AtlanteanMan

@GinMiguel Most of those were outsourced to third parties or required Kickstarters to exist (Shenmue 3). There are literally dozens of other excellent IPs including Sega's once unparalleled Arcade coin-ops as well as their incredible RPGs which haven't seen an entry, remake, or compilation in years or decades.

Just saying there are plenty of other deserving franchises to be reexplored. And done right, some of them, like Shining Force, could see a Renaissance similar to Nintendo's success with Fire Emblem in recent years. At any rate, putting all their eggs in one basket will only continue to result in diminishing returns.

I'd much rather they simply take Sonic off the board for awhile to give some of their other franchises a chance. Sega didn't become arguably the top company in the entire industry because of any single IP (in fact the Genesis was doing very favorably against the SNES sales-wise before Sonic ever came on the scene), and focusing so much on a single IP since leaving console manufacturing two decades ago certainly hasn't prevented them from plummeting to a has been status who are having to sell off entire divisions to stay afloat and who can't even get that IP completely right anymore.

@Zequio Maybe you don't remember the Virtual Console that used to sell Nintendo's (and other platforms') legacy games. There was a pretty decent selection; the problem was that each of those purchases (which were questionably priced themselves at $4.99 for NES, $7.99 for SNES, and $9.99 for N64, for examples) was tied to the system you downloaded it to; if for some reason that system malfunctioned or you sold it, there was no way to recover your investment. And when, say, a hardware upgrade came along (example: Wii to Wii U), your purchases obviously didn't migrate, so you'd have to re-purchase everything again to be able to play it on the current hardware.

When the Switch launched users were initially relieved to find that eShop purchases were finally tied to user accounts. However, the Virtual Console was no more, and all those legacy games and platforms that used to be available were replaced by the Pacific Garbage Patch of not-ready-for-mobile-quality "Nindies" that now glut the eShop to the tune of thousands, making it almost unnavigable unless you know the specific title you're seeking. When Switch Online debuted, those of us (like myself) who were hoping for an actual VC replacement with permanent purchases tied to our accounts for legacy games instead found that those games are locked permanently behind a subscription wall (incidentally, this occurred at the same time that Nintendo went on a purge rampage of emulation websites).

So, to sum it up, Nintendo's approach to their legacy content has never been about value for the consumer (though if you're fine with pouring your money into a bottomless pit that will almost certainly be replaced once Nintendo does inevitably move on from the Switch and leave you and any game saves you had high and dry, have at 'em). Their entire approach to legacy content (indeed the entire industry's primary approach to your experience) is about CONTROL. They gate, monitor, and control your access and what you're able to do in-game (why else do you REALLY think major first-party titles like Halo Infinite have been such dumpster fires where local splitscreen and other offline features have been cut, while they instead focus on other revenue streams like skins to keep you pouring money into their woefully incomplete products?) and can pull the plug from their end at any time; you no longer have any ownership or consumer rights. The industry has quietly gotten millions of gamers to accept and even embrace the concept of investing in consoles that cost hundreds of dollars yet have nothing they actually own on them (and unlike legacy games which at least have physical copies out there, once these digital-only games disappear or have their servers taken down they're gone FOREVER; no games preservation anymore, just a consumer model of fully disposable experiences).

For some of us, the ability to play and experience a game on our own time, on our own terms is very important. Sure, I have a huge backlog of purchased games that I may never get around to...but at least they're there for when and if I eventually do. You can't say that about GamePass or any other subscription service, especially if you like RPGs or other time-intensive genres.

You're right, Switch Online ISN'T for me (aside from the overpriced ability to have my saves backed up in the cloud at the $19.99 tier). My post was simply asking for the OPTION to be able to buy legacy games, which quite frankly I don't believe is asking too much; your reply came across as dismissive, hence my lengthy explanation. If you think for a second that these mega-corporations are our friends or really care about what we want as consumers, you have a rude awakening coming at some point.

The ability to permanently purchase games of my choice and have them tied to my user account, for starters. I have no interest in subscriptions where content can be pulled from the other end at any time with or without warning.

It would be much better if Atari could manage a collaboration with third parties like Namco and especially Activision for such a compilation. Maybe they could consider adding some of their games as DLC; I know that would make this collection orders of magnitude more attractive for me personally.

