Souldin

So in response to the five things listed in the article:

Pikmin 4] My expectation is that Pikmin 4 will be a Wii U title, utilising the assets of Pikmin 3 in a similar way to how Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker utilised Super Mario 3D World or how The Legend Of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes utilised assets from The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. I'm still of the belief that the NX won't come out until 2017 (if it is a singular device at least), but I believe Pikmin 4 will be a Wii U title regardless of the NX's release date.

The Mega Evolution of amiibo (and Pokémon)] This is worrying and pleasing at the same time. Utilising the amiibo cards for something Pokémon related would make sense; I for one would love to see such a thing utilised for a Pokémon Trading Card Video Game. That said, I'm unsure how I'd feel about it impacting the core Pokémon games, but I suppose that would depend on how they would utilise any amiibo cards; it could work or it could be rather problematic.

Anything from Retro Studios] Whilst I'm certainly a bigger fan of their Donkey Kong Country games over their Metroid Prime titles, I think I'd prefer to see Retro Studios working on a new IP if anything. By that, I mean either an IP they've created themselves or working on an existing Nintendo IP that isn't DK or Metroid; preferably one of Nintendo's more forgotten/less utilised IPs.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force and Next Level Games] I just pre-ordered this game yesterday, planning on playing through it alongside my brothers. I have confidence in Next Level Games, and whilst this isn't the new Punch-Out game I was hoping they'd be working on, it is still a game I'm eager to try out.

Quality of Life] I do expect this has been put on the backburner, but I do think that expanding into another business might be helpful for Nintendo overall. An advantage that Sony and Microsoft have had is that they've other departments that bring in finances, so Nintendo doing so through a medium they've already experimented with before makes sense. I'm unsure if I'd utilise Quality of Life products, though as someone with pretty poor sleeping habits, I'll say that I'm at least a little intrigued.

As to whether it'll be coming about this year, that I'm unsure on. It seems Nintendo have a lot on their plate these next couple of years.

Q) What do you think?

A) I think that we're close to having too many fire Pokémon, although it is only four at the moment, but mainly I'm glad to see that now all six Pokémon generations are finally represented. Chandelure is an interesting choice, and I'm glad to be surprised by it's addition. I'm keen on trying Chandelure out as a potential main, although Weavile still looks to be the first Pokémon I try out when I get the game.

Q) Are you glad that Chandelure is finally getting a shot at the limelight?

A) Yes, I'm almost always for the more obscure or out there additions, and Chandelure is certainly one of those I'm for. Whilst I've never used one of them in the main line Pokémon series, it is a Pokémon whose design I like, and it's uniqueness in being another non-bipedal Pokémon is appreciated.

Q) What other fighters would you like to see added in a to some point?

A) Whilst my wish for each of the generations to be represented has already occurred, I'd still like for each of the types to be represented as well. At this point, we are still missing a Rock type, a Bug type (my favourite type), and a Normal type.

If any of the Hitmon lines were to be added, I think Hitmontop would be the nicer addition. A more complicated idea would be to have Tyrogue playable and having it able to evolve into the other Hitmon's during the course of the match.

There is still no big and heavy Pokémon, unless Machamp counts for this, so I think someone like Aggron, Tropious or Garbodor would be nice.

I'm a big fan of bug types, so there are plenty I'd like to see added; Ledian, Galvantula, Vivillon, or my personal favourite, Kricketune. Having my favourite Pokémon Kricketune being added would certainly have me leaping with joy.

An finally, whilst we do have some Gen 5 and Gen 6 representation now, it's still not very much. So I'd like to see further additions from Gen 5 and Gen 6... particularly Diggersby.

For me, it's the multi-use nature of amiibo that makes me more forgiving towards them than I would for normal DLC or on-disc locked content.

For instance, whilst I do find Splatoon's usage of the amiibo to be rather annoying (I can perfectly understand criticism of the content and challenges that are being locked away), at the same I'm willing to judge it less harshly as the Splatoon amiibo's can in turn be used for other games. Not only do the Splatoon amiibo's make for nice figurines, I can use them to unlock specific content across Splatoon, Yoshi's Wooly World, and Super Mario Maker, as well as non-specific extra's with Hyrule Warriors. The multi-use nature of the majority of amiibo, where they are either of decent importance to a game, and/or a nice bonus for several others, makes up for the price and adds plenty of value to using the amiibo.

Of course, given that the amiibo has such great value through being able to be used across multiple games, might in turn be a criticism others have, as they in turn feel they are missing out if they lack the amiibo. Whilst this is true to a degree, at this stage in time, I feel there are no amiibo's that lock away content of too great of an importance. The closest (which is why I brought it up in my critique), are the Splatoon amiibo's, which I do hope to be the exception rather than the rule. Twilight Princess HD could be the next game to follow the Splatoon model, but I feel that until we know the nature of the accessed dungeon, it's hard to truly critique it. For starters, the dungeon is likely an extra with no story importance, and it might have features that make good use of it's form as an amiibo (such as through it's connectivity with Zelda U and it's potential connectivity with other users).

Q) Do you think the Wii U will have a good 2016?

A) That depends, is this just from a personal perspective or for the overall picture of the console? Whether it'll sell more or less is something I do not know, but on a personal level, I feel like I'm going to enjoy the Wii U quite a bit.

Admittedly, part of that hinges on whether Genei Ibun Roku #FE releases this year, and as I'm from the UK, there is some concern to be had for me there. Putting aside Atlus tendency to release games later in EU regions though, and I find there is still a lot for me to enjoy this year on my Wii U; from retail games such as Star Fox Zero and Pokkén Tournament, to eShop titles such as Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and 90's Arcade Racer.

Q) Do you think the 3DS will have a good 2016?

A) Currently, there are only two announced retail 3DS titles that I'm looking forward to. That is pretty common for me though, as I don't play handhelds as often, and the 3DS is generally a system to be optimistic about as it does get a lot more support. There is a chance that 3rd party games, localisations, and Pokémon 20th anniversary related games will be announced later in this year that grab my interest, so I will say that I'm optimistic about the 3DS this year.

Q) Are you excited about Miitomo and more smart device apps?

A) I do not own a phone, so the answer to that would be no.

Q) Are you excited about the NX reveal this year?

A) More like apprehensive. Whether the NX comes out this year or the next will likely alter my mood to this year. If it comes out next year, with more Wii U titles announced for this year, then I'll be very pleased and optimistic. If it comes out this year though, then I'm going to be rather concerned, not to mention passing on it as launch.

Regardless on whether Nintendo intend to or not, but I plan to give the Wii U the minimum 5 years it deserves, and missed purchases provide me with plenty of opportunity to fill in any games gaps that come about. I still believe the NX will be a 2017 releasing system, but with the majority believing otherwise, it does cause me to have doubts and worries on the matter.

Q) Are you optimistic that Nintendo will have a great 2016?

A) There are very few years where Nintendo disappoints me, so I'm going to go with the optimistic approach and say they will. Even if I'm not blown away by what Nintendo has to offer this year, I'm at least positive that they'll be able to bring a smile to my face.

