N5S Gut Reaction: Final Smash Bros Presentation

Well, Smash Bros had a final thing and apparently we have a blog thing, so I guess I have to do the thing for all you 7 poor unfortunate souls.

(Also, here's the British link to the presentation, because Donald Trump won the American ballot and no one needs to see that)
 

 

N5S Gut Reaction: Final Smash Bros Presentation

How Keiji Inafune Ruined Kickstarting Game Projects

The Red Ash Kickstarter was a disaster from the start. It was not even a month before Mighty No. 9 was released that Keiji Inafune announced he was working on a new project. And it all went downhill from there.

How Keiji Inafune Ruined Kickstarting Game Projects

N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Well, Nintendo E3 Direct came and went faster than a restock of amiibos, and naturally the team at N5S will give their two cents worth is how the show faired. Did we like it? Did we hate it? Well, some of both...

N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Nintendo Direct 11.5.14 Impressions

I see a bad moon arisin'. I see bad puns on the way.
  
(Wii U/3DS Direct Impressions blog)

Nintendo Direct 11.5.14 Impressions

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

I'm not one to immediately jump to conclusions as to which big company "wins" E3 every year, so that's probably why you're reading this three days after the Digital Event, but now I've had time to come to a consensus and from what I've seen this year, Nintendo really knocked it out of the park. While Microsoft and Sony were catering to the teenage angst of fan services, glorifying 60 fps and exclusive DLC like they were the raining holy mana bread of gaming, Nintendo took the Digital Event and Treehouse after party as a means to showcase what games are truly meant for: fun. Here are the main highlights from this week's Nintendo @ E3:

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

3 Signs That Sonic Boom Won't Suck

Months after its initial announcement trailer and just days after two extensive gameplay trailers were shown, it's safe to say that not everyone has really warmed up to the Wii U exclusive Sonic Boom and its steroid abominations that are supposedly the games' main heroes. Granted, any sane/insane person could find a million things wrong with this game before it's even released, most of which bring up questions like "Why does Knuckles look like a freaking jock?", "Why are they using Skrillex music in a video game?", and "Why the hell does Sonic have bandages on his shoes?"

Seems like an impractical way to prevent third degree scoff marks.

Thankfully, the redesigns are not permanent as Big Red Button Entertainment (the lead design team behind the game) assured everyone that the game will not replace the mainstream Sonic series, and is meant as a separate spin-off, not as a reboot. Unpredictably, Sonic fans are still not keen on the idea, and no one can blame them after the mixed reactions of Lost World, but remember this is exactly how they felt when Sonic Colors was announced after the puke-fest that was literally any Sonic game released before 2010. You still might call out "bullsh*t, it's still going to suck", but there are 3 relevant signs that we could all be wrong and that Sonic Boom could be the next best Sonic game since Generations. 

3 Signs That Sonic Boom Won't Suck

My 5 Wishes for the Next Smash Bros.

We're just a month away (or sooner) until the reveal of the fourth installment for Super Smash Bros. While I'm not one to promote hype (says the guy who already wrote two "Top 5 Wishes" blogs) I think it's a perfect time than any to share my optimism for the next Smash Bros. Like...

5. A More Innovative Stage Builder (Or none at all)

Chances are, after you played versus mode against four Lv.1 Jigglypuffs for 200 hours straight, you probably decided to check out Brawl's Stage builder mode expecting a robust set of features, because dude, this is the best game ever made- with the lamest Stage Builder ever made. Lack of any nostalgic set pieces aside (where the heck is my Chozo set piece, dammit?!) the Stage Builder offers a ho-hum assortment of platforms, while offering three stage sizes where if you pick small, for example, you can't use the medium level sized pieces even though they would fit, and freakin' vice-versa. Instead of being able to recreate the classic Hyrule Castle Stage, we're given pieces to allow douchebags to make "Spike Stage", guaranteed to ruin every friendship every time it's randomly select in Versus Mode. Either give us better variety of pieces/scenery or remove the Stage Builder entirely- it's taking up room for more playable characters. Speaking of which...

4. More 1st Party Characters/Assist Trophies  

 

Yes, Internet, you're welcome. 

As much I like having guest characters like Snake and Sonic appear in Smash Bros., there needs to be more love for the 1st party troopers, because this is Super Nintendo Bros. after all. To name a few I personally would love see make it in: Prince Fluff (Kirby's Epic Yarn), Ridley (Super Metroid), Baba (F-Zero GX), Lady Palutena (Kid Icaurs: Uprising), Waluigi (Mario Party), Shulk (Xenoblade), Zoroark (Pokemon Black/White), Bowser Jr. (Mario Sunshine), Mii's (Misc.); and as for Assist trophies: Cuccos (LoZ) and Dr. Kawashima (Brain Age- NINTENDO CHOP!) would make hilarious items. With Namco Bandai in development, there's a big chance we'll be seeing Pac-Man, Tekken, and SoulCalibur characters in the melting pot as well, so we'll get a good share of 3rd party characters too. That said, Mega Man would be an awesome guest character...as long as he's not a Samus clone. And that's another thing... 

