Grazza

OK, thanks Shiekah. PS3s are indeed cheap, it's just that I'm also thinking about the best time to buy an HDTV (I tend to overcomplicate things). I have a vague idea about PS3 exclusives (I'd definitely get Journey, for instance), and I don't have an Xbox 360 either so I would also use it for multi-format games. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Really undecided about whether to buy a PS3 for this. If I had the system I'd buy the game in a heartbeat, but I don't. From what I've seen it looks like the successor to Dragon Quest VIII (although obviously not quite) that I always wanted. Hmm...

I think this is an excellent point. I've thought for a few years now that Nintendo's biggest problem is resources. They spend so long making games that people won't be so excited about, and yet do not have something like a Metroid or a Zelda every year, which people would more likely be enthused by. I know they can't make a Zelda every year, but I mean the equivalent. Now as for a Pokémon RPG (and this is not aimed at you, Retro Link, just talking generally now), I'm going to stay neutral on that one, as I don't play them. When I see any videos of Ni No Kuni, my foremost thought is "Get Level-5 making a new Dragon Quest!" It'd be a great shame if they never made another, as they're so talented.

I started replaying this today too. It is indeed brilliant fun. Better still, it's my free, digital copy, so I won't be tempted to sell it! Personally, I like NSMB 2 as well. I just feel Mario is the series Nintendo hasn't put a foot wrong with recently, on either Wii or 3DS. Thanks Nintendo!

I know this is random, but I really fancy a Nintendo Direct.

Personally, I would go digital as long as the price was cheap enough to counteract the money I could get back for selling it 2nd-hand. I'd certainly love to have Zelda, Dragon Quest, Animal Crossing etc always in my 3DS, but I think the download cards (if they ever appear) need to be about £20-25.

I always thought the DS was underpowered, actually. Not generationally - "N64" generation felt right for handhelds at the time - but it was low-res and had a very low polygon count. I suspect there are not many 3D machines that had a lower polygon count, actually, aside from the SNES's Super FX chip. Apart from that, I got an XL and absolutely loved it from that moment forward. Now as for the 3DS, I thought that felt "right" from day one, but that's just me. Re: Supermarkets. My local Tesco now has the Premium Pack back in stock, but I've still not seen anything Wii U-related in ASDA. Excellent points, Lens of Truth. I do think 4K has a far better chance than 3D, but it will take a long time. Unlike 720/1080p, there is no new disc format specially for it; file sizes will be even bigger; and there's not much chance of any broadcasts for now. No, I do not think it has any bearing on the Wii U, but I still think Sony and Microsoft may have been waiting for 4K TVs, if only to have that as an output option. It will be a benefit for web browsing, and you'll probably be able to set the consoles to upscale everything to 4K (like you can do with the Wii U with 1080p). I am absolutely not criticising Nintendo about 4K though.

Online wasn't as important back then. Dreamcast pioneered it that generation (with it being most associated with Xbox), but you can't seriously think it was make or break in those days? Many of us still used 56k! What I mean by "GameCube Approach" is a powerful console with a good controller and games people actually want to play. Plus, it made a profit. Nintendo has started to think people will buy their machines without any real reason to. It has also started to think including a gimmick is absolutely essential, and yet has started making huge losses every time one fails to repeat the success of the Wii. Not a coincidence.

Sorry if this has been posted, but there is a 3D platformer from Shin'en called Jet Rocket Super Surf on its way. Sounds promising. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/01/jett_rocket_3ds_surfing_onto_the_eshop_early_this_year Nor do I. Every so often I type "Oracle of Ages" or "Oracle of Seasons" into the eShop's search engine, just to give them a hint!

I don't want the Wii U to fail (and I'm sure it won't) but I hope this blows apart the myth that "The GameCube Approach" is a terrible one.

No... they just said they hate Fawful.

I actually suspect Microsoft and Sony have been waiting for 4K televisions to hit the market. They're expensive, but so were 1080p TVs when the Xbox 360 launched. Games probably won't be able to run in 4K, but nor could the Xbox 360/PS3 run much at 1080p. It'll probably be an option for things like internet browsing and 2D games.

Wii 2 for me as well.