@LilC I'm admittedly one of those people who would say that Sonic Adventures 2 is better than Sonic Generations and Sonic Colours. Of course, in my opinion, it's not hard to be better than Sonic Generations; I personally found the game to be a rather dull experience with an overemphasis on boosting.

I found all aspects of Sonic Adventures 2 to be pretty great. Whilst I do think the treasure hunting and tank shooting aspects aren't quite as good as they were in the 1st Sonic Adventure game (through Knuckles and E-102 Gamma's parts respectively), I did find them to at least be enjoyable, and a nice bit of variety to go alongside the Sonic levels. An whilst speed has always been an element of the Sonic series, it has never focused solely on speed, and the previous Sonic games had many slower moments to them (the 2nd zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 1 for instance). The inclusion of an absolutely amazing Chao Garden also helps Sonic Adventure 2 to be one of the best of the Sonic series.

Q) Are any of you in Europe tempted to pick this up?

A) I just pre-ordered my copy from GAME. If I remember correctly, when a pre-order price is that high, it's usually the entire price of the game. I believe the same thing ocurred when I pre-ordered my copy of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water.

Amongst the games I wanted this year, Bravely Second was going to be one of my cheaper purchases, but for a special edition like this, I'm willing to spend a bit more than planned. It helps that Agnes is my favourite of the Bravely series characters; so a figurine of her is a great incentive. I think after this special edition, I'll have to pass on most other special editions if they pop up this year... well, if Genei Ibun Roku #FE gets a special edition, I'll definitely be getting that.

I think I'm generally positive about my future gaming experiences, particularly when it comes to Nintendo. Admittedly, I do have a couple worries this year; concerns over the NX releasing this year and concerns regarding Genei Ibun Roku #FE (will it get censored and/or take ages to arrive in the UK/EU?), but I'm generally trying to look on the positive as I do each year.

Star Fox Zero looks like it has some ways of utilising the Wii U gamepad, Bravely Second looks to be a pretty awesome sequel to a game I particularly enjoyed, and I have high hopes that there will be some surprises coming the way of the Wii U and 3DS.

@Ootfan98 Well Japan already has MSX and PC Engine games on their virtual console, so it'd certainly be nice to see the other regions get further expanded virtual consoles, or even just receiving some of the one's Japan already has.

Also, I think my heart just exploded with joy at the thought of being able to play Fury of the Furries on my Wii U. An Amiga virtual console on Wii U sounds very unlikely, but I'd love for it to happen, likewise for Dreamcast and Sega Saturn games becoming available on the Wii U virtual console.

Remasters as a mean to fill in gaps seem like a perfectly fine idea; so long as it is not overdone and it makes sense for there to be a remaster. For instance, I feel the upcoming Twilight Princess remaster to be a poor choice for remastering, given that it is yet another Zelda remaster (we've had quite a few of those across Wii U and 3DS) and that it is playable through the Wii version and Wii U's backwards compatibility.

So when I think of fitting remasters, I wouldn't put forth any Wii games, unless they were accompanies by another game not previously available on the system such as remastering the two Batallion War games or the GC and Wii Fire Emblem games as a remastered compilation of sorts (much like the suggested idea for Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2). I'd also consider games that folks may have missed out foremost, or titles that currently lack an entry on the Wii U (or 3DS) and are unlikely to get a new one in the near future (it can be used to test the waters if need be). When F-Zero is discussed, a lot of people seem to mention that they'd just want a HD, online F-Zero rather any new innovation added to it, so a HD remake of F-Zero GX with an online mode would make sense. Games that didn't come out worldwide originally would also be worth considering, although that would have the added task of translating.

My personal choice for a HD remaster would be a game like Odama; a game that would be able to take advantage of the Wii U hardware thanks to the Wii U gamepad's built in mic. It is also a pretty obscure title, so for a great many people, this would be a first time experiencing it.

It's a shame that they've already announced that Scalebound will be delayed to 2017; I was looking forward to that game being my big holiday title to enjoy. Ah well, it'll give more time for the game to be well crafted and polished, and I'm sure other titles will fill the void by the time the holidays of this year hit.

Besides, just because Scalebound was delayed doesn't mean I won't be enjoying some Platinum Games made delights this year; I will be purchasing Star Fox Zero after all. An funny enough, I've still yet to get around to playing Bayonetta 1 and 2 despite owning them, perhaps I shall to it as I attempt to go through my backlog of unplayed but already purchased games (Fantasy Life, Rare Replay, Freedom Planet, and more).

@Ogbert I imagine a lot of Nintendo fans would enjoy the Ratchet & Clank games; I imagine a lot of people in general would enjoy the Ratchet & Clank games, they are great games after all.

I agree that fans of other systems should not dismiss the other competitions line-up, a line-up of games that might appeal to them, just because it's on another system. I do find it funny though that, for me, you proceed to list a bunch of the games from that exclusives showcasing that I've no interest in, even if they were on the Wii U. Plus Horizon: Zero Dawn, No Man's Sky, Street Fighter V, Dreams, The Witness, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 4; they'd probably be pride and joys for some, and whilst I can agree that they look like good games, they don't appeal to me.

Of the exclusives on PS4; the new Ratchet & Clank, Gravity Rush 2, and Fire Watch are the games that catch my interest. It's nice though to see the PS4 have exclusives that I actually want to play this year, even if I'll have to pop around to my brother's house each time I want to play any of them.

@Kirk Which one's in particular interest you?

I have to give credit to the PS4 where credit is due, this year does mark the first year where the PS4 has exclusives that interest me. Fire Watch does interest me, although I have a feeling it'll be a download only title, meaning I'll unlikely get it (given I'll have to play any of these games on my older brother's PS4, rather than a system I own). I'm interested in Gravity Rush 2, though whether I'll want it will depend on how I feel about my time with Gravity Rush Remastered. Oh, and there is a new Ratchet & Clank game, those are always good fun.

Before this year, the only PS4 games that were catching my interest were games I could get on my Wii U or Xbox One... and the port of Tearaway (though I don't own a PS Vita nor have a friend/relative who does).

For me, the Wii U still has more titles that I'm interested in and that interest me more (Genei Ibun Roku #FE, Pokkén Tournament, Star Fox Zero), though I'm impressed to see a good number of Xbox One titles I'm interested in this year (even if the one I was looking forward to most of all, Scalebound, just got delayed to 2017) and that the PS4 has even managed to pique my interest this year. Hopefully more Wii U titles that interest you will be announced during the year though.

Fire Emblem Fates - I'm terrible at SRPG's, so as per usual, I'll pass on playing this latest instalment of Fire Emblem.

Hyrule Warriors Legends - Tempting; I'm not a huge fan of playing on the 3DS due to it's constantly breaking L and R buttons, and would rather just download the additional characters for the Wii U version I already have, but this is a very tempting purchase.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force - My younger brother and I both plan to get this game. Admittedly, part of what is convincing us to get this is simply because of how angry it has made so many people, but a bigger reasoning for me is that I trust Next Level Games to make a good product. It also looked incredibly fun during the E3 treehouse showcasing.

Project X Zone 2 - Seeing all the characters together like this is cool, but otherwise, I've no interest.

