Lens of Truth

Those annoying sticky tabs! Looks cute as anything!

Yes, they're tedious and you end up answering pretty much the same (unenlightening) question over and over. I used to prefer it when you got to say your favourite things about each game and how it could be improved - or do they still do that stuff for the bonus 50 stars? I've lost track.

Awe-inspiring list! How anyone, no matter what stripe of gamer they are, could look at powerhouse classic after classic and say the Wii had no good games is beyond belief! This has made me want to have a second playthrough of Xenoblade on the Wii U. Also good on Capcom for making the top 10. Monster Hunter didn't click with me at all when I tried it, but I never got past the very early portion of the game (and ended up trading it). MH3 Ultimate seems like the perfect chance to see what all the fuss is about!

The LE has a faux-leather cover and gold-edged pages. No other differences I'm aware of. My own better judgement tells me to get the normal green one (which might even look better depending on the quality of the faux leather) but I'm a sucker. Both are hardback according to amazon's listing.

This is another reason we need a general purpose Wii U community on Miiverse, so we can flood them with complaints about this sort of thing, otherwise they're just in blissful ignorance. Now personally I don't give a monkey's about this issue, as fun as it is to throw our arms in the air. But for example we would be able to give feedback about technical issues, like freezing, random lack of headphone compatibility in certain games and a zombie A/V stereo output.

Tesco seem to have given up on Nintendo products for reasons best known to themselves. No new 3DS stock, no sign of the Wii U, but loads of Xbox and PS3 in both of our local stores. I remember when everywhere started doing this with the Gamecube.

This does seem absurd. What are parental controls for then?? Sometimes Nintendo can be so bonkers and anal. We did have to put in our date of birth.

If Bit Trip Saga released here on the 3DS eshop at £12 I'd buy it.

There's no excuse when you have such a gorgeously inviting world map! :p

I picked up that game cheap not expecting too much.. turned out to be one of my favourite DS games! Platforming perfection.

So I feel like I'm getting into the swing with this game now - you know when that happens and a game clicks and you stop constantly comparing it to that old game you played years ago? The combat is remarkably satisfying and despite seeming simplified on the surface it doesn't hold your hand. A lot is done by guesswork and trial and error, and as stickers are gone once used it does raise the stakes, adding tension. You start thinking ahead to the big battles and preserving your best attacks (some of which you won't have even tested out yet) and it feels great once you get inside the mind of the game. There's plenty of charm and humour, but the game also has a modest feeling to it. I'd say Sticker Star is to Paper Mario what 3D Land is to the 3D Mario games - a bite-size version, playable in small chunks or larger sessions, judged to perfection for handheld play. The one negative I have so far is that the characters and areas are all standard Mario staples: toads, koopas, grasslands, desert etc. This template seems to be the something Nintendo are loathe to deviate from now in Mario games, but also in Zeldas which have their Forest, Volcano and so on. I'd really love to see future games branch out and plonk us in the middle of new imaginative locales and make us say "wow, didn't expect THAT in a Mario/Zelda game". The soundtrack is top notch, jazzy and creative, but returning to the 'classic' feel that the first game on the N64 had (as good as they were, I always thought TTYD and SPM soundtracks were slightly on the fussy, over-caffeinated side, and consequently less memorable). Shopto. The reward points were accumulated from several purchases, not just the Wii U.

I got up to the start of Rock Candy Mines and something told me I should go back first and collect all the Star Coins before progressing. I just spent a while messing around on the piano and I'm going to try to midi-fy it and see how it sounds. My playing's pretty awful! If it turns out to be not too shameful I'll post it

Is that because they're sold out or won't ship to your country? I'm sure one of us could get one and ship it over for you if needs be. I'll be asking at my local Forbidden Planet this week.

It's so boring that it's called Concentration Training in America, clearly because of paranoia about religious over-sensitivities. @Grazza Sonic Racing has the overall best performance on Wii U, but there's not much in it. The driving mechanics are a lot more involved than Mario Kart - I don't want to say 'realistic'. And it's a real nostalgia trip for Sega fans. Great game!

Sparkling Waters is a really lovely world, loads of fun. It'll be a welcome bit of light relief after those tougher later levels! I started trying to write a piece of music inspired by it today as a matter of fact - because I'm so bored of hearing the same tropical theme!

Oh I agree. I'd be shocked if it wasn't all change for the next handheld and console from Nintendo. The Wii U and the 3DS are clearly evolutions and attempting to build and capitalise on the success of their predecessors, so in my view it's appropriate that they reflect that in the names, but they're surely the last. It was interesting when they brought up this graphic during a recent Nintendo Direct about Miiverse, with the other coloured shapes representing future Nintendo devices. So whatever they are they'll have some important commonalities. It'll be great to see how Miiverse expands in years to come!

Sounds like prepaying with Shopto prolongs the processing of the order in some way, going on the trouble yesteryearsgames and Agent Gibbs had with the Wii U (trouble meaning delivered for launch day, hehe). I've played about the same @Rummy and it's great. I've chuckled quite a bit already. The world map is quite nice too, but I can't pretend I don't wish this had more story... Really in Paper Mario (and most Nintendo games) when we say 'story' we just mean some charming character details, imaginative levels and an interesting basic set-up. I thought the story in Mario Galaxy was handled really well in the classic Nintendo manner, suggesting just enough to give a sense of purpose and emotion, a feeling that the quest mattered and a spectacular finale. Miyamoto throwing out such minimal, elegant gestures in the sequel in favour of a perfunctory, slapdash intro that ignored all the magical happenings of the first game felt like a kick in the teeth to me, and made the game as a whole seem more like a glorified level pack. This might have that 'just enough' Nintendo touch. I'm hoping so. After all, the story as such in the N64 game was very slight as well, but brimming over with charm. We don't ask for a tortuous overripe Final Fantasy affair when we want story in a Paper Mario game, something that bogs the game down, but that's what Miyamoto seems to think it is This isn't to pre-judge the game at all - just a few thoughts on the issue.

Shame there was no Miiverse integration with the 3DS, but I suppose they've got enough on their plate getting everything running smoothly on Wii U first. Hope they haven't abandoned that idea. This slight lull after Christmas means I'm far more likely to pick up Scribblenauts, which I can't make head nor tail of yet tbh! Ninja Gaiden is a no for me - I'm not hardcore enough :p

Yep, I'll buy. Maybe not straight away though. Does this mean Wii U eshop is updated on Fridays? or can they release games whenever they like?

Rayman is out in Feb right? I thought Castlevania looked decent too. I can't complain about a game drought though because at the moment I have Mario, NLand, Batman ACAE, Sonic Racing, ZombiU, Nano Neo and Paper Mario. Going to buy Trine2 and Puddle at some point as well. Also with the 3DSXL offer I'll be getting Professor Layton free in January. What I really wanted to hear about were Euro releases of things the US already have like Code of Princess, Etrian Odyssey and Nano Assault EX. Still no word on localisations of ProjectXZone, Bravely Default etc.

I have to agree on this one. The good points for me were Lego City and Pikmin looking great (disappointed about Q2 tho) and Harmoknight. On the Wii U eshop front we have... Zen Pinball? So does this thing have a virtual console service or not? =/ Not even a date for Wonderful 101 or a scrap of actual Bayonetta 2 footage. Bit of a letdown.

The year of Wigi eh? Wonder what else is in store.

Just arrived in the post. So many games right now.. but there's always time for Paper Mario!!

Cool, coral reefs in Panorama View

Music in Pikmin 3 sounds lovely as ever. Some spectacular enemies too.