Grazza

I didn't buy it but I've got it, somehow. Yeah, it's a decent game, especially once you get past the first dungeon/boss. 3D Classics are a great way to neaten up old games here and there. I thought there would be Zelda and Metroid games in this series, but not so far... Whoah, that's lucky! Metroid Fusion and Minish Cap are the two best, I think, although I might need to put in more time with the other GBA games. As for the eShop, I'd recommend Shantae: Risky's Revenge (which is DSi Ware) and Mighty Switch Force. The latter is more difficult and not for everyone.

I'm not a big fan of Vs. fighters but I applaud them for doing it. I'd love to see some scrolling 2D brawlers like Final Fight or Double Dragon, but even better!

I'd quite like to write a comedy, but I'm terrible at being funny. What I have been told I'm good at is atmosphere and immersion told from the 1st-person perspective (I love Conan Doyle's writing, which is usually in this style). I often tinker with the idea of a story about a man overcoming his psychological problems; an allegory told through a straightforward yarn. Either that or the journey of someone who endures - and eventually escapes - a mundane job. With both these ideas, I feel I'd need much more experience and maturity to do them justice.

If I was a dictator (which I do often fantasise about), I'd consider banning all TV apart from live events. The Olympics showed how good the medium can be - how it can take you to a stadium or theatre. And - laugh all you like - I love a live spectacular like Eurovision or Dancing On Ice. But then there's the other side of TV - how it's the "default" entertainment; how they show the same old films over and over again. I hate how television can manipulate people into watching something if it's on a main channel and well-advertised. If I was being conspiratorial, I'd wonder if the authorities used TV to control how we feel. As @Ville pointed out, television - as opposed to books, games and the internet - is not about thinking or choosing. There is a lot of talk about TV shifting to the internet. If this happens, I bet there will still be schedules, as a lot of people would get confused about thinking for themselves; choosing what they want. At the end of the day, TV is what it is. I don't want to be a hypocrite, as I do enjoy a well-made programme. People gravitate towards what they like and, to me, the real issue is why anyone was being judgmental towards you in the first place, Jayseven.

Bottom is coming back! Bottom is coming back!! It's one of my Top 3 favourite-ever programmes, so I'm chuffed! With this, Red Dwarf, Vic & Bob and Alan Partridge (on Sky), it's like the '90s again!

I did use it. But then did it properly! I always had a nagging feeling I would have enjoyed Super Mario 3D Land's post-game more if I hadn't been so proud and just used the Super Leaf (as it is, I just gave up). Having used it, it makes the game even easier than I expected, but I like it even more for that. Inexperienced gamers can play the level not worrying about collisions or projectiles, but the platforming itself still takes a fair amount of skill. Why's that? I can't think. Pricing hasn't been set but most sites are calling it paid: http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30819

OK, time for a few thoughts on this... When Nintendo said they were making a "2D Mario" for the 3DS, I couldn't help but think "sprites?", which may have been naive, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. When I saw it was going to be another entry in the 2.5D New Super Mario Bros series, I thought it'd be a solid game, even though I wasn't excited. When I heard, at E3 2012, that this time it was all about collecting as many coins as possible, I thought it was just a gimmick they'd put in to differentiate it from New Super Mario Bros on the Wii U. Nintendo takes a lot of flak these days, and sometimes I think that's fair. Other times, I have to admit it's just me being a bit grumpy, and this is one of those occasions, because New Super Mario Bros 2 is a brilliant game. One man's "unoriginal" is another's "well-honed", and the 2D Mario formula is so well-developed it would be unwise to change it greatly. Not that this is identical to previous outings... not at all. Enough has been adjusted and added to make this - in my opinion - the best 2D Mario since Super Mario World. Flight is back, giving height to the levels. Fortress bosses are familiar, although they've been tweaked just enough to add freshness. The World bosses, whilst looking familiar, actually have completely original attack patterns. New Super Mario Bros 2's fixed-plane gameplay may be more accessible than the analogue stick games, but it is not easy. The final Castle in particular is very mean with power-ups! I don't mind admitting it made the Super Leaf appear. Speaking of which, in my book, the Super Leaf is Nintendo's best and most subtle innovation of recent years. It allows anyone to play through the whole game, yet is (now) unobtrusive enough not to ruin it for those who want to complete it properly. I do have a few tiny nitpicks. Personally, I don't like Mini Mushrooms, as it creates "1-hit" gameplay (which I don't like in the EAD Tokyo games either). Also, although the scale is perfect, the resolution isn't high enough to depict Mario properly, hence the pose he does at the end with just one red pixel for his mouth! But hey, there will be higher-res games in future. Other than that, the graphics are very nice, with the Fire Flower and 1Up Mushroom well-lit, and probably the best version of the Piranha Plants! Oh, the other thing I was sceptical about was the paid DLC. It's not an idea I particularly like, but again, there was no real need to be sceptical. New Super Mario Bros 2 is a full-length, challenging game. Nintendo are not short-changing people with this. So, overall a very good game that has made me want the Wii U a lot more!

