SteamedSquid

@samuelvictor Sucking at Mario Bros just seems normal to me, especially considering the key differences in controls and game rules (I can't jump on a koopa troopa? That's bull*qbertlanguage*!). It's just plain harder than Super Mario Bros, at least until you get a handle on the handling.

As for Super C? Well it had to stand in for its predecessor Contra, which was (in the US) one of those games that was symbolic with the era.

More bearable than usual, but still too bland.

@JaxonH I can still see significant difficulty in having the fans support western AAA third parties. For 7th and 8th generation leftovers, PS/XB owners would need some incentive. Is the portability intrinsic to the hardware going to be enough? For Nintendo-only gamers, are those games even anywhere near interesting enough to warrant spending less time with Mario Kart feat. King Boo? For PC gamers, what's the point?

@Not_Soos Standard practice in shooters these days is to just have the targeting reticle stay nice and stiff in the middle of the screen while the camera moves around. This is normally done (on a console) by pretending the right analog stick is a mouse. The WiiU GamePad's gyro control, however, is like a replacement for Wii pointing. I would expect Switch controllers to also have gyro.

@cfgk24 Given how vulnerable you are when prepping an inkstrike, I doubt it'd see much of an effective change. Probably just use the gyro to aim a cursor to the desired point of an onscreen map.

@Not_Soos Metroid Prime's controls on the GameCube didn't really do the dual-analog thing. The C-stick was used to select your visor or weapon (I forget which), and L was used to stand in place to aim manually---or lock-on Zelda-style and strafe-toggle if you had an enemy in your sights. Despite such controls being horrendously clunky and not allowing manual aiming, I didn't see complaints about it back then for some reason. But when I did, the common response (excuse) was basically "it's not a shooter, it's an adventure, so it's okay". Compared to that mess, the Wii pointing was pretty much a godsend.

This looks like the core of what Sonic Adventure should have been. A bit too open, perhaps, but I doubt it was meant to feel like an actual level or anything. (Or maybe it could have Super Mario 64-style goals? That might require unprecedented draw distance though...)

Hadn't watched a lot of footage before, but I can see that the early part of gameplay shows that fighting without Z-targeting looks to be better than it's ever been. I'm hoping that all I'd miss out on from refusing to use it would be those annoying slow-motion bits.

I'd just dusted this game off, too. Always been more of a lone wolf type though, so a little sad at the total lack of individual-centric gameplay in Splatoon.

So if you're gaming on the toilet, you still need to put the system down to wipe and wash...unless...

EW.

I'll admit to being thrown off by the frame drops in BotW when taken off the dock. That depiction was just so believable that I forgot that video footage needed to be edited.

@123akis A multi-monitor setup on a PC makes for easier multi-tasking, like monitoring chat windows and browsing the web without needing to alt+tab out of the game every time something happens. Or just having that much more screen space when working with productivity programs.

For actual gaming purposes, I don't know of any support for multi-screen play beyond simply widening the resolution and stretching it across the two (or three, or more(!)) monitors so that you have a wider resolution that has bezels and empty space between the screens. It's a shame, really, considering the possibilities of what could (optionally) be shown on a secondary monitor in gameplay but just isn't.

I'll agree with the seamless transition between TV play and off-TV play to be pretty spiffy, but I don't reasonably see why I have to lose the dual-screen option for it---I'd be okay with having to play on one screen, to play on the go, then get that extra screen back when returning to the dock. I'd also be okay with having to ditch games where that second screen were integral to the gameplay, if that's what it takes for great games to be made to be taken anywhere. And of course, if a game doesn't support that second screen simply because the devs weren't up to it, I'd be okay with making due without it (or more likely, just play it on PC). But losing a really nice, unique QOL option just because it'd only be usable at the dock feels unfair. It's like my console Monster Hunter will need to have a crap-filled HUD (ugh, that map) just because other people want to play anywhere, and yet their ability to play anywhere seems to have no real reason to hinder my at-home play.

