Fans anxiously await confirmation on what this latest version will bring, as rumors and conjecture have been wild. The original Switch was released six years ago, and the OLED model debuted two years ago. It would be an understatement to say that Nintendo fans are eager for a new system, and this enthusiasm is primarily due to the nonstop rush of speculations regarding the Switch 2.

This article will cover everything, from the anticipated release date to the technical details that might push gaming to new heights. Come along as we discover the fascinating Nintendo Switch 2 universe and its implications for video game development in the future.

Nintendo Switch 2 Expected Release Date

We will know the exact release date of this game once the company makes an official launch date announcement. Nevertheless, current speculation suggests a likely fall 2024 release date, which coincides with our anticipated launch of the PS5 Pro.

Due to a mix of leaks from an Altec Lansing news statement and a leaker SoldierDelta, we can estimate the release date of Switch 2 as best we can. As part of a GameShark AI declaration, the press release mentioned September 2024 as the Nintendo Switch 2 release date. The latter arrived through Discord, where SoldierDelta revealed that September 24, 2024, is possible for the arrival of the Switch 2. A backup release is also rumored to be scheduled for November 2024 in case the September 24 date proves overly ambitious.

Some assumptions indicate an early 2024 release for the Switch 2. However, most speculations and informants agree that fall 2024 is the most probable release timeframe. A March or April 2024 release date seems believable, according to a TechInsights research study, while a MoneyDJ story from China indicates that the Switch successor's first-quarter 2024 arrival might enhance sales.

Analyst research published in January suggests that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be more accessible than previous console launches. At least 10 million devices will be produced in the first year of release. However, The same source implied that the anticipated Switch 2 Pro will not be released until 2025.

What is the Expected Price of the Nintendo Switch 2?

Price rumors for the Nintendo Switch 2 take a lot of work to come by. Nintendo may adhere to the initial launch pricing of the Nintendo Switch. The price is approximately $299.99 in the US and ¥29,980 in Japan. However, it is £279.99 and A$469.95 in the UK and Australia, respectively.

Although an OLED panel seems improbable, you may anticipate a $50–$100 price increase if the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 did come with one, similar to the subsequent model, the original Switch.

Dr. Serkan Toto, the CEO of Kantan Games, put his estimate and predicted that games would cost as much as $70 in an interview with GamesIndustry. He even proposed a $400 price range. He joyfully dropped leaks and said: “The time is finally here for a Switch successor, even though I can say a ‘Pro’ model actually did exist, and certain developers were already working with the dev kit. I believe the next hardware will drop for $400 [in 2024]. There is a high chance that games will cost more, too: $70.”

SoldierDelta also disclosed potential release prices. They claimed this next-generation console would come with a $449 standard model and a $400 (or, most likely, $399) digital version. If the report is accurate, Nintendo will make this next-generation system available only digitally, marking it as the first of its kind by the company.

With the selling price of the OLED model being $349 and the original switch being $299, this pricing prediction appears all that implausible. 

Nintendo Switch 2: Display And Other Specs

Rumors suggest that the Nintendo Switch 2 will feature an 8-inch screen with 1080p resolution and a magnetic Joy-Con design. They predict it will be backward compatible with accessories and support 8K resolution when paired with a next-generation dock.

Initial internal correspondence on the FTC v. Microsoft case revealed efficiency levels similar to those of the PS4 and Xbox One gaming systems. There are rumors that Switch 2 will come with specialized Nvidia T239 graphics chips. According to reports, Nintendo’s upcoming console may include a co-processor chip. This chip could increase efficiency and video performance. Especially when connected and linked to a 4K TV.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that Switch 2 will be backward and compatible with the available Switch games. It will be fascinating to see if the latest design can hold more cartridge data, supposing we anticipate the same layout.

The Switch and Switch OLED currently have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. According to recent reports, the Switch 2 may contain 512GB of onboard storage.

Nintendo Switch 2: Features

There are a few speculations regarding potential Switch 2 features like design, battery life, speakers, or integrated sensors. Here is a conservative estimate of what we might see, though.

The Switch and the Switch OLED are estimated to have an average battery life of 4.5 to 9 hours. Even at the lowest display brightness, longer games, like Breath of the Wild, can frequently run for up to 4.5 hours on a one-time charge. We expect larger batteries with improved internals.

We would prefer to see a move from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 for speedier gaming downloads or streaming. However, no reports have mentioned that. Comparably, the Switch models that are currently available support Bluetooth 4.1; a future-generation console might support Bluetooth 5.1.

Lets\r face it, we all hate chores, running errands, and pandering to the needs of\r annoying neighbours, but for some reason we just can't stay away from\r games that incorporate these aspects of life into game-play. Fantasy Life, for the Nintendo 3DS, is\r essentially what you would get if Final\r Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and Harvest\r Moon had a baby; it's a magical RPG packed with quests, weapons, fishing, flower\r picking, crafting, and monsters. Like Harvest Moon before\r it, Fantasy Life allows you to explore and\r immerse yourself into a colourful world filled with a wide array of charismatic\r NPC's and their never-ending requests. 

In many\r games the class you choose during character creation is the class that you are\r stuck with, one of the key features that Fantasy\r Life offers is the opportunity to have your character switch between 12 unique\r classes at almost any point during game-play. This allows the player to embrace\r their inner miner while living the peaceful life of a fisherman but still being\r able to kick-ass as an adorably ruthless mercenary. Additionally, each class\r has unique goals which will no doubt keep the player occupied for hours. One of\r the more disappointing qualities of the 12 class system is that the fundamental\r game play does not change in any way when you switch between classes, and aside\r from gaining new skills and quests when you switch classes (which are retained\r when you switch again) there is no real change in how the game is played. In\r some respect this makes the 12 class system unnecessary, but at least the class\r specific costumes are cute. 

Fantasy Life also offers a main quest\r that involves the player running about, defeating monsters, and saving the\r world. Despite following the standard RPG archetype the story line it is quite\r charming, and besides, if you're already venturing out into the world to\r improve the rank of your life-at-the-time you might as well get some of the\r main quest done too.

The\r majority of time spent with this game will involve forging swords, sewing hats,\r and mining gem stones for NPC's, and aside from being able to purchase a few\r different homes and a wide array of items there isn't much to work towards\r financially. That being said Fantasy Life\r is a game that you will either love or hate; if you enjoy games like Animal Crossing you will no doubt be\r hooked on Fantasy Life after an hour.

The 3D is actually good now.

If you're like me, not needing weird 3D glasses to experience Link beating your ass all over Final Destination in 3D was like living in the future. Then you realize it's pretty bad, you have to keep your face directly in front of the screen to see the 3D, which makes it not so much fun to play games in 3D. So why is it good now? Because you can face the screen from all the angles, and still get that sweet 3D. 3D for days son.

C-stick, It's back baby.

If you played on ye old Nintendo console's you'll know what the C stick is, and what it does. Otherwise its just another joystick, that'll do new stuff. Get that vitamin C-stick.

Aren't there enough buttons?

No. Two shoulder buttons? Does 4 sound good? Because you'll get 4.

But first let me take a 3D selfie.

If you have a 3D then you'll know that the camera is pretty weak, your phone probably has a better camera. But with the new 3Ds Nintendo promises that it'll be better much better, muuuuuuuch better. So get ready for some sweet 3D photos. (inb4 3D nsfw)

It'll play new things.

The new 3Ds boasts increased power, with newer and faster CPU's and GPU's. Which means it'll play old games smoother (I'm looking at you Pokemon X/Y in 3D mode), and it'll play newer more power Intensive games. Like Monster hunter 4, and other titles. However that also means that these new power intensive games won't run well on the older system. Which means new games for the new 3Ds won't play on the 3Ds. It's annoying, especially for everyone who still think the 3Ds is a newish system, and don't exactly have the dosh to get another. 

More bang for the same amount of buck.

Unless you bought the first 3Ds then that statement is true. The price for the new 3Ds is about the same with the first iteration, the compact $151 and the XL for $174 .So for the same price you get a butt load more, and if you do wanna shell out for the new system regardless, I'd say worth. Unfortunately for the US only the XL will be available, and the systems will still be region locked.

D-Day, when's it gonna drop?

It already has... in Japan and Australia. In the Eu and the US you'll have to wait till February 13th, 2015.  

All in all, its annoying as hell that they bring a new system so soon. But for what it brings, i'm looking forward to it, most definitely.

As the title suggests, rupees play a very large part in the game's mechanics, so much so in fact that they also act as your health. Because of this, the standard shop system from the normal Zelda titles was removed in favor of a haggling system which punishes you for going too high or too low with your offer. An easy way to get large sums of rupees is to find a map and fill in the landmarks that are missing from it. Selling the completed map back to the old woman at the end of the town strip will net you some easy money. Extremely large sums of rupees are also needed as offerings to Uncle Rupee who will open up the way to Rupeeland and also gradually opens up the new areas of the world which contain progressively stronger and more annoying enemies and increasingly more difficult dungeons.

Now since Tingle isn't exactly a fighter (with the exception of Hyrule Warriors), he can't really defend himself effectively, so to protect his hide, you need to go to these taverns called "Salons" and hire a bodyguard to help you fight and collect treasures. Bodyguards range in 3 different sizes and 3 different AI patterns and as such, their fee for hiring them also differs significantly. Bodyguards also have unique abilities dependent on their size: Small ones can enter tight places that Tingle cannot enter, medium ones can open locked gates, and large ones can break boulders. Almost all areas that only a bodyguard can access usually guarantee a Rupee Good of which there are 30 to collect.

Now the combat system is extremely simplistic. You walk into an enemy to engage the fight and the entire ordeal is played out in a cartoon dust cloud. You can round up more enemies to fight and even your bodyguard for help while the battle is happening, but the way to win is to rapidly tap the cloud on the screen to help tip the scales in your favor. The more enemies you run into and defeat at once, the better your rewards are after the fight, many of which can be sold or used for cooking in Tingle's kitchen which in turn can be placed in empty jars for use on the field or to be sold for some extra cash later.