3. No Clone Characters/Identical Smash Attacks 

It's as if whenever a fighting game is being made, someone in mid-development throws his arms up and shouted "F*** it, let's just give them all Landmasters." The lazy palette-swap strategy has been around since the dawn of gaming, and there's far worse examples than Smash Bros. (see "Mortal Kombat 2 Character List") but it doesn't make it any less worse. Granted, there are distinct differences in weight comparing Link and Toon Link; Fox is a lot faster than Falco, etc., which is okay, fine, but why give them the exact same Final Smash? Ness doesn't necessarily have a different ultimate attack than Lucas, but at least reverse the direction of his PK Thunder or something. Toon Link should be summoning a wind hurricane; giving him the same Final Smash attack as normal Link is redundant. I fear clones the worst with Namco Bandai at the helm, but hopefully they'll follow SoulCalibur's direction and eliminate clones altogether (Don't increase Peach's bra size though, there's children who play this). I will cherish the day when all characters are balanced so on-line doesn't feel like Attack of the Clones. That is, however, if on-line is even usable...

2. Better On-Line Play For Pete's Sake 

  

No, DK, I want better. 

Enough said. 

1. Physical Trophy DLC  

Let's get one thing out of the way: Skylanders was an expensive money vacuum cleaner toy gimmick to unlock in-game material that was already on-disc. Why would I want this in SSB4? Because Nintendo does DLC the right way, and this would prolong game content to at least 3 years (albeit price-y). Also, you must be joking with that smirk, because you don't even know how awesome this will be for the SSB faithful. Disappointed that Nightmare isn't playable? Just wait for the bundle pack to be released and you'll get not only Nightmare, but a Stage pack, bonus story chapter, AND you get to keep a physical figurine you can set next to your moniter! It's a bit of an optimistic dream, but if they can do it with Pokemon Rumble U, then why stop there?  And how would this not be the biggest selling game of all time?

 This is what your room would look like. (Though you might want to invest in lighting first, Count Dracula)

But let's think beyond just Namco Bandai/Nintendo licenses: think how pants soiling awesome this would be if gaming giants like Konami, Capcom, Square Enix, etc. joined in group support with their character trophies. My wallet aches just thinking of these implications. Scorpian versus Captian Falcon? Hell, yes. If this is the future for Smash Bros., I'm going to be on life support for all the blood I'll be donating just to collect em' all. But I'll be fine either way, because I'm going to be clocking in over 600 hours beating up four Lv.1 Jigglypuffs anyway.

My 5 Wishes for the Next Smash Bros.

My 5 Wishes for the Next Mario Kart.

During my usual gaming rounds of playing Taiko Drum Master and Xenoblade nonstop for several hours (I' not addicted, I CAN QUIT WHENEVER I WA- ooh a side-quest!) another game series has always shared a special place in my heart (in exchange for at least 3 years of my life), Mario Kart. I've been with the series since Double Dash!!! and have played every game in the franchise, save for Super Mario Kart, in one form or the other. I've seen the highs and lows, and if I were to make the next Mario Kart game(s) this is how I'd do it:

5. Release Mario Kart GP on consoles (In America/Europe too).

Once upon a time, Namco and Nintendo thought it was damn well time they mixed chocolate with peanut butter, and thus, a Mario Kart/Pac-Man hybrid (Mario Kart GP) was born. Sequels featured a Taiko drum and a Tomagachi as playable characters as well tracks inspired by the former character. It's appearance in America is literally shrouded in obscurity for it only appeared in select arcades, and the Nintendo World Store in New York City wasn't one of them, strangely enough. Why these games have never took off outside of Japan is a baffling mystery to me. Sure, the game featured a ridiculous "take-your-picture-and-have-it-look-like-Donkey-Kong" gimmick, and a ludicrous amount of items, but other than that the games are pretty sane for non-Japanese audiences. Everyone knows who Pac-Man and Blinky are, and that's the only selling point you need. Tune up the gameplay for normal play, make more courses, and port it to the Wii U, Nintendo. Don't make me use a Basin on your head! (Yes, the items are really weird)

4. Do a Crossover with SASASR.

If Mario Kart inspired anything it would have to be copycats. Sega and Sonic All-Stars Racing was one such copycat that actually took a slightly altered path and varied itself from the Mario Kart formula by featuring different items and short cuts every new lap. Now combine that experience with the Mario Kart fanfare. Whatever the result would look like this crossover would be PERFECT. Retro tracks could be combinations from both series (akin to Mario & Sonic: Olympic Games- and also, if we can get that game we can get any M&S crossover), and what the heck, why limit the Nintendo roster with just the Mario universe? Bring in the whole Nintendo gang! I want to race as Captain Falcon on a Mario Galaxy/Sonic Colors inspired course, and by the love of Robert Downy Jr, I'll be disappointed if it doesn't happen this generation.

3. Bring back Special Items.

          Ooh yes, you know you want to use this bad boy again. 

