FullMetalWesker

I do still feel that a more realistic art style would've suited this game better, but besides that, the new games don't look that bad, especially considering they're being done by the Pokemon HOME team (and possibly using the same engine).

While no-where near as depressing a choice as a Fortnite character (though they may get to that later...) as someone who loved the first Xenoblade, but was thoroughly turned off by the sequel's hyper-anime art-style and fanservice-heavy female character designs (both of which are personified in Pyra's design), this pick doesn't really do much for me, especially when there was a decent chance of Crash Bandicoot being included instead (though that may also happen later on).

Just finished mine; didn't put anyone in S-Rank (or anything below D-Rank for that matter) but my A-Ranks were: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Butterfree, Pidgeot, Pikachu, Raichu, Ninetales, Meowth, Psyduck, Archanine, Gengar, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Snorlax, Articuno, and Mew.

Considering they ported AAI2 to mobile a couple of years ago but didn't localise it, I'll wait until official confirmation that these are being localised and not just re-released within Japan, but it'd be nice if they were (As would a similar collection of the Edgeworth games). As for the other three, I don't know much about the latter two, but Tales of the Borderlands on Switch sounds like a great idea.

Ah yes, the Star Wars game that was most in need of a sequel and never got one. Here's hoping (if this port does happen) that it raises the possibility for a Canon remake/reboot, as this game had so much potential that mostly went unutilised (that, and there hasn't really been a game that's handled the squad-mechanic quite like this one).
In the meantime though, I wouldn't mind a port of Shadows of the Empire and/or Rogue Squadron (even if it's just the original).

Not surprising to see SMB3 and SMBW comfortably above their competitors; they really were the pinnacle of 2D Mario, and as I said before, the last time Nintendo really attempted to innovate with them before moving to 3D (unless you count Yoshi's Island).
Personally, I'll admit to never really clicking with SMB3, but World was, and still is a joy to play, and even today, is probably one of my favourite 2D games.

3D World is about expected, but I'm surprised Bowser's Fury runs a little worse; I'm guessing it's decision to include a large, dynamic world instead of the levels of 3D World take a toll on the performance?
In any case, as long as the framerate is stable (and there's no reason to believe it won't be) it should be fine.

Probably Super Mario World; it took the improvements that Super Mario Bros. 3 made, and refined it while also taking advantage of the new SNES tech to create a more charming, accessible title. It's also the last time a purely 2D Mario game attempted to innovate, with the New Super Mario Bros. series largely content with providing an enjoyable throwback experience (outside of maybe the Wii version which added co-op multiplayer to great success).
That said, I haven't finished Super Mario Land 2, so I don't really know what that title brought to the table (though looking at later titles, I'd guess it was nothing that stuck with the series).

Started off well, getting the first 7 correct, but then ruined that streak by getting only 3 out of the remaining 13 somehow, leading to an overall score of 10/20.

@Okapi - This in a nutshell, which is a shame given how well received N. Sane Trilogy and Pro Skater 1+2 were.
On the plus side, there's now a slightly higher chance that Blizzard's next attempt at a Warcraft/Diablo remake might not turn out as bad as Reforged.

Gotta wonder if a large part of the reason for the gen 8 starters being so low is residual hate for the games they come from? (Given the first gen are at the top, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.)
Oh well, at least Cyndaquil and Rowlet are pretty high up, so that's something.

"Arguably, everybody that wanted an N64 had already bought one by the time they arrived"
*looks up at the Ice Blue console that was the only one they ever got * hmmm.....

Jokes aside though, I think my favourite would probably be a toss-up between the Ice Blue one that I had, or the Grape Purple one.

Honestly, I'd prefer to have a once and done video than a sprinkle of small videos a month or two prior to release. If that's not feasible due to the pandemic then fair enough, but otherwise, I feel a general Direct (at the start of the year) is the better way to go imo.

Also, regarding the whole 'games being announced too soon' argument, that isn't so much an argument against Directs and more a cautionary tale for publishers/developers to refrain from announcing a new game prematurely.

@TheFrenchiestFry - Well that's a shame. Was kinda hoping this might lead to more Star Wars Games from a variety of developers like the old days, but I guess that was too much to ask.
@Elvie - Some old Star Wars fans have been saying this since the current canon started, but personally I'm still glad it happened; it means Star Wars can be fresh again, with the bonus of not having to deal with the messy tangled web that was the old EU. I just wish they pumped out more games like Jedi: Fallen Order and Squadrons.

