Qun_Mang

No word from the NoA twitter account yet, but North Americans booting up Splatoon are being greeted with their own Splatfest announcement- Snowman vs. Sandcastle.

At least Nintendo knows what a hoverboard is.
Hint to those that need one: doesn't have wheels.

Well, now that that's over, I am now awaiting announcement of the first real, full Nintendo Direct of 2016. My hope is they actually have other news ready but just chose to pull this out and show it separately due to the anniversary.

Never played any of them, sorry. I was never the target audience.

I had to vote for the original first, as I was such a geek that I created my own map book and even went to the library to put my maps and notes on computer (Apple ][ or //e). Still have the book, too.

The second vote went to OOT/3D (both versions). This is what made me upgrade my video card to a 3DFX. If you don't know what I mean by that, I'm not going to tell... I have it on 3DS now.

The third vote was a tossup between WW and SS. Both have their flaws, but I also enjoyed both. Ultimately I went with Windwaker though.

I've played most of the others but they just didn't have quite the enjoyment of the ones I picked. Some were close though.

Waiting for Amazon to add it to preorders to get my 20% off...

Like @DarthNocturnal, I have all but one (I never really understood the appeal of Super Smash Bros). I've been letting MM sit for awhile, but it's time to pick it up again and finally build me some levels.

@GunarmDyne I really enjoyed Hamsterball some years back. Finally gave up on the harder levels as they really required both speed and precision which a mouse just couldn't give me- I needed a trackball:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr4pRzWMqRg

@Azikira: Try using a different browser. As I posted before, I got this message with Cyberfox but I opened the page up in Chrome and the entry worked.

Just loaded up Chrome to enter (worked fine) as Cyberfox gave me this error (brackets changed from <,> just in case they don't show):

This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below.
{response status="ok"}
{ul}
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Sorry, there was a problem processing your request.
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Looks like N did not choose a good picture to represent "fit" judging by the several comments focusing on muscles. I wouldn't want to be ripped either, but being fit would be nice- I'm just too lazy to put the work into it.

No thanks, I have it on disc. Are the two DS Zelda games out in NA yet, or at least announced? I have Spirit Tracks on cart, but I am still interested in Phantom Hourglass.

Metallica vs, Napster- those were the days. Many a parody was made of this. Still, I don't blame the band- it was illegal sharing after all, but it did bring to light the changes the music industry needed to make.

Can't afford a second console, but I still might pick up Rare Replay and just play the games using emulators. May or may not be entirely legal, but certainly more legitimate than just picking up the ROMs without owning a copy of the game. I'm picking up the Humble Bundle Neo-Geo collection for the same reason.

BTW, Splatoon wins by a mile for me. I haven't put in that much game time for anything since Skyward Sword (a year or so ago after getting Wii U, not when it came out). I started on SMM after release, but soon went back to Splatoon. Still, SMM is a solid second place. Haven't played any of the Xenoblade games.

Haven't played much new 3DS, but Zelda MM as it got me to finally pick up a 3DS (the New 3DS of course) so I voted for that, and Yo-Kai Watch though I only played the demo of that one so far.

No third option for either.

@Fandabidozi Crush Roller / Make Trax (same game, different title). I remember this game well. You can play it using MAME, or in your browser at the Internet Arcade.

Since most of the US will be working or in school, I hope to see an uploaded video afterward.

BTW Starbarks ended up changing their name and logo.

Reminds me of a local case a few years ago about a dog groomer named Starbarks. One of their people actually made a comment about how Starbucks was being unreasonable with their claim that their logos were two similar, that somehow they claim to have a trademark on a circle/round shape with a green background. Look up Starbarks vs Starbucks and you will see why Starbucks complained.

One of locations is only 10 minutes from me, but I don't set foot in that mall during the shopmas season, so I likely won't be taking part.

@Deadstanley It looks like the game/mockup was done on a computer of the day, something pre-Commodore 64 even. So if it exists as a game, then it would be on that computer rather than an arcade game.

I had the Donkey Kong G&W. The obligatory story: a Japanese kid in my 6th grade class brought one in that he got in Japan. Everyone was all over it and many of us wished we had one. Well, as it turned out it had just come out in the US, and I was able to successfully beg one out of my parents. I brought it to school the next day after getting it, and when I took it out to play everyone thought it was the other kid's. Someone wanted to take a turn on it, and when selfish me said no, he complained to the other kid that I wouldn't let him play.

