TheUnrestCure

Unholy Heights is a very pleasant surprise today indeed! It is a great game on the XBOX 360 (although I haven't played the PC version) and it will be awesome to tote around with me on my summer vacation next week. I missed picking up BOXBOY! on sale last week so this will salve that wound ...

Perhaps it is just because I am spoiled for choice with other consoles and their online presence, but the lack of voice chat, I think, stymied some of the development of the player base and sales. I still enjoy the game but it honestly pales as a collaborative and communicative experience vs. other online games that have voice chat. I cannot help but wonder how much deeper and strategic the experience could be if if voice chat was enabled for Splatoon.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see Kerbal Space Program coming out on Wii U (hopefully it will come at around the same time as the other console versions) so it is top of my list alongside FAST Neo Racing. Lots of good games in that list, though; moreso than PS4 or Xbox One at least!

This is an awesome game on Xbox 360/XBLIG; it should do well on a Nintendo console and will definitely be played in this house. Can't wait!

This should have been a launch game on Wii U; just imagine the 2 & 1/2 years worth of creator content that could have been available right now. It could have single-handedly shown the value of the Gamepad and shown the Wii U as a bold new way to game with Nintendo. I appreciate that it comes out now ... but cannot help but feel its impact today is far less than what it could - should - have been.

I am irrationally excited for this game; it scratches an itch that's been assailing me for a long, long time.

These comments pain me. Some of the most creative and unique games I've ever played were those created by small studios - like most of those that populated the XBLIG section on the Xbox 360 - that were able to take ideas that perhaps lacked big commercial viability and bring them to a console. Is there any demand to see a $60 quadcopter simulator? Probably not, and if big publishers had their way that would mean we would NEVER see a quadcopter simulator at all. This developer has taken a niche idea and found a way to challenge the player with a set of interesting and perhaps-absurd (not enough humor in most games, is there?) activities. The fact that this dev has found a better use than the Gamepad than even Nintendo validates the effort put into it. I can't wait to tax my limited piloting skills, and (hopefully) improve with practice. Isn't that why we game in the first place?

Clearly playable Yoshi will be the Wii U pre-order bonus. ; )

@Chaoz Louisiana doesn't have much happening either. There is, however, a Streetpass group from New Orleans that evidently meets up from time-to-time. Full props to this article for compelling me to look it up!

The lack of voice chat probably neuters its chances with the masses, but I do think it will be a very solid - and indubitably much-loved - addition to the Nintendo stable. Now if only Nintendo would delve back into the realm of RTS or dip its toes into the MOBA/MMORPG genres.

Did they change the name of the game? It was known as Binding of ISAAC: Rebirth, not Issac. The imbedded tweets seem to think it is still Isaac, but I guess Nintendo Life has other information. ; )

Lots of good games on that list. Shutshimi will catch a lot of people by surprise; it's a really neat scrolling side-shooter about an armored fish with a short attention span. Glad to see Hex Heroes on that list, too. A bit disappointed, though, that SteamWorld Heist is just for 3DS (at least at this time).

Must. Have. Party. Chat.

Nintendo made a mistake with not incorporating that into MK8, let's hope they don't repeat that mistake here.

Outside of that solo concern, the game looks brilliant and I cannot wait to play it!

Please Nintendo, just be absolutely certain to provide in-game chat for the new multiplayer games. Splatoon will be hysterically awesome if they do this. Without it? A fun but limited online community. Nintendo needs to recognize that many gamers don't have the active couch co-op that they used to.

And I'm hoping Devil's Third embraces the silly and over-the-top it seems to. The (console) FPS genre could use a shaking up.

I think the indisputable fact - and a uniquely Nintendo one, too - is that RCMadiax engages his audience on Miiverse and social media in a way that is encouraging and refreshing. Would we be that lucky that all devs, whether big or small, would do the same.

And some of those quickly played dice games have a surprising amount of strategy in them (the Poker part!).

XBLIG is chockfull of wonderful gaming experiences that were $1. I'd be quite happy to have Nintendo emulate the best elements from XBLIG, even if it means we have to take some of the worst parts as well. And RCMADIAX' games aren't anywhere close to being bad. Every game should be judged on its own merits rather than some fear to what it may lead to.

I've enjoyed a few of RCMADIAX's games. It is a bit unfair to label them as "lemons" with the implication that the game is not as described or fails to function properly; they are simple games that are easy to pick up and play (like many mobile games) with some competitive fire to them. There is a market for that type of game - otherwise he wouldn't release them! - and if there are concerns that the Nintendo market would be flooded by them (ala IOS) those are upon Nintendo and their consumers to act upon. The simple fact is that they represent to many people entertaining value for their cost. And Poker Dice Solitaire had some surprising strategic depth to it, if you were trying to get a perfect score.

I so badly wish this would come to NOA.

I went to multiple sales outlets on Friday - the release day here - and NONE of them had the adapter in stock. Most disappointing, but I'll wait for their restock to show up. The game is perfectly playable via the other controller methods, and I wanted it mostly so I could use my 10 year old GC controller a few last times (if it even works anymore!).

Any Apache or Amen breaks in there? Looks scintillating and incredibly difficult. I imagine I'll sink hours into absolutely stinking it up ... and loving every moment of them.

Nice way to simultaneously encourage and profit off of Wii owners "upgrading" to Wii U's, which is clearly the expectation here. For Skylanders players like me and my kids, this is a very good deal. I still play games on the Wii, and this would allow us to play the same game with our characters on different consoles and different tvs but at one price. I like it.

Sounds great, and a pleasant surprise to boot! Will definitely pick this up tomorrow … while crossing my fingers that it wanders over to the Wii U someday. Hopefully quicker than SteamWorld Dig!