So, does this mean their exclusivity deal with EA is no longer in effect? Or does it just mean that Disney's end of the deal has a different name now?

@ecco6t9 - To be fair, there's nothing in the article that states that Nintendo is definitely not publishing it (the only mention is the article writer stating it's unlikely given prior statements) so they could still be publishing a Switch version of this new title, we'll just have to wait and see to find out if that's the case or not.

As for what I'd like to see, a follow-up to the Professor Layton/Phoenix Wright crossover would be pretty much ideal, but since that's probably just a pipe dream at this stage, a new IP could be interesting. They've already proven themselves with Professor Layton and Ni No Kuni, so another new IP could be a nice chance of pace.

"What Are Your Most-Played Switch Games This Year? Find Out With Nintendo's Year In Review"
Oh, that sounds interesting, consider me curious.

"Open to accounts registered in the US and Canada"
Oh, right...

Still, it sounds like a pretty neat idea, with some nice graphics to boot. Just a shame it's only for those in the US and Canada (why that is I'm not sure, but I'm guessing there's some reason).

@nessisonett - "This is a bare bones port collection"
Can people stop calling these ports, let along 'bare bones ports'? A bare-bones port is taking the game verbatim without making any changes whatsoever. It's like if they ported the Demon's Souls remake to Xbox Series X, a straight copy-paste job.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a remaster, because it takes the original game, and shines it up for modern systems (read: bumps the resolution up). Just because it isn't a remake, doesn't mean it's a port, and just because it lacks all the bells and whistles that the best remasters/remakes have, doesn't mean it's 'bare bones' (I mean to be fair, it's not that far from it, but having the soundtracks available means it is still at least a small step above being completely bare).

@BanjoPickles - To be honest, I haven't played any of these games, DKC3 included, but I understand DKC3 is a decent game, whereas the others, unless I missed it, aren't that acclaimed or talked about, even as cult classics, so my assumption is they're just some random titles plucked from the bowels of the NES/SNES library.
Edit: Also, the comment was partly to complain about the lack of non-SNES/NES retro titles on Switch (seriously, where are they?)

@DrDaisy - More like a belief that for consoles this old, any hidden gems probably would've been discovered by now, so if these games aren't well known, it's probably for good reason.

C'mon Nintendo, you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with these releases (DKC3 nothwithstanding); at this point, why not expand the library into N64/GBA titles (like the Wii U did) and provide at least a half-decent selection of retro titles.

Even though I'm now a definite fan of the series (having recently gone through Fates, Echoes and part of Three Houses) I don't really see much reason to get this release, outside of mild curiosity as to how the series began. To be fair it's not a bad anniversary release, but unlike Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this game doesn't seem to have held up much over the years, making it a much less enticing idea to visit (especially when I have the DS remake on the Wii U VC).

Had a hard time with this one, as both looked great imo, but I ultimately ended up going for the EU one, as it captures the more peaceful, relaxing side to BotW, which was always my favourite part of the game (in contrast to the NA cover, which, as others have pointed out, gives more of an 'epic adventure' vibe).

10/12 - Didn't know Mushroom Pikmin was a thing (speaking of which, I'm pretty sure they attack 'on sight', not 'on site'), or what the Pikmin 3 planet was named after, but apart from that, a pretty nice, breezy quiz.

@ZeldaFanboy78 - Given that Wii Sport's sales are out of synch with the Wii console sales, I'd guess some Wii's (quite a few in fact, going by the large gap between the two) weren't sold with Wii Sports bundled in.

@Seanvstherobots - Of these, Racer is probably the best: Outcast and Academy are probably not that great on console and Pinball is....well, Pinball.

A shame other Star Wars games aren't available (Rogue Leader and Shadows of the Empire in particular would be nice) but at least we got Episode 1: Racer, which still seems to hold up fairly well for an N64 game, so I guess that's something.

@Zeldafan79 - "Couldn't we just get a remake of Zelda 2?" Ask Nintendo.

I like the idea of attempting to improve on the experience of an old NES game via a new IP; unfortunately it seems to suffer from the same problems the recent Prince of Persia remake had when that was announced: it's better looking than the source material, but not enough to avoid looking terrible compared to games today.
Personally. I don't mind as much, as this is an indie game, probably with next to no budget at the moment, but it is something that will probably lead to a few people avoiding the game, which is a shame as this could potentially end up being somewhat decent.

