Q) Could it be NX-bound, or do you think it's a shock Wii U or 3DS release?
A) With the NX not coming out until March of next year and Legend of Zelda U not being available for the holidays, I could see whatever their working on right now to be a late 2016 Wii U release. The information here suggests a racing game, but what kind of racing game is another question that would need to be asked.
A new Excite racing game would be the most likely thing to consider, but if I remember correctly, there used to be a lot of rumours of making Monster Games making a new Diddy Kong Racing game. It is certainly a possibility, but with those terms, many of Nintendo's racing IPs could be considered a possibility.
Q) Are any of you in the UK planning to jump on these?
A) Whilst I do really want the Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Fortissimo Edition, I rarely shop anywhere outside of GAME for my video games, particularly when it comes to online shopping. I've put in a word with my usual GAME store, so my copy of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will immediately default to the special edition once their store has it announced available for pre-order.
@Gorlokk 'the fact that they aren't going to show off the NX means that we probably won't be seeing any new Wii U games.'
Doesn't that likely mean the exact opposite? If they are not going to be showing off the NX, then all the focus will be on the Wii U and 3DS. This means that they are more likely to announce new games for those systems. Heck, with the Zelda U delay (likely to release around the same time as NX port), we've already a 2017 releasing Wii U game in the line-up.
I'm disappointed to hear that the Wii U will go without having it's own individual Zelda title, even if I wasn't interested in this latest outing in The Legend of Zelda series. I'm also disappointed that they are not giving Wii U owners a nice early treat in having the Wii U version release for the holidays.
Along with the 'no NX being shown at E3' news though, this surely means we are getting more Wii U and 3DS games announced for 2016. They'll have to release something to cover the holiday period, and whilst there were some mixed opinions about some of the late 2015 games of last year, there were still newly released games available in that time period.
@Grumblevolcano Ah, I see I made a mistake with my comment. I already knew that they weren't going to be showing off the NX at E3 this year, but missed out the 'not' in my sentence. Thank you for pointing that out.
I was right to believe that the NX wasn't coming out in 2016. I admit, I didn't expect it to be announced for March 2017, but I was still right in thinking it wouldn't be releasing in 2016.
If they are not planning on showing off the NX at E3 this year, that surely means that they'll have more Wii U and 3DS games to announce. This should indeed please me, and I look forward to what games they'll have released for the remainder of the year. My wallet isn't too happy at the prospect of more games to buy later in the year, but as a fan of the Wii U, I'm pleased.
I don't understand the point of increasing the character's ages if they are just going to make changes to the costumes anyway. Doesn't that defy the point of making the age change in the first place?
I'm not a fan of most instances of censorship, and I'm disappointed to hear that there have been changes to a dungeon. I'm hoping that we also don't end up missing out on additional content, even if it is DLC rather than as part of the main game.
Ultimately though, this doesn't change my decision to purchase Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. It still remains my most anticipated game of the year, and I look forward to having a lengthy turn based RPG to play on my Wii U. I'm just disappointed to hear this game is also being effected by censorship, a negative spot amongst mostly positive hopes for the game.
Q) Are you interested in picking this up in the Summer?
A) Yes, I am. I'm glad to hear that not only will there certainly be a physical release of the game (I was worried it was going to be digital only), but that there will also be a special edition available. I've long since had this game pre-ordered, so provided this special edition doesn't cost ridiculous amounts, I'll more than likely obtain it.
Now I just hope I'm able to complete Kirby Planet Robobot before Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE comes out. As much as I've been anticipating this game, a new Kirby game always proves difficult to pull myself away from. June looks to be a fantastic month of gaming for me.
Q) Now it has an actual release window, are you feeling a little more confident about this divisive title?
A) I don't feel that the release date being announced for Metroid Prime: Federation Force effects my confidence in the title in any way, at least when it comes to the expected quality or my enjoyment of the game. The only way I could say my confidence has been effected is in feeling confident that I'll have time to play this game once it releases.
You see, the majority of the games I've been wanting this year have been releasing in the first half of the year. Having Metroid Prime: Federation Force coming out in September, in the 2nd half of the year, gives it a higher chance of being played as soon as I can get it. It should be a fun experience, as I'll likely be playing it alongside my brothers.
Q) Would you like to see the franchise continue on home consoles or do you feel it is better suited to handhelds?
A) I would love to see the franchise appear on home consoles... provided it is available on Nintendo's current home system. I'd be rather annoyed if the series made the jump from Nintendo handheld systems to home consoles only for it to not arrive on Nintendo home systems.
I do love turn based RPGs, and I personally prefer playing games on consoles, so being able to play an entry in a series I love in my preferred manner would be wonderful.
Q) Could we see it move over to smartphones in the potential absence of a dedicated handheld market?
A) We could, and that would make me sad. As someone without a phone and with no plans on ever getting one (unless I stumble across as N-Gage), being barred from the series in future would be disappointing.
Q) Which GamePad features do you rate most highly?
A) I voted for Off-TV play and Usage of the touch /second screen in single player, although I happen to love each of the GamePad's features listed. That's not to say I don't think it could be better, but in terms of what it provides and how it feels in my hands, it is a controller I love to use.
Q) How would you rate the GamePad's impact on gameplay across the Wii U library?
A) I think it's had a very positive effect when used is what I voted for as I feel, whether it is through a small addition or a large addition, that the implementation of the GamePad has improved the experience of my games. Standard features of the GamePad such as Off-TV Play bring about a benefit to any game that doesn't have a specific use for them, and the unique usage of them within a certain games are always appreciated.
Q) Which games make best use of the GamePad?
A) Of the one's listed, I voted for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Nintendo Land, Pokken Tournament, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and The Wonderful 101. There are however many other games I feel made great usage of the GamePad, both on the list and not on the list. For instance, I feel Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, Splatoon, Nihilumbra, and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse made excellent usage of the GamePad, but these were not available options.
Of the votes I made though, I honestly feel The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD has my favourite usage of the GamePad, despite those features being small and optional. Those small and optional features such as accessing my inventory with the touch screen and aiming with the gyroscope greatly improved my experience, and made an already wonderful game even better. To me, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD's usage of the GamePad felt like a showcase of the natural progression of controllers.
Q) What's your overall view of the GamePad?
A) The top vote being 'I love it, another fantastic Nintendo controller' doesn't quite sum up my feelings on the Wii U's GamePad. It is in fact my favourite game controller of all time, and is the controller I have used to play through all my Wii U games. Unless one of my brothers are using it instead, for whatever reason, the GamePad is my go to controller even when there are other options for the game. It's my favourite controller to hold, being incredibly comfortable for me and at a pretty much perfect size for my hands to grip, as well as being filled with features I love using. Typing on the GamePad is wonderful compared to having to use a standard controller, and I've caught myself sometimes going through Miiverse more so than playing a game in a day. It has allowed for, what are in my opinion, significant improvements to games in it's smaller features and unique experiences when the GamePad is at the forefront of a game's focus.
Q) What are you most anticipated 3DS games of 2016?
A) All three of my anticipated games for 3DS happen to be lined up with each other. I'm looking forward to Pokémon Sun and Moon, Metroid Prime: Federation Force / Blast Ball, and Kirby: Planet Robobot.
As a Kirby fan, Kirby: Planet Robobot is the 3DS game I'm looking forward to most of all. Kirby Triple Deluxe happens to be my favourite 3DS game so far, so Kirby: Planet Robobot is bound to please me.
Q) What are your most anticipated Wii U games of 2016?
A) My three votes went to Star Fox Zero / Star Fox Guard, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and Lost Reavers. Of them, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is my most anticipated; helps with it being my most anticipated game of 2016.
I was also going to vote for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, but of course, we only had three votes each. I decided to not vote for it as, unlike the other games I voted for, I don't know when Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will be coming out.
A) Absolutely! I'm hoping that GAME will have those amiibo included bundles available, as it will save my mother the trouble of tracking them down for me as a Christmas present.
I don't have much in the way of money right now, but as a huge fan of the Kirby series, I have no intention of waiting until Christmas for this game. Definitely a day one purchase from me, and alongside Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Kirby Planet Robobot is my most anticipated game of this year.
Too bad they both come out in the same month; I'll be fighting with myself over which one to play each day.
I would like to download the Lost Reavers beta this week, but whether I can or not all depends on whether I can obtain an external hard drive or memory stick that I can use for my Wii U. If I don't download and try it out this week, then it'll have to wait until I get Star Fox Zero and Guard, which will give me an opportunity to get an external hard drive or memory stick.
That said, for all I know, I might have enough room for it as it is. I might even be able to make enough room via deleting the odd demo I still have on the system. We'll see, but I did vote for Lost Reaver's beta in the poll.
Q) Would you welcome fresh Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE content?
A) Whilst I have yet to play the game, what I've seen of it and know of it does appeal greatly to me, so more of said content would be most welcome. It's a large scaled turn based RPG on the Wii U; that alone has me loving it to bits, and what else I know just furthers my love of it.
I'm hoping that when Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE does come out, that I will have a wonderful time with it. In that case, if DLC or a sequel is to be expected for it, then that'll be a wonderful thing to look forward to.
For me, the new control scheme and this game's utilisation of the Gamepad is the primary reason I'm interested in this game. Certainly, the trailers showing off how cool the levels and events can be have gotten me interested, but the unique way of using my favourite controller is what got me interested at first and continues to keep my interest.
Learning to use both screens frequently shouldn't be too hard. I did it with Wonderful 101 to draw powers, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD to change items, and Splatoon to check the map. If it comes down to having to quickly raise the Gamepad, well Project Zero got me fairly quick at that, so I have no worries with the game.
I've watched this trailer twice now, and both times have left me feeling excited. It seems with each trailer shown of Star Fox Zero, I get a better and better impression of it. Admittedly, I'm more interested in Star Fox Guard than I am Star Fox Zero (I think Dillon's Rolling Western got me interested in Nintendo made tower defence games), but both games show fun ways of utilising the Gamepad, and I'm looking forward to trying them out.
It seems Star Fox Guard is eShop only, even with the special edition, which is a bit of a shame. It also means I really need to sort out my data problem... it was all so much easier with memory cards.
