SahashraLA

Kirk, I'm not sure you're considering how much the poor quality of the Nintendo licensed titles truly affected the CDi's chances. Keep in mind, the CDi released less than 10 years after the crash. It was new technology that wasn't ready for consumers. It was rushed, and Philips lost millions. Not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions. The company was near bankrupted as a result of the CDi's complete and utter failure. They have barely touched the market since and only in a support role. To suggest they dragged Nintendo through the mud, not knowing what that would do to their own reputation, it's more than a bit ridiculous.

Over use of engines has created an artistic vacuum where every Tom, Dick and Harry can make a 'pretty' game without any real design know how. THAT is what seperates Nintendo from so many contemporaries: the fact that they are expert designers and rely solely on their own in-house engines to produce the most immersive art style.
Assuming that everything needs to be photo realistic is far too limiting a prospect and one that drives only technology, not creativity and not innovation. The gaming industry has changed so very little in these last 15 years. It is time for real steps forward to be taken.
That goes for Nintendo and everyone else (though touch, motion, gyro and depth have all progressed nicely).

Discs are bulky and difficult to store without eventually damaging them. Blu-ray like mediums (think primarily the additional scratch protection, not the expanded storage and improved dual layer function) are nice for little ones, but tend to break without the flex offered to thinner and more adaptable DVDs.
My initial take on this is 3 pronged. 1) The controller has it's own processor. The option to go truly wireless with a smaller Gamepad (maybe PS Vita sized) would be fantastic. 2) Digital distribution is GOING to change. Not might change, it's going to. And it's probably going to change sooner than we think. Imagine going to the store with your portable. The clerk processes your transaction and you either get a physical card OR the download goes directly onto your portable. The eShop is always integrated, so it adds the purchase to your account, so you can redownload it at any time. This way, you can still get the physical perks and goodies, without having to worry about the physical game becoming damaged and unusable. The perk for Nintendo is obvious, it guarantees a purchase and with no resell, it ensures that every person that buys a game buys a game from Nintendo.
The perk for fans is, without used games bogging down the retail market and little overhead to worry about, prices for games may actually normalize or plateau. They could even drop from current price points (without worrying about physical game manufacturing and distribution, companies would save considerable amounts of money) or ensure faster distribution of new games and content.
And finally, most or least importantly (depending on how much you read into the posting), 3) it seems Nintendo is finally separating the RAM into system functions and gaming WHILE keeping the GPGPU infrastructure. Really, 2GB for system would be fine (4 would be ideal) and 4GB for games (8 would be ideal) would technically work as few developers properly utilize any more than 4 as is. The PS4 uses 8GB of DDR5 and it's a bit of overkill (the games utilize around 3-3.5GB of RAM) due to the fact Sony still has close to 4GB locked to system functions.
Let's say Nintendo used a similar system. By keeping the GPGPU and increasing the speed (2.1GHz, triple core doubled is only 3.4GHz on a triple core processor and 2.8GHz on a quad core, while a 2.4GHz, 6 core processor is close to 3x as fast), Nintendo could effectively match low end outputs from the PS4 as it currently performs. Think 720p as opposed to proposed 4K.
Getting everything to run at 1080p, 60fps is the tricky part, but Nintendo may be eyeing 1440p by then and the widely accepted 120hz broadcast speed for visual processing. It may seem like a pipe dream at current, but Nintendo knows that in another 18 months, 4K won't be some fad anymore. iPhones (whose small screens are made ridiculous with their ultra HD resolution) have already adapted this tech. Other tablets and laptops are getting there.
The big issue is, should this not be over-analyzed nonsense, how does backward compatibility factor in? The answer is already apparent, should the information and Nintendo (or rather, Microsoft's) current strategies be further examined. Physical discs are archaic and the medium is in need of expansion. It's just a fact. As things look better, they grow. As things expand, they grow. So it is with media. Discs are needlessly expensive and fuel isn't getting cheaper. Nor is the oil required to produce these discs. The eShop, when the NX releases, is set to expand considerably. EVERY game Nintendo recognizes as backward compatible, Wii U, Wii, GC, N64, SNES, NES and portable as well, will be a part of this new digital landscape.
The sacrifice is physicality, a sacrifice remedied by memory cards and 'cartridges' no different than current 3DS / Vita cards. The benefit is portability. A system universally accessible, a system that truly necessitates Nintendo breaking region locks and opening its platform to new developers and the return of tried and true monoliths. The only real boon to gamers would be a Nintendo hybrid that mimics Steam's PC universe and abandons the predication that consoles have to work a certain way. While also going everywhere you want to go.

Gunstar Heroes is the shooter genres Ocarina of Time. I'm sure that purchasing a 3rd copy isn't going too far, though I would LOVE for it to become the best selling VC game ever.
Let's face it, there are so many more fantastic Treasure games out there that would work wonderfully on current Nintendo systems.
Like Sin and Punishment for the Wii U / 3DS where shooting and movement is done using the sticks and shooting / melee is done by swiping the screen.
I would almost kill for new Treasure or remastered or remixed or rereleased Treasure!
I'm kind of obsessed with their games..

