hiptanaka

@Senario That's not what I'm assuming, though. I understand there are non-traditional people in Japan, but I also know Japan is structurally one of the least gender equal industrial countries in the world, and that many of their big companies are quite conservative.

As for stirring pots, I think discussing problematic aspects of anything is usually a good idea. That doesn't mean condemning it or not enjoying it despite its problems.

@andreoni79 What Unca said. And also, kids are (usually) part of a real family, so they should already understand relationships between parents, and such? I don't see how it could be harmful.

@andreoni79 In my experience, kids have no problems playing adults. In fact, they mostly seem to prefer it. Kids like to emulate adults, not other kids.

@ferthepoet I would go farther and say I wouldn't expect a Japanese company to push progressive ideas on gender equality or sexuality.

@andreoni79 Why wouldn't it be?

@Bluezealand Maybe he means origin country.

@Suicune It's a pretty interesting topic, though. Family games from a non-political company in conservative Japan facing progressive ideas on sexuality in the west.

@xevious Nice observation.

I feel Nintendo can't really be blamed for not being openly progressive, but it's a good thing to openly let them know you're disappointed, if you are.

@GreenDream Unsound opinions can do damage even if they are quiet. Through elections, for example. I think it's usually a good idea to bring opinions out in the open, and discuss them. Knowledge and openness towards new ideas is important, and can't come from isolation.

I'm interested in knowing if any non-religious person here would have been offended by same sex marriage in the game. Seems to be mostly christians.

@PadWarrior Isn't that a dilemma? You don't want to support homosexuality, which I suppose mean you won't support their full rights to get married, adopt children, etc. At the same time, you want to treat them with respect and love, but taking rights away from someone is clearly not respectful and loving.

@Senario Yeah, they're simply very non-political. This time, though, it's about normativity so by being traditional they are causing controversy. It's hard to make a game (directly or indirectly) about sexuality and not be controversial these days.

@FOREST_RANGER Nothing wrong with a little discussion to clear the air.

And I'm not even saying Nintendo is terribly bad for not having same sex marriage in Tomodachi Life. That's a different and more difficult issue.

I'm simply not religious, so those are all non-reasons to me. But I know how much pain judgement has caused gay people throughout the years. That pain is a solid, practical reason for acceptance.

@Pichubby Yeah, well, the reason being a scripture says so. There are no solid, practical reasons for it.

@PvtOttobot Well, have you thought of that maybe it's because non-acceptance against something that doesn't hurt anyone is generally worthy of critisism? Acceptance is generally more worthy of praise.

@Redxzero ?? You certainly don't sit down and decide your sexuality. If that was the case, why would so many gay people live in shame for years (because of non-acceptance/normativity) before they "come out"?

Release date early 2015. Please understand.

It's already confirmed for a western release, as far as I understand:

http://www.destructoid.com/inafune-s-new-game-azure-striker-gunvolt-first-hands-on-271589.phtml

Last two paragraphs.

@Game-Over

I don't agree with the sentiment that handheld games are "slightly inferior home console games". I enjoy Metroid: Fusion more than most full-blown console games and I'm glad I can play it on my TV. It looks great.

@Jazzer94

And better emulation, as Wii actually changes the video output mode to match the system it emulates.

Dark Souls 2 and Metroid: Fusion will keep me busy this week. Metroid: Fusion is better than I remembered it.

Could this be the beginning of globally synchronized release plans?

Not a bad lineup! Metroid: Fusion, Golden Sun and Advance Wars are all games I would buy.

Good week for VC.

Well deserved.

@jord91 It's not about blindly defending Nintendo. It's about not getting mad because they made a tech demo utilizing existing assets. If they release this as a game later, fine. If they don't, fine. I'll gladly criticize Nintendo where appropriate, such as tying your account to a specific console.

@andreoni79 Yeah, how could you tell? I've played 25 hours or so of Dark Souls 2, and I love it so far. I swear some of the bosses are tougher than anything in Dark Souls, though. I must've fought The Pursuer 30 times before I nailed it (solo).

@Kirk If you're a developer you should know that a controlled demo can have a hundred issues that would emerge in the hands of the public. And perhaps the four levels implemented here only covers a fraction of the full game's features. Haven't played the original so I don't know.

Anyway, they might be planning to finish it. They just said they won't release this demo, I think?

It wasn't wasted. It was used as a demonstration to developers.

Looks cool, by the way. Runs better than I would expect from a JavaScript application.

@Kirk @andreoni79 Taking something from a four level demo to a full game is a lot of work. This isn't just emulation. It's built from the ground up to demonstrate the web framework.

Good thing Dark Souls 2 has arrived.

No problem. Dark Souls 2 will keep me occupied. Take your time to make Shovel Knight perfect!

@Peach64

Shovel Knight is Nintendo only (on consoles), and one of my most anticipated indie games. A lot of other good looking stuff is coming. Scram Kitty, Shantae, 1001 Spikes, etc. I'm usually more into the old school indies than the artsy stuff that get the praise, honestly.

Looks great!

Not much is revealed of the level design, but the gameplay itself looks fast and fun. Insta-buy.

I'm usually the one who defends Virtual Console, but this is getting ridiculous. I really hope there's an overall boost in the release schedule once the GBA games show up.

The drought is almost welcome since Dark Souls 2 should eat most of my gaming time in March and April.

SNES Remix is insta-buy for me. This must happen.

Cool. I'll probably get the Wii U version, simply because I like to play my games on a TV.

Getting this for sure.

Still, Nicalis should go the extra mile to support Europe, or they will soon lose any European goodwill. Others manage, and so can they. Of course, this is really just about me and how pissed I will be if 1001 Spikes doesn't come to Europe.

Good choice. 1080p and 720p usually makes a pretty small difference (especially with anti-aliasing enabled), but 60fps and 30fps is a world of difference in fast moving games.

@Goiku

Don't worry. They started restructuring their hardware teams recently. There will probably be many years before they release a new platform.

If Nintendo Fusion was to be true, they wouldn't need a "common platform", since there would only be one product.

Still waiting for the high profile games to start hitting Wii U eShop. Shovel Knight, 1001 Spikes, Scram Kitty, etc.

Tried the demo yesterday. Seems fun as long as the full game isn't too padded with samey fights. I like the customization, which is very much like FF5.

Finally. This always had to happen.

This sounds like a smart way to introduce their technology to a broader audience without compromising their core games.

The fact that I have no idea what this new platform will be like is quite intriguing, even if it doesn't really sound like a product for me.