mineralrich

If my son were perhaps a year or two younger, I would have considered this.

Aside from the occasional cameo appearance in silly Nintendo YouTube vids or as a "hat" for your Mii, it seems that the VB is a relic of the past it wants to wholly separate itself from.

I do remember as a kid seeing full shelves of VB units at a local Target being sold for about $20. Not even such a low price could get those things off the shelves... It seems that the VB games in general were decent, but the biggest hindrance being the red wireframe graphics and being a "VR" system in name and physical design only. It felt like more of a precursor to the 3DS than anything else.

Played the beta with a cousin online and the Beta was shallow, but make some adjustments to camera and it's a decent F2P game with some fun to be had. Didn't like the fact that you can't have private rooms or directly invite a friend, but worked around them. Used Skype for voice chat.

My favorite among the original SNES trilogy. One of the few games I've "100%" in my childhood.

@JaxonH Actually, now I want Mario Hockey too .

Edit: I forgot about "Mario Sports Mix," which includes hockey, but a dedicated game to one sport for added depth would be nice.

We need a Mario hoops game for Wii U.

I think I'll just wait for Hatsune Miku's cameo in P4D.

I was on the fence on this, but after watching some videos, I'm sold on the idea. I wasn't into AC until New Leaf (mainly because my wife loves it so much and has put in something like 500+ hours), so now I'm hooked on the franchise.

I understand Nintendo's design decision regarding the "creative freedom" with client requests. I think it gives players, especially children, infinite ways to cater to a client's "expectations" without feeling boxed in to the whims of the game designers. AC games to me are a form of relaxation and stress-free experiences. This doesn't seem to be any different.

The one 3D Mario platformer I've yet to try. This should get the proper HD treatmeat a la The Wind Waker.

Insta-buy for me when it comes out next week.

I have a turntable at home, but due to lack of space in my apartment, I've had to stuff it in the closet. So I usually just collect Vinyl albums, but will keep them shrinkwrapped until I can bust out the player again. And I would love to dust off the player with a Mother 2 album - but, just can't justify the near $50 cost .

I bought my wife and son 2DS's last year and they've survived much abuse . Funky, but very functional design. I personally dig them.

But of course, me being the "bleeding edge" dad, I use a New 3DSXL .

Truly my "first" Mario game since I didn't have the reflexes to play any video game until I was four (1990). Wish I still had the original cart + yellow box it came with.

@Kage_88 That makes sense. Even though Nintendo isn't moving Wii U systems, they have a big enough install base to get good profit from software and DLC sold (it's pretty amazing to think that MK8 is owned by greater than 50% of the entire user base). That's probably what's being implied there. Likely the same with MS's Xbox division making bank without having moved as many systems as Sony.

Other than the Wii, I was a big Xbox 360 guy before I went Nintendo/Sony this generation. However, I'm tempted to pick up an Xbox One as well later this year. "Rare Replay" actually being one of the motivating factors...

Picked it up on Steam on launch day for 17.99. Runs and looks great. Yes, the voice acting is atrocious, but doesn't bother me as much since I grew in the era of early, bad video game voice acting (my how the standard has risen since then). It feels Zelda-like and it has a cat protagonist - works for me .

@JaxonH Last time I checked there were plenty of preorders available for both limited editions (3DS and Wii U). Preordering the Wii U edition does guarantee you the first-run copies of the original Wii edition. Both 3DS and Wii U limited editions, from what I see, give you the same limited edition goodies - only difference your choice of platform.

I believe that the standard Wii U release will still get you the Wii version. So if you want to save money and just get the standard version (from Best Buy, Amazon, etc.), they should also include the Wii version.

I have the limited editions preordered on NIS America's site (both Wii U and 3DS). Would be great to play them soon, but considering the release heavy months coming, it'd actually make more sense if they delay until after the holiday/Christmas season.

Friday fodder.