It appears I might be the first to comment... or at least amongst the very first. I have experienced a few of these games, and some I did enjoy, but they were not amongst my first thoughts when it came to the Game Boy Advance.
The games I thought of upon thinking of the Game Boy Advance include Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Shining Soul II, Gunstar Future Heroes, Boktai, Pokémon Sapphire (as well as the Ruby and Emerald versions) and the whole Sonic Advance series. Seeing this article, those were the first few GBA games that popped into my mind.
I've seen a lot of people here commenting that they hope the success of Splatoon encourages Nintendo to make more new IPs. I for one, do not agree with that idea, or at least an increase of Nintendo creating more new IP. I believe Nintendo make plenty of new IP on a regular enough basis (Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western, Steel Diver, Codename S.T.E.A.M, Splatoon, and possibly Wonderful 101 are all examples withis this generation) and that the true message Nintendo should take from Splatoon's success is that they should in future advertise and promote their new IPs to a similar degree.
Q) Are you still playing Splatoon on a regular basis?
A) No, I usually only play Splatoon every now and again. This usually means a couple of days before a Splatfest is about to begin. I enjoy playing Splatoon, but I've purchased so many other games that I want to get around to actually playing, rather than just re-experiencing the immense fun of Splatoon solely.
Q) Will the new content encourage you to return if you're not?
A) Not regularly, but I will certainly check out Splatoon soon and probably play at least a couple of days each month. It all depends on how many games I end up getting within that respective month.
Q) So, are you excited about what Spring and Summer are bringing to Wii U and 3DS?
A) I'm very excited for the upcoming Wii U and 3DS line-up. I'm so excited that doing answering this poll with only 5 choices is actually proving difficult. I'm stuck on whether to cast my 5 votes for Pokkén Tournament, Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard, Lost Reavers, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Kirby: Planet Robobot or Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
It's a good thing I don't live in the US, otherwise I'd be adding Bravely Second (which I have with me right now) and the Sega 3D Classics game. For me, the upcoming line-up of games is going to keep my very busy... now to try and decide which of the five to vote for in this poll.
I'm curious about the game, so I'll definitely give it a try when it's beta releases.
The concept and overall look of the game seem pretty fun, but as to whether it'll appeal to me when I get around to playing it, that I'm unsure of. I shall remain optimistic though, and look forward to trying this game out, and hopefully enjoying it a great deal.
I'm so very glad to hear this game have a definitive name and release for my region. I also happen to quite like the name, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and I'm more than okay with getting as English subtitled only.
At the end of last year, I noted this game down as my most anticipated game of 2016. That still hasn't changed and I'm incredibly excited to get this game upon it's release.
As my favourite video game series of all, I'm naturally ecstatic to see that a new Kirby game revealed. Admittedly, I was hoping the next Kirby game would be a mainline title for the Wii U, but given how much I adored Kirby Triple Deluxe (easily in the top 5 best Kirby games in my opinion), I have no problem with a follow-up on 3DS.
Those new Kirby amiibo's are causing my wallet to hurt. I know I already have the SSB Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede figures; but I really want the Kirby line of them as well.
The showcasing of this game in the Nintendo Direct has me pumped up for it's release in April. Admittedly, I think a large party of my hype is actually directed towards the Star Fox Guard unveiling, but I'm still very excited for Star Fox Zero as well.
I look forward to playing both games; which I should be getting as I pre-ordered Star Fox Zero quite a while back.
Given that each version was separated, I was actually expecting to struggle with voting in this poll. Given I had 3 votes though, I found it surprisingly easy.
Pokémon Black and White is my 9th favourite video game (I... count both versions as the same game within my list of favourite games), so I naturally voted for both Pokémon Black and Pokémon White. I loved the usage of only new Pokémon, the story was great, I felt there was more challenge than in previous Pokémon games, and it just felt to me like the journey lasted both in length and in memory.
For my 3rd vote then, I went with Pokémon Platinum. 4th Gen features a lovely region and stars my favourite Pokémon of all; Kricketune. That said, I felt Diamond and Pearl were poorly executed in regards to the order of events, the look of the region given it's supposedly colder setting, and the available Pokémon within the main game. Platinum fixed the majority of my issues I had with Gen 4 main entries and I ended up loving it to bits.
I just hope my delivery of Bravely Second doesn't arrive as I'm watching the direct. I'll admit, I'd have preferred it to be a non-specific direct, but I like Pokémon; I'm okay with a Pokémon Direct.
I'm glad to see both A Link To The Past and Wind Waker feature in both the staff and community's top 5 lists. It's a bit odd, but I find Wind Waker to be my 3rd favourite Zelda, A Link To The Past to be my 2nd favourite Zelda, and Wind Waker HD to be my absolute favourite Zelda game.
It's a shame Skyward Sword didn't make it into either list, though given it's mixed reception, I didn't expect it. I personally loved it, but perhaps it's not for everyone. I am quite surprised to see Twilight Princess feature in the community voted list but not in the staff list; I'm not sure why, but I expected to see that the other way around.
When I saw the image and title, I thought for a moment that Final Fantasy IX was indeed coming to the New Nintendo 3DS. On the one hand, I'm disappointed it's a hack, and on the other hand, I'm relieved.
If it were a legit release of Final Fantasy IX for the New 3DS, I'd of have to go and get myself a New 3DS. As my 2nd favourite video game of all time, there is no way I'd be able to resist.
A) I think that the cover of that book looks awesome. Then again, I find that what I've seen of Genei Ibun Roku #FE as a whole looks lovely; it's vibrant colours help make the game pop.
Q)Would you like this art book to come west?
A) I certainly wouldn't mind it coming to the west; I'd be particularly fond of it being a pre-order bonus for the game. It might be a little harder to find within my area otherwise.
Q) Are you looking forward to this game?
A) Despite my fears that it may lack a physical release in the EU or not come out this year, I still ended up putting this game down as my most highly anticipated game of 2016. It's a large scaled turn based RPG that is exclusive to the Wii U; that description alone has me excited for the game. It also helps that I've enjoyed what I've seen of the game so far as well.
There are a few reasons as to why I'm not excited for the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, and I believe this article already covered them. For starters, I find it a baffling choice for a HD remaster, given you can still play the game through the Wii U's backwards compatibility. It doesn't make much sense to do a HD remaster of Wii games for the Wii U, well, unless they were to be made into a HD collection with multiple games.
Secondly, this is a 2nd HD remaster of a Zelda game in this generation, which counting the handheld remakes as well, includes 4 remastered/remade Zelda games. Along with new main Zelda games and spin-offs, the presence of the series seems rather high this generation, particularly in contrast to many of Nintendo's other series. It just seems like it'd make sense for another Nintendo property to get the HD Remaster treatment by now; perhaps an obscurer property from the GameCube days such as an Odama HD (which would benefit from the GamePad's built in mic) or an F-Zero GX HD (which could potentially revive interest in the series).
Most of all though... I just didn't like playing The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. I still have the Wii version, and I've plenty of other Wii U games to look forward to (and trying to find from it's backlog), so the end result is that Twilight Princess HD just doesn't pop up on my radar.
@iphys A new Punch-Out was something I was hoping would come out on the Wii U, but with Next Level Games busy with Metroid Prime: Federation Force, that doesn't seem to likely now. For an NX release though (possibly even a launch title), that I'd love to see. Too bad it wasn't an option within the poll.
@DESS-M-8 In regards to people wanting a 3D Mario, this is likely due to the latest 3D Mario entry being rather different to the usual 3D Mario titles. Whilst I loved Super Mario 3D World, I recognise it is a different style of game to the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy mold, and fans of that mold want a new entry. I also reckon that people are combing hopes with expectations, and a new 3D Mario seems likely.
As for the second point, it is not obvious as to whether Zelda U will be ported to the NX, a device we still have no confirmation on what it is or when it will come out. Zelda U being ported to the NX is only likely if it comes out this year, and is either a hybrid or the console part of the device (it could be two separate units, who knows).
For me, I don't have much love for Metroid or F-Zero, though there are plenty of more obscure Nintendo franchises I'd loved to have voted for. Punch-Out, Another Code, Panel De Pon, The Legendary Starfy, Magical series, Balloon Fight; too bad there wasn't an Other option to vote for. Add onto that the reasoning of what would best for the NX launch line up, none of mine would probably be very effective for a launch line-up.
@geozeldadude Fire Emblem wasn't included in the poll? Well what do you know, it wasn't. I guess my mind was focused on the absence of Kirby from the poll more than any other IP.
As for new IP, I do believe that should have been included as an option. That said, the 3DS did launch with a new IP, Steel Diver, and it didn't help the 3DS' launch too much.
@MrGawain As far as I'm aware, Nintendo does actually own the Wonderful 101 IP, despite Platinum Games being the creator. That said, I'm not 100% sure on this. In either case, I imagine Platinum Games wouldn't mind making a Wonderful 101 sequel, though I imagine the number they'd use for it's title would be bigger than 102.
@Ogbert I agree that for an F-Zero game to have a chance at success, it needs to be released prior to a new Mario Kart. Sure, their demographics differ in key ways, but there is still overlap and overshadowing at risk. I also believe Miyamoto (or Takaya Imamura) want to be involved in the next F-Zero, at least that is the impression I've gotten, and both are busy with Star Fox Zero right now.
I'd love to see one of Nintendo's newer IPs like Dillon's Rolling Western get the spotlight. Dillon's Rolling Western is a title I think would be suited for such an expansion in particular, as I feel their is plenty to expand upon and I feel (if the NX is a hybrid or console) that the series would be more fitting on a console based system.
@davidevoid I'm always a fan of Nintendo's more obscure IPs getting recognised, particularly if it's a suggestion that they get given another chance of life. A lot of Nintendo's IPs are so obscure that many would believe them to be new IPs entirely if they were to have new entries made.
Now then, there are plenty of comments I'd like to reply to, hence the second comment. Furthermore, I missed the last question;
Q) Which franchises would bring a perfect NX launch, in your opinion?
A) This implies something different than I thought was being asked. A perfect NX launch wouldn't cater to just me, it'd cater to a wider demographic. It's hard to truly describe a perfect NX launch when we don't know what it is, so I'm once again considering this question on the basis that the NX is a 2017 releasing hybrid system.