Sega started off 2022 with a survey asking fans which legacy IPs we would like to see brought back. Since then, it's been an endless parade of Sonic; Sonic games, Sonic films, Sonic hype, Sega's higher-ups talking about how we "need" another Sonic of this or that type...and absolute silence for ANY other legacy IP. Of all the Sonic games slated for the past year, Frontiers was easily the most hyped, and I'm sure it will sell lots of copies, but at the end of the day it will be another mediocre entry for a WAY overdone franchise. Sega's insistence on such a myopic focus on Sonic has sucked the lifeblood out of what used to be arguably the most prolific and creative company in the entire industry...and Frontiers is proof that even that focus on a single IP is no guarantee of quality, at least not to the standards that the Sega of old was known for.

I'm so hard on Sega because of how much their company meant to me as a hobbyist during the era of the Genesis, Sega CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast; they were at the pinnacle of the hobby back then in terms of quality, even if sales figures didn't always reflect that. Often it was Sega corporate themselves who were directly responsible for such sales disasters; some examples are localizing only the first of three interlocking Scenarios for Shining Force III and only releasing 3,000 copies of Panzer Dragoon Saga for the entire North American market. In short, they treated Western gamers like we didn't matter in comparison to our Japanese counterparts. Just as Square Enix has recently admitted to doing, Sega has always been a Japan market-first corporation and largely ignored or dismissed the global market, which led to disastrous relationships with third-parties (example: Working Designs, whose departure for PlayStation was the final nail in the coffin of not only the Saturn but Sega's entire console future; yes, their localizations...of first-party IPs that Sega didn't deem worthy to do the honors themselves for... were THAT crucial).

Even since then we've seen flashes of their former brilliance in titles like Valkyria Chronicles, but such labors of love are exceptions nowadays for a company that's become far too accustomed to playing it safe and seemingly NEVER actually listening to their fans. I wouldn't have come to hate Sonic so much if they would only give those iconic legacy franchises, especially their amazing RPG staples like Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, Dragon Force and old school, offline Phantasy Star, another fair shot. Hey, it's only been 20-30 years in most cases; they may as well be entirely new IPs where many gamers are concerned at this point. Where with Sonic we've been talking in terms of months, with countless articles here on Nintendo Life and elsewhere in between, for how long now?

Seeing this review only underscores the need for a sea change at Sega, especially after the empty promises offered by that survey earlier this year (something to consider by the way regarding the recent mini-console survey; it's likely they've already decided what they're going to do regardless of fan feedback). It's time for Sonic to be set aside, at least for long enough to give some of Sega's other IPs that chance.

I played the DLC regularly for awhile but the problem was I had already pretty much filled up my island's available space. I made most of it work, but it meant having to go in and alter some stuff I actually liked before. Also, the "story" progression of the DLC didn't hook me; I was only interested in clearing the next "chapter" to unlock whatever items or features it offered. Eventually I just got into other games and haven't been back.

Oh, and I'll admit that the "neighbors visiting your home" mechanic when I know my house will be full of cockroaches is a deterrent from going back. Those visits were cool at first, but quickly got intrusive and interrupted projects I was trying to complete.

I'd absolutely be down for a new Animal Crossing next year, assuming Nintendo plans to do another one this console generation (to my knowledge it would be the first time, so I'm not holding my breath). And having it be compatible with (able to bring items back and forth between) ACNH and the new game would be absolutely epic. But whenever they do, I hope they make the available space scalable to accommodate whatever DLC plans or even simply user ambitions there may be.

A quick word of caution to those expecting Sega to actually do something tangible with this feedback: early this year they released a similar survey regarding legacy IPs we wanted to see brought back. Since then? Nothing but Sonic, Sonic, and more Sonic while their higher-ups remark about, you guessed it, more possibilities for Sonic in the future. Any takers on what that "super game" they're touting will most likely end up being about?

Honestly I would temper my expectations on ANYTHING when it comes to Sega.

