Grazza

One reason I like Atlus is because they're like Old Sega (the music in the Etrian Odyssey games reminds me of the Mega Drive era so much). Whether they'd be as good under New Sega... I don't know!

I think that's the best description. Trudge through Light World. Switch to Dark World and explore as far as you can go. Switch back to Light World. Switch to Dark World again etc... Good game though.

Metroid Prime 2 is one to play if you've genuinely mastered the original. I really enjoyed it, although the Spider Guardian was extremely frustrating (I believe it's slightly easier in Metroid Prime Trilogy, but I prefer GameCube controls). All the criticisms of Metroid Prime 2 are fair - the Dark/Light World swapping (which never works well) and the fact you can run out of ammunition (for beams, not just missiles). However, it is a great game - flawed excellence, perhaps - and overall I enjoyed it much more than Metroid Prime 3, which despite completing I never quite got to grips with the Wii controls.

It's amazing how difficult it is to buy coin-op versions in this day and age. Donkey Kong is one, then there are things like 3D Classics Altered Beast being the Mega Drive version. The coin-op of Golden Axe is one of my favourite titles on WiiWare - it's just a novelty to own the highest quality version. There are loads of other Sega and Capcom coin-ops I'd like to download.

Have you both got SpotPass actually turned on in Animal Crossing (not just the 3DS in general)? It's a bit confusing as you activate StreetPass and SpotPass from completely different places, even though the aim of both is to get a new house in the Happy Room Academy. StreetPass - speak to Digby in your high street SpotPass - activate on menu before you start game Sorry if you've both done that, it's just all I can think of.

I do agree actually. Even just going by how Nintendo uses its workforce, it's safe to assume they were concentrating on the 3DS for the past three years and are now focusing on the Wii U. Assuming their main Wii U development will take place over the next two years, and assuming a new handheld is on its way too, I can't see them being ready for a new console yet. Unless they spend three years or so preparing big games for the next console's launch, it'll have the same problems again. I'm not asking them to spend years and years developing new Wii U games, just that finishing what they've started (like Zelda Wii U) will probably take them up to the end of 2014.

I know this is off-topic but I'm really missing Dragon Quest at the moment. There were loads on the DS - IV, V, VI and IX, plus spin-offs. To me, the DS was a Dragon Quest machine. What I really hope for is a European localisation of VII and that they are actually making XI.

According to Wikipedia, Ocarina of Time 3D sold 1.08 million worldwide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Ocarina_of_Time_3D#Sales Personally, I think there was quite a bit more buzz about the 3DS and "waiting for Zelda". If Wind Waker HD also sells a million, I wonder how many will be to existing Wii U owners?

What Nintendo doesn't have now is the stuff like Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime and F-Zero GX. It doesn't need violent games, just ones like those. They were on the GameCube, which could pretty much compete with any other graphics at the time, and they used the GameCube pad, which was up there with any other. All these factors meant these games were hyped, anticipated and respected. People can quote GameCube sales figures at me, but (not meaning to sound arrogant) I know things were better back then.

I really think people overplay Metroid Fusion's hand-holding nature. It gives you a few pointers about where to go, but that's it. In most ways it's the absolute perfection of the 2D Metroid formula (I won't say it's perfect, as I want a sequel!)

Unbelievable. I knew exactly what they were too.

Having a game built in is a brilliant idea. Maybe £180 with NSMB U or £200 with Super Mario 3D Land. Then a £200 with Mario Kart 8 bundle when that's released. They've got to use the games that have the most chance of making people buy it.

I just visited Saltopia and had a great time! You do everything to the max, RedShell, and your Animal Crossing town is no exception! Loads of Wario Ware references and visual humour - I actually laughed a lot. In your main house, I was really impressed with the basement. How did you do the film posters? The nightclub was great, what with the really basic men's toilets and the women's ones being so much more elaborate! VIP area too.

I've always thought £200 with a game... but a game that people want. New Super Mario Bros U would do. If that had been a bundle from the beginning I might have bought one, but I added up the cost of a Premium + NSMB and it came to too much. I would have been paying for so much that I didn't want, like Nintendoland and the GamePad. Not saying I wanted them to stick with the Wii remote, mind (I definitely didn't), just that so far the Wii U has included a lot of cost that people don't want to pay for.