Bravely Second: End Layer - I made a video recently on my top 6 most anticipated games of 2016, and Bravely Second was listed as number 4. I really enjoyed Bravely Default and am eager to play it's sequel.

Final Fantasy Explorers - Now if this was a traditional turn based Final Fantasy (though the Bravely series kind of covers that now) or a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title I might have be interested, but Explorers has yet to interest me so I'll be passing on this game.

Zero Time Dilemma - I think I remember one of the previous titles being shown off in a Nintendo Direct long ago. Once again, I'll pass.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - If I were to get this game, I'd get it for the Wii U, but I'll pass on the 3DS version.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice - A maybe I guess. I enjoy the cartoon, and if this improves on the okay 3DS titles, it should be decent enough. I've plenty of other games I want this year though so... undecided and not likely, but still worth considering.

Pokémon Red / Blue / Yellow - I already have Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow in catridge form... but having it on my 3DS is very tempting. I think this would depend on whether any of my brothers decide to do so as well, or if we're able to make screenshot enabled Miiverse posts for it (unlikely, given the previous Pokémon Miiverse communities).

Normally I'd make a fairly lengthy comment in order to explain my view on this matter, however my views have basically explained through the first comments of @crimsontadpoles and @MetalKingShield. I guess that means I can keep my comment somewhat shorter than usual.

In regards to the Lin costume change, I see it from two sides; on the one hand she is only 13 and so it makes sense to alter the clothing, but on the other hand it is simply an article of clothing and whether it is sexualised is more to do with how one interprets it. I'm unsure which I viewpoint I side more with.

Regardless of which viewpoint I side more with, I feel this Lin issue has become bigger due to the other censorship issues going on at the time, and keeping strictly with the Nintendo related issues, things like the removal of the bust slider. The bust slider issue certainly is a bigger issue given it removes a previously existing option from players and limits character creativity and customisation... and I still have no idea as to why it was even removed.

Drill Dozer? Drill Dozer is finally being released in the UK/EU? Drill Dozer is releasing on the Wii U eShop? YES!

I've always been interested in trying this game out, so you can imagine my disappointment when I found that it never released within my region. Now I'll finally get the chance to try this game out, so this is absolutely wonderful news for me.

First things first, I'll need to test out my external hard drive. I've yet to see if it works and I'll need to move some data off my Wii U if I wish to download anything.

Oh, one game I realised is not on that list is the Wii U version of Terraria. I believe it has been said to be getting an early 2016 release, is it not?

Given it is already out, I can understand why the physical release of Mincecraft was not listed, though some might consider that a big thing considering how popular the game is.

Anyway, aside from games that have been listed here such as Genei Ibun Roku #FE, Star Fox Zero, Pokkén Tournament, Project Guard, and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, there are other games that I'm looking forward to this year. As a backer of Twisted Fusion's Kickstarter, I should be getting a free copy of that game when it comes out this year, and 90's Arcade Racer will likely release this year. I look forward to trying out Lost Reavers if it gets released outside of Japan this year, and I'm still interested in Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories.

There are other Wii U games I could mention, but I'm not 100% sure on their release this year. Delays ended up effecting quite a few games I was looking forward to last year (both on Wii U and Xbox One) so I wouldn't be surprised if more occurred for me this year.

The Legend of Zelda for Wii U - From what's been said about this game, it appears it's direction will be akin to the original Legend of Zelda and/or open world styled games like Skyrim... so I'm going to pass on this entry. None of what's been said about it's direction pleases me.

Star Fox Zero - My primary reason for wanting this game is it's usage of the Wii U gamepad... and it also looks pretty fun in my opinion.

Pokkén Tournament - I like fighting games, and I like Pokémon, so this is naturally an appealing combination to me.

Genei Ibun Roku #FE - This is my most anticipated game of 2016, and not just out of the Wii U titles, but out of all games coming out in 2016. It's a large, retail turn based RPG filled with vibrant graphics and catchy sounds!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD - I wasn't a fan of Twilight Princess before, and nothing this HD remake has shown entices me to get this game again.

LEGO Marvel's Avengers - Wait, this doesn't include all of the phase 1 and phase 2 Avenger films? I think I'll certainly pass on this then, though to be fair, I'm not a huge fan of the Lego games (Lego City Undercover is a bit of an exception).

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games - I think I'll pass on this game. If I want a mini-game based Wii U game, I think I'll simply continue my hunt to find a copy of Game & Wario.

Project Guard / Project Giant Robot - Due to having so much fun with tower defence games such as The Lost Town and Dillon's Rolling Western, I'm particularly interested in Project Guard. I'm not too interested in Project Giant Robot though, at least as a standalone release (be it as a small eShop title or bigger retail release).

SteamWorld Heist - Whilst it looks nice, it is still an SRPG, so I'll pass on this game.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - I really enjoyed playing through Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, which leads me to look forward to this next game. I'm pleased to see that the graphics have taken a huge leap in improvement, it's got a much nicer style to it than Pirate's Curse.

Q) What do you think?

A) I like the logo; it's always been a very classic look to me, having a character appear within a ring/arched frame. I didn't expect to see a reveal of any logo or announcement so early on in the year, but at the same time, I didn't expect Sega to pass up on the chance to celebrate Sonic's 25th anniversary.

Q) Does SEGA have any big surprises in store for 2016?

A) As much as I'd like Sega to give the Sonic the Hedgehog series a break so they can focus on polishing a gameplay formula, I did expect that they would do something to celebrate Sonic's 25th anniversary. As for that something, I always expected it would be more than just a new Sonic Boom game and a new Mario & Sonic at the Olympics.

As for what the other thing could be though, that is a rather broad thing to consider. I'm not sure if Sonic Team have had the time to create a big, 25th anniversary game. If they have secured the time to make a new mainline Sonic game, then I'd expect it to be a multiplatform Sonic game available on the PS4, Xboc One, and more than likely the Wii U (otherwise Mario & Sonic would enact as their substitute for Nintendo fans). As mentioned though, this would all depend on how much time Sonic Team have had to work on a new game, and I could see them instead going for an easier option of making a new compilation game or a current gen port of Generations.

Out of all the possible options, I'd probably be most pleased if they contracted Sumo Digital to make a new Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing game. I also wouldn't mind seeing anther Sonic Mega/Gem collection, though I've already played both previous collections. I wouldn't mind seeing Sonic Team create another mainline Sonic game before putting the series of break for a couple or so years, but the quality of mainline Sonic games tend to be rather inconsistent, as well as debated amongst fans. It doesn't help that in my case, I appear to be one of the few people who didn't like Sonic Generations (as you can tell, a current gen port of Sonic Generations would be my least liked option).

Q) What was your favourite Sonic game?

A) Sonic Adventure for the Sega Dreamcast is not only my favourite Sonic game, but it also is my 3rd favourite video game of all time. I love the variety of gameplay offered by it's many characters (including Big), as well as the way it's story is told through experiencing it from many angles.

Other Sonic games I particularly love include Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as well as both entries in the Sonic All Stars Racing series.

