SpaceKappa

@Jazzer94 Eh, not really. His sword swings were very wide and fluid. Marth's are more controlled and focused.

@Prof_Clayton Or someone who hates fun and is mad Duck Hunt is in there.

This has to be real. The Project M team took over 700 hours just to animate Mewtwo for Brawl, and this has new fighters against returning characters with new animations. That would be extremely, EXTREMELY time consuming to fake.

Also people will point to the lack of separation between screens, or how it goes from a match to Home Run Derby so quickly as evidence of a fake, but this is clearly from material submitted to the ESRB. The ESRB does NOT play the games it rates, but rates games based on videos submitted by the publisher.

It's real.

The weirdest thing is that in the photo he's using a wineglass grip and that just seems dangerous with the top screen right there.

I'm calling it right now: GBA games are on Wii U because we're going to see an official release of Mother 3 in the west. You heard it here first.

I can't seem to find an answer anywhere, but does ANYONE have any idea why NES games are so dark on Wii U? SNES games look GORGEOUS running on the Wii U's Virtual Console, but NES games look awful. The screen just seems to turn really dark and it makes the games look really bad. I'd love to play more NES games on Wii U if they looked as good as SNES games, but man, they look OOOGLAY.

@DaveGX No joke, my man! I'm not boiling cartridges, it's the pin connector that gets the treatment. The type of metal used in the pin connector doesn't rust, and boiling it removes all the dirt and grime that's built up on it over the past 20-some odd years. I thought it was crazy until I tried it myself, but the results speak for themselves.

@gurtifus Oh no worries! Pushing the cart down is a tough habit to break.

@FishieFish I found it on a message board a while back. Figured it was worth a shot!

@gurtifus I mentioned it in the video, but by bending the pins back to their original position you don't need to press the cartridge down in order to make a connection. By not pushing it down, you don't bend the pins, which saves you from starting the cycle all over again.

@AugustusOxy What's wrong with talking about very serious issues?

Great article, Damo. It echoes my sentiments a bit towards the series as well.

I got wrapped up in the GTA IV hype but never finished it. It just made me feel icky. It got to the part where some character (I forget her name... Elizabeta or something) shot a TV show host and his cameraman in the head for no reason and just couldn't stomach any more. It didn't help that I got stuck on a driving mission, but hey, let's not split hairs.

I did enjoy goofing around in multiplayer with friends, but that was because we made it silly. In the game the characters you're hunting down and killing have dialogue, personalities and backstory. You're not shooting targets, you're murdering people. That's fine, I'm not saying the game shouldn't be made, it just didn't sit right with me. I don't celebrate murderers as heroes, even in a virtual space.

It might seem hypocritical of me, then, to be enjoying Saints Row The Third, which I just started this weekend. I think the big divider, though, is just how stupid and silly Saints Row is. It's a comic book. EVERYTHING is over the top. I mean, I just recruited a guy who speaks in auto-tune. Not to mention female characters are portrayed as every bit as capable as their male counterparts... I'm playing as a female boss and no one has even made mention of her being a woman.

It's funny how many people call GTA "satire" when its plot is incredibly serious. I don't think GTA's aim is to parody all these things we consume in the media, it's to put all of these "taboos" at the forefront and appeal to everyone's darker instincts.

I'd never say it shouldn't be made, but again, it's just not my bag.

FINALLY

@JaxonH GameStop isn't the publisher, Nintendo is. GameStop is just the sole distributor.

@russellohh That's not illegal. Once something's open it's technically used. It's when they sell something that's used as new that the issue arises.

@russellohh I think you're greatly overestimating things here. Why would GameStop, a multi-billion dollar company, risk EVERYTHING by printing and selling bootleg copies of a game distributed by one of their biggest supporters? If these WERE bootleg copies, Nintendo would SURELY find out about them because this is all over the internet. They'd be in for one HELL of a lawsuit. Then other companies would catch wind of it and stop supporting GameStop, because hey, what's stopping them from pirating OUR games and selling those too?

You might not like GameStop as a business but there's no denying that's it's run by people who know what they're doing. They're not stupid. They wouldn't risk billions over making a profit on a couple thousand copies of Xenoblade.

My guess is Nintendo did another small printing of Xenoblade (the new puzzle being added to the 3DS StreetPass would support this) and GameStop just said "hey we could make a LOT more on these if we sold them as used" and opened 'em up. Nintendo gets paid, GameStop gets paid, and everyone's happy except people who didn't buy Xenoblade the first time.

@russellohh Explain the working Club Nintendo codes, then.

@rjejr Actually yeah, I've seen lots of rare games go for above MSRP as used copies at GameStop. The Zelda Collector's Edition for GameCube, Marvel vs Capcom 2 and Disgaea for PS2 spring to mind, although I know I've seen more.

Wait, is the implication that GameStop somehow printed the copies themselves? I don't think that's possible. I think these ARE reprinted, as the photos I've seen show the inside of the case branded with the Nintendo logo instead of the Wii logo, but I doubt GameStop could feasibly reprint these themselves, so Nintendo would have to have been involved.