30,000. Yep, I'm having more fun with it anyway.

In the context of Letterbox, "stationery" is a page that isn't blank. Some have Mario, Zelda or Dragon Quest backgrounds.

Yeah, but there are a lot of really cool vocalisations added to it. I don't know about anyone else, but the 2D Mario games are so well-honed, I'd be disappointed if it didn't have the right tunes in the right places.

It all comes back to how you can't properly translate a 2D games series into 3D without changing it. Metroid: Other M was more fun than Prime, and yet Metroid Prime was better in many ways. This is because Other M was much more like Metroid, whereas Prime (although it continues many Metroid traditions) has a lot more in common with the classic FPS than is generally acknowledged. They're both good, but different. Nintendo has to decide whether console Metroid should stay true to the classic 2D games, or dare to continue down the Prime path. Personally, I'd say keep the 2D games on handhelds, with the most elaborate sprite-scaling that can be done, because you're not going to better Zero Mission/Fusion by going the Other M route. On consoles (which after all are designed to be massive polygon-crunchers), continue down the Metroid Prime route, albeit with a 3rd-person mode and a few tweaks to things like Wall-Jumping and Screw Attack. Because Prime may be better overall, but Other M can still teach it a thing or two.

Sorry @mcj metroid, you were way out of order, on three counts: Firstly, some people are very territorial about their bedrooms, only accepting people in when they're invited (which you weren't). Secondly, laptops are personal property. He might have had something he didn't want you to see on there - maybe not illegal, but embarrassing, for instance. Thirdly, sabotaging someone's Facebook page is stupid and irritating, regardless of how many people do it. I'm not trying to insult you here, just trying to explain that your friend is totally in the right.

He was saying that, together (considered as one experience), Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are better than Minish Cap, but not separately.

First of all, I should say I very much enjoyed Metroid: Other M. Secondly, I really don't know much Team Ninja could develop what they've already built. There shouldn't be another game exactly like Metroid: Other M, but who's to say Team Ninja couldn't make something as sophisticated as Metroid Prime? My main point is this: Nintendo should have a think about clearly separating 2D and 3D in future. I can't describe this without also mentioning Mario and Metroid. 3D games are at their best when there is a full focus on making a 3D game - polygons, dual-analogue etc. This is why (I'd say) Metroid Prime, Wind Waker and Mario Sunshine are prime examples (the last one will be controversial, but it's what I believe). 2D games are at their best when they are fully 2D - sprites, d-pad etc. Prime examples are Super Metroid, Zero Mission and Fusion; Super Mario World; and Link to the Past, Link's Awakening and Minish Cap. When Nintendo (or anyone) tries to mash the styles it doesn't work so well. Eg. Metroid: Other M (which is great fun, as I say) has neither the fixed-plane movement or L and R aiming of the 2D games nor the technical sophistication of the Prime series. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were fun enough in their own right, but arguably no one's going to be as fond of them as the fully 2D or fully 3D Zeldas. So, I don't know what Team Ninja is capable of, but they key to success with the next Metroid game is a focus on it being one thing or the other.

Done World One and I love it! Whilst I don't think I'll ever understand the appeal of the "get as many coins as possible" hook of this game (and it does affect level design somewhat), it's just so nice to have side-scrolling Mario back. To me, Mario has never been better than Super Mario World, which this game is highly reminiscent of. All my Mario instincts kick in... "If I jump up there, will there be a hidden block?" "If I climb into that passage, will I find a secret exit?" etc. The gameplay formula of 2D Mario is so strong that it's always worth revisiting as long as games machines keep getting higher resolutions and better graphics.