Now come the words of warning: This game was rated PEGI 12+ when it was released in Europe. The reasoning behind this is because of the suggestive and somewhat homosexual tone a small handful of characters emit. If this might damper your decision on getting the game, then I would suggest you watch Vinesauce's stream of the game on YouTube instead before you make a final verdict. If it is the region where it was released that is causing a problem with your decision, then I should probably note that Nintendo DS games are region free meaning they will play on any DS regardless of the country you bought it in. If it some other reason, then I honestly think you would be missing out because I had a lot of fun with this game and I think you all would have fun with it too if you gave it a chance. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Game Score:

Reason 1: Value

Reason 2: Free Online Play

Once again, if you are on a budget, this is a great alternative to XBox Live and PlayStation Plus/Now as there are no online subscription fees. However, while there aren't many games on the Wii U that use online gameplay, the ones that do are very good and are (for the most part) stable with little lag or connection drops. (Keep in mind this still does happen regardless of which console you choose.)

Reason 3: Backwards Compatibility

Out of the three current gen consoles, the Wii U is the only one that can play the games of its predecessor without the need for modding. And because you can transfer your all of your Wii Shop Channel purchases and save files from the Wii to the Wii U, you could move all of your data onto the new Wii U and sell the Wii at GameStop/EBGames or on eBay for some quick cash to help cover the cost of the system.

Reason 4: Exclusive Games

When it comes to games, exclusivity is what usually sells a console, and out of the three, the Wii U has the widest and most fun selection of games you could ever ask for. Here are some examples:

• Super Mario 3D World
• Bayonetta 2 (Includes Bayonetta 1)
• The Wonderful 101
• Super Smash Bros for Wii U
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
• Pikmin 3
• Nintendo Land
• Hyrule Warriors
• Mario Kart 8
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Reason 5: Amiibo

Reason 6: Off TV Play

Say you're the kind of person that lives in a house with other people (terrifying I know) and they want to watch a show or movie on the TV you're using, but you're playing games and don't want to give up the remote because you just got comfy. Well because of the Wii U's GamePad, most games for it have the ability to play the game with the TV on a different channel or even completely off. This even applies to the TV streaming apps on the system as well. No more fighting for the remote!

Reason 7: Miiverse

Most gaming forums are usually pretty boring and lackluster due to a lot of them being run by a small handful of people in their spare time, but since Miiverse is run by Nintendo itself, there is an air of family friendliness which is a nice alternative to the many other forums I have found to be uninviting. Also, if a game supports Miiverse, you can post screenshots of your achievements or if you're stuck, you can ask for advice in game specific communities. Plus every once and a while, Nintendo's employees will post updates on news, contests and various other activities which help to mix things up a bit.

Reason 8: Local Asymmetrical Gameplay

Reason 9: No More Friend Codes

Assuming you were like me and hated the Wii's constant use of friend codes in any game that had online, then you'll love the fact that Wii U has abandoned that feature entirely in favor of a Nintendo Network user ID. Plus it also gives you the ability to send friend requests instead of the stupid and tedious act of registering each other's friend codes and hope that it worked.

Reason 10: Unique Single Player Experience

Single player games that put emphasis on use of the GamePad are often the most entertaining to play as the second screen provided by the GamePad is frequently put to good use. Usually it provides easy access to a map or your inventory, but there are a few games that offer a more unique experience by using the GamePad in conjunction with the TV. It just feels innovative and fresh.

Hopefully these reasons will help sway you into buying a Wii U the next time you have some extra cash to burn. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Returning from Super Smash Bros Brawl are the challenges. Challenges are in both versions of the game, but they are split up into three separate pages on the 3DS version with a total of 105 relatively easy ones to complete whereas the Wii U version has 140 moderately more difficult ones all on one page. Completing a challenge will give you a reward and a special picture to view as a little bonus.

Classic Mode also makes a return in these games as it always has since the series' beginning, but this time it has gotten a drastic overhaul. On the 3DS, you go through branching paths of varying difficulty (Blue = Easy, Green = Normal, Red = Hard) and it feels very similar to how Classic Mode has been in past games, but in the Wii U version, Classic Mode is more based on your actual skill level as there are multiple groups of fighters each with a varying number of opponents and the occasional rival and surprise ambush.

Now for the mode everyone knows about, SMASH MODE. This is the game's basic free-for-all versus mode in which you choose your character and beat the crap out of your opponent on one of dozens of different stages inspired by a game in Nintendo's MASSIVE repertoire of franchises. The types of battles that can be done include Timed, Stock, and Coin battles and each can be played in teams. Smash mode can also be played online in modes called "For Fun" which has all items on and uses every stage except for Final Destination, and "For Glory" which all items are turned off and the only stage available is Final Destination or a visual variation of it.

Stadium mode also returns from the previous games, but with some slight alterations. Break the Targets has been completely removed and a new mode called Target Blast has taken its place. The 3DS version only has one stage while the Wii U version has three and if you want an idea of what Target Blast plays like, think Angry Birds but instead of a slingshot, you're launching a large bomb with a character's smash attack. 15-Minute smash mode in the Stadium has also been replaced with a new mode called Rival Smash in which you have to knock out more opponents than a CPU controlled rival character. The Fighting Alloy Team from Brawl in Stadium has also been replaced with the Fighting Mii Team. I find this to be pretty humorous as the Mii's faces are taken from the system's internal memory (I have some pretty low brow ones on my systems).

Now, here is what is exclusive to each version.

Returning from Brawl are the Event Matches, but these are exclusive to the Wii U version of the game. Event Matches are special battles with very specific win conditions. Some examples would include defeating a specific character before a computer controlled rival, or even preventing a hoard of slowly falling enemies from landing of the stage. Each event also has a secondary win condition that will reward you with a special prize should you succeed.

Also returning from Brawl and are exclusive to the Wii U are the Masterpieces. Masterpiece are demos of classic games that last anywhere between 1 to 5 minutes in length. If you happen to like the game's demo by the time the timer runs out, you are given the option to buy the game from the eShop which is a very nice convenience.

New to the game and exclusive to the Wii U version is Special Orders mode. Special orders gives you randomized rules and opponents to fight with a guaranteed prize should you succeed. In Master Orders you pay a small sum of coins to take one of three challenges and the options reset with each win or loss. In Crazy Orders however, you can either pay a fairly high sum of coins or pay with an Orders Pass which can be won from Event Matches or from the roulette in Classic Mode. In Crazy Orders, you go round after round with most damage kept after each round until you feel like you don't have the confidence to continue any further. Whatever damage you accrued from the previous rounds will be then calculated into health for the final battle with Crazy Hand and any minions he may have helping him.

Now comes the verdict. The controls are tight and responsive, the music is fantastic, and everything else will keep you occupied for a very long time like collecting trophies and betting coins on the online spectator mode. If you're like me and enjoy playing games with other people in the same room, then get the Wii U version. Almost all the game modes in the Wii U version can be played in co-op mode with friend which is very nice. However, if you aren't the person who spends a lot of time playing TV games or if you travel a lot, then I would recommend the 3DS version as the game can be taken over to a friend's house for use as a controller for the Wii U version or you can play the 3DS exclusive Street Smash game mode when you encounter a random person with the game when out and about. I guess you could also get both if you have the money, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

3DS Score:

Wii U Score:

I love golf games. I love Kirby games. But the question is, would a Kirby golf game be any good? I think the answer would surprise you. Originally released on the SNES in 1995, Kirby's Dream Course combines the ascetic of Nintendo's Kirby series with gameplay that combines the elements of golf and billiards. This fusion of styles may sound a bit strange, but it works astonishingly well.

I have a bit of an unconventional taste when it comes to video games. I'll play almost anything as long as it plays well and how it looks is often unimportant. Yoshi's Story falls under that category. Sure, it looks like it was designed for younglings, but looks can often be deceiving.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with this game. While the music is overly happy and cheerful and the environments literally look like cardboard and felt, the gameplay is what really matters and I think it plays extremely well for what it does. If you want to legally play it for yourself, the game is available on the Wii's Virtual Console service. You may find that looks aren't everything as well. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

• Unite Hand can turn gears and ignite itself to throw fireballs
• Unite Sword can cut cables, unlock diamond shaped keyholes, repel lasers and act as a lightning rod
• Unite Gun can hit distant and unreachable targets
• Unite Hammer can pound switches, break floors and protect against arial fire
• Unite Whip can be used to swing from certain points and can rip spikes from their mounts
• Unite Claw can be used to scale walls, pry open doors and can occasionally freeze enemies
• Unite Bomb can temporarily slow time to a near standstill in a given radius

Now my favorite part, the Boss Fights. Each of these fights are unique and interesting, sometimes even being dramatically overdone to the point where it keeps trying to top its own wackiness. A couple of these fights even play homage to the Punch-Out!! series of games which amused me to the point of laughing. I just wasn't expecting anything like that at all. All of these fights also start with a cutscene of Wonder Red initiating his suit's Infinity Form which greatly increases his power and endurance for the duration of the fight. Whenever this scene happens, I always find myself mimicking Red's movements. It's just one of those things that made me feel like I was a kid again sitting in front of the TV watching Power Rangers and eating some sugary cereal.

All in all, this game has been an invigorating experience for me. The controls were great, the music was fantastic and each level was extremely well made and had something unique to offer from it. The camera's isometric view might cause some viewing issues during close up shots, but it can be zoomed out in some cases where that happens. Still, I highly recommend you pick up this game because this underrated title has been one of the most fun games I've played in years. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

Luigi isn't in any way perfect. He's a coward, he resents the brother he looks up to, and he is often the subject of ridicule. But I like Luigi all the more for it. Adversity builds character, and if The Year of Luigi is evidence enough, he may someday become even more popular than the brother he holds in such high regard. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Please come back next time when I cover more secrets and Easter eggs that I've found over the years. I don't think I can find them all by myself, but I can sure as hell try. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Super Mario Bros.

There is also a way to continue after a Game Over. At the Game Over screen, hold A and when the Title screen reappears, press Start. Do not release the A button during any of this or it won't work.

The Legend of Zelda

There is a way to start the game's Second Quest right off the bat. All you have to do is enter ZELDA as your file name. If done correctly you should see that Link is now holding the Magic Sword. Word to the wise, the Second Quest is not easy, so be prepared for the worst.

In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, there is a hidden chamber under the castle that contains a large sum of rupees, but you cannot access it by normal means. What you need to do is start at the Sanctuary and use the Pegasus Boots to get to the bush that covers the hole that you entered near the castle at the start of the game as quickly as humanly possible. If you were fast enough to get there, you will enter a cave by falling in from the ceiling. A stone tablet in the back of the room will tell you that the room belongs to Chris Houlihan and asks you to keep it a secret. I guess the cat's out of the bag!

