Grazza

If this is released in Europe, it will be a Day 1 purchase for me. I loved Guardian Heroes and the animation in this looks superb.

I completely agree with that last bit. Honestly, I've always thought technical details were the No.1 problem with Twilight Princess, not "it feeling too much like OOT" or "the formula getting stale" (neither of which I agree with). Link was indeed tiny. There were only a few places (like Agatha's house) where you could see how good the character model was. Also, like I say (probably too much), it really annoyed me that the R-trigger didn't correspond to the shield. All these technical things meant TP just didn't feel right to me. Skyward Sword fixed loads of these, it really did, as well as bringing the NPCs and enemy designs back to being more Zelda-like. I really do commend a lot of what Skyward Sword did, which is why if I criticise any of it, I genuinely mean I don't like that aspect, not hate the whole game.

I used the Motion Plus add-on and got the "running around in circles" problem many, many times in boss fights.

Yep, going to watch it soon.

Loved the replies by @darksnowman and @RedShell. Thanks guys. Very good ichthyosaur by @Adthegreat.

Was it? That's surprising. By coincidence, I missed the name of the writer at the beginning and just assumed it was Steven Moffat (and on good form at that). What I love about this programme (apart from the superb performances) is that although it's extremely complicated, it's the sort of complexity that you can understand when it's explained. I must admit, I didn't find the ending plausible when I was watching it, but the discussion about it makes perfect sense. As ever, it was just because I missed the clues. Sheer genius.

Well, that was genius. I don't really have much to say about it, other than it's dynamite. I can't remember any television drama ever being so good.

The light works again today, thanks @Ike.

Sorry about my latest one. I did it last night and got carried away.

This is a bit of a silly post, but I was walking into the park yesterday when I heard scampering behind me. I looked and two Scottie dogs were following me! They were part of a larger group, with a couple more Scotties behind them, but they had broken away to follow me. It was just like the Market scene in OOT!

Got a little bit of a problem. Lent someone my 3DS for a bit today, but took the precaution of removing the SD card first. Since I've got it back, the light that glows blue/green/orange no longer works, even though I've definitely got SpotPasses and friends have gone online whilst I've had it on. Does anyone know how to get it working again?

@darksnowman - my latest sketch was just a face, not a particular character, but I appreciate the response.

I have just had the pleasure of completing Metroid Fusion once again, this time on 3DS. More than ever, I am convinced it is amongst the very best games Nintendo has ever produced. Why is it so good? Mainly the way it looks, plays and feels. Whilst I am not as keen on the aesthetic of this as I am Zero Mission, that is a very, very minor quibble and mainly based on the fact Samus is not in her normal Varia Suit, thus the game has a less orange colour palette than usual. The sprites themselves are big and chunky, whilst the graphics engine is used for some very effective in-game storytelling. Plugging in some headphones, Metroid Fusion is even more an aural treat than it is visual. From the ripple of a plasma beam to the whoosh of a diffusion missile, the game never fails to excite the ears. But it is the stellar gameplay that holds it all together. Running round the space station is an absolute joy, as Samus jumps, blasts and boosts through walls, finding hidden rooms. Every jump and laser blast feels just right. Bosses are particularly impressive, at first seeming difficult, but uniquely satisfying once you work out the right techique. It is the game's structure that may divide fans the most: previously-open doors are often locked, as Samus is given orders to go elsewhere, thus you can find yourself not being able to explore as much as you might like. At the other extreme, there are some baffling moments where you're not really given enough clues as to where to find your target. Overall though, Metroid Fusion does a fantastic job of keeping you on course and keeping the pacing up. The exciting story is probably Metroid's best, and I appreciated it even more now I've played Other M. Graphics: 9/10 Sound: 10/10 Gameplay: 9.5/10 Overall: 9.5/10 To me, it is truly one of the Top 3 Nintendo games. I hope they may one day surpass it.

Is that without a data plan? If so that's much better than I expected.

I agree it's not an achievement to play RPGs, but guess what...? Nor is it to play action games. OK, if you're good at action games you'll have more skill than an RPG gamer, but none of it matters. The only reason to play any genre is fun. Whilst I realise the article doesn't tell people to stop playing RPGs, I am rather surprised that anyone would associate "pride" with them anyway. When I think back to how much I enjoyed Dragon Quest VIII - exploring all the castles, listening to the beautiful score, as well as all the laughs - that's what gaming's about, just as it's also about firing off a diffusion missile in Metroid or fighting Ganon in Zelda. It's how much you enjoy the game that counts, not what type of game it is.

