ToneDeath

It says up there we're getting the US version of Street Gangs...so shouldn't that be River City Ransom then?

I hope so, after Capcom and/or Nintendo were kind enough to apply the upgrade discount to Contra III for those who had bought Probotector before.

WILD CARD PREDICTION: Mario Kart 64 will show up in six months time, the same day Mario Kart 8 gets DLC for new battle modes and arenas.

The delay will be worth it if the Wii U version can launch alongside a system update that allows for compatibility with steering wheel controllers such as the G27.

There'll be plenty of half-broken games elsewhere to keep people "entertained" this Christmas. I do hope Star Fox can do well on the Nintendo front though.

Delays are par for the course with the 3D Zelda games, and I was actually worried that the new one might be a bit rushed. Easter 2016 is a possibility then, but I won't be surprised if it comes out in November next year.

You know I guess that as long as we can look forward to sitting down with a Nintendo controller to play a new Mario or Zelda adventure then it's all good...

...but if I ever have to pay micro-transactions to wake up Mario because he's tired from too much jumping, I'm sure it'll depress me enough to put me off video games altogether (apart from retro stuff of course).

So now I can see a bunch of Pokemon Shuffle type games on mobiles making more money than anything on the Wii U and 3DS, and down the line Nintendo's mobile division swallowing up and giving up on the dedicated consoles and 'traditional' gaming experiences because it no longer seems worthwhile to them.

Make the most of the Wii U, because we may not get to play many more games like it has in the future.

@Kirk I checked how to include YouTube vids here.

I've also just found a video that already combines some of the mod footage with the remix here, and while I'm at it an alternative Mute City remix that sounds more like an earlier Mega Drive game here.

EDIT: Just realised the recreated track is supposed to be Big Blue. Oh well, you can easily find Genesis style covers of that tune too.

Here's a Mega Drive/Genesis style Mute City cover to play in the background with the featured video: [youtube:_luisSouP4s]

Very good week. I've been waiting for Metroid: Zero Mission so I can replay it as part of a "trilogy" with Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.

Can't turn down Mighty Switch Force 2 for that price, though I haven't decided what format yet; if it's Classic Controller compatible then probably the Wii U version. I'll be looking to pick up 3D Outrun, Super Hang-On and Space Harrier too. Nice to see the Ace Attorney games reduced as well, though I'll have to wait a while longer.

I highly recommend Punch-Out!!, though you might still be able find the disc version brand new for under £10.

Seeing them tilting their controllers makes me wonder if they would've been better off with Wii remotes.

I don't think the tiny buttons and circle pad would cut it for F-Zero GX, and the screen resolution is not really ideal for Pikmin. Any Twilight Princess remake/remaster should wait until the next generation if they bother at all.
I haven't played The Last Story yet, but RPGs tend to do well on Nintendo handhelds.

Eternal Darkness might be the best fit though, with an episodic structure better suited to shorter play sessions, slower paced gameplay that those tiny buttons can handle, and tons of new opportunities for insanity effects that take advantage of the 3DS hardware.

I like the look of it. Imagine an alternate reality where a stand-up cabinet of this is next to a sit-down version of The 90's Arcade Racer.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a review of Zombie Incident; it appears to be an arcade platformer with a metroid style map, originally developed to run on old MSX systems. Could be good for £1.99 anyway.

Edit: Based on CoderChild's track record on Nintendo Life I guess it's safe to assume this'll be a 7/10 game

So the banker is unwittingly setting himself up to be conned by Link. Oh well, that's probably nothing compared to what Tingle would get up to in a Groundhog Day scenario...

I think a music award named after Ocarina of Time (or Koji Kondo) ought to be a real thing.

Perhaps they could utilise the icon as a shortcut to iPlayer, 4od etc...

Funny how all the best interviews with Nintendo staff are conducted by Nintendo's president! I guess your boss is the one person you really have to do well in an interview with, though I was worried that Aonuma was talking himself into a P45 towards the end there...

Since watching that gameplay trailer for The 90's Arcade Racer I've been keen to play some of the early polygonal racers like Virtua Racing and Sega Rally (Namco's Ridge Racer, too). I expect it would be a bit more complicated to give them the same 3D treatment as their sprite-based games, but it would be cool.
If I'm really honest though I'd rather just have straight ports on the Wii U, but hey.

@OorWullie That's a bingo!