@crzysortagamer balling library??? In any event, I don't know how many have local libraries that have games, but mine has games for all modern systems and, though slowly disappearing over time, games for last generation as well. I could put the game on reserve as they get games pretty much on or close to release day, but it is not really a priority so I will just wait until I see it on the shelf while browsing.

Not planning to buy this due to the bland single-player experience, but I will check the game out from my library in a couple months to see if my mind can be changed.

Do team ninja's shirts get Ninja Squid?

@skyyye The Control Deck was there day one for us. Perhaps your experience was localized. Of course, for all I know you are one of the lucky ones who lived in a test market area and got the NES earlier than the rest of us.

"The light zapper was bundled with every console"

Nope. Either that, or the Control Deck I received as a gift in 1986 was missing a component... My parents couldn't afford the Deluxe set which was the only alternative at the time - the Action set didn't yet exist. Didn't matter though as R.O.B. didn't last for long and we bought a Zapper later on, still in all its grey glory.

First Super Mario memory (had memories of Mario already in prior games including Donkey Kong- though he was called Jumpman at the time, DK Jr., and Mario Bros). was the Vs. arcade game at a local miniature golf place. My jaw dropped some months later when the NES was released here and SMB was identical to the arcade game as far as I could tell. Living in an era where console ports were hardware-limited pale imitations to their coin-op originals, it was astounding to see such a close match between arcade and console. This system was immediately put on my Christmas wish list. My parents could only afford the base system, but we saw what happened to the gimmick-y R.O.B. so though slightly disappointed at the time, it turned out to not really matter. We picked up the light gun later of course in all of its grey glory before N was forced to turn it orange.

It wouldn't be until I purchased a Gamecube that I owned a Nintendo system again- I had already favored Genesis and TurboGrafx-16 during the SNES days and when the N64 rolled out I couldn't afford a new gaming system though a friend let me borrow his for awhile. I also skipped the Wii, but was pleased that the Wii U would also play Wii games, so now I have Galaxy, Galaxy 2, Skyward Sword, and some others to go with my small Wii U collection.

She blinded me
with science...

The scientific fields, including technology, come more naturally to me. So, science.

I do participate in the performing arts though. If you are in the Chicago area, look up Overshadowed's SongSmythe- a musical play about the life of Philip Bliss, 19th century songwriter (especially hymns).

Don't care about silly question of what will be first. Actually, I will be downloading nothing as I have already spent too much on games lately. Will probably get SMM eventually though, even if it's a few months down the road.

Just read his Twitter messages- I stand corrected. It was not a Loony Tunes-esque gag. Okay then. While I will not reject a gay developer just because he's gay, I have now made a personal decision to not buy this HD collection. I may still get the 3DS Clive 2 though.

To rehash so all can understand (certain people need this)- this is my decision- I am not calling for a boycott, and I am certainly not calling for harm on this developer or anyone in the LGBTQ community. No hate, no death threats. Please respond in kind. Thank you.

@Genesaur True, it is just a gag and I can see that. However, it couldn't come at much worse a time in US history. People are still reeling from the recent SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US) decision which many see as an end-run around the constitution despite what the majority decision said. In fact, the two recent decisions on this issue are questionable at best as in one they supported state rights to get rid of the Defense of Marriage Act, then turned around denied state rights in this decision.

Many for gay rights are against this SCOTUS decision as well due to the fact that it removed the people from the process. They were already (slowly) winning over the legislatures to get favorable laws passed. However, this decision was akin to a battering ram and people who might have come around to their thinking one day have instead have firmed their opinions against them. And stories that constantly come up in the news about this or that person or company who has spoken out against gay marriage being bullied, fined, jailed, or forced to resign or close due to death threats and such (think Brandon Eich or the Indiana pizza shop owners who only SAID they wouldn't cater a gay union but were never actually asked to) don't help people turn to their cause either.

Well, in any event that is why what would ordinarily just be an ignorable gag akin to Loony Tunes' Bugs Bunny surprise kissing other male characters on several occasions instead became a heated discussion on LGBTQ and religious rights here.

BTW I am eyeing Gunman Clive HD and Famicom Vs. Excitebike, but not sure yet if I will download either one. Excitebike for sure is a sight better than the one we got in the US. Already have Gunman Clive for 3DS, so I might save myself $1 and just complete my 3DS collection instead.

This has probably been asked many times, but...
Wouldn't it be a better poll to ask "What will you be downloading this week?" period- and make it a multi-select poll? Always seemed silly to me to ask what the first download will be. But of course it's your poll, so ask however you want. Just MHO.

