Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk | 30 Comments

Let’s Talk #24: What do you want to see from the next Nintendo Direct?

A few days ago, we finally received official confirmation that Nintendo Directs will continue. But there are plenty of unknowns. We don’t know when the next presentation will air, who will host it, and what it will be about. All of that uncertainty makes for a perfect “Let’s Talk” topic!

If I’m thinking about when we’ll see the next Nintendo Direct, I could see one taking place within the next month. Nintendo could share new information about Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival – two games we know relatively little about even though they’re due out in a couple of months. Genei Ibun Roku #FE is coming to Japan in December, so it wouldn’t hurt to share an update about that title as well. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to showcase Hyrule Warriors Legends, which heads to Japan in January. Maybe Nintendo could help the news about Star Fox Zero’s delay hurt slightly less by showing new footage. And it wouldn’t be a Nintendo Direct without at least one game reveal!

In terms of a host, that’s where things get slightly tricky. Obviously the person replacing Satoru Iwata has big shoes to fill. I personally can’t see Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo’s new president, hosting the presentations. Iwata did introduce Mr. Morimoto during Japan’s Direct in May. Even though Reggie has primarily been featured in the North American broadcasts, could he be the main host? Some have even suggested Bill Trinen as a possibility.

Those are just a few thoughts from me. I’d love to hear what you guys think about the future of Nintendo Directs in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: Have you picked up Super Mario Maker?

Reiianuo

I had the game pre-loaded, so at midnight I immediately downloaded it. This game is really just an amazing package. Even playing the classic Marios (Original, 3 and World) in HD is very charming. With all the tools and content packed in, it is definitely worth the price of entry. The main portion of the game, community levels, can only get better as more players really learn the ins and outs of stage creation. It’s really great even coming up with one idea or theme for a stage, then spending hours fine-tuning that element into a full stage.

I’m gonna throw my stage codes this way too, as it seems to be the way of the land

They Called Me “Jumpman” (New U style)
3643-0000-001C-D72A
A fairly quick stage, my friend had told me I had made this stage “Impossible.” He didn’t realise the New U mechanics included the air-twirl that extends your jump distance slightly. Which is important.

Come On and SLAM with Mega Mario (Classic style)
076B-0000-003A-DB73

The central idea I had worked around with this stage is that being able to break blocks with mega mario can sometimes be a hazard, but also necessary for course completion. I like the tune for the Ghost House theme in the classic style game too!

LittleLynn

Every time I sit down with this game, I love it more and more. But after trying to set up a boss room for the first time, I’ve realized something I’d like to see in the future if there happens to be updates or DLC (besides more boss options). Maybe it’s just all my years of fiddling with RPG Maker, but I’d like to see event flags. For example: you’re in a small, closed room with a boss. There are no exits. However, upon defeating the boss, a door appears and you can progress (or perhaps it just ends the stage, as defeating bosses usually does).

I say this because while setting up this boss room, I basically had to design it in a weird layout that kinda encourages the player to actually defeat the boss before being able to safely reach the exit… but even then, a determined enough player can (and probably will) still circumvent the boss entirely. It’s a teensy bit frustrating.

That little nuisance aside, I think this is definitely shaping up to be one of my favorites that I’ve made. It’s not ready quite yet, but I’ll definitely share the code here when it is. ^_^

In the meantime, here’s a nifty, new (if somewhat easy) costume-based stage I made:
Next Door in the Haunted Mansion – DA41-0000-0031-5AA9

chancetime

I have picked it up and I’m definitely enjoying it so far. I never played NSMB U or Luigi U so I’m getting used to those styles, but the fact that I’ve got pretty much infinite levels for 4 different Mario games is amazing. Having people enjoy your levels is also really rewarding, putting time and effort into your courses will be rewarded by stars and comments.

For me, there’s only two negatives:

1) We need a proper search system. If you only want to play SMB3 Castle levels for example, you should be able to set parameters to search by.

2) No Desert theme 🙁 GH, Undergound and Castle are all fairly dark levels, so it would have been nice to have a bright desert theme to work with, as well as Pokeys, quick sand and the like.

