Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, Sandshrew and Meowth, and I had Magnemite, Oddish, Psyduck, Vulpix, Cubone and Jigglypuff.

I won't go into specifics as to what happened during the match, but the result was a victory in her favor. The most embarrassing part was that I only knocked out one of her Pokemon. Humiliating? Very. Though she was so cute the instant the match was over. The match has horrible from my hardcore gamer's perspective, but I couldn't help myself from chuckling and smiling for minutes on end.

After the single Poke Battle, she put in a copy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Since we both haven't played the game (the copy was her little brother's), it made for some very interesting graffiti battles. We ended up settling for a draw, since we were both on an even playing field and couldn't get past rail grinds as the only doable trick. Many intense moments for today, and I was certainly glad I was able to play some of my girlfriend's favorite games.

Though a loss is a loss, and my girlfriend definitely beat me fair and square. I don't mind losing to her; heck, the more of a challenge she is, the better. Looks like this gamer is showing a bit of a slowdown in his abilities, eh?