This is a great guide! I learned all of the important stuff via trial and error while playing an import copy of SD G Generation Gundam DS. I still love that game. Playing import games is a blast!
Nothing this week as my 2DS is getting the screen replaced. I am quite upset that the U.S. release of Mega Man X2 and A Link to the Past haven't happened yet.
These are curious times. Neither the Xbone or PS4 have anything out or coming soon that even remotely appeals to me. Add in the fact that the PS3 has interesting games coming out well into next year and the upgrade makes no sense. The Wii U has a few good games and some promising downloadable games coming soon. The only must-have console at the moment is 2DS/3DS. It has a deep library, is cheaper to buy and get games for and has some really strong titles coming soon. As a long-time fan of handheld gaming, I'm excited and shocked by these facts.
@BlatantlyHeroic Without the option to turn off 3D, the 3DS would be in the same state as the Vita. You'd rule out kids, people who cannot see 3D and people who have adverse physical reactions to 3D.
I don't understand the 2DS hate. I avoided the 3DS for years due to poor battery life, region locking and the 3D gimmick. It's always been a gimmick and it gives me near-instant headaches. I eventually broke down and bought a 3DS XL but never use the 3D effect. I bought a 2DS last week and think it's the best iteration of the 3DS family. The d-pad is inifinitely better on the 2DS and the system fits my adult sized hands better. I also find that I don't get cramps in my hands due to the way I hold the system.
As far as ALBW is concerned, I'm glad they're making slight changes to accomodate 2D. Far too many people have issues with 3D for them to build the game solely to justify a gimmick.
@Relias I've played a lot of 3DS games and so far the only one that I found really benefit from 3D was Super Mario 3D Land. In OoT, I put it on during cutscenes and sometimes upon first entering a room such as the Temple of Time. I do find that a lot of games run smoother with the 3D off.
@OptometristLime It's just one story but I held off on the 3DS after seeing a demo unit. When I switched on the 3D, my eyes felt like they were vibrating and I could feel the muscled behind them twitching. I eventually bought an XL and the 3D is a bit better but gives me vertigo. The games convinced me to buy the 3DS not the 3d feature.
It's a really dumb move for Nintendo. As a designer, I work with a lot of copyright issues and I still cannot fathom how streaming a game is not fair usage.
Region locking the 3DS is the most backwards thing Nintendo has done yet. Half of my DS collection is imported, either from the U.K. or Japan. This back pedal also doesn't make any sense. Sure, if a game is available in my region, I'll buy it there but the truth is that a lot of game series I love are never released in the west. For example, I play every SD Gundam G Generation title that is released. On the GBA, DS, PSP and Vita, that is no problem. RL is the reason I bought a Vita before buying a 3DS. If the Vita had a healthier library, I'd not own a 3DS. The game library is the only reason I own 2 3DS systems. It's a waste of money but I wanted access to import titles.
From a publisher standpoint, region locking costs a few import sales that would help with their bottom lines. More importantly, removing RL also removes my desire to hack systems. I've never had the desire to hack my PS3 but I did hack my Wii and, in all honesty, that did cost Nintendo some Virtual Console sales. I already own a ton of classic games and, if my system is hacked and I can play the ROMs rather than buying new copies, I will.
Hell, even Blu Rays have adopted a better region system.
Region locking the 3DS is one of the worst moves I've seen out of Nintendo. I resisted buying a 3DS until the LL was released and then only bought an import system because so many of the games I love are Japanese only. I purchased my 3DS LL with SD Gungam G Generation 3D, Gundam the 3D Battle and the Kunio-kun games. I seriously considered not getting a domestic 3DS at all. I did eventually cave but really hate owning 2 identical systems. Generally speaking, I only import games not available in my region. I say generally because there have been a few cases of me importing a title and then having it released domestically, such as Project X Zone. I doubt the removal of region locks would hurt domestic sales as most gamers don't want to deal with languages other than the one they speak.
