Uncle Vinnk returns! The beloved and always entertaining Rebel in Japan is back.

Even though the 4cr podcast is on a hiatus while it is retooled, we just couldn’t let the world go any longer with their Rebel in Japan fix. That is why we present a new RiJ in both audio format and a full transcript. Go for the audio version if you can; hearing Vinnk’s sultry David Sedaris-like voice will really immerse you in the informative and hilarious video gaming stories from the far off land of Japan.

Keep an eye (and ear) out as we will also be launching a full archive of all the past RiJ segments, which has been a long time coming. And this week we also have a special tune from our musical friend DSgamer21. The song is from Chrono Trigger and will follow RiJ. Enjoy!

Listen to Rebel in Japan

Rebel in Japan - Wii Envy

Every day I log on to all the websites and read about people playing and enjoying the Nintendo Wii. And I hate them all. Ok, hate is kind of a strong word. I don’t really hate them, it’s just that envy is clouding my thinking. You see, the Wii isn’t out in Japan yet. How can that be? Isn’t Nintendo a Japanese company? They always release everything first in Japan right? Well that used to be the case, but we live in a changing world. From a business perspective it makes a lot of sense for Nintendo. They did the same thing with the launch of the DS.

Since the biggest shopping day in America is the day after Thanksgiving it was Nintendo’s prerogative to get the system on the shelves by that time and to keep it shipping until Christmas. In Japan, Christmas is celebrated, but not in such a big way as it is in other countries. The big shopping days in Japan are the days immediately following New Years. You see, Japanese children will receive small envelopes of money on New Years day from their parents and other relatives. They will take this money and run as fast as their little legs can carry them to the toy store and fail to invest any of it for a college education. Nintendo hopes they will be buying a Wii in the same droves that they bought a DS two years ago, or better yet in the numbers they bought it last year. They will do everything they can to have it on the shelves before that time. So yes, it makes perfect business sense. It does not however make me feel any better. I still have to wait. And my friend in Manchester has to wait even longer.

So what am I doing in the meantime? I have been going to the game store in my town off and on and I am watching their Wii displays go up. Since PS3s are near impossible to come by a lot of store are not advertising them much at all. Why advertise something you don’t have? Instead they are making these massive Wii displays and there are always people looking at them, just staring, like me, wondering how many hours until December 2nd.

I’ll admit it. I have Wii Envy. I am jealous of all the Americans with their gleaming white Wiis. I had to do something. So I bought a Katana. Seriously I did. I saw one for sale and I just bought it. It seems that I am overcompensating for my lack of Wii by buying a big damn sword. The way I figure it, so many gamers are right now swinging a Wii controller and having it mimic the actions of a sword. Well, I am swinging around an actual sword! And the movements correspond 1 to 1. Sadly, in my small town there just aren’t a lot of Yakuza to kill and without a wrist strap I am scared to use it near my TV. So the Katana is definitely cool, but I would still rather have a Wiimote.

I wonder how the Wii will do here. Nintendo is hyping this much more than the Gamecube launch and there are some great launch titles. I guess it just remains to be seen if the Japanese public buy into it. The Playstation 3 already has the hardcore, otaku gamers in their pocket, but the Wii could attract the people who never played a game before Brain Training. If Nintendo can do that and the Wii becomes the next DS, then gaming, as we know it could change forever.

This is your roving Samurai Vinnk reminding not to fool around with a Katana in rooms where the walls are made of paper…