Double Dash!! was the only Mario Kart game to feature special items, because Nintendo apparently said "pffflthphtffft, we don't need those any more!" and they were completely from the next game, Mario Kart DS. Which was a terrible idea, because the special items were a blast to use. With only one character per kart in today's Mario Kart games, it might seem redundant to go back to limiting bombs to Wario or triple shells to Koopa, but to bypass this ordeal we only need to make new items or return past items (give Toad the Megashroom as a special item for example). But who wants to use those characters when you can throw giant spiny shells with Bowser? Okay, forget everything I said about bringing back special items, let's just bring back that item and we're good. 

2. Add Characters we would actually use. 

NO. 

One negative factor from Mario Kart 7 is it's ridiculous unlockable characters. Queen Bee and Lakitu were humorous additions, but Metal Mario has to be the most laziest clone character since Dr.Mario appeared in Smash Bros. Melee (See, this is where special items would've been a good niche to have but nooooooo). Mario Kart Wii was no different, having no fewer than FOUR baby characters not counting Bowser Jr. As much as I...um, like?...playing as Wiggler and Baby Daisy it's time give more Mario characters their spotlight. To name a few: Mallow from Mario RPG, Goombella from Paper Mario: TYD (if you want to go obscure), Fawful from SuperStar saga, and if anything else, please add MC Ballyboo from Mario Party 8. Make a Metal Block an item and ditch Metal Mario ASAP. The Character Select screen is getting as bad as Mortal Kombat. 

1. 200cc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Forever have I been racing behind the wheel, and never once have I felt the blur of insanity that is to go over 150cc. That has to end. I want a speed limit in Mario Kart to match that of F-Zero- no. No limitations; just speed. We've got none of that. All we have is Mirror Mode, which is a lame joke to make you believe that turning left instead of right counts as a harder difficulty option. 

"Holy s***, this is harder than Lost Levels!" -said no one ever. 

This isn't making the game harder, it's just giving you the same exact courses as filler content. I hunger more. Give me SPEED. Give me a challenge. Give me a new challenge around every corner, every lap, every drift, and a reason to keep going when I get knocked back to 5th place because ArseMcCloud7 from New Jersey used a Lightning Bolt when I was in a mid-jump for the third straight time.  

Don't get me wrong; I'll still buy any and every Mario Kart game that Nintendo makes, but to keep me occupied longer, the series needs at least a few tweaks to keep my engines running. Now if you'll excuse me I have a revenge match to attend to with Mr.Arse.

My 5 Wishes for the Next Mario Kart.

Valentine's Day Nintendo Direct Impressions.

Nintendo Directs are a funny thing now. It's not common that we see so many new game announcements before E3, yet now we've had three full Directs, showcasing more new games than I have fingers to count. It's probably overwhelming for anyone with a wallet, and especially those anticipating more games in E3, which will we. That's why I loved today's Direct. Sure, it announced more games (wallet: eeek!), but its focus on new DLC was the deal breaker. It wasn't amazing, BUT THAT'S OKAY. You can view the whole Direct here:

And without a further ado...here's what we thought about it: 

THE AWESOME:

Luigi...wake up! You're the star now! 

 

Year of the Luigi: Luigi has always been something of a second fiddle gag for the Mario series, but this year Luigi is starring in no fewer than three games, as a great aspect in-game than just a supporting character. Seeing Iwata sporting a Luigi hat is probably the best justice for the Green caper. Better hang onto Peach, Mario, Luigi is the new man in the house! 

 

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: At first I was disappointed with a port of a Wii game instead of a brand new adventure, but the 3D affects blew me away- this game was made to be on the 3DS. If you have a 3DS, I recommend downloading and viewing the trailer from the Nintendo eShop. 

 

Mario & Luigi gets a fourth installment: Tweaking Luigi's nose forms a staircase in the hilarious new trailer for the fourth M&L installment: Dream Team. The sprites, a combination of Mario RPG and 3D Mario style graphics, are sure to please. And who wouldn't want to tweak Luigi's nose? 

 

THE GOOD: 

 

Is your body Ready? 

 

Release Dates: HarmoKnight on March 28th, Animal Crossing New Leaf in June 9th, Pokemon Mystery dungeon and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon both released on March 17th, a Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate demo on February 21st, and many more 3DS games being released this Summer. Can you say: HELL YES? 

 

DLC done right: 80 full new levels for New Super Mario Bros. U?! More Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC maps at half price? This is how you do DLC. 

 

Waluigi: WALUIGI IS BACK, BABY! 

 

THE BAD:  

 

This makes somewhat sense now, maybe?

No mention of major titles: When are we going to see more NA screens for Project X Zone, or any other titles after the first Q1?  

Aren't Directs a little.................long?: It's great to watch Directs, but 40 minutes is still too long just to show a few new titles. Keep Directs shorter and avoid any more Miiverse updates- we had enough! 