Well, I don't think TV is too bad. To me, there are categories: Category: Comedy In the 1990s, we had Alan Partridge, Bottom, Shooting Stars and The Fast Show. In the early Noughties we had The Office and Phoenix Nights. Nowadays there are a few things you might get a chuckle out of, but nothing truly great. Verdict: Utterly awful. Category: "Reality" Shows The Only Way Is Essex, Geordie Shore etc. Brought in by Big Brother, although that hasn't been the same for many, many years. Verdict: Mainly harmless rubbish, although I'm not happy about the cruelty involved in I'm A Celebrity and (nowadays) Big Brother. Other than that, there's an audience for these and they're generally on minor channels, so live and let live. Category: Talent Shows Strictly Come Dancing, The X-Factor, Dancing on Ice etc. Verdict: They're important, even if you don't like them. They are at least wholesome and provide some much-needed live entertainment. Category: Fantasy Drama Doctor Who, Merlin, Primeval, Robin Hood etc. Verdict: Decent. Peaked around 2007-2009, really, but they are much better than the stuff they've tried in previous decades. Category: Documentary Whilst there were some good documentaries in the 1990s, the superb BBC4 means there's usually always something interesting to watch. More4 is not bad either, and The Sky At Night is still on. Verdict: In very good form. Category: Local TV I don't know how many people remember this, but local television used to be excellent. Most nights on ITV after 10.30 or 11pm, there would be something interesting on for an hour or so. Nowadays you get something like Lethal Weapon. No disrespect, but who wants to see that again? It's not what I'd call progress. Destroying local TV stations is one of the worst things that's happened to television. Verdict: Terrible! Bring it back! So, overall I don't think television is too bad at all, if only because of Digital TV. In the old days, before the internet, I watched some pretty boring stuff because there were only four/five channels! Now there is so much choice I have a much better viewing experience. However, I would like less films. If I want to see a film, there are better ways to watch them now. It's a waste of two hours' broadcasting. I would also like to see more "high quality" programmes like I mentioned earlier - Alan Partridge, Phoenix Nights etc. And finally, The Olympics were so brilliant, from the Opening Ceremony to the Closing Ceremony and everything inbetween, so let's have live shows from that stadium every weekend! Seriously, we should have much, much more live broadcasting - sports, shows, concerts - because there's nothing like it and that's what television does best.

I have just completed Minish Cap for the 2nd time! We were having a discussion on Letterbox about how good Ocarina of Time was compared to the games that came free to early adopters of the 3DS - Legend of Zelda, Zelda II and Minish Cap. I replied that OOT was way better than those games... but was that fair? Ocarina of Time is certainly a brilliant game and I don't regret recommending it, but I thought I should play this GBA Zelda again to remind myself exactly where it places in the rankings. It's been many years since I first played Minish Cap - on the GameCube, as it happens, as I didn't have a GBA at the time. After being wowed by Wind Waker, I bought a Game Boy Player and was eager for some more Zelda action. Well, for some reason the game didn't make much of an impression on me either way. I didn't dislike it but neither did I love it. Maybe it was wrong of me to expect another "Wind Waker" (or even another "Link to the Past", even though it has many of the same qualities of the latter). As such, I have never considered it one of my favourites, without having any specific criticism of it. But then I played it on my 3DS XL... It's been sitting there ever since I got it with the "Ambassador" initiative, but I always overlooked it. Until now. Playing it on a handheld, I got the feeling I was experiencing the game as it was intended for the first time. The first thing I noticed was that the sound (through headphones) is excellent - far better than it ever was on my TV. The music is beautiful and the sound effects crisp and vibrant. I found myself constantly using the items just to hear their effects! The visuals are almost as beautiful, with gorgeous animation and dashes of sprite-scaling here and there, although the environments don't re-scale as you shrink. It is here that I could almost have a grumble, and I remember this is one of the things I wasn't keen on last time - whilst it's charming when the miniature world is presented on a large scale, there are other moments when Link is represented by only a few pixels. But hey, the GBA's resolution was what it was. The other gameplay mechanic I was never too keen on was the "Four Sword" technique, but again, it didn't bother me this time, and it does create some challenging puzzles. Where Minish Cap really shines is that it's such a solid game: approximately 6 challenging dungeons - none too short, none too long - each with a boss that keeps you on your toes. It just feels like a perfectly well-rounded game. As has already been mentioned in this thread, the items are very original and fun to use. Sidequests, meanwhile, are plentiful. I found myself repeatedly trawling the map to fuse Kinstones and find the rewards for doing so. There are several sword techniques, and some of them can even be enhanced. Bomb Bags and Quivers can be upgraded far more than in previous games (I had 99 arrows!) The speed at which you fire arrows can also be upgraded, along with some of your other abilities. In fact, that's the one thing I am going to grumble about! Missables!

I've never been confused, but that'd do it!

And that's the thing - Zelda is not really about swordfighting. Link's main weapon always happened to be a sword, but it was never actually about swordfighting, which involves precise angles, clashes etc. The combat has always been more about movement and timing than what your sword was doing. To be honest, I don't think traditional controls get the credit they deserve. What about all the things a GameCube pad can do that the Wii remote can't? Camera control thanks to dual-analogue. Shield control thanks to the R-trigger. I accept motion control has added certain types of freedom, but it's also taken other types away. It's a sidestep, not a total improvement. That's true. I liked those totems (and the 4th boss) where there was a difference between horizontal and vertical. But again, it comes back to whether Zelda should be a game about standing still doing accurate sword swipes, or the "movement + timing" model of old. And as people point out, you can do vertical, horizontal and thrust without motion controls. Ideal controls, in my opinion, would be Wind Waker's twin C-stick, L + R trigger set-up, plus the "running swordswipe" from Twilight Princess. They both felt far more fluid.