For the launch line up, I'd have the NX release with a new 3D Mario in the style of the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy games (though not Galaxy 3, it needs to be something new), an NX Fit/exercise game, and a built in amiibo game. I would also mention a more 'hardcore appealing game' (for lack of a better term) such as Metroid, F-Zero, Eternal Darkness, or a new IP, but you did restrict it to just three games and a built in amiibo game would technically count. Furthermore, I feel it'd be good to give the 3rd parties some breathing room, and have this Metroid/F-Zero/other game be released within the launch window of the NX, but not at launch. Think of it as the Pikmin 3 of the NX, except intentionally done.
The main reason I suggest this is that a new 3D Mario would drown out most of the competition. Unfortunately, this would probably include the 3rd parties as well, particularly if the launch line-up was similar to the Wii U, but I don't see a way to get around this.
As noted, I did want to comment on other people's comments, but I'll have to save that for later.
The lack of an other button is a rather big oversight. There are so many Nintendo franchises that it'd be near impossible to list them in a limited poll, and some rather noteworthy IPs are lacking from the poll as a result; Kirby being the main missing IP.
In any case, thinking of the launch line-up for the NX is pretty difficult for me. For starters, we still don't know what the NX is or when it will come out. As the questions seem to be based on a personal desire though, I shall just assume the NX to fit within my current predictions of a hybrid system for a 2017 release.
This still doesn't fix all my problems though, as when I think about it, I've never had too much of a problem with launch line-ups. Admittedly, I didn't want a 3DS until Dead or Alive Dimensions was on the horizon, but the Wii and Wii U were day one buys due to their being games I wanted at launch and within the launch window. Funny enough, for both the launch of the Wii and the Wii U, it was the 3rd party games of Red Steel and Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed that were my desired purchases (though Wonderful 101 was the game I was most excited for at the time of the Wii U's release). Still, I shall try to answer as best I can.
Q) Which first-party franchises do you want?
A) Once again, there are problems with trying to decide this, as the games can differ quite drastically within their respective listings. For instance, I love Super Mario 3D World, however I do not like the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy style of 3D Mario games. Both fit under the 3D Mario category. In an opposite instance, I enjoyed the first three Super Smash Bros games, but was not a fan of the most recent Wii U instalment.
An of course of important note, is that this poll is missing many of the IPs I would consider. I'd love for a Kirby game to be available at launch, and I'm all for obscurer Nintendo IPs getting the spotlight, so a new Another Code or Magical series or Panel De Pon game would be nice to see. Notably, these are not amongst the options.
For this poll... I guess I'll go with Splatoon, Pokémon (main series), and Donkey Kong (2D platformer). I did consider the Mario RPG (Mario & Luigi / Paper Mario) option, but I'm not a huge fan of the Mario & Luigi series and it's been a while since the last Paper Mario game I actually enjoyed. I shall vote for the three I mentioned, but honestly, knowing so little of the NX and given the limited choices available, my heart isn't really in the vote.
@StarDust4Ever I'm a little confused by this comment, so I'm not sure if I got confused or if you got confused or if we're both confused. My comment was in regards to Shani's comment regarding issuing commands/switching characters in real time within a non-turn based game.
The comment wasn't aimed at Paper Mario per say, and whilst my memory is a bit fuzzy on every badge in the series, I do remember something along the lines of the quick change badge. It still takes place within a turn based structure, so this switching of characters is something I'm fine with.
@TruenoGT If you're talking within an RPG sense, I'd certainly like to see Alpha Dream go back to their original IP; Tomato Adventure. I've always wondered why they went on to make games starring Mario and Luigi based on that turn based gameplay groundwork; it seemed kind of unessacary with the Paper Mario series already existing as a turn based Mario series. Heck, my first thought upon seeing Mario and Luigi using hammers within those games was "Why didn't they use Ice Climbers instead?"
As for other Nintendo RPG's, it'd be nice to see 1-Up Studio make a new Magical series game. An I imagine there are quite a few people wanting Camelot to make a new Golden Sun.
Thinking about it, it's amazing just how many IPs Nintendo have. They never seem to be able to utilise them all, particularly when they put so much of the spotlight on the Mario IP and it's various branches. The Zelda series has recently been given an absurd amount of attention as well, and Pokémon has always had an insane amount of attention paid to it, though I believe that is due to more to Game Freak than Nintendo.
@shani I wouldn't classify it as easy to change between characters like that in combat. The only time I can think that I found that easy to do was Wonderful 101, and in that game, it was more like executing a different attack rather than switching.
Furthermore, clicking on a character and ordering them to do something is different within a real time game. For starters, it misses out on that pause of thought as I mentioned, and the way you issue the command doesn't feel the same. You can get interrupted yourself by the real time nature, and a factor that helps a lot of turn based RPGs is a degree of influence during your attack (such as what the Paper Mario games do, pressing commands to increase the power and/or success of the attacks). It overall doesn't feel the same, much like how a game with sword combat like Legend of Zelda doesn't make it a hack n' slash.
As for your other points, I have not played Spec Ops. I usually dislike most shooting games, with rather few exceptions (Splatoon, Red Steel, Jet Force Gemini, and Halo can be fun when I'm playing co-op). I should also note that whilst I'm a fan of Turn Based RPG's, I'm not a fan of Strategy RPG's, mainly because I'm terrible at the latter. Turn Based RPG's do have their strategies to them, but they are usually short term plans (and when long term, they are specific to that battle) and you don't have to worry about your position within a field lay out (grinding is also much easier). Strategy RPG's like Fire Emblem, Disgaea or Advance Wars often involve a more long term strategy akin to chess, which I don't seem to be able to get as good of a grasp of, despite wanting to enjoy those games.
@shani Yeah, different tastes will inevitably result in people enjoying different games. In this comment alone you've indicated how remarkably different your tastes are to mine.
I loved the older Final Fantasy titles, and whilst I did enjoy the Crystal Chronicles series, Crystal Bearers and the Final Fantasy games from 11 onwards have not appealed to me.
As for Xenoblade Chronicles, I was interested in the game prior to finding out how it played. When I hear JRPG, I immediately expect it to be turn based. When I found out it wasn't and the game was more akin to those bizarre mix ups like Final Fantasy XII or even MMO's like World of Warcraft, I decided to pass on Xenoblade Chronicles.
For me, the key to turn based combat is control over an entire party. For instance, in a game wherein you play as a lone character, I can understand such a game not being turn based. In game where I travel with a group of loveable characters though, I want to control the actions of each member, rather than having ai control them alongside me. Turn Based gameplay allows me to have control of each of their actions within combat. Also, whilst slow at times, it opens up plenty of room for thinking things through without having it be quick-fire thoughts and judgement.
Speaking of slow gameplay, I absolutely hated Super Mario 64 for that sort of reason. I felt the movement and world sluggish, with large areas that are dull to traverse, and I was irritated by going through the same levels so many times over. Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D World is everything I wanted Super Mario 64 to be. It takes the fast, focused platforming of the 2D Mario games, and perfectly converts it into 3D, along with fun and chaotic multiplayer.
My problem with Super Paper Mario, is that whilst I loved the story, I did not enjoy the gameplay. It felt like an unfortunate mishmash of the slow paced elements of turn based gameplay without the large party of characters and time to think things through. It had none of the speed or challenge I loved from the 2D Mario games, and stopping to use items grinded the gameplay to a halt far more than any turn based gameplay does.
Child of Light is my favourite Generation 8 game so far. Across the Wii U, 3DS, Xbox One, and PS4; Child of Light is easily my favourite game amongst these systems. I'd easily class it as one of my top 20 favourite video games of all; and the turn based combat is what I love about it the most.
So yeah... we differ a lot, but to each their own.
I've always wanted to play on a Game Gear, but never got around to doing so. My cousin had one, but she always refused to let me try it out.
Nowadays, I'm unsure if I'd want to try and purchase a Game Gear. As I live in the UK, the majority of it's games also came out on the Master System, even later Game Gear releases had versions on the PAL Master System from what I've seen. As someone who prefers console gaming to handheld gaming, that certainly seems the nicer option.
Then again, I did find a copy of Sonic The Hedgheog 2 for the Game Gear in my Nan and Granddad's shed, so I've already got a game for a system I don't own. Darn... there are too many awesome, past systems and games that I'd love to play.
On the one hand, I'd really like for Intelligent Systems to be working on a Panel De Pon game starring Lip, though that seems very unlikely given the passing of it's 20th anniversary with no attention paid to it. On the other hand, I'd love to play a new Paper Mario game in the style of the first two. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door sits comfortably as my 6th favourite video game of all time, and I've long since been awaiting a true successor to it.
@shani I'm only guessing here, but I believe @TheLastLugia's joke is in regards to how Square Enix have removed turn based combat from a lot of their games, particularly when it concerns their flagship Final Fantasy series. There is a reason people cite Bravely Default as the spiritual sucessor to Final Fantasy, and it's because that Square Enix series plays more like a Final Fantasy game than the Final Fantasy games of today.
As for Wii U platformers, there are quite a few. Just off the top of my head I can see that you're missing Super Mario 3D World, the latest Pac-Man games, and Shovel Knight, and there are still plenty of others. There are certainly more platforming games than there are turn based RPGs on the Wii U.
You and I certainly seem to be of differing opinions though; I love Turn Based RPGs! Final Fantasy IX, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Breath of Fire IV, Child of Light, the Pokémon series; I love the way turn based games play. Many say the draw of RPGs are the characters or stories, and whilst I do find them to be very defining aspects, it's the turn based combat that makes me love the majority of RPGs that I'm fond of. If this Paper Mario game were to play in good old turn based RPG fashion, I'd be able to put it alongside Genei Ibun Roku #FE and Bravely Second: End Layer within my most anticipated games of the year.
Funny enough, this was the game that convinced me to get a Wii U day one. Admittedly it ended up not being available as a launch title, but it was originally planned to be available within it's launch window, and it was the game I was eagerly waiting to purchase.
Wonderful 101 was a fantastic game; a couple of issues here and there, but upon becoming familiar with it's controls and ideas resulted in an amazing experience. The characters are likeable, the style is charming, and the story is filled with moments that had me pumped. The ending alone had me screaming out how epic it was.