Donkey Kong Country

Quite a few cheat codes were programmed into the game to give you a much easier time with completing the game or just for fun. Most of the codes are entered on the file select screen when "Erase Game" is highlighted. They are as follows:

• Down, A, R, B, Y, Down, A, Y (activates sound test, press Select to cycle though them)
• B, A, R, R, A, L (start the selected file with 50 lives)
• B, A, Down, B, Up, Down, Down, Y (allows you to hijack control in a 2-player co-op game)

A couple stages also have secret shortcuts that let you bypass most, if not the entirety of the level. In the first minecart stage, if you can manage to jump over the barrel cannon and land in the pit close to the cliff wall, you will be launched out of a hidden cannon and transported to the end of the stage. There is also a shortcut in Stop and Go Station. Just head left through the entrance to be warped to the end.

Well, that's it for now. If I find more tips or codes, I'll be sure to let you all know as soon as I can. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

The controls for the game are fairly simple, but also complex enough to require a fair amount of skill to be good at it. B is Jump, Y is Shoot, A is Dash and X cycles through your weapons. Holding L locks the position of your gun in place so you can move without readjusting your aim. Hold R to use your shield and this is quite critical to know as your shield can block almost everything in front of you. If this control scheme doesn't suit you just right, you can change the controls in the options from the title screen.

All in all, while the game is hard, it is also very rewarding. Since the controls are tight and responsive, it is YOUR fault if you mess up, not the game's. Its music also gives the game a sense of actual accomplishment if you happen to do well. I personally felt very pleased with myself when I finally beat the game almost fifteen years after getting it as a child. So, if you want a difficult but rewarding game with tight controls and badass music, then Cybernator is your game. It is also available on the Wii's and Wii U's Virtual Console service. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

I have a soft spot for this game. Not because it's a Sonic title, but because of how unusually engrossing it was for a fighting game. It was fairly well balanced considering it was the first (and probably only) game of its kind and its lengthy story and addictive minigames kept me busy for hours on end. If you want to get this game for yourself, you can likely get a pre-owned copy of it for fairly cheap on eBay or Amazon. If you lack the money, then an emulator could also work, but I don't really condone that unless you have absolutely no other options. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

The troops are your main means of getting a large bronze bell from your side of the field toward the back gate so you can proceed to the next stage. Once again, by itself, this sounds fairly easy enough, but you also have that big freaking cannonball to worry about, and it CAN kill your soldiers if you aren't paying attention. However, if you can find it, there is a power-up that can help with this. If your odama is glowing green, not only will it not flatten your army, but it will also turn any enemy soldier that you crush over to your side. This is often necessary as adding more troops to the field will raise your army's morale making them more likely to follow the orders you will eventually and inevitably scream into the microphone.

If it wasn't already hard enough that these two gameplay elements were clashing head to head with each other, there is one last one that pushes the difficulty over the threshold from being reasonably fun and challenging to being a hair pulling nightmare. Each and every level in the game has a VERY strict time limit that results in an INSTANT loss regardless of how many odamas you have left. This time limit bullcrap is the reason why I was unable to legitimately get past the eighth board, otherwise known as The Spider Temple.

While this game is extraordinarily hard, I don't at all hate it. Its challenge is excruciating, yes, but it more than makes up for its short length. It reminds me of those old NES games that were short but had enough challenge to make it worth it. All in all, I suggest you try this game out if you're looking for a legitimately challenging game that is guaranteed to make you rage. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

What is really unique about this game is that it is played with a special controller called the DK Bongos. Each respective drum moves DK left or right, rapidly drumming will make DK run and both drums at the same time make DK jump. Clapping your hands (or ANY loud click, snap or tapping noise) will make DK clap. This is how you engage in combat with larger and stronger enemies, grapple onto vines, and how you grab bananas. This control scheme works extremely well for how the game is laid out, especially when considering that the game was likely made with the DK Bongos in mind. The control scheme that would have been required for a normal controller would have been very unintuitive and extremely difficult to use.

All in all, this game is probably one of the most fun and unique platforming games I've ever played. It has great visuals which rival even some current gen consoles, the music is fantastic and gets even better when you start to rack up a high combo, and the gameplay is well suited for the controller that was made before it. Definitely worth your time and money, assuming you can find a working pair of bongos. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

Now because of how new this app is and because no-one knows whether or not more game demos will be added to it in the future, it's only really best used as a "try before you buy" type program, but you can't really "try" unless you have enough amiibo to unlock everything so you can play them "before you buy." All in all, it is only really good for people like me and have a large collection of amiibo to use. Maybe you'll get some amiibo yourself so you can use this app, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

Now when the Wii came out, I started to notice a trend in some of the games that Nintendo developed. More and more titles that Nintendo released for the console had 8-bit sprites of Mario and company hidden in the environment. An example would be in Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus where both had Mario sprites hidden on the running trails. Alone, this would just seem like a simple Easter egg, but there is more to be found.

With the fact that now even ONE pixel character has been officially named within the games, I propose that one of two scenarios will happen in the future. Either A: Nintendo will retcon the old arcade and NES titles to being set in the Flat Zone and ignoring Mario's past life living in Brooklyn, New York with Pauline and his pet ape Donkey Kong; or B: Nintendo is planning a new game in which the denizens of Flat Zone invade and have taken on the forms of the first people they see being Mario, Luigi and the people of the Mushroom Kingdom. Personally, I think the former theory holds more merit, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

What are they?

First of all, amiibo are little figurines that are around four inches tall (or shorter) and feature characters from various video games made by (or approved_2 for sale by) Nintendo. Some of these figures come in series and sets that are designed in a theme from a specific game like Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. Each of these figurines are also set on a small stand that is a little less than two inches in diameter, and the base contains a Near Field Communicator (NFC) pad that can interact with a reader embedded in the Gamepad of the Wii U, bottom half of the New 3DS, or the yet to be released NFC reader for the classic 3DS. Each of these figurines act in one of two ways: as a key to unlock content locked away within the game's code; or as a memory card for amiibo specific game modes. Now before you get all up in arms exclaiming that Nintendo is starting to act just like EA with having content locked away on the disc, just hear me out first. With the exception of Splatoon, the content unlocked by the amiibo's "key" function is often negligible and doesn't offer anything to the full enjoyment of the game. It's just a nice little bonus for people that own the figure and are often considered bragging rights stating that you own it.

Pros

1. They are very well made and extremely detailed considering their small size and they are cast in a very nice, sturdy plastic that doesn't feel cheaply manufactured.
2. Most of them are fairly priced at an MSRP of $12.99USD which is great for people that like to collect many figurines of their favorite characters.
3. They are region free meaning that if you have an amiibo imported from another country then it will still work with your game.
4. They aren't locked for use with a specific game. I.E. specific amiibo that may have been designed for Super Smash Bros can be used with Mario Party 10 or vice versa. This is useful if you like the design of one version of a character but not one of the others.
5. The "memory card" function that is used for amiibo specific game modes allow for a customizable experience that can be continued at a friend's house if you so choose.

Cons

1. Because of their unexpected popularity and Nintendo's failure to increase manufacturing to keep up with the demand, certain specific amiibo are often much more difficult to get a hold of due to the low number of them. Also, retailer exclusive and limited edition amiibo should never have been a thing. It just adds to the difficulty of obtaining one at retail price. I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SCALPERS!
2. The "memory card" function of the amiibo can only be used with one game at a time. If you wish to use the same amiibo with a different game, you'll either need to delete the data on the amiibo you currently have, or buy another one of the same character.
3. Keeping their collector's value is nearly impossible if you want to use them but not remove them from their box as an NFC blocker is embedded in the bottom of the package preventing their use while unopened.
4. While extremely rare, it is possible to accidentally buy an amiibo that that has a broken base or lacks the NFC functionality, and if you bought one from a place that doesn't allow you to return goods that have been removed from their original packaging, then you would be stuck with a piece of plastic whose only purpose is to take up space on a shelf in your room.

Closing Statement

Amiibo are a great little bonus for figurine collectors and Nintendo gamers alike. They have a charm about them that pulls people in to buy them and they are really well designed and priced well (assuming you buy it at retail). They aren't without their faults, but I see that the only real big problem of theirs is availability. If you can get a hold of a few yourself, I suggest you buy them regardless if you own anything Nintendo related that can use them. They are still considered figures and you could treat them as such, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Publisher, Koei Tecmo uploaded the trailer on their official YouTube channel, but have since removed the video from public view.

The trailer footage shows many characters, but most noteworthy are 2 characters from The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker; Tetra and King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule.

The final image shown in the trailer show what may be some sort of compatibility between the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game.

Like every other game in the series, Dr. Mario Miracle Cure keeps the series tradition of eliminating viruses by matching them with like-colored pills (called Mega-Vitamins) in rows or columns of four or more. The pills can be rotated to better fit into certain areas, and if the entirety of the pill isn't vaporized, the remaining half will drop down toward the bottom of the bottle if it isn't blocked by an obstacle in its path. As you play, the bottle will fill with more and more viruses in each subsequent stage, with the drop speed of your pills increasing in later stages. Now if this were just a simple game of Dr. Mario, then I'd be done with my review right now, but it's not, and now I'll explain why.

This iteration of the series actually includes quite a few features from previous games in the series and even throws in a few brand new gameplay elements in order to keep things fresh and exciting. Starting by order of additions, we have the game mode called Virus Buster which actually first made its appearance in the DS game Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day as a bonus minigame. Virus Buster still goes by the same gameplay staple of connecting four viruses and pills of the same color to remove them from play, but the major difference is that the game is played with the stylus and two or even three pills can be dropped into play at once, although they fall at a fairly slow pace. Next is the Online mode which was introduced in Dr. Mario Online RX on the Wii. All it does is let you face a random player from somewhere around the world, or play against a friend on your 3DS's friend list. Then we have the game mode Dr. Luigi, which was introduced as the Operation L game mode in Dr. Luigi on the Wii U. This game mode drops two pills at once in the shape of the letter L with the long side of the shape often being comprised of all one color. This forced the player to think of new strategies as the unusual pill configuration and its large size made it difficult to maneuver in the confines of the bottle.