The fact that this reads like a 9 but you scored it a 7 due to the lack of online almost solidifies this as must buy for me.
Smash Wii U (unlike the 3DS version) forewent a solid single player experience for stronger multiplayer and I never got into it.
The Smash 3DS single player experience is far superior to the online focused Wii U version.
If that's the case here as it was there (as it seems to be, minus a Wii U version) then all the better.

@davidevoid
But you know WHY Steam sales basically give games away, right?
I could EASILY pirate any game on Steam today. ANY game.
It's rewarding those who pick them up legitimately.
Humble Bundles are pretty much exactly the same way. Rewarding players who game legitimately.
Humble Bundles have come to consoles, yes, but they're always more expensive.
That and the cost for a machine that can play every Steam game is 2-4x as expensive as a console.
You need to reward PC gamers for their honesty now a days, if you don't, they just get mad and steal everything.

'The Vita already has plenty of localised games' is a ridiculous statement to make.
Why not?
The Vita is actually doing well in Japan.
If ANY games were being made Stateside, the number of import games would diminish. But there aren't any.
EA is treating a Sony system like a Nintendo system, it's that bad.
Even Ubisoft is looking at it like a portable Wii U (which is kind of what it is, if you think about it).

A talking head speaks from his own script.
That's what it all comes down to.
He's not Miyamoto.
He's not even Sakurai.
He's a cog or a spring that helps the mechanism work.
But the gaming industry isn't composed of irreplaceable pieces.
Everyone is expendable.
Look at Nintendo's business structure, their profit margins and their financial forecasts. As a member of such a massive and publicly viewed company, you always keep tabs on what you say and what your individual proponents say. The fact is, Nintendo releases public statements about the issues he was discussing and what Pranger said not only flew in the face of 'non-issue' or 'no comment' that Nintendo has issued, it also contradicted specific details Nintendo themselves have given.
I used to paint at my old job. We made our own paint. Our paint was so good, we gave 25 year, no questions asked warranty on the efficacy of the paint. Now let's assume that at some point, someone mixed the paint incorrectly and this could cut the paint's lifespan to a third of that. The proper thing to do would be to a) destroy that batch of paint b) recall any items previously painted with that particular batch and c) to retrain the mixer as to the correct proportions.
Let's say the manager was particularly upset and employees felt that the mixer was under an undue amount of stress. In that exact case, those interpersonal details would not need to be publicly shared. Comparing that situation to Pranger's, he basically blamed the mixer's failings on not only the paint being hard to mix but also on the manager for stressing the worker out. And he didn't do it internally, as pretty much every single company ever requires be done. No. He did so publicly and emotionally, compromising both his company and his own personal merit as a member of the industry.

Excave 2 for 5$.
At 10$, I passed.
At 5$, I'll play.
I'm not scrounging for pennies or worried about making rent.
Anyone who can't find anything to play should save that unused money and buy a PS4 or X1. That way, there's at least something for them every week and then maybe some positivity will come back to the Nintendo communities.

The character art reminds me of Etrian's portfolios, the battles remind me of FE and the sprites remind me a little bit of Hatsune Miku (though I've never played any games of that series).
It's interesting, with some fun character designs (Atlus does do a nice job of coming up with funky characters) but still a bit odd seeing the Sega logo on the 'credits' screen.
As much as I've moved away from the more outlandish Manga Entertainment animes, I still enjoy seeing those crazy costumes and outlandish hairstyles. Here's hoping for a demo, cause I'm about done with all my RPGs and it'd be nice to find some fresh blood.

@ikki5
So, you're saying that charging 60$ for the game without DLC, and 100$ with a season pass (which is what Ghosts sold for here) is a better option than picking and choosing what you want?
Maybe BOTH should be made available, but don't you dare pretend that 4 extra maps and a handful of weapons is even close to fair for the extra 40-60$ season passes cost now.
While we're at it, let's just call out Destiny. Season passes and full scale DLC packs on top of having to pay Gold or Plus memberships just to play the game.
Console gamers still have no idea. When we're paying retail price for the game AND 10-20$ a month just to log-in (and your connection isn't even helped by overloaded servers) then we can complain that gaming is ridiculously priced.
Splatoon, Smash and MK8's best features and updates aren't paid, let's just remember that. One day that may change and then we'll want to go back to days like today, when complaining about not getting a Kazuya costume for free will seem redundant.
For those who may read this, who want to rail against the structure, ask yourself one thing: have you supported DLC in any way or purchased an amiibo like figure? If so, you're in the same camp as me. You might want it to change, but you're a hypocrite just for buying into the system.

You know, to be fair @-Godot , Alex was what, 13 when this game came out?
Which made him 8 when the PS2 came out and just 14 when the PS3 came out.
I know it's probably hard to believe, but working as a writer and going to school don't afford a person a ton of expendable income.
Until quitting my job, taking hiatus for 3 years to finish my bachelor's and finally finishing Law school, I was pretty much broke.
Part-time jobs during Law school only pay for living expenses, so it's tough to game properly.
Now that I'm 'out there', making real money, it's fun gaming again. But man, when you're scraping the barrel (particularly in your teens when you just want to buy a car and get your own laptop, or whatever) gaming is only as good as whatever you can afford.
Hence the reason 3rd party games really boomed as multi-plat releases during the PS2 / GC / Xbox / DC era. The fact the DC actually got non-Sega games is still pretty unbelievable..