There have since come games that I prefer on my Wii U, but I'll always remember the initial excitement and intrigue that drew me towards the game, and in turn; the Wii U. Wonderful 101 still sits comfortably within my top 10 favourite Wii U games and I truly do recommend it to anyone who has yet to play it.
Personally, Virtual Reality has little appeal to me. I can immerse myself in a game without the need of a device that isolates me from the world around me, a world that might want to call me for dinner... or that the house is on fire. Wearing headphones is worrying enough, without also blocking out my vision as well.
I don't need a VR device to understand the world I'm playing, to imagine or feel that experience, I can do that with the current state of gaming, or reading a book, or just thinking to myself. Immersion to me can be achieved through simply making an enjoyable or emotional experience, it doesn't need to place me into the world to achieve such an experience.
Q) Are any of you in the Americas region tempted by this, or are you European and feeling left out like this writer?
A) I'm feeling left out. I've already seen Moco Moco Friends have a US physical release whilst it passes those in the UK by (at least, as far as I'm aware, I've yet to find a physical PAL copy online), and I'd be rather irritated to see this collection pass by as well. As per usual, there are not many 3DS games I want this year, but SEGA 3D Classics Collection would certainly be one I'd want if it comes out physically over here.
A) The Star Fox Zero amiibo news is sort of exciting, although it is hard to get excited when you don't know what the usage of the amiibo will be. This does make the possibility of a Slippy amiibo even more likely, which will have me very excited if that is the case.
Currently, I'm going to predict that the Star Fox Zero amiibo usage will be akin to Yoshi's Wooly World, using as many of the pre-existing amiibo to change the colours of the Arwing, Landmaster, Gyrowing, and any other such vehicles. The Fox and Falco amiibo (and potentially a Pepper, Slippy and further Star Fox character amiibo's) will have an additional use. Of course, this is just a random speculation lacking in evidence, but it is my current prediction.
@electrolite77 I think there are a couple of reasons why the usage of amiibo has been better received than regular DLC, and I don't see it being simply because Nintendo is doing it.
The first reason is that it is physical; you are getting a toy/figure alongside the DLC, or for some, getting DLC alongside the toy/figure. It has a physical presence that gives the sense of ownership, and feels like an extra for what you're trying to get. I'd say the 'because Nintendo did it' part only comes into play here in that many of Nintendo fans would have wanted figurines of many of these characters, regardless of their usage for games.
The second reason, and this for me is the bigger reason, is that even if I were to consider the amiibo figurines as merely DLC, they also happen to be DLC that works across multiple games. Take for instance one of the Splatoon amiibo's; their main purpose is to open up challenges in Splatoon (which I can admit, is irritating to have locked by an amiibo), but that same figure will also unlock a costume in Yoshi's Wooly World and Super Mario Maker. Furthermore, that same amiibo also has a general use with Hyrule Warriors. So even if I were to count that one amiibo figure as nothing more than DLC, it happens to be DLC that works across at least four games, and potentially more in the future.
Of course, this all depends on ones stance on amiibo's, as there are plenty who'd say that amiibo's don't count as DLC at all. For me, I do to a degree, although as I've pointed out above, I find to be a very efficient and fair usage of DLC due to it's multi-use nature.
@rjejr No offence, but using a comparison of Tingle versus Mario, Pac-Man, Sonic, and Pikachu, is pretty unfair. You could bring up just about any other 3rd party video game character and funny enough, more people are likely to know who Pac-Man and Mario are. If the case for 3rd parties is that they'd have to be as well as known as Mario, then Nintendo have already ran out of options.
For instance though, let's take today's list. Amongst the line-up of amiibo's released today, do you think Tingle would be that out of place in terms of popularity/recognisability?
An remember, collectors are not the only type of people I mentioned who'd want to collect further Nintendo amiibo's, even if their not as well known as those who've already been released through the SSB range. Those who are a fan of that character/series (it being niche even helps in some ways, as it's not often figures of said character are made), those who simply like the look of the figure, those who want to use the figure in their games; and even when it comes to collectors there is a variation of collectors going from those who want to collect a specific series and those who want to collect all amiibo.
Nintendo making 3rd party amiibo's would likely sell more than most of their more obscure IPs, however I feel there to be more to gain through selling (and in turn promoting) amiibo's of their large library of IPs both well known and obscure. The only issue, and one I feel would be a case regardless, is coming up with a game to be utilised with these amiibo's in order to justify them (which would also apply to your 3rd party case).
@rjejr In regards to whether the more obscure or less important (as I have to note given your example of Goomba's and such, who are certainly not obscure despite just being common enemies) characters would be able to sell, I think there is a high chance they would. For instance, one of the earliest complaints regarding amiibo's involved people trying to purchase Marth, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer amiibo's. Wii Fit Trainer being the more crucial one here; plenty of people were complaining about being unable to purchase an amiibo figure for Wii Fit Trainer of all characters.
Amiibo figures for the more obscure characters will end up selling for a variety of reasons; collectors wishing to have as many as they can, the people who want those particular characters, and general people or children who like the look of the figure (I've encountered a few of those). Of course, it would also help if there was a game that would utilise said amiibo, as that would include a further group of purchasers who want the amiibo for their uses.
As to why Nintendo creating amiibo's of their more obscure amiibo's would be a better idea than them creating 3rd party character amiibo's... marketing. Here in the UK at least, Amiibo's have a greater shelf presence than the Wii U and 3DS sections combined, and they display a variety of amiibo's. You have your Mario figures lined up next to your Chibi-Robo's, Little Mac's, and Wii Fit Trainers. Their usually noticeable, and naturally promote Nintendo's characters and series through simply being visible. Furthermore, as they are Nintendo's own characters, the profits and promotion for the figures would go only to them (or at least mostly, I'm unsure of how the profits for amiibo's are exactly handled).
On one last note... Tingle has been the main character of at least a couple games and has reoccurred often in the Legend of Zelda series. After the main trio of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf; he's easily one of the most well known Legend of Zelda character, so I'd hardly call him obscure.
@rjejr Nintendo have plenty of it's own characters left that could be made into amiibo; including both obvious choices and obscure choices.
For instance, despite both Mario Party 10 and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash utilising amiibo's, they haven't made any new amiibo's (aside from Toad) for those respective series. This is really odd, particularly for Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, as they do use amiibo's in a big way. Other ideas include making extra challenges for the other weapons in Splatoon through the release of more Splatoon amiibo (even if I find this to be the more annoying usage of amiibo used so far).
Then of course, there are all the more obscure IPs that Nintendo have, which Nintendo have plenty of. Heck, even some of there more well known IPs haven't had amiibo's made for, simply because they didn't feature as a playable character in SSB. To truly justify them they'd require a game featuring that character to be released, although I'd gladly pick up a Lip or Ice Climbers amiibo without requiring a game to use them for (though a game would be really appreciated). The amount of IPs Nintendo has is kind of insane.
For me, the only hindrance in regards to the virtual console is that it is a digital download only service. I'm running out of room on my Wii U as it is, and have never actually used an external hard drive with a console before. I believe I've got one that works with my Wii U, but how long are they supposed to take to be checked and formatted by the Wii U?
In any case, there are plenty of virtual console games that have my interest, with the ones that interest me the most being those which never arrived in my country physically like Kirby's Dreamland 3, Sin & Punishment, Super Mario RPG, and Drill Dozer.
Perhaps if I had ever utilised the Wii virtual console service, I'd be more critical of the Wii U's virtual console, but regardless of what it does, it'll always be more of an extra feature that is nice to have rather than something I ponder too much upon. If there is anything I'd like to see in regards to the Wii U virtual console, I'd simply like to see more games that never came out in the respective regions, perhaps even Japan only games being translated. I have a great time with The Mysterious Murasame Castle on the 3DS virtual console, and would love to be able to play the likes of Panel De Pon and Shin Onigashima.
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Re: Rumour: Linkedin Profile Hints At Unannounced Racing Title From Excitebots Studio Monster Games
Q) Could it be NX-bound, or do you think it's a shock Wii U or 3DS release?
A) With the NX not coming out until March of next year and Legend of Zelda U not being available for the holidays, I could see whatever their working on right now to be a late 2016 Wii U release. The information here suggests a racing game, but what kind of racing game is another question that would need to be asked.
A new Excite racing game would be the most likely thing to consider, but if I remember correctly, there used to be a lot of rumours of making Monster Games making a new Diddy Kong Racing game. It is certainly a possibility, but with those terms, many of Nintendo's racing IPs could be considered a possibility.
Re: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Fortissimo Edition Pre-Orders Launch on Official Nintendo UK Store
Q) Are any of you in the UK planning to jump on these?
A) Whilst I do really want the Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Fortissimo Edition, I rarely shop anywhere outside of GAME for my video games, particularly when it comes to online shopping. I've put in a word with my usual GAME store, so my copy of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will immediately default to the special edition once their store has it announced available for pre-order.
Re: Nintendo NX Will Be Launched Globally in March 2017
@Gorlokk 'the fact that they aren't going to show off the NX means that we probably won't be seeing any new Wii U games.'
Doesn't that likely mean the exact opposite? If they are not going to be showing off the NX, then all the focus will be on the Wii U and 3DS. This means that they are more likely to announce new games for those systems. Heck, with the Zelda U delay (likely to release around the same time as NX port), we've already a 2017 releasing Wii U game in the line-up.
Re: The Legend of Zelda Wii U Has Been Pushed Back to 2017, Will Release On NX As Well
I'm disappointed to hear that the Wii U will go without having it's own individual Zelda title, even if I wasn't interested in this latest outing in The Legend of Zelda series. I'm also disappointed that they are not giving Wii U owners a nice early treat in having the Wii U version release for the holidays.
Along with the 'no NX being shown at E3' news though, this surely means we are getting more Wii U and 3DS games announced for 2016. They'll have to release something to cover the holiday period, and whilst there were some mixed opinions about some of the late 2015 games of last year, there were still newly released games available in that time period.
Re: Nintendo NX Will Be Launched Globally in March 2017
@Grumblevolcano Ah, I see I made a mistake with my comment. I already knew that they weren't going to be showing off the NX at E3 this year, but missed out the 'not' in my sentence. Thank you for pointing that out.