- 

FINAL DIRECT: 3/5 STARS 

This was a decent Direct that gave me what I wanted and left without too many teases. The 3DS got it's spotlight, and E3 is just 4 months away to deliver more. Well done. 

Happy Valentines, and have a great Luigi year, everyone! 

-EggBeatr8

Valentine's Day Nintendo Direct Impressions.

Wii U Direct Impressions.

Nintendo has done it: they have convinced me to get a Wii U, and that is incredible. Even after their 2012 E3 conference I was still not convinced to get a Wii U. Sure, there were a lot of cool games to look forward to, but I was tired of buying new consoles. The post-launch list was also pretty shallow and full of vague promises. But then I watched yesterday's Wii U Direct, and all my irks about the console have long since disappeared:

Before any games are shown, Iwata literally apologizes to Wii U owners about the lack of content for January and February, and also for the long load times of the system updates. But like a crafty Nintenja, Iwata doesn't stop at apologizes, oh no, he delivered the games- E3 debut quality games. It's as if he literally said: "Sorry we couldn't give you any cupcakes- HERE'S YO BIRTHDAY CAKE INSTEAD! HO! NINTENDO CHOP!!!" First a system with an unclear dark future, now a bright light that shines so bright, that if it wasn't a metaphor it would melt your face off just like the Nazi from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  

The gravity of games announced was so vast I had to break down this article into three sections. Not all of the Direct was great, but at least we got the goods.

THE AWESOME 

 "Dear World, I'm playing this game until the end of time. I won't make it to the party next Tuesday" -Me 

The games: Did I just watch E3? Because I totally just watched E3. If Nintendo doesn't own this generation of gaming, it's either because everyone will simultaneously turn into radioactive butterflies and explode or that the screwcap on the universe is screwed on wrong. Pikmin 3 got to shine to show off new Miiverse snapshot capabilities. Mii Party U looks fun. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD broke the house and took everyone by surprise, and even more surprising is that it's being released this fall. Platinum Games' The Wonderful 101 and Bayontte got a spotlight. Yoshi returns in a Epic Yarn adventure. Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, in whatever form it will appear in, is going to be awesome and INSANE. And finally, as if to bro-fist every person who supported Xenoblade's localization, Monolith Studios' new game, titled X, was revealed to be a spiritual successor to Xenoblade at the end of the show. Yes, I do believe I just watched E3. Don't wake me up from this dream, ever. 

The future: If Nintendo achieved anything in this Direct, it was to put the naysayers for the future of the Wii U console to bed- and they did so with a semi-automatic...to the head. As with the announcement of the remake for Wind Waker, a second Zelda game is in development for the Wii U as I write this. A new Mario Kart and 3-D Mario (from the team of Mario Galaxy/3-D Land fame) are also planned, and will be in playable form this E3. Smash Bros. 4 will also be finally revealed in June. Sure, these are Nintendo staples, but I'm sure they got some more surprises up their sleaves.  

It's getting better: Those experiencing problems with long Wii U load times may not fret, because Nintendo will solve the problem in the form of two updates: one in Spring and the other in Summer. Instead of just providing false promises, Nintendo is determined to fix it's problems and provide better entertainment experiences. I only wish for more game companies would follow suit.

THE GOOD 

 You can never play too many NES games. 

Wii U Virtual Console: VC titles on the Wii U have been extremely stagnant. But luckily, Nintendo is not only offering a new NES title every month for only 30 cents each for a limited time, but also letting past Wii owners to tansfer their NES and SNES VC library to the Wii U for a reduced price per game. The price isn't frivolous money grabing either: Nintendo is tuning up every VC game headed to the Wii U, and allowing you to play them on the Gamepad with the ability to save at any point.  

Miiverse: Nintendo is forming it's own Facebook-esk gaming community with new filtering features, and the results are quite surprising. Hopefully I new art studio will come into place as well. 

GBA is coming to Wii U VC: Hey look, GBA games! 

THE BAD 

 Nope. 

GBA is coming to Wii U VC: Wait, what? Why snub the 3DS owners? 

"Now that we're done talking about Miiverse, let's talk about Miiverse": "And while we're talking about Miiverse, here's more pictures of Miive-" okay, we get Miiverse is great and all, but have we already exhausted this topic in last E3 AND in a past Direct? Show new features about Miiverse, good, but can we move it along after that? 

- 

FINAL VERDICT: 5/5 STARS 

Nintendo has convinced me that the Wii U is capable of producing top notch games with brilliant production values. I'm also convinced the future for console is going to produce some of the best games I ever played, and if not, I always have Xenoblade 2, I mean LOOK AT IT. This with the Pokemon X/Y unveiling are making me hyped ever so much for what Nintendo has next in store. 3DS Direct, please. 

-EggBeatr8

Wii U Direct Impressions.

N5S 2012 Reflections - What games Influenced us the most.