Okay, this.....doesn't make a lick of sense whatsoever. I am genuinely baffled with why Nintendo made this decision and how they thought it was the best move to make?
What we have here is what looks like another Earthbound Beginnings scenario (which, btw, for some reason isn't on NSO atm) where a previously Japan-only NES title is localised for the first time on Nintendo's current system; except instead of being treated as basically a slightly more expensive NES VC title like Earthbound: Beginnings was, instead we're getting an enhanced (albeit not much more than most NSO/VC titles), but limited-time only digital re-release, including a special collectors edition.

Here are some of the questions that arose from watching this:
Why not include a cartridge with the special collector's edition?
Why make it a limited-time product given Fire Emblem is no-where near the blockbuster levels of popularity that might make this a viable idea (although I'd argue even then it's not really that beneficial)?
Who is Nintendo exactly targeting with this re-release of an NES title?
Why announce it so late in the year, given the anniversary day was way back in April?
Why do this at all, given that there's a DS remake that's been available for over 10 years now?
Are there plans to do the same with some of the other Japan-only Fire Emblem titles, or is it just this one?
What is Nintendo thinking regarding it's retro library with the Switch? (This is more a general question, but this release does push the question into the forefront)

So yeah, I'm a bit confused with this whole announcement at the moment.

@TheFrenchiestFry - Did you even read what I wrote? I used The Wind Waker HD as an example that usually, remasters are intended for permanent release, because in most cases, there's nothing else attached to them. That was it.
Second, please don't over-exaggerate the supposed faults with 3D All-Stars. You may not like the release, but to call it anything less than a standard remaster ala the HD collections on PS3, is inaccurate (also, using PC emulation as an alternative is like saying "well, I could just steal a copy from the store, so why should I pay?" in terms of validity). If these were ports that didn't even upgrade the resolution, and/or failed to make adjustments when bringing the titles over to the Switch, you'd might have a leg to stand on here, but as the collection stands, it's nowhere near as bad as you claim it is (though to be honest, whether or not the collection is bad or good isn't really relevant to the main point of whether it should be limited or not).

Whether other devs choose to make their releases limited or not is up to them, but that doesn't mean Nintendo needs to follow suit (although I'd argue those compilations you mentioned, in addition to being older, were likely also intended to function as substitutes for new releases). If they want to release an anniversary compilation in a limited fashion, they're perfectly entitled to. Again, if the titles were available on a NSO or VC style system, would you really care if this collection was limited or not? I'd argue that's the real problem; the lack of retro offerings on Nintendo's latest system, not this random limited-time compilation. At best, this is a symptom of that larger problem, not the problem itself.
Finally, I'll reiterate that this is most likely not going to be a regular occurrence. If it were, there'd likely be more evidence of it, such as with the Wii U ports, or with previous remaster efforts.

@TheFrenchiestFry - The difference is purpose. Most remasters are designed to be on the market (relatively) permanently, because they don't have any purpose other than to bring the titles to modern systems. Even other Nintendo remasters (rare as they are) like Zelda: Wind Waker HD are like this.
This collection though, wasn't developed this way, (and you can probably tell by how the collection turned out that this wasn't being given a lot of resources); instead, it was developed as a quick novelty along the likes of the Game and Watch, Mario Kart Live, and Super Mario 35 as part of the Super Mario 35th Anniversary celebrations. As a result, it's priorities are different from your usual remaster or remake, with all the results that this difference entails (although to be fair, the pandemic probably had an impact on that).
Think of it this way: Outside of 3D All-stars, has there been any example of this type of practice demonstrated by Nintendo regarding a remaster(s)? Have any of the Wii U ports for example, been given limited time release windows? No, because there's no reason to. Unless you have a specific reason (like an anniversary in this case), there's no point in limiting a remaster's release over just having it available all the time.

tl;dr - This is most likely a one-time anniversary thing, and isn't likely to be repeated with other titles in the future (or at least, not outside of anniversaries).

@TheFrenchiestFry - Except that by being limited, it was, by default, not a regular release. Anyone looking at the limited release should be able to ascertain that this isn't being treated as a regular game release, because if it was, then it wouldn't be limited. And the only reason it's limited in the first place, is the same reason why Super Mario 35 is being limited: because that's the Anniversary celebration window Nintendo set. And really, the only problem with this is that the titles in the collection are, currently, not available outside of it, so it looks more valuable than it would be had these titles been a part of a NSO or VC system.

