The Nomad Junkyard enters the 3DS world...

I know! As a SEGA fan I should be ashamed, buying a Nintendo product. In fact, the 3DS XL is the first piece of Nintendo hardware that I bought new. My NES? Garage sale find in 2003. My GBA SP? Gamestop sale item bought a few years ago. My Wii? Same deal. So it was quite a strage experience plopping down money for a brand new Nintendo gaming device. But I don't regret it! I've actually been a closeted handheld Nintendo fin since they debuted the Game Boy Advance SP in 2003. The clam shell design? Lovely! The backlit screen? Awesome. I especially liked that the SP was backwards compatible with every Game Boy game ever made. 

I've sat out on the DS, mainly because I was just getting into the GBA library at the time. But when the 3DS was announced my ears perked up. Like the GBA SP, the 3DS looked to be a great option for those who sat out on the previous generation of Nintendo handhelds. Instead of buying a DS, I could just get a 3DS and cover both bases. Coupled with a GBA SP, a gamer could enjoy the entire Nintendo portable library with only two devices. Unforuntaly, I didn't have the money for a 3DS for quite a while, and once I did, the 3DS XL was announced. So I waited, and finally got a hold of one on the release date this past Sunday. Being a SEGA fan, I had to pick up SEGA titles first. So Crush 3D and Sonic Generations are the first games in my 3DS library, followed by Elite Beat Agents and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. 

How do I like the 3DS XL? I love it! I gotta give Nintendo credit, they may not make great home consoles anymore (sorry Wii U fans, I just am not excited for that) but they do a damn fine job with portables. The Street Pass function and the pedometer, complete with coins? Awesome idea that plays up on the portable function of the device. Instead of pretending to be a handheld home console (*cough* PSP*cough*), the 3DS is a handheld that knows its a handheld and is proud to be a handheld. Is it as good as the SEGA Nomad? Not quite, but it's a very cool device and I can't wait to spend more time playing it.

Sonic 4 Episode 1 iOS Update Removes Your Save File

Those with iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch know all about the tempting little update notification that appears on the App Store icon. That little red number stating the number of apps with new updates is often a treat. Perhaps some bugs have been fixed, or new stages have been added to your favorite games. Well in the case of Sonic 4 Episode 1, the latest update deletes the players progress! So before you read on, make sure you’re not about to press that “UPDATE” button for the game, at least if you’re playing on iPod Touch and iPhone.

The update itself seems to fix some bugs and improve stability, though I haven’t noticed any difference outside of a Sonic 4 Episode 2 ad that popped up the first time I opened the app. I haven’t seen the ad since, so it may be a one time thing. I did lose my progress, but I knew full well I might and updated anyway for the sake of this article. SEGA has yet to comment on the update, but hopefully an update to the update brings back the save file or a revised update appears that saves those who have yet to download the update. More updates on the update when I'm… updated.