LordDisco

Yes, and I am loving it! Made 4 levels, and I’m pretty proud of a couple of them. One thing I would change indefinitely right now is the search option, which there currently is not one at all. You can’t search by level name, you can’t search by user name, you can’t search your friends list, and you really can’t search for recently made ones. It’s just popular or play 100-Mario Challenge to play random levels. It’s actually a pretty poor way to get around. N++ actually has an amazing system for created levels, categorized by difficulty, recently made, most popular, made by friends, etc. It’s really nice. If Mario Maker had something like that, it would make it a much better experience.

Here are my current levels (Which the level ID is another thing that is garbage):
– Who is King of the Hill? F285-0000-0012-EA5C
– Why So Short? BD84-0000-0015-51EF
– Mad Funhouse 7643-0000-0017-0DEA
– Koopa Tagteam 55D8-0000-001C-AB64

Hope you all enjoy!

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 114 Comments

Let’s Talk #23: Have you picked up Super Mario Maker?

Following its reveal at E3 2014 over a year ago, Super Mario Maker has finally arrived around the world. This is a pretty big release for Wii U. It may very well be Nintendo’s biggest game as a whole this year as well.

Even though Super Mario Maker is a Mario game, it’s quite different than what we’re used to. Nintendo has finally given players the tools to make their own levels. Making things even better, Super Mario Maker offers quite a bit of online functionality so that levels can be played and exchanged with others.

With all of that out of the way, how many of you picked up Super Mario Maker? What do you think of it so far? Are there any changes or additions you’d like to see in future updates? Let us know about your initial play impressions of the game in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: What are you playing? – September 2015

Stuart

I’m playing Phoenix Wright Ace Attourney Dual Destinies,I barely started and I already got 15 hours of gameplay! lol! Let’s finish before Ace Attourney 6 come out.

On my Wii U,Metroid Prime Trilogy all-the-way,note that I’ve never played any of the Prime games,just a little bit of the first one,so it’s been a whole new expirience for me,and now I see why hey call these games “masterpieces”.

Lord Drieg

Been mostly hunting in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Managed to attain Hunter Rank 5 so now I’m a little closer to getting Samus’ armor. Also I’ve been trying to solo that Akantor for Link’s Sword. So frustrating!! Other than that, Smash on 3DS, and Shovel Knight to celebrate the amiibo announcement! (So good!) I’ve been wanting to get LBX, so spread some love and if you would, tell me about the game. I’ve been craving a new Medabots/Custom Robo style game and this looks like my fix!

JUr

I found Bayonetta 1 & 2 with a discount, so I’m playing these, they’re truly awesome games and alternating with the evergreen Smash or Splatoon… Also, ready to play a lot of Mario Maker, principally by downloading these awesome courses that you highlight!

TheDonRob

I have been playing a ton of The Binding of Isaac Rebirth. I tried The Binding of Isaac when it first came out on PC, but I guess it just didn’t really take. However, I really really like the Wii U port. Been playing too much, wife is actually getting a bit mad lol. Other than that I have been playing Pokemon Y and Pokemon Shuffle Mobile because I have a Pokemon addition.

Edit: Also, last night I just downloaded Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. Was kind of hesitant of it being a spin off and all. But surprisingly enough it is pretty darn fun. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and cute mario themed puzzler.

Sam

I have been playing a TON of Little Battlers Experience: LBX since it released. I just really like the combat and customizing mechanics

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 28 Comments

Let’s Talk #22: What are you playing? – September 2015

A new month is here! August has passed, and we’re finally in September. There are just a few more months left in 2015…

Since we’re in a new month, we want to know: what are you playing? Tell us in the comments below! Even though this is a Nintendo-centric site, we don’t want to leave anyone out of the discussion. Feel free to talk about any games on any platform that you’re playing!

Highlights from last week’s topic: Indie amiibo you’d like to see

Killey

Yeah, a Shantae amiibo is a must now, Risky also deserves one. It’s sad that Rare isn’t with Ninty anymore, ’cause any of the Battletoads would have been a great Amiibo too.

Reiianuo

Rusty from Steamworld Dig! Heist is probably too far in development for it, but a Rusty amiibo could be tapped to allow Rusty to be playable in Heist (similar to the Fire Emblem characters in Code Name S.T.E.A.M.). I can’t really think of any new in-game functionality for it, but I’d also love a CommanderVideo amiibo!