@allav866 Would it be wrong of me to say that I would actually buy that it if Sega actually did that? I mean... that would take guts... and would be hilarious.

@Ootfan98 Ah, I understand. Thanks for the quick response.

I've always liked the way Nintendo present their system's hub menu's. It manages to show off the most amount of the systems features and downloaded games at once, and provided how one goes about organising it, in a neatly fashion.

@IceClimbers That's a funny coincidence, as I too am looking forward to all four of those games actually. I plan on getting Star Fox Zero, Pokkén Tournament, and Gravity Rush Remastered; as my younger brother is a huge fan of the Ratchet and Clank series I've no need to worry about purchasing the new game myself.

This year will actually mark the first year I'll be properly playing on the PS4, which will be kind of weird, as I'll have to do so by visiting my older brother's house each time I want to play on it. He's the PS4 owner of the family... though it is admittedly a PS4 that I bought him for his Birthday.

So I've read through each of the NintendoLife staff hopes and dreams for Nintendo's 2016, but I don't really have anything to comment in regards to that. Most of the staff's hopes and dreams featured in the article relate to that of the NX or The Legend of Zelda U, neither of which I have much interest in 2016. My hopes for the NX is that it is a 2017 releasing system, if it comes out in 2016, then I'll be waiting a year to purchase it (both as a decision I've made and due to a lack of work at the moment). Meanwhile, the direct the Wii U instalment of The Legend of Zelda appears to be taking is not one that pleases me, but I'm okay with that, I've had my fill of great Zelda experiences these last 5 years with the likes of Skyward Sword and Wind Waker HD.

I do have plenty I can say in response to some of the responses in the comment section of this article.

@sonicmeerkat As someone who is looking forward to Genei Ibun Roku #FE, this also happens to be a concern of mine. It looks set to be rated Mature, so I'm hoping for it to receive as few changes (outside of translation of course) as possible, but this didn't seem to stop what happened with Project Zero.

@Grumblevolcano I agree with this sentiment as well; I'd like to see the Wii U receive the traditionally minimum time of 5 years. That, and I believe 2016 is too soon for the NX, unless plenty of things have been going on in the background in regards to both Nintendo and 3rd party development, I fear a 2016 launch would leave it in the same position that the Wii U suffered with it's launch.

@Ootfan98 I particularly agree with your number 1 point here, I do feel a 2017 release would be better for both Nintendo and 3rd parties to prepare games for it's launch line up and into the proceeding year. I also agree with points 2 and 5, and although the series doesn't interest me, point 3 would be nice for fans of the series. I will admit though, I'm not quite sure what you mean by point 4.

@JaxonH I'm personally predicting Pikmin 4 to be a Wii U title. In much the same way that Nintendo utilised already existing assets from games such as A Link Between Worlds and Super Mario 3D World to create later games such as Triforce Heroes and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, I expect Pikmin 4's development to have been sped up thanks to Pikmin 3 already existing on the Wii U.

In much the same way, with HD character models already existing on the Wii U, I wouldn't be surprised to see Animal Crossing getting a mainline entry on Wii U. This chance particularly increases if the NX doesn't come out until 2017, which unless official information is released about the system before E3, is still what I'm assuming.

@supa I'd love to see Nintendo revive and utilise more of it's existing IPs as well. Whilst I wouldn't be fond of it playing like Super Mario 64, I would particularly love to see Ice Climbers get a new instalment. As for a Golden Sun 4, I do believe that is likely to be Camelot's next game they'd make for 3DS, given that they've already made a Mario Tennis and Golf game for the system.

I'm disappointed at the lack of a Panel De Pon game this year to celebrate it's 20th anniversary, but I can always hope for next year.

Q) What do you make of Erikawa's comments?

A) I don't really feel this confirms anything. Whilst the NX was mentioned in the same context as the PS4, it was merely referred to as 'machine'. Honestly, whilst the NX is more than likely a console system, until Nintendo themselves give official confirmation, everything is either rumour, speculation, or simply not guaranteed.

That said, Koei Tecmo supporting Nintendo's next system will always be pleasing to me. I can start hoping to be able to play Dead or Alive 6 on the next Nintendo console.

'We will also strive to further increase opportunities for consumers to come in contact with Nintendo characters in their daily lives, such as through visual content and merchandising.' - This line is what has me most excited. I've always felt that in recent years, Nintendo haven't been doing enough outside of video games to promote their IPs. I think the last Nintendo animated series they had (outside of Pokémon) was Kirby Right Back At Ya, and Nintendo merchandise has always been a pain for me to find in the UK. Amiibo have been a blessing in that regard, as whilst I do love their additional functions, the fact that they are official Nintendo merchandise is a big draw for me.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE Well, there was still some 3rd party support for the Wii. It did miss out on quite a few multiplatform games that were designed for the stronger Xbox 360 and PS3 systems, but likely due to it's high amount of sales, 3rd parties were still willing to try and support the Wii.

For me, this has resulted in quite a few great 3rd party games on the Wii such as the two Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi games, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Red Steel, A Boy and his Blob, and more. Despite how people claim the Wii lacked 3rd party support, this is untrue, and it's got plenty of decent 3rd party games on it.

For Wii U retail game of the year, Splatoon was also my choice, and it was one I expected to win this category. Splatoon has done so well for itself, it's honestly amazing. I expected it to be more popular than the more negative folks were suggesting, but I certainly didn't expect it to take off to quite the level it has. Good on it though, as Splatoon is a fantastic game with a set up that encourages you to come back to it every now and again, if the addictive gameplay wasn't enough to keep you coming back every day. Overall, it's interesting to see that the choices for the top 5 are the same as the staff picks, with a slight difference in order.

The Wii U eShop category makes me the happiest. It may not be number 1, but I'm glad to see there are many fans of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water who voted for it in this category. 3rd place is nice enough to let me know that plenty of people appreciate this amazing game. FAST Racing Neo and Runbow look like fun games, so I'm not surprised to see them on the list, and Shantae and the Pirate Curse is an amazing game so I'm glad to see it place here as well.

I haven't even played Codename S.T.E.A.M. and I'm disappointed to see it didn't place within the top 5 3DS retail games. Whilst it was of a genre that I cannot get into (I've tried, but I'm pretty bad at SRPG's), it did look like a well crafted game with a lovely setting and cast. I guess it's a shame to see this IP be so less well received than it's fellow new Nintendo IPs of the year (Splatoon, and even Box Boy). Anyway, my two votes for Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX and Fossil Fighters Frontier were unlikely to be enough to get them placed within the top 5, they were kind of obscure choices.

I'm once again baffled to how well received Yoshi's Wooly World has been. I expected it to get voted for within the top Wii U retail games, everyone got three votes for that category, but to see so many of people's single Game of the Year votes go to it surprises me. It's a good game, but I guess I'm not quite grasping the magic and charm of it likes others have been, which is more a shame for me if anything. Splatoon as the Game of the year winner is something I fully expected, as whilst I would have loved to have seen my personal choice of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water feature at the top, I didn't expect it to. I'm not surprised to see Xenoblade Chronicles X place higher here, it seems that people who enjoyed this game as their favourite Wii U game didn't have a game amongst the 3DS or eShop library they prefer, a rather loyal following. It's not my type of game, but it does appear to be a quality one, so it's good to see it well received by it's fans.