I had the game as a kid, let a "friend" borrow it and they never returned it. Too bad, I never got a chance to complete it.

Having played Splatoo(ooooo)n a couple hours over the weekend, I must say as a guy who has played his fair amount of (and sucks at) CoD and Titanfall (a little better at it), there is an addictive quality to Splatoon. Even with short matches and repetitive maps, it's the one game that kept me playing (even though my body told me to sleep). This game and Witcher 3 on PS4 had me console gaming the most hours in a long while.

@dkxcalibur That Mario Player rumor sounds intriguing. Having a "Mario Player" for Wii U as well makes sense (as a free download). I can imagine sharing Mario Maker levels with others who have Wii U systems without having to buy Mario Maker. My office has a Wii U, so would be fun to create and share levels to have co-workers try and beat .

As for Disney Infinity, I considered trying out 2.0 to see if my son would enjoy it. It just seems "meh" to me; my son didn't really find it exciting either (granted, he's only three, but I think he seems to enjoy playing "New Super Mario Bros. 2" more than Disney's sandbox).

Question: Usually what time of day (I'm in the Pacific Time Zone) would the sales/discounts go live on the eShop? For example, I'm thinking of picking up SMTIV. I checked this morning and the price was still at 29.99. My best guess is that it'll go live after 10am PST.

Update: OK, discount is live as of 12:51pm PST. I have a physical copy of the game that I've put in 60+ hours into. Want to move to digital so I can put a different game into my card slot for once since getting the game back in 2013 . I take my sweet time.

My son (three) is a bit too young to play most Nintendo games (as he hasn't developed the coordination for a regular controller yet). So he'll usually just watch the wife and I play some MK8 or SM3DW. He DOES love the minecart levels in Captain Toad.

I myself tried to play Monster Hunter 3, but I couldn't really get into the series. Just not my cup of tea, I suppose. But once my son gets older, I'm sure he'll love to play some co-op games with his father. In between homework and basketball/hockey practice .

Nintendo portables - and portable gaming in general - hold a special place in my gaming heart. I owned the original Game Boy, bought when it was $89.99 new at a local Toys R Us. It came bundled with Tetris, so it was my first (and only) game for a long time. That Game Boy was my constant companion. Although, as the years wore on, I became envious of those who owned Game Gear and Nomad systems.

I've owned at one point nearly Nintendo portable and iteration (Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, GBA SP, NDS, DSi, now 3DS/New3DS). I had a PSP in my college years, but none of the games really did it for me and I sold it after a couple of years (although Sony has finally got my attention with the Vita). I play almost zero "phone/tablet games" because most of the quality titles on-the-go are on 3DS and Vita. Now as a full-time working stiff and parent, most of my gaming is done outside the home. That is why I see the importance of Nintendo tightly integrating console and portable because many of us who grew up with Nintendo are working full-time with families. It's simply more convenient to do gaming during work lunch instead of late at night, tired, after the wife and kid(s) go to bed.

@hypercoyote Haha, he didn't quite look like that. I've actually encountered him before when I went to pick up a Rosalina Amiibo a couple weeks back. I think his son convinced him that reselling Amiibos is a big money maker. Wouldn't be surprised to see him around again once the next wave of Amiibos hit the stores.

@hypercoyote Haha, no he was quite the friendly guy. He didn't even know what the line was for. He was purely interested in the Amiibo. However, simply saying "beware" doesn't necessarily warn potential physical harm, but rather those waiting in line will have to contend with those whose intent is to resell. In my case, I had no problems. Although, I was a bit surprised that the line wasn't longer.

i waited in line at a local Target starting at 5:30am and there were already two dudes waiting in line, one sleeping in a blanket. Pretty funny. This location had four in stock...and I was #4. A rare stroke of luck for me.

Another funny side note, there was an older gentleman who was actually looking for Rosalina Amiibos. He revealed to us openly that he drives around different stores to pick up rare Amiibo to resell on eBay. So yes, beware of the scalpers.

