I thought this was a pleasing look upon this year's E3 Nintendo press conference. Personally, I was not too pleased with this presser as it essentially didn't show off a lot of 'core gamer' games and really only showed off the less-than-serious titles (while fun, not meant to take hours and hours to beat). Also, no Zelda or Mario. I'm not very pleased with being correct on no news on a Mario title. Sure, Galaxy came out last fall but what about Zelda? Twilight Princess was a GC title (lets admit it everyone) so its not like the time between the time the game was finished early (only released at the time of launch as it was a good idea, probably done months in advance) and now... about a year and a half after the last console Zelda released... bah.

Anyways, this isn't all bad. With Tokyo Game Show (TGS) coming later this year in October (a tad later than the usual September) just before the holiday season (the time that companies like to pump out a lot of games), it's likely that'll get some great news then. As ebuch mentioned tonight, just because the games weren't announced.. doesn't mean that they aren't being worked on. Not released soon but at least.. they are being worked on. :S

We'll have to see what later this year holds for us Ninty core gamers. Maybe Zelda or Mario will be announced or possibly even released. And don't forget that E3 isn't over yet. Never know.. stranger things have happened.

The above statement from McWhertor right after the Nintendo presser today says it all... did Nintendo forget its core gamer audience this year? They mentioned that the dev teams that make Mario and Zelda games are hard at work but didn't show anything or even talk about them, at all. There was nothing during the presser that was really a major announcement for the core audience, if you ask me. We got WiiMusic (which is entertaining and I look forward to), WiiSports Resort (which I love and will purchase right away), and even WiiSpeak (finally! Voice communication on the Wii! Gimme it in Brawl now!) but what about our core games? There's no Mario, no Zelda, no Metroid... it's more of 'casual'-style games. Casual games are needed (all people start as casual gamers, then move on) but where's the meat to the games that have allowed Nintendo to even get to this point in the gaming market.

In response to Reggie, sorry but... Animal Crossing Wii is only one game. And GTA on the DS is not exactly a big 'woo-hoo' title.

(All times in CST)
11:00AM: It's starting soon!
11:03AM: "Sea of Nerds!" Ha! :D
11:06AM: OK OK! It's starting.. finally!
11:07AM: Cammie Dunnaway walks out to start the presser.
11:10AM: Snowboarding on a Wii Balance Board in the game Shaun White Snowboarding. Guess what.. its Shaun White.
11:14AM: Shaun White Snowboarding released sometime before years end.
11:14AM: Satora Iwata enters the stage.
... OK, enough of this. I'm just going to enjoy the presser. Go elsewhere for live blogging of it. :D

12:11PM: Nintendo presser over.

Interesting tidbits:
Shaun White Snowboarding using the Balance Board, Shaun was even at the presser and snowboarding.
The dev teams for the Mario and Legend of Zelda titles are hard at work on games for the Wii.
Animal Crossing comes to Wii in 2008. Titled, Animal Crossing City Folk
WiiSpeak revealed, microphone that sits on top of the sensor bar, that allows for real-time speech communication.
Star Wars: Clones Wars will have one-on-one lightsaber dueling, released sometime later this year.
Another Rayman Raving Rabbits.. TV Party this time around, released sometime later this year.
Call of Duty: World at War, released sometime later this year.
The DS is the only gaming console getting Spore this year, titled Spore Creatures.
GTA: Chinatown Wars for the DS sometime this winter. Woo. :'(
Uses for the DS for common everyday activities. Airports, ballparks, etc.
Wii MotionPlus uses 1:1 motion. New Wii Sports!!! Wii Sports Resort!
Wii Sports Resort has sword fighting, water sports (think Wave Race 64 but Mii'd and Wii'd up), and frisbeeing.
Wii Sports Resort releases globally next spring, Spring 2009.
WiiMusic! Shigeru Miyamoto and another guy on stage, Shiggy on sax and other guy on drums.
With Wii Music, you can play 50 different instruments. Sax, piano, violin, guitar, drums...
Apparently the guy who played the drums during the presser is actually a professional. :( He wasn't that good...
Wii Music can utilize the Balance Board as well, for a larger experience.
Wii Music records the play sessions, as a whole or individuals. Up to four people at once, six sections of the band though.
Nintendo folks are playing a song using Wii Music.
They are playing a classic Mario song, actually pretty good considering. xD