But yeah, it's pretty terrible that they're marking it up to capitalize on the demand, but unfortunately they're not TECHNICALLY doing anything wrong. Once GameStop purchases those copies from the publisher they're free to do what they want with them, so opening and selling them as used isn't breaking the law. It's not like they're selling clearly used copies as new, which IS illegal.

It's really unfortunate all around. It's a crappy move, but it's hard to complain because they're really not doing anything wrong, they're just being jerks. I've also been to a lot of GameStops that are staffed by really cool people (and I've worked there!) so I hate to see the entire company painted as a bunch of money-grubbing thieves.

But anyway, now I need to run out and pick up The Last Story and Pandora's Tower before THOSE disappear and this happens again.

I used the original HD PVR for a while, but since my main goal was capturing retro consoles it didn't work well for me as it was unable to accept any signal lower than 480i (everything before the GameCube/PS2 era was 240p). The bundled software was pretty bad, too. It's interesting to see the HD PVR2 now has support for retro consoles, in theory... the old model had composite and S-video ports built in (which is why I bought it) but it still could only accept 480i or higher. Does this one ACTUALLY support older consoles?

Anyway I sold it and got an Elgato Game Capture HD and I haven't looked back. It's much more lightweight and easy to move around depending on what console I want to use and it ACTUALLY supports consoles all the way back to the NES. I've used it for both retro consoles and for the Wii U and it works fantastic - plus the bundled software is much more user friendly.

Staff, feel free to edit this comment if this is considered spam or advertising, but if you want to see how great the Elgato is at capturing footage, here's an episode of my show where I used it to capture NES gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK0XY181Jhw) and one where I used it for the Wii U (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plBvFP6XnV4). As someone who's used both, I'd say the Elgato wins hands down.

@tchaten Yes but that's a game I want as a cartridge.

I'm downloading! Normally I hate downloading games because I feel like I don't "own" them, but my wife is getting the physical copy so I still have a box and manual to look at. Animal Crossing is something I'll be playing EVERY DAY, and when Pokémon comes out I won't want to swap carts.

The main thing I want from Nintendo's online services (aside from games!) is some kind of account system where I have some assurance that the games I buy aren't going to be lost if something happens to my system. If something happens to my PS3 or Xbox 360, I know that my account still exists on their end and I can re-download my purchases.

I'm leery of investing a lot of money into digital games without that sense of security. We just had a scare with my wife's 3DS where an unfortunate encounter with a water bottle that wasn't closed all the way resulted in her losing all the data on her system... but luckily her SD card was intact and they were able to restore her purchases and Ambassador status.

It could just be me being paranoid, as I'm someone who clings to physical media for dear life, but I'd be much happier to buy some of these digital games if I felt like they were less of a gamble.

That's a shame. TvC was one of my favorite fighting games last gen and I'd LOVE to see it in high definition - the game is so stylish that it's almost criminal to have it locked to 480p. I hope they work something out, because more people need to play it.

Poison from Final Fight was always transgender (or "newhalf," as the slightly-offensive Japanese term). Look it up!

@rjejr I was that reviewer! I'm not sure what the pricing is on the game now other than parts of it are free, but $60 was FAR too much for what they were offering. As long as they're charging $10 or below it's a good deal for what it is.

HECK YEAH BATTLE BEASTS

I just re-discovered these recently and I'm dying to collect the old figures again. The only one I remember owning was Major Moose, and my wife managed to find his figure complete with his weapon and a working rub on eBay. What a great birthday present.

Too bad the 3DS is region locked, otherwise I'd be all over this.

I played it at PAX and it's phenomenal. The graphics are sharp, the music is top-notch and it's a WHOLE lot of fun to play. Really, the game I'd most compare it to is Ducktales, which is weird since Capcom just announced a remastered version of THAT (which I ALSO played, and that is also phenomenal). Shovel Knight was my game of the show (as my full set of pins I got from their booth can attest) and I really, REALLY hope it hits Wii U. You guys are gonna LOVE this when it comes out.

@DePapier That's a good point. I definitely want to reward the teams actually putting the effort in. The fact that this will even be the best looking version is a bonus, too.

I'm probably going to pick it up, for a couple of reasons: One, the game looks great and I never got around to picking it up when it was first released, and two, I want games to sell on Wii U so these publishers keep putting more games out. I know that second one is a dumb reason to buy a game, but with all the DOOM AND GLOOM being reported I feel like I gotta do my part.

@bahooney I know they didn't change anything for the Japanese VC release but Japanese copyright law is very different from US copyright law. Japanese TV will often use music during broadcasts that they didn't get legal rights to use. Tomato (the guy who runs EarthBound Central) said that he was able to change the music on his own in a small patch he made himself - I never said it was an official thing.

I've got a hunch we'll see it hit the VC in the west. At this point Nintendo KNOWS how much people want it and I've read that a 4kb patch (or something else crazy small) fixed all the music issues and I know plenty of EarthBound fans would take a VC release with edited music over no VC release at all.

