earthboundlink

Yeah, but this must all be lies because everybody knows Nintendo doesn't make any "hardcore" games. If they really wanted to make this hardcore, it would be first person and there would be lots of blood and zombie strippers.

I did not know about this, yet, somehow I knew about it for the Wii VC release of "The Lost Levels." In fact, I think I remember saying something like "I wish this cheat had existed for the original game when i was a kid." Wow.

Oh well, the result is that I learned to beat the game without the cheat. I'm better at Mario thanks to my lack of knowledge of this cheat. However, I have never beaten the game while playing through all the levels (only using warps), so I may have to use this trick to go back and play through every level.

One final suggestion from way back in the day that no one remembers: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles from the Gamecube days. That game had some incredible music. It's got a great medieval vibe and uses a lot of wood flute and other cool instruments. The themes are really memorable.

BTW, that game is due for a re-release on Wii U that utilizes local multiplayer with multiples 3DS systems, or alternatively online multiplayer, à la Monster Hunter.

Also, not mentioned, Super Mario Galaxy (1 and 2). That is some of the best music of any series. The themes are so compelling and the arrangements blend orchestral and synth sounds beautifully.

Having listened to most of these extensively on Youtube, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is far and away the winner. It's one of the best combinations of mood music and adventurous themes you'll ever hear. The melodies and sounds chosen never seem to get old, and each set (generally corresponding to certain types of levels) is really unique. I can't recommend it enough. Even though I can hear it on Youtube, I would still buy it.

Fire Emblem is a bit bipolar, with music mostly super intense or really sad. Zelda tracks are always good. Mario Kart 8 is surprisingly good, and very upbeat. Kid Icarus Uprising is good, especially Dark Pit's theme, but you can tell that a lot of it is scored to correlate closely with the action and dialog onscreen, and out of context it sounds kind of odd.

Let me also just say that if you like old school chiptunes, Mega Man 2 and 3 are some of the best. I really like a lot of the Mega Man 2 and 3 arrangements on the Smash soundtracks as well, though as someone else mentioned, the Smash arrangements can be hit or miss sometimes. They go a little overboard sometimes to make them intense for fighting. There are also some really strange songs that get in there from obscure games or levels that aren't very good. Still, it is kind of one collection of video game songs to rule them all.

I also want to lend my support to more retro themes and more themes that are not Mario-based.

Still have all the original discs for each game in the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and I can't imagine having the time to play them all again anytime in the distant future (what with Monster Hunter 4 coming out soon, and my already large backlog of unbeaten games and games I need to revisit). So sadly I will let the ridiculous price pass me by. (I'm in NA and did pick up Punch Out!! since I missed that one when it came out).

Still, the MP games are all phenomenal, and I hope a lot of folks that missed out the first time through get to enjoy them.

You have my bow.

@JaxonH Thanks for the tip. I'm a long way from having what I need to build that puppy. It takes a really long time to build out a good weapon/armor set, and I just haven't been able to put in enough time yet.

@JaxonH I did Hunting Horn for awhile, but I'm trying to get through Moga Village in MH3U right now, and it seems that Bow, Bowgun, and Hunting Horn are just not very good for solo hunts. But I've done a lot of Moga Woods freehunting with the bow, and I can take out a Great Jaggi pretty quickly.

I thought maybe if I grind to upgrade my bow high enough I could do some real hunting with it, but it just takes too long for missions, and Cha Cha is not strong enough to be much help.

I'm considering dropping MH3U for the time being (I'm not that far in, I got the game on sale to test it out about a year and a half ago and never played it intensively until the last couple months) and cleansing my palette until MH4U comes out. I don't want to get too burned out on the franchise, because I am pumped for MH4U. I just wish the bow was a little more powerful, but the run, charge, aim, shoot, dive mechanic is a lot of fun to me. Just slashing and slashing with blades or wantonly swinging hammers and horns is boring to me.

Been eyeing Punch Out!! and NES Remix 2. I really enjoyed the first NES Remix and I've been too busy with other games to warrant the cost of picking it up.

Man, Nintendo is hitting my wallet hard lately.

Punch Out!! was pretty much universally loved by reviewers when it came out, but I never had the time or money to grab it when it was new. $9.99 is just too tempting to ignore, so I may have to grab that one.