Re: Nintendo NX Will Be Launched Globally in March 2017
I was right to believe that the NX wasn't coming out in 2016. I admit, I didn't expect it to be announced for March 2017, but I was still right in thinking it wouldn't be releasing in 2016.
If they are not planning on showing off the NX at E3 this year, that surely means that they'll have more Wii U and 3DS games to announce. This should indeed please me, and I look forward to what games they'll have released for the remainder of the year. My wallet isn't too happy at the prospect of more games to buy later in the year, but as a fan of the Wii U, I'm pleased.
Re: Western Localisation Of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Features Costume And Age Changes
I don't understand the point of increasing the character's ages if they are just going to make changes to the costumes anyway. Doesn't that defy the point of making the age change in the first place?
I'm not a fan of most instances of censorship, and I'm disappointed to hear that there have been changes to a dungeon. I'm hoping that we also don't end up missing out on additional content, even if it is DLC rather than as part of the main game.
Ultimately though, this doesn't change my decision to purchase Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. It still remains my most anticipated game of the year, and I look forward to having a lengthy turn based RPG to play on my Wii U. I'm just disappointed to hear this game is also being effected by censorship, a negative spot amongst mostly positive hopes for the game.
Re: Nintendo Announces 'Fortissimo' Special Edition of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Q) Are you interested in picking this up in the Summer?
A) Yes, I am. I'm glad to hear that not only will there certainly be a physical release of the game (I was worried it was going to be digital only), but that there will also be a special edition available. I've long since had this game pre-ordered, so provided this special edition doesn't cost ridiculous amounts, I'll more than likely obtain it.
Now I just hope I'm able to complete Kirby Planet Robobot before Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE comes out. As much as I've been anticipating this game, a new Kirby game always proves difficult to pull myself away from. June looks to be a fantastic month of gaming for me.
Re: Metroid Prime: Federation Force Liberates North America This August
Q) Now it has an actual release window, are you feeling a little more confident about this divisive title?
A) I don't feel that the release date being announced for Metroid Prime: Federation Force effects my confidence in the title in any way, at least when it comes to the expected quality or my enjoyment of the game. The only way I could say my confidence has been effected is in feeling confident that I'll have time to play this game once it releases.
You see, the majority of the games I've been wanting this year have been releasing in the first half of the year. Having Metroid Prime: Federation Force coming out in September, in the 2nd half of the year, gives it a higher chance of being played as soon as I can get it. It should be a fun experience, as I'll likely be playing it alongside my brothers.
Re: Bravely Default Producer Would Love To Bring The Series To Home Consoles
Q) Would you like to see the franchise continue on home consoles or do you feel it is better suited to handhelds?
A) I would love to see the franchise appear on home consoles... provided it is available on Nintendo's current home system. I'd be rather annoyed if the series made the jump from Nintendo handheld systems to home consoles only for it to not arrive on Nintendo home systems.
I do love turn based RPGs, and I personally prefer playing games on consoles, so being able to play an entry in a series I love in my preferred manner would be wonderful.
Q) Could we see it move over to smartphones in the potential absence of a dedicated handheld market?
A) We could, and that would make me sad. As someone without a phone and with no plans on ever getting one (unless I stumble across as N-Gage), being barred from the series in future would be disappointing.
Re: Star Fox Zero Animated Short Takes Off This Wednesday in Live Stream, Followed by Nintendo Treehouse
That short looks beautiful! I'll have to remember to watch this broadcast; certainly don't want to miss it.
Re: Poll: The Wii U GamePad - Where Do You Stand on Nintendo's Hefty Controller?
Q) Which GamePad features do you rate most highly?
A) I voted for Off-TV play and Usage of the touch /second screen in single player, although I happen to love each of the GamePad's features listed. That's not to say I don't think it could be better, but in terms of what it provides and how it feels in my hands, it is a controller I love to use.
Q) How would you rate the GamePad's impact on gameplay across the Wii U library?
A) I think it's had a very positive effect when used is what I voted for as I feel, whether it is through a small addition or a large addition, that the implementation of the GamePad has improved the experience of my games. Standard features of the GamePad such as Off-TV Play bring about a benefit to any game that doesn't have a specific use for them, and the unique usage of them within a certain games are always appreciated.
Q) Which games make best use of the GamePad?
A) Of the one's listed, I voted for The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Nintendo Land, Pokken Tournament, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and The Wonderful 101. There are however many other games I feel made great usage of the GamePad, both on the list and not on the list. For instance, I feel Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, Splatoon, Nihilumbra, and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse made excellent usage of the GamePad, but these were not available options.
Of the votes I made though, I honestly feel The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD has my favourite usage of the GamePad, despite those features being small and optional. Those small and optional features such as accessing my inventory with the touch screen and aiming with the gyroscope greatly improved my experience, and made an already wonderful game even better. To me, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD's usage of the GamePad felt like a showcase of the natural progression of controllers.
Q) What's your overall view of the GamePad?
A) The top vote being 'I love it, another fantastic Nintendo controller' doesn't quite sum up my feelings on the Wii U's GamePad. It is in fact my favourite game controller of all time, and is the controller I have used to play through all my Wii U games. Unless one of my brothers are using it instead, for whatever reason, the GamePad is my go to controller even when there are other options for the game. It's my favourite controller to hold, being incredibly comfortable for me and at a pretty much perfect size for my hands to grip, as well as being filled with features I love using. Typing on the GamePad is wonderful compared to having to use a standard controller, and I've caught myself sometimes going through Miiverse more so than playing a game in a day. It has allowed for, what are in my opinion, significant improvements to games in it's smaller features and unique experiences when the GamePad is at the forefront of a game's focus.
Re: Feature: The Biggest 3DS Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Q) What are you most anticipated 3DS games of 2016?
A) All three of my anticipated games for 3DS happen to be lined up with each other. I'm looking forward to Pokémon Sun and Moon, Metroid Prime: Federation Force / Blast Ball, and Kirby: Planet Robobot.
As a Kirby fan, Kirby: Planet Robobot is the 3DS game I'm looking forward to most of all. Kirby Triple Deluxe happens to be my favourite 3DS game so far, so Kirby: Planet Robobot is bound to please me.
Re: Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2016 - Spring Edition
Q) What are your most anticipated Wii U games of 2016?
A) My three votes went to Star Fox Zero / Star Fox Guard, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and Lost Reavers. Of them, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is my most anticipated; helps with it being my most anticipated game of 2016.
I was also going to vote for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, but of course, we only had three votes each. I decided to not vote for it as, unlike the other games I voted for, I don't know when Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will be coming out.
Re: Kirby: Planet Robobot Gets a Neat amiibo Bundle in Europe, While 'Kirby 3D Rumble' is Detailed
Q) Is it on your wishlist?
A) Absolutely! I'm hoping that GAME will have those amiibo included bundles available, as it will save my mother the trouble of tracking them down for me as a Christmas present.
I don't have much in the way of money right now, but as a huge fan of the Kirby series, I have no intention of waiting until Christmas for this game. Definitely a day one purchase from me, and alongside Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Kirby Planet Robobot is my most anticipated game of this year.
Too bad they both come out in the same month; I'll be fighting with myself over which one to play each day.
Re: Nintendo Download: 14th April (Europe)
I would like to download the Lost Reavers beta this week, but whether I can or not all depends on whether I can obtain an external hard drive or memory stick that I can use for my Wii U. If I don't download and try it out this week, then it'll have to wait until I get Star Fox Zero and Guard, which will give me an opportunity to get an external hard drive or memory stick.
That said, for all I know, I might have enough room for it as it is. I might even be able to make enough room via deleting the odd demo I still have on the system. We'll see, but I did vote for Lost Reaver's beta in the poll.
Re: Rumour: Voice Acting Audition Hints At Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Sequel
Q) Would you welcome fresh Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE content?
A) Whilst I have yet to play the game, what I've seen of it and know of it does appeal greatly to me, so more of said content would be most welcome. It's a large scaled turn based RPG on the Wii U; that alone has me loving it to bits, and what else I know just furthers my love of it.
I'm hoping that when Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE does come out, that I will have a wonderful time with it. In that case, if DLC or a sequel is to be expected for it, then that'll be a wonderful thing to look forward to.
Re: Soapbox: No, Star Fox Zero's Controls Are not Bad or Broken
For me, the new control scheme and this game's utilisation of the Gamepad is the primary reason I'm interested in this game. Certainly, the trailers showing off how cool the levels and events can be have gotten me interested, but the unique way of using my favourite controller is what got me interested at first and continues to keep my interest.
Learning to use both screens frequently shouldn't be too hard. I did it with Wonderful 101 to draw powers, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD to change items, and Splatoon to check the map. If it comes down to having to quickly raise the Gamepad, well Project Zero got me fairly quick at that, so I have no worries with the game.
Re: Video: Feel the Hype Build in This Showcase for Star Fox Zero and Guard
I've watched this trailer twice now, and both times have left me feeling excited. It seems with each trailer shown of Star Fox Zero, I get a better and better impression of it. Admittedly, I'm more interested in Star Fox Guard than I am Star Fox Zero (I think Dillon's Rolling Western got me interested in Nintendo made tower defence games), but both games show fun ways of utilising the Gamepad, and I'm looking forward to trying them out.
It seems Star Fox Guard is eShop only, even with the special edition, which is a bit of a shame. It also means I really need to sort out my data problem... it was all so much easier with memory cards.
Re: Feature: Ten Game Boy Advance Games You Should Play
It appears I might be the first to comment... or at least amongst the very first. I have experienced a few of these games, and some I did enjoy, but they were not amongst my first thoughts when it came to the Game Boy Advance.
The games I thought of upon thinking of the Game Boy Advance include Dragon Ball Advanced Adventure, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Shining Soul II, Gunstar Future Heroes, Boktai, Pokémon Sapphire (as well as the Ruby and Emerald versions) and the whole Sonic Advance series. Seeing this article, those were the first few GBA games that popped into my mind.
Re: Nintendo Download: 17th March (Europe)
I pretty much never download a game that I can obtain physically, so whilst I will be getting Pokkén Tournament, it'll be a physical copy of the game.