That said, I would be more okay with region locks if they lined up with Blu Ray so that I could at least play Japanese imports.
E3 was pretty lame for me. So much so that I'm starting to think it's an outdated approach and needs to be reinvented. I'm super excited for Nintendo's line up but I knew about most of it thanks to that last Direct and that has me convinced that the Direct style is the best way to go.
I find myself constantly shocked at how much credit Sony is getting for doing what's always been done and how little people are concerned with MS's always on camera considering that they were the first company to sign on with PRISM.
Time is kind of right. Don't get me wrong, I like the Gamepad. Off-screen play and the Miiverse are amazing. They cannot scrap the Gamepad not should they. I do prefer the Pro Controller as I find it more comfortable. At E3, Nintendo didn't push the Gamepad at all. Check out Nintendo World Report's coverage.
It seems to me that Wind Waker and Mario Kart 8 were both missed opportunities in terms of Gamepad usage. Nintendo needs to lead by example in this case.
The Xbox One media event was pretty bad. Lots of brown and slightly nicer looking 360-type games. Nothing that interesting announced and add in the DRM hate, it's not looking good for the Xbone.
I loved the crowd silence after the price announcement.
Nintendo should rebrand the premium as the standard and lower the price to $300 to take advantage of this.
@Scollurio Thanks! I've been interested in Project CARS for awhile and it's good to have that kind of knowledge about the game. I really didn't like Dirt 3 but i haven't written off the genre. I love RR7 due to its ridiculous nature but its slight touch of reality. I ordered Gran Turismo 5 XL so that I can see if I have any love for this genre. If it goes well, I'll probably get Project CARS for Wii U.
@Scollurio How does this game compare to Gran Turismo, Forza, Dirt, etc.? I'm more a fan of arcade racers (RR7 is my current favorite) but I'm interested.
I adore Mega Man X. It's my favorite game of all the MM games. It's got great challenge, awesome music and the controls are top-notch. I love the addition of wall climbing. If X2 is released, I'll revisit that one as well.
I voted for other as I'm most looking forward to The Wonderful 101. It is the reason I own a Wii U in the first place. I'm also really excited for D&D, 3D Mario and Wind Waker HD, if they add something to it. I'm maybe excited about Sonic: Lost World but it's a guarded excitement. Wath-Dogs is a maybe; if it's too open-world, I won't be interested.
I'm getting Mega Man X (upgrade from Wii VC), both Zelda Oracles games and the Project X Zone demo. I'm also considering Toki Tori 2. Pretty heavy week and that makes me happy.
I don't plan to watch but I will catch up on the news. I pay attention more to Nintendo and Sony and have no interest in Xbox. There are so few games on that platform that interest me. As of now, I plan to stick to Wii U only this generation. Owning both PS3 and Wii was difficult to do due to sheer numbers.
It was okay until it hit the Gamegear section. I'm super excited to finally play Shining Force for Gamegear. And having a Wonderful 101 date made this Direct worth it.
I downloaded Super Metroid yesterday and Runner 2 this morning. I also plan to get King of Fighters 99, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Starship Damrey and maybe Harvest Moon. I also need to get Legend of the River King.
I'll never understand people who hate digital only releases. As someone who started gaming in the 16-bit era, I'm thankful when niche titles are released in the west at all. There were tons of games that looked awesome back in the day that were never released. If digital distribution is the answer, so be it. I pay to play the game not own a piece of plastic.
I've thought a lot about how well the PS4 and next Xbox will do compared to WiiU. I expect it to be quite similar if, for no other reason, the lack of backwards compatibility. The graphics bump is minimal as all of the new systems are in the 1080p realm and the new systems will be competing against the older, cheaper consoles with stronger and less expensive libraries.
It will also be interesting to see how much Nintendo's summer and fall line up impacts the newer consoles.
