tapedeck

T'was a fun review for N-Europe.

Wait...Allan is still alive? Thought he was a goner after the trauma of part one. Moral of the story: girls always come back when you call them by another name?

Nintendo sales talk is huge news to this industry as we're all concerned. Seems like click bait with the timing and I don't recall a similar article for the PS3/4 or 360/XBone. Maybe this represents a bias? When I visited IGN the other day I was greeted by a HUGE XBone advertisement covering their article. How can they be impartial with such representation all over their website? At least Euroganer went and researched a developer who has worked with WiiU. A better approach would have been to interview a current developer and then have presented one article arguing both sides of the story. This would have represented a broader approach and gained more respect. A lot of what is represented is only anecdotal evidence but, if true, represents an interesting insight into the internal workings of Nintendo at least.

You mean Skyrim, right? I played that on the PS3 at launch. How that was allowed to come out I'll never know. I don't remember any glitches in SS. Guess that's the beauty of Nintendo software that is sometimes forgotten about.

Just stopped playing this with GF. Some courses should come with breakup warnings. On harder worlds and it went something like this: Me: OK, follow me Her: OK *She dies, falling off a ledge* Me: what the hell? Her: I literally have no idea what happened then. I didn't do that... Me: OK, be careful, we have like 2 lives left. Bubble up until I get past this bit Her: OK Me: Alright, un-bubble and wait for me incase I die (in-game obviously) Her: OK Me: Right, we're through. Did you see how PrO that was? Me: *I be feeling smug* Her: Ummm...looked easy-ish actually Me: Yeah yeah. OK, this way... Her: Which way? Me: *this* way... Her: Where? Me: On the TV...look...watch me. Her: Oh.There! You should have said!! Me: *Give me strength!* *She dies, walking into a goomba...* Me: SERIOUSLY? What the hell? What did I say?? Her: It was your fault! You ran off! You always leave me! Me (Under my breath), I'm tempted... Her: I'll bubble up - that’s what you want anyway! Me: Sigh...OK. Her: *Silent* Me: you're glaring at me aren't you? You'll put me off and we'll have to start again! I'll get us through this bit, OK? Me: hngggg Her: aaaah Me: shiiiii... Her: Ffffff... Me: *Reaches flagpole and pumps fist, turning to smile at her* Her: Aww... I can't believe you left me in a bubble. You always leave me!! Me: *Feeling my moment of triumph, has been dashed* Me: woman, you be crazy,.. always be bubblin' Her: FUNNY! Me: OK, you pick the next one... *Three hours later* Love this game. Apparently she does. Have no idea why lol.

Dat be crazy! Some people's sense of entitlement borders on psychosis. There is a whole world outside...always available. And the graphics are amazing. Gaming should be a part of your life, not the be-all, end-all. : peace:

Each area felt like N64 era 3D platform areas. Like Banjo Tooie or something. I missed a vast (grounded) overworld and a real sense of adventure. I got to the bit where I have to find a windmill piece and I know where it is...but I just...can't be bothered to go back. It just felt like I was completing minor activities stacked on top of each other to view another Fi-fest. :-( The game irks me as it's the only console Zelda I've not finished. I meant to go through it during the Christmas break but I just felt like it would be a waste of my time. Maybe it was a pacing issue. I wanted to love it and enjoyed the art style and new areas...but it just never clicked with me.

I agree. Was playing ACIV and SM3DW with the Pro Controller thinking the GPad is a nice extra (and I do like it), but it's not a necessity. SMW3D shows a huge reversal of the GPad integration. Only the Captain Toad (and a couple of touch/blowy levels really require it. Just seemed...strange. Get the price down to £150 with a Wii remote or Pro Controller and the 'core' audience will probably get a WiiU as a second console - like they did last gen. There is just enough difference already. Add an alternative Nintendo. Been playing DKCR on the 3DS (enjoying it more actually...less brutal!) and wasn't a huge fan of the re-do due to DKC1-3 being my fav. games on the SNES. This is shaping up to be great but having played Rayman and Mario bros.U, I'm having a 2D burnout. Also, SMW3D ticks the 2.5/3D box.

Yeah, able to boot brawl from HDD with no mods. Sounds good. New stages/characters is enough for me. And speed. Missed the frantic nature of melee.

