And now we play the waiting game

Well, let the hype begin. Nintendo held a barn burner of a press conference today, setting ablaze buzz all over the internet.
What wound up dominating discussion of the presser was their unveiling of the upcoming Wii U, a completely new (and interestingly named) console. The system features a controller the likes of which we've never seen before, with a six inch HD screen and cameras. At first, I was horrorstruck when I thought that the thing to which Nintendo fans have been eagerly looking forward turned out to be nothing but a new controller. But Nintendo kind of botched the whole presentation, never once mentioning an actual game console. There actually is a game system to which the controller will be connected. The company chose instead to focus primarily on the revolutionary new controller. It didn't help that the unveiling began with a video of people playing a game that looks nearly identical to New Super Mario Bros. Wii using Wii remotes. As it turns out, the upcoming system will be fully backwards compatible with Wii games and peripherals, saving Wii owners the expense of going out to buy new controllers. And the game featured in the unveiling was New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which allows players to play the game using their own Wii avatars.
Once I got over the shock of thinking it was only a controller, I realized more and more what fantastic implications the device had for the gaming community.  One of the great things that have been confirmed about the Wii U is the ability to play games entirely on the controller if someone else wants to use the TV. There were also situations in which players pointed the controller at the TV screen, and, using the camera and HD display mounted into the controller, were able to zoom in on certain areas on the screen. It really does boggle my mind when I think about the possibilities. As of now, we still know very little about the device.
For a second, I thought I was going to get over not being able to get my hands on a Nintendo 3DS when I feasted my eyes upon the Wii U's fantastic features. However, right after the unveiling of the Wii U, Nintendo had a knockout punch of an announcement, including a new Mario Kart, Super Mario 3D, Luigi's Mansion 2, and plenty more. All of a sudden, the 3DS's paltry lineup has been loaded up with star power. And I'm going to go crazy waiting for it all.
EDIT 6:33PM: How the hell could I forget about this! Nintendo president Satoru Iwata dropped hints that Smash Bros. may be on the way for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, and there will be some sort of connectivity between the two versions! That was my favorite moment of the conference.

Excited for E3, the BGE, and an appearance on 1340AM

Tomorrow is one of the few days of the year that I look forward to like a child awaiting Christmas. At 9am PST tomorrow, Nintendo is going to hold its annual press conference at the E3 Expo, which is the biggest video game press event of the year. Microsoft and Sony both held theirs today, and they were both impressive, but the one event in which I am truly invested is Nintendo's. There are a couple of things I am expecting to see which I won't share here purely because they are rumors. I'm hoping for at least one thing I won't see coming at all.
It has been well established that Nintendo will unveil their newest home console, which I understand will be called the "Current." The name's a little less silly than "Wii," but I'm sure it'll be subject to ridicule here and there. Its mysterious controller has been the subject of much speculation, along with a few rumored launch titles.
Also confirmed to be unveiled is the newest handheld Mario game, which I understand will be a derivative of Super Mario Galaxy. I absolutely loved both Mario Galaxy games, so I expect to be wowed with this one.
I've been watching too much Food Network lately, and I've become a fast fan of celebrity chef Bobby Flay. He's all about the barbecue, and that's been a personal obsession of mine for about a year now. I mentioned to my dad this weekend that I was thinking of building our very own BBQ smoker the way they do it in the South, which wound up being a mistake. Dad mentioned he'd rather purchase a "Big Green Egg" grill, which I had only heard by name until that point. I looked it up, and boy, is it an impressive and versatile piece of cookware. I keep thinking about all of the food we'd be able to grill and smoke with one of those babies, and it makes my mouth water. I really, REALLY want one. The main problem, though, is the $700 price tag for the most popular model. That price tag doesn't include the separate stand, either. It does include plans on how to build a rather convenient-looking table. With Mom recently losing her job, though, it seems out of the question now.
It looks like I'll be headed back to school for at least a semester in an effort to fend off my loan payments a little longer. Normally, the loans wouldn't be an issue, but with my mother's aforementioned loss of a job, it's the least I can do to help keep expenses down. This, of course, is assuming I don't wind up with a paying job before then. Better safe than sorry.
I've been graciously offered an opportunity to appear in an interview on the radio! The details haven't quite been worked out yet, but I'll be talking Angels over the phone with Steve Bortstein of Fox Sports Radio 1340AM in New Mexico. Stay tuned for more details! I'm excited!