Wasn't too fond of the dual screen play on DS, but I'd initially been scared off by the stylus controls in Star Fox Command and Phantom Hourglass so I hadn't seen what was so great about it. After seeing the HUD decluttering in Monster Hunter, the cartography gimmick in Etrian Odyssey IV, and the quick subweapon switching in Shovel Knight, and I don't even remember what else, it was feeling like a compromise to play on the big screen without these things before getting a Wii U. Pikmin 3 was better than the first two, Mario Kart felt more modern with the map moving down to the GamePad with that useless horn, Wind Waker HD addressed one of my biggets gripes about modern Zelda (constant item switching), and third-party games have a reason to make me consider getting the Wii U version instead of PC. And now here we go again, back to one screen, and with no reason to play any western-made multiplatform title on anything other than the PC. At least the Japanese third-party support will still be there. Right?

"We realized that having something on the GamePad and looking back and forth between the TV screen and the GamePad actually disrupts the gameplay, and the concentration that the game player may be experiencing. You have your car’s GPS system on your dash. If you had it down in your lap, you’re going to get into an accident!”

So don't put the GPS on your lap like a moron. I actually find it far more disruptive to my "immersion" (using that term pretty loosely since it's Zelda), my focus, and my enjoyment, to have to interrupt the gameplay flow to switch items or have a quick glance at the map or whatever other information I need. If I really needed to stop the action, I'd still be able to do so. I don't look down at my crotch whenever I need to do something UI-related, I lift my arms to reduce the "workload" on my head/neck/eyes.

I also find it disruptive if something is hidden by the display on the HUD, but that rarely happens, thankfully. I'm a little concerned about this in Splatoon, though, if the map stays on screen during intense firefights. Hopefully they'll think of something, like the inkling needing to have their ink-phone out in order to view the map, I dunno. It'd be amusing to see someone get splatted because they couldn't keep their eyes off the damn phone.

@JaxonH Fair point on the graphics, actually. I'd forgotten about all the complaints about graphics, and admit that my standards are a bit low on that end when it comes to vehicle-based games (just happy to see a reasonable draw distance and 60fps). But then, I loved using the gyro aim when I actually remembered it was there (and flew like normal without any trouble when I forgot about it) and prefer the first-person view anyway. And Nintendo did try too hard convincing us to use the GamePad where it wasn't needed ("Use the motion controls, Fox!"), rather than letting just sit around as an option.

I can't believe how much the dual screen is being blamed for Star Fox Zero's disasters, like that second screen was responsible for the chicken form being useless drivel with bad controls reminiscent of a poor GC game, or the Gyrowing levels feeling like they were taken from a vaguely nostalgic (but mediocre) N64 game. But yeah, there was still no need to shoehorn the dual screen or the motion control in, but that wasn't the hardware's fault.

Wind Waker HD would have been unbearable to play without the touch screen, which was so snappy that I could map two favored items to "permanent" buttons and just keep switching items in one slot, making me feel much more free to play how I want. But, I can still be optimistic that Breath of the Wild will be designed around not needing to switch items all the time.

Not really keen on last-gen's third-party leftovers or the single screen, but the ease of multiplayer and the SPLATOON should suffice as long as they don't screw it up. Early 3DS and Wii U games provided the most fun I've had in a Nintendo generation since NES, so I expect them to build upon it in the games I'll see on the Switch.

So this will have many of the same games that PS4 and XBone have. So for those who already have them, why switch?

Was initially excited about FROM, but then remembered their Souls games are also on PC, and they don't seem to make anything else anymore.

G-Sync support please? Maybe with the tablet being a G-sync display?

Looks like a switch back to single-screen gaming, and touch function seems absent. Feels like a downgrade, to be honest. Now there's possibly no reason to think twice about just getting the PC version of some third-party game. And on that, the third-party support shown is unimpressive to me, but I've never cared for Skyrim or sports. I'll wait and see how stuff like Monster Hunter and Etrian Odyssey fare...