@KingMike I will say this for Victor Ireland and Working Designs: if it weren't for them we gamers here in the West would have missed out on so many absolutely incredible games that literally elevated the consoles they were on to another level. Imagine the Sega CD without the outstanding GameArts titles LUNAR, LUNAR 2, and Silpheed. Or the Saturn without the likes of Dragon Force, Iron Storm, Magic Knight RayEarth, and Albert Odyssey. All because Sega, being a Japan-first market company, didn't deem the Western market worth bothering with; even with the first-party RPGs they did localize themselves they treated them with disdain; Shining Force III only had the first of three Scenarios necessary to complete its storyline released here, and only 3,000 copies of Panzer Dragoon Saga were released for the entire North American market.

Oh, and it's also worth mentioning the extra mile that Working Designs went to with their packaging. All their manuals were printed on glossy paper, in full color, and just had an outstanding presentation. They were also a pioneer in "Deluxe Collector's Editions" which included soundtrack CDs, items like Lucia's Pendant, and so on.

And for what it's worth, while the humor could be hit-or-miss and sometimes questionable, I personally often did find it hilarious. But regardless, I wouldn't let such a thing detract from the overall contributions that Ireland and his company made not just to Sega, but the entire hobby.

@KingMike One example of a "contemporary" joke in MKR: as you ask the townsfolk of a village that's had sightings of a mysterious monster for information, one of them describes the beast as "big, black, and very scary" before asking you what Bruno Magli shoes are.

Regardless of whether the humor fits your personal taste, though, I have to say MKR is a really good action RPG with a great storyline and well-developed characters, including villains that are layered. It's one of my favorite games on the Saturn.

How about an Arcade coin-op mini-console showcasing Sega's entire history, from the likes of Zaxxon, Pengo, and Congo Bongo through Super Hang-On, Out Run, Super Monaco GP, and Afterburner, to the Model 2 games like Virtua Fighter 1 and 2, Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship, and Super Star Wars Arcade?

I'd preorder such a device. But to be honest I'd much rather Sega simply bring back the Sega Ages line and see all of these on the Switch.

@SwagaliciousJohnson No, NOT Switch Online. If I can't legally and PERMANENTLY purchase it to enjoy whenever I choose instead of it being tied to some grossly overpriced subscription, I have ZERO interest in it. When people eventually wake up and realize how they're getting fleeced by subscription models and no longer actually own (have actual CONTROL OVER) anything on their expensive platforms, it will be a great day for the hobby.

And seriously, what do you think is going to happen to NSO when Nintendo inevitably does move on to some other hardware in the future given their history with the Virtual Console and their handling of digital purchases that took until this generation to even be linked to user accounts instead of the single console they were downloaded onto? Odds are they'll ask you to fork over another absurd amount of $$$ just to be able to access their "legacy" content, for an entirely new and different online "service".

Please understand this post isn't a personal attack on you; I just don't want Switch Online or any other subscription "service" ending up as the sole way to access ANY game, legacy or otherwise. From their own corporate perspective this has NOTHING to do with value for you or me as consumers to Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony; it has everything to do with absolute CONTROL and gating of our experience. And the games on these services will be gone FOREVER once they have no need of them anymore, unlike those for the legacy platforms that used older media (this is why Nintendo in particular is so hellbent on eradicating emulation). These companies AREN'T our friends.

If I can only choose one I'm going with the Saturn. Few gamers here in the West ever got to see just what an incredible array of games the Saturn actually had. Some examples:

1) Shining Force III: The West only got Scenario 1 of three interlocking Scenarios. Having been fortunate enough to play through all three Scenarios in English, SF III has my personal vote as Sega's best game EVER (VERY close over Valkyria Chronicles).
Over 190 hours of combat and unprecedented storyline, some of the very best villains in videogame history, more than 50 recruitable characters, and epic, three-army battles toward the end that will take over an hour to complete. Simply put, SF III NEEDS to see a remaster whether or not Sega ever makes a Saturn mini.

2) Dragon Force/Dragon Force 2: You choose one of eight leaders vying to become the continent's supreme leader. You recruit generals as you defeat them in battle, and then assign a specific unit type to each. Each unit type has certain other units that it is either strong or weak against.

