Comments 563

Re: Review: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)

bizcuthammer

I was unable to get into Tri on Wii because it refused to help players new to the series get accustomed to its intricacies. MH4U sounds like it does a better job at this, and already I can tell from the demo that it does more teaching in the couple of missions I did that Tri did in the first several hours. I'll probably give this one a go!

Re: Nintendo Download: 5th February (North America)

bizcuthammer

Probably just the MH4U demo. I recently went from having no backlog to acquiring 5 games to get through with a little help from the Club Nintendo blitz. Currently trying to get through Mario Galaxy 2, DKCR3D, Metroid Prime Trilogy, New Super Mario Bros 2, and NES Remix. No time for much else!

Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Flirtation With Microtransactions May Step Up in 2015

bizcuthammer

Anyone else notice that Shuffle is just Candy Crush with Pikachu & friends? Yeah, no thanks. Here's the good news for those pf us who don't like microtransactions: we don't have to use them. We can vote with our wallets and tell Nintendo no. I will not be downloading Shuffle at all, as I'd rather just get Battle Trozei for $8, which is by far the better Pokemon puzzle experience.

Still, I don't mind Nintendo doing this in these meaningless eshop games, but if a Mario or Zelda game, or mainline Pokemon game, ever gets microtransactions, I'll probably quit playing video games. That approach would alienate many of the remaining core fans that Nintendo didn't already alienate during the Wii days when they focused on the flippant casual audience. They need to realize that exchanging their souls for a quick buck is only going to cheapen their brand in the long run.

Re: Poll: Which Current Generation Nintendo Soundtracks Would You Buy?

bizcuthammer

I love video game soundtracks. Of this gen, DKCTF, all Zelda games, and Xenoblade would probably be the ones I'd buy. But I actually prefer the soundtracks froms generations past.

I'd love to buy soundtracks for Super Mario 64, the orginal DKC trilogy, Super Metroid, Skyward Sword, the NES Mario trilogy, and have some individual tracks from games like Punch-Out!! NES, F-Zero, and Kid Icarus be downloadable.

Re: Club Nintendo Rewards are Updated for January, Kicking Off Its Final Run

bizcuthammer

Probably just gonna wait and see what comes in February. These games will still be available then, anyway, and I don't need any of them right away given I'll be working through Mario Galaxy 2 and the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the next several weeks on Wii U. I do plan to download Wario Land II eventually, though. Already own Super Metroid, Super Punch-Out!!, and Mario Bros 2. Not that interested in the rest.

Re: Wii U Enjoyed Its Best Ever Month of US Sales in December, With Yearly Results Beating 2013

bizcuthammer

My only complaint about Nintendo's plans for 2015 is that there is absolutely no way I'm going to be able to afford all the stuff I want to buy . Some great games are going to have to go unplayed by me in favor of others because I simply cannot afford to spend that much cash. So games like Mario Party 10, Monster Hunter 4, and Kirby's Rainbow Curse are probably the likely cuts I have to make, and I definitely won't be picking up many (if any at all) amiibo, either. And it's unlikely I'll get a New 3DS until Christmas time, as well.

I really wish some of these games could have come out last year in the 1st half of the year when there was nothing but DKCTF on WiiU to play. Like Kirby or Yoshi's Woolly World would've been nice to have last year when WiiU had a very sparse lineup, rather than this year when the release schedule is jam packed with greatness.

Re: Nintendo Direct Confirmed for 14th January, With Focus on Spring Releases

bizcuthammer

New 3DS release dates, special MH4U and Majora edition New 3DS XLs. Majora's Mask 3D release date. New info on Kirby Rainbow Curse, Splatoon, Yoshi's Woolly World, Codename STEAM and Mario Maker. Eshop titles coming soon. Details on Mewtwo DLC for Smash and Animal Crossing DLC for MK8. Those are all the things I think are safe bets. As for what I want to see but don't think will happen?