I think we'll get it once the "30th Anniversary" promotion is over - why would Nintendo put up something fans have been asking for for so long at such a meager price when they know they can charge $10 or $15 and people will be more than happy to pay it?

Time will tell of course, but it would surprise me at this point if we DIDN'T get it.

This looks fantastic! Like @THE-WOLF, I'd donate in a heartbeat if I knew for sure it was coming to Wii U... but I probably will anyway. Their Kickstarter says they'll be showing a demo level at PAX East so I'm definitely going to make getting to that demo a priority next weekend.

Perfect subhead, Damo.

I'm in. The first two games have been some of the most co-op fun my wife and I have ever had and the amount of enjoyment we've gotten out of them has been WELL worth the money. We love collecting figures anyway and these have the added bonus of working with a really fun video game.

I just wish they didn't create artificial demand by limiting some figures (lookin' at you Thumpback) to the point where scalpers charge over 4 times their retail value on Amazon and eBay. Although, in a weird way, hunting them down at different stores can be kinda fun, and it's REALLY rewarding when you wander into a GameStop on a Tuesday afternoon and the two rarest Skylanders you've been hunting have literally just been hung on the wall.

Good times. I'm always up for more Skylanders.

@Majin-Naruto It's not the same teams working on those games though. The Final Fantasy XIII team is on Lightning Returns while Nomura's team (the Kingdom Hearts team) has been making Versus XIII.

@Schprocket Graphics can make a good game better. They can't make a bad game good. Period. Square-Enix are perhaps the biggest offenders when it comes to this.

Oh, and an "increasingly difficult console market"? Stop pissing away money on graphics engines that are so detailed that you can see the reflections in character's eyes because WHO NEEDS THAT and maybe try releasing some games on Wii U, where development costs will be lower, you have an audience that is already very receptive to Japanese games and a partner in Nintendo that will be more than happy to help you promote your stuff.

What Square-Enix really needs to do is FOCUS. Rather than slapping the Final Fantasy name on anything and everything they need to get a team together to sit down, decide on the future of the Final Fantasy series and execute on a unified vision.

The reason everyone hates Final Fantasy XIII so much (although I rather enjoyed it) was because that game was a creative mess. They didn't even have the story all the way planned out when they released the beta with the Japanese Blu-Ray release of Advent Children. They were designing levels before they had any idea what the game's world was. They were only able to use about half of what they created, which is why Final Fantasy XIII-2 came to be... they had all those assets, might as well use them.

They don't have much of an identity anymore and it's a real shame. They used to be THE source for RPGs and when you saw the Square name on a box you could rest easy in the knowledge that you were going to get a top-tier experience. Now it seems the passion from that company is all gone and we're getting games designed by committee and a smattering of overpriced mobile throwaway releases.

A company that owns Final Fantasy AND Dragon Quest should NEVER be in any kind of financial pickle. THINK about why those series are so beloved and get them back to their roots. Hire Sakaguchi to come back and help plan the next numbered Final Fantasy. Kick Versus XIII out the door no matter how bad it is right now because at this point there's no way it'll EVER recoup the cost to make it and it makes more financial sense to get that team ready to start Kingdom Hearts 3.

Just... stop sucking so bad and get back to what made you awesome in the first place.

@shinpichu That's what Smash Bros IS though. It's a wacky game that's fun BECAUSE of it's unpredictability. Poker has random elements and people still play that. It's about having the skill to deal with any of the thousands of situations that can occur BECAUSE of those random elements that gives the game its personality. If you turn off items you're not playing Smash Bros if you ask me.

Just checked the donation totals and it's a tight race between Melee and Skullgirls with no other game even coming close. I'm a bit torn because I'd love to see a Nintendo game being repped at EVO with the amount of funding Sony tosses in (haha) but at the same time I really hate when people play Smash Bros without items.

I was talking to a buddy of mine and he said he wasn't going to bother with this since he already had it on 3DS. I told him "I'd rather have another copy of Balloon Fight than thirty cents." He said "Good point" and downloaded it.

@MultiMariosonic I want them to do a Christmas special about Oswald coming home to his brother Mickey's house and re-joining the family. There will not be enough tissues in the WORLD to contain the tears.

This port is so bad my wife was almost in tears she was so disappointed. We both loved the Wii original and decided to wait and get the sequel on Wii U because Epic Mickey feels "Nintendo" to us and we could get the new HD resamalutions that the original Wii couldn't do. Needless to say we're not happy with the purchase.

I think it would have been a lot better if Mickey used the Wii Remote and Nunchuck while Oswald used the GamePad, which both suits his controls better as well as kept his action off the TV so they wouldn't have had to resort to split screen.

Awful, awful port.

Sign me up!

Also just because I think it's awesome, here's the billboard the Phoenix Suns put up to welcome my rookie to town: https://twitter.com/SpaceKappa/status/278637637424795649

@SuperCharlie78 I didn't really notice any. Admittedly I wasn't looking for them, but no issues jumped out at me.

Ugh I can't wait! This is honestly one of my most anticipated games.

@Mahe @bezerker99 I have, in fact! I'd still like more though.

I really want to see Excitebike make a comeback.