LordDisco

Ones I could actually see working with Nintendo franchises really well would be Shantae, Max from Mutant Mudds, Scram Kitty, Juan from Guacamelee, and Gunvolt. I would say Mighty Number 9, but we already have Mega Man and I’m sure Nintendo wants to keep a more positive relationship with CAPCOM (And as of right now, CAPCOM is not happy with Comcept).

I think many of those characters work, because they are all very vibrant, colorful, fun, and each of them have an oldschool NES/SNES feel to them. It doesn’t seem like any of them fall far from the Nintendo mindset, which makes me think they’d all fit in to the amiibo lineup very, very well.

As for me, though, I would go bonkers if they made a Juan amiibo! Could you imagine the list of poses they could use for his amiibo?! The possibilities are just making me joyful!

Wynne Knapman

Shantae all the way! 100% just because I want a figurine of Shantae. …Actually, I’d really like an entire Shantae line: Shantae, Risky, Sky, Mimic, Tinkerbat, and ESPECIALLY Rottytops! *Edit: I completely forgot Bolo!

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk | 29 Comments

Let’s Talk #21: Indie amiibo you’d like to see

Nintendo and Yacht Club Games made a major announcements during Nindies@Night. The two sides confirmed rumors – plus retail leaks – that Shovel Knight is getting its own amiibo. This is definitely a big move for Nintendo, and third-parties as a whole.

What’s happening with Shovel Knight really presents some interesting opportunities. It now seems like the possibility exists for any character to receive its own amiibo.

But let’s go back to the news about Shovel Knight for a second, and more specifically, independent developers. Indies have become a very important part of Nintendo’s plans over the past few years. Having said that, is there any indie character you’d like to see have an amiibo aside from Shovel Knight? Tell us in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: What do you want from the next mainline Pokemon?

LittleLynn

This probably sounds like a small, insignificant thing, but I was really disappointed to see trainer customization was absent from OR/AS. It was honestly one of my favorite aspects in X/Y. Between my obsession with collecting things, and my other obsession with making my customizable player characters juuust right in any game where it’s an option, I just always felt excited every time a new town had a clothing store. Plus, it was nice knowing my character wasn’t a carbon copy of approximately half of every other players’ characters. So, whether the next installment is a “third version” to X/Y, or it’s Gen 7, I really want to see that feature come back, and stay for good!

Also, whatever the next game is, it will almost inevitably have Amiibo support with it’s own special Pokemon line. I have no idea what it would do, but hopefully, something actually worth using (and hey, at the very least if character customization comes back, non-Pokemon Amiibo could be used for character-based costumes *wink wink, Nintendo*). Anyway, when it invariably happens, I’m just hoping that at least a few of my favorites will get one.

shinkuu

I’d like to see a bit of a break from the old formula, like with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. With each new generation there’s a new professor, new rival, new gym leaders, etc., and they’re largely forgettable. It might be interesting for new games to be set a bit in the future, with old familiar faces in new roles.

I think there also needs to be a bit of simplification to eliminate the “backwards compatibility” in each new generation. Like, “Oh, this Pokemon couldn’t hold this item before, so that’s why it never evolved” and “Oh, this Pokemon didn’t have this incense before, so that’s why this baby Pokemon never appeared”. Having a dynamic Pokedex that kept related evolutions together, and changed with new additions, might help too.

And finally, I think one of the most appealing aspects of the games is trading with others to get Pokemon you need. It would be interesting if your game’s exclusive Pokemon weren’t simply set by which version you got, but partially randomized, so just buying two copies of the game wouldn’t be a guarantee and you’d HAVE to trade or use the GTS.

Locky Mavo

More Regions with all the Gym Leaders and badges to earn, challenging Pokemon battles from Trainers, Rival, Bad Guy Team, Gym Leaders and Elite 4, at all times. Have the day/night cycle and calendar Pokemon like they had in Gold and Silver. A good story, X and Y did well with that, and some creepy mystery like the ghost girl in X and Y, that was cool.