1. Release dates for Splatoon, Yoshi's Woolly World and Mario Maker.

2. New info and footage from Star Fox, Zelda U and Xenoblade X.

3. More DLC announced for MK8. Two more packs with Pikmin and Metroid featured would be awesome.

4. A surprise game announcement for 3DS. Seriously, aside from its initial lineup in Spring, it has nothing coming. Metroid? Mario 3D Land 2? Wario Land 5? WarioWare 3D? Donkey Kong 3D Land? I don't care. Something cool would be nice.

5. N64 and GCN games on WiiU VC already. At the least give us N64 games that you promised back in January 2013, Nintendo. Why has this taken so long?!?!

Re: Feature: The Biggest 3DS Games of 2015

bizcuthammer

I'm most excited about Codename STEAM. But Majora 3D is on my wishlist as well, given I have a soft spot for that Zelda game.

My only issue is that I feel like the 3DS' release library is pretty bare bones right now. There are 6-7 games I'm really excited for on WiiU in 2015, and only 2 on 3DS. Hope we can get some more announcements like maybe a new 3DS Metroid or maybr even something like Wario Land 5.

Re: Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2015

bizcuthammer

So many great Wii U games next year. Only problem is I can't afford all of them. Probably will have to cut a couple from my want list, which will likely end up being Kirby Rainbow Curse and Mario Party 10. Maybe Star Fox, too, if money gets really tight.

But yeah, definitely looking forward to Zelda, Xenoblade and Splatoon specifically. And I've dreamed of making my own Mario levels since the early 1990s, so I can't wait for Mario Maker!

Re: Poll: Which is the Best Pokémon Game?

bizcuthammer

I went HGSS because it's the new and improved version of Gold/Silver. And until they make another Pokemon with a postgame content as good as HGSS's (going to the Kanto region for 8 more badges, improved Elite 4, etc), that version will always win out for me. XY's postgame content was a joke, and it was much too easy.

Re: Poll: Which is the Best Mario Kart Game?

bizcuthammer

@WiiUSucks i voted MK8. I was 4 when the first one came out on SNES, and the only one i skipped out on was DD. Sorry if you disagree with me that 8 is the best, but dismissing its popularity in this poll as being only because of young gamers is kind of lame of you. There are several of us who have been around since the late 80s and before then that love MK8 just as much, if not more because we can see how much the series has evolved since its inception, than the younger generation.

Re: Poll: Which is the Best Mario Kart Game?

bizcuthammer

Everything about Mario Kart 8 is superior to all other MK games except one key area: Battle Mode. But i still believe it to be the best Mario Kart overall. MKDS and MK64 are my next two favorites. MKWii and MK7 would round out my top 5. And before any Double Dash fans flip on me, that one is actually the only MK game I never played. Yes, I am embarrassed to admit this.

Re: Nintendo Rolls Out Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Footage and Details

bizcuthammer

While I love the art style, even if this game is only $40, that's still a bit much for me considering all the other games I'm way more interested in coming out next year. I won't be able to afford them all, so it's likely this one will get cut from my list. 28 levels of that type of gameplay is just too short for me to justify spending $40-60. There are $15 games on the eshop that have more levels than that.

Re: Game of the Year: Nintendo Life's Reader Awards 2014

bizcuthammer

People are upset Smash won because it's the "boring" pick everyone expected... But isn't that the point? The game was so great and popular that it was obvious what people would choose. Why would we pick a lesser game just for the sake of it not being obvious? Yes, there were several other great games like Mario Kart 8 and Bayonetta 2. But no other game matches the sheer amount of content, replayability and general amount of fun and love that Smash has in spades.

Sorry if the pick is a boring one, but that doesn't make it the wrong one. Games that are head-and-shoulders above all others are always the obvious, yet correct, choice.