The only other "very good" portable shooter I've played is Killzone: Mercenary on the Vita. Exciting to see this kind of game hit the 3DS (and looks very impressive). The gameplay may end up being a bit generic, but with the New 3DS it does lay the groundwork for more "console-like" shooters to hit Nintendo's portable (and future ones).

From a developer's perspective, I could see the following scenarios:

1. Games that have a console and portable version. The console version would transfer to the portable wireless and "scale down" graphically to fit within the hardware constraints of the portable. No need to purchase two separate games (i.e. SSB for Wii U and 3DS)
2. Games that are "console" only due to the console supporting features unique to the console and wouldn't support portable transfer (perhaps the game wouldn't scale well to the portable version).
3. On the flip side, you have "portable-only" games that are portable-only and don't have a console version. Would be cheaper for some developers to do instead of the aforementioned.

Nintendo could offer these options to its developers, depending on the kind of game they want to create. Offers integration of two devices, but still separate devices.

This is what I like with Sony's ecosystem, in particular the PS3/PS4 and PSVita integration. Nice to get a console version of a game, have the ability to play it on-the-go, and then sync back your progress to the console version. This is where Nintendo sorely falls behind on.

This article pretty much nails what I've been assuming on the business side of things with Nintendo. It's a tough balancing act, considering Nintendo isn't a conglomerate like Sony - who can sustain an ailing side of its business with a more successful one. They can't afford to just keep losing money, so there has to be cutbacks. For example, Amiibo will likely take some time to sort itself out, probably around when Nintendo is back to "Nintendo-like profits."

We'll just need to exercise patience while Nintendo gets back on more solid financial footing. But once they get to that point, we can expect even greater things (hopefully)!

As long as the company can get a steady revenue stream and maintain focus on creating quality titles, this makes business sense. I gave my son a 2DS and I'd rather him use that than give him a phone or tablet for these "smartphone-style" games. There are some of them like that in the eShop already, but would be nice to have more (and of higher quailty).

Even though I have the Wii version of XC, I stopped playing about 40 hours in because lack of time at home. I was excited about the portable version being announced since most of my free gaming time is during lunch breaks at work. Would be great to have a way to transfer old saves to the N3DS version, as one poster suggested here, but doubtful that'll happen. Kinda glad I didn't complete the game then - would have little incentive to get this version other than for sheer want.

Nice little incentive. I have Pokemon Bank already, so adds more value to me. $5 a year is chump change in comparison for the convenience, especially if have both X/Y and ORAS.

@Superryanworld Thank you! I must say that Nintendo must do better in order to thrive in this business climate (not just "survive"). I keep begging for native N64 and GC VC releases (and while I'm at it, Dreamcast) . Personally, I don't think I could be as passionate about console gaming (and gaming in general) if Nintendo wasn't in the picture anymore. Hoping 2015 will be a great year for them.

@Superryanworld Hey, a lump of coal with a Nintendo logo doesn't sound so bad .

On a serious note, it's a lean week and I often give feedback to Nintendo directly to add more content to VC. I wish there was more as well, but give your feedback direct to them.

I think in my "older" age, I'm just thankful that Nintendo is still doing business today and my kids can enjoy their games in their lifetime. Can't complain too much, really.

Everyone's complaining about the lean week, but we forget two major 3DS retail releases next week...

Will pick up the rest of the "Moon Chronicles" episodes and download the Majora's Mask DLC.

Surprised to see an early review, but not surprised by the 10/10. I skipped MM back in the N64 days because as a kid in his early teens the time limit and Expansion Pak requirement put me off. Can't wait to try it out this time around!

Now I just need to figure out which Zelda game I should introduce to my young son first .

