Lens of Truth

After taking your advice I'm really getting into the swing of it now! Got up to the hammer boss guy, got killed and saved there. The game is at times magisterially brilliant and I love that the atmosphere is closer to the Burton films and animated series, rather than the pompous, po-faced grandstanding of the Nolans.

It must be me then!! I'm really awful and clueless. I always feel swamped by them. =/ Basically I just want to explore and solve puzzles. Fighting feels like a chore.

My mates' jaws dropped when I threw this up on the projector last night. They agree it's joint best looking game with Nintendo Land I've been spread so thin over all my launch games that I haven't really managed to dig in to this yet and suss out the finer points of the score system. Wasn't going to buy it at all until I'd at least finished Mario, but couldn't resist with all the glowing comments on Miiverse! Up to the Zeta levels so far and loving it. Well done to Dcubed and Madeinbeats for topping the leader board!

Yup, off-tv is supported. Looks rather nice for the most part on the gamepad too. I'm enjoying this so far, but the combat is a bit clunky and mashy for my tastes. Perhaps I'll get used to it.

Played one match, Arsenal / Man City. Not a football guy at all so didn't have a clue what I was doing! Still won 2-1 tho. Fun enough but probably the most 'last gen' game I've played on the system so far. Last time I played a FIFA game was probably PS1!

Downloaded the demo of this. Gonna give it a try!

It amazes me that so many modern TVs default to terrible settings. They think we all want an ugly, contrasty, over-sharpened, de-noised, motion-smeared, cropped image! Now admittedly some of that rubbish can beauty shop an SD broadcast (depending on how far you are from the screen!). With proper HD material, however, it only degrades the quality. I think this overscan thing is used because a lot of TV programs have weird coloured bars and artifacts around the edge - even BBC HD has them sometimes. For films and games it's a no-no. Thanks for clearing it up!

Haven't even bought a single game from the eshop yet, as I've been overwhelmed by how good the five retail games I have are! Struggling to split time between them. Also not even started ZombiU yet

So after a good multiplayer sesh on this tonight I'm convinced Nintendo Land is a work of genius Metroid Blast, Luigi's Ghost Mansion, even flipping Mario Chase! My friends and I agreed it even beats Wii Sport for fun factor. Half the time in Wii Sports, as much as i loved it at the time, it felt like you were doing these token gestures and the game was playing itself for you - not so here. Admittedly, I haven't tried all the attractions yet. It's like being a kid in a sweet shop!

If you set the Wii U to 720p Batman runs as smoothly if not smoother than the 360 version! Tried it today. I do find that the default 1080p upscaling adds a modicum of extra sharpness and softens jags a little, it pops a little more, but it's not really significant (it's rendering at 720 anyway!). Give it a go!

Sony does have the mind share in the UK, at least in the 20/30 something male demographic. Nintendo games only exist as a laughing stock to these guys. One Apple fan I know said he thinks the Wii U is an "interesting concept" vs the Wii which he thought was awful. And as the release is getting closer a few of my non-gamer friends have been asking about it a lot, but I think my that's because my hype has rubbed off! It's really brought home what an odd pitch the console and its launch games are though - it's tough explaining how NSMBU is "different" to its Wii predecessor for instance, and they say the posters they've seen all make it look like just a controller! ZombiU and Nintendo Land are the best games to demonstrate what's new about the system of course, but again it's really something you have to try for yourself!

Wow, nice one Mike! So... it's all up in the air now, anything could happen

Agree with most of what's been said, including the lack of a true Triforce jingle and Twilight Princess as the polar opposite. TP works because it's such a unified score. The suite really brings that out, without the need for significant alterations to the arrangements, which is remarkable and I think indicates that they may have been considering orchestra (there are vestigial elements remaining in the demo music and I seem to remember some comments to that effect from Koji Kondo during development). Skyward Sword is lacking that unity and strong Zelda character, but it's a first tentative step towards adopting a broader orchestral palette. Generally Zelda overworld themes involve a simple chugging bass rhythm with fanfare like melodies over the top, but for the flight theme they really tried for something more fluid. Another factor in its lack of a distinct identity might be too many cooks spoiling the broth. I know Zelda scores have been increasingly team efforts from Wind Waker on, but the sheer volume of music in SS may have spread things a little thinly. Also only one track by Koji Kondo, probably added late into production as no thematic material recurs from it during the game (one of so many missed opportunities). I'm still hoping we get a proper soundtrack release of this one day! If I had to pick one favourite it would probably be Wind Waker as well! The whole soundtrack is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end as a straight listening experience - something that can't quite be said of TP.

Well, it's worth waiting for and only academic whether we get it before the Wii U arrives, after all! A bad list is a bad list forever, but a delayed list... I forget how it goes.