@Zack777
I'm not sure you're old enough to remember gaming history, so I'll let you in on a little bit of the most important stuff.
2-bit (single plane, no movement, the 'light slider', no gaming applications), 4-bit (dual plane, no perceived depth), 8-bit (dual plane, simulated depth), 16-bit (appropriated depth, larger, more complex pixels), 32-bit (increased polygon usage, greater sense of depth). From 32-bit on, the system has simply further complicated the pixels, expanded resolutions, increased efficacy and expounded computational prowess.
A sample tree could be Pong - NES / Megadrive - SNES / Genesis - PS1 / Saturn - N64 / Jaguar - PS2 / Dreamcast - Xbox / GCN / Wii - PS3 / 360 - Wii U - PS4 / XB1.
The difference between systems is always so much more complicated than it appears on the surface. In example, the Jaguar. A terrible system, no doubt, but not because it was weak. The Dreamcast had comparable architecture to the PS2 (which did not measure to the Xbox the way people remember it matching up) but the PS2 had backwards compatibility, Square Enix's support and a built in DVD player (something that was sensible to do, but only in that exact window).
More than any other system, Sony found the exact mix of technical capability and practical sensibility and it is a milestone console that, in my humble opinion, will never be outsold. The Wii U followed the same exact trend that consoles had followed for 26 years. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 (the PS3 / 360) and finally, 1024. The Gigabyte console. The next step in the line.
What separates Sony and Microsoft in this junction is they no longer pine for system exclusive games (though their press conferences, ads, marketing trees and promotional deals suggest otherwise). Sony and Microsoft realize Nintendo isn't competition anymore. So the focus shifts to winning the hundred million strong PC gaming army. Fortunately for everyone, this creates a unified front, one that makes it easier than ever to port from PCs and vice versa.
This is the sole reason the Wii U fell following it's release. Like with motion controls, Sony and Microsoft jumped Nintendo's push forward by abdicating the console market entirely. A game that requires a 2 GB patch to prevent it from corrupting your system, at launch, is a degradation of the 'console' market as we know it.
A game that is simply unplayable due to programmers oversights is an area of expertise and great frustration for many a PC gamer, but one somehow foreign to console gamers. Until the PC-fication of home gaming that is.
It is no longer about creating a machine that games and provides entertainment, it is about creating a machine that looks like a PC, acts like a PC and sounds like a PC, without having to deal with the nuances of PC gaming. That nuance is simply flooding new systems and the days of mandatory installs, multi-GB updates, OS reworks and hardware incompatibility is now here to stay.
If what you want from gaming is what the PS4 and XB1 provide, you are simply admitting that you're simply too poor to buy a proper PC gaming rig. But that is what is in the box you're desiring and that is all you will find there. Nintendo spurs the notion that PC gaming is the only 'true way to play'. They push the envelope, and often the system spurs their advances. Because, like you, the people are the industry fed and controlled. No new thing can suffice when the well-trodden path is so much simpler. I blame Nintendo for not being ready to push. Their ideas and devices were incomplete. But I'd rather run the deck of a sinking ship that doesn't believe the earth is flat than stay docked and swab it.

Nintendo's chief says it's learned from the mistakes of the Wii U and the 3DS and now a usually reliable source says the next console won't be as powerful as the PS4.
4K - unnecessary. Adoption rates are abysmal and it doesn't integrate gaming.
Blu-ray - unnecessary. Nintendo has their own high capacity option.
Having 8GB of GDDR5 RAM is also unnecessary, when you only allocate 256MB of DDR3 for background apps. Oh and the fact that 90% of devs who USE more than 4GB are working on PCs and so consoles really don't need that amount of RAM. It's to ensure the PS4 lasts, and yet, even 8 is considerably lacking now (16, 32, even 64 is on the market).
The point is, Sony is a tech company. They make the 20k dollar TVs, the 50K dollar projectors and the 5k dollar PCs that console gamers either don't care about, can't afford or just can't utilize fully.
The point in this comment is, Nintendo doesn't NEED to make a console as powerful as the PS4, which tried to be the living room PC gaming machine with less piracy. Nintendo makes consoles. They're the only one that still does make genuine consoles. Specs work differently when you don't have all the garbage Sony crammed into their big black box. The Gamecube tried playing the power game and to this day, is one of the best reasons for Nintendo to stay as far away from Sony's example as possible. People are buying the core Nintendo titles and they're buying Wii Us and 3DSs to do so.
No one buys a Nintendo system for their superior 3rd party experiences, their PC like experiences or their media / set top box experiences. They buy Nintendo systems for the games. As long as Nintendo keeps the 'innovation' to smart and practical, intelligent and affordable, they're in good shape.
Once they go too far with something (the Gamepad is far too bulky to be taken seriously by average consumers, the dual screen gaming fad of the portable line-up got old in 2010 and mandatory motion controls have aggravated gamers to no end) that's when they start losing interest.