Been laughing my head off at some of these messages, particularly Hamish's reply to the "aliens" thread and RedShell's latest Arnie. They're brilliant - not just the way they're drawn, but also which frames you've chosen to include and which soundbite to use. They'd be at home in an art gallery, and I mean that sincerely.

Twilight Princess had exactly the right idea for its overworld. It's just that, as @Retro_Link says, the hardware was a limitation. The way it was really just linked areas, and you had to blast in a cannon to the desert etc. The actual size and scale was just right (for the GC), it wasn't too big. Furthermore, I'd say it had the best desert out of any 3D Zelda (OOT's was just a trail, Skyward Sword's was an obstacle course). TP's desert was actually wide and open, with Bublins to fight and boars to ride (one of the game's greatest innovations, IMO). Other areas also had loads of atmosphere, and that underground passage up to Zora's Domain fired up my imagination more than anything in SS. Huge overworlds allow to you think about where you're going and what you're doing. As long as there's a warping system, it's the best way. It's not just the size, it's all to do with the atmosphere and how gentle they are to traverse. I think @darksnowman used the term "burnt-out" about Skyward Sword's overworlds, which to me is exactly the right criticism of them, as when you make terrain so difficult to move around, it totally destroys the traditional function of an overworld. I agree with you on that, and it really bugs me that some people think there shouldn't be any more "Celda" as there's been enough. If three was the limit, they should never have been on DS, as it couldn't pull it off! By the way, I wonder how good the 3DS is at cel-shading? Just a thought, as I've never actually seen it do it.

HD is important though, for things like seeing into the distance and the sheer pleasure of seeing the extra detail.

@\-Dem0\- - As much as I like and respect all the people who love Little King's Story, it's not for everyone. I didn't like it much. @Rummy - You make some great points about Zelda, but I disagree. For me, there is no reason to give Zelda a free pass. For me, Skyward Sword is a 7/10 game, certainly inferior to other non-Zelda games I've played. But, that doesn't mean Zelda is spent! It's been a long, long generation if you count the GameCube and Wii as the same gen (which I do). Wait 'til we see Zelda in HD, with a generational leap in graphics, hopefully with a large dash of imagination and atmosphere too. Plus, I truly believe the 3DS and Wii U fix all the worst aspects of the DS and Wii. There's no reason to give up on Zelda - it can reach new heights again.

Yeah, 12% is very, very good. I remember hearing years ago that to have a really visible six-pack you need a body fat percentage of about 8%. I don't know what mine is, and don't really mind. As long as I'm strong, I'm happy with my four-pack!

I've registered most people in this thread (please PM me if I haven't and you've added me), but here's a shout-out to: @S\.C\.G. @Hero\-of\-Time @edza @Gentleben My code is 0774-4233-0253 Please add me!

You have to enter your email address in a certain place on the Club Nintendo website. Once you've registered your games, you should see something like "You're eligible for Kid Icarus 3D" (maybe on the Home page). Click on that and enter your email address.

Thanks for the advice, Fierce Link. I did my back + biceps workout today, and got 3 more reps on wide pull-ups. At the end of my workout, I suddenly decided I wanted to test my chin-ups (which aren't part of my programme). You have the option of parallel or diagonal (neutral) grip. Well, I did four diagonal-grip chins unassisted, which I was quite pleased and surprised about. So, it seems my biceps aren't too bad, but my lats are woeful! Just gonna have to build them up, even if it takes longer than I hoped.

I thought it was really jarring whilst I still had in mind that this really was an evil base with lots to hide from Sherlock. However, it became more plausible as the episode went on, showing how "human" many of the people who worked there really were, with only one villain amongst them, and he wasn't doing official government work. This is the odd thing, I can't truly think of anything that was "wrong" with it, and yet instinctively there was lots I didn't find very natural or smooth-flowing.

Yeah, I use a shortened version of my real name. My Mii is "Gra". It's like the Carry On films, where Sid James always played "Sid", Bernard Bresslaw always played "Bernie" etc - my nicknames never stray into overly imaginative areas!!