The 3DS is nice but, due to region locking, I cannot call it the best system ever. Also, due to its battery life, I cannot even call it the best handheld ever. For my money, the GBA SP still holds that title.
They're going to announce that Okami is now Mega Man tier - loved by fans, ignored by Capcom. This announcement will anger fans and Capcom will try to appease by offering Okami-branded paint-by-number sets.
I have it pre-ordered. I hate how games live and die by an hour count. It's almost as bad as the number of megabits gimmick from the 90s. Longer games do not necessarily mean better games. In fact, I find longer games tend to have long- drawn-out parts that are strictly there to extend the length. I prefer shorter, concentrated games. That's the reason I consider Chrono Trigger the pinnacle of RPGs.
The Direct blew me away. I'm in for Mario Golf, Mario and Luigi and the new Zelda had me speechless.
I have a feeling that they wanted to get the 3DS taken care of before E3 since that will be all Wii U. They still have a tiny bit of time to beat the other consoles to the punch.
Comments 264
Re: Feature: Time to Vote For Your Game of the Year 2013
I had to vote ALBW. I smiled the whole time I played that game. It's amazing!
Re: Guide: Understanding The Basics Of Japanese For Import Gaming Goodness
This is a great guide! I learned all of the important stuff via trial and error while playing an import copy of SD G Generation Gundam DS. I still love that game. Playing import games is a blast!
Re: Nintendo Download: 12th December (North America)
Nothing this week as my 2DS is getting the screen replaced. I am quite upset that the U.S. release of Mega Man X2 and A Link to the Past haven't happened yet.
Re: Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth Announced For 3DS
I'm so in for this. The battle system looks like P3 and the P3 cast is here so I can't not get it.
Re: Poll: As the PS4 Arrives, What Do You Think of the 'New Gen' Environment for Wii U?
These are curious times. Neither the Xbone or PS4 have anything out or coming soon that even remotely appeals to me. Add in the fact that the PS3 has interesting games coming out well into next year and the upgrade makes no sense. The Wii U has a few good games and some promising downloadable games coming soon. The only must-have console at the moment is 2DS/3DS. It has a deep library, is cheaper to buy and get games for and has some really strong titles coming soon. As a long-time fan of handheld gaming, I'm excited and shocked by these facts.
Re: Nintendo Download: 14th November (North America)
@JumpnShootMan Same here. I need X2!
Re: Eiji Aonuma Confirms Minor Changes to A Link Between Worlds to Accommodate 2DS
@ReigningSemtex I don't think subtle means what you think it means.
Re: Eiji Aonuma Confirms Minor Changes to A Link Between Worlds to Accommodate 2DS
@BlatantlyHeroic Without the option to turn off 3D, the 3DS would be in the same state as the Vita. You'd rule out kids, people who cannot see 3D and people who have adverse physical reactions to 3D.
Re: Eiji Aonuma Confirms Minor Changes to A Link Between Worlds to Accommodate 2DS
I don't understand the 2DS hate. I avoided the 3DS for years due to poor battery life, region locking and the 3D gimmick. It's always been a gimmick and it gives me near-instant headaches. I eventually broke down and bought a 3DS XL but never use the 3D effect. I bought a 2DS last week and think it's the best iteration of the 3DS family. The d-pad is inifinitely better on the 2DS and the system fits my adult sized hands better. I also find that I don't get cramps in my hands due to the way I hold the system.
As far as ALBW is concerned, I'm glad they're making slight changes to accomodate 2D. Far too many people have issues with 3D for them to build the game solely to justify a gimmick.
Re: Poll: Did You Pick Up Pokémon X, Pokémon Y or Both?
@Coldfirex44 His dad bought him one version of the game so it was a pretty sweet day for him.
Re: Poll: Did You Pick Up Pokémon X, Pokémon Y or Both?
I bought Y and my wife bought X. I gave the poster to a kid who wasn't getting one.
