Linkuini

Sometimes, one player gets so far ahead of the racers behind them that they can get a decisive lead while the players behind them hassle each other. Without the blue shell, they could fall asleep at the wheel and still finish first. With the blue shell, they have to keep driving like a pro just in case one of them comes and gives the other players a chance to catch up, maintaining a tense race.

At other times, two racers will be neck-and-neck, using any items they get to make each other uncomfortable and doing whatever it takes to avoid being drafted. Without the blue shell, players in this position would sweat over every move and place an even greater value on emerging victorious from the race. When a blue shell comes during the final lap when players are in this situation, though, they know who's going to win at that point: the one in second. The tension is gone as soon as they hear the blue shell, and it stays gone for the rest of the race. More than simply the element of chance, it's the sense that the rest of what occurs during the race doesn't matter that makes me hate the blue shell sometimes. It's not always this way, as I said, but when it is, I don't even get mad anymore, I just get indifferent. And you might say that's even worse.

Tsk! James called them "guys".

@Knuckles
I think I had that explained to me once, but I forget...

Gotcha Force? Not ringing any bells.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the RUNNER theme is stuck in my head. What were we just talking about?

Yow, that was fast! Good thing, too. I've calmed down since hearing this was a DS game, but I'm still a little impatient to hear what makes this game worth any interest.

Right now I'm about as miffed about this announcement as a lot of other people around here. Of course, when I learn further details about this sort of Pokémon game, I usually get interested anyway.

This is something else, though. This time, the details better be good. They had better blow my mind. And they better not involve Wi-fi at all, because unlike the 3DS, the DS still cannot access Wi-fi in most places. And they better not require me to walk around with the game in sleep mode, because then I can't use StreetPass. Like a 3DS game could. And they had better not come up with any other features that would work better on 3DS, because the first Black and White versions were full of them already and gaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAH, what is this!?

I just assumed that Black and White were just too far into development to be released on 3DS at the time it was announced. What's the excuse now? How do they plan to justify this? And why should anyone look down on complaining about this? I don't even care that we know next to nothing about this game yet! All I ask is the ability to play Pokémon over Wi-fi if there is a sign nearby that says "Free Wi-fi"! The 3DS would finally make it possible! This is heinous! Okay. I need to sit down.

I had my fill Game Gear games on the Gamecube. Pass.

The more I think about this game now that I've beaten it, the more it frustrates me. Is it still a good game? Definitely. Is it good enough to cap off Sonic's first 20 years? Not even close. I don't know what the console version is like (looks a whole lot better than this based on the trailers), but if this is supposed to be a special occasion, couldn't the handheld release be somewhat less... objectively inferior?

I want to like it, but in my heart I realize all this game adequately celebrates is 20 years of being outclassed by Mario. There, I said it.

@Debageldond

Game Freak and HAL Laboratory are considered "second parties" or more accurately, subsidiaries, of Nintendo. Their games, like Pokémon and Kirby, are pretty much considered first-party games for the sake of this discussion, I think.

Third-parties have brought a lot of fresh ideas to Nintendo systems when they know how to take advantage of their unique features. Fifth Cell is a good example. Drawn to Life and Scribblenauts had innovative concepts well-suited to the Nintendo DS. I don't remember hearing them complaining about the performance of the hardware.

The Wii U seems to have a good amount of first-party support, which is a good sign. Yet I look at the previews for games that have been planned and half of them are M-Rated shooters and whatnot. Either I'm being too conservative here... or developers are.

TOO MANY CHARACTERS.

Is there actually gonna be a world based on The World Ends With You? When am I gonna find a copy of that game...?

Can't wait to try the Fantasia segment!

@Tech101
Okay, I feel a bit better about that. Now when the heck am I gonna have time to fit in another RPG...?

Well sure, Pit's on cookie cards now. But he's never been on bubblegum cards, has he? How could he have mattered if he was never on bubblegum cards?

I'm surprised this site hasn't reviewed this. I definitely want to buy it at some point though. As soon as I have some time to actually play it.

Wait, soundtrack CD!? No longer available...? Man, that's a bummer after hearing that song from it on NLFM.

I really like the idea. Any possibility to make your own multiplayer modes? That would be another step in the right direction.

Must we be so fixated on Rare as it used to be? A lot of their staff have come and gone since the dawn of Donkey Kong Country.

In my case, I haven't played any of their recent games, so I'm not one to comment on their quality. One thing I can say just from what I've heart about Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is that they still have a knack for good self-referential humor. I've played several games that suggest that's not as easy as Rare makes it look.

The graphical enhancements are long, long overdue. Other than that, I'd like to have more cooperative elements available. I'm surrounded by people with pokémon with better IVs, and EVs, and Egg moves, and a bunch of nice moves and helpful statistics inherited through a convoluted eugenics program that... uh. Let's just say I get beaten in more ways I care to keep track of. I know if it's an RPG, it's gonna have grinding, but I feel like I'm wasting my time here. There's plenty to like for anyone who's really serious about it, but for anyone else, there ought to be a reduction to the general ruthlessness of multiplayer.