Atelier, for those who question (or questioned) Nintendo's choice of resistive over capacitive, is a shining example of why resistive will always be superior in drawing applications. Bamboo is all resistive, a fact that fails to escape design students considering iPads. The fact is, if you've got the cash to spend, go with a powerful laptop and a high end Bamboo pad. iPad's works don't tend to translate well with a) PC apps and b) higher end design software. Just for reference.

@TwilightAngel Now, or over a dozen times in the past (analog control stick, shoulder buttons, motion controls, copyright protection, D-pad (which few have managed to get right to this day), second screen gaming, dual screen gaming, touchpad controller input, VR, the ABXY button tree and force feedback, not to mention creating the action RPG genre, refining and perfecting the platformer genre and giving companies like Squaresoft, Enix, Konami, Capcom and others exclusive venues to create and re-envision their works for a home audience, before companies began to buy other companies' allegiances).
The fact of the matter is this: Sony is an entertainment company. They've sold their PS systems for over a decade as a set-top box for the rest of us (aka, Joe Blow and family, who don't have 3k sitting around, waiting to be thrown away on what is still an underutilized system). Microsoft is a PC company. Since the beginning, they've advertised the XB as a living room PC for the rest of us (Joe Blow and family, who don't have the 2k initiation fee and the 2k upgrade fee, and thereby don't get caught up in an industry racked with piracy. Piracy which has driven the cost of PC games in general to near dirt status, numbers clearly represented in the cost of Steam titles, GOG and mobile gaming's subsequent rise to prominence. Quality is tanking and quantity is skyrocketing, but that's another issue altogether).
There is no pure gaming experience out there, so perhaps a return to form is necessary, say the advent of 3D console gaming, when games like Tomb Raider and Ocarina of Time were revolutionary pieces of software that existed regardless of whatever hardware supported them.
Whatever negative, slanderous, pessimistic thing one can possibly say about Nintendo, I can't imagine either of the other two bringing about that (incredibly necessary) change any better of more capably.
What has Sony done worth copying?
What has Microsoft done worth copying?
Legitimate question, I genuinely want to know.

@DarkKirby Totally missed the boat there. He's comparing the PS4 AND the XBOne to PCs, not the Wii U or each other.
As a 'superior' PC gamer, I expect a better reading proficiency, but that is beside the point.
On topic, the Wii U wasn't hurt by a resistive, 480p screened Gamepad. Look at people's reaction to the Gamepad and read the Internet boards. It's the SIZE that hurt it's chances. Very similar to the Vita's open faced design, expensive memory cards and general lack of 3rd party games (Japanese support is there, but not much else).
The NX, in my humble opinion, needs to perfect the Wii's still lacking motion controls, retain some element of the Wii U's touch input, launch with everything from Day 1 (no Day 312 patches for TVii, no waiting for media apps, and definitely no holding out on digital media), fix the accounts system, support existing architecture, push sales with unique and exciting games, be open and user friendly, open up Miiverse (which was a cool idea, it just hasn't done anything) and, last but certainly not least, come packed with a more committed, more willing, more aggressive 3rd party plan of attack.
EA, more than anyone, dammed the Wii U, with it's sudden and rather dramatic withdrawal. Yes, Nintendo hasn't helped themselves much, but EA was there, in 2011, on stage, flying the Wii U's colors proudly. And then, in a measure of pride, pulled a complete 180, going so far as employees slandering the unit on social media.
I personally think, if Nintendo really wants the hardcore crowds back, they should get 2K to make their 2K sports series system exclusive, to get some other 3rd party exclusives and to push back against the grain, giving both something different and something powerful. And that starts where all the best things come from: collaborations.
I'm calling it now: teaser images at this year's TGS, controller reveal at E3 next year, Xmas release next year. And while they're at it, launch enhanced versions of XBCX and Zelda U with the system and remake Metroid Prime Trilogy in HD, as a single adventure, with BOTH standard and motion control options.