Here's a rough overview of information released today at E3 2008. At the very least, its something things that I found interesting. Nothing too awesome yet, seeing as the Nintendo press conference hasn't rolled around yet. xD

• Introducing Wii MotionPlus, Nintendo's upcoming accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote (From GoNintendo)

        An interesting attachment for the Wiimote (attaches to the bottom, possibly to act between the Wiimote and Nunchuk) that gives a true 1:1 motion control.

• More Sonic Unleashed details (From GoNintendo)

        Some nice details, even though it seems that the game is going to be horribly short and maybe even too easy. Luckily though, any umans (why they are still there... I dont know..) are going to be modeled to fit better into the Sonic world and the maps are based off real-world locations which should give the game an interesting feel. I really hope this game doesn't turn out to be a disappointment. Please, dont make me waste my money on another sub-par Sonic game. :S

• "Obviously we like when consumers are having fun with our products and are communicating their enthusiasm for them. Through the years we have heard every possible rumor. I suppose people like to speculate, but there’s nothing we can do for someone who is disappointed that their favorite unfounded rumor didn’t come true." (From GoNintendo)

        This really isn't news from E3 but it is relevant. Just a nice little blurp from Denise Kaigler, the VP of Corporate Affairs for NoA.

• Smash Bros Brawl Retrospective (From GoNintendo)

        Thought this was also relevant considering that Brawl hit Australia recently. Interesting if nothing else.

• The New Xbox Experience: Just The Facts (From Kotaku)

        Look, Avatars on the Xbox 360! Thanks Microsoft, but no thanks. We got Mii's on the Wii already. Shocking reveal, right? Right?
        This is essentially information from the Microsoft press conference. Worth noting, especially since most of us of the NF staff have 360s..

• Fable 2 Coming to 360 This October! (From Kotaku)

        This is my persona favorite of the Microsoft presser... Fable 2.. is "done".. and coming to my 360 this October. Kick. Ass. :D

Yes, we got our staff predictions up for this year's E3 event. ebuch, Dustin, and I all got our predictions written up and on the site. So hit the above link to see what we had to say. Tune in later this week for our after-thoughts and be sure to watch the live airings of each press conference for the Big Three at G4TV. Happy gaming folks.

Mega Man 9 is really shaping up to be a great game to really show that 8-bit titles are still awesome, even the new ones. A trailer was recently released showing off the game and even confirming that the Blue Bomber would be maddening gamers on Xbox Live Arcade and the PLAYSTATION Network as well. Which is great news for the gamers who don't have a Wii but still want to enjoy some awesome retro-ish action. After all, Mega Man 9 might finally set those gamers right who grew up in the Playstation Era, where the newest graphics were all the rage and 8-/16-bit graphics weren't. Yes, Super Mario World and Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past are far superior to Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess.. it's an unarguable fact.

Anyways, hit the link to view the awesome trailer for Mega Man 9.


Source: Kotaku

Much like last year, NintendoFreaks will have an article up about our predictions for an e3 event. This time around though, it will literally be 'ours' as it will be more than than just me writing a poor-quality article. Oh, and we're gonna try to fix that quality issue too.
The article should be up sometime this weekend, with predictions from a few of our staff (check the staff page, nudge nudge).
Also, enjoy the broken countdown to this Monday, the beginning of e3 2008!