All in all, Dr. Mario Miracle Cure is a great entry to the franchise. It includes enough game modes to keep you busy for a long time to come and its new Miracle Cure power-ups make for a fine addition to the series. Hopefully we'll being seeing more of them in future installments, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

• Shooters: Continually sprays ink as long as the fire button is held down. Comes in several different varieties that have different firing patterns and effects.
• Chargers: Long range weapon that fires further the longer the gun is charged from holding the fire button. Some of these also come with scopes for more accurate aiming.
• Rollers: Paints the ground with ink as you run as long as the fire button is held down. Can also throw ink a short distance in front of you so you can get higher platforms.
• Sloshers: Hurls large quantities of ink in an arcing pattering an average distance in front of you. Can be used like a mortar to aim over barriers that an opponent is hiding behind.
  
• Splatling: A gatling gun type weapon that rapidly fires ink an incredible distance in front of you after a short wind-up period. Not all that effective at spreading ink, but very useful for crowd control.
  

• Splat Bombs: Tetrahedron-shaped ink grenades that explode shortly after landing.
• Burst Bombs: Ink filled water balloons that explode on impact.
• Ink Mines: Explodes when in close proximity to an opponent.
• Disruptors: Hinders the speed and abilities of the affected target.
• Point Sensors: Tags an enemy with a tracking marker for a short time.
• Splash Walls: Acts as a wall and shield that only you and your teammates can pass through unaffected.
• Seekers: Can lock onto a target and chase them down trailing ink of your color behind them.
• Suction Bombs: Works similarly to the Splat Bombs, but can latch onto walls and ceilings with its suction cup.
• Squid Beakons: Gives you up to three one-time-use jump points so you can quickly get back into the fray.
• Sprinklers: Sprays a small area around it with ink until it is destroyed or until a new one is thrown.

• Bomb Rush: Allows you to throw bombs repeatedly without spending ink.
• Bubbler: Activates an impenetrable shield that can be shared with your teammates if they touch you.
• Echolocator: Tags ALL opponents with a tracking marker no matter how far away from each other they are.
• Inkzooka: Powerful rocket-launcher type weapon that fires mini ink tornadoes that plow through multiple targets.
• Killer Wail: Spreads no ink, but obliterates any opponent in a straight line in front of it.
• Kraken: Transforms you into the invincible Kraken which lays ink behind it as it swims and changes its jump into a strong attack.
• Inkstrike: A powerful nuke-like weapon that creates a towering cyclone of ink at wherever you tap on the Gamepad's screen.

• Regular Battles (For Fun)

1. Turf War: The purpose of this game mode is to cover the ground with as much of your own color of ink as possible in three minutes. Any ink sprayed onto walls and any opponents knocked out do not count toward your final score and your win/lose ratio is not recorded at the end of the match. This game mode is also the primary way to gain money for purchasing clothes and weapons, and experience that levels up your currently equipped clothes and your character allowing you to equip higher-leveled weapons.

• Ranked Battles (For Glory)

1. Splat Zones: This game mode is much like a territories match where you and your teammates try to take control of an area (or two) by spraying the enclosed area with ink and keeping control of it until your timer runs out or whoever has the least time left when the match timer runs out. Losing control of a zone to the enemy team adds a penalty timer onto your main one and it must run out before you can start lowering your time again.
2. Tower Control: This game mode is more like King of the Hill, but with a twist. You need to take control of a tower in the center of the map by standing on top of it, but once you gain control of it, it will start to slowly make its way to a location near the opposing team's spawn point. You win once the tower reaches its destination, or whoever got the tower closest when the time runs out.
3. Rainmaker: A Capture the Flag style game mode where you need to free a powerful dragonfish shaped weapon called the Rainmaker from an orb in the center of the map and carry it to a designated platform near the opponent's base. As long as you are carrying the Rainmaker, you cannot super-jump, your running and swimming speed are reduced, and you are visible while swimming. You are also subjected to a sixty second timer in which if you fail to deliver the weapon to the opponent's base before the timer runs out, you will explode in the opponent's ink color. However, you can use the Rainmaker like a stronger, chargeable Inkzooka to help you get to the opponent's base a little more easily. Secondary win conditions are the same as in Tower Control.

Two maps for each mode are only available to play at any one time and are rotated out every four hours according to an online clock that the game pings when connected to the internet. While the Regular Battles are a lot of fun to be had, the Ranked Battles (which can only be played after you reach level 10) are more geared for hardcore players as your rank will go up or down based on your wins and losses. The cash and experience you receive if you win the match is based on your score in the match and much better than in the Regular Battles, but if you happen to lose, you receive absolutely nothing. This game mode would probably best be played after you max out your inkling's level and equipment so you would have less to ultimately lose. Also, once your level reaches 20, you can add more bonus slots to weaker pieces of clothing that you like by talking to Spyke and paying him 30,000 in cash, or with a Super Sea Snail that you can win from Splat Fest.

Overall, Splatoon was a very nice surprise from Nintendo. They don't make many new big-name IP's any more, but when they do, they never seem to fail. Everything about the game is so perfectly polished and well designed. The gameplay is easy to pick up, the music is unique and fun to listen to, the game modes are varied enough that it rarely gets stale, and in order to improve the pacing and to artificially inflate the length of the game, content locked away on the disc (like new weapons and stages) gets released for free at specific dates along the game's lifespan via an online calendar. While this is a bit unorthodox, it is a smart way to keep the game from getting stale early in its life. SO, now I have one final question to ask you.

ARE YOU A KID, OR A SQUID?

But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score:

New DLC characters in the form of Street Fighter's Ryu, Fire Emblem's Roy and Mother 3's Lucas were released for Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U along side two new stages (Dreamland N64 and Suzaku Castle) and a handful of new costumes for the Mii fighters. In addition to this, several new compatible amiibo were also confirmed for the game:

• R.O.B.
• Duck Hunt
• Mr. Game & Watch (Customizable)
• Falco
• Mii Brawler
• Mii Gunner
• Mii Swordfighter
• Ryu (In development)
• Roy (In development)

Also released along side the new Super Smash Bros content was EarthBound Beginnings for the Wii U Virtual Console. This game is actually the finished, yet unreleased NES prequel to the cult classic SNES title EarthBound. You can buy it now from the Wii U eShop for $6.99USD.

A new Chibi Robo game called Chibi Robo: Zip Lash has been confirmed and was shown to be a 2.5D platformer with an emphasis on action and puzzle solving. In addition to this, it will be packaged with a special Chibi Robo amiibo that can be used with the game. This game will be released this October for the 3DS.

I'm sure Skylanders: SuperChargers is no surprise to anyone that knows of the series, but what is certainly shocking is that the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game have exclusive content coming to them in the form of special Skylanders that double as amiibo. These new characters come in the form of Turbo Charged Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser, and both have a unique base that doubles as a switch allowing it to be used as both a skylander for those games, and as an amiibo for other compatible games. They will come packaged in the game's starter sets in the Nintendo versions of the game and will be released September 20.

Nintendo and Sega have confirmed that Mario & Sonic would return once again for the 2016 summer Olympics at Rio De Janeiro and different sports would be in different versions of the game with American Gridiron Football being in the Wii U version and Golf being in the 3DS version. As of now, the release date is still unconfirmed.

Now I don't know much about this series other than the fact that Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a survival horror game in which you defeat hostile ghosts by taking pictures, but from what I've seen, it looks to be a very interesting entry in the series as the Gamepad is used as your camera for this installment in the franchise. A release date hasn't been announced yet, but expect it by the end of the year.

Genei Ibun Roku #FE is the official Japanese name of the crossover title featuring the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem franchises. With a lot of heavy influence from Japanese music and pop culture, this is probably going to be a very unusual game, especially when you add characters from the Fire Emblem series into the mix. It is currently unknown if the Japanese title will be changed when it is localized, but expect it to be released some time in 2016.

Speaking of Fire Emblem, the newest installment on the 3DS has gotten an official English subtitle under the name Fire Emblem: Fates. You can expect this title around 2016 as well.

New info for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer had been announced with a new video showcasing new gameplay features in the form of outdoor decorating and being able to put a villager's house where ever you want on the map, assuming it's on solid ground. Amiibo cards will be made to go along with this game and may be needed to fully enjoy it. This title will be released late September this year.

While we're on the subject of Animal Crossing, a new gameboard party game featuring Animal Crossing characters has been announced for the Wii U and will use the eight new Animal Crossing amiibo figures (Mabel, K.K. Slider, Tom Nook, Isabelle, Digby, Cyrus, Reese and the new character Lottie from Happy Home Designer) as your game pieces in the same fashion as in Mario Party 10's amiibo Party game mode. Expect Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival to be released by the end of the year.

A new Zelda title that I'm sure no-one was expecting was announced in a multiplayer compatible game in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Unlike the Four Swords games which were more competitive in design, this title appears to be more focused around co-operative play and the number of Links is reduced from four to three. There is also a single player mode for those that like to play alone, and online multiplayer for those that aren't near anyone that own the game. Expect this game for the 3DS in the third quarter of this year.

While we're on the subject of Zelda, Hyrule Warriors is also coming to the 3DS as Hyrule Warriors: Legends. This version of the game will include all the DLC that was in the Wii U version plus two new characters in the form of Tetra and The King of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.  This game will likely be released early next year.

Yo-Kai Watch had been hinted at for quite a long time, but now it appears that it is finally getting localized outside of Japan. Expect this Pokemon-like RPG to be released by the end of 2015.

I'm sure all of you wanted a new Metroid game to be announced at this year's E3, but how many of you were expecting THIS of all things? From the information I've gathered, Metroid Prime: Federation Force is MULTIPLAYER ONLY and will have gameplay elements similar to Metroid Prime: Hunters. In addition, it will also include a mini game called Metroid Prime: Blast Ball which is like a futuristic take on Soccer, but with mech suits and power-ups. While I mostly agree that this is not what anyone wanted when we wanted a new Metroid game, I for one will be giving this game a chance when it is released next year. Hopefully the negative reactions were unjustified.

There were a few new Mario games announced during E3 and one of them was Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U. A new addition to this series appears to be the ability to grow to gigantic size with the help of a Mega Mushroom. Expect it to be released by the end of the year.

Now THIS was a nice surprise. This new entry in the Mario & Luigi series titled Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has Mario & Luigi teaming up with Paper Mario in a rather unique crossover experience. This will likely be much better than Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Expect this game to be released sometime in the first half of 2016.

Yoshi's Woolly World has been on everyone's minds since was announced two years ago. No new info has been announced for the American release dates for the Yarn Yoshi amiibo, but I'm assuming that they'll be released along side the game on October 16.

