YES. The arcade version is so great. If they bring this to the NA Virtual Console, then I'd be fine if they immediately dropped VC support after.

@Melkaticox I think that has to do with publisher issues. We don't really have specifics, but there is a little more info in this article: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/05/harvest_moon_a_new_beginning_has_been_rated_in_europe

@Melkaticox It released in NA this past November, but it still hasn't dropped in EU.

Sometimes review copies of games are in limited supply. Other times they just take a little while to get to us.

Too bad they couldn't release it. This is the first I'm hearing about the book, but it's something I'd absolutely love on my shelf.

I've been waiting for these two games since the 3DS eShop launched. These are two of my favorites!

@rayword45 The game just gives you the code. You input your name on the website. It generates a different code each time you play, so I don't actually have one on hand to snap a photo of.

@Omega Great observation! After much deliberation, we decided it would be best to review all versions of the download games as they come out. Some of the previous reviews were written a few years back, so it's good to get a fresh pair of eyes on the games, especially if they're being released on new consoles for new generations of gamers.

@AJWolfTill PROTIP: Wait for King Hippo to open his mouth, then punch him in the chomper!

This is just magical.

@Ras, easy mode has multiple choice. Medium and hard have you typing answers in. Thanks for bringing it up!

Thanks, @Phil. I was hoping someone was on the same page.

Those facial hair physics are way off.

I'm not eligible on so many levels. Such a great prize though!

Big congrats to whoever wins it!

Ugh. I love these games so much.

I'll be on the tracks, creaming each and every one of you with red shells.

If you're looking for me, I'm pretty sure my displayed name is RON, and my Mii looks very similar to my avatar here, but slight less attractive.

@Inev Yep! Only one person has to own the game.

My mom and I used to call the number way back when.

I'm also surprised that they were going until 2010. I guess I should have called more often!

@Boo_Buster I don't disagree, but you have to keep in mind that, as this is a review of the version of Balloon Fight that was recently launched on Wii U, Nintendo's newest console that has been on the market for less than three months, this review is intended for people who haven't had the opportunity to play the game yet. If you've played Balloon Fight before, then you know exactly how you feel about the game, and you probably decided whether or not you were going to purchase it on Wii U before you even read our review.

That being said, I did review this game from the eyes of someone playing games in 2013, because we're living and playing games in 2013. 25 years ago Balloon Fight may have been received better, but the standards were different then. Per our Scoring Policy, a 5 is an average game. It's not awful. It's not even bad. It's a functioning game that is entertaining for a while, but it's hindered by its age and the technology available when it was being made. If the game had been updated in some way (better graphics, tighter controls, online leaderboards, more play modes) for this rerelease, then the score would be different, but that's not the case.

And regarding the price, it's an excellent deal, but that in no way alters the quality of the game. There is a plethora of free games available online, on mobile phones, and on other platforms, but so many of them are absolutely terrible. Just because a game is free or inexpensive doesn't mean that it's any good. I try to leave the price of a game out when writing a review because that shouldn't be what matters (I know I mention the price in the first paragraph of the review, but that's simply to bring attention to the promotion from Nintendo, not to imply that it has anything to do with the final score). This is based on the quality of the game itself.

As much as I'd love to pay 30 cents for Mother 2, GIMME DAT PUNCH-OUT!!!

@Windy Thanks a lot! Like I said in the conclusion, it's not a bad game at all, it just feels like a lesser version of a preexisting game.

It's always great to see companies take classic genres in a new direction. On-rails shooters are some of my favorite games to play. This one is just a little too familiar.

@cornishlee

The most misleading part to me is the unexplained inclusion of a very sultry looking Brad Pitt at the beginning of this video.

Sure. Why not?

I have one of these too! Absolutely love the thing. Great for sneaking into classes

To anyone having trouble beating the game, I'd definitely recommend playing co-op. Also, there are two difficulty levels, and the game automatically saves your progress between levels.

@Void, check that thread, chump.

Did anyone here read the actual article before jumping to the list of games?

Here are a couple of very important quotes:

"This is not a top ten, but like the previous article is a list of games that we strongly recommend."

"We've gone for a variety of genres, as well as an even split between retail and eShop download-only games. With the vast 3DS library many terrific titles are unfortunately missing out, but we feel these games represent a good starting point for gamers at various levels who are just getting into their new handheld — we've also chosen releases available in both North America and Europe."

Please calm down and go enjoy playing the games that you like to play.

If these Wii U sales are happening in NA as well, I'd love to DL a copy of Chasing Aurora.

I would play, and probably love, Nintendo Kart.

@Void Good lord. To be honest, I forgot about this/was hoping you guys would forget too.

Looks like I know what I'll be having for lunch today...

@TheItalianBaptist From what I noticed, they don't really do too much besides just hang out and act like other NPCs. To be completely honest, I didn't play around with them for too long, but I did put Link on Epona and let them ride around for a bit.

