MegaWatts

@yokokazuo thanks for coming on - was great to team up!

@JaxonH bahaha! It really didn't!

FYI the NLife HR room is now closed! Many thanks to @JaxonH, @TequilaUK and Kazuo for a fantastic hunt! I think we did pretty darn well!

NLife HR room just stayed a Jhen Mohran! Great work!

My room is now open!

I'm nearly ready to go! My NNID is MegaWatts, guys! Looking forward to getting the hunt on!

@shigulicious That's true, but that in itself can be a real confidence booster. Some players come up against the Barroth for the first time and find it nearly impossible. But if you can help take it down, make it seem feasible and help them get better armour (so that they aren't punished as much when making mistakes) then I think it has a positive impact overall!

@XCWarrior This is what I like to see! Players helping other players. I'm happy to do advanced quests, but of course if anyone is new to the game or struggling with an early quest then I'm more than happy to lend my hunting skills!

It's a real tough call on Capcom's part if they are indeed looking for ways to make the series more appealing to Western gamers. Personally, I think it's perfect as it is; the clunky combat, movement and long-winded item management/usage actually make it a far better game. It takes some getting used to, but once you know what you're doing, it's easily one of the best gameplay experiences you can currently have. Words cannot describe the immense amount of satisfaction that is felt when emerging victorious after battling a huge, vicious monster for thirty minutes.

It's a shame that there's this increasing need to make games simpler, more immediately friendly, because players can no longer be bothered to invest the time in learning how it works.

I think that if we got this as well as Monster Hunter 4, I'd probably die from excessive hunting. Having sunk the amount of hours that I have into MH3U, I just don't see how I would have time to do other things like eat or sleep.

@minotaurgamer As the site's N64 fanatic, I can assure you that "artsy-movie-like HD graphics" are the least of my concerns; give me good gameplay any day of week! Sadly, I just don't think that Mario Bros. is a very playable or entertaining experience today, that's all.

@CaviarMeths I completely agree with regards to Perfect Dark being better than GoldenEye 007; that title truly was groundbreaking. But to compare The World is Not Enough to GoldenEye borders on insulting!

GoldenEye is dated, but still very much playable. It takes some getting used to, but we've played matches in the NL office and never was its age a problem when it came to our enjoyment of it. Given that it offers a much tighter local multiplayer FPS experience than most modern shooters, I'd say that it does hold up in some ways.

I've loved being able to play a very small role in the site's success. Well done to everyone involved and my personal thanks to all you readers!

UK Wii U OWNERS: AC IV: Black Flag is currently a mere £22.49 until the end of the day on GAME.co.uk. I would advise nabbing that over this digital offer (which works out around the same price as the normal retail game anyway).

Link: http://www.game.co.uk/en/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-212029?pageSize=20&searchTerm=assassin's%20creed%20wii%20u

@Stu13 couldn't have put it any better myself!

I think the price is just a little too steep. If they were NTSC machines then it'd be a much better investment!

Great review, Lee! Wish they'd hurry up and stick it on the EU eShop, as well as the 64 games while they're at it!

One of the things I really love about Miiverse is that it's such a lovely community! Everyone always seems super friendly and helpful if you ask a genuine question.

GameCube the fan favourite? Really?

@Marshi At no point in the review did I say that. What I said was:

"...it’s fair to say that storytelling has never been the series’ strongest asset just by itself, and rather what it truly excels at is progressing the gameplay and creating fun player experiences that work within the confines of the series' renowned settings and themes."

I accept that people play Zelda for the story, even I like to follow the story. What I'm saying is that I don't believe the stories are the strongest element; in my view they're actually quite basic, but are perfectly suited for the style of gameplay and progression that Nintendo always aims for with Zelda games.

Bahahaha! This is pure comedy gold. Another fantastic vid, Mr Cocker!

@dumedum It really is! Although I look like a madman when I'm rushing on the spot to move my character!

@MussakkuLaden

"Boxing. Great game in the original but lacking precision and calling for WMP support – on BOTH hands! Well, we'll see how smart Nintendo is."

They've actually already done this for many of the activities in Wii Fit U, so I'm hoping that they'll do it for Boxing too when it comes out! Will be a missed opportunity otherwise!

I think Tom raises some very key points about the software. Personally, I've been having a fantastic time with it; my housemate and I have been playing doubles online and we'll really get quite into it. That said, it has its flaws (online hasn't been too bad for me though in terms of lag) and it's still not fun to play in single-player (apart from the mini-games!)

@sinalefa Thank you for spotting this! Think I must have SNES on the brain tonight!

That's "Mii" in the picture at the top!

(Sorry, just felt the need for some love and attention...)

It'll be interesting to see if Wii Party U has this effect in other regions (once Nintendo get around to sufficiently advertising it that is). I've always believed out of the entire line-up of games this holiday, it's the one which has the best chance of selling the Wii U difference.

I really do believe that the only thing holding the Wii U back at the moment is exactly this. The marketing has been practically non-existent across the globe. Never mind that people might not get the Wii U; 9/10 of them have absolutely no idea what it is. Moreover, I don't honestly believe it's that hard to promote — everyone I've shown it to or explained it to has understood exactly what it is.