The MH4U demo is definitely an improvement on the MH3U demo, but as others mentioned, it is a tiny fraction of the full game. I got MH3U on sale and didn't get into it for a long time. I kept coming back to it in between game releases, and each time I "got it" a little more. The MH4U demo convinced me to go back to MH3U some more, and since then I've been a bit obsessed with the game.

Unfortunately, my favorite weapon is the bow, but it's very hard to kill big monsters with it solo in the allotted time.

I work in DC and ride the Metro every day. I almost always keep my 3DS on me. I come away with multiple Street Passes pretty much every day. It's actually to the point where I don't play the StreetPass games as much because I don't have time to get through them all. I'm still kind of obsessed with collecting puzzle pieces, because I really like the little 3D dioramas, but the games can take a while to get through if you have a lot of passes. I haven't checked my usage stats in a long time, but I suspect the StreePass games will have the largest amount of playtime.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be doing the bus thing, but it's cool that some people are this into StreetPass. I guess I don't appreciate enough how easy it is for me to fill my StreetPass slots.

I learned about this organically by visiting CN today and seeing the discontinuation notice. I was pretty floored. As others have said, in NA the service hasn't given much of note for some time. It was starting to seem a little clunky and I suppose it's time to move on. Sounds like they're going to have a real download fest in February, so hopefully I can use all my stockpiled coins to beef out my VC and indie game catalog.

@JaxonH Wow, you're really selling the experience. I never had enough time to get that into MH3U, because I got it too late in the life cycle and I've always had a backlog of faster paced games that line up in front of it, but I'm looking forward to getting in on the ground floor of MH4U (in the west at least) and I plan to put more online time in.

BTW, my NNID is earthboundlink if anyone here wants to try to hunt online sometime. You'll mostly find me online in the morning or at night on weekends, since I have to spend the other times acting like a stupid grown-up.

@DESS-M-8 For my money, pound for pound, the best ever console was the SNES, but then I'm a big JRPG guy and the top down Zeldas are my favorites.

N64 was a great system, but I recall that about halfway through the system's life cycle, I felt like all they made for it were racers, shooters, and 3D platformers. There was very little in the way of RPG, 2D platforming, or fighters (until Smash came around later on). I might have just been poorly informed at the time, though. That said, Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye, Smash, Mario 64, and Ocarina might be as much incredible gaming as any system needs.

@Superstick The MH4U demo is MUCH better than the MH3U demo. I tried the MH3U demo too, thought it was awful, but bought the game on sale later for $20 anyway after hearing so many people discuss how bad the demo was compared to the full game.

I still found the game pretty daunting because there is just a ridiculous amount to do and it hid the ball on a lot of information. But it still drew me in enough to do some reading and understand the game's systems a little better. I'm always an item-hoarder in RPGs, but this game is not conducive to that. Basic items, I learned, were only useful for making better items. There was no need for hoarding. I had to stop being such a miser and just get out there and collect/use/build/etc. I also had to learn how to better prepare for battles using food items, boosts, and all the other systems the game has for you.

The MH4U demo gives you a little context, it gives you an explanation of the weapons, recommendations, a brief tutorial on how to use the one you select, and it explains some tactical advice on beating monsters.

Graphically, it looks pretty much just like MH3U to me, and I'm definitely looking forward to playing with the C stick, but the colors popped a little more, and I thought the controls were just a little more responsive, but then I might just be more used to the game by now.

I can also tell you it is a bad idea to switch directly between Monster Hunter and Bayonetta. The control switch will cause you to make some really dumb mistakes in one or the other.

Just took on the Tetsucabra in the demo, and I would say it felt a whole lot like MH3U, but a little smoother and better explanations. I felt like MH3U (my first in the series) just kind of dropped me in with no explanation and I was completely overwhelmed. This demo gave me a nice little explanation of each weapon's strength, and where to find more info. I think I'm convinced to take the plunge. One western convert here!

@12qaz2009 Sorry, I don't. Gave one to a friend, one on Miiverse, and one on the board above. And of course I used the other one myself. If I had another, I'd give it to you.

@italo-hunter No problem! I'm lucky enough to be in whatever algorithm chooses demo codes for games. I've gotten all of them so far that have been distributed in NA. I'll be sure to keep the NL community in mind when I get them in the future, since I don't know many people IRL with a 3DS.

One NA code for first come:
A071F57G2AW3VX91
Gonna distribute one more on Miiverse in the MH3U community. Happy Hunting!