Many of the recent games over the last five or six have taken a huge step away from the main series and gone off on their own tangent of less-than-epic proportions. From game-styles that are just not Mega Man (I'm looking at you Battle Network series..) to too many lack-luster titles that are just churned out every two or three months in disappointing fashion, the Mega Man series has taken a turn for the worse. Luckily, that all changes with this next installment of the Blue Bomber. Eleven years after the last numbered Mega Man, the Mega Man series finally returns to its 8-bit roots. All hail, Mega Man 9.

Mega Man 9 takes a step in time to before the SNES and the Mega Man games of more recent years. It's 8-bit, its hard, its a platformer with tons of Robot Master's weapons and items, the Robot Masters all have weaknesses and resistances. Really, its just like the NES Mega Man games, but slightly updated and named Mega Man 9. There is one thing that Mega Man 9 does that the original NES games never did... have a female Robot Master. Not to say that its odd to have a female character in a video game as a heroine or villian, it's just never been done with the Mega Man series. After all, it's always been "<some element, item, or animal> Man" for Robot Masters. Even if its not a huge deal, its a welcome change from the manbots. A fembot or two aren't exactly a bad thing.

One of the greatest details about this new game is the music. The music is straight out of Mega Man 2, my personal favorite of the series for music and gameplay. Hearing that the music is from Mega Man 2 is well.. music to my ears. Pun intended. Another great detail is how the game is to be released to the gamers. Mega Man 9 will be released via Wiiware, which means we can finally play a Mega Man title on the current home console.. even if not with current graphics. Mega Man is finally back on its roots, a Nintendo home console. Oh happy day.

All of this information comes from a recent GamesRadar exclusive where they got to play Mega Man 9 and write a fun article about the game and how it is such a nice warm feeling to play a new 8-bit Mega Man again. The Robot Masters (Galaxy Man, Plug Man, Hornet Man, Jewel Man, Magma Man, Concrete Man, Tornado Man, and Splash Woman), some screenshots, and some other awesome details (Rush is back.. and he doesn't suck!) can be found over at the GamesRadar exclusive article. Why not take a read and maybe even start looking forward to a new Mega Man game. There's actually a reason for once.

Update: Mega Man 9 Japan release date has been set for September. Kotaku reported the information.


Sources: GamesRadar Exclusive | Kotaku | Kotaku (release date)

The Discovery Channel has had a nice commercial running lately and finally a wonderful video game parody has been made. And an xkcd comic as well. The Video Game edition of the commercial is greatly timed and appropriate to the original lyrics, with a few added sound effects to make the video games fit just a little better. So why not check them all out, and don't forget the original.


Sources: CollegeHumor | Kotaku

Hope everybody had some fun yesterday, even if Thunder Road was closed. I know I had a blast and was extremely tired so that I could actually sleep for once. It was nice to have everybody along, going to the Mall (where I bought Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, and 3 for 30$!!!), go to Space Aliens and their arcade (where ebuch kicked one machines ass, Dustin on another), then off to "Get Smart" at the movie theatre, and finally.. to the IHOP for some 1am breakfast. Quite a day, even if it was rainy and windy for most of it.

Anyways, I hope everybody who came along have a fun time. Even those jerk friends of mine who didnt join us... who we dropped in on at about midnight or so. Heh. Hope it was a grand day and everyone had fun. Thanks for coming folks.

Update (June 28th, 3:50pm): I know its rainy and shitty out, BUT we are still on. There's always the option of just going to a movie or just enjoying the arcade a little more. Has a little rain ever stopped us before? Snow certainly didnt, even when it should have. See everyone around 5ish. Start at 6 at Thunder Road.

Here's a little fun event I have been planning for about a week now. Essentially its just a day of having fun, meeting some new people, and generally just messing around. The whole idea is that we (the people going) go to Thunder Road in Fargo, play arcade games, ride the go-karts, play some mini-golf, and what else there is to be had and then go out to eat somewhere. From there, we see what happens. The planned date (not set in stone, will be on Thursday the 26th) is for Saturday, June 28th. Can start anytime after 11am and end whenever we feel like it. Just an all-around fun time hanging out and well.. having fun.
Note: All events at Thunder Road (other than arcade) will be covered, within reason. I'm going to purchase about 30 or so tickets to be given to the group so that things such as go-karts, mini-golf, and the batting cages (possibly other things, I forget) will be completely free to people in the group. After all, when you dont have to worry about money.. it makes it that much easier to have some fun.