But ultimately, an open world, home console Pokemon game would be nice, open world with the likes of Xenoblade’s open world feeling. And maybe with some MMO elements would be neat too.

But heck, a Pokemon game where you start in the Kanto region then made your way to the Kalos region would be awesome.

thecrimsonbolt

Aesthetically the game is pretty ok, but I’d lke the next game to look more polished and less rough around the edges.
Pokemon distribution really turned me down in X/Y. The amount of Pokemon was fine, but they were all just thrown in every route, making for some truly bloated routes (route 2 had like 6 different pokemon!) B2/W2 had the same amount of Pokemon, but their distribution was done a lot better (Make more caves and side areas so the distribution is more even).
I loved customization, but it was really biased towards the female side. For every single customization option, females had twice the options as males). Also, I’d like to go hatless as well.
HAVE THE OPTION TO TURN ROLLERSKATES OFF.
Allow Megas to be usable in Amie.
Allow for multiplayer battle backgrounds to be changed. This gen had some amazing backgrounds but for online battles you’re stuck with the boring blue one.
Then I’d like to tweak some of the breeding mechanics. Destiny Knot now passes down the 5 highest IVs instead of 5 random IVs, and make it so both parents can pass down the Pokeball, but in different ratios, (instead of only females passing them down, make it so it’s 25% male and 75% female).
More side areas like caves and forests. These last two gens have felt really linear.
I think that’s pretty much all of what I’d want.

Kogamo

What I want is what I think everyone has wanted since… jeez, the Wii’s launch, maybe? Just a simple open-world, home-console experience, if not containing all regions, at least containing all Pokémon thus far introduced. Where there aren’t two versions, and where coming across Pokémon that would normally be version-exclusive is simply a rare occurrance that isn’t dictated by your color or cover-legendary preferences. ‘Tis beautifully simple to imagine.

Also, the underground from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum is something I’ve wanted again and again since it was removed. Naturally, things that are objective improvements, like character customization and online trading, should return just because there’s no reason to remove them at this point.

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 88 Comments

Let’s Talk #20: What do you want from the next mainline Pokemon?

Pokemon is taking a slight break this year. Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is due out in a few months, and we even have Pokken Tournament to look forward to on Wii U next spring. But in terms of the next core entry in the Pokemon franchise, there’s nothing planned for 2015.

One thing to note is that this isn’t out of the ordinary as there tends to be at least a one-year absence for new Pokemon RPGs. For instance, after Pokemon Black/White came out in 2010 in Japan, Black 2/White 2 weren’t ready until 2012.

It’s very likely that we’ll end up seeing the next core Pokemon game next year. What do The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak have planned? That’s anybody’s guess. Chances are though that it will be on 3DS. One theory floating around is that “Pokemon Z” is in the works, and it will launch next year.

Let’s just say that you had control over the Pokemon RPGs. Are there any particular gameplay elements that you would want to include? Would you try changing up the visual style? What sort of direction do you want to see the series take? Let us know in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: Thoughts thus far about Super Mario Maker

Reiianuo

As someone who hasn’t enjoyed a Mario game until Super Mario 3D World (Seriously!), I cannot believe how excited I am for Mario Maker. I’m even worried about not being creative enough to make full use of the level editor itself. But I’m very excited to try other players creative output (Not necessarily high difficulty, although if that goes hand-in-hand with a very creative stage I’m all for it)! It’s comprehensive, it’s simple, it just looks like it’s going to be a blast to make and share stages with my friends. The online setup looks to be solid, its just a very good make. Although I don’t like to see such blatant copies in the industry, it makes me crave things like a Sonic (the Hedgehog) Maker that lets you make games in Sonic 1/3/4/Advance (?) styles, but that comes more from the childhood fan in me.

LordDisco

I can’t be more excited about it! My friends and I do Game Tournaments every couple months, and ever since we’ve heard about Super Mario Maker, we already knew that was going to be one of our tournaments entries. After watching the Nintendo World Championship, I knew it was the perfect game to play!

Recently, N++ came out on the PS4, and I am addicted to that right now. I love excruciatingly difficult platformers, and N++ is about as top-notch as you can get in this category.

