I return from my extended absence with glee and a desire to play games again (seeing as I had absolutely no time whatsoever to do so for the past several weeks). So to kick off my return, here’s some nifty stuff that I don’t need, but really, really want anyway.

First up… Super Mario Chess.

Let me be honest… I’ve never been very good at chess, unless, of course, I’m playing against someone who’s even worse at it than I am. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good chess set when I see one. Yes, it’s gimicky. Yes, it’s sickeningly cute. Yes, I want one. It would go great with Nintendo Monopoly.

Next, Nintendo Wall Graphics

Yeah, I know they’ve been around for awhile now, but I love these things, and will probably eventually end up spending a ridiculous amount of money on them for use in my game room one day. That is, if I can ever choose between Super Mario Bros. classic and New Super Mario Bros.

And finally, the Xtensor Gamer Hand Exerciser

I don’t know that it would actually give me much of a workout, but it sure would be fun to casually wear it around the office.

On sale in Japan later this month, is Advent Children Complete, the BluRay-format director’s cut of 2005’s CG film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

Not only that, but it’s coming in three editions (say what you will about Square Enix… they certainly know how to squeeze every last cent out of their fans): Regular Edition, First Edition (which comes with the Final Fantasy XIII demo and trailers), and First Edition PS3 Bundle (which comes with the demo and a PS3 to play it on).

So what else are they throwing in to get people to buy this? Well in addition to the 30 minutes of additional footage, how about a new anime? Those of you who purchased the limited collector’s edition (or imported a copy from Japan) probably remember the Last Order animated short that was part of the bonuses.

Advent Children Complete will include another 30-minute anime called Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel. Presumably the short will be based on Denzel’s story from the novella that came with the limited collector’s edition. The short story recounts Denzel’s life just before the Meteor incident, the deaths of his parents, and his life leading up to the start of Advent Children, two years later.

How sad is it that I already own four editions of the movie and am still planning to buy this? Sometimes I think I take my FF7 fandom a little too far. I’ve probably got more money invested in FF7 merchandise than I do actual Final Fantasy games at this point.

Good news for all you Wii owners who were jealous of those lucky Club Nintendo Japan users who were able to snag a Super Nintendo-esque Wii Remote add-on controller… It’s available to the general public now! Kind of.

Granted, you still have to import it, but at least you won’t be paying the price-gougers on eBay anymore. That’s not to say it isn’t still on the pricey side. Play-Asia.com is offering the controller for $74.90 + $6.90 shipping.

So, if the Wii Classic controller just isn’t doing it for you and you’ve got an extra $82 laying around somewhere, this could be all yours:

It’s things like this that make me wish I’d taken up crochet or knitting instead of cross-stitch. Although given the state of most of my current projects, I’d probably never finish it…

But for a mere $130 (plus shipping), you could have your very own pixel-style Black Mage afghan. How awesome is that? Now if I could just find some matching White Mage pillow covers to go with it…

If you’re tired of Japan getting all the neat video game-inspired energy drinks that taste like a combination of rancid gatorade and cough syrup, have I got some good news for you…

Harcos Inc. is releasing Health and Mana potions just for us gamers. The Health potion is apple-cinnamon flavored, and contains trendy things like elderberry, ginseng and the same amount of caffeine as two cans of Red Bull. Their website describes the Mana flavor only as “citrusy with a sour bite”.

The potions come in 50mL shots, are a mere 20 calories, and promise 5-8 hours of jitter free energy. They are available at Fry’s Electronics and Hot Topic (according to the locator, the one at Marketplace Mall has them), or you can order them online. A 2-pack or either sells for $6.90 + shipping, or you can save a bit on shipping and go with the 4, 6, 12, of 96 pack.

Some people are waaaaay too crafty. I’m jealous.

Sure, I can cross stitch and I’m not bad with a nail gun and a power drill on occasion, but beyond that, forget it. I can tell you point blank that nothing I made would ever look this cool sitting on my kitchen counter:

Yes, that’s an Zelda-inspired Octorock over on Etsy.com. I think he’s adorable… and if I had a spare $50, right now, I’d be sorely tempted to grab him… although he’d probably scare the hell out of my cats. They’re such cowards.

Two nifty items today, in the stuff-I-don’t-need-but-want-anyway category… one of which I had to buy, because I couldn’t say no to it.

First up, wash your hands old-school style with some Pacman soap. Awww…. It smells like bananas, and the description says it has moisturizing eyes (which is actually a little creepy, now that I think about it). And it can be yours for the low, low price of $3.00.

Second, is the one I bought… Nintendo Cartridge Earrings! I’m a sucker for earrings… I’ve got more than I could ever wear, and I just keep buying them (they’re like freakin’ crack, I swear). But these were too cute to pass up, and for something made in miniature out of clay, the detail work is awesome. Best of all, you can pick your titles. I got the original Super Mario Bros. and SMB3 on mine. The maker of this fine jewelry has a fairly extensive collection of other Mario-inspired items to hang from your earlobes, too.

Ok, maybe it won’t be the next Wii, but it’s still pretty nifty. If only I were a little more hardware-inclined… and could afford a Roomba…

Aww… ^_^

Oh Etsy.com, do you ever fail to disappoint? You always have something nifty that I have almost no practical use for, but want anyway.

For example, check out these Super Mario Bros. shoes. They even come in Zelda. At $42.00 they’re a bit pricey, but damn they’re cute…

If you happen to be a woman’s size 6 1/2, it looks like you can pick up a Zelda-themed pair at a discount (and if I didn’t have huge size 8 1/2 feet, I would so grab those…).

I’m a sucker for everyday items that incorporate anything gaming related… which is why a cutting board inlaid with the triforce (of Legend of Zelda fame) makes me feel all tingly inside.

Sadly, the item sold out within two days of being posted on the site. I wonder if they’ll have any more available? It would look awesome on my kitchen counter.