Genesaur

Next Level Games won my heart with Punch-Out!!, but either way, they're great.

Oh, goody. I'm just now finding out about this. I literally just booted up Splatoon and happened upon an Inkling who mentioned it on Miiverse before going to look for it.

I want a Dragonball game for 3DS!

I want a Dragonball game for 3DS!

No one should be surprised, but... sad.

People were expecting online multiplayer? Based on what, exactly?

I think I have the solution to all the unfounded complaints about the graphics: make it shinier. The graphics actually look good, if you pay attention to the actual polygonal models, there is no problem - certainly better than Wii graphics (or, gods forbid, N64, like some blind people are claiming). I'll bet that if this abused bloom lighting and gave the Arwing significant sheen, not a one of you would have spoken against the graphics.

Really, I think you all sound like spoiled brats about the whole graphics thing. And I will remind you at every turn.

@Jesh Puppycat!!!

@TheHumbleFellow Star Fox wasn't the problem, despite all the whining over graphics that really look fine (oh, boo-hoo, it doesn't look as good as maxed out PS4 graphics, big surprise). The problem was the bland set of reveals like the "Metroid" game or a Mario RPG crossover that few want.

After last year's glorious presentation, I think we were all expecting much more tantalising first looks to really get excited about. This one just felt so bland, overall. Mario Maker, Xenoblade, and Star Fox were all that kept me going through it.

@electrolite77 This is exactly what it felt like.

Sounds rad to me.

And you guys still don't get that these are gonna be limited edition collectibles? Gimme a break; I'm well aware that I will have to sit outside a store hours before they open in order to ensure that I'll get this.

Yay.

Oh, it's so gorgeous. I'm afraid I must echo the lamentations above and wonder why this wasn't in the presentation. Still an already announced title, but a much more hotly anticipated one than Mario & Luigi and Also Mario Again But in Paper Form.

Wasn't aware that the book is gonna come with the game. I must have missed that, the first time around. They could have easily gotten away with selling it separately, or at least bundled with the amiibo, like some have suggested. Bundled with the game, though? All the sweeter.

Game looks bad? Game looks good.

Oh, you mean graphics? No, not really, unless you're a spoiled little c***.

This and Star Fox are all that kept me going through that Direct.

I really doubt it, but oh, my heart! I'd buy the crap out of it, if it did.

The hype is so real. Guess I'll set Splatoon aside temporarily (at least until the Splatfest) and make room for Smash again to play Ryu.

Yay, RIVE!

Finally, we get a trailer. The only thing I don't quite care for are the stages with ordinary-looking road pavement. There seems to be enough variety in tracks for that to not be so much of a concern, but something about it really bugs me.

Arin lasted longer than I expected. He performed atrociously at Mario Kart 8, but did second best in Balloon Trip, so overall, not bad.

It was pretty glorious, and funny, besides.

Meh. Meh, I say.

EarthBound Zero has a nicer ring to it, if you ask me, but I'll take it!

They're called Ink Whiskey, and it hasn't yet occurred to them to make a Splatoon-inspired cocktail? I guess it's not easy to figure out an appropriately punny name for it, but still.

So day one. Virt's music sounds great as always. I love Crab Shantae! Can't wait to see what other new transformations she has in store.

You guys are silly. I just imagine applying that logic to game developers, rather than tournament competitors:

"Oh, my god, the development team is entirely comprised of men. FIGURES. As if they'd ever give women a chance, but that's fine! I won't buy their stupid misogynistic game, anyway. I feel so oppressed. Girls like video games too, y'know!"

• Some Dude

I am entirely okay with this.

@Platypus101 I mean a real game. Come on, now.

@Kolzig I wouldn't say it was quite as horrible, but I agree that it was pretty bad, and slow besides. People are really exaggerating about its quality. That it was the better of the two does not make it good.

Pfft, as if the Wii U is what's at fault. Maybe if you took the time to make a good game, you wouldn't have this problem.

@BulbasaurusRex Personally, I don't like it, but to better answer your question, it's very much "Adventures of" in terms of seriousness - that is to say, not serious at all. Constant, forced silliness, lame jokes and stale, one-dimensional personalities abound. None of it even makes me laugh, so I'd deem it a failure.

Another thing - what is with that statement about Mario & Sonic at the Special Olympics? Oh, yeah, that's totally what the die-hard, lifelong Sonic fans want. That'll make us sooo happy.

"We want to have more of a Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider kind of spin on things (Oh, brilliant. I'm sure that isn't a terrible idea to apply to Sonic); they are more focused on the classic style of gameplay for Sonic." Okay, so where the heck is the next project from Sonic Team? 'Cause that's what I'd much much MUCH rather see.