However, Super Mario games aren’t normally that hard. Even the most difficult levels in Super Mario games are doable for the average gamer. But with Super Mario Maker, that casual nature for Super Mario is gone, and the ability to bring chaos into the Super Mario world is finally upon us! I cannot wait to make and play the “worst” of levels. And knowing how creative the Wii U community is, I can’t wait to see what everyone brings to the table. This is my most anticipated game of 2015! Already pre-ordered and patiently waiting.

Steve793

While I won’t get the game day 1 (darn school!), I will definitely be picking it up very soon. I have never been this excited for a new 2D Mario game. I can imagine spending hours creating a level, while watching TV or concentrating on the big screen performance, making sure that every piece is in the best spot. Some levels will be mean, and some will be challenging, while others will be just fun! And the best part, limit-less Mario levels! A never ending game. What is not to get excited about?!

And though I might be in the minority, I don’t mind the 9-day system. It will give me time to play the other modes, experiment and discover what I can do with each new block and fine tune my creation skills to make great levels. And, there are “dozens” of pre-made levels to play on disc, so I’ll need some time to play those, right?!

All I need is a Nintendo Direct to give me some more info on this game and Star Fox, and Zelda, and Xeno, and I need Yoshi. R.I.P. my Wallet!

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 13 Comments

Let’s Talk #19: Thoughts thus far about Super Mario Maker

Super Mario Maker is very close to launch. In just four weeks, it will finally release around the world.

Despite being just a month away, we’re still learning new things about the game. Earlier this week Nintendo revealed that players can create their own sound effects. We also received confirmation that Super Mario Maker will be compatible with over 50 amiibo. You have to wonder if there are any other surprises in store, even if they’re on the small side.

Based on everything we know about Super Mario Maker, how are you feeling about it at this point? Are you planning on picking it up on day one? Has your mindset at all changed since the initial reveal? Let us know in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: What are you playing? – August 2015

James Parry

I’m currently working through my backlog before we’re hit with 2 games per month for the rest of the year. Right now I am playing Spirit Tracks (such an underrated game) and after that probably Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (Diabolical Box in the US).

That should occupy me to the end of my holiday, which afterwards I’ll pick up Splatoon again and anticipate Nintendo’s September releases (Mario Maker, Happy Home Designer and many, many Amiibos). RIP my wallet!

LittleLynn

Been so busy with work stuff, that I haven’t been playing much. Or at least nothing that requires too much commitment. Like, I’ve been playing a fair bit of Pokemon Shuffle, Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Dragon Fantasy, and the occasional Smash Bros 3DS, mostly because they’re all easier for me to play in relatively short stints.

I’m also like halfway through Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (for the first time). I’m loving it too, but I feel like it requires longer play sessions, so I haven’t been playing it AS frequently as the others I mentioned.

Joe

Bought Child Of Light during its sale, so I’ll be playing that if I can get my wife away from it. Also plan on getting Wind Waker HD as a gift for my wife on her birthday. So I’ll start that, if I can get my wife away from it…

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 23 Comments

Let’s Talk #18: What are you playing – August 2015

It’s the first Friday of a new month! That being said, what games are you playing at the moment?

I’m still busy with Mario Tennis from the 3DS Virtual Console. Things have been busy here, so I’ve been playing through it slowly. Based on what I remember from completing the game many years ago, I’m on the last part of the game (Mario Tour). It’s definitely a lot of fun. I did mention this last time, but I still feel like the actual tennis mechanics are very solid. The RPG-esque elements in the campaign add a nice touch as well!

Highlights from last week’s topic: Thoughts on the latest Smash Bros. update/DLC

ArsonDoctor

I haven’t had the chance to try out the new stages yet, but I did give tournament mode a whirl the other day, and while it’s great that we have an online mode like this finally, it could definitely use some improvements. There should be more customization with tournament rulesets, like a 1v1 mode and bracket mode. There should also be more standard public tournaments than there are now, I found it quite difficult to get into one at all, and the only open tournaments were all for fun. I also think there should have been an offline mode tourney function, since it’s been in previous games. All complaints aside, however, the tournament mode came out pretty well.