Contrary to popular opinion, I didn't think Nintendo did horribly, only when compared to Sony and Microsoft.
Then again, EVERYONE showed next to nothing. Nothing this year (not a Halo fan, Tomb Raider is just an Uncharted rip-off now and Star Fox seems like a poor man's Mass Effect, but with vehicles instead of personable characters) of any interest, aside from 2 Wii U games already out in Japan.
Microsoft did next to nothing. Pseudo BC (sounds like what they were originally going to do to prevent used games, to be honest), overpriced, overcomplicated PC controller (obviously pandering to the PC gaming crowd) and a bunch of useless talk about VR tech which, let's face it, makes about Sony dropped 5 minutes of a game that has been in development for over 6 years (and it honestly didn't look game changing the way the first two in the series did), a remake that fans have been asking for for over 10 years (and both SE and Sony ignored for at least 9) and barely showed any new content from No Man's Sky (which is still the most vague title in their 'arsenal').
Nintendo showed a few games announced last year and dropped a few shovelware 3DS games to try and fatten the pot. Unfortunately, it's now 1st party titles that are turning to shovelware. Nothing on the NX front (which they confirmed before the show), no new Metroid Prime, Kid Icarus, Pokémon, DK (not a platformer, but an open world game) or any info regarding the New 3DS and whether or not any other games will be released exclusively for it (though I suspect Hyrule Warriors may take advantage of it's specs in a significant way).
Even 3rd parties were lacking.
Ubisoft did what was predicted, with nothing breaking really happening. EA was typical EA. And Bethesda dropped 3 sequels, one overhyped with a rehashed plotline, surprisingly shoddy character models and cutscenes and a recycled combat system. Another was excessively violent and a bit boring, complete with banal AI and simply teeming with old hat gameplay and repetitive gunplay. And the last, a true bright spot, but one so entirely overshadowed by its copy and paste brethren that it was conveniently pushed aside once the brief 'demo' was completed.
Like the E3 before this one and the 15 before that one, this was another year of speeches, multi-million dollar cutscenes and adverts and little substance in the midst. I'm beginning to think that companies like Pixar sponsor E3, just to see who they would like to add to their team of 3D animation movie makers because (like usual) E3 was overly cinematic, under informative, excessively vague and incredibly overhyped. 2015 has been a wash and doesn't look like it'll get much better.
Here's to 2016 friends (considering that's when every game worth anything seems to be releasing)!

Pardon, @NL
but as my final comment can't technically be one of personal affluence, I simply must point out: the Lost Age does NOT take place during the first game. It is a direct sequel which overlaps with just the final battle and end game content. For reference, the brief write up here also contains a slight grammatical error.
Again, thanks for your time.

Funny how the game is demerited by some commenters, based on a decidedly skewed review. I like how IGN and Gamespot get bashed constantly by disgruntled gamers, but it seems that biased reviewers are everywhere.
To be honest, I haven't enjoyed a singly one of Jowi's reviews enough to sit through the entirety of his forced diatribe and subsequently resign from this site.
Combining these sorts of reviews with European gamers' attitudes, views and opinions (in general, there have been exceptions), I can no longer frequent these pages.
Providing a realistic, if negative and harrowing, view of professional gaming and sharing the opinions and comments I receive from my subscribers has provided me with little enjoyment on this site.
I just feel that alot of gamers are treading water and can't help our group with any relevant information.
This has been Nathan M C, Canadian gaming correspondent.
Thank you for your time and conversation.

It's sad they limit comments to 1000.
If they had Miiverse working the way it should, EVERY submission could actually be received, instead of the 1000 fastest.
With a month, I know some artists with Sketchpad that could craft masterpieces not even Nintendo would shy away from using.

'It inspired me to make my own game, subsequently realizing that it's really hard to make a game that controls well.'
Is how this SHOULD have read.
Due to terrible controls, I've never found reason to play through any Wonder Boy games (a series milked early that died after about a decade) versus finishing Mario and Mario 3 a combined 11 times (a series going on 30+ years in the west).

@minotaurgamer
Trolls other 'gamers' because he lives in North America's toilet and acts like he's the king of excrement mountain.
Every. Single. Post.
Without the language skills, experience, foresight, insight or general intelligence to debate it, please crawl back to your cave.
Your stench is bringing tears to my eyes.

The films have experienced slight interruptions while playing on the Wii U, suggesting the film may not even be a full download but some sort of linked stream.
Which is, in and of itself, garbage.
I don't mind paying for FULL content, but for this?
What a joke.
I can't even watch some 20 minute trailer without Nintendo's terrible hardware ruining the experience.
Honestly, this may be the last straw.

The funny thing to me: this is a European site. European preorders are higher for the new games than X/Y. So a bunch of the 'super attached' X/Y battlers will complain but it's obviously making money. More than the last ones.
Make money vs spend a bunch of time patching an older game that no one is willing to spend money on (Pokemon and DLC, get serious, you wouldn't buy it). It's a BUSINESS.
Is this not obvious through the financial reports, sales figures and quarterly projections?

This is upsetting but EA charging full price to shuffle their rosters and change up some logos is worth 60$..?
Sad.
Gamers are becoming penny pinching pantywaists.
Everything is soooo terrible.
How can we even live??
My. God.
The fact Nintendo supports X / Y for months with content updates and new stuff is near genre breaking in and of itself.
You guys do realize there are two versions of MH4 and 3 versions of Yokai Watch 2 out, right??
EVERY COMPANY DOES THIS.
Get with the times?
They ARE with the times.
The times are this: new version to invalidate the old. Retailer exclusive content and DLC. Abandoning an old game to support a new one.
Sonic the Lost World is cheaper on the eShop.
Why? Sonic Boom.
Get with the times people. Nintendo and Gamefreak are on to the next one. That's where money is. Because (repeat after me) new games sell systems.