I have no arguments against your choice for Wii U retail game of the year, as whilst it's not my choice, Splatoon was originally going to be my Wii U game of the year. It is an amazing game with surprisingly addictive gameplay. Overall, the choices within your Wii U retail game of the year are not too surprising, though I do find it odd to see Yoshi's Wooly World in 3rd rather than 5th amongst your votes.

As for Wii U eShop game of the year, FAST Racing Neo isn't my type of game but it's clear that the developers have put a lot of work into the game. I'm sure fans of that type of racing game are thrilled with the end product. Seeing Freedom Planet so highly praised really makes me look forward to finally getting around to playing it.

None of the 3DS games I've enjoyed this year are part of your staff picks, but that doesn't surprise me. I am a little surprised to see how well liked Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward, never knew that series had so many fans.

As for the Game of the Year... that is pretty funny with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate being on it when your 3DS game of the year choice isn't.

@sandman89 I wish Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water got more credit as well. I'm admittedly a bit biased in that it's my personal choice for game of the year, but I do feel it is a lot better than it's currently viewed as. It'd have been nice to have seen it at least feature within the Wii U eShop categories top 5.

@ninty4thewin I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy it per say, but I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as other people seem to. It was a good game, but I felt there was something missing, it didn't spark my enthusiasm, and I haven't had as fun of a time playing it with my brother as we did with Kirby's Epic Yarn or Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (just to name a couple of Nintendo co-op gaming examples).

@MrRight I believe your comment was in regards to me, as I believe that the opening line of that comment was quoted from my own comment. To first clear up a misunderstanding, I'm aware of the situation regarding Natsume and the original creators, and that the new Harvest Moon games are not being made by the original team.

That said, I will still call Natsume's line of Harvest Moon games, 'Harvest Moon' games, as that is what they are called. Regardless on whether or not any of the original team are working on this latest entry, due to IP ownership, it is still technically Harvest Moon due to IP ownership.

I am still on the fence regarding a possible purchase of this upcoming 'Harvest Moon' game, a physical release would probably convince me fully, but due to it being on the Wii U rather than the upcoming Story Of Season's release on the 3DS, Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories is my more likely purchase currently.

@k8sMum I have played the first Rune Factory game on the DS, which was fun, but I never got pulled into it like with Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. I think part of that was due to timing, I ended playing Rune Factory at a time where other games I wanted were coming out.

Overall, I personally feel the style of experience that Harvest Moon offers is more suited to a console. I'd like to sit back and relax with it for many hours, which I can do with a Wii U but with a 3DS I'd end up with cramped hands (due to it's size) and frustration (due to my L and R buttons constantly breaking).

Q) What do you think?

A) It's not quite the console based Harvest Moon I imagined, but it is still a console based Harvest Moon game. I feel the series could work well for the Wii U, and the Harvest Moon games feel like the sort of game that works better for consoles than handhelds (though that is just my opinion on that). I'm hoping the Wii U version will look a little better than the iOS version, those movement animations look rather stiff.

Q) Are you looking forward to this?

A) I am... sort of. I've been wanting to play a console based Harvest Moon game for a while, and whilst this doesn't look anywhere near as good as what I'd hope for from a console based Harvest Moon (though this is the iOS version being shown off), it is still a console based Harvest Moon. A big part of me feels it might be better to simply pick up one of the Wii entries I missed out on, or replay A Wonderful Life, but I do feel I should at least try this latest entry out. At the very least, the support my encourage a console focused Harvest Moon game to be made in the future.

Q) What's your favourite Harvest Moon game?

A) My favourite Harvest Moon game is Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. Admittedly, it is pretty much one of the only Harvest Moon games I've played (and it's only been since around the Wii U's release that I've been wanting to play a Harvest Moon game again), but it still remains amongst my top 5 favourite Gamecube games. I wonder if it might have been a better move for Natsume to simply remaster and combine the two Wonderful Life entries of Harvest Moon.

@BinaryFragger I'd actually argue that the case of enhancing the games is a superior idea to having the games rely upon them.

For instance, a control stick isn't something a controller needs, you can still do movement through a D-pad. Heck, even the original joy stick could function the same purposes as a D-pad, but these inclusions, the D-pad and control stick, did enhance the experience of the controller and various games and functionalities.

Whilst the gamepad may not have been entirely necessary for Wonderful 101 for instance, I do feel it improves the game significantly, and I'd have unlikely even be able to complete the game without the gamepad (trying to draw the shapes with the control stick alone is incredibly tough for me). Meanwhile, the ability to swap out items on the go in the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, as well as type messages for the Tingle Bottle, improves the experience of Wind Waker to significant levels, to the point where it amongst my favourite usages of the Wii U gamepad (I think I'd claim Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water as my favourite usage).

Of course, I might be a little biased, thanks to it's size and shape, as well as features such as Off-TV play; the Wii U Gamepad is my favourite game controller of all time.

Pokkén Tournament is on my wishlist for next year, and whilst it does look a little light on content at the moment, this trailer has gotten me excited for the game once again.

Of the Pokémon shown so far, I think I'll be looking to use Weaville first, though whether I'll stick with using Weaville will all depend on playstyle preferences and what other Pokémon get announced.

@sketchturner I'd put Ori and the Blind Forest down as my 3rd favourite game of the year, but hopefully Pure Xbox will also host a Game Of The Year Poll. As far as Xbox One games go, Ori and the Blind Forest is certainly number one for me.

@VanillaLake Yeah, I was pretty disappointed to see Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water not listed within the Game Of The Year selection. I had to click on Other to vote for it, and I can't remember any time where an Other option vote has won any of these polls.

@Nintendo_Ninja A Worst game of the year? Well usually I wouldn't feel like saying a game, as whatever game I'd consider the worst of my year would be due to it being just not as good as the other games that year rather than being a bad game. This year however...

My Worst game of 2015 is Legend of Kay Anniversary. It manages to be both boring and frustrating, with a lovely combat system that is quickly marred by terrible camera angles and a difficulty that is done only through swarms of enemies. I made the unfortunate mistake of deciding that my brother and I should record a playthrough of the game for our YouTube channel, combine that with my rule of always finishing off a playthrough for our channel, and we had to suffer the entire extent of what the game had to offer.

@Qun_Mang Funnily enough, that is how I went about playing Skyward Sword as well. I got my Wii U, and in between the release of Lego City Undercover and Wonderful 101, I ended up purchasing Skyward Sword. It's easily one of my favourite Legend of Zelda games and a key reason as to why I love the Wii U having backwards compatibility.

I have plans to do a 'game of the year' styled video myself at some point, although as the year has not ended, I will unlikely make or upload this until the first day of the new year. After all, who knows what games I might be able to try out in the remainder of December, maybe even games I obtain on Christmas day.

For instance, throughout the year I have purchased games that I've simply yet to get around to playing; Freedom Planet, Adventure Bar Story, Trine: Enhanced Edition. Funny enough, despite this year being a little lacklustre in some ways, there is still so many games that I've wanted to play but simply never got the chance to play.