3) World Series Baseball '95: Yeah, licensing would almost certainly keep this one off the lineup, but it was one of the best-playing baseball titles I ever had and was really a step up from the Genesis' SportsTalk iterations.

4) Clockwork Knight 1 and 2: Great-looking 2D side-scrolling platforming.

5) Panzer Dragoon Saga: Panzer Dragoon and PD: Zwei were both beautiful on-rails shooters with orchestral soundtracks, but Saga was one of the most ambitious projects Sega ever did for the Saturn. Spanning four CDs, it evokes a bleak, hopeless world where most of humanity is hanging on by a thread.

6) Magic Knight RayEarth: Three Japanese girls visiting the Tokyo Tower get magically transported to a strange land. The localization was done by Working Designs and comes with a mix of genuinely heart-wrenching moments as well as the company's offbeat (and sometimes very contemporary) humor.

7) Bug! and Bug Too!: The 2D platforming gameplay, which also utilized walking into the background via scaling, was solid. Some of the cutscenes are genuinely hilarious.

8) Three Dirty Dwarves: After a grungy and at times hilariously violent animated intro sequence that resembles an early Adult Swim or MTV show, you control three dwarves who've been transported to Earth as they battle to rescue psychic children held at a military facility by a rather manic general. Great stuff.

9) Sega Rally Championship: One of the greatest home ports of an arcade coin-op I've ever played. Oh, and the music ROCKS.

10) Albert Odyssey: The Saturn was quietly a superb console for RPGs, and Albert Odyssey is a sprite-based treat for the eyes.

11) Dark Savior: A spiritual sequel to LandStalker.

12) Shining The Holy Ark: A first-person dungeon-crawler that connects to the events of Shining Force III (MINOR SPOILER ALERT: An orphaned boy NPC you encounter in a destroyed village is named Julian...and he grows up to become a mercenary and the third leader and main character of SF III's third Scenario).

13) Iron Storm: Superb turn-based WWII title with 3 branching campaigns (USA, Germany, Japan) and over 400 unit types.

This list doesn't go into detail over some of the more commonly seen or ported games, such as Nights, Guardian Heroes, Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA, among others, but I hope it's sufficient to show that a Saturn mini would have a TON of deserving content to offer, much of which has never been seen by most Western gamers.

I'd take either, but while we're on the subject of Mario, 3D All-Stars is still missing Galaxy 2. That would be nice.

So far it's fun, but a bit of a letdown from the first game that came out of nowhere and shocked everyone that it was actually GREAT. I think the main issue for me personally is that maybe Ubisoft tweaked aa formula that already worked TOO much. Where you could repeat battles in the first game if you wanted, it was structured and linear and each one felt fresh and unique; this game respawns the same enemies if you enter a door or cave, and the battles they trigger are typically brief, repetitive, and inconsequential...and over time they begin to grate. The "main story" battles do feel fun and original, but the overall approach feels like BotW's shrines with the ratio skewed so much toward the "random" fights.

With a few notable exceptions (such as GTA: Vice City's huge selection of 80s songs), I personally think licensed music in games has always been a mixed bag. Back in the day when game file sizes were limited it made for quite the novelty for a game to employ a pop song or two to enhance the atmosphere and immersion. But let's face it, the selection of licensed music on most games, such as sports or racing titles like Madden, MLB: The Show, and Forza Horizon is pure trash and/or vastly inappropriate for/mismatched to the target audience and theme (give me the likes of Centerfield any day in a baseball title over a selection of tracks top-heavy with rap and hip-hop). Couple that with major first-party releases like Forza Horizon 1-3 having a certain time before being permanently pulled from online stores due to in-game licenses expiring can make including it more trouble than it's worth.

I can't speak to the future of licensed music in videogames, but I think it would be a stretch to claim there's ever been a "Golden Age" to begin with. It's an incredibly rare game that can manage to incorporate a truly great list of licensed songs, top to bottom, into its overall package, and frankly most are so bad and repetitive that they end up getting muted (looking at you, MLB: The Show).