Please RSVP so that I know who is all coming. Leave a comment, zip me an email or PM, something, so that I know and can plan accordingly.

What: Fun time at Thunder Road in Fargo (directions can be given) and some other dicking around as needed. Only need to pay for food and arcade, everything else at Thunder Road will be paid for.
When: Saturday, June 28th.
Guest List (8 / 15)
ebuch - Works 'til 5... possibly.
Dustin
M. Kava
Commodore
Brooke
Doogman
Furious George
DroidJD / NAB / Axis (Matt's friends from college)
Bozero / Bethany
Amish Grammish Ultimate AFK, in Europe.
Neverdeles
Scribbles

Bold has RSVP'd, Italic means not coming.
Secondly, our first LAN as a group of NintendoFreaks is possibly coming up very soon as well. Doogman has mentioned doing it this Thursday, June 26th, so this is also something to RSVP for. This event does require that you have a computer that can play AoE2 or even Warcraft 3 (DotA!!!) and possibly some other enjoyable games alongside.
If this is too short notice for you, or can't make it, please say so. That means we can get everything setup and planned for as well. More details will be given closer to the actual event.

It's been a joy over the last few months to assist our very own ebuch in getting ready for this big day. Today was the official launch of the new WZMR, World Zelda Music Radio.

There has been many near sleepless nights and long days put into making WZMR what it is today. Without what ebuch did, there honestly would not be a WZMR as of current. Like a phoenix from the ashes, WZMR is born again under ebuch's leadership and with the assistance of his various friends from all corners of the Internets and world and has all the potential to be one of the greatest Zelda community radios in quite some time. Here's to you, ebuch. Thank you for reviving this once fallen and forgotten Zelda fan project and for all the hard work that you do for us fans of the Legend of Zelda series. Whenever there is call for help at WZMR, Nintendo Freaks will be step up to help out wherever needed. Best wishes and best of luck continuing to improve, grow, and generally becoming a wonderful example of what fandom and hard work can create.

World Zelda Music Radio offers all things that are both audio and Zelda, as well as some other interesting shows and tidbits. Find all the necessary information about WZMR over at the official website, http://wzmrradio.com.

Just wanted to see if anybody was interested in doing another Relay For Life. Somebody brought it up on the IRC so I thought it was worth asking.That last one was.... interesting. Hit the links for very little information on both of the local events in our local big city. Please say which location you would like to attend so we can go to the more popular event.

You non-nerdy folk will probably get no enjoyment out of this but us nerdy people (you know who you are) just might get some interesting thoughts or at the very least see a different outlook from watching this video.

This video is a presentation given by Jonathan Zittrain, a professor at Harvard Law, about the evolution of technology from sterile or generative and beyond. This covers the TCP\IP model and how its "hourglass" design was awesome (and it is) (the 'hourglass' concept is covered in the video.. how the Internet is not concise to just one thing or another, its a proverbial open window and also how its all interconnected), open source software and how generative PCs have become, and the other directions that technology has taken.

All in all, its an interesting presentation given by a big nerd for nerds who are possibly just as big. Viewer beware, its long (about 90 minutes, 60 for presentation, 30 for Q&A) and technical.


Sources: YouTube | hackaday

Ah yes, video game music. A necessary component of any great game. Honestly, would the Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear (Snaaaaake-eater!) or any other hit series have been as great as they were without some awesome music behind them? Not only can music touch us on an emotional level but it can provide an even better cinematic experience. All in all, great video game music is well... great. It adds to a game so very much that it can sometimes even.. ruin a game.