No, nor has mine. I wonder if they're going to wait till Friday after all. Kind of suits me, as I'll be off then, but I'm pretty busy tomorrow. Also the update isn't likely to go live till, what, mid-afternoon Fri (knowing NoE)?

I think I prefer the idea of the green one (also hardcover) to fake leather. Gilt-edged pages is nice though.

I'm afraid I actually loved Yoshi's Story- cutesy Yoshi singing and all! Just a bit too easy and short lived. Really hope this is true.

Agree with all of @Jonnas suggestions. Fi's theme is particularly haunting when it's played on piano and strings at the end. I'm not going to try to convince you because music is such a subjective thing, but I may as well offer a case for what is good about Skyward Swords soundtrack. For a start, I really liked the sky theme! It's so different to what you'd expect, yet it fits the sense of youthful adventure perfectly - the spikey, mercurial woodwinds and strings in the first section are almost in search of a theme and then you get the gorgeously lush romantic second section primary on cellos with little chiptune-like punctuations. I honestly think it's really original stuff - lazy is the opposite of what I'd call it. I'm also a fan of the Ocarina of Time Field music though, which in a more pronounced way is like a nascent suggestion of the main Zelda overworld theme - it's really a bunch of variations in search of its subject! What they should have done in Skyward Sword is have the flying theme change over the course of the game and maybe build in more florishes of the NES theme (at least it appears in the credits though!). I do think the soundtrack is a mixed bag. The early portions of the game have much stronger more memorable stuff that captures a spirit of freshness, optimism and friendship: Audio Audio Audio Those last two are both not-so-distant cousins to the folky title piece and pirate tune from Wind Waker as well! Family resemblances between themes and the unconscious connections they make have always been one of the best things about Zelda music IMO. Unfortunately there's also A LOT of generic filler where the music's just treading water: Audio I won't quote others, and that's by no means the worst offender, but you get the picture. It even happens during some crucial story sequences as well, like the face of at the ruined Temple of Time. The Eldin region has pretty weak tracks as well that land on the wrong side of ambient. Also wouldn't it be great to hear a twang of guitar in Lanayru? @Dcubed has posted about Faron Woods being a great track and I agree - great in the way that it just sort of creeps up on you slowly and you realise what a magical woodland atmosphere it creates. While it's patchy, I think there's enough good material there and promise for Zelda music expanding its horizons in the future (which it does need to do).

Fair enough. I have a great deal of trouble picking between WW, TP and SS. To me they all had minor issues, highs and lows. Still all great, but not quite to the level of the Zeldas that feel pretty much perfect - LTTP, LA, OOT, MM. The whole of Wind Waker's final sequence was stunning, even if Ganondorf himself was too easy, and what an ending! Twilight Princess' boss(es) felt more rote and clunky to me. Demise was easy, once you sussed him, but I panicked and got knocked about a fair bit, with the motion plus losing its calibration! Think I enjoyed it so much because it was a test of nerve as much as anything and the GREAT atmosphere and visuals, really pushing the Wii. His pulsating fiery mane, the ethereal water/sky, obligatory lightning, all brilliant. Oh, and I love the way the music ramps up from the initial to the final phase, with very subtle but unmistakable suggestions of the chromatic crawl of Ganondorf's theme (most prominent in the second track): I seem to remember you not being a fan of the music at all, but I find that it grows on me the more I hear it.

I'll have to try the Style Boutique demo, seeing as there are so many converts. Layton is still a no-brainer; very impressed by what I played of it. I was just thinking, this would be a great way for @Grazza to reclaim 3D Land and play the special worlds. Remember him saying he regretting trading it. If none of the others tickle his fancy of course. Best Nintendo freebie yet? Factoring the price of one of these in together with my original 3DS trade means I only paid £40 for the XL! Bargain!

I can't think of a better way to bid farewell to the Wii. Wish I'd done the same now. Been trying to polish off a few things on the 3DS because it probably won't get a look in for a while! I think you're right about what's left iirc, should be able to get it done in a few hours definitely. The final boss is just so amazing! The more I reflect on it the more I think the ending is an inspired set-up for the series. It strikes exactly the right tone and does it all with such timelessness and economy, not a word or gesture wasted.

What a fantastic offer! Glad I held off on Miracle Mask now

Quite right. Just didn't want to go straight into a second quest without at least some sort of carrot at the end of the stick. I really enjoyed Skyward Sword so I wanted it to stay special. The 3DS has kept me pretty distracted since then and now the Wii U arrives tomorrow! It will be attempted sooner or later though!

Shipped!!!!

Shame there's no extra reward for completing this in Hero Mode, otherwise I'd have set to it! [Or is there? Mokong will have to keep us informed!] Might have a shot in run up to Zelda U