Super Mario Maker is the new name for Mario Maker that was announced for the Wii U and more details have also been shown. The game is apparently going to be compatible with many different amiibo and a special 30th Anniversay amiibo of 8Bit Mario will be released along side the game. It will be released on September 11 of this year.

No new info was announced for this game other than a release date. Xenoblade Chronicles X will be released on December 4 of this year.

Now for the game that everyone was hoping to see footage of, Star Fox Zero. Shown in the footage is a ton of new gameplay elements like the ability to see from the cockpit of the ship on the Gamepad and the ability to change the shape of the ship your piloting. Co-developed by Platinum Games, this title will be released some time late this year.

Many indie titles will also be released periodically throughout the year like Shantae: Half-Genie Hero and nine specific ones will also be available as special limited time demos on the Wii U eShop:

• Forma.8
• Lovely Planet
• Runbow
• Typoman
• Extreme Exorcism
• RIVE
• Mutant Mudds Super Challenge
• Soul Axiom
• Freedom Planet

I will be trying every single one of these demos, and if you own a Wii U, I encourage you try them out too. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Gameplay

The Pokemon Rumble games are somewhat unique to the Pokemon franchise. Unlike their predecessors, they do not use the traditional Pokemon gameplay mechanics. For those of you who are unfamiliar with how the classic Pokemon games are laid out (you poor souls), the traditional game always has you play as a brand new Pokemon trainer who must choose their very first Pokemon and set out on a grand Pokemon adventure. During your adventure you must capture and train your Pokemon and then use them to defeat gym leaders, crime syndicates, and eventually The Elite 4. Pokemon Rumble World, on the other hand, is essentially nothing like this. Instead of playing as the young hero of the Pokemon world you will be playing as your Mii, as well as a variety of wind-up toy Pokemon. In Pokemon: Rumble World you will have to unlock hot air balloons in order to explore new and exciting dungeons, most of these balloons are purchased with poke Diamonds that can be obtained in game or by purchase with real money. Once you have traveled to a dungeon you will use A and B to hack, slash and bubble beam your way through hoards of Pokemon, this is quite different from traditional Pokemon games which utilize turn based combat. There is also a dramatic change in how new Pokemon are acquired; instead of throwing a Pokeball at that lowly weakened caterpie you will have to rely heavily on luck and a little bit on timing to put it into a "wobbly" state and then KO it. You are only able to befriend Pokemon that have been knocked out while wobbling or sparkling. Aside from the dungeon crawling aspect of this game, there is a King who will provide you with daily quests. These quests vary, and they range from more dungeons with a boss that must be defeated to an arena style match where you must defeat all of your enemies in a limited amount of time. By completing the Kings quests you can earn diamonds which can then be used to purchase hot air balloons. One of the more unfortunate aspects of this free to play Pokemon game is that it is entirely funded by micro-transactions and this, as a result, heavily influences the pacing of the game. For example: the hot air balloons have cool down periods, that range from a couple of minutes to over an hour, during which they cannot be used, unless you use diamonds. Once you have used your hot air balloon you will be randomly placed in one of several levels, each of which have unique Pokemon, but it is often the case that you will play every level except the one you want, possibly several times (this becomes incredibly frustrating with the cool down times that are over an hour). In the non-free Rumble games levels can be selected, this is likely because they do not utilize micro-transactions in the same way that Rumble World does. The online features in this game are also minimal. Streetpassing with players who also play Rumble World will generate the passed players Mii in a dungeon, you will then have to complete the level while keeping the rescued player alive. Once the level is complete you will see the rescued Mii's in the kingdom where you can then talk to them, sometimes they will offer to take you to a specific stage for a small amount of in-game currency. You can also set rescued Mii's to play the roles of the characters in the kings quests. The short and sweet of the gameplay for Pokemon: Rumble World is simple but addicting. 

Story

There is a minimal amount of story used to progress Rumble World, the biggest driving factor that will keep a player going is their desire to collect as many Pokemon as they can. Non-collectors will grow bored of this game quickly. At the start of the game you will be introduced to a king, who's only Pokemon is a pikachu, and basically this king is jealous of a magician who has more Pokemon than he does and so he asks you to upstage the magician by obtaining a bunch of Pokemon. The rest of the quest narratives are of a similar nature.

Aesthetics

All in all this is a good looking game for what it is. Now we can't expect Witcher 3 quality graphics from a free to play Pokemon game, but given the context the visuals work well. While I was playing through Pokemon: Rumble World I got the sense that this was a playful game that did not want to be like other Pokemon games, and instead of trying to address deep questions like whether or not forcing Pokemon to fight was ethical or not (Pokemon Black/White) it simply wanted to be fun, cute, and a little bit whimsical. During my play through I was brought back to my childhood and the games I used to play with my little Pokemon figurines, and I believe that this is what the developers of this game intended. As for the dungeons, I found the map layouts to be fairly simple, but the maps looked good for a free to play game.

Overall Impression 

Overall there are some less than amazing aspects to this game. The story is lacking and the game play is simple. There are some redeeming qualities however. I personally enjoyed the cutesy sprites and the simple levels. One of the biggest turn offs for me was the waiting in between balloon uses, but I am also the kind of person who likes to binge watch/play/read just about everything. Despite its flaws I did enjoy Pokemon: Rumble World enough to play for over 10 hours, and enough to consider buying other games in the Pokemon Rumble series. This is not a game for someone who is looking for a heavily detailed narrative, this is not a game for someone who needs complex gameplay to enjoy a game, this game is for someone who has a Nintendo 3DS and no money who really wants to catch all of the Pokemon. 

I have been coming to terms with the fact that my childhood was short lived since I have been employed for the majority of my life in one way or another ever since I was ten years old. I have had little time for games and being destitute during that time meant that if I wanted any kind of games, then I had to pay for them myself with the money that I earned. This made me appreciate the games I bought even more and I carefully chose which ones I would be purchasing. But I guaranteed you, nine times out of ten, the game would always be something from Nintendo. They always put love and care into every game they made and it made them all the more special to me when I actually learned a life lesson from them. They were like the Father I never had, and that's why it greatly pained me to find out that the great Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo and master programmer for many great games like Balloon Fight, EarthBound, and games in the Kirby and Pokemon series, had passed away.

When I found out this news, I was distraught. It was like losing a family member that you secretly loved the most and I didn't really know how to cope. He was an inspiration to me and his charm, humor, wisdom, and overall likability made him very much a father figure in a time where I didn't have a strong male influence in my life. His soft spoken demeanor gave me a sense of comfort that I desperately needed in times of great stress and he was always so apologetic even when things didn't go as initially planned. Listening to his voice always calmed me when I was feeling annoyed or enraged because it gave me the feeling that everything was going to be alright. Now that he is gone, I really don't know what to do now...

So, as a tribute to the late, great Satoru Iwata, I have prepared a Haiku in his honor to help me grieve in this time of great stress. I hope you will all appreciate it.

One of the greats, gone,
Now, forever a legend,
Now we understand.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you all to leave luck to the heavens.

This stage will be released on September 30th and if past pricing is any indication, then it'll cost $1.99 USD for one version and $2.99 USD for a bundle containing both, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

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Super Mario Maker is not your conventional Mario game. While it still has all of the familiar gameplay elements of past 2D entries, this title is allows you to make, customize, and save up to 120 of your own stages in one of four different styles based around past games in the series's history. These styles all also have their own unique play mechanics that make the game play a little more like the game that the theme originates from. For instance:\r

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• Super Mario Bros: Has the most basic control scheme and you can't grab or hold objects.
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• Super Mario Bros 3: Gabbing objects is possible and has a power meter to use for flight.
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• Super Mario World: Same as Mario 3, but adds a spin jump and the ability to throw grabbed items upward.
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• New Super Mario Bros U: Flight and upward throwing are absent, but adds wall jumping and the ability to ground-pound.
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Each of these themes adds a subtle level of variety that perfectly encompasses most if not all of the 2D main series games. There are also sixty different objects that you place in each theme and six different theme sets that you can use for each overall style, but you have to unlock them over continued use of the stage maker; this will take around 2.5 to 3 hours. Most of these objects (specifically enemies and platforms) also have alternate forms that you can access by shaking them. This allows for even more variety than what was initially thought, especially since that many enemies can be altered even further by stacking them on top of each other like totem pole, powering them up with a mushroom or wings, placing them in Lakitu's cloud or a Koopa Clown Car, or even by having them launch out of a Bill Blaster. This has sparked a lot of creativity as I was making stages of my own. I even spiced things up further thanks to the sound effects that can be applied to just about everything.\r

Also, each game style has their own unique power-ups. While Mario 3, Mario World, and Mario U all have a flight themed power-up like a Super Leaf, Super Feather, or Propeller Mushroom respectively, the Mario 1 theme has three special power-ups designed specifically for it:\r

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• Weird Mushroom: Makes Mario very tall and lanky, but greatly increases his jump height.
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• Mystery Mushroom: Gives Mario one of 99+ special costumes based on amiibo and various other Nintendo characters. Pressing Up while wearing one will make Mario pose. Most of these costumes also have unique sound effects, death music, and victory jingles.
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• Big Mushroom: Turns Mario into Big Mario which is kind of like a cross between Super Mario and Mega Mario. His increased size and weight can destroy unbreakable blocks and bricks and can even break them from the side or from above, but it can only be accessed with the help of one of the two 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo.
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Well, say you don't want to make any stages and just want to play the game. Well Nintendo has that covered too. There are sixty-four pre-made sample courses you can play via the game's Coursebot or from the game's 10 Mario Challenge mode. Replaying through 10 Mario Challenge repeatedly unlocks more and more sample stages that you can play or edit and once you unlock them all, an additional four stages become available as a bonus. These four stages are the same stages that were shown off in the 2015 Nintendo World Championships. How's THAT for a bonus unlockable?\r

Now, if you ever get bored of any of the sample stages, you can also play the courses uploaded to the game's server via the Course World where you can find specific stages by using a 16-character code, follow your favorite creators, or even download your favorite courses to save for later. You can also play the 100 Mario Challenge game mode here. "Now what is the difference between the 10 Mario and 100 Mario Challenges anyway?" you may ask. Well, the 100 Mario version only picks the user created stages that have been uploaded to the servers and are set to specific difficulties depending on the stage's clear rate percentage. Also, each time you complete this game mode, you unlock one additional costume for the Mystery Mushroom.\r

There is just so much that can be done with this game's robust editor. When online, I have seen stages that build themselves as you progress, stages that completely invert when you enter a pipe, stages based on other games, and stages that even play themselves. There is even a hidden mini-game that you can randomly access while fiddling with the objects in the editor. This is by far the best thing Nintendo could've done to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros and I HIGHLY suggest that you get it, but until then, I'll be seeing you.\r

Score\r

#1: Add Optional Premium and/or Paid Accounts

Microsoft's XBox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 both have one thing in common that seem to keep drawing in more consumers, and that is XBox Live's Silver and Gold Memberships and PlayStation Network's PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now accounts. They are paid subscription accounts that have special features available only to those that have them. This usually includes improved internet stability and security, cloud service, special discounts for certain games, and early access for some games still in BETA, and with PlayStation Now, streaming games from earlier systems at no extra charge. If Nintendo did something similar with their Nintendo Network, they could add something like a "Nintendo Network Premium Account" that have features similar to this.