I found the Emily Rogers article very interesting but it left a sour taste in regards to where the industry was heading at the time - and where it now is for me tbh. Yamauchi was right about all those big AAA games taking developers out of the industry. I think the Wii is to be applauded not lauded by power-hungry gamers as it offered developers a new route in the industry. A new financial opportunity that said 'hey, it's about the games not the graphics' a lot of devs missed those opportunities. I believe the Wii was a revolution...but many studios followed the existing herd and lost money/went out of business. This gen has reverted to type with the might of SONY and MS powering their way through. Thankfully, I'm enjoying Nintendo's vision of the industry. We don't all want the same and I'm happy playing some of the best titles in the industry on WiiU and 3DS. I fondly remember the GameCube and valued Nintendo's differing attitude to the industry at the time. Wind Waker was like the ultimate two-fingers up at the way the industry was demanding more realistic graphics. It remains timeless too in a way that animation/Disney films do. That's the creative might and opportunity of this industry. I believe the pursuit of realism is a dead end as we'll hit a point where we can't get any more realistic. Next we'll be debating which console to buy games on based on things like Lara Croft's hair. Ugh. When the videogame system was born from the UK and Japan we had such a diverse range of humorous, creative titles which were technically astute. I feel as a gamer that the industry is now more Americanised/commodified through cross-platform releases/ports and genres that are western focused. The big third party developers are now shaping this industry - forcing MS and SONY to pay for exclusive content (which I believe doesn't benefit gamers). Heck, they are now interjecting on how a machine should be built such is their sway. Tbf to Nintendo, they did listen to third parties but decided to go their own way. That should be commended. If the EA Origin rumours are true, even better... I'd rather Nintendo had power over their own decisions than a third party like EA, who typify everything that is wrong with the American approach to business. Namely, extract as much money from them then chuck them on the heap when they are done. That Eurogamer article seems to add more kindle to the burning fire of disdain for Nintendo's business decisions. All systems are 'hard' to develop for upon launch and the WiiU isn't built as a port machine like the PS4/XBone appear to be (from the PC). The industry needs variety and I would argue that 'society' still needs variety and to celebrate difference. We need a powerhouse company that produces titles that are family/child friendly and welcoming. Sad truth: I was playing SMW3D last week with my GF'S brother who is 9. He asked me why I play games that are made for children. I told him because they are fun and growing up doesn't have to be serious. He wanted GTA for Christmas. And got Mario with a WiiU but even he had an inferiority complex. Perhaps this is a cultural challenge Nintendo will continue to face in the west. The desensitisation of children to violence and their subsequent dismissal of things that appear child-like could be Nintendo's biggest challenge in the west. Another debate perhaps. That's why I enjoy Nintendo. Their ideology is unique and fun. Something that is worth waiting 6 months at a time for. That should be celebrated more.

Cheers Rummy. Was running it off HDD. Have all relevant CMIOS etc. mods running on our original Wii. Our black Wii (newer version for the family) hasn't been touched soI'll keep tinkering with the launch Wii. I Will try the NTSC Disk first as have both PAL and NTSC versions of the game so have plenty of options. When trying through USB Loader GX it was giving me save data errors in the loader, before launch. I'd deleted the SD content in stage maker (including originals too) but this was a loader issue. Saw some guy asking about it on another site but the replies weren't related. As I say, I'll try again at some point and let you know. In the meantime, impressions please!

Probably not. Even the new film has gone all Michael Bay so any tie-in will probably rock up only on SONY/MS machines too. Shame as the 'Tuytles' (as bebop and Rocksteady would say) are a match made in heaven with Nintendo platforms. Even the Wii 'Brawl' rip-off was a nice fit for the system. 2014 HAS to be the year of the VC.

Should have come back in the store, interrupted and swept her off her feet saying she is freakin' epic. Or written a letter to GAME about her, saying it's the best customer service you've ever received. Karma and all that... Although don't GAME sack you for good customer service? I was sneaking some games on this the other day. I say sneaking as it has become some kind of alluring beacon that must apparently only be played when my GF is around. She doesn't want to miss anything in the game. Even though she spends half of it in a bubble. :P