With the Xbox 3 and PS4, I'll just have to wait and see if there are any exclusives I want. See what Level-5 are doing. I'll probably end up getting a Wii U, but I can see me waiting a long time to do so. From what we've seen, the launch line-up is nothing like as good as the 3DS. Pikmin 3 is the one game I want, and I'm not paying £300 or so just for that. Also, I will be buying an HDTV for the Wii U, so I really need enough games to justify the expense. Mind you, if the next Zelda doesn't use traditional controls, I won't get the console at all.

I agree. I can't say I'm too disappointed as my anticipation wasn't that high for any of them, but I am a bit surprised at how long Nintendo is taking with its 3DS games, especially Animal Crossing and Paper Mario. If they take three years to be released since the time when they were first shown (and let's not forget they actually looked quite polished), that's putting fairly minor games into the "Zelda" league! Furthermore, I know the 3DS can do better textures and such than the GameCube, but it is much lower resolution - less than SD - so I am surprised at the development times.

It's got to the point where I've sold most of my 3rd-party games and am going Nintendo-only for the moment. It's not that the 3rd-party games are low-quality, it's just that I wanted them more as something to play at the time; and they did their job admirally. If you are very keen on fighting games, I thought Street Fighter IV and Dead or Alive Dimensions were both very good. I can't talk about Kid Icarus or Mario Kart 7 because I don't own them, but other than that, I recommend: Pilotwings Resort - A game of skill, and yet one that is easy to get into. You'll probably want to make perfect landings and times, making it a long and difficult game. Music is brilliant and it's probably the most impressive technical showcase of what the 3DS can do, as the island system is so free and complex. Ocarina of Time - If not for the fact it's a remake, this would easily be the best game on 3DS, and it probably still is anyway. Nothing else I've played has such scope, with its large overworld and full set of dungeons. Better (yet faithful) graphics make it enjoyably smoother and more fluid than the N64 original (even if I do miss rumble ). Star Fox 64 - OK, I haven't played this one much, but it is a brilliant thrill ride. Be aware though that it is fairly difficult to find the alternative routes, meaning it could be a very short game depending on how you play it. For the record, you can easily "complete" it and beat the end boss in one sitting... but as I say, there is more to it than that if you're good enough. Super Mario 3D Land - This was released around the same time as Skyward Sword... and this was the much better game, in my opinion. It's a blast. To be honest, I sold my copy but regret it. Admittedly, I didn't have the patience for the post-game, but the main game itself is a joy. And on eShop... Mighty Switch Force - Not Nintendo, but it's my favourite. Gameplay revolves around platforming and phasing-in and -out three different types of block. Be aware though that it gets very difficult later on and you need a head for puzzling as well as quick reactions and platform skills.

Oh, I see. I was getting a bit confused here. It is absolutely true that the speakers are not quite as good as the original 3DS - that's official! There is not as much space for circular ones, so they're long and thin. Through headphones though? Not officially, but I'd be interested to see if anyone else came to the same conclusion as me. People have asked me on Letterbox whether the 3DS XL is worth getting, and if I leave it too late I'm never going to answer, so here goes: The two things that sum up the 3DS XL for me are "huge screens" and "low component quality". Or at least "lower". There is no doubt about it - due to the warmth/yellow tinge, the screens are not as good as the launch day 3DS. As for the sound, I've given up testing it. During my initial tests, I was reasonably sure the sound quality on the XL is not quite as good. I'm not even sure the connector jack is as high-quality, as I get the odd "crackle" or split-second dip in sound every so often. But you can't ignore the screens. I simply would not want to go back to smaller screens now; but then, I suffer from eyestrain and screen size on a handheld is important to me. I'm not going to criticise Nintendo about PPI as it's not their fault. As soon as the 3DS XL was announced (in fact, anytime before), you could say it would have a lower PPI than the 3DS. It's just how it works. Furthermore, there is a distance at which you can hold the XL where it is no longer pixellated, yet you still get the benefit of the bigger screens. Basically, you get used to it. So, worth buying? It depends on two things: 1) How important big screens are to you; and 2) Whether you have a launch day 3DS. As I say, large screens on a handheld are important to me, so I always knew I would get a 3DS XL if they made one. If you do not have any type of 3DS, I would just about say the XL is the one to buy, assuming component quality has been lowered in both 3DS models now. If you have a launch day 3DS (which I did), I would be a bit more cautious before you decide to swap it.

To be honest, I wish more games stuck to what they knew. I just want games to get better, not necessarily different. Of course, I don't want the exact same game as the GameCube original, but it won't be.

Rummy, you've invented a new verb!