Wild prediction: Nintendo sees that their game is progressing well, offers to publish it and help finish it if they switch the main characters for the Duck Hunt Duo (which may need proper names to be honest...how about Gunpei and Zappy for the dog and duck respectively?).

Plus! A second player would be able to help by shooting enemies and destructable objects with a Wii remote, complete with zapper sound effects. Player one can do this alone if they opt to use the Wii remote and nunchuck combo. Also, the Duck Hunt amiibo would unlock something, perhaps a shooting gallery minigame, or a virtual Super Scope for the aforementioned Wii remote pointer functionality.

I thought Activision could have taken this approach with Call of Duty years ago; plenty of players spend all their time in multiplayer without ever touching the campaign, and vice versa.

Terry Gilliam to direct the pilot?
If I'm honest the only films of his I really like are Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which he co-directed) and Brazil. BUT those two films alone demonstrate his ability to depict a convincing medieval setting with limited means, give a sense of huge sale in his worlds and populate them with strange, often grotesque characters just like what we see all over Hyrule (and Termina).
The story would likely appeal to him too, seeing as he's been trying to make a Don Quixote film for a VERY long time.

I haven't gotten around to watching Game of Thrones yet, but surely Fire Emblem would work better as a series in that vein, with a large cast of characters and intricate, twisting turning plot.

I wouldn't mind trying MadWorld again, as long as they fix the problems with the PAL version (interlacing and big borders, if my memory serves me correctly).

They've missed a trick not putting it on the eShop for a few bucks like Meme Run and Spikey Walls

It was a nice thing to learn of a couple of years ago; would've been nicer to have learned it a couple of decades ago though!

Didn't we all feel clever though when we found the hidden stuff in 1-2? I'm also reminded of my parents yelling "Duck!" at me as a flame moved across the screen in a castle stage. As I was suggesting that they had perhaps gotten Super Mario Bros. confused with the OTHER game on the cartridge, Mario snuffed it and it was then explained to me that 'duck' also means 'crouch.'

This developer obviously loves what he's doing, going the extra mile(s) to incorporate these different art styles. It'd be nice if it supported MP3 playback through the SD card slot so we can drive to our own playlists of 90's tunes and classic SEGA tracks...and if this game does well I'd really like to have a sequel or add-on with some rally racing!

If only the website would actually let me fill out a few more surveys; I'm 150 stars away from getting the one thing I really want there.

@Dazza @RadioShadow Nice to know there ARE other Nintendo fans out there in the East of England
Just like in the GameCube days, it seems that most people like Nintendo games, they just don't want to be caught dead buying them. There's something about the company's image that's at odds with the British, but I don't know what Nintendo can do about it without sacrificing their integrity, ie: churning out brown shooters and broken AAA murder simulators (not that they can't be be fun too).

@MussakkuLaden No, ReBoot wasn't a game (though for all I know there may have been one based on it) but a computer-generated animation for kids, back when that sort of thing was cutting-edge.
Those kinds of shows (Beast Wars and the Donkey Kong Country cartoon come to mind too) had a characteristic smooth and shiny look, with stiff, robotic movement for the characters.

@RadioShadow The Tesco in Huntingdon doesn't stock ANY Nintendo goods anymore as far as I can tell, since they rearranged everything

The graphics look a bit like mid-90's CGI; anybody remember ReBoot?

Not too keen on the charge cradle myself; it seems far too fiddly getting the 3DS to stand up in just the right position for it to actually charge, and of course as soon as you walk away it's gonna tilt and break the circuit. Nothing wrong with just plugging the AC adapter in directly.

...aaaaand I've caved in. Was supposed to be taking it easy on my bank balance post-Christmas too; darn you Nintendo!

I have to assume the New 3DS won't be eligible for the free game promotion though, even if we receive it by the 12th.

To be honest I'd be happier if the offer was "Claim your FREE Gamecube Controller Adapter now!" seeing as I should've had mine in November.

I'm tempted, but...what if they then announce a really nice Majora's Mask limited edition New 3DS XL a few weeks down the line?

I was originally thinking I'd either get the black one and cross my fingers for a Korg faceplate, or just wait for a nice looking XL.

Dear Nintendo: Make this a trilogy with NES Zapper Remix!

I'm not too keen on the so-called 'Classic' mode, but other than that I'd say 'Wii U' for the sheer amount of content and possibly the best gameplay (faster than Brawl, but slow enough to feel more graceful than Melee).