I grabbed the PS4 and Vita versions (due to the 10% discount given as a result of the PSN failures in Dec.). Playing a bit of the Vita version, I certainly felt the resonance of Earthbound (my favorite game of all time), but Earthbound has immediate charm upon the first few minutes, whereas CoE needs some time to win me over. I was going to pass on it, but the PSN discount was going to waste so decided, "What the heck." .

Have both games and purchased the second game mainly to support the guy (and for $2.99, you can do FAR worse).

Plus the guy is from Sweden, where my company and most of my co-workers hail from .

@paleboyjack You can easily just play the game daily in short sessions, about 15-20 minutes. Although, the game is more enjoyable if you know someone who has a copy. The only other AC game I've played was "Wild World" on DS, but this one is much better.

I only started getting into Animal Crossing because my wife enjoys it so much (I think she probably has poured in about 500+ hours total, and I probably have about 1/5th of that). I enjoy putting in about 20 minutes of play time per session because of its charm and relaxing play. However, my wife recently lost her town due to a save glitch, so I don't think she'll play that much after that (this has happened a few times already). One thing that Nintendo needs to do with AC and other games is what Sony does with PS Plus and offer cloud-based save backups. AC is very susceptible to save corruptions, so it'd be a must-have feature for future titles.

I did get the letter from Nintendo for Japan-only items, so that'll give me an incentive to play a bit longer. The wife and I are moving onto Fantasy Life as next game to play together .

It's an interesting reversal. It seems like everyone's original Wii was "gathering dust" because lack of (good) games, but it was selling like hotcakes. In this generation, the PS4 is selling like hotcakes, but I must say mines and others here are "gathering dust" because there hasn't been anything new and compelling (they just announced a Borderlands remaster - UGH). I was initially thinking of getting Bloodborne, but after watching more gameplay videos, I lost interest. So far, the only announced PS4 game I'm really interested in is Persona 5. And who knows when that is coming out...

I just wish the Vita got more love because alongside the family Wii U and my 3DS, it gets a lot of play.

Many fond memories playing Tetris on the original Game Boy. When I heard that the eShop version was possibly going to be pulled from the eShop, I immediately downloaded the GB version. Glad I did, after reading this.

I was in 5th grade elementary school when I first got an N64, around the time it came out in 1996. They were incredibly difficult to find as stock was sparse and always sold out. When I saw a couple of machines in display at a local Target store, I convinced my mom buy one of those two before they flew off the shelves .

(As a side note, I remember in the same aisle a bunch of unsold Virtual Boys going for $50 a pop)

I was most fond of the N64 for Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Zelda, Super Mario 64, and Star Fox, etc. Back then, I was more enamored with JRPGs, so I was more of a PSone kid. But for multiplayer, nothing beat playing with my cousins and/or playing with my uncle NBA Hangtime .

The question of the poll is "Would you buy a Nintendo phone?"

I said, "yes," assuming they actually produced one.

However, "Should they produce one?" is a totally different question. The mobile space is so competitive and cutthroat right now that I don't see it being a smart business decision for them. They would have to deviate tons of resources to just getting off the ground.

I would say that if they can provide a dedicated gaming device with web browsing, phone, and media capabilities (for example, for gaming over 4G/LTE networks), then it might be doable. Otherwise, they shouldn't even bother because a device with those extra capabilities are bound to make a device that is too expensive (e.g. 3G Vita).

The release timing is a bit odd, a couple weeks after Smash is out, but this game has the right pricing and family-friendly mainstream appeal. Definitely picking this up on day one and playing with my young son who will simply adore it.

The visuals, I have to say, are the best I've seen coming from Nintendo. The devs probably can up the level of the detail in the environments because sheer speed isn't as necessary to achieve (unlike a 3D platformer like "3D World" would require).

Looking forward to playing this with my wife and son. Pre-ordered from Best Buy. With Gamers Club discount, it's about $34 including tax. A total steal at this price .

As a full-time working husband and father, I appreciate these "droughts." No temptation to buy new games and a chance to catch up on the 10 or so you may have purchased earlier in the year .