Re: Video: Here's How The 2DS Stacks Up Against Other Handhelds When It Comes To Stamina
I'm quite pleased with the battery life on my 2DS. I played Pokemon Y for about 5 hours with WiFi on before getting a red light.
Re: Hardware Review: Nintendo 2DS
@Relias I've played a lot of 3DS games and so far the only one that I found really benefit from 3D was Super Mario 3D Land. In OoT, I put it on during cutscenes and sometimes upon first entering a room such as the Temple of Time. I do find that a lot of games run smoother with the 3D off.
Re: Hardware Review: Nintendo 2DS
@OptometristLime It's just one story but I held off on the 3DS after seeing a demo unit. When I switched on the 3D, my eyes felt like they were vibrating and I could feel the muscled behind them twitching. I eventually bought an XL and the 3D is a bit better but gives me vertigo. The games convinced me to buy the 3DS not the 3d feature.
Re: Hardware Review: Nintendo 2DS
@Koto I cannot agree more. I miss the Gameboy Micro D-pad. That thing was amazing!
Re: Poll: Would You Buy Grand Theft Auto V On Wii U?
If there's a game I care about less than GTA, I cannot think of it.
Re: Talking Point: What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Sixteen
I will partake in Dragon's Crown, Killer is Dead and Super Street Fighter IV all on PS3. I cannot wait for Wonderful 101.
Re: Nintendo Denies Permission For a Live Stream of Super Smash Bros. Melee At EVO 2013
It's a really dumb move for Nintendo. As a designer, I work with a lot of copyright issues and I still cannot fathom how streaming a game is not fair usage.
Re: Soapbox: Why Region Locking Is A Total Non-Issue
Region locking the 3DS is the most backwards thing Nintendo has done yet. Half of my DS collection is imported, either from the U.K. or Japan. This back pedal also doesn't make any sense. Sure, if a game is available in my region, I'll buy it there but the truth is that a lot of game series I love are never released in the west. For example, I play every SD Gundam G Generation title that is released. On the GBA, DS, PSP and Vita, that is no problem. RL is the reason I bought a Vita before buying a 3DS. If the Vita had a healthier library, I'd not own a 3DS. The game library is the only reason I own 2 3DS systems. It's a waste of money but I wanted access to import titles.
From a publisher standpoint, region locking costs a few import sales that would help with their bottom lines. More importantly, removing RL also removes my desire to hack systems. I've never had the desire to hack my PS3 but I did hack my Wii and, in all honesty, that did cost Nintendo some Virtual Console sales. I already own a ton of classic games and, if my system is hacked and I can play the ROMs rather than buying new copies, I will.
Hell, even Blu Rays have adopted a better region system.
Re: Talking Point: It's Time for Nintendo to Drop Region Locking
Region locking the 3DS is one of the worst moves I've seen out of Nintendo. I resisted buying a 3DS until the LL was released and then only bought an import system because so many of the games I love are Japanese only. I purchased my 3DS LL with SD Gungam G Generation 3D, Gundam the 3D Battle and the Kunio-kun games. I seriously considered not getting a domestic 3DS at all. I did eventually cave but really hate owning 2 identical systems. Generally speaking, I only import games not available in my region. I say generally because there have been a few cases of me importing a title and then having it released domestically, such as Project X Zone. I doubt the removal of region locks would hurt domestic sales as most gamers don't want to deal with languages other than the one they speak.
That said, I would be more okay with region locks if they lined up with Blu Ray so that I could at least play Japanese imports.
Re: Feature: The Big Nintendo E3 Survey
E3 was pretty lame for me. So much so that I'm starting to think it's an outdated approach and needs to be reinvented. I'm super excited for Nintendo's line up but I knew about most of it thanks to that last Direct and that has me convinced that the Direct style is the best way to go.
I find myself constantly shocked at how much credit Sony is getting for doing what's always been done and how little people are concerned with MS's always on camera considering that they were the first company to sign on with PRISM.