@Action51 I agree, the Gamepad alone can swing my purchase from a different console to the Wii U (love the off-TV play!); I also wish that devs spent a little more effort differentiating their game for Wii U and utilizing its unique features more thoroughly. It sounds as if these devs tried but I fear - as the review score indicates - they came up a bit short.

It's great to see it finally pop up on the Wii U eShop, but it is rather disappointing - although entirely understood why - that it is 75% off on Steam right now. If the choice is to pay $4 or $15 to play what is basically the same game, why would I volunteer to pay more?

No Nano Assault Neo? I'll not quibble with the selections here as they are all competent-to-exceptional games, but to overlook the BEST Wii U eShop launch game is harsh. It is symptomatic of the disappointment with the Wii U that 5 of these games are ports, remixes, or re-releases. At least Nano Assault Neo was new.

@Discipledoctor Yes, the Trajectile reference is most attractive and favorable. This game looks like it can fill a niche and provide a few hours of entertainment as well.

I hope those discounts carry over to the North American Wii U eShop. I could use some Arkham Origins in my life for that price!

Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers!

Actually it looks interesting enough to pick up.

Gotta admit … the music is impressive. I think I'll take a dive into the game just for the soundtrack. Everything else will be gravy!

I've got a big enough back catalogue of games to tackle already, but this looks a pick up just as soon as I have the time to play it. Slowly but surely the Wii U is getting "choices" for its gamers to pick from.

Definitely getting it at that price. I would have paid a lot more for it, so I consider that price point a nice bonus.

If the soundtrack and gameplay are HALF as good as that trailer this is a must-buy for me. The palette seems heavily influenced by Pixel.Junk, but that is a just fine by me … it looks bold and stylish and very well executed. Hopefully there is enough diversity in the world to give the gameplay some depth.

Name-dropping Warning Forever is the quickest way to guarantee I buy this game. One of my favorite XBLIG titles (Infinity Danger) is similar with procedurally-generated endless boss levels (and equally owes a deep debt to Warning Forever). I do hope the price point for XType Plus is similar to those games on XBLIG/PSN Minis. I also hope that Nintendo advertises games in much better manner, though. Great - and informative - interview!

I'm quite pleased with this announcement! Perhaps I'll finally get an opportunity to play Advance Wars ...

Great news! Sounds like a quality, family title that will help add value to the Wii U. Can't wait to play AoB in HD.

I love off-road/rally racing games, so unless this one is a complete fluff-up … I'll be getting it.

This reminds me of an XBLIG-type title, which is fantastic news, in my opinion. Some of the best values Microsoft offered on the XBOX 360 were XBLIG (Indie) titles priced at the $1 price point, and if this is the beginning of a similar scene on the eShop things are bright indeed. The presence of a real leader board is even an improvement over XBLIG titles! The more of these small independent titles - particularly at a low-risk price - the better. And this will be a day-one buy for me as I actually enjoy tower defense games, which is a niche that Nintendo sadly hasn't bothered to exploit yet on the Wii U.

Really great video segments above that perfectly illustrate the FAMILY gaming ethos; very well done and quite convincing, for me, of the quality of Wii Party U. Maybe I'm just getting older, or maybe just more parental ... but this title really excites me about gaming together with my kids.

@Shiryu Oops! Activision ... I stand corrected. Thankfully not a part of the evil empire.

My family enjoyed the first two Skylanders' games immensely; we picked this one up last weekend and I am happy to say EA has again crafted a great and very playable game. The figure collecting can be a bit over-the-top, but the graphics, music, and memorable bits floating about in the gameplay really make this loads of fun.

Skylanders' Swap Force, beginning on Sunday. I'll be surprised if I'm allowed any time on the Wii U by my kids that whole day!

Before that, though? I think I may make a return trip to ZombiU to dovetail with my Xbox's Dead Island forays.

Well done all! It looks like loads of fun; my 6 year old son would have loved to participate in something like this (although he would have struggled with the Xbox controller rather than the Wii U gamepad), and it is always neat to see gaming as a family event. But I have to admit that James' dad's shirt is perhaps the most awesome sighting in the video.

All those shirts are full of awesome. Much better than what we get here in N.A. Hopefully the same idea pops up on our Club Nintendo.

It may be a kids game, much like Scooby Doo is a kids show ... but I'll keep enjoying both. That having been said, this one may be a Skylanders game too far, seeing as they are releasing one every year and the eventual cost is much higher than just a game on disc.

It would be a day one buy, mainly because everything Shin'en does is dynamite.

I'll agree that the investment in DKC:TF appears predictable and unexciting, and the game may very well re-use assets from his Wii entry, but it still looks GOOD. One significant advantage over other publishers that Nintendo consistently generates is solid gameplay and re-playability. DKC:TF doesn't have to be mind-blowingly creative to achieve that. We may be wanting a bit too much from Retro (even Naughty Dog spit out three Uncharteds that were pretty similar!) to expect mind-blowing innovation from every title; we may want more, sometimes what we want and what we need are two very different things.

@Nintenjoe64 In total agreement. It would be disastrous for my already-small social life!

MH3U on the Wii U, Uncharted 2 for my brand-new PS3 (just got one this week!) and some more Forza Horizon on Xbox. I have to play my non-Nintendo consoles more since my kids discovered Skylanders Giants on my Wii U.

It is lots of fun; I've used it to look at off-street parking spaces in uptown New Orleans, to see an intersection and determine one-way street directions, AND to see my house! It was pretty cool to see my then-new car parked in my driveway.

Uh-oh. I fear the fact that Gearbox isn't doing the port themselves. I'll wait for it on Wii U, but I worry about the reviews and sales.