I don’t understand.

I just don’t understand!

Pray tell, someone please explain to me why on earth the Nintendo Wii continues to sell out across the world.

What are people actually playing? And who are these people in the first place?

I own a Wii. I have played over a dozen games for it. Most of them completely stink, with the exception of Zelda, of course. Wii Sports is fun for a half an hour or so as a party game, but that’s about it. The only time I turn it on these days is for a review, since my 360 and PS3 are backlogged with tremendous games.

Other than children, I can’t possibly imagine where this is all coming from. There is not a single game that’s out for the system that has been designed exclusively for it that is remotely entertaining for more than an hour or two, and the vast majority of titles for it are PS2 and PSP ports. The best games - Zelda and Paper Mario - are built for the Gamecube, for crying out loud.

I am, and will continue to be, confused. For a long time.

Microsoft pushes the original Xbox further into extinction with another update to the backwards compatibility list. Among the games included are Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and (finally) Phantom Dust. It’s nice to see the addition of games people actually care about this time. Of course the complete list can be found on Xbox.com. The auto update doesn’t appear to have hit Xbox Live yet, which gives you time to start wiping the dust from their cases.

Nippon Ichi Software (NIS) and its American presence, NIS America, have built a huge reputation over the past couple years as the torch-carriers for the 2D RPG fan, with Ar Tonelico recently offering a great dose of traditional, albeit excellent, action; lots of interactions with cute girls; and an item creation system that is simple and fun.

Here’s a quick look at a handful of titles coming out this year…

Aedis Eclipse: Generation of Chaos (release date: April 24, PSP). Here’s what I hope will happen, this game will rock the PSP like the previous NIS games were supposed to. We need more solid, 2D RPGs on the PSP and I’m crossing my fingers that this will be it (and we know there’s a killer app coming too, more on that below). From the site: “Long, long ago, battles were waged with blade and spell. The lush island of Aedis was constantly submerged in bloodshed. Eventually, this hatred and anger gave birth to an entity known as Mugen, which brought an end to all things. Mugen’s dark lightning scorched the land, split the earth, and shattered the vessels of life. The few survivors fled to an ancient relic, the Otherworld Tower. As they entered, some descended into the earth, while others climbed to the heavens. Some, however, still had faith in their land, and remained in Aedis. Thus has the legend this world has passed down. Now they call it a fairy tale, a mere child’s fantasy.”

Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (release date: May 29, PS2) is the 3rd in a series of alchemy RPG games by Gust. With a strong focus on item creation and good old-school battles, the 3rd time may be the charm for this great series. From the site: “Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm tells the story of two young adventurers, Edge and Iris. They accidentally discover a fragment of a magical book that can grant any wish, once all 8 pieces are brought back together. On their quest to find all the pieces, they are joined by a rag-tag team of alchemists and warriors.”

Soul Nomad (release date: August 2007, PS2). Is this Disgaea 3? All kidding aside, the trailer makes this look like an awesome SRPG. From the press release: “This latest project from Nippon Ichi Software combines the infamous grid-based strategy engine of Disgaea with the deep game play of a traditional style RPG for a new and unique experience. Crime apparently pays well as players are encouraged to steal, abduct, and kick villagers in the butt to get what you want.” Consider this on my most anticipated list!

Dragoneer’s Aria (release date: summer 2007, PSP). Another PSP RPG coming our way. According to the press release: “Developed by Hit Maker, Dragoneer’s Aria takes advantage of PlayStation® Portable’s advanced hardware providing an compelling story telling with flawless transition between adventure and battles. Players can now battle enemies as a team through PlayStation® Portable’s ADHOC function. Up to 4 players can play at the same time.”

GrimGrimoire (release date: June 2007, PS2). According to the press release: “The fantasy real time strategy game (RTS) is scheduled to release in summer 2007, and is co-developed by Nippon Ichi Software and Vanillaware. In the game, players will take on the role of Lillet Blan, a young magician who is admitted to a prestigious yet mystical magic school; however, on the 5th day of school, everyone mysteriously vanishes. Lillet, awakens the next day to find out she is once again living out the first day of school; however, her memories from the previous days are intact, giving her the opportunity to solve the mysteries behind the disappearances and prevent the tragedy from occurring.” Definitely check out the trailer for this one, it looks amazing.

Disgaea PSP (release date: summer 2007, PSP). Not only is this the Disgaea we know and love, but there is additional content and a new multiplayer mode!!! According to the press release: “Gamers will now be able to play their favorite game on the go. And premiering with the North American release, Disgaea® PSP will feature a multiplayer mode, enabling players to pit their armies against each other. There will also be a brand new Geo Cube feature, which will alter the rules of battle, bringing a brand new element of strategy to the game, and spicing up player vs. player battles. A new story mode has also been added, allowing players to play as their favorite vassal.” Will this lead to perhaps some SRPG presence on Xbox Live with multiplayer? I’ve long thought the future of the 2D SRPG was on places such as Xbox Live where downloadable content would be available at intervals and where there could be human against human battles. It looks like even players who have put more than their share in to the original will have some new things to play with on the PSP version.

Note: all content taken from the NIS America website: http://www.nisamerica.com/

In the real world, admitting to an evening game session with a meatball, milkshake, a side of fries and a middle-age perverted loser would undoubtedly lead most people to think you’re a lunatic. Fortunately the rest of us who are hip to the modern-day culture would conclude that you must be talking about Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Next week, 360 gamers will have an opportunity to play with the cast of the Adult Swim animated show in Uno, the latest celebs to participate in the Xbox 360 Game with Fame campaign.

Play with us next week — I command it. (No seriously, I do command it.)

Yeah, we said Uno — my guess is they don’t like Gears of War (or maybe they just don’t wanna get abused by the fanatics who endlessly play day and night).

Speaking of which, you may want to write this date down because they won’t be devoting a ton of time to the Game With Fame campaign. Ready? Here goes: Tuesday, April 24 @ 7 - 8:30 p.m. EST (4 - 5:30 P.M. PST). Send a Friend Request to ATHFGWF and if you’re lucky, they’ll accept your invite. (Update: The time has been moved to: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 24, 2007)

I know this is pretty random geek moment, but man it would be awesome if they remained in character while they were playing against fellow gamers. ^_^

After some consideration, we’ve decided to start fresh with our forums. The old forums were never what we wanted them to be, so it is with little regret that we have wiped the slate clean, and moved in a new community. Everyone’s accounts are still good, though, so we welcome anyone who has drifted away to come check out the new crowd and join in.

Things are going to get more interesting from here on out, and we’re all very glad to have the new gang on board. Click the “forums” icon at the top of the page to come check us out.