In our quest to savor every Nintendo-themed morsel that comes our way and anticipate whatever tasty delicacy or nasty dish we encounter in the near future, we take a quick stop and reflect back on what it was like the previous year in gaming. 2012 has come and gone and the plates are clean, and now it's time to compliment the chef. Did we enjoy the meal? Are we still hungry? This is what the good folks at Nintendo-5-Star, including me, had to say about 2012 (Note: new submissions may be added eventually):

CRAZ1Ah     
  Most influential game:
Xenoblade Chronicles (it was released for NA in 2012 so I guess that still counts?)

The single player MMORPG game. Seriously, although this is a single player game it just feels so much like an MMORPG, with a gigantic not to mention BEAUTIFUL world, hundreds of quests and unlocking/upgrading Arts for all of the characters.

Everything about this game is spectacular from the story down to the voice acting. Also, the graphics and scenery in this game will make Zelda and Monster Hunter developers cry. Start crying suckers. 

pikaby 

Okay let's see if I can make this short....2012 was an epic year for gaming, with so many killer apps being released for Nintendo's new portable console, the 3DS, and also the release of its new home console, Wii U, towards the end of the year. That would have been some really great gaming moments.....except I own neither of them. So where am I then? Still stuck with good ol' DSi and my precious Wii, whose lineups have been getting thinner than the hairline of a 50 year old man. That's not to say there weren't any high notes for the two legacy systems though; both consoles have had their swansongs this year.

For DS, the most influential game I played came in September; the launch of Pokemon Black 2/White 2 in English. Having played the JP version some time back I knew what to expect, but for me, traveling through Unova never got old, training the same Pokemon from my roster of Gen 5 favorites never got old (I love you Reuniclus) and even better, reconciling with some Pokemon which I liked but unexpectedly found them rather useful now (Huge Power Jolly Azumarill with Ice Punch, Aqua Tail and Superpower). Despite how much I played the sidequests never seemed to end. There's just so much to do whether you're into battling (Treehollow, Subway, PWT) or not (Link Avenue, Musicals, Pokestar Studios). Pokemon has always helped me get through a boring afternoon and keep me occupied even in the most stressful of times, and I'm happy to say this was the best of the bunch in a year where there really was nothing else on DS. 

For Wii, putting aside my obvious obsession with Taiko no Tatsujin and rhythm games in general, the game to beat was Xenoblade Chronicles. Alright so where do I start raving about this game....The graphics? So-so when you're up close looking at the textures, but taking in the grand picture from up high or far away is amazing, with scenery you never even knew existed. And the realization that the water and mountains you saw in the background can actually be traveled to...woah. The soundtrack? Epic and matching the huge scale of the overworld. The story? Evolves so many times until Shulk reaches a sort of ultimate focus, and so much character development going on with the 7 possible party members, though the voice acting still needs some work. Very absorbing. The gameplay? You'll be easily spending more than 100 hours on this even on the first playthrough. With so many sidequests to complete and relationships to develop, it almost feels like a world instead of being, you know, a country or something. Xenoblade does everything so huge in scale than sometimes you just step back and gape admirably at the overwhelming things you can do. And the elite monsters (sub-bosses in the game) are fun to take down and have really fun names too. Simple as the battle system is, it eschews so much of the traditional JRPG stuff (no random encounters, skip travel, realtime battle system) that it becomes something entirely of its own. Xenoblade has kept me occupied alongside Kirby's Dream Collection and my vast collection of Taiko no Tatsujin (oops) throughout the year, and stands as one of the best.

Yes, I know, there's a whole bunch of other great games on other consoles, some of which I really admire and want to try out (Borderlands 2, XCOM Enemy Unknown, Hotline Miami, Journey to name a few.....no, screw you Halo/Call of Duty), and to be honest makes me regret a little for limiting myself to only Nintendo consoles. But that doesn't mean my year has been any less fun despite only being able to play two consoles and not upgrading to the newest ones. I thank Nintendo for supporting their old consoles to the very end for people like me.   

EggBeatr8 

If I could define 2012 in one word it would be 'WHOA'. It sounds very vague, I know, but it's the only way to express what I feel to be the most insane roller-coaster of a gaming year I've experienced yet. Where do I begin? You tell me! But let's start with Operation Rainfall: these guys need a freakin' medal for forming such a large group of gamers and succeeding at convincing Nintendo to bring (at least) two of the three JRPGs they've been previously reluctant to release stateside. The first of which, and the game I claim to be the best JRPG ever made (and what my fellow admins have described in grand detail above) is Xenoblade Chronicles. I could go on for five paragraphs of how this game added 100+ hours of amazing exploration and gameplay that I haven't experienced in, well, I never experienced anything like this game to be able to compare it to anything else- but I already exhausted a review, and well, my fine admins have already covered it. The second JRPG was The Last Story, the most visually appealing Wii game I have ever played/seen since the system's upbringing. Hironobu Sakaguchi couldn't have developed a better game after he retired from Squaresoft, and his partnership with long-time Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu created some of the most ear pleasing music I've ever heard in a video game (search Youtube for "Toberu Mono" and you won't be sorry), not to mention that the voice overs are fantastic. Thankfully, the work on making the game visually appealing isn't distracted by a boring battle design, for the the gameplay is satisfying and tight, and demands a well thought out strategy and quick trigger finger- this is definitely not your average stand-in-one-place-and-attack JRPG we're used to. Both Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story are a huge step in the right direction for JRPGs, and it's shameful on Nintendo's part for holding these amazing titles from us for a whole year. Hopefully the sales of these games encourages more localizations in the future, because I can't imagine a gaming world without these titles. 