#2: Unlock the Region Lock

There are many gamers (like myself) that like to import games from other countries. This could be because some games aren't available in the country where you live, or certain games are heavily censored when they were localized for your country of residence. This however can be an inconvenient problem if the console isn't region free. Ever since Nintendo had started making games, they have always tried to implement a form of region locking on all of their home consoles, and now it has spread to their portable systems starting with the 3DS. This makes it expensive if you want to import games because it now requires you to buy a system that matches the region the game is in as well. Now, we have seen hackers exploit the 3DS to make it region free before, so I propose that Nintendo can do either one of two options with this one. Either A: Make their next set of systems region free from the start; or B: Offer a paid digital "Passport" on the eShops that unlocks the system for use with imported games. If Microsoft can do it with an update to their XBox One, Nintendo should have no excuse to not do it to the Wii U, 3DS or the yet to be released NX.

#3: Match their Competitors' Specs

While Nintendo has been absolutely fantastic when it comes to gameplay, they have been shown to sometimes be "behind the times" with their system's tech. This has spawned some issues that could be the cause to why so many games haven't been ported to their systems. It's probably also the reason why so many of Nintendo's old 3rd Party stand-by games went to PlayStation when Nintendo showed that they would continue to use cartridges. If Nintendo is to step up their game and give players a reason to pick them over their competitors, they need to either match, or surpass the graphical and computing power of their rivals if they are to get more games ported to their systems. This can be a challenge however as Nintendo usually goes lower to save on money and to make their systems for affordable, but I'm sure that if they tried, then they can pull it off.

#4: Make More amiibo Compatible Games

Thanks to Skylanders and Disney Infinity, amiibo has grown to be quite the phenomenon with collectors, and for good reason. They are really well designed, sturdy, fairly priced, and can do a variety of things in games that support their use, that is if you can find a game that uses them well. So far Splatoon, Super Smash Bros 4 and Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash are the only games I've seen that use the amiibo well enough to warrant a purchase of one, assuming you aren't a collector. As such, Nintendo needs to make more games in which amiibo have more compelling uses and more free titles that can only be played with amiibo. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is a good start, but it isn't good enough. We need a Skylanders styled game that use these things, or some kind of digital trophy case app that gives a little bit of flavor text and a small mini game specifically for that amiibo when it is scanned.

#5: Make a New Loyalty Program

When it was still active, Club Nintendo was great. I ended up getting a lot of really cool stuff from there and it is partially the reason why I started pre-ordering my games instead of getting them a few weeks after they came out (registering games early netted you more spendable points). This was an ingenious way to get people to buy their games early, and it was also a great way to get exclusive rewards that you wouldn't be able to buy normally like a special Mario cap or a re-issued Ball Game & Watch. However, it kinda fell to the wayside when the rewards started to become a little...lackluster, and as such the program was canned. I thought the idea of cool exclusive rewards should be brought back in some way with a new loyalty program, but since physical rewards are expensive to produce (and probably the reason why Club Nintendo stopped offering them), I propose a digital program that can offer exclusive digital themes, games, and gift cards to loyal buyers.

#6 More Physical Pre-Order Bonuses

If there is one thing I know about pre-ordering games, it is special bonuses make sells happen. Every time I've tried to pre-order a game in the Zero Escape series so I can get the special bonus watch that came with it, I was always too late and never managed to get one. Nintendo needs to do this more, especially in North America because I keep hearing that UK stores like GAME offer a ton of physical pre-order bonuses for the games that they sell while we only really get digital ones like exclusive DLC or a digital soundtrack or art book. I feel that this is incredibly unfair to American, Canadian, and Latin American consumers as they are missing out on some really cool stuff and it would get Nintendo the sales that they desperately need to survive in the gaming market.

#7: STOP WITH THE YOUTUBE COPYRIGHT CLAIMS!

Even though Nintendo has been pretty good on what they've put on their YouTube channel (specifically with their Nintendo Directs), this has caused nothing but trouble with Let's Players, Reviewers, and News channels on that site. Nintendo, for some reason, has been issuing copyright claims left and right for videos containing gameplay of games they've created and/or produced even though most of those videos technically count as free advertisement. From my experience, gameplay footage =/= playing the game first hand. I have actually ended up buying MORE games because of some Let's Plays I've seen on YouTube. Come on Nintendo, even though you are well within your legal rights, please just let your fans make their videos in peace. And while you're at it, you should drop the whole Nintendo Creators Program as well. That just spells nothing but trouble.

#8: Make ALL Virtual Console Games Cross-Buy

If you happen to own two or more game systems by the same company, you should expect to be able to buy the game once on your account and be able to use it across all platforms, right? Sony does this with their PS1 classics and Xbox with their XBox Live Arcade titles and they have had few complaints among their consumers, but Nintendo doesn't seem to grasp this very well. Nintendo has hundreds of games that would benefit greatly from being playable on all systems, but the thought of buying the same game again just to play it on another system is very deterring, especially when some of the games are exclusive to a certain platform. Make them work with all systems, including the N64 games, and I'm sure that would make a lot of consumers happy.

#9: More Cross Compatible and Cross Platform Games

I don't really know how to word what it is called exactly, but what I'm referring to are entirely different games that have the ability to unlock features in each other, and games that allow for multiplayer across different platforms. I remember when Metroid Prime had the ability to have special unlockables when it connected to the Game Boy Advance game Metroid Fusion. It gave a reason to buy and play through both games and it gave them reason to be replayed. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Animal Crossing both did something similar where if you connected a Game Boy Advance (without a game) to the console, it could download special extras to the handheld that added to the experience. Now for cross platform multiplayer games, I have only really seen two games that offer this on the Wii U and one of them has kind of an odd way of doing it. Let's just hope Nintendo gets better at this in the future.

#10: Universal Accounts

Now I'm sure this has irritated a lot of fans, but the Wii U and 3DS have a rather annoying form of linked accounts: Only one Wii U and one 3DS can be linked to a single Nintendo Network account at a time and you'll have to transfer all of the content on the system if you want to upgrade. Microsoft and Sony have a universal account system that works for all of their platforms and it allows them to re-download any and all compatible games and software onto a newer system at no additional cost. This is an excellent way to keep consumers and fans as long as possible and it helps buyers to save as much as possible while still enjoying their hobby.

If Nintendo does these things, I'm sure it can bring them back into relevance with their old consumers. If not, well at least they would be on equal footing with their competitors. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

However if you're like me and don't usually have the time to watch forty-five minutes of news, here's a quick recap for you.

• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD was officially confirmed and is available to pre-order in a special bundle edition that includes a Wolf Link & Midna amiibo. A bonus soundtrack pre-order bonus will also be included at some retailers.
• The Legend of Zelda: TriForce Heroes will be receiving a major update that adds a massive brand new dungeon and two new costumes.
• Super Mario Maker will now have a portal site that will make it easier to find specific stages and makers.
• Fire Emblem Fates will be released in two versions with a third DLC pack along the way, and also as a special collector's edition that has all three versions plus an art book and a 3DS pouch.
• Splatoon will be receiving yet another major update that will add two more stages and many more clothes and accessories. A special site for the game will also be launched for it soon that will allow you to track the stats of yourself and other players.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends confirmed a new character in the form of Linkle, who was originally a piece of concept art for a gender-swapped Link.
• Nintendo Badge Arcade was shown off in minor detail.
• Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow versions will be coming to the 3DS Virtual Console early 2016.
• Mega Man Legacy Collection will be coming to the 3DS as well and will be compatible with the Mega Man amiibo and the special Gold Mega Man amiibo only included in the collector's edition version of the game.
• Pokemon Picross was announced and will be released as a free-to-play title.
• Pokken Tournament was confirmed to include a special Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card in first run production copies of the game.
• Star Fox Zero has a new release date of April 22, 2016.
• Final Fantasy Explorers, Dragon Quest VII, and Dragon Quest VIII (all for the 3DS) have been confirmed to be coming westward. A collector's edition of Final Fantasy Explorers will also be available for pre-order.
• Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival has a confirmed release date of November 13, 2015
• The currently unnamed Zelda title for the Wii U now has a 2016 release date.
• Many new details for various indie and big name titles that have already been announced earlier in the year.
• And last, but not least, Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII has been confirmed to be the next DLC character for Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U

I hope that'll slake your collective thirsts for new Nintendo info for the next few weeks. I know I'm good, but maybe Nintendo will announce something special for the holidays if this wasn't enough for you. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Even though this video was a little shorter than the last one, there was a lot more interesting details shown off. Here's a quick recap.

• Final Fantasy VII's Cloud Strife and his stage, Midgar, were both released a couple of hours after the Direct ended. Their cost is $5.99 for one version and $6.99 for both in a bundle.
• Corrin from the as of yet to be released Fire Emblem Fates was announced as a future DLC character. He/she will be worth $4.99 for one version and $5.99 for the two version bundle and will include two brand new songs that will be added to the Castle Siege and Coliseum stages. It is scheduled to be released around February 2016.
• A bunch of new Mii Fighter costumes were revealed for future release. They are a Chocobo Hat from Final Fantasy, Tails and Knuckles costumes from the Sonic series, a Takamaru costume from The Mysterious Murasame Castle, an Ashley costume from Wario Ware, a Gil costume from Tower of Druaga, some cool Bionic Armor made specifically for the Mii Brawler, and a costume based on Geno from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The Geno costume and the Chocobo Hat were released at the same time as the Cloud Strife DLC. QR Codes of the characters using the costumes were also made available on the Smash Bros official site.
• As always, amiibo of the new characters will be made and released some time in the future. It has also been confirmed that the Roy, Ryu, and Famicom version of R.O.B. will be released on March 18, 2016.
• And last but certainly not least, Bayonetta was announced to be the final DLC character and was also confirmed to be the winner of the Smash Bros Character Ballot. She will be released at the same time as Corrin and will cost the same as Cloud. She will also come package with a stage based on the game she is from called Umbra Clock Tower.