Nintendo-specific games:

Favorite Intro Song: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Favorite In-game Song: Gerudo Valley, Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Favorite RPG Area Soundtrack: Cauldros, Xenoblade Chronicles X

Favorite Non-Nintendo Songs:
In-game Area (RPG): Horteka, Skies of Arcadia
Cinematic: Valkyria's Awakening, Valeria Chronicles

I'd absolutely be down for a remastered compilation of Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, by the way. Hopefully Nintendo will make it happen sooner than later.

While I'm definitely down for some new FE, I have to confess that Marth's inclusion doesn't thrill me personally all that much. I realize that he's arguably the franchise's first and most recognized main hero, but remember that up until the GameCube era that fame was limited almost entirely to the Japanese market. For me personally, my introduction to FE was with Path of Radiance (GC) and Radiant Dawn (Wii), so I guess I always gravitated to Ike as the series' template for a main character. For another thing, having Marth and other legacy characters drop into the story in some form has obviously been done before in Fire Emblem, and the tacked-on, fan-service effect those experiences had (thinking of Awakenings on the 3DS in particular) just wasn't that satisfying the way it was handled.

I agree with others here that without a definitive purpose that's essential to the core storyline, these legacy character inclusions are basically fan service that may do more harm than good. It's not such a deal-breaker that it would make me not buy the game, but it does feel a bit like Nintendo not having enough confidence to let this particular game's characters and storyline stand on their own.

On the one hand Star Fox Adventures was actually a visual feast when it was released; I still recall admiring that rain coming down in the first area (the GameCube could pull off some nice stuff!). On the other hand, it fell victim to Rare's design tropes of incredibly mundane fetch quests meant to stretch out the process of achieving meaningful goals (EGM's reviews for the game at the time averaged around 5 out of 10, and this was their biggest criticism). Case in point: the mammoths you must help early on. When you stop for even a moment to consider just how inept and plain stupid the NPCs are to be in their situations in the first place (let alone their inability to get themselves out), it kind of kills any feeling of actually being heroic, but more like being a babysitter. And the tasks aren't FUN; they're chores, right from the get-go.

And I'll readily admit that's why I left Star Fox Adventures early on; it simply couldn't hope to hold my interest. The "Rare formula" didn't mesh well with Star Fox, honestly, even setting aside fan expectations of a space shooter-centric experience.

It does the SRPG and tactical genres a disservice to lump The DioField Chronicle into them. Having a maximum of four characters on the map (being able to have a secondary character slot for each is just an insufficient way of attempting to offer depth) instantly disqualifies any comparisons to the likes of Fire Emblem or FF Tactics, and its bland, perpetually distant presentation doesn't come close to Valkyria Chronicles' amazing hybrid engine. Basically you just move your characters around the map, single out an enemy or group, kill them, pick up energy or items, rinse, and repeat ad nauseam. That isn't "tactics" where I'm personally concerned.

Having played the demo I enjoyed it somewhat, but nowhere nearly enough to purchase The Diofield Chronicle at full price. There's nothing here that hasn't been done far better elsewhere. It feels like a "B" (maybe even "C") project that SquareEnix gave to one of their lesser studios to help pad their 4th quarter catalog.

The first Octopath Traveler was a spectacular debut for the HD2D engine, and the early indications seem to be that this installment will be even more impressive. The biggest improvement I personally hope to see, however, would be some actually meaningful changes in dialogue and story progression when other members of your party are present. The first game kept the character arcs so completely disconnected that it really didn't matter who you chose to bring along on a mission; it was as if your secondary party members weren't even there when there would be dialogue. Now, having your decisions in one character's arc directly influence what happens in another's, THAT would be a great start toward making both the choices and the dialogue feel more interconnected and meaningful.

Can't really put why into words, but those "campfire" moments in old school RPGs were some of the most memorable for me. The one in the cavern early in Final Fantasy II (SNES), with the sound of the water dripping in the background. Or the one in Chrono Trigger. Such scenes have been common in RPGs even up until now, such as in Tales of Arise. There's just something about companions on a journey having a quiet moment around that fire that part of me wants to linger for as long as possible and kind of makes me wistful for a similar experience in real life.