I'll take that smooth 60fps any day of the week, and moreso if racing or shooting. Even a game like Metroid which relies heavily on atmosphere has way too much action that I'd rather have good performance than graphics (unless the graphical fidelity means I can just LOOK at something for details rather than use the scan visor?).

Playing Wind Waker HD and that rough motion just bothers me every time I start. Thankfully it doesn't NEED that frame rate as much as, say, Splatoon, but still. Ew.

No metroids? Missed opportunity.

I'd expect localization, but not until some time after the Japanese release, and only if it's sold well enough.

@faint Any idea whether pre-orders are even a good indicator of future sales for a MonHun spinoff? How does it compare to, say, Poka Poka Felyne Village or whatever?

@River3636 Baten Kaitos.

Got a GameCube mainly for Tales of Symphonia back in the day. I still keep a Wii around for the time I feel like playing some F-Zero GX. Easily my least favorite Nintendo console, though I did miss quite a few of Nintendo's games...I might've been a little too frustrated when Star Fox Assault disappointed me, and I could never accept the controls in Metroid Prime (until the Wii came out to fix it).

While my first instinct is to say that Nintendo doesn't need the power to attract those "AAA" third parties, I remember the burning desire to see WAY better graphics and performance on Monster Hunter. It almost hurts to see Felynes and other fluffy beasties still without fur shading.

Descent is looking to have a proper successor in the name of Overload from the original devs. There's a "playable teaser" of it available on Steam. There's also Descent: Underground, but that seems multiplayer-focused and Descent in name only.

Not expecting it, but I'd be very delighted to see a localization announcement for Culdcept Revolt. Not really interested in anything else on 3DS, except maybe Etrian Odyssey.

"One good controller" tends to have its limits, even when it actually is a really good controller. For example, the GamePad is an overall fine controller, but its face buttons are mushy. Just swap that out for a set of premium buttons and it'd be better! Another example, the 3DS and its SEGA classic remakes. Great games, but those tiny Nintendo buttons in that square layout just feel WRONG. I'd love to swap that out for a proper three (or six) button layout as per the old Sega standard.

Arie's name should be spelled with a capital I, just for kicks.

@Chaos_Monkey Thanks for the review link. I really like the idea of having the map on the GamePad screen, though always having it on the HUD seems kinda pointless after that.

Also, I totally forgot to ask about control---I'd assumed that gyro control would have been mentioned as a GamePad feature if it were there. If the game handles pretty much like any ol' modern FPS, then having gyro control would be a must. Being forced to pretend the right analog is a mouse has always been a deal-breaker for me.

Also available on Steam. What does the Wii U version do with the GamePad?

If this is true, I'd love to see a range of accessories that would custom-tailor the "traditional" way of playing, such as being able to swap out an analog stick with a track pad, the standard Nintendo D-pad for some third-party (let's say Hori) Genesis/Saturn-imitation D-pad, ditto for face-button layouts.

...Or better yet, can we just see what the real thing can do already?

Already have Metroid II on 3DS. Having finished it maybe a year ago, I'd rather not touch this remake for a while anyway. Comparisons to Fusion and Zero Mission have reminded me that those exist, so I'd rather play those before AM2R even. Yay free advertising?

I've seen attempts at imitating the CRT look that only convince me when I'm tired, so maybe just play when tired? Or maybe just have fun with the different display modes. Hey, maybe they've even figured out how to actually make it look and feel just like a real CRT. One can hope, right? (Especially for those who have no access to the real thing.)

Metroid Prime with gyro controls, please!

I'd like to see F-Zero early in the system's life, partly to see it get another shot at life, but also to give Mario Kart more time to be fully completed and not need to have DLC, for those who'd be hard-pressed to get it.

"Lack of lock-on" is almost a selling point for me, but with all the advancements in shooter controls this generation---Kid Icarus Uprising's trackball imitation, Splatoon's introduction (or just popularization?) of gyro control, and the Steam Controller doing both---this game's controls could just be hard for me to tolerate anymore. Same for Prime Trilogy and the Wiimote, really. :/

It's by far the best console shooter since the Goldeneye/Perfect Dark/Timesplitters trifecta. Its core gameplay was fun and polished (and fresh) enough that it felt complete despite not actually being a finished product at launch.