Ah, crud. That's the Euro date.

Ahh. Days gone byyy~

"Disclaimer: Arin's a joke."

• Egoraptor, 2013

Splendid. A mere week following my birthday. Such excites. Better get all my Splatooning out of the way by then, 'cause this one will likely take the spotlight for a good while.

Doesn't seem likely. Even if they did the name change and dumbed down the mechanics to remove the GamePad features around which the game was built, would they really expect spectacular sales to come from it a second time?

Unless, of course, they handle its marketing in the exact opposite manner as they have with the Wuu and the new name were really zazzy, then maybe, but I wouldn't care. If anything, it'd just make me buy another new Wii U copy of ZombiU, just because.

I'd rather they call it Earthbound Zero, and leave Mother 3 to be the odd one out, title-wise.

When they talk about her walking speed, just remember that swifty gait from Symphony of the Night, and do that.

@arronishere Yeah, there ya go. He basically sounds like he's saying that Nintendo isn't doing it on purpose. It doesn't come off as attacking them, though I can see that perspective, as well.

When you think about it, amiibo and Infinity figures are very different products.

Man, dude... stop.

Why should anyone even mention Other M, any more?

@Onion@JusticeColde That's about right. I'd say it doesn't matter, unless it were a bigger collection.
@gsmaciel My thoughts exactly!

Ha. I dig it.

Am I the only one who doesn't want SNES Remix?

@Kirk I like the way you're thinking, there.

If it's any indication, everyone always seems very excited and approving of maintaining a personal amiibo collection whenever the subject arises, especially store employees and others still who don't even come off as the Nintendo type. People who otherwise scoff at the preference of Wii U over PlayStation or XBox have excitedly chatted with me about amiibo.

Every time I've picked one up, I end up in a fairly lengthy conversation about which characters we have and which we want, sometimes going into interesting stories about or difficulties with obtaining a certain one. Of course I know that the collect-'em-all guys certainly exist in abundance, but most people with whom I've personally spoken are like me, and only want a decent, sizeable, but by no means complete collection of certain beloved characters. So far, they, like me, have done decently at getting their personal collections together, though of course I won't pretend it's perfect.

Sure, I'd like to have Marth and Little Mac, so I guess I could get all dramatic and claim to have been "burned" by Nintendo or whomever in this regard, but the point is, it's getting more people talking about Nintendo. Stock issues or not, amiibo are unquestionably a buzz-generator.

Heck, even just getting accessories for the toys which are themselves accessories gets people talking. I got the amiibo-themed 1-Up mushroom case for my lady (she uses it to store makeup, by the way; I actually display my amiibo and thus see no point in using such cases for their intended purpose), and even slapping that on the counter prompted a conversation when the clerk grinned and asked, "So which ones do you have, now?"

I'm making progress on getting the ones I want. I started with Samus within a week or two of Smash Bros. releasing, then didn't touch any more until the Super Mario line launched, of which I got Luigi. Mega Man came next, as I figured it wouldn't be long before his price began to skyrocket (heck, I was surprised that he still carried a normal price online, even then; he'd been out for a little bit).

Knowing what the Splatoon 3-pack amiibo's fate would be, I waited outside a local GameStop a couple of hours prior to their opening to get that along with picking up my Splatoon preorder. Luckily, my assumption was right, as that store only received one 3-pack in that shipment.

My fiancé got me Sonic while getting a new phone plan at Best Buy, which of course meant that I had to get Pac-Man, so as to complete the third-party characters. Just bought Pac-Man at a mall GameStop, yesterday afternoon. I'm keeping those three in their boxes.

I suddenly want Kirby. Perhaps it's Pac-Man's silly, round body that makes me want him, but when Kirby was readily available in places like Walmart, I kept passing him over, as I found his sitting pose to be a bit dull. He seems to hover around twenty bucks online - not the worst, but maybe it still counts as scalping.

Not all that surprising, considering how frequently one runs into Japanese players, but man, is it good to hear/see as a good sign of the Wii U's fortunes improving.

As long as momentum keeps up, we have a real winner on our hands.

I'm so glad that everyone jumped onto using that stupid brush so enthusiastically, right after it became available. Going up against a team of four all wielding it made for some really easy wins, since the Krak-On Splat Roller is infinitely superior.

Well, no one ever used it, so there ya go.

Paaaaaass. Seriously, what is this doing on Wii U? Bit.Trip Runner is about the only series of this gameplay style that I like, so every other runner game just feels like a pitiful aping of those games.

@SphericalCrusher I agree. EverQuest was more "the one" that truly defined how a vegetable-generating RPG is designed, but WoW has lasted longer, so I guess it makes sense.