As for the mii costumes, I think it’s really cool that we’re getting a wider selection for costumes, although I totally understand the sentiment of dlc character hopes being dashed away (Megaman.EXE for smash!). I also believe that not every character can be suitable enough for their own place in the roster, and the mii costumes are a neat workaround for those characters to get their foot in the door. It’s also very possible that just because a character got a mii costume doesn’t mean it won’t come as a full fledged character, so who knows, maybe you K. Rool hopefuls will still get your wish?

Kogamo

As much as everyone’s going to talk about K. Rool, the real problem with the latest update is the tourney system. I was greatly looking forward to just a menu option for Tourney, but no. The tourney system is online-only and requires you to wait an upwards of 20 minutes before the match starts. This combined with the fact that you can lose the first match and have nothing to do within 2 minutes makes it a real problem. Alternately, you can use the Mario Kart 8 tournament system, which is a little nicer, but it certainly isn’t what I wanted from Smash.

Ugh… Now that that’s over. The new DLC makes me smile, especially the Lloyd and Black Knight costumes. And as much as I think K. Rool would make a great character, I don’t think he’d be even close to ready by now, so I think the costume could be a nice holdover for now if you choose to see it that way.

José Pedrero

I only own the 3DS version so I will only talk about its new content . I was so excited to know we were getting Hyrule Castle back and I already bought it and I love it :). I am mildly interested in the Mii Costumes. Ive already bought most of the character based ones. I don’t really find myself buying the animal inspired ones, though. I think Mii costumes are cool if you like messing around with them, taking quirky screenshots or whatever. I’m really looking forward for other series representation through them and I’m hoping more stages get released aswell (specially Saffron City)

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 23 Comments

Let’s Talk #17: Thoughts on the latest Smash Bros. update/DLC

Nintendo gave Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS a whole bunch of content last night. While there weren’t any new characters, we do have access to a number of new things.

Both versions of Smash Bros. added two classic levels: Hyrule Castle and Peach’s Castle. Several new Mii Fighter outfits came out as well.

On Wii U, Nintendo finally launched the game’s Tournament Mode. Uploading replays to YouTube is also now possible.

The latest Smash Bros. content has only been out for about a day, but I still wanted to have this week’s discussion focused on what’s new in both games. Have you been able to give the new stages a whirl? What are your thoughts on the Tournament modes? I’m also curious: how many of you are actually interested in the Mii Fighter costumes? Sound off in the comments below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: Most anticipated Wii U games

Guymelef
My most anticipated announced games for Wii U would be (in no particular order):

Xenoblade Chronicles X
Lego Dimensions
Guitar Hero Live
Star Fox
Shin Megami Tensei X FE
Fatal Frame
Devil’s Third
Zelda U

For 3DS (I know it’s not part of the survey, but just to include): Fire Emblem Fates and Monster Hunter X

while I’m interested in Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Maker, they’re not on top of my list.

Killey

Fatal Frame V, Rodea: The Sky Soldier and Star Fox Zero are the games I’m looking forward to, I’lI probably add Devil’s Third and that’s it for this year. Zelda and SMT x FF so far for 2016

David Arkema
The wii u games I looking forward the most are

Skylanders superchargers, because I love the amiibo support, this will ve my first skylanders game and the gameplay looks really fun.

Devil’s third, because I need an action game next to bayonetta and singlepalyer gameplay looks amazing and what you can do the online multiplayer looks funny like hell, but may need some patches.

Xenoblade chronicles x, because I loved the first one the wii and I love wandering in a massive openworld with gorgeous enemies and you can ride in a mechsuit.

Pokken Tournament, because I need a (wii u) pokemon game that isn’t a mainstream pokemon game (fire red/emerald/y) and I really love fighting game, especially street fighter and ssb. graphical it looks amazing, but the cast (playable characters) needs to be expanded.

superphillip32

Super Mario Maker – As someone who really enjoys level design and wants to go into the field of game design after graduating college, Super Mario Maker’s creation tools seem like a godsend to me. I will get to make levels with what looks like to be a very easy and intuitive interface, practice my skills and creativity with designing levels, and get inspiration from other creators while enjoying playing the levels as well.