I did have a few problems though: The camera wobbles too much when up against a wall (where being in first-person would not have this problem). And the way it automatically rotates while moving "diagonally", though it's more of a squid form foible, just a minor issue...nowhere near as bad as it is in Mario and Zelda at any rate.

And the singleplayer campaign: Overall it felt lacking. Level designs were seldom interesting. The "Mario Galaxy" bosses were almost embarrassing. The final boss, while a step in the right direction, should have been a mid boss and (spoiler alert?) really needed a more sensible way to to damage to it.

I actually liked the way loadouts couldn't be selected between battles, but I'm just more of a fan of having to adjust one's skills and tactics to the equipment and environment than just switching equipment just because a map seems to "favor" a particular weapon (and worse, calling that depth).

The Wii U looked like it'd cater to actual gamers or at least (try to) bridge the gap between Wii audience and traditional just from looking at Nintendo Land: basically a Wii Sports but featuring the varied, colorful IP Nintendo's known for rather than sterile imitations of sports (though I'll admit that Tennis and Bowling were fun at the time). Sadly, there just wasn't enough substantial games or Gamepad usage. Most of the good games were on 3DS instead.

It didn't help that the 8gb Wii U model even existed: It was clearly inferior to its 32gb brethren, without being significantly cheaper to justify it. And even being the cheapest console, it seemed like a hard sell compared to the PS4 which would be much stronger at a fairly small increase in price. For me, it was strictly about the games---I wanted Nintendo Land and Mario Kart, and I wanted to see more of what that GamePad could do.

What I don't understand is how the Wii U's name was so damaging that a little bit of research couldn't have helped. People don't look at the box or check online for these things?

Still, it's been the most I've enjoyed a Nintendo console since the N64 days despite having such a small library. Mario Kart at 60 fps (well okay 59 but I just don't notice that missing frame often enough to care) and Splatoon pretty much carried the system though.

It took a few repeats, but I think I hear it too. Even if it's just a grunt or something, it can still be confused for worse-than-fbomb. But why is it that children can only know whether a word is a "bad word" from saying it and getting yelled at? It's like cheap game design, a Kaizo Trap in TVTropes terms.

Trendsetters had a special place on my to-do list thanks to that demo. It was strangely compelling despite (or because of?) being a fashion-challenged dude (I blame society ). But now I'd rather wait for Fashion Forward...or maybe wait a long time longer for an NX game instead?

Though I'd only play this on PC, I'm curious as to whether the WiiU version has gyro control as an option. I'm guessing not, though.

Well that explains why Super Turrican ended so abruptly. Now I really want to see this complete version, though I still want to see the Amiga games more.

The old Game Paks sooo did not have labels on the sides (I know, it's the spine). Probably would have looked pretty neat, though I'm glad they didn't really have them since they'd have made them more difficult to open up for refurbishing.

As I've said before, the lack of composite out for CRTs makes me quite hesitant to get this. Not only is there no natural blur to make images seem less blocky, response often feels quite off. I've already had a taste of this from playing NES Remix on my monitor. (Hadn't gotten around to playing it since hooking up my WiiU to my CRT just for A Link to the Past though.)

But, it's meant to be a snappy way to play those old games on modern displays (even if they do suck for retro gaming). And that new ad...yeah, Nintendo's really playing with power now! Let's see more of that, and then have them play it loud when the time comes!

@AlexOlney In the second pronunciation you wrote, what are those horseshoe and backward C things? ...and is that a couple of schwas I see where there should be vowels? In the first pronunciation, what's with the colon in the middle?

Funky moves? More like in a funk. Then again, they dance, like, all day non-stop during Splatfests, singing in that loop...they're waaaaay overworked...wait. They sit around in that studio all day otherwise.

Ubisoft is pronounced "yubi", right? As in, Japanese word for "finger"?