The only question I have is where are the paid DLC Augemented Reality games!?! I can't believe Nintendo hasn't push out more of these!

@Damo well, they've got a copy on Genki at the mo...is it worth not eating for a week though? - http://www.genkivideogames.com/bakuretsu-muteki-bangaio-treasure-nintendo-64/nuspnbnj

I was left underwhelmed and disappointed by the presentation. Don't get me wrong, I imagine I'm still going to enjoy these games when they come out, but I think there's just as strong — if not stronger — an argument for Nintendo NOT playing it safe.

When Nintendo released the Wii with Wii Sports back in 2006, everyone thought they were nuts. But, it was this bold move that scored them an insane amount of sales and essentially revitalised their business. It was innovative, different and truly Nintendo.

Nintendo keeps pushing out the PR line that it's the GamePad which sets the system apart from the rest, and I certainly agree with that. So why the heck aren't they using it? None of these games help to set the Wii U apart from its competitors, with the only exception being that they're Nintendo-produced games. Where are all the crazy sorts of ideas like Nintendo had with Wii Sports and Wii Fit that make exceptional use of the GamePad's unique features?

Yes, Nintendo stands to make a lot of money from pumping out more Mario, DK, Mario Kart and Smash Bros., but it's really not doing its system any favour at the moment. I'm glad the games are coming, but if Nintendo had also incorporated some riskier, more unique games into its line-up which actually used the GamePad in any sort of meaningful way, I think there'd be a lot more buzz about it right now. Games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 helped the 3DS, but let's not forget that they were both aided by a tremendous system price cut, too.

@willobee oh don't worry, I wasn't trying to infer that Animal Crossing was the first to feature a clock system, as I'm aware that Gold/Silver did it first. I just think that the feature in general is pretty cool! We seem to take it for granted today, or maybe I'm just an old fuddyduddy retro gamer stuck in the past!

I think we need to look at this in a professional light; yes, people are annoying and constantly harassing him, but he's a grown man who is publicly known to work for a video game company. Although I'm sure (and hoping) that nothing will come of this, he could have simply ignored the tweets.

@TenEighty I'm really glad you think this! Far too often I hear people say how ugly they find N64 games - I think a lot of them still look fantastic. The vibrant colours tend to help - just look at Super Mario 64.

I went with the 8GB Wii U after it dropped to £150. I agree with Tom that when the price difference between the Basic and Premium was only $50/£50, it just didn't represent good value for money.

I'd be interested to know how much of a chunk of sales that pre-owned games take away from the market. Given that most games get the majority of their sales during their first week, it makes me doubt that pre-owned sales are really having that big an impact.

Regardless, the issue here is one of quality. If publishers want people to rush out and buy their games, then they need to start making better games. Some games don't sell because there's just absolutely nothing enticing about them, or they're shoddy and bugged. When creativity has seemingly reached an all-time low — and not because of technology, but because of developers constantly following the same template over and over again — it's no wonder why a) they're not selling as many games and b) why people don't take a risk and go pre-owned.

As some have said, I don't think this has anything to do with the Xbox One reveal, rather, the Premium system has had a pretty impressive price cut and people are seeing it as a good deal.

This is promising news! I'm really quite tempted to pick up the 3DS title. I know it has a few glaring issues, but it just really looks like a great bit of fun!

I had the Super Mario Bros. 3 watch as a child, and darn was it cool!

This sounds like a nice idea for the project, but unless they're able to crack open Nintendo and speak to some of the key influences behind the franchise, I'm not sure how in-depth and entertaining it can be.

The only thing I would hope for if they did bring the game to Wii would be the integration of team chat. Having played it at Eurogamer last year, it strikes me as a game where communication is pretty important.

@PinkSpider The music isn't the most memorable, with the possible exception of the title theme, which feels somewhat inspired by Duke Nukem. Rocky/Techo I guess would be the genre.

As for the 3D effect, it doesn't really do much; just adds depth, developers haven't taken advantage of it to do anything unique by any means.

I think you raise a fair point mentioning these things - it's not that they weren't taken into consideration while playing the game, it's more the fact that they really don't have any real impact on the overall experience. Music is quite important for me, too when it comes to certain games like Zelda or Mario. Because they're big epic quests, I expect the soundtrack to boost that. Alien Chaos 3D on the other hand is a cheap download title, and it's more for picking up and playing, rather than getting truly invested in it.