I was certainly surprised about this Direct as I was only expecting one new character. I am definitely looking forward to playing as both Corrin and Bayonetta when they are released next year, and I JUST CAN'T WAIT for the Bayonetta amiibo to be released. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Video Game

This game is fantastically good and a helluva lot of fun, even if the difficulty on the Normal setting is a little unforgiving. The music is fantastic as well and the character and enemy designs are extremely creative and fit the theme of the game superbly. The story can be a little confusing at times, but it all comes together nicely in the end. However, depending on which version of the game you get, it can be either an extraordinary experience, or torture for the eyes. If you decide to get the game, go for the Xbox 360 or Wii U version of the game as the PS3 version is plagued by terrible frame-rate issues making it look awful to watch, let alone play. Plus as a bonus to those that get the Wii U version, Nintendo themed costumes for Bayonetta are also available which alter some minor aspects about the game without affecting the gameplay. All in all though, just avoid the PS3 version.

"The Eyes of Bayonetta" Artwork Book and DVD

Now despite how interesting and informative the artwork books was, the "Making of" DVD actually was what I more interested in. The development process was quite a sight to behold. As it turns out, the main character, Bayonetta, was designed by Mari Shimazaki with the only instruction that she should look feminine. Needless to say that this gave her a lot of freedom and she rolled with it. She wasn't the only one that was given a lot of freedom in her work, just about everyone involved in the game's creative process was allowed to let their imaginative juices flow freely. The way everything meshes together really shows that love and care was put into the game's creation. The DVD is definitely well worth the watch; the dev's personalities show in both their commentary and their work.

Animated Film

Closing Statement

No matter what medium you enjoy Bayonetta in, this first entry in the series definitely had a very strong impact. Bayonetta as a character is probably my favorite female protagonists of all time as well. She is strong, independent, knows that she's sexy and casually exploits that fact in her work, which she also enjoys. If you can get any of these things, definitely go for it, just remember to avoid the PS3 version of the game due to a very shoddy porting process. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Game Score

Book Score

Film Score

#1: More/Better Free-to-Start amiibo-Powered games

Nintendo has already done something like this once in the past with amiibo Tap on the Wii U (which I also reviewed), but I feel that it while it works on paper, the overall execution in amiibo Tap is somewhat flawed. In order to fully optimize the functionality of the amiibos, actual games that require amiibo to play need to be made, and I'm not talking like Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival or the amiibo Party game mode in Mario Party 10. I think games like Skylanders and League of Legends could provide inspiration for future free-to-start amiibo-powered games that would actually be worth taking a gander at.

#2: Cross Series/Cross Franchise Data Transfer

With the announcement that the Wolf Link amiibo that will come packaged with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD can use its saved data to do something special with the currently untitled Wii U Zelda game, it got me thinking, "Why Nintendo hasn't done anything like this sooner?" By saving data from one game onto an amiibo and using that data to directly influence another game in the same series or even an entirely separate franchise, it could open up many more customization ideas during gameplay. Imagine if you will a special area in one game that cannot be entered unless you do something in another and save that information onto a compatible amiibo, then you take that saved info and present it in the first game to open up the path. A remake of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons could benefit greatly from this as the bonus missions unlocked from linked play were a real pain in the butt due to its inane password system. Amiibo data transference could solve this problem and that data could be used again in a future game to unlock a bonus later down the line. You know, as an example.

#3: Optional Gameplay Modifiers

I think I speak for everyone when I say that sometimes a little help in certain games is welcome, so when a game suddenly gets too difficult for you to complete it under your own power, where does that leave you? Frustrated, tired, and irritable, with a slowly growing level of seething rage. This is why many games used to have cheat codes in the late 80's and early 90's, but since that trend seems to have all but completely vanished, I propose that amiibo step up to take its place. Kirby & The Rainbow Curse on the Wii U already does something like this with the Kirby, King DeDeDe, and Meta Knight amiibo from the Super Smash Bros set. Scanning one of these amiibo into the game gives you a little boost to help you through a particularly difficult stage, but only once per day. Drop the once per day limit and this could be a very nice alternative to the all but forgotten cheat codes of yore.

#4: More/Better Bonus Content

Everyone loves bonuses in games. It gives you reason to keep playing or to come back to a game after its been finished. So why not make it so that even better bonuses could be unlocked through amiibo? Splatoon has something like this already, but I am talking about something a bit more extravagant. I think some future games should have special versions of NES games that can only be unlocked through scanning an amiibo. Super Mario 3D World kinda already did this once as well where if you have save data of New Super Luigi U saved onto the system's hard drive, you would unlock a special version of Mario Bros that has Luigi as both player 1 and 2. Nintendo definitely needs to do more of this.

#5: Card "Sets"

Amiibo figures are a bit pricey; there's no doubting that. But with the recent introduction of the Animal Crossing amiibo cards, it got me thinking why Nintendo hasn't offered whole card sets as an alternative to the figures yet? The Animal Crossing cards may be sold in booster packs, but I figure that whole decks that would encompass the entire series would make it much more affordable for non-collectors. Here's an example: if they sold them at the same price as the Animal Crossing cards, you could theoretically get all 58 amiibo for Super Smash Bros for less than $60. The only real downside to this is that the cards are much more fragile compared to the figures, and aren't nearly as stunning as them either.

#6: More/Better Figure Bundles

This one is pretty self explanatory. While Nintendo already does this, they need to do it more. Bundle packs of figures sold at a discounted price make it more worth the buyer's time to go out of their way to purchase a few, especially if it is some that they genuinely want. As an example, I think a double pack of Lucas and Ness from the EarthBound series with a $20 price tag would be a fair deal and a triple pack of Kirby, King DeDeDe, and Meta Knight for around $30 would also be pretty fair. Make it happen, Nintendo!

#7: Card "Games"

Amiibo cards are definitely a good idea by itself, but like the figures they don't really have much use outside of the games besides looking pretty. So I propose that "non video game" games be made that can take advantage of the cards. The Animal Crossing amiibo card series already has a good start to this already by having dice numbers and Rock-Paper-Scissors symbols on the cards themselves, but it seems they can only be used in the mini games in Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival. We just need board games and/or rules that can use them properly outside of the video games they're compatible with, and maybe even a board game bundle that comes with a bunch of cards as well. And while we're at it, Pokemon TCG amiibo cards would also be pretty cool.

#8: Multiple Profiles

As useful as the data save feature on amiibo is, it can only save data from one game. That means if you want to use that amiibo with a different game, you would either need to buy a new amiibo of the same character, or delete the existing data on your current one. This has made things a little frustrating for some people, namely me. The thing is, Activision has already solved this problem with their exclusive Donkey Kong and Bowser Skylanders by having them have a twistable switch on their base. This allows them to be used as both Skylanders and amiibo with both settings having their own unique save data. So why hasn't Nintendo taken notice of this and implemented it in newer amiibo so they could store data from multiple games? If they did this some time in the near future, I'm sure it would probably make a lot of amiibo fans like myself very happy.

#9: More Third Party Characters

I'm sure that a lot of you agree that the current selection of amiibo is pretty good right now, but at the moment only seven third-party characters have been confirmed so far. When you consider that that is 7 out of roughly 100 different figures (at the time of writing this), it makes for a rather non-inclusive experience for fans of other series. This is why I think there should be amiibo of other characters for games that will eventually be released on a Nintendo system. I'm sure a lot of fans would love to have a Rayman, Shantae, or Commander Video amiibo. I know I would.

#10: Better "Special Edition" Figures

Special edition amiibo are an odd case. Usually they are just the same characters in the same poses as the previously produced models, but with a different paint job (usually in a shiny variant). It wasn't until recently when a friend of mine put this thought in my head: Why can't they be more like action figures? And honestly, he's right. Poseable figures with interchangeable or luminescent parts, would make for fantastic special edition amiibo. It would give the figure a much bigger reason to use it outside of the game(s) it is made for. Most of the Skylanders Superchargers vehicles have wheels or propellers that can spin in place, and some of their earlier special edition figures would glow when placed on the Portal of Power. It's confusing that Nintendo hasn't implemented these features in there own product; I would assume it is to keep production costs down, but is that really a reason to not do it in its entirety? Nintendo occasionally likes to call themselves a toy company after all. As such, they need start making actual toys then.

Well, those are my thoughts on the matter. At the moment, amiibo only really appeal to hardcore Nintendo fans and avid collectors. They are having a bit of trouble finding the right mix of demographics, but if Nintendo were to see these ideas, I'm sure they would take a few of them seriously (I'm a bit partial to numbers 2, 3, and 7 myself). If you have any suggestions of your own, please let me know in the comment section, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

To celebrate the Pokemon series 20th Anniversary in Japan, Nintendo announced that the 7th generation Pokemon games, titled Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, were in development and would be released by the holiday season of 2016. In addition to this, they also revealed that the eShop versions of Pokemon Red Version, Pokemon Blue Version, and Pokemon Yellow Version would be compatible with Pokemon Bank so you could transfer the pokemon you trained in those games to Sun and Moon when they're released. Here's hoping for a great new addition to the Pokemon series, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now because the last direct was exclusively Pokemon themed and announced the new Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon games, this one had no Pokemon related news to speak of. Instead a bunch of equally exciting information was shown off.