Already on my personal "To Get" list!!!! I loved these on the PSX; they're easily some of the very best RPGs of that or any generation. The 108 Stars wasn't merely a gimmick, either; it essentially becomes a game-long side quest where you're building an entire community in your castle/fortress. You can hire a detective to find out secrets about the characters in your castle, or play Potch, a card game that I remember being a genuinely fun distraction. And there's a LOT more. The storylines are complex and full of intrigue, while the characters are all memorable in some way; you'll likely find favorites you want to stick in your party regularly, but because of the Army battles that occur at times, it pays to level up as many as possible because they won't be under your direct control (and you CAN lose them to permadeath, if memory serves). Getting 100 percent of the characters (there are plenty of missable ones!) and the best endings was always my personal goal, but the trip was well worth it. Can't recommend these games enough if you've never gotten to experience them.

I only ever played Front Mission 3 on the PSX back in the day. Excellent storyline, tons of customization, and cool (for the time) battle cinematics. Unfortunately SquareEnix took a page from Sega (Shining Force and eventually Valkyria Chronicles Azure) and bastardized the PS3 iteration as an "action" game with Front Mission: Evolved; the resulting lack of interest killed the franchise up until now.

Opportunities to vote with one's wallet to save a deserving IP that somehow gets a new lease on life don't come around often (just ask any fan of Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, or most any classic Sega IP not named "Sonic"). I definitely plan to support all three of these as they are released, and hope that others will as well.

Not a fan of the hair, for sure; it feels a little too "contemporary" not to be a distraction in a SRPG series with a typically pseudo-medieval setting. I pre-ordered the game nonetheless as I really enjoy Fire Emblem as a franchise.

@Anti-Matter Yeah, I just learned that myself recently. It's a real shame; IMHO Everybody's Golf was one of Playstation's very best franchises.

I immediately recognized the art style and was sold as soon as I saw the Clap Hanz logo. Having played through a few rounds and unlocking my first "boss" player (the gimmick here is that you're acquiring and fielding a tag team of characters from around the globe who take turns at each hole team-style as you play through rounds), I've found the mechanics familiar and the controls tight, albeit apparently simpler than in Everybody's/Hot Shots Golf (all those extra spin mechanics, ball types, and so on at least appear to be missing so far, although admittedly I am still early in the game). The visuals have that familiar clean, crisp look, but more of a PS3-era presentation than a current-gen one. Overall I've enjoyed it so far; I hate that Clap Hanz left Sony after Japan Studios folded and have really missed Everybody's Golf this generation. If you're wanting that particular fix this will probably be the closest thing you'll get to it for the time being.

Great games that deserve better...especially with what could be a genuinely deep and hugely addictive multiplayer aspect.

This Direct really does bring up a serious question: when (or ARE) we ever going to see a final release date for Advance Wars; Reboot Camp? The way that game (which was literally DAYS AWAY from release before Nintendo gave it and its fans the shaft over ill-advised "sensitivity" regarding the Ukraine conflict) has been treated is a travesty, and I for one was really looking forward to revisiting it and its all-new multiplayer modes.

Already grabbed it. Still one of the greatest parallax-scrolling shmups ever made.

While there were some nice surprises (Fire Emblem: Engage, Pikmin 4, and Octopath Traveler 2), there were a couple of major disappointments as well (still no release date for Advance War: Reboot Camp, and the rumored Twilight Princess and Wind Waker remasters never materialized). Of course the big news was Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's official title and release date. A good but not truly great Direct overall that was held back by WAY too many farm sim-type offerings, ports already handled far better on other platforms (one word: cloud), and Miyamoto's monologue about the Mario film and theme park and mobile game that wore out its welcome long before the Pikmin 4 reveal saved this appearance from infamy.

The four objects floating in the mural in the trailer must be the Tears...which must be quest items Link must collect. Just hope we get some proper, fully fledged dungeons and more enemy variety to go along with it. And more durable weapons would also be more than welcome; I despised that breakable weapon mechanic and never even used the Legendary Weapons once I learned they too were breakable. I mean, seriously, what's the point of all that effort if the things just break on you like everything else?

I'm very glad there was a Pikmin 4 announcement at the end. Between the garbage about the Mario movie and theme park and that mobile game, it was the second time in as many appearances where I found myself wanting him to go away so the Direct might return to something interesting. That absolutely wasn't the case with Miyamoto back in the day; you knew when he showed up that things were about to get LOUD, and for good reason (best example: the Twilight Princess reveal at E3). Nowadays it feels like he's been relegated to being a shill for entirely separate marketing.