'I want Zelda anime.'
'The Mario movie could have been great.'
'Don't buy original Nintendo movies.'
Seems hypocritical.
It's like, I know I could cheat a studio like IG, Ghibli or Kodansha and just stream shows online or even rip them from Pirate Bay (or ther similar site) with a bit torrent client.
I guess I'm still of that mentality where if you really like something, you support it. Giving this a view on YouTube isn't supporting it, for the record.
It's kinda weird to me.. people want Nintendo to be more cinematic, to be more like Microsoft and Sony, to be an entertainment company. They have all these ideas then Nintendo does something like this and it's a waste.
Because Mr. Random NOBODY on the Internet thinks he knows what a company that's been in business for over 100 years needs to do to survive.

I'm counting 9 I'd be down for, with A.N.NE., RIVE, Chromophore and Nihilumbra topping that list.
Obviously, Pier Solar HD, Hyper Light Drifter, Mighty No. 9 and Assault Android Cactus are still very much on my purchase list too.
It'll be interesting to see how titles like Runbow, ASA and Xeodrifter play out, but there's a ton of quality stuff here. And if you don't think so, you've spoiled yourself on retail releases.

Like Game Informer, I expect this of EVERY review.
Which is why I don't trust them.
I like long grinds.
I just hate 4500 enemy encounters in an area the size of the Happy Mask Shop.
I like a minimal amount of enemies. It gives me a chance to prepare and strategize.
But most of all, I love a traditional experience. Costume Quest 2 was RUINED by the QTE style battles. Breath of Fire 2 seemed like the battles were an afterthought.
Combat centred RPG, beautiful visuals and generic yet catchy music.
The catch? I KNOW I'll enjoy Pier Solar HD. I'm holding a MD cart in my hand. I've been there and back and know that, while modern gamers seek modern advancements, I am not a modern gamer. I'm still looking back and anything entertaining along the way is just icing on the cake.
It's why a game like Ocarina will be the best game ever for some and an afterthought for others. Why Call of Duty of GTA 8 (I've been counting too, Rockstar) will never really appeal to some people. And why gaming corporations can spend billions on technology and still fail without that one pivotal experience.

Bettered by the 3DS version, but still the most playable 3D Zelda available.
Maybe Majora has the best story and Wind Waker the more timeless art atyle, but OoT has the pick up and play style and a real sense of folklore about it.
Regardless of the age or experience of the gamer, I find the simplistic story to be the most endearing.
Outside of Link's Awakening or a Link to the Past, Zelda games were practically devoid of story, something Ocarina not only directed but perfected in it's time.
As a game, later entries refined the format, but never managed to do for their console nor their genre what OoT accomplished.

'Getting overcharged for everything'..?
Really?
You assume we North American gamers don't remember how Bayonetta 2, SM3D World and MK8 were available from select online retailers for less than full price, from day 1.
And yet, here we are, talking about how a handful of those companies are 'screwing you over' with inflated prices.
Or how Smash's later release date in the EU region is unfair, despite getting Hyrule Warriors early.

If Nintendo spent as much on ads as Sony and MS, they'd be losing alot more.
True story: European and particularily UK gamers don't buy Nintendo console games. The MK8 numbers are mostly from bundles, the only bundle that's selling and the only game anyone cares about.
Japan SEEMS like the worst market, but only due to a much smaller population.
Then again, it's due to the greater population density that handhelds are so popular.
Bayonetta 2, as I've said before, is just the next Nintendo game to fail to move Wii Us. Without FIFA, the Evil Within, Destiny or Middle Earth, the Wii U isn't even an option, as far as European gamers are concerned, regardless of how poorly these games may play.

Reading the last paragraph over, it comes across as a bit of an oxymoron.
Brutal difficulty, best asset.
Incredibly frustrating, overly difficult.
And yet, no mention of how rewarding the experience can be.
So it's nearly unfair but not quite, yet still not enough to warrant a recommendation.
A clearly muddied review, if I've ever seen one.

Honestly, the fact that Tim Burton has done an Alice film, the fact Todd McFarlane created his Twisted toy line based on Alice, and let's not forget American McGee's existing video games.
Adult?
Maybe a tad juvenile, but then again, the 3DS also plays home to Senran Kagura and the Conception series.
Maybe Nintendo gamers need to get out more, as I found these games to be incredibly tame, B-movie spins on a rather open license.
Looking at Carrol's other works (The Jabberwocky and some of his photography) I'm not surprised he's inspired such pieces.
And no, I don't think it is entirely logical to compare a Wiiware release (less than 10% of all Wii gamers purchased this) to a 3DS shop release.
Anyone remember Muramasa's release 'controversy'?
As it was already out on a console, the company wanted it's HD (pseudo HD) release to take advantage of a different environment (aka, portable).
Though many gamers had issues with the title not being on their PS3 / PS4, it gave the title a new home and a new dynamic (portability) to take advantage of. While also giving the Vita another must have experience (the game needs to be experienced on the OLED model to truly shine).

After waiting months for Costume Quest 2, I decided to buy and download this first.
After 2 hours of enjoyment, I made the mistake of switching to the freshly installed CQ2. What a massive disappointment. I thought the first game could and would have been improved by the sequel and walk away, gravely mistaken.
Bayonetta 2 may be the season's most wanted title, but CQ2 is definitely the 'best to avoid'. Lazy all around. Sloppy. Unfunny. Just a sad offering from a company taking a bit too much of it's own press.
Enjoy Demon's Crest. Kill yourself to finish it and go back.
There are FAR worse options out there.