The 3DS has had a good 30 months (or thereabouts). Nintendo has finally been able to release everything it initially planned for the handheld and we've got huge titles like Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing. Zelda is on its way, as are localisations for some of the bigger Japanese RPGs. The question is: what more? What would you feel was amiss if it never appeared on the 3DS? My nominations: 2D Metroid Metroid Fusion and Metroid: Zero Mission - the two finest games on the GBA, in my opinion. And yet the DS came and went with no 2D Metroid. None of that beautiful spritework or those tight controls. None of the weapon/armour upgrades. No dodging and blasting. It's like Nintendo has forgotten one of its best ideas! It doesn't need to be big-budget or have carefully-rendered polygons. Nintendo could have a true 10/10 with Metroid V, and it could be relatively cheap and simple too. (An original) 3D Zelda When I first played the early 3DS games like Ocarina of Time and even Pilotwings Resort, I imagined how good an original 3D Zelda could be on the handheld. We know it can do environments that are technically as good as the N64, but look a lot better. We know it can do controls as good as the N64 (what a joy it was to use the Mirror Shield in OOT 3D!) Whilst I will probably enjoy A Link to the Past 2, in the back on my mind I'll be hoping it's not the biggest and best Zelda they've planned for the 3DS. An original Dragon Quest This is the main one. The other day I was going through my DS and 3DS games, deciding which ones to keep. When I loaded up Dragon Quest IX I realised that nothing else I have played on DS or 3DS comes close to it. It doesn't have the smoothest graphics but it was just an amazing experience. Playing through the story, visiting different castles and "Swinedimples" school for wizards; going through the Grottoes and trying to collect Metal Slime equipment; fighting the insanely-hard Legacy Bosses. I realised I would sell every game I've played since to have another experience like that. We don't yet know what format Dragon Quest XI will be on (or if there will even be one), but if it's on the 3DS you won't see me complaining.

I think this is exactly right. It does seem a bit early for ASDA to give up on the Wii U because a) I didn't know any of their stores ever had it and b) Nintendo has all its big games on the way. If Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 really can't sell it then it's hard to imagine anything doing the job (needs a price cut too though). I think it would be a case of "Look forward to Zelda, then the next console".

Wow, you enjoyed that, @S\.C\.G! Great review, you described it really well. I've bought all the abilities now, earning money from the dance mini-game (but you can also use Restore Points to cheat at the gecko racing!) It's a tough game, and I'm still at the 3rd dungeon. Not really stuck, it just demands your full attention.

My take on it is this: Nintendo keeps including technology that people don't necessarily want. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, but it always has to be paid for. Wii - accelerometers 3DS - stereoscopic technology Wii U - controller with a 6" screen My point is that Nintendo machines haven't been a paragon of "what you can get for the price" since the GameCube. Some may think Sony and Microsoft push technology too far, but the tiny jump from GC to Wii is enough proof on its own that Nintendo are actually the ones who decided to hold back a generation rather than MS/Sony getting too far ahead.

Same here. I literally just get the fossils and check the shops most days (and the island, and any special visitors, and... ) No, seriously, I've calmed right down with it and will probably be back to normal soon.

If I'm honest, I've suddenly become really tired with the 3DS - despite thinking a lot of the games are excellent. A lot of this is due to playing Animal Crossing too much, but I just looked at my retail collection and thought "I don't want to devote any more time to them". I've kept hold of Fire Emblem because there are a few chapters I haven't done, but all in all I feel like I've had my fair share of fun with the 3DS now. I will still buy Shantae 3, Zelda, Etrian Odyssey IV and Dragon Quest VII if they get them out over here, I'm just a bit tired I suppose.

I don't think £25 is lunacy at all - in fact, I think downloadable games should be no more than £20. I bought a lot of 3DS cartridges, but only because I knew I could get a significant amount of money back for them. If games were download-only and all cost £30, I would hardly buy anything apart from the really big games like Zelda/Dragon Quest.

Yes, with all due respect, I prefer Twilight Princess as it is. Ah, to be honest I'd love to have another experience like Twilight Princess. Christmas 2006, inserting the disc into my GameCube... the sunsets, all those fields to run across and the knowledge there was a large overworld to explore. Yes, this is exactly what people said would happen, and yes, I am being revisionist and somewhat nostalgic. Most of us had worked ourselves into a frenzy of excitement about the game and it was very hard for it to live up to expectations. On a personal level, I was also angry at the delay/Wii version/modifications. BUT, this is not all nostalgia. If you load up the game today and have a run around, it is so much better than what has come since. The atmosphere, the (GameCube) controls, the overall feel... To me it is still not a 10/10, but it was so much on the right track.

The thing I like most about it is how they set the graphics in the proportions they wanted. Maybe they couldn't pack in as much detail as they'd like because it was on the Game Boy Color, but they kept the sprites the right shape and size. As a result it really has a lot of charm and you can see what they were going for.

Nintendolife's review: http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/shantae_gbc How's everyone doing? I've completed the first two dungeons so far.

We have both completed it 100%. My personal opinion (and I think this is what nando was saying too) is that it was amazing when it was released. So amazing that we would plough through the entire game regardless of how much fun individual parts actually were. Played today, not all of the game is fun enough to get through. I do love the underground theme though.