Read as I try to convert Layton's theme into an unplayable mess of notes in Jam with the Band.

I performed music for many years, and despite that I was never any good at music theory. I primarily read the Alto clef, an oddity used exclusively by the viola that was created by music theorists to make violists feel even further isolated than they already do, and never quite developed the ear for pitch.

As a composer, I have about six movements to my name, including two arrangements. None of them are any good. Even so, I've always wanted to create music. I've played with lots of little toys, filled out lots of composition books, and even interviewed one of the men who worked on the project that created the MIDI format. With the exception of a research paper on the history of electronic music, I don't have much to hang my hat on.

Come watch me fail at Zelda!

Periodically over the next few weeks, I will be setting up the live cam and playing some Zelda: Wind Waker.  If you want to stop in and say hello, try to help me scout out the massive ocean, feel free!  The channel is located at http://www.livestream.com/drewmg

I will bump the talkback thread for this article when I turn on the camera. I'm hoping to do this for a few hours, a few nights a week.

On Saturday, 16 October, I had the opportunity to visit Rare Ltd. for the first ever Kinect Sports Community Day. The event was organised so that several Xbox Community websites and local Rare fan sites would have a chance to play Kinect Sports at Rare's home before launch. What was a Nintendo site doing at a Kinect Sports games day? Well, actually, I won a random Twitter drawing. This also gave me a chance to proclaim, "I'm the contest winner" all day long.

Rare's HQ is somewhat of a trek, so I was up before dawn and on my way to take a tram, a train, a tube, a train, and a train to the designated meeting point. A wide-awake and somehow not cold in just a t-shirt (whereas I'd been freezing since around train three with four layers of clothing) Ben from the community team was there to meet us for the bus to Rare. The bus drove past fields, sheep, cows, and even a quarry before we reached the gate. Even at the gate, there was some distance to go before we reached the entrance to Rare's building.

Karl throws in his two cents about the upcoming X-Men Destiny from Activision and Silicon Knights.

Dear Silicon Knights,

In the realm of comicdom, there's no team quite as hopelessly, endlessly and shamelessly convoluted as the X-Men. I mean, really, can you even tell me what Cable's powers are without using words like "techno-organic" or "Psi-Matar?"

I first heard about Hideo through a flyer posted in San Francisco's Japantown (there's a good okonomiyaki place there called Mifune Don).  "A Metal Gear concert?" I thought.  Not Metal Gear, but the performance does feature a selection of Japanese game music. And it turned out that it will be taking place on my school campus in Berkeley.

While video game concerts have gained some popularity in the US in recent years, with Video Games Live even getting a PBS special this year, this seems to be something a little more unique.  Rather than a concert simply celebrating the games, Hideo looks to take things in a different direction.  Using the music not only as a backdrop, but as an inspiration, the performance features a new story.  Telling the tale of the titular hero in a world where technology has crumbled, and "the sword once again commands the battlefield."  Reminiscent of an J-RPG story, the narrative involves New Government Enforcers (good guys), Outlaws (bad guys), and an emerging sinister party related to the forgotten Old Gods.

Check out the sights of the video game-fueled New York Comic Con.

New York Comic Con had its fair share of cosplayers and game-related shenanigans. Check out the gallery below for a variety of pictures, ranging from the strange (Green Lantern and company playing Michael Jackson: The Experience) to the peculiar (a pretty good Captain Planet cosplayer).

Of course, there are also "normal" pictures, such as Okamiden Producer Motohide Eshiro and pictures of Nintendo, Capcom, and Activision's booths.

Bonus points if you pick out the photo with Nintendo World Report's Lauren Lewandoski posing. Hint: she didn't dress up.

Capcom stole the show with a sneak Virtual Console Arcade announcement, but how was the rest of the show?

New York Comic Con, the new convention that has been steadily growing for five years, had a strong gaming presence this year. While most of the titles were ones we covered at E3 and other events, booths from Nintendo, Capcom, Square Enix, Activision, and Disney all had Wii and DS representation. There was also a lot of swag, but I need to hanker down and take pictures of all the goodies that may or may not show up as a prize in an upcoming contest. Additionally, we've got an interview with Warren Spector on the way, as well as a chaotic video tour through the gaming highlights of the show floor.

Patch Land comes to life at Nintendo.

For their most recent Kirby demo, Nintendo had video game artists i am 8-bit do a little redecorating of their game demo room.  I have to say I was a little disappointed, as I was promised a room made of yarn, but instead, I saw a room made of felt!  In all seriousness, they did an great job recreating the environment of Patch Land from Kirby's Epic Yarn.  Just don't pull that button, lest the entire room come crumbling down...

NBA Jam is now a multi-platform title.

NBA Jam is no longer a Wii-exclusive in any way, shape, or form. The version that is hitting Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which was originally supposed to be a downloadable version that came free with the now-delayed NBA Elite 11, will have as much of the content of the Wii version as the developers can pack into it.

"I'll tell you, we're doing everything in our power to get as much on there as possible. I mean, we had online up. It was a really basic online feature set. We're trying to blow that out. And then you get Remix. We're trying to throw it all in there," said Creative Director Trey Smith on Toronto FAN 590's Got Game.