When I write a review, I'm really just trying to project my opinion on whether I think people will enjoy the game, rather than tick off a massive checklist of features; I do this because some elements may not be the best, but they don't really have any real negative effect on the overall package. If the music were really bad or really awesome, then it would have factored in as a prominent part of my review here.

Hope that helps and I appreciate the feedback!

Hear, hear! T'is a wonderful milestone for a wonderful site! I may not have been here too long but I can say that I've thoroughly enjoyed my time thus far! It really is a great team to work with and I'm glad that it reflects in our work!

@Peach64 You could argue that this is recycling; the R.O.B. unit would essentially be being used. I would just hope that this chap isn't planning on nabbing it just so he could resell it!

Shame there's no Wii U version, although the multiplayer mode on current home systems is so limited anyway (24 players max). I imagine it'd probably be the same on Wii U.

It's very interesting how this could potentially be a joint current-gen/next-gen release. Seems to certainly be the plan moving forward - I wonder if it's something that will just occur at the beginning or if it becomes an ongoing trend for some time into the life of the new systems.

Is it only at PAX East that these have been made available? I only ask because it seems like a strange place to dish out such material - these belong in stores for both consumers and retail staff.

Either way, it's a step in the right direction!

@Five-seveN in terms of replay value, there's quite a few hidden things to be found. If you're a completionist, you'll also want to get a perfect score on each stage. I'm still coming back to it now!

Very well made, bahaha!

It boggles the mind that some publishers can see an opportunity in re-releasing an old title with tacked-on features, and sell it as new on Wii U. It's an especially odd move when the same title is available on another system for a fraction of the price. If there were just a few months apart, I could understand it, but anyone that really wanted to pick this game up would have done so by now. We're in a time, after all, where loads of gamers own multiple systems and even if someone hasn't bought the original, I think most consumers probably think "That's an old game from over a year ago, it's not worth how much they're asking for".

It's utterly baffling. Now is the perfect time for a third-party to capitalise on the dearth of Wii U titles and release something really great.

Great article, Tom - you hit every nail on the head!

I think somebody should get a Mario is Missing sequel up. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate it's edutainment value! It could take images from Wii Street U!

I think another important question to ask here is how many people look at the score and know/refer to the scoring policy?

I only ask because essentially comparing scores between sites is kinda pointless, if their scoring criteria is different. For example, a 10 can meant different things to different people: is it very good? One of the best games ever made? Perhaps it's revolutionary and deserves full marks as a result? Unless you consult the scoring policy and bear in mind that it may differ from another site when comparing scores, then there really is no point comparing them - reviewers can and do look for different things.

There's a whole array of other aspects to take into consideration when writing a review such as audience. We write our reviews predominantly for Nintendo fans, a national newspaper though might be gearing their review towards the more general consumer, who's likely to be looking for a different experience.

The written part of the review is super important as it lends credibility to that number at the bottom; if they don't match up, then basically there's no point writing 1000 words or so in the first place. I think at NL we get this right virtually all of the time (but hey, I'm going to be biased!) - again, check the scoring policy every time you read a review. Nevertheless, as with us and any other site out there, everything is subjective!

If Nintendo wants to get a second GamePad into people's homes, I think they'd need to develop a game that specifically uses it and then bundle it in (as per the Balance Board).

Even then, two GamePads is never going to be the norm for most consumers, so I can't see too much being done in this area. Still, if they can create a few extra modes that use it in certain games, that'd be swell!

I love how the Japanese game box art is just so much cooler. F-Zero looks stunning.

A brilliant system, and my very first in fact. I too prefer the JP/Euro design!

Is it possible that the name is inspired by Ronimo Games' Awesomenauts?

With all the focus on Luigi, I wonder if it means that we'll soon be experiencing the thrilling, edutainment classic that is Mario Is Missing!

@duffmman haha! I'm so glad someone saw the pun! It was most certainly intended!

@Slapshot - completely agree with your last point. Very unusual for what has traditionally been quite a secretive company to reveal so many projects. Saying that, I don't think anyone could have been surprised about a new Mario, Mario Kart or Zelda. It was a safe bet for Iwata to mention them at the end of the day.

I think I'm one of the few people who wasn't blown away by it. There were some great announcements (the ones that had footage, not to mention that Wonderful 101 looks even more epic!) and nice to hear that the big N is addressing some key system performance issues, but it all seemed designed to distract from the fact that we still have no idea when half of this stuff is actually coming. No concrete details and still relatively very little to actually buy and play in the run-up to E3. While I'm happy that we'll finally see a good chunk of games at E3, that's 5 months away. And even then, there's no guarantee that any of the games shown there will be released this year, and if they are, it'll likely be towards the end.

