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I love this game! I disagree with the statement that the combat is shallow. The interplay of spells with other spells and physical attacks allow for interesting strategies, especially in boss fights. You can literally cast a spell, start a physical combat while the spell is starting up, which builds mana points to cast another spell. It's awesome.

My wife and I were super excited for Spellspire. When we played it, we were frustrated by its reliance on luck factor overwhelming need for speed and perfect reflexes. We checked out Letter Quest and found that much more to our liking.

I'm fine with the slow roll out. Quite frankly, I adore the OS as is. It's so fast and efficient! I want to get into the game as soon as possible and that's what it does. The Switch is so much more pleasant to use than the PS4. The PS4 I had constantly chugged while navigating the game list.

@shani There are quite a few modern games that I really like and several genres, such as racing, in which modern games are vastly superior to retro games. But many of my favorite games are pre-3D graphics and have yet to be bested on modern hardware. I'm talking games like Chrono Trigger, U.N. Squadron, Final Fantasy III/VI, Macross: Scramble Valkyrie, Gundam Wing Endless Duel, and Mega Man X. Emulation has gotten better but is not perfects. There's something about the purity of gameplay that retro games offer that cannot be beaten by modern game design. Some of that has to do with the constraints of the older systems.

I also have a fairly extensive SNES collection and this will be the best way to play them.

I preordered the Classic U.S. SNES gray and purple version.

I adore the original and am super excited for this new iteration. I love fighting games and this is one of the best new games to come out in a long time.

Most games on PS3 required installs. It seems like every game I put into my PS4 also needs an install. It's not that different. And PlayStation systems use standard hard drives which are no more durable than an external drive.

@audiobrainiac I have a lot of Neo Geo games and I always add scanlines upon the initial start up. I prefer the 2nd lightest scanline option. It reminds me of the arcade days.

@Roam85 KoF 94 is the game at its most basic. The graphics stay fairly similar though the animation does improve over time. 95 and later let you build your own team unlike 94. If you're new to the series, 98 is the best starting point. 2000 is one of the few titles in the series with strikers - characters you can call in to help extend combos or disrupt your opponent's character. I do find 99 and 2000 a lot of fun but not really indicative of the series.

@audiobrainiac Try adding scanlines in the settings. Even the most subtle scanlines improve the visual quality exponentially. I think the blurriness comes from the system filling in the blank spaces left by the scanlines. I'm not sure what Capcom did to clean up the retro USFII graphics.

To answer the question in the article, I plan to use my HRAP 4 with a Brooks adapter (PS3/4 > Switch).

I'm super excited, especially if I can preorder. I've never actually seen an NES Mini before.

This game is so good; it's one of the best fighters in recent years. I don't know how well it sold but I do know that the online is still quite active. I'm super excited for this next version!

Pokken is sooo good! Super glad to get the updated version!

@AJ81 I think you'll like Garou; it's a great mix of classic SNK and Capcom. It's very friendly for SFII fans.

@idtgatt That's how I felt at first and, over time, I started to dislike it. I started Oracle of Ages last night and the first boss in that game is more interesting than anything I face in BotW.

I hope they don't abandon the 2D games as those are the ones I prefer. No 3D Zelda has managed to surpass Ocarina of Time for me. The 2D games generally take more interesting chances and are more creative than the 3D games. I really dislike Breath of the Wild; I miss the feeling of progress and the creative bosses of older Zelda games. And the camera in BotW is awful.

I'm super excited to have a Neo Geo accurate port of this game. Most of the other versions are based on the faster PS2 version. I need a NeoGeo stick for Switch ASAP!

I have a New 3DS (non-XL) and a 2DS. I use my 2DS frequently for action games as I prefer its d-pad and the ergonomics of the system. The New 3DS XL gave me wrist cramps. I'm getting a New 2DS XL in hopes that its lighter weight - its weight is the same as the 2DS - is easier on my wrists than the 3DS XL. I also adore the hardware design. I think this is the last push of the 3DS family; it's like the GBA Micro.

Nintendo will likely keep the 3DS family going through 2018 and launch a Switch handheld in 2019. That gives the Switch library two years to grow and allows time for them to scale the hardware down and increase battery life. I love my Switch but won't travel with it; it's my home console.

This seems like a cool distraction but I'm not really interested in working so hard to get one. If it was SNES, maybe.

I've played through most of the Zelda games recently in order to figure out my favorites. Minish Cap is the clear winner for me. I love that the whole map is a giant puzzle and the game has charm to spare. The dungeon design is amazing as well. A Link Between Worlds is my runner up. That game just makes me happy. I love the rental system and the wall merge mechanic. OoT 3D rounds out my top 3 and edges out A Link to the Past.

This sounds right up my alley. The aesthetics of MH don't appeal to me; still, I tried MH3 on Wii U and found the game to be tedious at best.

Edit: I got this game last night ($32 at Amazon with Prime) and really like it. The MH comparison is a bit off; it's much more like Phantasy Star Online than MH. The online is great and a lot of fun. If only TriForce Heroes online was this good.

I like interacting with the Wii U more than any other home console. There is only one change I'd like to see: If I start the system using a Pro Controller, don't turn on the gamepad.

I imported the Japanese version and liked it a lot but stopped playing once I heard it was coming to the states. This game feels like a spiritual successor to the Super Sonic Warriors but I prefer Extreme Butoden as it's more of a traditional fighting game. I also like that each fighter feels unique unlike the recent 3D DBZ fighters. The differing combo paths are very interesting and add a lot of depth; Gohan's juggle loops are pretty awesome. I do wish it had online but I'll settle and hope the next iteration adds that.