 
If there was ever a highlighted year for the 3DS, 2012 was THE. YEAR. For the sake of brevity, I'll try to keep a brief summary for every 3DS game I played, but it won't be easy. Kid Icarus: Uprising was definitely the best game of the year for the handheld system, there is just no way I can give credit to any other game. Keeping the well written, and sometimes laugh-out-loud hilarious, storyline going on the bottom while you fight baddies on the top screen keeps things flowing perfectly- so perfectly, it almost seems alien, but more like the lovable ALF you want to keep in your house just to see what he does next and not a facehugging Xenomorph who's trying to breed with you. The land battles are clumsy at first, but that's the only complaint I have for the best 3DS game I've played yet. I can't think of any other character who can best that comeback. Other worthy mentions include the extremely addictive Threatrhythm Final Fantasy, which is unlike any rhythm game I played before; Adventure Time: "Hey Ice King, Why Did You Steal Our Garbage?!" a Zelda 2 inspired platformer with both clever show cameos and nostalgic video game references scattered throughout made for a really fun game; Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, which is absolutely the best in the series thus far if you can look past the confoundedly confusing plotline; and then we have great eShop titles like Colors! 3-D, and a bevy of previously unreleased Virtual Console titles like Mole Mania and Castlevania Adventure. Pokemon Black/White 2, the final hoo-rah for the DS, was just as unexpected as this year's X/Y announcement and proves that the Pokemon series isn't as predictable as previously assumed. That was just scratching the surface of games the handheld received last year, and that's not to mention the games we'll anticipate in 2013 including Brain Age: Concentration, Fire Emblem: Awakening, the unannounced Monolith soft game, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon to name a few. Not bad for a system that was 'DOOOOOOMED' a few years ago.

It was also a great year for Mario fans too, with three Mario games released in one year. Love or hate the 'New' Super Mario Bros. games, you got to give Nintendo for at least trying to differentiate between titles, though I agree that it's time for Nintendo to work on different IPs for 2013, because there's only so much 'New' I can take.  

I only briefly tried out the Wii U in a Best Buy store demo, but I'm certainly convinced that it's a bright future for gaming. The response of the game pad to the TV was astounding, and both screens have a perfect resolution frame rate and texture. The gamepad also feels pretty comfortable despite looking like a paper weight. While I won't be getting a Wii U this year, when I do obtain one Rayman Legends and ZombiU will be at the top of my want list. But other than that, my hype is pretty low. Nintendo's E3 conference last year only showed games we'd be expecting until Q2 this year, but nothing much after that. It makes me both concerned about their future and curious to see what they're planning for this year's E3.  

While 2012 didn't give us everything we wanted: TWEWY sequel ended up being a remake of the first game for the iPhone, the Tokyo Game Show teased games we'd never get to play, Paper Mario: Sticker Star could've been better, Nintendo Power collapsed, and Pokemon Snap 2 was unfairly debunked for no good reason - but at least we got something out of it. Who knows what else this year will bring? Will it be worth the wait? Maybe it will be something we never expected? If 2013 can best what 2012 already accomplished I have only one word to say: WHOA.

N5S 2012 Reflections - What games Influenced us the most.

The Big N5 of the Week - Over Ruled!

Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of the Big N5; where we bring you the best news of the week while Japan is busy whipping fingers screaming "Objection!" to men wearing top hats! 

5. Nintendo reveals the crazy beta prototypes for the Wii U Gamepad. 
What you're staring at is not GE microwave cover from the 80's, but the actual first prototype for the Wii U Gamepad. It looks...futuristic? A Wii Zapper with a video screen was also considered for Nintendo Land. You can read and see all the craziness in the Iwata Asks Interview link I just provided. 

4. One man sets out to make a full 3D first-person Pokemon game.
It might seem too impressive (especially incorporating a Minecraft Pokemon mod in it's design), but this is shaping up to be an interesting fan made game - made by one person nonetheless. The music needs some work, but for a game that's going to be free, you got to give the guy a nod for trying.

3. Nintendo blocks European gamers from buying 18+ Rated content at certain times of the day. 
What the heck, Nintendo? The blocking is due to parental controls, which Nintendo stated further with this statement: "We have thus decided to restrict the access to content which is unsuitable to minors (PEGI) to the 11pm - 3am time window." At this time Nintendo assumes that all adults only play games at late nights and early mornings, and won't say whether they'll take down the parental block or not. Hopefully the outcry from angry gamers will put sense into their heads: We need sleep!! 