So what the heck are Wii U owners supposed to play in the meanwhile? Again, we don't know the full details when it comes to release dates and other potential projects that may still be secret, so I'm happy to wait and see and eat my hat when it comes to it.

Lastly, I still think the VC repurchase deal is a bit of a bad deal. Yes, we're talking small sums of money, but it's the fact that those who've supported Nintendo the most or simply in the past have to cough up more than a first-time buyer. It's just bad customer service and, dare I say it, a pretty blatant attempt to cash in.

And knowing full well that many core fans will happily pay up for this, it worryingly makes good business sense for Nintendo to approach it in the way that they have.

I'm curious to know what the gameplay enhancements will actually entail; I couldn't stand having to play that Command Medley every two minutes! This will be a miss for me, as it's one of my least liked Zelda games, but it certainly looks very pretty and I think a lot of folks are gonna be very happy!

While the repurchase price is small, it just seems like an absurd idea. Give existing customers that supported your service on Wii by making them pay even more money to use it sufficiently on Wii U?

I want that 64DD! Please, somebody!

@Shrapmo Just to clarify, it was actually the Pikachu 3DS! One of the Curve Studios team very kindly lent it to me to have a go on the game with!

I just hope Saints Row doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I'd hate to see it be bought out by Rockstar, just so that it could never be used by another studio.

Oooh! Gimme, gimme! I'm simply stuck with a GBA SP (NES design).

Great feature as always, Damo!

Good blimin' effort on R.C. Pro AM!

A brutal game, but a cracking one at that. I struggle enough with the first SMB (which says a lot about my overall skill), so you can imagine that this game was overkill.

Maybe this explains why my hairline is receding...

I completely relate to Brandon. I desperately wanted a Nintendo 64 when it came out and my siblings and I had to have a toy sale just to help raise some money to get one for Christmas. Even then, it wasn't guaranteed. But when I unwrapped that glorious machine on Christmas Day morning back in 1997, I was ecstatic. My sister and brother had wanted a PlayStation but I was adamant about a 64 and thankfully, they caved in.

It's probably hard to see it this way today but it was such an incredible leap forwards after the SNES that the excitement for it was astonishingly high. I didn't unwrap a Wii U this Xmas, but opening up an N64 game from the missus--even in 2012--brought back all the excitement of that awesome day back in 1997. Given how "standardised" gaming seems today, it just seems difficult to get as excited about gaming as we did back then.

/nostalgia

I wasn't a fan of the game, unfortunately--it felt a bit repetitive at times--but from a technical standpoint it was beautiful. It's nice to read that some of the team thought that adding in Star Fox wasn't a good idea - I personally think it was a mistake on Miyamoto's part, although without knowing what it would have been like/sold like as Dinosaur Planet, who can truly say?

Great article, Damien!

Merry Christmas, dear readers - I hope you all got what you wanted!

@Knuckles Thank you! You haven't missed anything - everyone else is such a useful busy bee that I kinda just slot into the background somewhere!

March 2013 seems like a popular month. It's also going to be incredibly expensive from the looks of it!

Oh wait, both USD and CAD are worth practically the same thing nowadays...disregard my last, ill-researched comment. Nevertheless, the price difference still seems pretty big between systems.

I think it's important to take the Canadian dollar into account. If you look at Amazon.ca, you can see a pretty stark price difference between the Mini and standard Wii systems.

@6ch6ris6 Bahahaha!

It looks delightful. But I am saddened by the lack of online. Still, I can see this being very good for families, especially for kids that want a system in their room. Sure, we all want to battle it out online, but many of my friends didn't even know you could connect the Wii to the internet until I showed them!

@CharbroiledEwok I imagine that the comments raised by 4A are specifically based around porting software. I agree to some extent that it could be viewed as "lazy" because they don't want to spend time working on workarounds for CPU-intensive games, but in today's industry, it's somewhat understandable. Devs want to port games cheaply and quickly to make money - I think some of these folks are thinking in a very business-oriented fashion.

@TheRavingTimes - you would be right about Pokémon Conquest! I'm not a massive fan of Pokémon but when I started playing Conquest earlier this year I got hooked very quickly. It really is a great crossover!

Perhaps Capcom is looking to recuperate any potential losses that RE6 might have incurred? It still so really well at launch, but perhaps the negative reviews affected long-term sales?

Either way, it'll be interesting to see how well it transfers across.