Topic: Episode 285: We're Finished!

[NWR_Lindy]

Greg's memory is much better than it has any right, or even need, to be.

[roykoopa64]

Another great discussion, enjoyed listening to it! Great to hear from Guillaume again.

I haven't played Kid Icarus Uprising much yet, but so far it's been incredibly good.

[The_Darkest_Red]

Greg, I know you don't like the idea (and trust me, I didn't either) but you must try the stand with Kid Icarus.

I have played with the stand a bit since recording last week, and I continue to prefer simply resting the 3DS on my leg (I'm getting on with the controls quite well at this point, more on that next episode naturally).

Sounds good, I'm glad you were at least able to give it a shot. I've been playing the game quite a bit recently (13 hours or so) and I continue to be a firm supporter of the stand. It props the 3DS up to just the right level and makes playing the game feel much more comfortable to me. I'm surprised propping it on your leg works so well for you, I always have an issue angling the system back far enough when I try playing that way.

To each his own of course, and I would probably do well to avoid questioning the master of Sin & Punishment-esque games.

[NWR_DrewMG]

I found the discussion about handheld vs. console gaming really fascinating.  As a 32 year old new father, I've found my console gaming time to be drastically reduced in recent years.  Even before the kid came along, I just didn't feel like being a dick and telling my wife that her entertainment for the evening was watching me play Mass Effect.  For at least 2 years, I've had to squeeze my console gaming into windows of time when my wife was otherwise occupied or else we'd be catching up on whatever TV shows that we have to watch.

With that in mind, I have absolutely found myself spending more and more time gaming on handhelds.  I've put more money into 3DS games than any other system in recent memory because I'm getting better and better gaming experience than ever before on a handheld.  I love it. 

You can't live as a single dude in your 20s forever, and if you end up in a family situation later on in life where your wife and kids are perfectly content letting you seclude yourself away in a game room for hours on end, or hog the TV in the main family room with a video game, more power to you.  I don't want to put myself in a situation where family looks at my gaming habit as something that disrupts their life anymore than I absolutely have to.

[NWR_insanolord]

In a similar way, having to share an apartment with two other guys as a college student has pushed me to mostly playing handheld games as well. Even though it's my TV, I feel like a dick if I hog it all the time to play stuff, so I'll play my 3DS while we all watch stuff on Netflix or whatever.

[leahsdad]

I found the discussion about handheld vs. console gaming really fascinating.  As a 32 year old new father, I've found my console gaming time to be drastically reduced in recent years.  Even before the kid came along, I just didn't feel like being a dick and telling my wife that her entertainment for the evening was watching me play Mass Effect.  For at least 2 years, I've had to squeeze my console gaming into windows of time when my wife was otherwise occupied or else we'd be catching up on whatever TV shows that we have to watch.

With that in mind, I have absolutely found myself spending more and more time gaming on handhelds.  I've put more money into 3DS games than any other system in recent memory because I'm getting better and better gaming experience than ever before on a handheld.  I love it. 

I don't want to put myself in a situation where family looks at my gaming habit as something that disrupts their life anymore than I absolutely have to.

Really well put.  I think Andy's experience is identical to and indicative of what it's like to be married, have kids, and being a gamer.   

I would probably not buy a Wii U, for exactly the reasons that Andy has said, if not for the fact that my oldest daughter is now 6, she loves games, we play Wii together all the time, and I expect that we will be playing a lot of Wii U together.  A lot of people knock Nintendo for moving towards local multiplayer and more "family" experiences, but the truth is that for people like us, it's these qualities that will keep us with Nintendo and away from the Xbox360/PS3....consoles which I've always been tempted to buy, but stopped after realizing I would never, ever find time to play them.

[Sundoulos]

I'm in the same boat as well.  I have two boys that are 4 and 1, respectively, and don't have much time for console gaming anymore.  In fact, I'm still working to play through Skyward Sword over the weekends or late at night.  Gone are the times when I could just spend hours on end with console games.  I still find time for certain games when I can, but making my way through a game much more protracted experience these days.  I imagine that the remainder of Skyward Sword as well as Xenoblade and the Last Story will keep me occupied through the rest of the year, console-wise.

I too play more handheld games because of the reasons that others have already mentioned.  I don't regret my 3DS purchase either, especially since many of the games coming out for it now are as good or almost as good as many of the games that were coming out during times when I could play games with reckless abandon.  I'm looking forward to several of the games coming out this year for the 3DS as well.

My oldest son is at the point where he's starting to get interested in some games, and I'm excited about that.  Currently, the only thing he wants to do is press the "gas button" in Mario Kart Wii...I think he feels too intimidated by the idea of playing it himself.   I do look forward to playing the Wii and Wii U with him in the future.  I have fond memories of playing games with my dad; we had endless hours of fun playing the original Mario Brothers, Super Mario, Zelda, etc. together.