As an American, I cannot click the one I would like to click. sob

"Are you getting tired of an increasingly sluggish system?" Yes. Miiverse is borderline unusable, and the boot time for Smash kind of kills the "quick on the go play session" vibe that would make the game a commuter's dream. Overall, a portable system should be as zippy as possible to encourage quick, small interactions and unexpected pauses and home menu pushes. The 3DS has one of the best game libraries of any system since the SNES, and quicker access to those games is a huge plus.

I've not had the 3D problems others describe (I only turn it off when it's exceptionally sunny or bright), but I am looking forward to having a little more leeway in where my head goes, because in my opinion the 3D not only makes the environments more immersive, it also seems to improve the resolution, as it tends to smooth and blend pixel lines, enhance textures, and make games look more fluid to me.

I skipped this game when it came around for Wii in NA because of a lack of funds. Went to get it later and it was way more expensive. I'm so pumped to play in on the New 3DS.

@Siskan They're doing Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii U, and it has a 3DS version. So I don't think your concern is necessarily a problem. It might be a little while before they get around to it, but it's clearly not a total barrier.

Haven't gotten an email. I assume U.S. codes are not out yet?

Really looks like a great summertime game to inspire folks to get out and shoot water guns or play paintball or something. When you're done in the evening, Splatoon time online.

The whole game seems to borrow the modern urban vibe of The World Ends With You, without being so overly serious and foreboding. I bet the soundtrack will be interesting.

This game looks so dank. I don't usually use that word, but this game deserves it.

Although the Game Boy Micro was pretty slick. It was just a little too small.

@MAONaime Hear hear! I still think the white and black DS Lite (followed by the metallic-colored GBA SP) is the best looking handheld system Nintendo ever made.

@MAONaime I am so disappointed about the lack of the smaller model New 3DS. And I would be all over the Zelda version if MM wasn't one of my least favorite entries in the series. Mostly pumped for the speed and improved 3D, so I'll still get it, but I carry my 3DS everyday in my back pocket, and I'm not sure my pocket can contain this beast.

@MAONaime lol, okay. I was just messing around, but I forget sometimes that everyone is serious on the Internet and text does not always convey the sense of facetiousness.

But seriously, NA has kind of been getting short shrift lately.

Once again, no love for the New World. Is it because EA is here? We're not all FPS and sports game-obsessed dudebros, I promise!

I really want to like Capcom. Loved Minish Cap, Street Fighter II, and the whole Mega Man series. Mega Man is my main in Smash. I've dabbled in Monster Hunter 3. I'm not the only one, Capcom, there are more of us waiting to be the Capcom faithful!

Well, it's a safe bet Ness will quickly become a $40 acquisition for those that don't pre-order.

Personally, I wonder if they're saving the Gamecube catalog for HD remakes like Wind Waker. But that doesn't explain the lack of N64 games. It's silly given how good the N64 library was on the Wii. Again, maybe they're saving those games for 3D remakes on the 3DS, à la Star Fox, Ocarina, and Majora's Mask.

@Gerbwmu Oh man, I am jealous of all the awesomeness you have yet to experience. I missed Metroid in the 80s and 90s, and the Prime games turned me into a huge Metroid fan. Went back and played them all on the strength of the first Metroid Prime. Also, to this day, it's the only first-person series I really like at all.

I guess Prime Trilogy means that at least two Gamecube games will hit the eShop. Might pick that up, because $10 for three games is pretty great, even if I still have every one of them in their original disc form. Will also probably pick up a couple of the others that I missed the first time through: Sin & Punishment and Punch Out!! (though the article implies those may only be EU releases?)

Pretty disappointed. I was definitely going to go for the smaller model, not for the faceplates, but for the actual smaller size and those sweet colored buttons. And while the Majora's Mask edition is nice, (unpopular opinion alert) MM is probably my least favorite Zelda game of the 3D era. Now mind you, I still think it's a great game, as is every Zelda entry (yes, even Zelda II: Adventures of Link, which has aged quite nicely), and I'll probably get the remake, I just wish they would issue a less game-specific Zelda edition. The Link Between Worlds 3DS XL was nice because the specific game reference was so subtle (the upside down triforce on the bottom).

And while I have gotten a little bit into Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, I don't know if I like the series enough to go all in with a special edition console. I'll probably just go with red. Again, pretty disappointed in the whole treatment for NA. But I get it. Everybody here wants giant freaking screens on all their devices these days, and people don't buy faceplates in the U.S. Either way, still excited to get my hands on one.