Brandon E. over at GameCritics wrote a small post on video game music and it could help bring some questions about video game music to the forefront. He does say that the music does not affect the game itself (or the game play, something along those lines) and this I don't agree with. The two go hand in hand when it comes to a game. Certainly, the events in the game affect the music (as they play off the events) but the events would not really have the same feeling if it was not for the music. Each other is strengthened by the other. Hit the link for Brandon's small article.

What are your folks' thoughts on video game music and its importance. I know I've asked this in the past but never really got into it too much. So please, take the time to elaborate your thoughts or at the very least, recount some of your favorite video game music.


Sources: GameCritics | GoNintendo

These are my rough impressions of Mario Kart Wii, released April 26th, 2008, and entitles the single and multi player aspects as well as the advent of the Wii Wheel. These are merely impressions and not a full review of the game. After all, a few hours of playing a game does not entitle one to measure a game on what they saw. Something of note is that I played primarily with the Wii Whiil and did only use the GC controller for one or three races when comparing the two control types. Impressions follow.

Over the years we've seen a few Mario Kart titles that graced the Nintendo consoles. This last Sunday in North America, another was added to the long list. Finally Mario Kart made it to the current-gen scene again in the form of Mario Kart Wii. And the best way to sum up the title is to call it the combination of Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS.. but not as good as you would expect. Mario Kart Wii comes off as a polished version of MK64. That's not necessarily bad but ultimately, this Mario racer is just another reiteration of the same thing yet again. Take Mario Kart 64, add a few characters, add the entertaining motorcyle, swap some maps around, throw in a few classic maps from previous games, make it motion controlled, and you got Mario Kart Wii. That's basically what MKWii is.

But as I said before, it does have a touch of Mario Kart DS in it as well. The AI from Mario Kart DS makes it back and that is actually a good thing. The whole concept of the magical boost that CPU players get when behind still remains some but not so much that it breaks the system. The AI is actually competent and gives up a good challenge that makes them entertaining to play against when nobody is around to join in. Another touch back to MKDS is the Battle mode. It's not exactly the same as MKDS, but the mode feels about the same. All in all, Mario Kart Wii is more MK64 instead of MKDS.

As always, the Grand Prix is the primary single-player component along with Time Trials. These have not changed at all, just they would be expected, even though fortunately, one thing has changed. Instead of being limited to 8 people per race, now its a whopping 12 instead. A nice improvement. The two single-player game modes are still great fun and the Grand Prix is needed to unlock the remaining tracks and other unlockables. If you own the game, get ready to play the Grand Prix if you want to fully experience the title.

Multiplayer is probably one of the biggest differences from previous installations in the series. No longer are multiple people allowed to compete in a straight through Grand Prix. 4 tracks are still played to complete a pseudo-Grand Prix but they are chosen by the players. This is just unneeded and should allow for people to play Versus like it was in previous titles. Yes, VS is now a 4-track competition before a trophy is rewarded to the racers. And it has CPU players always. Annoying, no thanks. Personally, I miss having Grand Prix and Versus that are completely separate from each other. Unneeded and tediously annoying. This will probably be a downer for anybody who has played the series before for hours on end with friends. Expect to hear the "you got a trophy!" sound effect and music time and time again if you are planning a long night of Mario Kart Wii on Versus.

Another annoyance of multiplayer (and single player thanks to the AI allowing for one gamer to play the CPUs) is the Battle system. First off, every time everybody is forced to a team. No going solo and roughing it, everybody is forced to be on either red or blue team. Not a deal breaker but damnit, that's annoying. The other and bigger break is timed and scored battles. An alloted time is given to each match, of the first team to two wins,

The Wii Whiil is worthy of note for this title. Obviously, there is bound to be some form of motion control for this title. It is the way of the world after all. The control scheme is essentially the same as Excite Truck but with the added Wii Whiil, surprisingly.. it's better. The plastic shell actually makes it a little easier and more enjoyable to play the game. Does it make or break the experience, no, but it is a nice add-in. I don't see myself running out to grab a few more Wii Whiils to play with friends but I would prefer to play with the plastic shell on if I had to use the Wiimote.