@boxyguy - Or maybe because, like almost everything else announced during the anniversary direct (3D World being probably the only exception), it was only ever intended to be a limited-time novelty made to celebrate Super Mario's 35th anniversary (hence why Super Mario 35 for example is going away at the same time).

@Xenobound94 - "On the other... where's that golden goose called Mother 3 western localization?"
To be fair, would it actually sell? I know the game's a meme now but how many would actually go round and buy a copy if it actually did come out?

On to the main topic, I wouldn't be surprised if this happened (or even if they threw Galaxy 2 in at the same time) but I'm not sure if it's as obvious as others say. Unless I missed something, the only thing that points in it's favour is that the work has already been done, and splitting them up would be pretty quick and painless (although I'd guess the soundtracks would probably be lost) but outside that, I don't see anything that says it's a definite.

I guess I'm in a minority here, but I'm actually looking forward to this. Played through the demo earlier and any doubts about how this game might play out were pretty much put to rest; in fact, this could be up there with Theatrhythm for my favourite rhythm game at the moment (though it obviously lacks the variety of music that comes from a series as varied as FF).

@thesilverbrick - I'm about done trying to make my point; not only has this gone on far too long, but you seem intent on mostly ignoring my points and sticking to your defence of this farce at all cost, so I'll just make one final comment: There's more here than whether or not I personally like Steve specifically. If it were, I wouldn't have bothered commenting in the first place (after all, he's hardly the only character I don't care for). Instead, the points I initially responded to (the idea that you didn't need a playable character to bring Minecraft elements to Smash if that's all you wanted, and the differences between the Animal Crossing Villager and Steve) were, and still are, valid points that I raised in the name of objectivity, not because I "just didn't like Steve'. I did admittedly let my personal opinions and emotions cloud my arguments later on (for which I apologise) but those initial points were made on merit, not opinion.

@thesilverbrick "You haven’t adequately explained how..." Because 1: This is an article comment, not an essay, and 2: That wasn't the point; my point was: not only is it not necessary to have a specific character to bring some Minecraft elements into Smash, it's actually preferable for a more authentic representation of the game's ideas (which is all about building structures, not building structures with a pre-set character). For some reason you seem to think the character's moveset is complicated or difficult to implement in any other way, but considering that it doesn't have to be 100% authentic, I don't see what's so hard about finding some way of implementing some kind of building mechanic into the game?
"reducing his moveset to an item"
Where'd you get the idea I was advocating for only an item? I used that as one example of one mechanic that could potentially be implemented, not the whole thing.
"You keep getting hung up on his name as if it somehow makes him an invalid choice"
It does if it's an horribly bad meme choice ala Shrek or "insert character from Fortnite". Even his alts are better than he is it's that bad, but because he's the 'default avatar' he's the main and the others the alts, so....
"including a playable fighter from that game makes all the sense in the world"
Maybe if the character was worth including, but 'Steve' is not one of them. At least call him "Minecraft player' with a variety of alt skins or something less insulting. And again, Minecraft doesn't rely on specific characters, so why not take a different approach and give the spots to third-party characters who are actually characters?

@thesilverbrick - "How exactly are you supposed to bring in what Steve can do without adding Steve himself? No Mii costume or stage is going to allow players to forge tools and make structures during a fight."
If it can be done with a specific character, I'm sure it can be done with existing ones too, it just requires a different mode of delivery, such as a stage option or item (crafting tools, for example, could potentially be done similarly to the dragoon item).

"So many other IPs already included offer nothing in the character department"
I disagree with that. Every other character in Smash has offered something, even if it's a novelty or vaguely interesting design. R.O.B, for example, is a robot with a propulsion device instead of legs, that alone makes him more interesting than 'ordinary pixelated human called Steve'. Wii Fit Trainer admittedly comes close to this, but even then, the silhouette effect is more unique and aesthetically pleasing than the block pixelated effect Steve has (not being called 'Steve' is also a plus).
Sure, not every character is as unique or interesting as each other (Byleth for example, is kinda bad from a characterisation perspective), but everyone is a huge step up from 'ordinary pixelated human called Steve' and that's the problem.

"What they’re doing with him has shaken up the game in such a deep and fundamental way that every single one of the over 100 stages in the game had to be modified to pave the way for him. If you don’t think that’s a signal that he’s bringing something interesting to the table, then I don’t know what else to say."
I think you're really reading too much in this 'we redesigned the stages to accommodate his character" line. It's probably no where near as ambitious as you seem to think it is. And if they're redesigning the stages already, what's to stop them from redesigning them so that every character can do what Steve supposedly will do (which, I should point out, we don't actually know yet).