Up to this point I never really noticed that you can't spell "barfly" without "barf". How could I miss that? It's so appropriate!

Oh right, BIT.TRIP event across the pond. Sounds cool! Not that I can go. But I bet it's cool!

Getting that case! The one I got for DS game cards has been nothing but useful, and it cost more than twice as many coins.

I honestly hope it doesn't end up treading the same ground as the New Super Mario Bros. games. I loved New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I still do, but the next 2D Mario needs to really up the ante now that it's got competition like Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Return to Dreamland, and Rayman Origins to compete with.

Heck no! If I get another demo the size of the RE one, I'll need another SD card. At some point, it would be just like having a bunch of game cards, but I'd have to label them myself.

No love for the flute, huh? A lot of Zelda songs would sound nice on it. Oh well, guess I'll keep trying to play by ear.

I think "Pushmo" is actually a portmanteau of "push" and "sumo", after Mallo's outfit and animations. Pullblox makes a little more sense, but it sounds a bit more awkward when used to refer to a single puzzle.

Just got through "This is easy." That was a work of twisted genius. Good job, Chicken!

They had a good run. Sadly, it seems like they've been running out of steam for a while now, anyway.

I may be missing out on first place, but it's better than missing out on an entire third of a course. I'm not gonna stop playing the game the way it's supposed to be played just because of a bunch of slackers who need Lakitu's help to get through a course. After all, we gamers have a name for those who line up and dive off of cliffs, don't we? So if your VR points mean that much to you, you can have 'em. Lemmings.

I wouldn't be surprised if these demos came out in Europe soon. If it takes more than a month I could understand the complaining.

Microvalue is a terrible, horrible name for a publisher. Apparently, it's appropriate enough, though.

I can't believe I didn't get a SpotPass notification about this! That "Ambassador Certificate" I downloaded is an achievement in worthlessness.

What kinda sicko would wipe themselves with a Game Boy Color? Desecration.

They're actually releasing NightSky? I'll believe that when I see it.

If a guy with wings is going to face a threat named "Dark Pit", I doubt it would be too hard to guess who would win.

@grumblebuzzz

So far, the only person I ever hear "yammering" the word "TRILL" around here is Mr_Moore3506.

@Dark_TeeJay

Argh, why didn't they do that stuff earlier? That mark the circle pad leaves drives me nuts!

@mariofanatic128 "when there one in your comment"

You're typing kinda fast yourself, aren't you?

That cake looks awesome!

That game looks boring...

Yeah, but does Bowser breakdance in this one?

Wow, 59 years old, huh? He looks practically the same in every picture I see of him.

I keep hearing people whine about that spring. It's supposed to be a little unwieldy, get used to it! I enjoyed the rhythm it added to the action, myself.

It would probably take some imagination to make Kuribo's shoe work in 3D. A grid of those little plants (I forget what they're called) would look kinda silly and empty.

Link didn't even talk when he was a guest fighter in Soul Calibur II; his pre-battle taunt was "Hyaaaah!". I think if he ever talked normally, it would be harder to adjust to his maniacal screaming, which is one of the things I like most about him.

@DiggerandIndy
A scottish accent? An irish brogue? I guess his battle cries kinda lend themselves to that kind of voice, but I'd never be able to take him seriously if he actually talked with one. Not the way that sort of voice is typically executed in movies and games, at any rate.

Argh, I've slipped over far too many of my own banana peels. I don't know what's worse: knowing that I've sabotaged myself with the game's most avoidable weapon, or knowing that every single one of the other racers got around it with ease.

Yes! And here I thought it would take a visit from three spirits or something.

'Twould be a jolly Christmas miracle!

I love Bob-ombs! Hope I can still find a spot in that community once I get the game.

Will I ever tire of a good 2D platformer? Bring it on!

If you remember the trailer, though, the angle of the screen changed as the player steered during first-person mode. Assuming it works, the player should be able to see the action at the same angle even as they turn the system. I plan to try it out at least once, personally.

Maybe the dope who listed it as a two-player game was the same person who categorizes the games on the eShop. Oh, let's look at "Action Games"! Plants vs. Zombies? What a great premise! I didn't know PopCap made any action games– oh. They still don't.

I'm still wondering how they managed to make this game work as well on Wii as it does on the HD consoles. If I think about it too hard, will it stop existing? The UbiArt Framework must really be something if it can make art with this kind of detail that can still work smoothly on Wii. Or maybe it just speaks to the versatility of 2D graphics or something.

Yes! I missed my chance to get the liberty pass. Just gotta make sure I can get some free Wi-fi before December ends.

Few things get me more interested in a new platform than listening to developers talk excitedly about what they'd like to do with it. Not sure why exactly.

"You idiot, do you even know what kidnaping means?"

No.