Mario won't let snow cramp his style

First of all, we should apologise for using a tagline specific to those of us in parts of the world enduring a long Winter — a lot of the NL crew can see snow outside their windows right now, when they should see flowers in bloom and overly-chatty birds that won't stop tweeting (as birds do naturally, not on the social network). If you're in a nice warm place as you read this, then we're very happy for you.

Regardless of the weather you have, we suspect you may be doing what a lot of us do here at Nintendo Life, and that's to use extra time at the weekend to indulge in your favourite hobby. There's a lot out there to play right now, and there's even — whisper it — a high profile new game out on Wii U. We know right, about time...

Frankly, the upcoming weeks are full of promise with retail and downloadable goodies in the pipeline. As for the immediate future, here's what some of your humble Nintendo Life writers are planning to play this weekend.

Mike Mason

I'm going to charge right into the world of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U. I've not played it since the Wii original first came out, so I'm looking forward to carving up all manner of beasts!

I'm also playing through Bayonetta (360) so I'm ready for the Wii U sequel. Getting used to the combat system again is a little tough at first, but I'm having fun with the ridiculous story, moves and cheeky references to Capcom games.

Tom Whitehead

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U and 3DS) — As the person fortunate enough to review these games, I'm lucky to have copies for both systems. Despite playing these games way too much in the last fortnight, the bug has bitten and I still can't get enough. Planning to do some online quests on Wii U, while making use of the save transfer tool to do easier/grinding tasks on 3DS.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate — The critical response to this was mixed, to say the least, but four hours in and I'm really enjoying it a lot. It perhaps helps that I'm a series fan but not really a "fanboy", so I'm digging the combat mechanics and style without feeling like I'm betraying what's come before (which I think is a silly perspective, anyway). I can see why it's not for everyone, but I'm a fan so far, and credit is also due for the cinematic flourishes and fantastic background audio.

Jon Wahlgren

I'll be traveling to visit family and hopefully sprawl out on the beach this weekend, so I won't have much time to play most of the time. However, the flights are super long so I'll be passing them with my 3DS and more Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Fire Emblem: Awakening, HarmoKnight and, if I'm feeling daring, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Fus Ro Dah! Oh, whoops.

Corbie Dillard

Been out of the gaming loop for a week or so, so I'm aching to play some Nintendo goodness. I'm currently playing a little New Super Mario Bros. U out of respect to my idle Wii U system and I'm really enjoying it. Reminds me a lot of the old school Super Mario Bros. titles, and I'm loving the slight amp up in difficulty.

Also decided to go old school and dig out Wario Land for GB and I had forgotten how amazing this game is. We really need a new Wario Land title for the 3DS, even if its a remake of this fantastic game. I still love it!

Andy Green

I actually have a free weekend, so I'll be playing some Paper Mario Sticker Star as well as completing a few puzzles on Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I'll also be getting the N64 out for some GoldenEye 007 action!

Orla Madden

As I said in the last edition of 'What games are we playing this weekend', I began my quest to 'Catch 'em all' in Pokémon White 2, so I'll be continuing that this weekend. So far I've caught 61 Pokémon, and after a bit of grinding, I'll face the 7th Gym Leader - Drayden.

I'm also in the process of collecting all the Star Coins in New Super Mario Bros. U, so I hope to get at least 20 of those coins over the weekend. Trying to fit as much in this weekend, before I buy Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Lego City: Undercover and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U version) next weekend.

Philip J Reed

Lego City Undercover! So far as I'm aware I got the last copy in all of Denver. At least, that's what I'm saying in order to make myself feel important. I've only made it through a few chapters so far, but I'm absolutely loving it, and looking forward to digging in a lot more. I've also got to give serious kudos to the writers...it's not often (ever?) that a console game has made me laugh this hard. Absolutely great. I also snagged a copy of the new 3DS Castlevania, if I end up with spare time. And I'm doing my best to figure out a way to Kirby run Mega Man 6. I don't think it's possible without some serious concessions, but, as ever, I'm up for the challenge.

Ron DelVillano

Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've been craving this game all week, so I'm definitely going to dedicate some time to it this weekend. I'll probably play some PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and check out the recent balance update as well. You can never have enough 2D fighting in your weekend.

I've also got a Professor Layton game or two to catch up on, so I'd like to think I'll spend a bit of time with those as well.

Morgan Sleeper

Playing a bit of SSX on the PS3 recently started me reminiscing about the golden days of snowboarding games, so this weekend I'll be carving a line down memory hill with Snowboard Kids for the N64, SSX Tricky and - my personal favourite! - 1080 Avalanche on the GameCube. I'm also at the very end of Persona 4 Golden, which has really been one of the best gaming experiences of my life, so I'm definitely expecting withdrawal symptoms when those closing credits start to roll. Come to think of it, I'd absolutely love to play a snowboarding game with the cast of Persona 4. Surely I can't be alone? C'mon Atlus, make my day!

Gaz Plant

Paper Mario: Sticker Star — I'm finally on the home stretch of this absolutely mammoth game, and just in time for Luigi's Mansion 2! Have thoroughly enjoyed returning to the brilliant Paper Mario world, so hoping the final act is as good as the rest of the game

F1 2012 (PC) - The start of a new F1 season has put me back in the mood for Codemasters' brilliant racing sim, so I'm back to spending hours driving round some of the greatest (and worst) tracks in the world.

Martin Watts

This weekend is unfortunately a very busy one for me. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean I won't try to get some gaming time in at some point or another.

I've been in a Star Wars mood as of late, namely because my housemate has just started playing Knights of the Old Republic for the first time. Therefore, I'm thinking I might take an X-Wing for a ride in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron if I get the chance; the missions are great fun and it's certainly the sort of game I can just pick up and play.

Speaking of flying games, I might also have a stab at Pilotwings Resort. I'm a huge fan of both the SNES original and the N64 version, and find it very easy to get hooked on all the challenges. The only problem is that it would be my girlfriend's copy of the game I'd be playing, and given how much she loves it, I might find it a bit difficult to pry it out of her hands!

A typically varied collection of weekend plans from the NL team. We'd love to know what games will be taking up your weekend in the comments below, as always.