Yoshi’s Woolly World – It pained me to see the North American release date of Yoshi’s Woolly World be so far away in comparison to the European, Oceania, and Japanese launches. The game looks like what many have been wanting from the Yoshi series since Yoshi’s Island. Throw in some awesome looking levels, hidden goodies, and a reported challenge, and I can’t wait to be able to play this game.

Star Fox Zero – I’ve waited a long time for a new Star Fox game that I really enjoy. I did love Assault, and of course I greatly was enamored with 64. Command was okay, but now we have another traditional Star Fox game to look forward to. I trust Nintendo and Platinum Games to create a compelling and engaging campaign to blow me and other players away.

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Wii U | 22 Comments

Let’s Talk #16: Most anticipated Wii U games

There are still plenty of Wii U games to look forward to. From Nintendo alone, the company is bringing us Zelda Wii U, Super Mario Maker, Star Fox Zero, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem (Genei Ibun Roku #FE), Xenoblade Chronicles X, Yoshi’s Woolly World (in North America), Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Devil’s Third, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. There are also a smattering of third-party offerings like Rodea: The Sky Soldier, LEGO Dimensions, Disney Infinity 3.0, Skylanders SuperChargers, and Guitar Hero Live. It goes without saying that there’s still a ton of indie content on the way as well.

All of that being said, is there one Wii U game that you’re looking forward to above all else? If you can’t pick one, what are your top highlights? Let us know in the comments below!

Right now there are three games I’ve been wanting to get my hands on above all else. Let me briefly talk about each.

– Zelda Wii U: it’s Zelda! This series is what really motivated me to pay more attention to video games. Even though I had played games before, going through Ocarina of Time is when my interest really spiked. I was disappointed when Nintendo announced Zelda Wii U’s delay to 2016, but we should be getting a fantastic title in the end.

– Xenoblade Chronicles X: honestly, I do wish this one had already launched in the west at this point. That original January 2013 trailer feels like so long ago. Still, Xenoblade Chronicles X should be worth the wait. Xenoblade ended up as one of my favorite games of all time, and while X should be a fairly different experience, I’m anticipating that there will be enough there to make it both familiar and new at the same time.

– Super Mario Maker: after Nintendo showed this game at last year’s E3, I was mildly interested. I knew I’d pick it up eventually, but it wasn’t something where I thought I needed it at launch. My opinion changed greatly following Super Mario Maker’s showing at E3 2015. I’m just amazed by the amount of crazy things you can do inside different levels. I’ll be playing other creations rather than making them myself, so I can’t wait to see what people come up with.

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Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 4 Comments

Let’s Talk #15: Remembering Satoru Iwata

Given the tragedy surrounding Satoru Iwata, it only seemed right to dedicate this week’s Let’s Talk to his memory. In the comments below, feel free to talk about anything related to Nintendo’s president.

It’s crazy to think that Satoru Iwata is no longer here with us. It’s also crazy to think that everything happened less than a week ago. Despite it having been a few days, I’m still barely able to come to grips with the fact that Iwata passed away.

A lot of thoughts and emotions have been running through my mind since Sunday evening. I can’t begin to tell you how shocked I was when I heard that Iwata had passed away. I just happened to stumble across Nintendo’s IR site with the news – it wasn’t even publicized on Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter account at the time. I almost considered not posting about it on the site when I discovered the announcement since I couldn’t believe it was real. I haven’t been that shocked about something in a very long time.

Even though I never knew Iwata personally, his passing has greatly affected me. It’s been a very sad and long week. There was a lot about Iwata that made him different compared to your typical company president/CEO, so I think that’s one of many reasons reason why many people have been taking this so hard.

Iwata seemed like a very lovely and personable man. Of course, he delivered the Nintendo Direct presentations to us, and during those videos, he wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself. The Iwata Asks series was another key aspect during his time with Nintendo. These interviews/discussions provided very interesting and valuable insight into the development of Nintendo’s various games.

Iwata’s experience with game development made him quite the unique president. Of course, before joining Nintendo, he worked at HAL. Over the many years in the industry, he was involved with games like Balloon Fight, EarthBound, and Pokemon. He even helped Smash Bros. Melee make its release date. He was a programmer at heart having made a baseball game on a calculator despite it not having graphics.