Just imagine if he'd stopped at that mobile game. Ugh. Glad he didn't. That entire segment up until Pikmin 4 was an unwelcome intrusion.

I'll never subscribe to the Expansion Pass; if I'm going to play this game on Switch it will have to be available for permanent purchase. Microsoft simultaneously announced this for GamePass; ditto. Whichever company will allow me to buy this game instead of locking it behind perpetually funneling money into some subscription to be able to access it will get my money. Otherwise, there are other options out there.

Nice to get a sneak preview although I figured Wave 3 would be around Christmas; I liked Peach Gardens on the DS.

Looks fantastic. Although I like the visual improvements of Live-A-Live, it's abundantly clear how much better HD2D is when an entire game is built around it from the ground up.

A good presentation, by my personal definition, is one where I'm not running it in the background while I browse other websites because I have no interest in what's being shown. That's how I spent the vast majority of Microsoft and Sony's presentations this year; hopefully Nintendo won't follow suit. I'd love some genuinely worthwhile games to look forward to.

Whatever they show, it shouldn't be difficult at all for Nintendo to provide more excitement than any of Sony or Microsoft's presentations this year.

One game I'd love to see DLC for (but for obvious reasons am not holding my breath) is Mario Party Superstars. With so few boards (and not even any of the Bowser-themed ones) from across at least 10 games, it's a travesty that Nintendo didn't support it beyond its initial launch.

Who knows, perhaps this one's a dark horse for a DLC reveal tomorrow. I wouldn't bet on it, but it would be nice.

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. If you played those Konami games back in the day you probably still remember the Konami Code. I'm not ashamed to say it helped me beat several of their best games, including the original Contra for the NES and Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES. Great times.

I saw the reactions at a local video store when the owner booted up Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES. Everyone was in awe of the cinematics, the visuals, and of course that huge turtle boss at the end of the first stage. That was also the era of Castlevania IV and TMNT: Turtles in Time. Nobody did side-scrolling action games better than Konami during that period, and Contra III is, in my humble opinion, still the pinnacle of the franchise.

Sadly, Konami (like Sega to an even greater extent) is far removed from the force they once were in the hobby nowadays. So many of gaming's greatest franchises which we may never see again.

Glad to see Nintendo (hopefully) finally addressing the comparative void of major 4th and 1st Quarter first-party releases. Here are my personal hopes for what we'll see along with the odds for each:

1) Zelda: BotW 2 trailer and official name: 90%
2) Zelda Twilight Princess and/or Wind Waker Remaster reveal: 75%
3) Advance Wars: Reboot Camp final release date announcement: 85% (It's way past time, at any rate)
4) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 release date, tracks: 40% (The second wave only released a month or so ago; I would expect Wave 3 to launch around Christmas)
5) Fire Emblem A) All-new installment: 35% B) Remaster of Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn: 15%
6) Metroid Prime 4 news: 30%
7) Metroid Prime 1-3 Remaster: 30%
8) New F-Zero: 5%
9) New Star Fox: 10%
10) Front Mission Remaster update: 55%
11) New 2D/HD RPG or SRPG from SquareEnix: 35%
12) 2D/HD FF or Dragon Quest Remaster update: 40%
13) Any major Sega RPG IP (Skies of Arcadia, Shining Force, Phantasy Star, Dragon Force, Valkyria Chronicles, etc.): <3%
14) Any Sega announcement NOT having to do with Sonic: <10%
15) New Donkey Kong: 10%
16) New Pikmin: 8%
17) New Animal Crossing: <5% (I honestly don't see us getting another installment until the Switch's successor. Speaking of which...)
18) Switch Pro: 0%

@MS7000 I hate Sonic for similar reasons, because Sega killed off...well, pretty much EVERY other legacy IP to promote him 24/7/365 for the past two decades. 2022 started off with them claiming they would "revisit" some of those old franchises; instead, it's been an absolute glut of Sonic coverage, hype, and even Sega execs talking up still more Sonic despite the fact one game just came out less than a year ago and another two (Origins and Frontiers) were/are releasing this year. As someone who loved their amazing RPGs and SRPGs especially, it's beyond heartbreaking; it feels like having been abandoned...a feeling I've grown far too accustomed to with the industry's patterns over the years.