A week isn't really a big deal. And the West gets ALOT of Wii U stuff before Japan.
It is console related so..
Remember the Wii U itself released later in Japan, so that's not really anything new.

I thought it was strange.. fight the same enemies for two games (a sense which builds a continuous world within the games, rather than disconnecting them) then throw new enemies in. Enemies that, over 80 or so levels, had never been seen.
In a game overview, it creates variety.
But maybe remember, alot of those NSMB enemies are enemies from over 20 years ago.
Nintendo's Mario games sell, not for a surplus of variety, but for a similar experience from a different viewpoint. Like with many Nintendo franchises, a primary tale is told and new stories are told by approaching that tale from a different perspective.
Take Metroid.
Metroid. Super Metroid. Zero Mission. Other M. Prime.
Same tale, completely different perspectives.
Zelda may be the only series that doesn't follow that exact mantra and it's cutscenes and fanaticism is evident of a much grander story.
DKC trilogy was, at it's most basic, a modernizing of Mario and Kirby with some Metroidvania foreshadowing.
It 'told a story' but really, it was Rare's attempt at turning DK to a hero after his early villainy, a move that completely reimagined the character.
The thing is, they couldn't make their vision fit DK's history and thus, the transformation.
Mario's history doesn't necessitate such a transformation.
His is a legacy that has spun off more successful franchises than any other could dare dream.
While the core games may have a certain feel to them, only one NSMB game has appeared per console / handheld. Versus two Galaxy games.
3 incredibly similar DKC games, 3 slightly different experiences.
Nintendo themselves have never created 3 such experiences for the same system in their history.
Nintendo creates a franchise and brings it to each new machine, as each new machine has significant differences over previous hardware.
Versus 3rd parties.
Capcom, Square, Naughty Dog, EA, Sony, Rare, Microsoft, Tecmo, Namco, Valve, Konami and so many others have ridden multiple sequels on multiple platforms.
How many gamers have owned a DS, a Wii, a 3DS AND a Wii U?
3D, motion control, touch capabilities. Each new hardware offers new things.
To be honest, I love this trilogy.
But Rare was a one trick pony on SNES to a fault. One game series.
And then, aside from Goldeneye and Banjo Kazooie, they didn't really do anything significant on the N64, before they sank further into mediocrity with Microsoft.
I'd play this series again, I just don't enjoy giving money to Microsoft just because they own the burned out husk of a long dead, briefly great developer.

To all the DKC detractors, consider this: Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow and Circle of the Moon are NOT available on the eShop in Europe yet and hey, maybe you've already played DKC 30 times before.
Pathetic how some VC games make people go to emulators (GBA) and some make them grab the pitchforks, wondering why they can't buy the games NOW (DKC).

7 new indie games (a few high profile titles).
3 new VC games (all pretty good games).
And still.. Not having Devil World, or DKC is apparently a big deal.
NoA with the BEST update week in months and there's still this many people complaining.
Seems like Nintendo's target audience still wears diapers, cause all I ever hear Nintendo 'gamers' talking, all I smell, rhymes with fit.
Seems Nintendo 'gamers' throw both around alot.
If this is what Iwata has to look forward to each day, dealing with spoiled children, I'm surprised he hasn't quit.

9.99$ huh?
I'm kinda torn.
I withheld a version on the iPad and now..
The 7.99$ price they tossed around was manageable (if not a tad inflated).
At 9.99 (and likely more in Canada) there's almost too much competition to care.
It makes me kind of sad, but after all the waiting, I think I'll pass.
Maybe if it comes on sale, but not at 10$.

The price, according to those I've talked with, is by far the most off-putting part of the game. It's more expensive than a Shovel Knight or a Steamworld Dig and that seems to be hurting sales.
1001 Spikes sold WAY more copies at 10.01$ than at 15$, in example.
This game is even more expensive than that. In fact, it's got the same price as NEW Remix 2. The competition undersold Lone Survivor, and provided more enjoyable experiences.

@Whia1967
great SPAM, @NL
Anyways.. the game scored 3 points higher here than I had it on PC.
I find the game looks tired and the experience tends to shamble.
It's unnecessarily confusing, convoluted and even a bit pretentious.
It tries to be so much more than it ends up becoming. Another pixel fest of uninspired proportions.

Costume Quest 2, good VC, Pier Solar, the Swapper, Lego Batman 3, Sonic Boom.
Sorry Stealth Inc. 2. You just got here too late.
There's wayyyyy too much else to get this.

So yet another week of 'why aren't console games stronger in Japan' when Japan IS showing sales, just not for Nintendo titles.
Which makes perfect sense. Zero new Wii U games since Bayonetta 2.
9 brand new games in the top 20.
The initial sales push is the strongest.
It's just how it happens.
The fact that Yokai Watch, YW2, Smash, MK8 and DQ Online are in this list at all speaks volumes of their lasting appeal.
A pity because no one bought Bayonetta 2 or Hyrule Warriors or that companies like Namco, Konami, Square Enix and Capcom don't support the Wii U and Japanese gamers are simply following suit?