8/15 - Not bad for a game I've yet to play.

@thesilverbrick - I had a longer reply planned, but I think the gist of what I was saying boils down to one thing: Do you think Steve from Minecraft can bring anything interesting to the table, as a playable character?
Personally, I can't see it. We've established that he, as a character, is flatter than a pancake, so the only think he could have to offer is through gameplay mechanics, and anything he might be able to bring there could easily be done via other means. This isn't to 'undersell Minecraft', but instead choosing how best to bring the core elements of the source game/series into Smash. By choosing to, say, utilise a special stage and/or a stage option that allowed for Minecraft elements to be introduced (such as almost unrestricted modification of existing stages), as well as a few Mii costumes (in case you wanted to play as specific characters), you could showcase the best parts of Minecraft (i.e. the environmental modification) without having to waste a valuable playable character slot in the process.
In other words, Minecraft, imo, doesn't have anything to offer in terms of characters, but it does have something to offer in terms of mechanics, and in that case, wouldn't it be best to implement that in a way that emphasises that aspect (i.e. stages, items and character modifiers), rather than something that doesn't?

@thesilverbrick - "A Mii costume could in no way have replicated what they’re doing with Steve’s moveset here.
My point was if all you wanted was Minecraft elements incorporated into Smash, there were other ways to do it. You could still re-program the stages to replicate whatever Minecraft elements that are being planned (likely just turning parts of the stage into Minecraft blocks) or just include a special stage ala Mario Maker that can be customised like a Minecraft level. Heck, take the latter and throw in a few minecraft costumes (or better yet, a costume filter) for your Mii Fighter and you'd probably get a more authentic Minecraft experience than you'd get with a static separate character.

"Minecraft has far too much attached to it to just slap a square head on a Mii Swordfighter."
Does it though? Outside of being extremely popular (ala Fortnite and CoD), does it have anything going for it? Also, the ideas I mentioned before would go beyond what's been done with, say, Cuphead or Undertale (the special stage and/or stage options, new items), so it's not quite like that.

"And Steve is just a name given to the default avatar in Minecraft. You’re free to customize your character however you like. The only difference between Steve and the generic default Villager with the red shirt is that Steve actually has a name. For crying out loud, Duck Hunt, Hero and Wii Fit Trainer are nameless. If the default Minecraft avatar didn’t have a name, he’d be identical in function to Villager. He’s no less generic. Having a sophisticated design or distinct personality has never, ever been a prerequisite for Smash characters. Mr Game & Watch, Pac-Man and ROB (among many others) are obvious examples of very simplistic characters in terms of both basic physical design and lack of character depth. Steve is not superlative or new in any category."
True, but "Steve from Minecraft" is also the name he's pretty much known by. I'd also argue that having a title is in some cases better than having a name like 'Steve'.
As for the comparison between Steve and Villager (and the other character examples you mentioned) the main difference is that Villager, due to being from Animal Crossing which has more expressive and visually interesting characters by default, is more distinct (the others you mentioned even moreso) . Even if they were the same, I'd still argue that Animal Crossing, as a Nintendo series, has more of a right to be here than Minecraft.

"Comparing him to Shrek and Goku is silly and you know it. They’re not video game characters."
I compared them because they're basically meme picks, and Shrek and Goku happen to be the most common meme picks for Smash characters. That said, if you want a videogame example, then a character from Fortnite could very well be a possibility now (after all, that game's popular as well, right?).

@thesilverbrick - To be fair though, we didn't need a playable character to introduce Minecraft elements into Smash; a Mii Fighter Costume and a special stage/stage option (maybe some items as well) would've sufficed for that purpose (and would've been easier to implement to boot). The only reason I can see for why we're getting him as a playable character is because Nintendo really wants to capitalise on that Minecraft popularity as much as they can.
Also, while "Animal Crossing Villager" is also an avatar, it's also a highly customisable and expressive one that players can identify with, a far cry from the static block literally called "Steve from Minecraft", a choice that's about on par with "Bob from Marketing" in terms of how much you can take it seriously as a Smash character. At this point, you could probably get away with seriously asking for other meme choices like Shrek or Goku, something I didn't think was possible a couple of days ago but now seems like a real possibility.

Personally, I would've preferred either Crash (who just released a new title) or even Travis Touchdown as the playable character, and have the Minecraft character as a special Mii Fighter Costume, but I guess Nintendo really wanted a Minecraft playable character *shrugs * so I guess this is what we're stuck with.