In the UK, I think one of the major problems aside from barely advertising the system is that the advert we have seen do absolutely nothing to a) identify what exactly the Wii U is and b) show off any of its unique features in relation to the game that's being advertised. The Wind Waker HD ad was just gameplay clips with a couple of review snippets — utterly pointless. Show us the benefits of the system, Nintendo, and why we should be buying it. It's one of the most basic principles of advertising, which an expensive and qualified marketing team should understand. Heck, even a 20-second ad just showing off-TV play would help set it apart from the rest.

@SMW haha! Was just about to link exactly the same thing! The goons are so similar!

Bahahaha! Good work, Phil! That tagline is golden.

@Asaki Yes! Thank you for saying this because EVERYONE seems to think blowing on to the connectors is the best thing since sliced bread.

"There just isn’t that much to say about Pinball. It’s a small piece of history, teaching us what home console video games were, before they knew what they could be — a lesson that can fully be learned by most in one sitting."

I most certainly couldn't have summed this up better myself. You're a real craftsman with words, @DRL. I completely agree with what you're saying; I think Pinball would attract my interest on the basis of it being what it is (a now somewhat archaic rendition of a pinball video game), but I highly doubt I'd have as much fun with it as I would have done back in the late 80s.

Great review!

@muchB1663R If batteries have leaked inside it, and they're alkaline type (most usually are), then I recommend using lemon juice. Dip a cotton bud/Q-tip in some of it, and rub on the affected areas. Works like an absolute charm!

Bahaha! I get the worrying feeling that this "flabby Wii U owner" may have inspired this article!

Awesome that it downloads through SpotPass - hopefully at midnight on day of release so it's ready for me to jump into the next morning!

I really do think this will be a big hit in my house over Christmas - sure, we've played it all before but it's just so easy for players of all skill to understand.

@Ernest_The_Crab when I say open-ended, I don't mean large open areas, but rather the game doesn't necessarily play out the same each time.

With regards to the camera, It switches between players - usually it keeps up with the person who's in the middle of it all when all on screen and the person at the front if the others are lagging behind. It does open up quite a bit though

Stick Jessica Fletcher in and brand it as "Murder, She Wrote: Pikachu Edition" and I'm there!

Yeah, I have weird taste...

@madthinker1984 Haha! What an amazing coincidence! It's a shame we didn't know otherwise we could have met and had a good chat.

How did you fare on DK out of interest? We had a strange bloke come up to us when playing it assuming we didn't know how to play (I think because of our age) — it's hardly rocket science now, is it?

I'm amazed that it's higher than Pikmin 3! Let's hope that there's lots of fun content to reflect the size!

The bit about 2D not being in at a certain point in history is very true. I recall once Super Mario 64 blew the world away, 2D seemingly became uncool over night, which was daft. Loads of great games like Mischief Makers and Mystical Ninja 2 Starring Goemon were overlooked. It's a shame because if Sonic had gone 2.5D during that era, it probably could have been superb. Saying that, Sonic Adventure was still a great game.

Even now, I know people who shun 2D games. Apparently, if it's not 3D then it's not good, which is just a really narrow-minded way of looking at things.

@sillygostly I've got one Pro Controller, so being able to use a Classic Pro too would be very useful for when I have extra players (I'll likely be going through the game with just me and another player anyway). With that said, I have played 3D World using just the Wiimote a few times now and it's better than you'd think. It'll never replace a stick, but it's still very playable.

Anyway, these screenshots are fantastic! I dare say I'm even more hyped for this than I was for Super Mario Galaxy 2!

@Ignatius_Cheese I'll be sure to go on a hunt or two with you next year to make up for it!

I recommend that everyone watch this; it won't Nabooru.

Bah, I only have white controllers (and a white Wii U). Oh well, I guess the jacket will cover it most of the time.

@rjejr - I did consider doing that but GAME are only offering £67.50 trade-in on XL! The cheek!

Great review, Katy!

I can understand your concerns about the speakers, as stereo is always nice. However, I've had a fair bit of hands-on time with the 2DS already and I really doubt you'll have any issues with it slipping out of your hands. Moreover, your grasp is essentially in the middle and the top, because your thumbs go on the circle pad/joystick and buttons (which are placed centrally). I would really recommend trying it first before writing it off - I've actually considered swapping my 3DS XL for it because it's more comfortable for me (I have long hands), but it's a lot of money to downgrade effectively.

@Yamitora1 Seriously!? That redesign looks awful! The actual design is far more ergonomic!

@Reverandjames Thank goodness for off-TV play in that case then! Enjoy!

@TrueGamer1985 It's a shame you feel that way - Spin the Bottle is a great local multiplayer game and it certainly doesn't hurt the Wii U to have those (especially when other systems are so lacking on that front).

This game with a few friends and some drinks is something I would recommend you try!

@SNESuperior Unfortunately, we weren't able to experience the 2D/3D switch as we played the game on 2DS systems. I imagine it probably would be quite weird though, especially as you wouldn't consciously be trying to maintain the sweet spot when playing the overworld segments.

I imagine our upcoming review will cover this in more detail