That said Melee was the one that felt like the biggest leap over its predecessor, with amazing character models and so much more to do than 64. Melee must have been my most-played multiplayer game ever, and even though Brawl had even more crammed in, I guess it just didn't keep me coming back like Melee.

'Wii U' is looking good though, but the problem is these days it's a bit harder to get people in a room to actually play it.

P.S.
So judging from this and the Mario Kart poll it looks like the Wii U console itself is shaping up to be a fan favourite...just a shame it hasn't caught on with the other 90% of gamers

I was expecting to pick Mario Kart DS, but although it has the mission mode and a proper battle mode I think Mario Kart 8 is probably better in almost every other area...and with more DLC to come and the scope for more updates in future it'll just keep getting better.

A compilation of this and other NES Zapper games (NES Zapper Remix?) may have been better. I've bought this, but purely for nostalgia's sake if I'm honest. Besides that and Smash Bros. fans wishing to see where the Duck Hunt Duo came from I can't really see much point in having it now, especially at over three quid.
The appeal of the original was using the zapper itself and the appealing cartoon designs of the characters. A Virtual Console version probably would have made a bigger impact on the original Wii when the pointer was more novel, even without the Smash tie in...still despite my cynicism, I'm glad it's out, and will probably grab Wild Gunman and Hogan's Alley if the come along too!

I pre-ordered the game + adapter bundle on amazon.co.uk shortly after it became available to do so, but like many others I was told on the release day that it would be delayed until the 19th. So I cancelled it and popped down to Sainsbury's and got the standalone game instead for £39.99.

On a brighter note however, my Little Mac amiibo turned up today

@TyGuy: This is easily the best quality video I've seen Nintendo Life put out, so here's hoping you and the site can produce more together in future!

It is a little odd however that the first subject of a series called 'I ♥ Virtual Console' is a game not actually on the service, but I guess it's something you really wanted to talk about, and I'm glad to have found out about it too.

We'll be swimming in Gamecube and GC style controllers by Christmas.

Don't know if I'll be able to afford them all but I'll want the black Smash Bros. pad (and possibly the white one Japan's getting too), the Luigi Hori pad and the DK pad up there.

...but my Wavebird will probably still be my favourite!

I've been hankering for a Rogue Squadron 'best of' for years now, and it would be especially great on the Wii U, though these days it's the last console EA would want to put it on...though perhaps they could dig this up and dust it off for us as a goodwill gesture?

The graphics were described as 'photo-realistic' at the time, which basically meant it was a bit drab and desaturated, but despite lacking commentary from Murray Walker it actually looked quite a lot like watching Formula One on the telly back then...especially if you squinted a bit.

It was in fact the sequel that I had, and I used to hold up the way it handled Monte Carlo as an example of how the N64 could outperform the PlayStation; whereas the city looked fairly solid and recogniseable on the N64, on the PS1 equivalents I had seen up to then the buildings would seemingly rise up out of the ground right in front of your eyes, at the last second.

I also seem to remember F1 World Grand Prix having a decent number of options to simplify the gameplay too. I've never really gotten on with the likes of Gran Turismo, but I had plenty of fun with this. The only thing I'd say probably lets it down now is the framerate.

Goes to show how far graphics have come; if you did this on an N64 racer you'd mostly be looking at nothing but an empty void in the 'skybox.'

Interesting that they've brought back the Super Nintendo/Famicom colours for the A, B, X & Y buttons...makes me wonder if they're planning to give the Wii U a similar upgrade too, but as an excuse to re-brand the console and hopefully get people to actually notice it exists. (I wouldn't want them to drop the Gamepad, though it could do without the shiny fingerprint-magnet plastic).

NES, MS, C64 = 99p
SNES, MD, TG16 = £2.99
GBA, N64 = £4.99
DS, GC = £6.99

I don't think people would be sat on the fence about buying a game for very long with prices like that.
EDIT: @DuggyFresh Looks like we were thinking about the same prices, differing currencies aside.

That Wario Land game, remastered with a bit more colour, would go down pretty well on the 3DS eShop I think.

I'd just like a NES Classic Controller...and maybe a NES Zapper (with built in Wii pointer) to use with the likes of Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman on the VC!

@Zobocop The controls are certainly dated, but the mission design and attention to detail put plenty of today's games to shame.

@imgrowinglegs The Mr. Bucket and Dream Phone vids really are excellent, and are probably the two that best demonstrate his creativity, skill and passion for horror movies.