Re: Splatoon Has Now Shipped One Million Copies In Europe
I've seen a lot of people here commenting that they hope the success of Splatoon encourages Nintendo to make more new IPs. I for one, do not agree with that idea, or at least an increase of Nintendo creating more new IP. I believe Nintendo make plenty of new IP on a regular enough basis (Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western, Steel Diver, Codename S.T.E.A.M, Splatoon, and possibly Wonderful 101 are all examples withis this generation) and that the true message Nintendo should take from Splatoon's success is that they should in future advertise and promote their new IPs to a similar degree.
Q) Are you still playing Splatoon on a regular basis?
A) No, I usually only play Splatoon every now and again. This usually means a couple of days before a Splatfest is about to begin. I enjoy playing Splatoon, but I've purchased so many other games that I want to get around to actually playing, rather than just re-experiencing the immense fun of Splatoon solely.
Q) Will the new content encourage you to return if you're not?
A) Not regularly, but I will certainly check out Splatoon soon and probably play at least a couple of days each month. It all depends on how many games I end up getting within that respective month.
Re: Feature: Exciting Wii U and 3DS Games to Play in Spring and Summer 2016
Q) So, are you excited about what Spring and Summer are bringing to Wii U and 3DS?
A) I'm very excited for the upcoming Wii U and 3DS line-up. I'm so excited that doing answering this poll with only 5 choices is actually proving difficult. I'm stuck on whether to cast my 5 votes for Pokkén Tournament, Star Fox Zero, Star Fox Guard, Lost Reavers, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Kirby: Planet Robobot or Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
It's a good thing I don't live in the US, otherwise I'd be adding Bravely Second (which I have with me right now) and the Sega 3D Classics game. For me, the upcoming line-up of games is going to keep my very busy... now to try and decide which of the five to vote for in this poll.
Re: Lost Reavers Open Beta Kicks Off On The Wii U eShop This April
I'm curious about the game, so I'll definitely give it a try when it's beta releases.
The concept and overall look of the game seem pretty fun, but as to whether it'll appeal to me when I get around to playing it, that I'm unsure of. I shall remain optimistic though, and look forward to trying this game out, and hopefully enjoying it a great deal.
Re: Genei Ibun Roku #FE Is Now Called Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE In The West, Arrives In June
I'm so very glad to hear this game have a definitive name and release for my region. I also happen to quite like the name, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and I'm more than okay with getting as English subtitled only.
At the end of last year, I noted this game down as my most anticipated game of 2016. That still hasn't changed and I'm incredibly excited to get this game upon it's release.
Re: Kirby Is Taking A Trip To Planet Robobot This June
As my favourite video game series of all, I'm naturally ecstatic to see that a new Kirby game revealed. Admittedly, I was hoping the next Kirby game would be a mainline title for the Wii U, but given how much I adored Kirby Triple Deluxe (easily in the top 5 best Kirby games in my opinion), I have no problem with a follow-up on 3DS.
Those new Kirby amiibo's are causing my wallet to hurt. I know I already have the SSB Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede figures; but I really want the Kirby line of them as well.
Re: Star Fox Zero Launching April 22nd on Wii U
The showcasing of this game in the Nintendo Direct has me pumped up for it's release in April. Admittedly, I think a large party of my hype is actually directed towards the Star Fox Guard unveiling, but I'm still very excited for Star Fox Zero as well.
I look forward to playing both games; which I should be getting as I pre-ordered Star Fox Zero quite a while back.
Re: Poll: Vote for Your Favourite Main Series Pokémon Games - 20th Anniversary Edition
Given that each version was separated, I was actually expecting to struggle with voting in this poll. Given I had 3 votes though, I found it surprisingly easy.
Pokémon Black and White is my 9th favourite video game (I... count both versions as the same game within my list of favourite games), so I naturally voted for both Pokémon Black and Pokémon White. I loved the usage of only new Pokémon, the story was great, I felt there was more challenge than in previous Pokémon games, and it just felt to me like the journey lasted both in length and in memory.
For my 3rd vote then, I went with Pokémon Platinum. 4th Gen features a lovely region and stars my favourite Pokémon of all; Kricketune. That said, I felt Diamond and Pearl were poorly executed in regards to the order of events, the look of the region given it's supposedly colder setting, and the available Pokémon within the main game. Platinum fixed the majority of my issues I had with Gen 4 main entries and I ended up loving it to bits.
Re: Nintendo Announces a Pokémon Direct to Get the Celebrations Started
A Nintendo Direct on my Birthday? Awesome!
I just hope my delivery of Bravely Second doesn't arrive as I'm watching the direct. I'll admit, I'd have preferred it to be a non-specific direct, but I like Pokémon; I'm okay with a Pokémon Direct.
Re: Feature: Nintendo Life's Favourite Legend of Zelda Games - 30th Anniversary Edition
I'm glad to see both A Link To The Past and Wind Waker feature in both the staff and community's top 5 lists. It's a bit odd, but I find Wind Waker to be my 3rd favourite Zelda, A Link To The Past to be my 2nd favourite Zelda, and Wind Waker HD to be my absolute favourite Zelda game.
It's a shame Skyward Sword didn't make it into either list, though given it's mixed reception, I didn't expect it. I personally loved it, but perhaps it's not for everyone. I am quite surprised to see Twilight Princess feature in the community voted list but not in the staff list; I'm not sure why, but I expected to see that the other way around.
Re: Video: Here's What Final Fantasy IX Looks Like On The New Nintendo 3DS
When I saw the image and title, I thought for a moment that Final Fantasy IX was indeed coming to the New Nintendo 3DS. On the one hand, I'm disappointed it's a hack, and on the other hand, I'm relieved.
If it were a legit release of Final Fantasy IX for the New 3DS, I'd of have to go and get myself a New 3DS. As my 2nd favourite video game of all time, there is no way I'd be able to resist.
Re: Genei Ibun Roku #FE Art Book Releases on 26th February in Japan
Q) What do you think?
A) I think that the cover of that book looks awesome. Then again, I find that what I've seen of Genei Ibun Roku #FE as a whole looks lovely; it's vibrant colours help make the game pop.
Q)Would you like this art book to come west?
A) I certainly wouldn't mind it coming to the west; I'd be particularly fond of it being a pre-order bonus for the game. It might be a little harder to find within my area otherwise.
Q) Are you looking forward to this game?
A) Despite my fears that it may lack a physical release in the EU or not come out this year, I still ended up putting this game down as my most highly anticipated game of 2016. It's a large scaled turn based RPG that is exclusive to the Wii U; that description alone has me excited for the game. It also helps that I've enjoyed what I've seen of the game so far as well.
Re: Editorial: Considering the Recipe For Successful Nintendo Remasters and Re-Releases
There are a few reasons as to why I'm not excited for the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, and I believe this article already covered them. For starters, I find it a baffling choice for a HD remaster, given you can still play the game through the Wii U's backwards compatibility. It doesn't make much sense to do a HD remaster of Wii games for the Wii U, well, unless they were to be made into a HD collection with multiple games.
Secondly, this is a 2nd HD remaster of a Zelda game in this generation, which counting the handheld remakes as well, includes 4 remastered/remade Zelda games. Along with new main Zelda games and spin-offs, the presence of the series seems rather high this generation, particularly in contrast to many of Nintendo's other series. It just seems like it'd make sense for another Nintendo property to get the HD Remaster treatment by now; perhaps an obscurer property from the GameCube days such as an Odama HD (which would benefit from the GamePad's built in mic) or an F-Zero GX HD (which could potentially revive interest in the series).
Most of all though... I just didn't like playing The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. I still have the Wii version, and I've plenty of other Wii U games to look forward to (and trying to find from it's backlog), so the end result is that Twilight Princess HD just doesn't pop up on my radar.
Re: Poll: Which Nintendo Franchises Do You Most Want to See With the NX Launch?
@iphys A new Punch-Out was something I was hoping would come out on the Wii U, but with Next Level Games busy with Metroid Prime: Federation Force, that doesn't seem to likely now. For an NX release though (possibly even a launch title), that I'd love to see. Too bad it wasn't an option within the poll.
@DESS-M-8 In regards to people wanting a 3D Mario, this is likely due to the latest 3D Mario entry being rather different to the usual 3D Mario titles. Whilst I loved Super Mario 3D World, I recognise it is a different style of game to the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy mold, and fans of that mold want a new entry. I also reckon that people are combing hopes with expectations, and a new 3D Mario seems likely.
As for the second point, it is not obvious as to whether Zelda U will be ported to the NX, a device we still have no confirmation on what it is or when it will come out. Zelda U being ported to the NX is only likely if it comes out this year, and is either a hybrid or the console part of the device (it could be two separate units, who knows).
For me, I don't have much love for Metroid or F-Zero, though there are plenty of more obscure Nintendo franchises I'd loved to have voted for. Punch-Out, Another Code, Panel De Pon, The Legendary Starfy, Magical series, Balloon Fight; too bad there wasn't an Other option to vote for. Add onto that the reasoning of what would best for the NX launch line up, none of mine would probably be very effective for a launch line-up.
@geozeldadude Fire Emblem wasn't included in the poll? Well what do you know, it wasn't. I guess my mind was focused on the absence of Kirby from the poll more than any other IP.
As for new IP, I do believe that should have been included as an option. That said, the 3DS did launch with a new IP, Steel Diver, and it didn't help the 3DS' launch too much.
@MrGawain As far as I'm aware, Nintendo does actually own the Wonderful 101 IP, despite Platinum Games being the creator. That said, I'm not 100% sure on this. In either case, I imagine Platinum Games wouldn't mind making a Wonderful 101 sequel, though I imagine the number they'd use for it's title would be bigger than 102.
@Ogbert I agree that for an F-Zero game to have a chance at success, it needs to be released prior to a new Mario Kart. Sure, their demographics differ in key ways, but there is still overlap and overshadowing at risk. I also believe Miyamoto (or Takaya Imamura) want to be involved in the next F-Zero, at least that is the impression I've gotten, and both are busy with Star Fox Zero right now.
I'd love to see one of Nintendo's newer IPs like Dillon's Rolling Western get the spotlight. Dillon's Rolling Western is a title I think would be suited for such an expansion in particular, as I feel their is plenty to expand upon and I feel (if the NX is a hybrid or console) that the series would be more fitting on a console based system.