@shigulicious Agree about patching in Amiibo support. It doesn't need to be much; new costumes, skins, etc. will do. But it would be brilliant: you build on the success of Amiibo and Smash Bros. to sell copies of games from your back catalog to improve sales and revenue without the cost of producing new games. NSMB U and SM3DW are really obvious candidates for some Amiibo patches. (PLAY AS DONKEY KONG! Like the Captain Toad Bonus Levels, but DONKEY KONG!)

Honestly, I don't think they'll do that because I think they just have too much else on their plate, but it's a great idea for pretty much all the reasons, except the possibility that they worry it will reduce hype for new games, but that doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.

New Details on Zelda and Star Fox Wii U are probably going to be largely save for the E3 time frame. My guess is that this direct will have few if any shockers in it. Mostly it will be release dates for things we know are coming, and new footage/details for some other things later in the spring. We'll probably get some confirmation that things we knew were coming (MK8 DLC, Mewtwo DLC, Yoshi's Wooly World, Kirby & Rainbow Curse, MM3D, etc.) are still coming.

Also, I'm betting we finally learn the Amiibo functionality for Captain Toad, and get a few more Amiibo-related details.

Really, I'm just keen to hear a release date for the New 3DS in NA, and whether we will get an ambassador program. I imagine it will depend on how Nintendo thinks it went in Europe.

Is there some kind of blog, Twitter feed, or Tumblr that collects images of modded Amiibo? I would follow that so hard.

Interestingly, I just hopped over to the Club Nintendo site to make sure I didn't get it yet, and it's unavailable because of maintenance, which has never happened to me before. Probably nothing, but... WHAT IF IT IS SOMETHING.

Platinum member here who got the Smash demo codes, but no Amiibo survey. If I got it I would say I like the figures, would love to see them do more with the concept, especially at the system/OS level (as opposed to specific games) and with the New 3DS and the step counter (kind of like I understand they did with recent Pokémon entries to hatch eggs).

@Varoennauraa 100% in favor of bringing back Marble Madness.

Also, I think a reboot of Snake, Rattle, and Roll with gyro controls could be good.

@FritzFrapp Whoa there, I agree that it sucks, and I would certainly not do it myself. I'm just making degrees of distinction among the various forms of this behavior. They guy who goes out of his way to profiteer is worse than the guy who happens to find himself in the position to do it.

Either way, I wish they wouldn't, but recognize that it's more or less unavoidable at this point without some kind of change to the laws of western nations that would almost certainly create a whole new set of problems. There is certainly nothing that I can do here in this comment thread beyond expressing my distaste for the behavior.

@mudmask Agree. Much more interested in the next Metroid concept than F-Zero. I really enjoyed F-Zero GX, and would love a successor, but Metroid is intriguing, given that they have essentially finished with the Prime series and the Other M concept got mixed reviews. So the question is where do they go from here? I think the Other M gameplay could be refined and make good use of the Game Pad for the shooting mechanics (as opposed to pointing the Wii Remote at the screen, which always felt just exactly not as smooth as you'd want), they just need to drop the emo Samus and return to a more exploration/mystery vibe with a less intrusive story. Something along the lines of the Prime series would be great, and a marriage between Prime and Other M gameplay and atmosphere could be good if properly executed.

Alternatively, hand the keys to Metroid over to Platinum, and let them make Metroid into something like a much calmer, slower-paced Bayonetta-style action exploration game. Like Bayonetta 2 in the Metroid universe, with a lot more exploration and weapons obtained through discovery rather than through purchases.

Aaaaaand, now I want to play Bayonetta 2 some more.

Seems like this Skull Kid should have been an Amiibo. They really need to get on the ball and start using Amiibo figures in special offers, give aways, bundles, and even Club Nintendo prizes. It's absolutely perfect for these sorts of things.

Personally, I hate that people do this. It's less of a problem in this situation (where Nintendo directly offered the system to only these people) than when the resellers actively insert themselves in the process as rent-seeking middlemen (where people who don't want a system buy out pre-orders or retail stock for the sole purpose of increasing the price).

It is, of course, their right to do so. But it is still rent-seeking, and it adds cost to the product without adding value. Again though, it bothers me less when Nintendo offers them something they don't want than when they actively seek out something they don't want just to increase price for those who do. At least here they are providing some value by making the system available to those who otherwise would not have access to it.

@Grumblevolcano True. Plus, Europe sometimes gets cool physical rewards for Club nintendo that we don't get in NA.