Re: Game of the Year: Nintendo Life's Staff Awards 2014

bizcuthammer

My GotY is Smash for WiiU. Shovel Knight would be number 2, closely followed by Mario Kart 8.

Smash and MK8 are two of the best online and local multiplayer games I've ever played, which is very impressive. Shovel Knight is my favorite indie game ever, and the best 2D platformer I've played since Super Mario World back in 1991.

2014 was a great year for Wii U in the games department. If only great games equalled millions of sales for consoles like it used to. Unfortunately we live in a world where undeserved hype sells better than truly great gaming experiences. But that doesnt mean Wii U's 2014 was nothing short of great. Here's to an even better 2015!

Re: Super Smash Bros. Grabs Third Place in NPD Charts as Wii U Secures Its Best Week Since Launch

bizcuthammer

I'm more worried about lack of details on 3DS sales. 3DS was keeping Nintendo afloat whike they squandered every opportunity to do well with the WiiU. If 3DS is struggling, that could be major trouble in the not-so-distant future.

Looks like Smash was able to provide a bump for WiiU, but not too significant. This is very bad, guys. Smash is Nintendo's most popular franchise with the hardcore crowd that couldn't care less about Splatoon, Captain Toad and Yoshi's Woolly World. If Smash didn't provide a meaningful boost to Wii U sales, then we're probably looking at a total of 15mil WiiUs sold when its life cycle ends in a couple of years.

Re: Hardware Classics: Nintendo 64

bizcuthammer

While it'd have been awesome to have more 3rd party support (Square especially), the first party and second party games on N64 are second to none. Especially second party, which no Nintendo or otherwise console can match to this day. The output of great games by Rare in the N64 era was just incredible. Losing their IPs hurt a lot in the GCN era, as Nintendo now had only first party. But games like Mario 64, Zelda OoT & MM, Super Smash Bros, Banjo-Kazooie, DK64, MK64, Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Party 1-3, and Conker still get played at my house from time to time.

My PSOne, though, hasn't been touched in a decade, nor have any of its games except for Final Fantasy IX, which i play once every 3-4 years, as its one of my favorite JRPGs. But even then I use my PS2 to play it so i don't have to plug in the original console. PSOne was the place for JRPGs, but outside of a handful of those, the N64 topped it in every way in terms of library.

Re: Talking Point: The Time Is Right For A Nintendo Phone

bizcuthammer

It is my experience that mobile gaming is the worst kind of gaming there is. Terrible controls, shallow games created just to grab a quick buck, and annoying F2P garbage. No thanks. My phone is used for texting, calling, social media, etc. i never use it for gaming because gaming on phones sucks. The only people who don't know that are people who've never owned a Vita or 3DS with which they can compare it to.

Re: Rumour: Has Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem Been Cancelled?

bizcuthammer

Good, I'm glad. I'd rather just have a regular Fire Emblem game. Not a fan of SMT outside of the Persona spinoffs. This was the one game announced in the January 2013 Direct that I couldn't have cared less about.

Hopefully now Intelligent Systems can focus their attention on either a new WiiU Fire Emblem or Paper Mario. Or even a new 3DS Advance Wars.

Re: Research Firm's Black Friday Data Shows Wii U Lagging Behind in Sales

bizcuthammer

This is really the last year Wii U has a shot at redeeming itself from a sales perspective. If being the cheapest system out there, combined with having the best exclusive games, along with just having released Amiibo to great marketing efforts, and the hype surrounding Smash Bros... Then I'm sorry, but it's just simply never going to sell. If these numbers are reflective of all BF sales, then the Wii U may not sell 10mil units in its lifetime, which is less than half of what the Gamecube sold. While I love the WiiU, from a business standpoint, that would make it a tragic failure, and (should) cause Nintendo to completely reboot their line of thinking when it comes to hardware development.

Re: Nintendo of America Announces Upcoming eShop 'Cyber Deals'

bizcuthammer

@InfernoUprising sure. It's a very good game, witg tons of action and an entertainkng story, complimented by some pretty inventive uses for the GamePad.