One of the constant struggles facing fighting games is the inherent complexity. This game does a good job of simplifying commands so that players can focus on the strategy. I would love to see this game on a console with great online play to see how people would react.

I'll buy if it's an HD remaster of the GameCube game. If it's the Wii version, I'll pass.

I abandoned my town after the citizens started bullying me for spending money on public improvements rather than improving my house.

I've never played Fatal Frame so this approach is very enticing to me.

This is a pretty good week! I'm definitely getting OoT, Mercenaries Saga, and the Phoenix Wright Trilogy.

I have a standard New 3DS (Japanese) and a New 3DS XL (NA). I much prefer the standard. The unit feels more solid and the top screen is less floppy. If they release the standard size in the U.S., I'll buy.

The Zeldas and SMTxFE are musts for me. Starfox and Xenoblade are both maybes.

Overall, E3 was pretty boring for me. None of the big press conferences really got me that excited.

Honestly, the enemy turn was not an issue for me. It felt like I was getting hints about enemy movement within the game's fog of war. I had bigger issues in this game. I was very excited for it but quit due to it being nothing more than a cheap version of Valkyria Chronicles, designed by someone who didn't understand what made VC great. Huge disappointment for me.

I would love to play this! I adored River Raid as a kid. It was the first game I truly loved.

What's missing on the list really demonstrates the power of the eShop. It's impossible to skip over Sega 3D Classics, Ace Attorney Dual Destinies, Gunvolt and Cave Story.

As someone who owns a New 3DS XL (U.S.) and a New 3DS (Japan), I would double dip to get the standard size if they released a U.S. version. It's much lighter and feels more comfortable to hold; the top screen is less floppy as well.

I would love to own the Outrun model. I have such fond memories of playing that game in the arcade. Throw in Yu Suzuki and I'd be thrilled.

I loved the demo and look forward to the game next weekend. I don't care who the voice actors are so long as they do a good job and, from what I've seen and heard in trailers and the demo, he did a good job.

Aside: I wonder if people who throw around the term "SJW" as a pejorative realize they sound like 1960s anti-civil rights racists.

These games are a large part of why I own a Japanese 3DS.

Black New XL, because I live in the U.S. and that's my only choice.

I bought an N64 after my PSOne died shortly after finishing Final Fantasy VII. I decided to go N64 due to the cartridge technology. PSOne games had insane loading times and were prone to fail.

I picked it up Mischief Makers with the N64 and never looked back. I have a soft spot for the system in many ways. I imported several games for the system including Bangai-Oh and Sin and Punishment. The star Wars games kept me occupied. The amount of time I put into Ocarina of Time alone justified the purchase. Of course, it didn't match the SNES but no home console ever has.

I don't get this at all. I like the GameCube pad but the Pro Controller is my favorite gamepad, period.

@ThomasBW84 Will you be using a wired connection or the system's built-in wireless?

@Mus1cLov3r I always think about how all Nintendo handhelds before the DSi were not locked. It's a huge step backwards.

Nintendo will have a very hard time convincing me to upgrade.

As it stands, the DS Lite will likely be the last great handheld. Neither the 3DS nor the Vita have acceptable battery life; the 3DS is region locked; the Vita doesn't have a user changeable battery. Both systems take too long to boot up for a handheld.

I love Zelda but hate Monopoly. Not for me.

I bought a Vita before my 3DS and ended up selling it. To be honest, neither handheld is perfect this go round. I like my 2DS a lot but the region locking is an awful choice. On the Vita front, the sealed battery and proprietary memory card is awful.

Nintendo's biggest problem is its success. Despite many Nintendo games introducing new and interesting ideas, when most gamers see familiar characters they assume that the game will play as it always has. I've run into that attitude a lot and it is frustrating. The advantage of new IP is that it forces gamers to look at the new mechanics at play rather than the characters starring in the game. If Splatoon starred the Mario cast, it would not have garnered near as much attention as it did.

YES!

My wife and I played tons of Double Dash because she loves gunning but not controlling vehicles. Day one purchase.

MS and Sony really lowered the bar for me. The abundance of realistic murder simulators was both boring and troubling. Those games are also the reason I've moved to primarily retro gaming. I was ready to give up on the whole event, and then Nintendo nailed it. They showed so many games with amazing amounts of charm. I chose Zelda as my favorite reveal because I love that series and it is, hands down, the best looking game I've seen footage of during E3. Project STEAM is my runner up as it looks to be a fun and unique strategy game similar to Valkyria Chronicles but with its own personality and approach.

Nice review.

I adore this game. I'm very particular about platformers. I love Mega Man X and Wario Land 4 but few others keep my interest.

Gaming is my main hobby. It's also one of my wife's secondary hobbies. We're not having kids so there's lots of time for gaming, both solo and as a team. Couch co-op is the best!

I thought the Direct was quite solid. I loved the Little Mac reveal. His mechanics seem very interesting and I'm interested in Smash for the first time. I am an old-school fighting game fan but could never really get into Smash before.

I'm glad Inazuma Eleven arrived in North America and I love when they announce a game on Direct and it's available a few minutes later. I downloaded Inazuma despite being hooked on Bravely Default.

Mario Golf is looking good; I'm excited for Pokemon Trozei. X is looking amazing and Bayonetta 2 looks interesting. I was interested in NES Remix but I'll wait for the next title. GBA games on Wii u is pretty cool but 3DS would have been better. Still, the Retron 5 will be out soon so I don't know if I'm rebuying any of my massive GBA library.

@SavoirFaire So true. I'm still waiting for ALttP, MMX and I was ready for D&D and Duck Takes discounts.