I still think there are definitely gaps in the market once more that require filling and Nintendo have brand loyalty/retro craving gamers to assist them. Gaps that didn't exist when, say, 1080 Avalanche launched as EA had dropped SSX titles all over the place. Good systems offer breadth of software as well as quality. What we have now represents an opportunity for a company like Nintendo to create breadth. Instead we get more 2D platformers... Not to be picky but I thought Goldeneye released after Doom and Turok on the N64? Nintendo selected the 'dream team' of developers like Midway/Rare/Paradigm giving them unprecedented access to their Silicon Graphics N64 dev tools - but Midway went bankrupt, Paradigm weren't bought up having proved their worth with great flight sim and F1 titles, and when Rare were sold, Nintendo had lost their allies. Just like they did with Factor5 and Silicon Knights. There is a pattern emerging here... But what I don't understand is how Nintendo still have strong developers like Monster Games/Next Level Games/Monolith/Retro/NST yet appear to have a reduced portfolio. I don't want to appear as 'knee-jerk' but their console isn't selling. A call to arms is needed. NST made the STUNNING Ridge Racer for the N64 and then Wave Race and 1080 for the GC. After Metroid Hunters, Project HAMMER was cancelled and they now do WiiU Chat, VC emulators and apps. Talk about wasted talent - especially when DigiPen graduates don't seem to be feeding into NST. Those students should have insanely close ties with NST - as one of the head staff founded DigiPen. Instead, companies like Valve secure the DigiPen talent. Iwata talks about risk taking and having a separate identity but Nintendo don't seem to take the risks anymore. Where's the Eternal darknesses? Geists? Even Excite Trucks? When they saw Excitetruck push half a million they followed it up with Excitebits which only saw release in the US and sold half of that. Then it takes Operation Rainfall for them to release titles on a console with NO games in America. Things aren't right if that's the approach. At least there's hope...long-time Nintendo advocate Alex Ward has left Criterion and started a new company teasing 'Project Zero'. I can dream it's F-Zero...right? They appear so much more insular under Iwata that it's becoming embarrassing. This. A million times. I remember sitting their wondering what the hell I'd just seen. WiiU was DOA.

Damn...was looking at the PAL charts for this week. No WiiU games at all in there. Ouch. As is always quoted, best Nintendo is up against the wall Nintendo. It's time to deliver though, surely? To be honest, I'm enjoying the system and I think not having tons of games is almost a given with a Nintendo console, but when the games do arrive they are usually really enjoyable. However, as much as Nintendo did speak to my gaming needs during the Wii era (I was gaming less and with the family), I've been playing some GCN games recently and I think now would be a great time for the 64/GCN games to either make a comeback on the WiiU VC or see sequels. Waverace/1080/StarFox/FZero. (Interesting article on the death of 'arcade' racers if anyone didn't read it.) In the current market I think Nintendo need Unique Selling Points in regards to software for WiiU - especially when the charts are lit up with Sports/FPS games. This could be their great approach to bring gamers back to their stable. Their range of characters/settings exists. I'm never ’too' fussed about the sales of a machine but when it starts affecting the software then we have a problem. I'm still gutted the GCN never saw PES outside of Japan. And with no EA on WiiU - well, that's unprecedented right there. Things are concerning yet 2014 will give us our clearest indications as to Nintendo's future. They need allies more than ever and in their developed relationships with Monster games/Next Level Games, have software houses that can bring great games to the table. They just need to really pull out all of the stops this year otherwise I feel they really could love the core Nintendo gamers they have slowly been losing. Interesting times...

Best music I'll give you that. I quite enjoyed it at the time I must admit. Taken from Wiki: Midway's original title of the game was The Absolution, but the name was changed to Doom 64 for brand recognition. ("The Absolution" was reused as the name of the last level of the game.) Interesting how Midway were keen to put so much original content on the N64. Would be nice to see from another developer in the current climate!

I agree @Ashley It would have been good to see how many would buy a WiiU with a price reduction.

Not surprised to see the PS4 up there as a Christmas present. No XBone on their Christmas poll though? A lot of people I know we're bought a PS4 as the 'cool' present this year. My Facebook feed was rammed with pics of kid's and adults presents, and a lot of them had PS4’s. I set my GF's dad's PS4 up on Christmas Day and he wanted to play online on FIFA. Told them there was a charge - he was raging lol. In comparison, interesting to see the Wii U figure. Still think Nintendo royally ballsed Christmas up by not having Mario Kart ready for market.

I have tried but have been unable to get it to load using USB Loader GX. :-( Have given up on it as doesn't seem to be any firm advice out there.

Re-connected my WiiU again last night at home and it connected fine.

Lovely first ending. Sweet, Disney-esque rousing atmosphere and the music was godly. The next few levels have been a real change in difficulty already. Wanted to be Mario throughout, but doesn't seem possible...yet!

Same with date and time. Totally ruined Animal Crossing for me.

Couldn't resist. Came across 'wonkerish'. You should work for Nintendo. Nice to see this picking up multiple awards. The eurogamer article is a good read. I like how they talk about the levels being dioramas making you want one more go. Me and my GF were saying this earlier how they look like little toys bristling with fun and intrigue. I'm all for the 3D exploration games but daaayum this is superb and has the one-more-go factor in spades.

Playing this ever so slowly to really make the magic last. Me and GF were playing it earlier and saw this little Miiverse comment. Helped that I was wearing the cat suit too.