So, I wouldn't consider my results... 100% official to what I consider the games of the year for their respective category, given things still might change, but it is close enough. So, below are my votes;

Wii U Retail Game Of The Year
1) Splatoon
2) Yoshi's Wooly World
3) Rodea The Sky Soldier

I think I'd like to point out two exclusions on this list. First off, whilst it's more of an education tool than strictly a game, I still feel that Art Academy Atelier should have been included on this list. Secondly, whilst it was unofficially released in some EU regions before January 2nd, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's official EU release date was part of this year, and I feel that game should have also been included.

Wii U eShop Game Of The Year
1) Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water
2) Nihilumbra
3) Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

3DS Retail Game Of The Year
1) Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX
2) Fossil Fighters Frontier

Yeah, this year was a little sparse for me on the 3DS front. I'm not a big fan of the 3DS currently, what with it's L and R buttons constantly breaking, and suffering cramps from how small the system is. That said, both of these games have been amazing experiences, and I had a ton of fun with them.

I had considered getting Chibi-Robo Zip-Lash and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam Bros, but ultimately passed on both games. I was also interested in the upcoming Samurai Chronicles game, but it seemed to pass by without me being aware of it.

Game Of The Year) Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water

As a lucky fellow from the UK, I was able to get this game physically, and am I glad that I did. I've never tried this series out before, I'd barely even played horror games before, but I absolutely love Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water. It's easily one of my favourite games on the Wii U, and whilst it had tough competition from Splatoon, ultimately Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water has given me the greater experience this year.

@chardir Agreed; I feel Amiibo Festival would have been much more appealing if it wasn't limited to Animal Crossing Amiibo's, which at the time of the game's announcement, none had been released.

Ironically, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival was the most interested I'd ever been in an Animal Crossing game. The amiibo aspect though was what put me off trying it, given that I'm not a fan of Animal Crossing, it seemed odd to get a game where I would need to buy figurines of the series to play.

Q) What do you think?

A) Well, I do think you should probably start calling this by it's current Japanese name of Genei Ibun Roku #FE, as it might help to quell the... harsh reactions some of the people within the comments section are having. I also believe that this factor had been previously mentioned before; didn't one of the directors of the Fire Emblem series comment on wanting a modern day Fire Emblem and how that influenced this game?

Q) Are you looking forward to this?

A) Yes, I very much am. In fact, it's my most anticipated game of 2016. A large scale turn based RPG exclusive to the Wii U is pretty much a perfect recipe for me.

Q) Do you like the direction they decided to take it in?

A) Yes, although I do understand the... 'disappointment' of the the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem fans with the direction it has gone. It seems quite different to what their used to (although, given it's mature rating and the destroyed city, I'm expecting a rather sinister plot event later on in the game).

As for me though, having it go from an SRPG (a genre I'm pretty much terrible at) to a TBRPG (my favourite genre) is a wonderful thing for me. I love the beautiful art of the game, and find the style of the game very charming. I particularly love how the game looks when in combat, which looks to be a smoothly paced combat system.

Q) What do you think?

A) I'm disappointed that the latest character reveal is neither a Gen 5 or Gen 6 Pokémon, but I'm also glad to see that there is a Grass type now in the game.

Q) Are you glad to see these Pokémon added in?

A) Farfetch'd is an awesome Pokémon, though one I didn't expect to be playable, so I'm glad it's been included as a support Pokémon. Electrode is fairly iconic, so a support role at least makes sense.

As for Sceptile; I think it's a decent inclusion. I'd have preferred Grovyle over the Sceptile form, but I understand the choice, and it's a decent choice in regards to both Gen 3 Pokémon and Grass types.

Q) Who would you like to see added next?

A) A Gen 5 or Gen 6 Pokémon preferably; I'm currently quite fond of the potential Galvantula would have as a fighter. My brother and I actually made a video on the subject of what Pokémon we'd like to see added in Pokkén Tournament, when I remember how to add a link to it, I'll consider putting it within my comment here if anyone is interested.

Bravely Second releases on my Birthday? That's awesome to hear! I hope I'll be able to acquire the special edition, because I'm loving how it looks.

Will I have to order it online to get the collector's edition or does reckon any of the retail stores may have the collector's edition available?

Q) We don't know when this is coming to the West yet, but is it a game you hope to play?

A) It's a large scale, turn based RPG filled with vibrant colours and lovely sounding Japanese tunes that happens to be coming out on the Wii U; it's my most anticipated game of 2016 so far!

Admittedly, as excited as I already am for the game, an English subtitled or dubbed trailer would be nice to receive. I have a decent enough understanding of the game from it's trailers and reading through comment sections of sites like Siliconera, but it's still not a full picture. What I've seen is enough to tell me that it is the type of game I'll enjoy though.

Q) What do you think?

A) My wallet is thankful. I have plenty of games as it is at the moment, so I'm okay with waiting until 2016 for Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories. I have no problem with it coming out on mobile systems first, though hopefully the gap between the release on Wii U won't be too long. Given they were giving this game a Winter release for both versions, I can see this coming out for Wii U in either January or February.

Q) Are you disappointed by this news?

A) I kind of explained my thoughts on this with my first answer, but basically, I am not disappointed. Honestly, a 2016 release is great news for me.

Q) What are your thoughts on the Harvest Moon games?

A) I've only played one Harvest Moon game; Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life... it's one of my favourite Gamecube games. I've yet to dabble in other Harvest Moon entries, though I had a brief experience with Rune Factory on the DS, but I've been keen to these past couple of years.

The thing is, I've been itching to play a Harvest Moon entry on consoles, rather than on handhelds. Admittedly, I'll likely go back and give the Wii entries a go in future (I'm amassing a Wii collection, slowly but surely), but these last couple of E3's had me longing for a Harvest Moon on Wii U.

Now, one is set to arrive. Sure, it appears quite a bit... weaker (for lack of a better word) than what I was expecting from a new console based Harvest Moon, but hopefully the core gameplay and charm of the series will shine through and I'll have myself an enjoyable experience. I look forward to playing this game in 2016.

Q) What do you think?

A) Well it's nice to hear that Namco are taking good care of their younger staff and giving them these opportunities.

Q) Does this sound like it might interest you?

A) Let's see here... looting treasures, fighting bosses, co-op; yeah, I like the sound of it. The game looks fun from what I've seen of it so far, and as it's free-to-play, it is at least worth checking out.

Q) What do you think of the free-to-start approach?

A) On the one hand, I like how it allows me to effectively have a demo period. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of digital downloads, and would much prefer to buy the game all at once in a physical format. As we don't know huge amounts about the game so far, seeing this as a upcoming demo seems to be the best mindset for me.

If that is what he wishes, then so be it, I can respect his creative rights to leave this series as a trilogy. I think the main focus of fans of the series at this point is to actually officially obtain the third entry in the series, rather than a fourth entry.

It also shouldn't be much of a problem for Nintendo if they are unable or unwilling to make a Mother 4 (which again, I respect that decision), as they have plenty of other RPGs they could make new entries for. They've continued to work on the Mario & Luigi series, and there is also the Golden Sun and the Magical series available for new entries to be made in.

