brakeman90

It's live for me on the US East Coast, but I had to close my Google Play Store app and re-open to make it stop showing "Registered."

Still in "pre-register" phase for me, here in NA (East Coast).

Picking up physical editions of Bomberman and Zelda at launch. Grabbing a carrying case too. I may get an extra set of Joycons, but that hinges on whether Bomberman supports four players on one console. I'll be quite disappointed if it doesn't, though that will save me some money, haha.

I'll also be downloading I Am Setsuna, Fast Racing RMX, and Snipperclips as they become available. I missed IAS and RMX on their original releases, so now I'll get to enjoy them and have portable versions. Snipperclips is actually my most-desired Switch game after Zelda, as my wife and I like to play co-op games.

The amiibo card stuff is kind of dumb, but it sounds like the game is perfectly playable without them (and may indeed be a better experience without artificially strong characters). In any case, I like the trailers I've seen, and unless the game gets very bad press upon release, I intend to buy this in March or April.

I really liked the look of it in the Nintendo Direct, and will almost certainly be picking it up upon release, assuming that the press is good.

The top of my Switch third-party list is likely Disgaea 5, since I've enjoyed the two games I've played in that series and would like to encourage further engagement from NIS. Besides that, a number of these are appealing - Super Bomberman R, Fast Racing RMX, and I Am Setsuna in particular. The only day-one buy will likely be Fast Racing, since I skipped it on the Wii U and want a top-notch racing game, but I'll be grabbing them all eventually.

@ZurapiiYohane64 Final Fantasy Warriors would be outstanding. It's funny, because if you'd have asked me pre-Hyrule Warriors whether the Musou model could have pre-existing properties intelligently grafted on, I'd have been inclined to say no (with exceptions). But heck, if they can do it with an IP based primarily around exploration and puzzle-solving, they can do it with anything!

@OneBagTravel An XCOM-esque Fire Emblem would be cool, and they've already moved in the direction of less battlefield/fight scene segregation with Fates. That said, we kind of already have XCOM, so making Fire Emblem less distinctive and more similar to an already existing property would feel perhaps a bit like eroding the IP's identity. Not sure - I'd have to see it in action.

@joealejos This is what I'm expecting. If memory serves, we've seen a number of clips in which regular dialogue is not voice-acted. That could be the result of an early build, but given the proximity of the release, I would imagine that we'll only have dialogue in major cutscenes.

The most disappointing alteration, to me, is the actual architecture of the windows being simplified and made blockier in the lower image comparison. That's a rather surprising change. Obviously not the kind of thing that would keep me from enjoying the game - I will be picking this up if it comes West - but it's certainly not going to have someone buy this version when they could opt for the PS4 version. As a counterpoint, of course, this one can be played on the go.

@CTMike Given how well Hyrule Warriors played on Wii U, I strongly suspect they'll pull this off for the more technically impressive Switch.

I'll be darned if this doesn't look utterly fantastic! Glad to see, given how excellent the sidescroller offerings on Wii U were, that the style hasn't been abandoned on the Switch.

@ThainEshKelch Good point. 30fps really ought to be the standard, as I recall feeling like N64 era games were a little sluggish even back at the time. The biggest issue is steadiness, I think, since it's having an immediate point of contrast that makes the framerate more noticeable.

@ThainEshKelch This has largely been my take, too. I notice it when switching between resolutions while playing PC games on the TV, but rarely would I be able to tell whether something is rendering in 720p, 1080p, or something in-between. Framerates are another matter, where significant dips bother me, but even there, I would have told you instinctively that the Zelda HD remakes on Wii U ran at 60fps when they certainly do not. That said, I'm sure this kind of thing is more bothersome for some folks than others.

@AlphaJaguar That's fair. You have to vote with your dollars.

Ugh, a bit disappointing that this wasn't considered in the design process. One of the reasons I buy Nintendo products is their commitment to quality design, and this is either (a) a scheme to sell more equipment, or, far more likely, (b) an embarrassing oversight. It does make one wonder what else wasn't properly tested ahead of the final design, but I'll remain optimistic, given how much I love my Wii U.

@AlphaJaguar This is something of a dilemma, isn't it? I think your approach is a legitimate one, effectively punishing Konami for their sketchy ethics and their turning away from a long-loyal game market. On the other hand, I think there's something to be said for financially rewarding them dipping their toes back into the game world, as it could inspire more software development over whatever the heck they're doing now (pachinko, right?). Both seem like valid takes, and both represent rational consumer decision-making.

The Switch is still shaping up to look pretty great on release day. Assuming Zelda is a Day One release, I'm putting in my order ASAP. I was anticipating a $300 console without any bells and whistles, and have been setting aside a little funding to that end, so anything less than that (as the rumors suggest) would be a significant bonus to me!

Golly, I'm not a fan of this series, but that's some beautiful art at the top of the page.

@NintendoFan4Lyf Planes do tend to have power outlets - even the otherwise pretty mediocre WOW Air (Iceland-based carrier) had one outlet per seat. At this point, it's hard to imagine many scenarios where some degree of charging outlet would be inaccessible if you're stuck somewhere for upwards of 3 hours. Plus, if that's the kind of thing that happens to people often, they can invest in one of those little portable charger devices. In any case, I think 3 hours is reasonable for such a powerful little handheld.