Re: Review: Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh (Nintendo 64)
I adore this game. I imported the N64 version back in the day and have held tight to it. I still feel the original game is the best version.
Re: Time: Nintendo Is "Stumped" By The Wii U GamePad And Should Ditch It
Time is kind of right. Don't get me wrong, I like the Gamepad. Off-screen play and the Miiverse are amazing. They cannot scrap the Gamepad not should they. I do prefer the Pro Controller as I find it more comfortable. At E3, Nintendo didn't push the Gamepad at all. Check out Nintendo World Report's coverage.
It seems to me that Wind Waker and Mario Kart 8 were both missed opportunities in terms of Gamepad usage. Nintendo needs to lead by example in this case.
Re: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Launches This November In North America
A Link to the Past is my favorite Zelda so hell, yeah, I'm getting this day one.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Biggest E3 Challenge is Getting Noticed
The Xbox One media event was pretty bad. Lots of brown and slightly nicer looking 360-type games. Nothing that interesting announced and add in the DRM hate, it's not looking good for the Xbone.
I loved the crowd silence after the price announcement.
Nintendo should rebrand the premium as the standard and lower the price to $300 to take advantage of this.
Re: EA Has No Publicly Announced Wii U Games Planned For Fall
I'd like to see the megapublishers gone. Smaller developers need to start self-publishing their games through digital services.
Re: Project CARS Will "Fill A Space" On Wii U
@Scollurio Thanks! I've been interested in Project CARS for awhile and it's good to have that kind of knowledge about the game. I really didn't like Dirt 3 but i haven't written off the genre. I love RR7 due to its ridiculous nature but its slight touch of reality. I ordered Gran Turismo 5 XL so that I can see if I have any love for this genre. If it goes well, I'll probably get Project CARS for Wii U.
Re: Project CARS Will "Fill A Space" On Wii U
@Scollurio How does this game compare to Gran Turismo, Forza, Dirt, etc.? I'm more a fan of arcade racers (RR7 is my current favorite) but I'm interested.
Re: Review: Mega Man X (Wii U eShop / Super Nintendo)
I adore Mega Man X. It's my favorite game of all the MM games. It's got great challenge, awesome music and the controls are top-notch. I love the addition of wall climbing. If X2 is released, I'll revisit that one as well.
Re: Feature: The Biggest Wii U Games of 2013 - Summer Edition
I voted for other as I'm most looking forward to The Wonderful 101. It is the reason I own a Wii U in the first place. I'm also really excited for D&D, 3D Mario and Wind Waker HD, if they add something to it. I'm maybe excited about Sonic: Lost World but it's a guarded excitement. Wath-Dogs is a maybe; if it's too open-world, I won't be interested.
I'm hoping we get a Dirt game this year as well.
Re: Nintendo Download: 30th May (North America)
I'm getting Mega Man X (upgrade from Wii VC), both Zelda Oracles games and the Project X Zone demo. I'm also considering Toki Tori 2. Pretty heavy week and that makes me happy.
Re: Review: The King of Fighters '99 ( / Neo Geo)
99 feels faster and more fluid than 98. I've played my share of 98/UM and I find myself preferring 99. Thanks for reviewing this game!
Re: Poll: Do You Follow and Watch Rival Console Reveals?
I don't plan to watch but I will catch up on the news. I pay attention more to Nintendo and Sony and have no interest in Xbox. There are so few games on that platform that interest me. As of now, I plan to stick to Wii U only this generation. Owning both PS3 and Wii was difficult to do due to sheer numbers.
Re: Nintendo Direct: Watch The North American Presentation Live
It was okay until it hit the Gamegear section. I'm super excited to finally play Shining Force for Gamegear. And having a Wonderful 101 date made this Direct worth it.
Re: Nintendo Download: 16th May (North America)
@mattatron None of the KOF games play well on PSOne so it will be vastly different. The Wii games feature arcade perfect emulation.