Hmm, without a question at the end, I'm not sure what exactly to put down. I've tried to write down something for a while now, and yet I feel go off topic and off track whenever I do.

In the case of this article, and the entire site, the reviews are opinion based. If the end review score is the honest opinion of the critic involved, there is nothing wrong with that; my only suggestion for any reader in such a scenario would be to take into account multiple reviews from sites and people they trust. For instance, whilst I'm pleased to see Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water gain a 7/10, my current experiences would have me rating it at an even higher score. It's an opinion, so there are no worries if it doesn't match up; it doesn't have to. I've enjoyed my Nintendo offerings this year, delighting over games such as Splatoon, Fossil Fighters Frontier, and the aforementioned Project Zero, though others may not, that's their opinion on the matter.

If you (the article writer), or any other reviewer/critic of this site feel that the review and end score reflects you honest opinion of the game, then that should be the review and end score you give out, regardless of the developer, publisher, or any audience expectation.

Q) Has the Super Famicom or SNES left its mark on your own history?

A) Yes it has, as the SNES formed a big part of my early childhood, despite the rather few games we had for it. I surprisingly enough even remember the day my oldest brother opened it up for his Birthday, which remains one of my earliest childhood memories. I believe the first game I played on it was Super Mario All Stars + Super Mario World, although it was the 2nd game my brother had received for his Birthday that stuck in my mind the clearest; Kirby's Fun Pack.

Kirby's Fun Pack for the SNES, still remains my absolute favourite video game of all time, cementing both my love for the Kirby series, and my love of playing co-op games with my brothers. I also greatly enjoyed the likes of The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, Kirby's Dream Course, Yoshi's Island, and Donkey Kong Country. Other features of the SNES I loved included it's controller, as well as it's eject button (such a satisfying feature).

Looking back on it though, I do realise the flaws of the SNES, one that should have been apparent back in my childhood. In the nearby town, there was a vegetable shop... which was also connected to a video game store. It no longer exists anymore, but back then, the shop sold only one type of video game; Sega Mega Drive games. A lot of the SNES games never made it to the EU, and through my later discovery of Pokémon and various PlayStation RPGs, I soon discovered that I loved RPGs. Pretty much none of them came out in the UK around the time of the SNES, I believe there was more RPG's on the Sega Mega Drive in the UK than that of the SNES as a result. My childhood memories of the SNES are fond ones, and I still love it for having my favourite absolute favourite video game on it, but as someone from the UK, I'm unlikely to go back and seriously try to expand my games library for the system.

I have quite a few Wii U eShop games... but I haven't actually played most of them. Trine: Definitive Edition, Santatory Hallways, and Freedom Planet are eShop games I own, but have yet to get around to playing (much like with retail Wii U games such as ZombiU and both Bayonetta games). There are also eShop games such as Costume Quest 2, which I want but have yet to purchase.

In such a case, given the low number of eShop games I've played, I'll have this as just a top 5. I am still a little confused on how you're going about with these lists, given that Shovel Knight is soon to have a physical release. Would Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water make more sense to place it within this list?

5) Shantae And The Pirate's Curse - I had a bad experience with the first Shantae game, but this was one I enjoyed greatly. It's a lot of fun with delightful characters and humour.

4) TNT Racers - Nitro Machines Edition - Simple, but tons of fun, and I believe it to be my first eShop purchase of all.

3) Trine 2: Director's Cut - My brothers and I had a blast with this game and the hilarious banter and arguments stick in my mind. The only downside is trying to get both of them available so we can play this game, and hopefully in future, it's predecessor.

2) Nihilumbra - I had been waiting on this game for ages; thankfully it turned out to be awesome, with a lovely artstyle and a narrator I love to hate.

1) Child of Light - Why is this game not on your list!? Child of Light currently stands as not just my favourite eShop game, but favourite game of the entire of Generation 8 so far. Easily amongst my top 20 favourite video games of all time, Child of Light was a fantastic experience for me in it's gameplay, story, and artstyle. Some might consider it rather short, but considering the lengths some RPGs stretch to, I felt it to be a satisfying length that fit it a fantastic experience for me.

Well, I didn't get a reply to my Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water question and I want to comment on my top 10 games already so... as I haven't determined where I would place Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water within my top 10 favourite Wii U games (though it is certainly among them, and rather high up) I'll include it as a special mention. I'll also place it roughly where I consider it to be at the moment, although this could change with time.

10) Watch_Dogs - @gcunit isn't the only one with this game in their top 10, and despite recognising it's overall quality as rather average, I enjoyed it a great deal.

9) Nintendo Land - I pretty much love this game for the Balloon Fight attraction alone, but it has a plethora of other mini-games I enjoyed and I love the overall style.

8) Lego City Undercover - It's witty, charming, and a lot of fun.

7) Wonderful 101 - This was the game that made me want a Wii U at launch, and it's unique gamepad usage, exciting combat, and it's epic events has it placed within my top 10.

6) Hyrule Warriors - It's action packed and with a ton of fun to play as characters; a levelling up feature and co-op play also helps make this a fantastic game.

5) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - It's fair but challenging, with many harder levels put to the wayside to find, and an overall fantastic co-op experience. It was this game that led to me and my brother starting up a Let's Play YouTube channel, although we only recently were able to upload our playthrough of this game due to beginner's mistakes.

4) Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed - In my eyes, the best racing game of all, despite some areas where I feel it's predecessor was better (character selection namely). The tracks are wonderful, and how they change throughout the race is what makes each race of exciting.

Special Mention) Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water - It serves as both a tension filled horror game, and upon replaying through levels, a slow but thoughtful action game. It gives a unique charm to playing through a level for a first and second time, but overall I've been gripped by this game. I'm only a few chapters into it though, so I'm not decided in it's overall placing amongst my Wii U games.

3) Splatoon - Simple, addictive, and insanely fun. The story mode was enjoyable (I wish it had co-op though), whilst the online multiplayer is as I noted, addictive.

2) Super Mario 3D World - Frantic and chaotic whilst playing with family and friends, perfectly polished and excellently executed whilst playing alone. This is the 2D Mario gameplay I enjoy converted into 3D, being the 3D Mario I always wished to play, and stands as my favourite mainline Mario game of all (the first two Paper Mario are still my favourite overall Mario games).

1) The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD - An amazing game made even more amazing through the simple but incredibly effective implementation of the Wii U gamepad. It also happens to be my favourite Legend of Zelda game.

@Xenocity I was just browsing through the comments when I noticed yours and your question.

Funny enough, the main reason I got a 3DS when I did, which was around the time Game were promoting a special discount alongside the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, was because I wanted to play the upcoming Dead or Alive: Dimensions. I'd have gotten a 3DS at some point anyway for game series such as Kirby and Pokémon, but it was Dead or Alive: Dimensions that convinced me to get it early.

In the case of the Wii, out of the launch line up of games, the one I wanted to play most of all was Red Steel. I wanted the Wii at launch because of it's future Nintendo releases, but of it's launch line up, it was Red Steel that had me excited.