@davidevoid I'm always a fan of Nintendo's more obscure IPs getting recognised, particularly if it's a suggestion that they get given another chance of life. A lot of Nintendo's IPs are so obscure that many would believe them to be new IPs entirely if they were to have new entries made.
Re: Poll: Which Nintendo Franchises Do You Most Want to See With the NX Launch?
Now then, there are plenty of comments I'd like to reply to, hence the second comment. Furthermore, I missed the last question;
Q) Which franchises would bring a perfect NX launch, in your opinion?
A) This implies something different than I thought was being asked. A perfect NX launch wouldn't cater to just me, it'd cater to a wider demographic. It's hard to truly describe a perfect NX launch when we don't know what it is, so I'm once again considering this question on the basis that the NX is a 2017 releasing hybrid system.
For the launch line up, I'd have the NX release with a new 3D Mario in the style of the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy games (though not Galaxy 3, it needs to be something new), an NX Fit/exercise game, and a built in amiibo game. I would also mention a more 'hardcore appealing game' (for lack of a better term) such as Metroid, F-Zero, Eternal Darkness, or a new IP, but you did restrict it to just three games and a built in amiibo game would technically count. Furthermore, I feel it'd be good to give the 3rd parties some breathing room, and have this Metroid/F-Zero/other game be released within the launch window of the NX, but not at launch. Think of it as the Pikmin 3 of the NX, except intentionally done.
The main reason I suggest this is that a new 3D Mario would drown out most of the competition. Unfortunately, this would probably include the 3rd parties as well, particularly if the launch line-up was similar to the Wii U, but I don't see a way to get around this.
As noted, I did want to comment on other people's comments, but I'll have to save that for later.
Re: Poll: Which Nintendo Franchises Do You Most Want to See With the NX Launch?
The lack of an other button is a rather big oversight. There are so many Nintendo franchises that it'd be near impossible to list them in a limited poll, and some rather noteworthy IPs are lacking from the poll as a result; Kirby being the main missing IP.
In any case, thinking of the launch line-up for the NX is pretty difficult for me. For starters, we still don't know what the NX is or when it will come out. As the questions seem to be based on a personal desire though, I shall just assume the NX to fit within my current predictions of a hybrid system for a 2017 release.
This still doesn't fix all my problems though, as when I think about it, I've never had too much of a problem with launch line-ups. Admittedly, I didn't want a 3DS until Dead or Alive Dimensions was on the horizon, but the Wii and Wii U were day one buys due to their being games I wanted at launch and within the launch window. Funny enough, for both the launch of the Wii and the Wii U, it was the 3rd party games of Red Steel and Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed that were my desired purchases (though Wonderful 101 was the game I was most excited for at the time of the Wii U's release). Still, I shall try to answer as best I can.
Q) Which first-party franchises do you want?
A) Once again, there are problems with trying to decide this, as the games can differ quite drastically within their respective listings. For instance, I love Super Mario 3D World, however I do not like the 64/Sunshine/Galaxy style of 3D Mario games. Both fit under the 3D Mario category. In an opposite instance, I enjoyed the first three Super Smash Bros games, but was not a fan of the most recent Wii U instalment.
An of course of important note, is that this poll is missing many of the IPs I would consider. I'd love for a Kirby game to be available at launch, and I'm all for obscurer Nintendo IPs getting the spotlight, so a new Another Code or Magical series or Panel De Pon game would be nice to see. Notably, these are not amongst the options.
For this poll... I guess I'll go with Splatoon, Pokémon (main series), and Donkey Kong (2D platformer). I did consider the Mario RPG (Mario & Luigi / Paper Mario) option, but I'm not a huge fan of the Mario & Luigi series and it's been a while since the last Paper Mario game I actually enjoyed. I shall vote for the three I mentioned, but honestly, knowing so little of the NX and given the limited choices available, my heart isn't really in the vote.
Re: Rumour: Intelligent Systems Is Working On New Paper Mario For Wii U
@StarDust4Ever I'm a little confused by this comment, so I'm not sure if I got confused or if you got confused or if we're both confused. My comment was in regards to Shani's comment regarding issuing commands/switching characters in real time within a non-turn based game.
The comment wasn't aimed at Paper Mario per say, and whilst my memory is a bit fuzzy on every badge in the series, I do remember something along the lines of the quick change badge. It still takes place within a turn based structure, so this switching of characters is something I'm fine with.
Re: Rumour: Intelligent Systems Is Working On New Paper Mario For Wii U
@TruenoGT If you're talking within an RPG sense, I'd certainly like to see Alpha Dream go back to their original IP; Tomato Adventure. I've always wondered why they went on to make games starring Mario and Luigi based on that turn based gameplay groundwork; it seemed kind of unessacary with the Paper Mario series already existing as a turn based Mario series. Heck, my first thought upon seeing Mario and Luigi using hammers within those games was "Why didn't they use Ice Climbers instead?"
As for other Nintendo RPG's, it'd be nice to see 1-Up Studio make a new Magical series game. An I imagine there are quite a few people wanting Camelot to make a new Golden Sun.
Thinking about it, it's amazing just how many IPs Nintendo have. They never seem to be able to utilise them all, particularly when they put so much of the spotlight on the Mario IP and it's various branches. The Zelda series has recently been given an absurd amount of attention as well, and Pokémon has always had an insane amount of attention paid to it, though I believe that is due to more to Game Freak than Nintendo.
Re: Rumour: Intelligent Systems Is Working On New Paper Mario For Wii U
@shani I wouldn't classify it as easy to change between characters like that in combat. The only time I can think that I found that easy to do was Wonderful 101, and in that game, it was more like executing a different attack rather than switching.
Furthermore, clicking on a character and ordering them to do something is different within a real time game. For starters, it misses out on that pause of thought as I mentioned, and the way you issue the command doesn't feel the same. You can get interrupted yourself by the real time nature, and a factor that helps a lot of turn based RPGs is a degree of influence during your attack (such as what the Paper Mario games do, pressing commands to increase the power and/or success of the attacks). It overall doesn't feel the same, much like how a game with sword combat like Legend of Zelda doesn't make it a hack n' slash.
As for your other points, I have not played Spec Ops. I usually dislike most shooting games, with rather few exceptions (Splatoon, Red Steel, Jet Force Gemini, and Halo can be fun when I'm playing co-op). I should also note that whilst I'm a fan of Turn Based RPG's, I'm not a fan of Strategy RPG's, mainly because I'm terrible at the latter. Turn Based RPG's do have their strategies to them, but they are usually short term plans (and when long term, they are specific to that battle) and you don't have to worry about your position within a field lay out (grinding is also much easier). Strategy RPG's like Fire Emblem, Disgaea or Advance Wars often involve a more long term strategy akin to chess, which I don't seem to be able to get as good of a grasp of, despite wanting to enjoy those games.
Re: Rumour: Intelligent Systems Is Working On New Paper Mario For Wii U
@shani Yeah, different tastes will inevitably result in people enjoying different games. In this comment alone you've indicated how remarkably different your tastes are to mine.
I loved the older Final Fantasy titles, and whilst I did enjoy the Crystal Chronicles series, Crystal Bearers and the Final Fantasy games from 11 onwards have not appealed to me.
As for Xenoblade Chronicles, I was interested in the game prior to finding out how it played. When I hear JRPG, I immediately expect it to be turn based. When I found out it wasn't and the game was more akin to those bizarre mix ups like Final Fantasy XII or even MMO's like World of Warcraft, I decided to pass on Xenoblade Chronicles.
For me, the key to turn based combat is control over an entire party. For instance, in a game wherein you play as a lone character, I can understand such a game not being turn based. In game where I travel with a group of loveable characters though, I want to control the actions of each member, rather than having ai control them alongside me. Turn Based gameplay allows me to have control of each of their actions within combat. Also, whilst slow at times, it opens up plenty of room for thinking things through without having it be quick-fire thoughts and judgement.
Speaking of slow gameplay, I absolutely hated Super Mario 64 for that sort of reason. I felt the movement and world sluggish, with large areas that are dull to traverse, and I was irritated by going through the same levels so many times over. Meanwhile, Super Mario 3D World is everything I wanted Super Mario 64 to be. It takes the fast, focused platforming of the 2D Mario games, and perfectly converts it into 3D, along with fun and chaotic multiplayer.
My problem with Super Paper Mario, is that whilst I loved the story, I did not enjoy the gameplay. It felt like an unfortunate mishmash of the slow paced elements of turn based gameplay without the large party of characters and time to think things through. It had none of the speed or challenge I loved from the 2D Mario games, and stopping to use items grinded the gameplay to a halt far more than any turn based gameplay does.
Child of Light is my favourite Generation 8 game so far. Across the Wii U, 3DS, Xbox One, and PS4; Child of Light is easily my favourite game amongst these systems. I'd easily class it as one of my top 20 favourite video games of all; and the turn based combat is what I love about it the most.
So yeah... we differ a lot, but to each their own.
Re: Hardware Classics: Sega Game Gear
I've always wanted to play on a Game Gear, but never got around to doing so. My cousin had one, but she always refused to let me try it out.
Nowadays, I'm unsure if I'd want to try and purchase a Game Gear. As I live in the UK, the majority of it's games also came out on the Master System, even later Game Gear releases had versions on the PAL Master System from what I've seen. As someone who prefers console gaming to handheld gaming, that certainly seems the nicer option.
Then again, I did find a copy of Sonic The Hedgheog 2 for the Game Gear in my Nan and Granddad's shed, so I've already got a game for a system I don't own. Darn... there are too many awesome, past systems and games that I'd love to play.
Re: Rumour: Intelligent Systems Is Working On New Paper Mario For Wii U
On the one hand, I'd really like for Intelligent Systems to be working on a Panel De Pon game starring Lip, though that seems very unlikely given the passing of it's 20th anniversary with no attention paid to it. On the other hand, I'd love to play a new Paper Mario game in the style of the first two. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door sits comfortably as my 6th favourite video game of all time, and I've long since been awaiting a true successor to it.