A lot of people have been asking me over the past few days if I have a favorite memory of Iwata. Truthfully, I don’t. That’s because when I start thinking about his role at Nintendo, there’s so much that comes to mind. There are all of his Nintendo Directs obviously. E3 appearances. 2005 GDC speech. There was also the Game Center CX episode that struck a chord with me, in which he talked more about his life. And those are just the times we saw him in person. Outside of video-esque appearances, there was the time when he dramatically cut his salary in light of the Wii U’s struggles. Introducing Wii and DS to the world, and initiating the Blue Ocean Strategy to wild success were also key parts of his career.

I started paying attention to games during the tail end of the GameCube era, so honestly, Iwata being at Nintendo is really all that I know. It’s extremely tough to picture Nintendo without Iwata at the helm of things. Nintendo will most definitely continue on, but things won’t be the same without him. All we can do at this point is be thankful for his many years at Nintendo and how he put smiles on many people’s faces. He will be greatly missed.

How do you feel about Devil’s Third?

slihm

I’ve been extremely intrigued ever since the multiplayer trailer last year.

Additionally, the campaign looks to have my type of humor. It’s odd because a lot of people seem to be missing the jokes all together. For reference, watch the “Machete Kills” trailer. It’s basically that kind of humor, but in a game. And it’s amazing.

Recent news has made me a little skeptical. The only thing I’m concerned about is the frame rate, because people who have allegedly played the game have been complaining about the inconsistent frame rate.

Blazer

As far as Devil’s Third go, I was interested in the game after seeing it. It’s not the usual type of game you find on Nintendo consoles, but the fact that they seemed to be backing it felt like a sign that I could pay it a little bit of attention. After seeing a bit, I was interested in it because it seemed like a brutal but fun action/shooter game with some cool online components, which I felt I could get behind, especially since it didn’t look as dull as some games.

The concept art, for instance, looks really cool IMO, and while you could certainly make complaints about the main character, I’m fine with his design and approach: he’s at least more memorable than the main characters in many other shooters, IMO. Pretty much, it was a game I had intended to give a good chance since there’s not much else like it on the console, and I like supporting developers who make exclusives for Wii U, esp. since I’ve enjoyed the Wii U a lot–more than most other systems. Dare I say it helped get me back into gaming with a few quality games despite lacking quantity.

Now that the game potentially isn’t being backed by NoA and could be very poor for whatever reasons, I’m less interested/more skeptical and need to have some kind of confirmation on how the game is. I mean, we’ll just have to see, there aren’t even reviews out and even then I take reviews and such with a grain of salt because ultimately they’re just opinions from people who are often only slightly more qualified to analyze, criticize, and praise games than the bulk of other people.

While I’d like to give it a try anyway, if the game is said to be terrible, it’s difficult to justify purchasing it, especially when video games are expensive and there are a ton of other video games out there I’ve yet to beat… play… buy… or even hear about. I mean, I only have so much time, money, and patience, so ultimately I can’t try out every game myself. Hopefully I hear some good things about it so I can keep my pre-order and get it as planned. In that case though, I can only hope someone else actually picks it up so I have people to play with online.

Not having more than a handful of friends (who I rarely talk to) that play Splatoon, for instance, really stinks. I had pretty much no one to play Bayonetta 2 with, either. It’s one of the few problems of preferring to play with friends (esp. with voice, meaning on the Wii U, I need to have them on Skype/they can’t be strangers, since it doesn’t have integrated voice chat into its games), and playing on a console with a low install base in specific regions (I’m not interested in voice chatting with random Japanese people, for instance, but if you limit matchmaking in such games to specific regions where there’s a common language, the wait etc. would be even longer than it already is).

tl;dr, I was interested, and will still pay attention, but I’m skeptical and my purchasing decision hangs in the balance of whether the game seems good enough to be worth giving a chance.

Pretty much, if it’s not a broken game and it’s at least fun but “with problems”, and the Metacritic score is in the 70’s or higher, I’ll probably get it. If it’s in the 60’s, it’ll be a much tougher call dependent on what specifics I hear about the game, and anything lower would really be pushing it. (Granted, it’s less about the arbitrary numbers we call review scores and more with the associated comments that generally come with those numbers.)

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