2. Nintendo Direct: Pikmin 3, bells n' whistles, and delays. 
Last week's Nintendo Direct gave us more images and gameplay videos for Pikmin 3; showcasing the game's beautiful graphics and detailed environments. That's all the Pikmin 3 you'll see for awhile however, since the game has been delayed until Q3 2012. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon has also been delayed for Q2 2012. Ouch. On a better note, Harmo Knight has been slated for localization in NA and Europe sometime in Spring 2012 on the Nintendo eShop. 2012 is looking to be a good, though late, year for Nintendo gaming. 

1. Capcom releasing Street Fighter X Mega Man for FREE this month! 
Miss your Mega Man fix? We all do, son don't worry. But get ready to control your body, because Capcom is releasing Street Fighter X Mega Man on the PC FOR FREE on December 17th! Granted, it started out as a fan game, but Capcom took it under it's wing and gave it a touch up- and what am I kidding, IT'S FREE. IT'S OFFICIAL. IT'S MEGA MAN. IT'S STREET FIGHTER. IT'S FREE. DO YOU NEED ANY OTHER REASON TO NOT BE EXCITED?!?! Merry Christmas Mega Man! Great to see you back in action!


And Merry Almost-Christmas to all of you! Join us back next week for another installment!
 

The Big N5 of the Week - Over Ruled!

The Big N5 of the Week - Deck the HALs!

Whoa, how long has it been? We've haven't had a Big 5 in over a month! Never fret, because we're back to bring you a total of three Big 5's until the world ends this month! Ahem...let's see what's happening in the world of Nintendo...

5. USB Port let's you use PS2 controllers on your Wii U??? 
The heading says it all...it let's you connect up to two DualShock PS2 controllers for use on the Wii U. How would anyone use this is a question no sane mortal can answer. It's is unfortunately (?) only available in Japan at the moment...if that is unfortunate for you.


 

4. Why HAL is named "HAL". 
In an interview with the dev team that created ZombiU, Iwata dropped the bomb on why HAL Laboratory, the team in charge of Kirby and Smash Bros, is called "HAL" of all things: “We were exactly the same in that sense. Ubisoft was named after Ubiquity because you wanted to be everywhere in the world and HALwas named as such because each letter put us one step ahead of IBM! (Laughs)” So there you have it. Nintendo watched too much Space Odyssey 2001! Take it any way you want but that's pretty hilarious!

3. Nintendo planning massive reconstructure for 2013 - Miyamoto stepping. 
Go to Destructoid for full story. Not only will a major reconstruction plan be in affect next year, but Nintendo legend Miyamoto will be stepping down for more small projects. This may be disappointing to some, but note that Miyamoto hasn;t been directly at the hem of some major projects for some time (Pikmin 3 is an exception). We'll be expecting bigger and greater things from Nintendo in years to come. 

2. Cardboard cut-out Wii U Pads are very popular it seems.
If the crazy bid for a cardboard UPad that reached 10k wasn't ridiculous enough, guess what took it's place when it was taken down: yup, more cardboard UPads! They seem to be pretty popular so...get yours before they're all sold out? Hey, Free Shipping!

1. Final Nintendo Power Issue pays homage to the first issue. 
If you haven't gotten your final NP magazine yet, then here's what it looks like. A nod to the very first issue's clay animation photo taken way back in 1988. The legacy of a great magazine ends. Good bye Nester. Good bye NP editors who made every page turn something special. You were awesome. Thank you for the journey.



And thank you readers for waiting so long for us- ahem, okay me- to return to our weekly special. May we live long and prosperous in the land of Nintendo! See you next week.

The Big N5 of the Week - Deck the HALs!

The Big N5 of the Week - (Insert bad Wii U pun here)

We're back! Miss us/me? Here's what *U've been missing!

*Disclaimer: EggBeatr will be thrown into a pit of tar for this remark.

5. Wii U low Google searches. 
If you can see it, that tiny red line is all the Wii U has via Google searches. Ouch. But don't worry, once it gets more media coverage it will be the talk of the nation! Oh wait...

4. News Anchors making awful Wii U pun jokes.
Wii Wii? Pii U? Come on! These jokes have been done a year ago, and they weren't funny then! You can see the awfulness in all it's (glory?) here. Don't say I didn't warn you...

3. Mass Effect Trilogy not coming to Wii U.
In a more "are you f*cking kidding me" news this week, EA announced the complete Mass Effect trilogy for all consoles, including PC, but not Wii U. For those wanting answers this what NeoGaf had to say: "EA did not expect Wii U owners to buy Mass Effect, anyway, so no point in porting over three games. If ME3 sells gangbusters, they’ll consider it a proper summer home for Mass Effect." Sounds like reverse logic to me. Why would anyone buy just one game more, when you could buy all three for less? At this point, EA seems hard pressed into not bringing this to Wii U, but at least we have one game coming to the system at launch.

2. Denpa Men: They Came by Wave now available for the 3DS eShop! 
Denpa Men are all around us; you just need to use the 3DS camera to spot them out and catch them! From your own little Denpa Men army and journey through caves to find hidden items, fight baddies in turn based battles, and potentially level up your Denpa Men to repeat the cycle. The Demo and full game are available now only the Nintendo 3DS eShop!