@shani I'm only guessing here, but I believe @TheLastLugia's joke is in regards to how Square Enix have removed turn based combat from a lot of their games, particularly when it concerns their flagship Final Fantasy series. There is a reason people cite Bravely Default as the spiritual sucessor to Final Fantasy, and it's because that Square Enix series plays more like a Final Fantasy game than the Final Fantasy games of today.
As for Wii U platformers, there are quite a few. Just off the top of my head I can see that you're missing Super Mario 3D World, the latest Pac-Man games, and Shovel Knight, and there are still plenty of others. There are certainly more platforming games than there are turn based RPGs on the Wii U.
You and I certainly seem to be of differing opinions though; I love Turn Based RPGs! Final Fantasy IX, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Breath of Fire IV, Child of Light, the Pokémon series; I love the way turn based games play. Many say the draw of RPGs are the characters or stories, and whilst I do find them to be very defining aspects, it's the turn based combat that makes me love the majority of RPGs that I'm fond of. If this Paper Mario game were to play in good old turn based RPG fashion, I'd be able to put it alongside Genei Ibun Roku #FE and Bravely Second: End Layer within my most anticipated games of the year.
Re: Video: Relive the Glorious Madness of The Wonderful 101 With the 60fps Director's Edition Trailer
Funny enough, this was the game that convinced me to get a Wii U day one. Admittedly it ended up not being available as a launch title, but it was originally planned to be available within it's launch window, and it was the game I was eagerly waiting to purchase.
Wonderful 101 was a fantastic game; a couple of issues here and there, but upon becoming familiar with it's controls and ideas resulted in an amazing experience. The characters are likeable, the style is charming, and the story is filled with moments that had me pumped. The ending alone had me screaming out how epic it was.
There have since come games that I prefer on my Wii U, but I'll always remember the initial excitement and intrigue that drew me towards the game, and in turn; the Wii U. Wonderful 101 still sits comfortably within my top 10 favourite Wii U games and I truly do recommend it to anyone who has yet to play it.
Re: Editorial: Nintendo and Virtual Reality Aren't a Good Fit in 2016
Personally, Virtual Reality has little appeal to me. I can immerse myself in a game without the need of a device that isolates me from the world around me, a world that might want to call me for dinner... or that the house is on fire. Wearing headphones is worrying enough, without also blocking out my vision as well.
I don't need a VR device to understand the world I'm playing, to imagine or feel that experience, I can do that with the current state of gaming, or reading a book, or just thinking to myself. Immersion to me can be achieved through simply making an enjoyable or emotional experience, it doesn't need to place me into the world to achieve such an experience.
Re: SEGA 3D Classics Collection is Heading to Retail in the Americas on 26th April
Q) Are any of you in the Americas region tempted by this, or are you European and feeling left out like this writer?
A) I'm feeling left out. I've already seen Moco Moco Friends have a US physical release whilst it passes those in the UK by (at least, as far as I'm aware, I've yet to find a physical PAL copy online), and I'd be rather irritated to see this collection pass by as well. As per usual, there are not many 3DS games I want this year, but SEGA 3D Classics Collection would certainly be one I'd want if it comes out physically over here.
Re: Nintendo of America Confirms amiibo Support for Star Fox Zero, Details More Releases and Olympian Unlocks
Q) Is any of this particularly exciting to you?
A) The Star Fox Zero amiibo news is sort of exciting, although it is hard to get excited when you don't know what the usage of the amiibo will be. This does make the possibility of a Slippy amiibo even more likely, which will have me very excited if that is the case.
Currently, I'm going to predict that the Star Fox Zero amiibo usage will be akin to Yoshi's Wooly World, using as many of the pre-existing amiibo to change the colours of the Arwing, Landmaster, Gyrowing, and any other such vehicles. The Fox and Falco amiibo (and potentially a Pepper, Slippy and further Star Fox character amiibo's) will have an additional use. Of course, this is just a random speculation lacking in evidence, but it is my current prediction.
@electrolite77 I think there are a couple of reasons why the usage of amiibo has been better received than regular DLC, and I don't see it being simply because Nintendo is doing it.
The first reason is that it is physical; you are getting a toy/figure alongside the DLC, or for some, getting DLC alongside the toy/figure. It has a physical presence that gives the sense of ownership, and feels like an extra for what you're trying to get. I'd say the 'because Nintendo did it' part only comes into play here in that many of Nintendo fans would have wanted figurines of many of these characters, regardless of their usage for games.
The second reason, and this for me is the bigger reason, is that even if I were to consider the amiibo figurines as merely DLC, they also happen to be DLC that works across multiple games. Take for instance one of the Splatoon amiibo's; their main purpose is to open up challenges in Splatoon (which I can admit, is irritating to have locked by an amiibo), but that same figure will also unlock a costume in Yoshi's Wooly World and Super Mario Maker. Furthermore, that same amiibo also has a general use with Hyrule Warriors. So even if I were to count that one amiibo figure as nothing more than DLC, it happens to be DLC that works across at least four games, and potentially more in the future.
Of course, this all depends on ones stance on amiibo's, as there are plenty who'd say that amiibo's don't count as DLC at all. For me, I do to a degree, although as I've pointed out above, I find to be a very efficient and fair usage of DLC due to it's multi-use nature.
Re: Dragon Ball: Project Fusion is Another RPG Heading for the 3DS in Japan
@rjejr No offence, but using a comparison of Tingle versus Mario, Pac-Man, Sonic, and Pikachu, is pretty unfair. You could bring up just about any other 3rd party video game character and funny enough, more people are likely to know who Pac-Man and Mario are. If the case for 3rd parties is that they'd have to be as well as known as Mario, then Nintendo have already ran out of options.
For instance though, let's take today's list. Amongst the line-up of amiibo's released today, do you think Tingle would be that out of place in terms of popularity/recognisability?
An remember, collectors are not the only type of people I mentioned who'd want to collect further Nintendo amiibo's, even if their not as well known as those who've already been released through the SSB range. Those who are a fan of that character/series (it being niche even helps in some ways, as it's not often figures of said character are made), those who simply like the look of the figure, those who want to use the figure in their games; and even when it comes to collectors there is a variation of collectors going from those who want to collect a specific series and those who want to collect all amiibo.
Nintendo making 3rd party amiibo's would likely sell more than most of their more obscure IPs, however I feel there to be more to gain through selling (and in turn promoting) amiibo's of their large library of IPs both well known and obscure. The only issue, and one I feel would be a case regardless, is coming up with a game to be utilised with these amiibo's in order to justify them (which would also apply to your 3rd party case).
Re: Dragon Ball: Project Fusion is Another RPG Heading for the 3DS in Japan
@rjejr In regards to whether the more obscure or less important (as I have to note given your example of Goomba's and such, who are certainly not obscure despite just being common enemies) characters would be able to sell, I think there is a high chance they would. For instance, one of the earliest complaints regarding amiibo's involved people trying to purchase Marth, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer amiibo's. Wii Fit Trainer being the more crucial one here; plenty of people were complaining about being unable to purchase an amiibo figure for Wii Fit Trainer of all characters.
Amiibo figures for the more obscure characters will end up selling for a variety of reasons; collectors wishing to have as many as they can, the people who want those particular characters, and general people or children who like the look of the figure (I've encountered a few of those). Of course, it would also help if there was a game that would utilise said amiibo, as that would include a further group of purchasers who want the amiibo for their uses.
As to why Nintendo creating amiibo's of their more obscure amiibo's would be a better idea than them creating 3rd party character amiibo's... marketing. Here in the UK at least, Amiibo's have a greater shelf presence than the Wii U and 3DS sections combined, and they display a variety of amiibo's. You have your Mario figures lined up next to your Chibi-Robo's, Little Mac's, and Wii Fit Trainers. Their usually noticeable, and naturally promote Nintendo's characters and series through simply being visible. Furthermore, as they are Nintendo's own characters, the profits and promotion for the figures would go only to them (or at least mostly, I'm unsure of how the profits for amiibo's are exactly handled).
On one last note... Tingle has been the main character of at least a couple games and has reoccurred often in the Legend of Zelda series. After the main trio of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf; he's easily one of the most well known Legend of Zelda character, so I'd hardly call him obscure.
Re: Dragon Ball: Project Fusion is Another RPG Heading for the 3DS in Japan
@rjejr Nintendo have plenty of it's own characters left that could be made into amiibo; including both obvious choices and obscure choices.
For instance, despite both Mario Party 10 and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash utilising amiibo's, they haven't made any new amiibo's (aside from Toad) for those respective series. This is really odd, particularly for Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, as they do use amiibo's in a big way. Other ideas include making extra challenges for the other weapons in Splatoon through the release of more Splatoon amiibo (even if I find this to be the more annoying usage of amiibo used so far).
Then of course, there are all the more obscure IPs that Nintendo have, which Nintendo have plenty of. Heck, even some of there more well known IPs haven't had amiibo's made for, simply because they didn't feature as a playable character in SSB. To truly justify them they'd require a game featuring that character to be released, although I'd gladly pick up a Lip or Ice Climbers amiibo without requiring a game to use them for (though a game would be really appreciated). The amount of IPs Nintendo has is kind of insane.
Re: Talking Point: The Allure of the Virtual Console and How Nintendo Can Harness It
For me, the only hindrance in regards to the virtual console is that it is a digital download only service. I'm running out of room on my Wii U as it is, and have never actually used an external hard drive with a console before. I believe I've got one that works with my Wii U, but how long are they supposed to take to be checked and formatted by the Wii U?
In any case, there are plenty of virtual console games that have my interest, with the ones that interest me the most being those which never arrived in my country physically like Kirby's Dreamland 3, Sin & Punishment, Super Mario RPG, and Drill Dozer.
Perhaps if I had ever utilised the Wii virtual console service, I'd be more critical of the Wii U's virtual console, but regardless of what it does, it'll always be more of an extra feature that is nice to have rather than something I ponder too much upon. If there is anything I'd like to see in regards to the Wii U virtual console, I'd simply like to see more games that never came out in the respective regions, perhaps even Japan only games being translated. I have a great time with The Mysterious Murasame Castle on the 3DS virtual console, and would love to be able to play the likes of Panel De Pon and Shin Onigashima.