There are a few minor irritations throughout the game that can just be simply frustrating at times but overall can be overlooked. The broken multiplayer Versus mode is truly unforgivable (psuedo-Grand Prix with forced CPU players) but most every other 'flaw' can be dealt with. Having to back out of multiplayer completely the change characters or vehicles is unneeded and.. plainly stupid. Things like this can become annoying but don't really ruin the gaming experience.

One of the biggest flaws with Mario Kart Wii is the recycled tracks. DK's Snowboard Cross is a carbon-copied mirror of an earlier Donkey Kong track... but... this time it has snow. The cannon is still there but hey, look... snow! Ugh! It's a blatant rehashing of the older map from Double Dash, DK Mountain, and plainly... it sucks! There are some great classical maps (SNES Battle Zone 4, N64 Bowser's Castle, N64 Sherbet Land, GBA Shy Guy Beach) for racing tracks and battle maps but the rehashing of old tracks and trying to pass them off as new is simply pathetic. Sure, some have been reinvisioned and been actually good tracks (Moo Moo Farm = Moo Moo Meadows with SNES touch) but reusing old maps under new names is just horrid. Sorry Nintendo, I dont want to play the same map again. Especially when the other is available

The advent of the motorcycles, or bikes as they are called in-game, adds a new flavor to the series. While they are enjoyable, fun to manuever and do tricks with, and sometimes tricky, the steeper learning curve of the bikes won't remove the staple of the standard karts. They are a nice addition though and make for a little more vibrate gameplay experience than just having karts. Something of note though, the 50cc Grand Prix is karts only as well as the 100cc being bikes only. The 150cc is either.

The postmortem: All in all, Mario Kart Wii is not a bad game but it is certainly not great. It's fun to play but not something that will suck you in like Mario Kart DS or even Mario Kart 64 could. MKWii feels like a new shell on an older game. It's not necessarily a bad thing as the series is still an enjoyable one but don't expect a lot of new surprises with Mario Kart Wii.

The skinny: My experience with Mario Kart Wii has been playing for about 5 hours total, completing some battles, two Grand Prixs, and playing some Versus/Battle with fellow Nintendo Freak ebuch. My final verdict on the title is still out but what I can say about it now is... be cautious on what you are buying. Remember, it's not bad but it's not great either. You decide if its worthy of a purchase, this is simply my opinion on the latest kart racer on the latest Nintendo console.

Watch it, think about it, enjoy it.
This is so nice to finally here. Sure, its something that gamers already knew but its still great to hear some backing behind it. Actual scientific and empirical evidence that playing violent video games do not make a violent person. Sure, they may tend to be more prone to become violent but the games do not make them violent. Watch the video the get the rest of the story.
I like this so much, I wish I could post the video directly. And maybe even buy the book next time I visit a bookstore.

Source: G4TV | Kotaku

Just a reminder that this Saturday at my college, there is a gaming event put on by the Gamers Club, Sci-Fi Club, Anime Club, and the Fantasy Guild. It runs from 11am to 11:30pm with plenty of tournaments, consoles, anime/movie viewings, and what have to you to enjoy. It's only $2 for the entire event so its well worth checking out if you have the time. Some of the tournaments that are planned are: Rock Band, Magic the Gathering, Guitar Hero (most likely III), DDR, DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (unsure of console), Classic Halo TDM (Team Death Match), and SingStar. I don't much more beyond this as I have not been involved as heavily in the Gamers Club as I would like to be so that's all I got.

This is the event that we missed last December due to weather issues (horrid horrid snow!) and its something I think that our entire organization could have fun at. I am attending and planning on being there sometime between 11 and noon so if you wants to go, I'll take a few victims.. err.. people in my car. Friends and girls get first picks. Feel free to get a hold of me and we'll see if something can't be worked out.