I could easily be way off on this as I am on the wrong side of the pond, but could these generic choices be due to the vast cultural differences when taking all of Europe into account? Drs vs Daleks, while interesting, wouldn't the interest in that be mostly limited to the UK and perhaps other English-speaking countries? Just a thought. Again- I could be way off.

Three possible stages at a time, one rotates out every hour. That would be my vote. Obviously no more Callie & Marie stage announcement with this.

No Xbox One needed
1) Buy Rare compilation
2) Obtain necessary emulators and games for PC
3) Put box on shelf and play emulated games knowing that you own a copy of the originals

Of course you don't get the extras, or even really the X360 games (no emulator I believe). Also not legally in the clear in most places, even if the games were somehow obtained from the disc, but as close as a non Xbox One owner can come.

And Microsoft can't catch a break with their Xbox One in Japan- even the Vita TV sold well over three times as many units, and the OLD 3DS LL at nearly four times.

(Probably mentioned by someone last week, but I didn't read the comments so wouldn't know)

@OptometristLime I'm pretty sure Ikki5 wasn't aware that Satoru Iwata was the one being referred to. To me, and I imagine to most, he was CEO of NoJ, or Nintendo overall, not specifically NoA. Talk of CEO of NoA then would lead one to think of Reggie, or someone else, but not Iwata himself.

@Grumblevolcano @HandheldGuru97 I did read the COO part on a couple of pages for Reggie, but I guess I am not reading the right pages for Shibata. But since several of you mention Shibata as CEO of NoE I will have to investigate further. Sounds like he could be a good candidate then for taking control of NoJ and NoA as well as CEO, and appointing someone else as NoE president.

@BaffleBlend Please explain, or someone please explain this further. Sources I read just show Reggie Fils-Aime as president of NoA and Satoru Shibata as president of NoE. I haven't seen anything show Shibata as also CEO. Was Iwata not CEO over all regions, including NoE?

Just admit you can't meet demand and release Amiibo cards (and in higher quantities- cheaper to make and sell) for those of us who can't or won't buy the Amiibo figures.

If this is to be both announced and released by fall of next year (and that is a big if) then my suspicion is that it is not a replacement for either 3DS or Wii U but something else entirely. Think side project like Steam Box or Oculus Rift (yes, the comments made of VR not being ready for prime-time could have been an attempt to direct our focus away from what they are really doing)...

@pherret022 And yet you have a cat (albeit a very large one) as your Avatar...

Team cats for me- we had many cats when I was growing up and only one dog. Will attend the local parade in the morning, but after that it's Splat time (mostly me getting splatted, but hey). I long since stopped going to fireworks shows. I will just have to find the time to upgrade the t-shirt before Splatfest- I don't have much time this week.

I was never able to fill out the surveys to get the points needed to get anything- my account stands at 60 points, good for a whole lot of nothing. It would be nice if the club replacement transfers over points and surveys, but that's just dreaming on my part. I wonder though if purchases made after the close will be able to be redeemed on the new program, or if only purchases after it opens will count. At the very least, anything that wasn't even available for purchase when CN stopped redeeming products- such as my New N3DSXL, LoZ:MM3D, Splatoon...

Looks interesting. I wish Level 5 would port Ni No Kuni to the Wii U though, or even the 3DS since that is the Nintendo system they seem to support. Yes, I know the original game (not Wrath of White Witch) was on the DS, but we on the English-speaking side never got it.

No MS console here. Might just buy the game anyway though, put it on a shelf, then fire up some, er, PC software to play the originals. Except for the 360 ones anyway.

@CowboyIkari
Agree with most of that, but about the pricing don't forget we North Americans still got charged full price for Splatoon, plus the Amiibo 3-pack is another $30+ for those who bought it. Actual DLC/unlocks are still free for now though.

The more people playing, the less time waiting for a match. Keep those purchases coming!

Went from level 1 to 11 over the weekend. Most interesting matches were the first night where in two games the other team was so effective I have to believe they were communicating with each other. Last night I had a match where there seemed to be almost no one on the other team. Sure enough, at the end of the match three of the four scores were zero for that team. I don;t think I would have wanted to be that last player, though s/he certainly did well enough with the tactic used of hiding and tossing out burst bombs one after another when one of us was spotted..

We'll see if it's out in 2017, or Yooka-Laylee in 2016. I'm still waiting on SpaceVenture (from the Space Quest programmers) which I backed in 2012. Besides these three I only backed one more thing, iControlPad 2, which blew up when one guy essentially took part of the money and ran.