People are 'waiting for Smash'..?
Nintendo fans and a handful of gamers on the Internet are waiting for Smash.
People don't care.
Mainstream media doesn't care.
Sakurai thinks this will do a third of the 3DS' numbers? He's smoking something funky, if he thinks the Wii U version sells anywhere near a million units this year. It'll bomb in Japan where they don't care, bomb in Europe where Smash already fell short of expectations and bomb in the US where the Wii U is seen as a blackmark on Nintendo's reputation.
It's not the salvation for this dying console. It's nowhere near enough to satiate gamers, heading into a 'stacked' 2015, a year that looks promising but will likely signal Nintendo's final year in the home console market.
Like the Wii, the Wii U dies with Zelda.

Pathetic.
3DS is losing momentum outside of Japan and Wii U is basically dead in Japan.
Sure, yeah, great numbers.
After comparing directly to some of the worst months for hardware sales Nintendo has ever experienced.
Wii U is still nothing if not on life support.
It's in critical condition and will NEVER be 'good'.
I can see it, it's obvious.
PS3 and 360 are still competition.
Specs wise, they're comparable.
And developers are phasing them out.
Without the Japanese developers' support (the last holdouts from the current gen systems), the old guard will at last fall by the wayside.
The Wii U will not get a renewed 3rd party with more hardware sales.
That ship was never an option.
No one will 'dumb down' their precious software for the Wii U and Nintendo's budget console will be relegated to niche machine.
It's not pessimism. It's being able to see and hear how things really are.
Nintendo's time in the sun has long passed.
So now, they need to release the games they're pushing to release and go back to the drawing board. Forget Japan as far as consoles are concerned and do it properly this time.

I've got some solid reasoning behind my claims that F Zero is dead to Nintendo.
1) Handheld decline.
While the first KILLED (334k in Japan, 273k in the US), the second did just 79k in Japan while Climax moved less than 10k units.
2) Install base.
The SNES version was 1 in 49, the N64 was 1 in 68, the GC was 1 in 36 and the first GBA game was (using just the US and Japanese numbers) 1 in 96.
So aside from the GC version doing respectably, the series has been in constant decline since it's debut.
3) Cost effectiveness.
Without even delving into the other versions, let's look at GX.
3rd party development, arcade machine development, arcade / GC integration.
Due to Nintendo subletting the project and Sega developing the title for the arcades, Nintendo's gains per sale is less than 60% vs 100% for every other incarnation.
The Gamecube's low install base is another figure that negatively impacts the relevance of GX as a sequel worthy entry.
Mario Kart 8 stands with a 1 in 10 install, while NSMBU is over 1 in 2 (closer to 1.1 in 2).
Both titles, despite the 7-8 million Wii Us sold, have exceeded GX's lifetime numbers (on a system that sold over 21 million units).
The reality of a 1 in 36 install base is less than 200k games. Worldwide.
Even a 1 in 20 install base is less than 350k units.
Estimations put an HD F Zero at 12 million dollars to properly develop, market and distribute.
Which means, just to break even, Nintendo would have to price the title at 50-60$ and sell 400-600k copies to break even.
The point is, while the title COULD happen on a console, say, 5-10 million sales from now, it isn't happening anytime soon and it isn't happening on a portable. A port of GX COULD hit the New 3DS, but the likelihood of Nintendo putting such a fast moving game is as good as Sega making a new home console.

Point is: you don't get games by asking.
Nintendo isn't a charitable organization.
They're here to make money.
By selling games.
And making games that make money.
Gamers want with their mouths and pinch their pennies, waiting for deals.
They don't vote with money, they just expect.
It's like paying for a dollar burger and expecting half a kilo of prime rib.

@electrolite77
Electrolite77 ''Yeah, spend millions of dollars making games for a system 'old' Nintendo gamers won't buy because of a lack of 3rd party software, forgetting the last game any of us purchased legally from Nintendo was probably GX.''
Just some friendly banter.
For reference, if the game had actually, I dunno, sold systems and moved a decent amount of copies, maybe GX would have a sequel.
As Koei Tecmo how likely it'll be to give Wii U another Fatal Frame before shoving your fist in your mouth.

As racing games are one of my least favorite genres, I honestly couldn't care less.
I find them one dimensional, shallow experiences.
My brother and I played the first Top Gear on the SNES and enjoyed it for the most part, though it's not a game we enjoyed going back to it recently.
Nor am I an overly competitive gamer, a fact that lands me firmly in Nintendo's platform, RPG, puzzle heavy camp.
F Zero, to be blunt, is a faster, less whimsical Mario Kart. Created by a poorer studio than Sony's veritable GT powerhouse. To satiate the drones of 'old school' gamers who claim their love for the game (and genre) isn't fueled entirely by youthful nostalgia when really, the game never advanced beyond the 64's jump to 3D.
Unfortunately, when you're talking F Zero and other mindless racers, you also have to consider that 3D is in and of itself, a rather loose term.
Like Star Fox on the GC, the series and it's creators hit a wall well over a decade ago and one not worth wasting money overcoming.
So many better offerings available.