Re: Nintendo Download: 16th May (North America)
I downloaded Super Metroid yesterday and Runner 2 this morning. I also plan to get King of Fighters 99, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Starship Damrey and maybe Harvest Moon. I also need to get Legend of the River King.
Re: New Adventure Time Game Coming to Wii U and 3DS This Fall
@ClassicSonicFan When I read four player co-op, I immediately thought of Four Swords!
Re: New Adventure Time Game Coming to Wii U and 3DS This Fall
Multiplayer? I adored the first game so I'm in.
Re: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies Confirmed For This Fall in the West
I'll never understand people who hate digital only releases. As someone who started gaming in the 16-bit era, I'm thankful when niche titles are released in the west at all. There were tons of games that looked awesome back in the day that were never released. If digital distribution is the answer, so be it. I pay to play the game not own a piece of plastic.
Re: PS4 And Next Xbox Could Share Wii U's Teething Troubles, Says Activision's Kotick
I've thought a lot about how well the PS4 and next Xbox will do compared to WiiU. I expect it to be quite similar if, for no other reason, the lack of backwards compatibility. The graphics bump is minimal as all of the new systems are in the 1080p realm and the new systems will be competing against the older, cheaper consoles with stronger and less expensive libraries.
It will also be interesting to see how much Nintendo's summer and fall line up impacts the newer consoles.
Re: UK Mainstream Newspaper Declares 3DS The "Best Console Ever"
The 3DS is nice but, due to region locking, I cannot call it the best system ever. Also, due to its battery life, I cannot even call it the best handheld ever. For my money, the GBA SP still holds that title.
Re: This Famicom GamePad Skin is a Thing of Beauty
Luckily, Decal Girl has a very nice NES-inspired design. I out it on last night and it is amazing! (Pad: http://twitpic.com/cp8z7v; System: http://twitpic.com/cp8yft)
Re: Capcom Bringing More SNES Goodness To The Wii U Virtual Console
I would freak out for U.N. Squadron, despite owning copies of both the U.S. and Japanese carts.
Re: The Upcoming Okami Announcement Isn't For a Sequel
They're going to announce that Okami is now Mega Man tier - loved by fans, ignored by Capcom. This announcement will anger fans and Capcom will try to appease by offering Okami-branded paint-by-number sets.
Re: Talking Point: What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Twelve
@Fusion14 None of my friends have 3DS systems yet. And I don't think that game is on the eShop anymore.
Re: Talking Point: What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue Twelve
I'm having a gang of friends over for some Zelda Four Swords! We have cables and GBAs galore. I'm quite excited. Otherwise, I'll be playing OoT 3D.
Re: Talking Point: It's Time for a 3DS Storage Upgrade From Nintendo
I have a 32 gb card in my XL.
If Nintendo were to alter the storage, I'd rather see them add an internal flash memory solution while keeping an SD card slot for expansion.
Re: Watch_Dogs Stalking Onto U.S. Wii U Consoles on 19th November, Europe on 21st November
@rjejr I'd love to see a Zelda game which lives and breathes but has a watercolored style.
Re: The Wonderful 101 Is Focused On "Fun" And Not Game Length
I have it pre-ordered. I hate how games live and die by an hour count. It's almost as bad as the number of megabits gimmick from the 90s. Longer games do not necessarily mean better games. In fact, I find longer games tend to have long- drawn-out parts that are strictly there to extend the length. I prefer shorter, concentrated games. That's the reason I consider Chrono Trigger the pinnacle of RPGs.
Re: Reaction: Our Thoughts on Nintendo's 3DS Direct - 17th April
The Direct blew me away. I'm in for Mario Golf, Mario and Luigi and the new Zelda had me speechless.
I have a feeling that they wanted to get the 3DS taken care of before E3 since that will be all Wii U. They still have a tiny bit of time to beat the other consoles to the punch.