Place: MSU Moorhead CMU (2nd Floor)
Times: 11am to 11:30pm
Admission: 2$

Source: Gamers' Club Website and their member-only forums

As a few of you may have read across the Interwebs: Douglas Wilson thinks the term 'gamer' should be left behind. Quite a bold idea. One that could outrage quite a few gamers who hold onto the term. But there is another who thinks that the term of gamer should be supported instead of denounced. Simon Carless thinks that the term of gamer does not need to go away.

When it comes to the term, I have my own thoughts on what it means and who should be really referred to as a 'gamer.' Hopefully one day I will take the time to write my own article about my thoughts on this topic but for now, please take the time to read both of these articles. They are wonderfully written and thought out. I honestly ask that the articles should be read in full before fully deciding what you think about the subject, even though it is a very difficult thing to do and to ask.

It is extremely easy to simply write these off and not really think about what either author is trying to really say. Sometimes the point of a piece is not to just get the authors view across but open the door for the readers to determine what they actually think about the subject.
Hit the following links or click the ones at the top. Feel free to discuss this subject in the comments but please don't flame this, think and then discuss. Thanks, in advance.

Opinion: Ceci N'est Pas Une Gamer | Opinion Rebuttal: Si, Ceci Est Un Gamer

Sources: GameSetWatch (Lose it, Keep It) | Kotaku

-- Please excuse the lateness of this announcement. With college and some other things in life going on, I just didn't have the time or energy to get the things I wanted done for this one year anniversary. As everyone knows, we added a new theme to the Freaky Forums but this is nothing compared to what is planned. Much is still being done in the background and will hopefully be sometime soon. Not that I really expect them to be until sometime in May, sadly. Look forward to that. But for now, enjoy this little announcement from me.


With the demise of a previous site, Video Game Paradise, the perfect opportunity to start anew presented itself. There was no more place on free hosting for I and the people who joined me and became my friends. We had to find a new place to go and continue to grow, thus Nintendo Freaks dot com was born. Seeing as where we are now, it's obvious that was a good choice to move on. Over the last year, Nintendo Freaks has grown from a small group of friends into a slightly larger community and has accomplished many things while falling short in others. The community has not exactly grown to be what I had hoped it would be. Yet seeing as there has never been a huge push for it and some choices with the forums (i.e. ranks, hacking off posts, etc etc), the community on the forums is about right where it should be considering. Even though, the forums are only one part of the Nintendo Freaks community. Looking at our IRC, our various satellite members, and our friends who are not on the forums, Nintendo Freaks isn't exactly a small community (and certainly not large either!). Yet, we are only a year old and have many years ahead of us. In time we will grow.

One of the greatest achievements of our short history has been something that most video game communities get to do: run our own gaming events. Years ago I decided that I wanted to run my own events so that my fellow gamers and I have a place to go to game. Yet I never had the chance to do such a thing till Nintendo Freaks came along and I met so many grand people who were willing to put up with my bull and put an event on with me. Honestly, this community is all about gaming with our fellow gamers. Having the chance to come together for one day and game till our thumbs are raw is just plain awesome. I'm so glad we have been given the chance to do such a thing for our gaming brothen and hope that we can do such a thing for many years to come. Even after the Earth explodes and we are drifting about the universe, controllers in hand. Thanks to everyone who helped with the events and made one of my dreams come true. And thanks to the people who were kind enough to come to our events, even when we are such a young organization.

The podcast crew, the staff, and whoever else has helped get us to where we are today, thank you. Honestly, without you we could not have gotten to where we are. What we have done could not have been done by one person alone but by all of us. Our collective talents, and abilities, have come together to allow us to be responsible for our achievements. Thank you, once again.

We have only been around for a year and hope to be around for many to come. As long as there are video games and we are passionate about them, there will be Nintendo Freaks. Thanks for the last year everybody.
-M. Kava