1. Wii U pre-orders sky-rocketing. It's 2006 all over again!
First GameStop closed all pre-orders on the upcoming system, and now several other store outlets are following suit after a storm of pre-orders on the Wii U flooded across the hemisphere. And it's not just America; Wii U pre-orders in Europe have also hit influx this week. Still want one? You still have time! But as I previously said, quantities are running out so hurry before they're all **gonU!



 **EggBeatr will be thrown in a second tar pit for this remark.

The Big N5 of the Week - (Insert bad Wii U pun here)

The Big N5 of the Week - We Want U!

Well Nintendo held another Nintendo Direct last week, which makes it the 39th show this year (I kid). A lot of exciting news was showcased, and we FINALLY got the official Wii U price and release date! But that's just only the tip of the iceberg!

5. Wii U games will be $59.99 each.  
Better break open that piggy bank, because Wii U games will be officially $59.99 at release. While that's $10 more than Wii games, hopefully Nintendo won't wait 5 years to introduce a "Nintendo Select" for these games or at least lower the prices.

4. Monster Hunter Tri 3G HD Ver. coming to Wii U! 
It's a surprise in itself that Capcom actually announced something for the Wii U, but even more surprising is that it's getting localized for America and Europe! The 3DS version is also being localized, and both versions will be able to connect and share save data. Tri 3G will be a Wii U launch title for Japan and is scheduled for a Spring release everywhere else.

3. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon headed to the 3DS! 
Mystery Dungeon returns to the 3DS as revealed last week. This time around your default character is Pikachu (as opposed to starting out as a random starter based on your answers to some in-game questions) and you can pick from 5 starter partners +Axew and journey through 3-D environments in the series first new look overhaul. An interesting new feature has you takine AR pics of objects and turning them into dungeons (lucky sweater dungeon Ho!). Watch the trailer and see for yourself!

2. Bayonetta 2 revealed as Wii U exclusive! 
Probably the most surprising news of this week is the unveiling of Bayonetta 2, an Xbox360 hit, being a Wii U exclusive! This has been met with extreme hate comments from previous fans of the first game, but it's worth noting that Nintendo is the only reason this game is being released, since SEGA was going to cancel the series. Better throw Nintendo the bone instead of hitting them with it!

 1. Wii U 

Price: $299.99 

Release: November 18 

IS. YOUR. BODY. READY? 

Have a great week everyone!

The Big N5 of the Week - We Want U!

The Big N5 of the Week - I'm a-ridin' on a-pony!

Hello and welcome to another rendition of The Big N5!

5. HMV apologizes for the misleading 3DS XL ad. 
HMV has something to say about last week's embarrassing 3DS XL ad with a photoshopped second analog stick: "It's apparent this was just one particular store being a little over-enthusiastic - and the poster has been removed. If it's caused anyone any issues then we're sorry, but I'd say it doesn't take much to work out this doesn't represent the company's retail offer for this release." Thanks for being a good sport, HMV. Now don't go photoshopping a second screen on the Wii U control pad!

4. New Super Mario Bros. 2/Demon Training heading to Japan's 3DS eShop.  
Starting July 28, two downloadable games will be heading to the Japanese 3DS eShop: New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 4,800 Yen ($61) and Demon Training for 3,800 Yen ($48). Don't be alarmed by the high prices, since the American dollar is weak in Japan, and the American downloadable versions will be the same price as the physical copies. NSMB2 will be released in the U.S. on August 19th. Demon Training's release is TBA.

3. Nintendo claims Wii U will be important for the world. 
In a Gamasutra interview Iwata expresses how it's not all about being first in the console spotlight: "Being first in the next generation race is not important at all," he tells Gamasutra. "One of the reasons we believe this is the time for Nintendo to launch the Wii U is it's going to be important for the world." Later in the interview he discusses about the 3DS hardware sales, and the potential for the Wii to still produce more games, but didn't go into any specifics about the Wii U's price tag. He closes with this statement about graphics power: "We have not changed our strategy. In other words, we just do not care what kind of 'more beef' console Microsoft and Sony might produce in 2013. Our focus is on how we can make our new console different than [others]." Amen. Hopefully all three future systems can thrive in harmony.

2. My Little Epona T-shirt sells out on TeeFury.com. 
Bronies and Zelda fans alike got a nice treat this week when the 'My Little Epona' T-Shirt was up for sale on TeeFury.com on Friday. Created by Julia "JellySnail" Whittles this adorable Zelda/MLP fancry to both fan services. It is sadly not available any more.   

1. 30 Obscure facts about Mario. 
You think you know Mario games? Well did you know that Goombas are called Kuribos in Japan? That Kamek was going to be a playable character in Mario Kart 64? Here's 28 more facts you probably didn't about your favorite plumber!












Thanks for reading and have a great week!

The Big N5 of the Week - I'm a-ridin' on a-pony!