That said, the game has received the scores it did (which I think are a bit on the lower side given how fun the game is) because there are a few frustrating flaws. The GamePad needs to be drawn on at times to activate certain powers, but there are many times when you're trying to do this quickly in the heat of action, and it mistakes what you're doing for either another ability or random doodling lol. Also, the characters are small onscreen, so at times when there is a lot of stuff going on, it can be hard to keep track of what you're doing.

One thing that isn't a flaw necessarily, but does factor into how one enjoys playing, is that the game is rather high on the difficulty scale. While it lets you choose your difficulty, even the easy mode can be challenging for those who are not as accustomed to frenetic action games like the ones Platinum makes.

Other than those things (which aren't game breakers, just a bit frustrating), the game is great. I've seen a lot of 7s in critic scores, and I think that's much too low. An 8 would be fair in my opinion, and I'd probably personally score it 8.5. Hope that helps!

Re: Feature: The Wii U is Two Years Old, But How's it Doing?

bizcuthammer

I absolutely love the Wii U. My family has logged over 1400 hours on it, playing over 20 titles. That said, there are many reasons it has only sold 7mil, the primary one being that the system caters only to Nintendo's core fanbase, and practically no one else (I guess we could maybe include the 14 hardcore Bayonetta fans and the poor saps who still love Sonic to a fault).

Being a huge fan of Nintendo since the late 1980's, I adore the thing. It's one of my favorite consoles I've ever owned and easily has some of the best first party, exclusive games of any system out there. Games like Pikmin 3, SM3DW, Mario Kart 8 and Wind Waker HD are ones I still play over and over. Not to mention some great eshop titles like SteamWorld Dig and Shovel Knight.

I also love off-TV play. We have just one TV in our house, and so the ability to play games while someone else is watching a DVD is absolutely wonderful.

That said, the console itself is a classic example of Nintendo making something THEY wanted rather than what the consumer actually wanted. Underpowered, lacking in a robust online experience, no significant third party games, and utilizing another somewhat gimmicky controller, the WiiU just isn't very appealing to either the casual market that Wii attracted (which has moved on to smart devices), or gamers due to what it lacks in comparison to its competition. Thus, it is a console that only fans of Nintendo can really sink their teeth into and enjoy without complaint.

I love it, but giving it a C- grade seems just about right. Personally for me, it'd be a B+ or A-. But I'm a Ninty fan.

Re: New Nintendo Direct Airing 5th November

bizcuthammer

Probably about New 3DS, Amiibo function for games other than Smash, footage from Smash and Captain Toad, and hopefully some footage of stuff coming next year like Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Mario Maker and Yoshi's Woolly World.

Re: Nintendo 64x64: Banjo-Tooie

bizcuthammer

@rodaco sorry, mate. Won't be happening anytime soon barring a miracle. Rare is owned by Microsoft now. So their non-DK games will probably never hit VC. That said, if you own an Xbox 360, you can download both BK games on Live's Arcade. Or you could do the best thing and buy the original cartridge on N64 and play it the way it was meant to be played.

Re: Nintendo 64x64: Shadows of the Empire

bizcuthammer

Anyone saying this game is worth more than a 7 is viewing it thru some pretty rose-tinted glasses. Sure in 1997 it was great, but only because it was the first time we could experience the Star Wars universe in a 3D game on consoles. It had a good sense of atmosphere and used a lot of sounds and music that came directly from the movies qe loved. Other than that, though, the gamr is mostly a mess. The intro level on Hoth is probably the only thing that actually works, and literally every other level is plagued by one issue or another. The boss fights are almost all extremely frustrating and annoying and the camera issues are probably the cause of several N64 pads broken in frustration. I love Star Wars and liked this game when I was 8... But even then I knew it had some issues. Replaying through it now is a chore.