Same here, FK. I was going to buy it at full price if my local supermarket had it on release day (which it didn't). Now it has it, but it's £35, and it's probably too late to get the sticker book. All in all, I'm trying to take a break from gaming at the moment and Sticker Star doesn't sound good enough to justify the time and money just now. If they had tried to make a 10/10 RPG it'd be different. What I don't understand about the "obscurity" issue is that Nintendo (or at least Grezzo) actually invented the best hint system I have ever seen, namely the Oracle Stones in Ocarina of Time 3D. You'd crawl inside them and the game would intelligently (and brilliantly) know which bits you were stuck on and show you how to do it. What I'm saying is that you don't have to have the extreme of "handholding" or the extreme of "obscurity" - there's a perfectly good middle ground.

No grinding at all. Honestly, this has the highest enemy encounter rate out of any RPG I've played. Generally speaking, if a dungeon was level 20, I'd start it at level 20 and be level 30 by the time I'd beaten its boss. They eventually grow special antennae, such as Double Gold, Always Treasure or (apparently) Revive All.

One of my favourite items of clothing is "Skulls" (is that available yet for you?), because it has the Ghostbuster ability built-in. A red Denpa Man wearing that shouldn't have too much trouble in the Volcano. You can also equip Water Bracelets for a water attack. This game really is all about elemental defence. If I have Denpa Men of an appropriate colour for a dungeon, I tend to just use clothing for elemental defence (and give them an attack bracelet). If I have Denpa Men who are weak to the current element, I use clothes and bracelets to protect them - useful if you've got one with an in-built ability you want, but is otherwise weak. It's just pure luck whether you get any with that type of ability (I think you've got one now?) Personally, I only got that for the water attack.

Ah well, doesn't put me off. In all my favourite pictures, no underwear is visible at all!

It's like when I quote Frankie Howerd in Up Pompeii - no one ever has a clue what I'm talking about. But who cares? Not everyone can like highbrow things.

I'm not surprised you've got them walking around in their bras, RedShell!

I think they were around 60 (I'll edit this post if that's incorrect) when I'd beaten every post-game boss, but I started the post-game as soon as I'd beaten the main game (which I think was around level 45). For me, there was absolutely no grinding in this game, as the enemy encounter rate is so high. Part of the post-game involves doing a long section without warp points. After a while, I just equipped the Roller Skates and ran from every battle until I got to the bosses, because I just couldn't get around the map without being distracted. As for the museum? No, I've explored all my local radio waves (looking suspicious as I did so, no doubt!) and I'm way off getting all the skills. Luckily, I got far more of the single-target attacks (all of them, in fact) than the multi-target ones, so that was good for bosses. Strangely, I hardly got any with buffs or debuffs.

1. Nintendo unveils Zelda 3DS at GDC in March. If they don't, alarm bells will ring. 2. E3 disappoints once again. Fans say: "E3 is no longer aimed at us, wait 'til Nintendo Direct." 3. Nintendo Direct disappoints. Fans say: "Nintendo Direct isn't aimed at us, wait for E3." 4. Nintendo's "big" game of 2013 is Wii Sports U. When fans are underwhelmed, Reggie reacts by saying "You insatiable buggers!!" 5. The big "bridge" game of 2013 is Mario Kart U (Zzzzzzz...) 6. GameCube titles will not be available on the Virtual Console, due to lack of analogue triggers. Nintendo's explanation is "Shucks, we didn't think of that." 7. In November, Nintendo suddenly remembers a number of "boring" games they've been working on that they didn't think anyone would be interested in, and subsequently unveils Wind Waker 2: The New Land, a 2D Metroid that makes the SNES one look pants and Twilight Princess 2: What Link Did Next.

So, at 27 hours, I have completed the post-game. It is my 2nd-most played game on the 3DS, beaten only by Ocarina of Time. It's a decent game, but does have a habit of offering you clothes for sale precisely after you really need them. The shop has loads of really cool stuff for sale now but I've no intention of playing it again! For some reason, I feel like a long rest before I play another game!

I wish I was as secure as you two. I watch Dancing on Ice, but that's as far as I go. (In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to seeing your designs!)

This is fantastic news, and if Etrian Odyssey IV and Bravely Default have to take this route too, then great. I still think there must be room on shop shelves for Dragon Quest VII though. Good to see most of the games I wanted coming over here anyway.

This really does sound better the more I hear about it. With its success in Japan and news of a sequel, it does seem to have a decent chance of coming out over here. I want to try out all the jobs!