Japan's is pretty much NA/EU's but with a beautiful cherry blossom tree in the background, so it wins out for me.

@SalvorHardin - "The gold standard for a remaster..."
That wasn't really what I was talking about, I was referring more to the minimum requirements than whether it was a particularly good example or not. In other words, whether it's a good remaster or a bad remaster, it's still a remaster at the end of the day.

@HotGoomba - Have you seen most remasters? Usually, all a remaster does is up the resolution and (on PS and Xbox) add trophies/achievements. Spyro and Crash, while labelled remasters (why, I don't know) are full-blown remakes akin to the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time release.
Trust me, these titles are remasters, through and through.

While having DKC2 is pretty neat, I'm becoming increasingly baffled by their seeming reluctance to add more platforms, even under a 'premium' subscription option. You'd think by now we'd at least be getting N64 titles?

At the moment, the top 3 for me would be: Galaxy, Galaxy 2, and Odyssey. 64, while great at the time, has aged somewhat due to it being one of the first 3D platformers (and games in general), leaving things like the controls and camera a little to be desired. And Sunshine, while still decent, is held back somewhat by both its decision to set itself exclusively on an island resort, and it's main new gameplay mechanic, the FLUDD. By contrast, both the Galaxy games and Odyssey show how a large variety of locations and a gameplay mechanic that actually enhances the core gameplay can make for a better experience overall (at least imo).
Haven't played 3D Land or World, so I can't really comment much on them.

12/18 - Got the first 6 right, but then started to trip up on some of them (including some I probably should've gotten correct) and ended up only getting half of the next 12 correct.

I think the biggest problem with these remasters, is that the originals aren't playable in any form on the Switch at the moment. If we had the Virtual Console Library from the Wii U available on the Switch (+ Gamecube) at the moment, I don't think these remasters being available for a limited time would be that problematic (Instead, they'd probably be seen as a limited-time novelty like the rest of the anniversary stuff, just like how 2D All-Stars seems to be viewed today). However, because the Switch is so poor with legacy titles Pre-Wii U, it means that when this anniversary collection goes, so too does the ability to play these titles on the Switch.
So really, the problem isn't necessarily that Nintendo are making this collection limited, it's that they're doing it without making the originals playable beforehand, making this collection more valuable than it otherwise would be.

"We're convinced Nintendo will sell the 3D Mario games individually on the Switch eShop once this collection expires"
It's also entirely possible Nintendo will in fact just let these go, as not only is Nintendo not really in the business of releasing remakes (the first All-Stars and 64 DS are pretty much it for Mario), there was no attempt to do the same to the first All-Stars release (and in fact, it wasn't till 10 years later that the games in the collection became playable again via the Super Mario Advance series).

@RPGamer - "Poor Kingdom Hearts fans... I seriously feel bad for you guys."
Eh, I've got the series on PS4, so I'm fine. Those who don't have it though, yeah, this is just......ridiculous (especially given both PS4 and Xbox One have most of the series on their respective machines).

Given the games haven't been ported to PS4, I wouldn't mind a Switch collection of Sigma 1 and 2 (dunno about Razor's Edge, but I guess I can always see that as a bonus *shrugs *).

@Leej07 - Well sure, there's always someone using old hardware long after it's been discontinued (heck, there's probably a couple of people still using the Game Boy Micro out there somewhere) the question isn't "Is there anyone still buying Wii U's?", it's "How many are still buying Wii U's?" and the answer is probably pretty low, hence the (now retracted) removal of a title in favour of a newer version on current hardware.

@judaspete - What money exactly? We're talking about a game on the Wii U here, a console that wasn't that popular even back when it was relevant, let alone now, with a far-more popular successor on the market. While removing a game is usually a bad move, in this case, the likelihood of anyone buying a Wii U in 2020 (because, really, anyone who already has a Wii U probably either already has the game, or isn't interested) is pretty small, and certainly low enough to justify removing the title in favour of a new and improved version.

Personally, I didn't see the problem myself (although a notice probably wouldn't have gone wrong), for reasons I've mentioned above, but now it's back *shrugs * I guess it's bit moot. (That said, I am a bit surprised to see the USD price for the Wii U version at $20 (down from I imigine $50-60) given the AU price here for the same version is $50 (down from $70-80). I know we Aussies usually have to pay more, but even factoring in the exchange rate, that's almost double the price for the same item)