As for the Wii U, I believe Wonderful 101 counts as a 2nd party game, as I believe Nintendo own the IP. That said, it is made by third party company Platinum Games, and Wonderful 101 was the exclusive that excited me the most about the Wii U in it's early days.

In regards to this list, I'm quite surprised to see that not only did Hyrule Warriors and Wonderful 101 not make the list, but that within the honourable mentions they happened to be below Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (it's a decent game, though rather exhausting in a way). I'm also surprised at the lack of Lego City Undercover within the honourable mentions, I figured it would at least make that.

I cannot make any comment proper comment on Pikmin 3, Bayonetta 2 (though I do have the game, I've yet to get around to playing it), Super Mario Maker, or Mario Kart 8, given I've not played them myself. From what I've seen of them though, each seem rather fitting of being within the top 10, although I don't see how Mario Kart 8 is number 1 (again though, I haven't played these games).

I've long since accepted that I'm in a bit of a minority in disliking Super Smash Bros for Wii U, so no surprises I'm at odds with it's place on the list here. I am surprised to see that I appear to be in the minority when it comes to finding Yoshi's Wooly World merely 'good'. I like the game, but something has been feeling... ' off' about it; I'm not sure the exact reason but I haven't seemingly been able to enjoy it quite as much as other people have been.

I will probably make my own top 10 list within the comments later, but I do have to ask, would Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water be allowed to count within such a list? It did get a physical release in my region, but only as a limited run, so should it count as part of retail only list of Wii U games?

Q) Was it a triumphant return?

A) My opinions on this Nintendo Direct have been mostly mixed, but if I had to choose between just a positive or negative rating... I'm afraid I'd lean more so to the negative rating. That is honestly quite rare for me, as I usually like all the Nintendo Directs, including the one's most people don't seem to be interested in. I have made a video of my thoughts on this direct, although I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link it within these comments, so I'll just leave some brief thoughts on the direct below.

I guess my problem is that the majority of the positive points were not significantly positive for me. For instance, I liked seeing Pokkén Tournament, Star Fox Zero, and Bravely Second get some showing, but they didn't reveal much new about these particular games or discuss them for long. I was pleased to see indie games get some focus, but I have no intention of purchasing either of the three that were showcased. Hyrule Warriors Legends does continue to tempt me, but due to it being on the 3DS, I'm still not sure on it.

Then there were negative points for me such as the Twilight Princess HD reveal, which honestly seems like a very pointless HD remake to me. There was also Cloud in Super Smash Bros, whose inclusion disappointed me in the fact that it's another 3rd party inclusion, let alone who it is, as well as things like there being yet another Pokémon free-to-play game (with no mention of that detective game still).

It wasn't all to great of a direct for me, though the few positive spots for me do lead me to consider it mixed overall, even I lean on the negative side more so.

Q) What do you think?

A) It's good to see that Splatoon is continuing to get free DLC content. It is a nice factor that does bring me back from the game, so that even when I don't play it in huge bursts, I do at least come back to it every now and again.

Q) Are you looking forward to the new content?

A) None of the new gear stood out to me in the trailer, although the mention of winter gear does perk my interest. The poolside resort stage, Mahi Mahi Resort, looks beautiful... and deadly. That much water makes the stage rather ominous in a strange way.

I feel that Museum d'Alfonsino is the more interesting of the two stages; the art museum design is nice, and the stage itself seems more unique with it's rotating platforms and overall size. It might have just been me, but the stage looked massive.

Q) What else would you like to see added to Splatoon?

A) Hmm, some new single player levels/challenges? It could even be done through new amiibo, I certainly wouldn't mind going and getting amiibo's of the Squid Sisters or the shop keepers.

Expanding further on that, perhaps even an additional single player campaign, or the some levels that allow you to play co-op (it seemed like Splatoon's story mode was perfectly set up for co-op, given there were two former agents). Admittedly, these things feel like they'd fit in the realm of Splatoon 2 rather than as free DLC updates, but they'd still be nice to see.

I would also like to see that scrapped retro Splatoon game that we saw in earlier trailers come back as an in game arcade cabinet. That would be pretty sweet.

I was hoping to see more characters than the already teased Shadow Mewtwo, perhaps a look at some console exclusive gameplay modes, but it's nice to see Pokkén Tournament get a mention. I'll probably get one of the first print editions if I can, but unlocking Shadow Mewtwo early is not something that concerns me. I'm more interested to see if they'll reveal some Gen 5 or Gen 6 Pokémon, or generally just more Pokémon characters for the game.

Q) What do you think?

A) It certainly does seem polished up, both in terms of gameplay smoothness and in terms of graphics. Heck, I was one who was content with how things looked before, though much to my expectations it has started to improve from that with time. I'm still liking and interested in the usage of the Gamepad, so I'm glad it was talked about within the showcasing.

Q) Are you looking forward to Star Fox Zero?

A) Yes. It's not a game (or series) that has me seriously hyped, but I am looking forward to it's usage of the gamepad, and I do think I'll have a good time with it. It's arcade, rail shooting style of gameplay is something I do enjoy, and gyro aiming with the Wii U gamepad is always charming.

Q) What do you think of the new release date?

A) It's a bit odd that the EU only has April, whereas other regions got a release date of April 22nd. I do wonder if that means there will be a few days difference for those in the EU. That said, it's still in the same month, and a few days won't make much of a difference.

Q) Are you excited about this one and Linkle's inclusion?

A) I tend to prefer existing characters of the series being used for these types of games rather than seeing brand new ones, however this is the first of these types of characters added into this version of Hyrule Warriors after many series existing character additions, so I feel okay with it. Furthermore, I feel Temco Koei has done a pretty good job with their original characters in Hyrule Warriors, ultimately fitting in well and being fun to play as.

Linkle also does exist as conceptually being a female Link, something that some fans have pondered upon before; it's interesting to see it happening and that despite being 'female Link', that she has her own gameplay style and even motif's to her as it were.

My problem now is that all this information about this game has made it really tempting for me. I already own the original game on Wii U, and I feel it's a system that works better for Hyrule Warriors than my continuously shoulder breaking 3DS (that dust problem is incredibly annoying). On the other hand there has been no confirmation that the Hyrule Warriors will be available through other means, and having Hyrule Warriors on the go would be pretty cool.

Everything mentioned here was well within my expectations. A deep, though somewhat over the top storyline filled with charm, 3D platforming of a style similar to Yuji Naka's previous games, and hard to master flying system. All fits within what I've been hearing about the game; and all of it makes me look forward to the game.

Well, an easier flying system and a less aggravating camera angle would have been nice, but from what I've heard of they flying system, it pays off once you've mastered it. As for the camera angle, that's pretty much a given really, it's a gripe I'm able to overlook if the rest of the game pleases me.

Like many people, I'd love to see a review of the Wii version at some point, although my primary focus will be on the Wii U version for now, if simply so I can make Miiverse posts about my experience. It's only gotten a 6 out of 10, but from what I've gathered, I think it will be quite a bit higher in my own personal regard. A great review though, it covered a lot of the topics and highlighted the aspects that drew me towards pre-ordering this game.