@Shugo Eh, it's not harmful. It gives us something to chat about and speculate upon in a slow season for Nintendo. I don't think anybody's regarding these info "leaks" as anything more than rumors.

@spurgeonryan Oh, that's my bad - I'm not familiar enough with the column parameters.

@OorWullie @SLIGEACH_EIRE I suspect you might be thinking of Coro, from Twilight Princess: http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Coro

@spurgeonryan I think this column is specifically for download titles, which would exclude the retail edition of Minecraft: Story Mode.

@Spoony_Tech I really hope Yooka-Laylee doesn't jump ship, since I've been looking forward to it for a while. I understand why companies would do this, particularly smaller outfits with limited funding and a pressing need to get a return on investment, but it's still a drag for the consumer.

Thanks for the review. As a big fan of the Wii U original, I think a 3DS version is a cool idea, but gutting the online sharing features pretty well cuts out the most appealing aspect of the game for me (as a guy who created two eight-world "games" in the engine, and played those made by countless others). Hopefully it reaches an audience, particularly young people with lots of friends who own a 3DS, but I guess I'll be taking a hard pass on this one.

@6ch6ris6 Wow, that's a really great point! I hadn't considered the sales strategy behind being cagey about a Switch Skyrim, but I'll bet you're hit the nail on the head. Also I love your avatar - Toad's my favorite Nintendo character, and I may be the only person in the world who bought a Wii U primarily to obtain Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, haha.

@Great_Gonzalez Yeah, this slightly bums me out, as I was working to play every one of the games in the series by the time of the release in March. After completing Skyward Sword this month, then working through Spirit Tracks and the original Legend of Zelda in early 2017, I was hoping to move right on to Breath of the Wild. C'est la vie, I suppose - as ever, I trust Nintendo to hold it back and ensure that it's the masterpiece it ought to be.

It might be worth adding Best Buy to the US section of this article, since the game will be $31.99 there up until 2 weeks after release for Best Buy Gamer's Club members.

I thought the console looked incredible. Of course, I'm not an early adopter so I'm not planning to pick it up Day One, but I'm eager to learn more about it. On the face, I'd say it looks like a worthy successor to the Wii U, which has been my favorite console since the PS2.

Funny stuff, thanks for posting. I particularly liked their final comment, and I'll be sure to support them by picking up a copy of Steamworld Heist (Wii U) today!

@Xaessya You're right, but it seems like it looks a little bit smoother. I could be entirely wrong about that, but it's a first impression.

I own a New 3DS XL, and it is 100% not worth the upgrade unless you have a mitigating reason. I got my N3DSXL when my wife got more interested in 3DS games and gave her my old one (effectively to be a dedicated Animal Crossing machine, haha). It's nice to have, and I like it for the SNES VC and a handful of performance boosts on things like Stretchmo and Hyrule Warriors Legends, which I've played more than any other 3DS game except Pokemon Y. I've gotten my money's worth, but I couldn't recommend upgrading without a strong reason to give up the old version.

This is an awesome article, and I'm really grateful for the team's work. In much the same way as Trails In The Sky, the love and commitment of the team comes through in just how alive these virtual communities feel to players.

Wow, that's cool to hear - in general, I suppose a higher file size suggests more content or improved textures, etc. As for me, I have a 32GB SD Card but try to buy physical in general (for the purpose of resale or sharing with my spouse). I will almost certainly buy this game on its physical medium, but my 32GB card is still filling up with indie games!

Having played the demo for the better part of this last weekend, I can say that I'm unreasonably excited for this release. It shouldn't work, but it does - I couldn't tear myself away!

@Nico07

Oh my goodness, I hadn't considered the Postman! I hope he gets added to the roster.

Marin's a solid choice. I was hoping (irrationally) for the Wind Fish, given some of the other quirky character choices, but one of my favorite aspects of Hyrule Warriors is the highlighting of the series' sometimes under-utilized female characters, so this is a plus. I haven't played Link's Awakening in a good fifteen years, though, so it might be time to replay in anticipation of this DLC!

@VR32F1END Good heavens, I hope not. I'm playing on Hero Mode and probably clock a few deaths each hour on average. In particular, I must have died five to ten times fighting the miniboss in Death Mountain and then five more fighting the miniboss when you first reach the dried Lake Hylia. A death counter at the end may cause this grown man to weep with shame.

I'm very excited for Pocket Card Jockey, Tokyo Mirage Session #FE, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force. I'm excited (but less so) for Hyrule Warriors Legends, Star Fox Zero, and Star Fox Guard.

I was surprised with the content in the Nintendo Direct, since I was anticipating my excitement for Mirage Sessions if it became localized, since it's such a delightfully bonkers premise, but was completely won over by Federation Force and Pocket Card Jockey. Both looked like really unique, totally Nintendo experiences. The equipment-based "class system" and cooperative gameplay make Federation Force look very, very promising.

Star Fox Zero looks interesting, but it seems like it may be something of a rehash of Star Fox 64. Guard looks more intriguing, but that may just be because my wife and I love Tower Defense games. Hyrule Warriors Legends will likely be a fixture on my 3DS, but I'm waiting to hear reviews on performance. If it plays like a less impressive version of the original, there's no point - I've got Hyrule Warriors on my Wii U.