My advice: make the most of this DLC cameo because you never know when or if you'll ever get to see Rayman again. Besides, voting with your wallet to show interest never hurts.

In a (more) perfect world, the Switch and any future Nintendo hardware would be fully backwards-compatible, at least in terms of digital purchases (physical media would be asking too much on several levels). We would have a fully featured Virtual Console with an extensive catalog of first and third-party titles for legacy systems which would be available for permanent purchase tied to a user account, similarly to how Microsoft's BC program works instead of the bad, overpriced joke that is Switch Online.

But we don't live in that world, unfortunately. Nintendo is going to continually force the gamers who've supported them for decades to pay...and pay A PREMIUM...to relive 10 or 15 year-old games on current hardware, and pay an absurd amount to be able to access (but never again own) titles from the NES through the N64 eras. Everything is about avarice-fueled, anal-retentive CONTROL over their IPs and every single product (their word: "license") that we boot up.

So, the question of whether we want another port of Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, or any other game really comes down to one's love for said games and how important it is to be able to access them on a single console as opposed to blowing the dust off your old GameCube, Wii, or Wii U (assuming you still have any of them). The ugly truth is that articles just like this one will very likely be written during the run of Nintendo's next console, as we'll be asked to dip yet again to be able to play the same games on the current hardware.

No, Nintendo aren't our friends. Behind those (increasingly rare) playful Directs and polite smiles, at the end of the day they're a corporation, and corporations are in business to make MONEY.

Look, I bought both Shredder's Revenge and the Cowabunga Collection, and I love the TMNT games overall. And yes, I would consider a new TMNT game next year if it looks good. But it seems we've come to a point where certain once prolific videogame developers are circling the wagons around specific franchises to an overt degree. Konami used to be known for outstanding games across a wide variety of genres, from Castlevania and Contra (side-scrolling action) to Gradius and Axelay (shmups) to Suikoden and Vandal Hearts (RPGs and SRPGs). TMNT (and later Metal Gear, of course) may have been their most popular IP, but none of those games/franchises were slouches in the quality department, either. And that's without mentioning Konami's contributions to Arcade games which would be well worth revisiting in a compilation.

Some people lament the decline of the Japanese side of the industry compared to the West, but I believe much of it comes down to one simple thing: they stopped doing what made them giants back in the day and now seem to be resting all...or at least a hugely disproportionate amount of...their hopes to remain relevant (or even afloat) on a tiny handful of popular IPs. It's why Sega is even more frustrating as a longtime gamer, trotting out Sonic ad nauseum when they're sitting on a veritable mountain of incredible franchises they haven't touched in decades. Companies that do such things aren't seeking growth or profit as much as to stave off closure; it's a shame to see how far these once great companies that provided so many amazing memories for gamers have fallen.

One of the very best Japan-only shmups for the Saturn (a console that, if Sega had only supported half as well in the West as they did Japan, might be remembered VERY differently today). Some amazing parallax visuals and insane gameplay. Instant buy!

Anyone else remember Sega claiming they would be revisiting multiple older IPs early this year? Or the surveys they sent out which some of us filled out indicating the same? But since then all we've seen is a glut of Sonic, Sonic, and more Sonic. I wouldn't despise Sonic so much if they'd just give their other franchises like Shining Force and Skies of Arcadia another chance, but having Sega tell us they're looking to revisit some of them only to go even harder in the other, myopic direction makes me hate him even more.

For whatever reason, that price drop never happened, at least not yet. Any further word from Asmodee?

Already pre-ordered the Gold Edition since the DLC for the first game was very good. There's a lot Ubisoft could do with this IP if Nintendo grants them the go-ahead (thinking of joining forces with other Nintendo characters like Link and Samus, each with their own abilities and weapons). DK was probably about as far as they'll stray from the core of Mario, though, I would guess. Still, a really entertaining concept that I never would have guessed could work back when the first game was announced. A little X-COM mixed in makes everything better.