@orravan85 I haven't made a purchase ye, so I'm not sure, but I'm assuming you can save a card like on the 3DS.

@mudjo I haven't done a system transfer, so I'm not quite sure, but the electronic manuals don't say otherwise.

@Narull I'm a little confused by the question, but I think that the Wii U uses the same eShop cards that the 3DS uses, not the Wii. And the Nintendo Land box says that it's compatible with Miiverse, but I'm not sure if it means through gameplay or just the comments and such.

@Metal_Slugger Everything transfered over gets erased from the Wii U.

@therealthing Sorry, but I can't really explain how to plug the Wii U in without being there/seeing it.

@Tsuchiya Trine 2 = $19.99 USD

@Narull I followed the "Quick Start" instructions that said to plug in the GamePAd immediately, so I did. Can't attest to GamePad charge out of the box. And I have the console in a space with good ventilation, and it's cool as a cucumber. It's purring a little, but it's mostly cool and quiet.

Also, Battle Quest = 1-4, Pikmin Adventure = 1-5, Metroid Blast = 1-5, Mario Chase = 2-5, Luigi's Ghost Mansion = 2-5, Animal Crossing: Sweet Day = 2-5, Fruit Cart = 1, Octopus Dance = 1, DK Crash Course = 1, Ninja Castle = 1, Captain Falcon's Twister Race = 1, Balloon Trip Breeze = 1

@MATT81DE Netflix = 27 MB, hulu plus = 1953 KB, YouTube = 1953 KB, Amazon Instant Video = 1890 KB. That's all it's showing me as far as data that I can move or manage.

@mellloyellow02 Check the feed in just a few minutes.

@Narull To be honest, now that my update is done, I'm not sure. I'm fairly certain I had to run the update before it would even take me to the Wii U's main menu. Sorry :/

@Cero Unfortunately, the update is still running, so I can't attest to the size of it or anything like that. And I can't actually access other features right now while the update is running.

@tickling Check back tomorrow. We should have a list up on the site by then.

@renaryuugufan92 I'll see what I can do for you when this update gets sorted out.

@Fira It feels a lot like the 3DS touchscreen, but it seemed to be more sensitive.

@Cosmic No Miiverse yet. still updating.

@Mayo Setup was easy, I just needed to make space for it in my house. Forgot to do that earlier! And I've just got SNMB U and Nintendo Land for now.

@Jstar I'm definitely hoping for a December update. Can't wait for Nintendo TVii!

@Cosmic Check my signature, bud. I already added ya.

@mudjo It looks really good. Very sleek, much like the Wii.

@Mayo With everything in it, a few lbs? With nothing in it, a few ounces? I'm really bad at guessing weights. Sorry!

@Cero The GamePad is surprisingly light. It's heavy enough to feel like there's something solid in your hands, but it doesn't bear down. It's difficult to compare to a GameCube controller because it's so different, but this is pretty comfortable.

@Cosmic Go for it! What's your friend code?

@DRL Crazy! We missed meeting each other by the space of about four people!

Oh, hell.

What a disappointment. I was really hoping for the best with this one.

Ghosts'n Goblins?! Don't mind if I do!

This is a pretty awesome week for downloads.

@TheDreamingHawk I've been writing for NL since August... 2010.

@chewytapeworm @A-Hungry-Banker You two need to quit your carping!

This is kind of cool, but what a strange prize.

Excuse my ignorance, but is a luggage tag somehow relevant to the PL series?

@DiaperSystem

I'm going to go ahead and use the same quote that I used before: "hack-and-slash has been significantly undermined as a legitimate genre in video gaming."

First of all, Muramasa The Demon Blade is a hack-and-slash, but that's the only one from your list. One out of the several that you mentioned being of the genre that we're talking about here makes the genre seem undermined to me. I't not receiving the attention that it deserves.

Second, I'm pretty sure that you and I are defending the same point which is "2D games are great," but we're wording our arguments differently. I avoided comparing it to 3D games (though there are still quite a few 3D hack-and-slash titles out there) because CoP does well to stand on its own. The whole bit about “I can do things better [than a 3D game]” was, again, rhetorical.

If you disagree with or misinterpret my writing style, then that's fair, but if this is a game that you're genuinely interested in, then you should definitely give it a play

@DiaperSystem

That quote was a rhetorical statement playing off of the first sentence where I note that "hack-and-slash has been significantly undermined as a legitimate genre in video gaming."

And the only reason I compared it to 3D games is that they seem to be permeating the market right now, and it's refreshing to see a well-made game with 2D based action instead. And I think the rest of the review, beyond the first two sentences, provides plenty of arguments on why this is a worthwhile game.

@KneehighPark I did!

And I really hope this does get localized in Europe. It's a gem.