• Star Fox Zero was shown off again and was officially announced that it would be released in tandem on April 22 with a secondary game called Star Fox Guard. The Fox amiibo was also shown off in the game to show that it would unlock the Retro Arwing for play.
• Splatoon will be receiving a balancing patch on March 8 along with some new weapon sets that will be released in two separate updates in the near future.
• Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was shown off a bit with the addition of a release date for both versions. Wii U is June 24 and 3DS is March 18.
• New construction features in the form of Pink Coins, Keys, Locked Doors and Skewers will be added to Super Mario Maker in its next update (Still no sloped platforms though...). In addition to these, a new Super Expert 100-Mario Challenge game mode will also be added which can be played to try and earn new Mystery Mushroom costumes.
• The Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem crossover game for Wii U now has an official English name and a release date. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will be released June 24.
• Paper Mario: Color Splash was unexpectedly revealed for the Wii U and will be released some time in 2016. No other specifics such as amiibo support or a demo were announced for it.
• Pokken Tournament recapped some if its features and reconfirmed its March 18 release date.
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge was revealed and would be released as an early access title, with the purchase of a compatible amiibo, on March 25 and with a free public release on both Wii U and 3DS on April 28.
• Super NES titles were announced for Virtual Console on the New 3DS and will be incompatible with the older hardware.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends was announced to be getting a Season Pass of DLC and a free downloadable character in the form of Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The Season Pass will be released on the same day as the game on March 25.
• Monster Hunter X was revealed to be coming stateside with the name Monster Hunter Generations and was shown to have Fire Emblem DLC as well. It should be released some time in the summer.
• Metroid Prime: Federation Force showed off some new gameplay and some details about the game's story was explained. It has a projected release of late spring.
• Fire Emblem Fates had some DLC shown off in addition to the final downloable story line, Revelation.
• Dragon Quest VII was announced for a stateside release some time in 2016.
• Bravely Second: End Layer was announced for an April release with the addition of a rather impressive collector's edition to pre-order.
• The Free-to-Play Lost Reavers was announced to be released as an open beta on April 14 with the full version being released two weeks later.
• A rather unusual new game called Pocket Card Jockey by Game Freak was announced for the 3DS and will be released in May.
• Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 was announced for a summer release on the 3DS eShop.
• In addition, Disney Art Academy was also announced for the 3DS. It will be released on May 13.
• Rhythm Heaven Megamix was announced to finally getting released overseas after being in Japan for nearly a year. It will be released some time in 2016. I'm estimating a summer launch.
• A brand new Kirby game for the 3DS called Kirby: Planet Robobot was announced for the 3DS and will include amiibo support and a brand new sub-game called Team Kirby Clash. In addition to this, a brand new series of amiibo based on the Kirby series was announced. The game will be released on June 10, but the release date of the amiibo has yet to be confirmed.
• And finally, the My Nintendo loyalty program was officially launched and will also allow you to preregister Nintendo's first smartphone app, Miitomo.

Being the Nintendo fan that I am, I will most definitely be trying to get most of these games and I am extremely excited for the new Kirby game that will soon be released. I wish I didn't have to repurchase all of those SNES games though, but I'm sure My Nintendo will be able to remedy this in the future. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Animal Crossing

Banjo-Kazooie

Bayonetta

BioShock

Castlevania

Chibi-Robo

Crash Bandicoot

Donkey Kong

Doom

Final Fantasy

Fire Emblem

F-Zero

Game & Watch

God of War

Golden Sun

Halo

Jak & Daxter

Katamari Damacy

Kid Icarus

Kirby

The Legend of Zelda

Mario Kart

Mario Party

Mass Effect

Mega Man

Metal Gear Solid

Metroid

Monster Hunter

Mortal Kombat

Mother/EarthBound

Okami

Pac-Man

Phoenix Wright

Pikmin

Pokemon

Professor Layton

Punch-Out!!

Ratchet & Clank

Rayman

Rhythm Heaven

Shantae

Sly Cooper

Sonic the Hedgehog

Spyro the Dragon

Star Fox

Super Mario Bros

Super Smash Bros

Tetris

Warioware

Yoshi's Island

Thanks once again for your continued support and I hope you all will still be reading my articles even after I reach 100. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

The music certainly fits the theme of the game very well and it can be pretty catchy at times, but unfortunately it is hardly what I would call memorable as I hardly ever remember how any of the tracks go, especially when the fights sometimes drown out the music. Also, when playing I've noticed that the pokemon don't use their 4Kids officiated voice overs and instead use their original Japanese VA's. In all honesty, this is probably a smart move as hearing those obnoxious American voice overs in a competitive fighting game would drive me nuts. That's not saying there isn't any English voice acting though. On the contrary, there is English dialog spoken from the trainers and key characters shown in the Single Player campaign, although you're going to want to turn it back to Japanese or even completely off as the "voice acting" (if you want to call it that) is absolutely abysmal; No personality at all. It's like they were just blandly reading their lines from a script and waiting to get paid. But that's beside the point.

Now the game has sixteen playable fighters (two of which that need to be unlocked), fifteen pairs of support pokemon (only three pairs to start with), nineteen arenas (eleven of which need to be unlocked), and six "cheers" that Nia, your guide, will use to boost your support pokemon and/or your synergy gauge (only one to start with). Just about all of the locked content can only be unlocked by playing through the single player campaign and it gives you a decent idea on how some fighters would play online, but at a much more beatable skill level. Now each playable pokemon plays very differently from each other as many of them have various combos that naturally link into each other, but the game does offer much more complex combos for more experienced players. I've been victim of these harsh combos when playing online. Needless to say I'm not very good against fiercely competitive players. But alas.

Now, where this game really shines (in my opinion) is the Phase Mode mechanic. During battles, when you take or deal enough damage, the phase of the battle will shift between Field Phase: where you roam around the arena in 3D space and combat is mostly ranged; and Dual Phase: where combat is restricted to a 2D plane and most of the fighting is done in close-quarters. These two phases drastically change the attacks and combat mechanics so mastering the constant shifting between phases is crucial to winning a match. In addition to this, pokemon can also gain experience and level up which in turn can be used to increase their stats such as attack or defense. You can turn this feature off in Versus mode if you wish, but I'm still uncertain if it is possible to turn it off during online play.

All in all, this game is an excellent first entry in what I hope will be a permanent spin-off series for the Pokemon franchise. While it's a bit light on playable characters (and it pushes this fact in your face as there is VISIBLE space on the roster for at least four more fighters), they all play very uniquely and each stands out as a whole. And if they wanted to, they could always add more through updates and/or DLC. Also, if you have the extra cash, definitely get the fight pad to go along with it, even if only works with one Wii U game. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

#1: Gallade

Gallade is the male equivalent of the effeminate Gardevoir, but unlike her whose design is based on a ballroom dancer, his overall design appears to be based on sword dancers and samurais. I think a fighter of this type could be a very nice speedy combatant that combines psychic blasts with twirling sword strikes and capoeira like dancing.

#2: Tyranitar

When I saw Garchomp as a playable fighter, I immediately thought of the kaiju Gigan, and because of this, I think Tyranitar who was likely inspired by Godzilla would compliment Garchomp quite nicely. A slow, powerful, tank of a pokemon like that would really add some unusual fighting strategies, especially since most pokemon in the game are pretty quick or rapid-hitters. Just give it Hyper Beam and it would be the perfect Godzilla clone.

#3: Zoroark

Now this pokemon would certainly make for an interesting fighter. Zoroark can use illusions to disguise itself to look like other pokemon, but once it uses its first attack, its illusion is broken. What I think could work with it would be a very technical fighter that would be something similar to Shang Tsung from Mortal Kombat, but with a few specific special moves instead of just transforming into a different pokemon. It's not Ditto after all.

#4: Greninja

Super Smash Bros anyone? Greninja certainly stole the show when it was announced for Smash Bros back in 2014, probably because everyone thought it was actually Mewtwo, but that's beside the point. Considering that it was the only generation 6 pokemon that made it into Smash as a playable character, it makes me wonder why it wasn't considered for Pokken. I think Greninja would make for a very speedy fighter and since there is only one other Water-type fighter in the game, I think it could add some much needed variety.

#5: Heracross

For some reason, there aren't any Bug-type pokemon in this game and that genuinely confuses me. Although, out of all of the bugs in Pokemon, only a fraction really stand out and Heracross is probably the most iconic of them. Since it changes into an entirely different type of beetle when it mega evolves, it could have an entirely different fighting style for burst mode. Definitely could be a fan favorite if executed properly.

#6: Hawlucha

I'm pretty sure everyone would have preferred this pokemon over Pikachu Libre anyway. Being both Fighting and Flying types, it could have a very aerial-based fighting style that could also be inspired by professional wrestling. The wrestling aspect about it could also lend itself to a good selection of grappling moves that could open itself to a more technical close ranged battle strategy.

#7: Swampert

Come on people. Pokken has both Blaziken AND Sceptile, but no Swampert? I was honestly a little disappointed by this. Swampert is a beast of a fighter being both Water and Ground types, and the fact that there aren't any Ground-type pokemon outside of Garchomp would allow it for more visual appeal with moves like Muddy Water, Mud Shot, and Mud Bomb. Plus it would fill in the emptiness regarding Water-type fighters as well.

#8: Meowth

Considering how long the TV series has been going on, it was quite the surprise that Meowth was missing from this game in its entirety. Even though he's a Normal-type pokemon, I feel that he could make for a rather silly fighter that takes his moves from the traps that he and Team Rocket have tried to use to capture Pikachu in the show. Plus he of course could use his species signature move Pay Day to round out his moveset a bit more.

#9: Hitmonchan

Yet another pokemon that I'm sure that everyone wanted in the game because of how obvious he would fit in, but that's because HE'S A WRECKING MACHINE! Why didn't Namco even think of this? Hitmonchan is a natural born pugilist and would fit perfectly within the game's narrative. He's strong, nimble, and can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Maybe he'll be one of the first new characters to be added if DLC is confirmed? Who knows.

#10: Abomasnow

Bet you weren't expecting this one were ya? Well you see by my logic, I want to see pokemon that have type combinations that are unusual, and can synergize well on the battlefield. Since Abomasnow is both Grass and Ice types, it can offer an unusual and creative moveset that can take advantage of freezing plant-based attacks to create environmental hazards or by creating makeshift weapons. Plus it can mega evolve, so there's that bonus.

#11: Kangaskhan

Betting you weren't expecting this one either, but hear me out on this. By itself Kangaskhan is pretty generic in terms of move selection in the main games, BUT when it mega evolves, the young one in its pouch jumps out and fights as well. THIS is what I think could be used for its fighting style in the game. It could be pretty slow and generic to start with, but it could charge its burst meter more quickly than the other pokemon allowing it to go into burst mode sooner and fight with a partner. Could DEFINITELY make for an interesting technical fighter.

#12: Genesect

The Team Plasma equivalent to Team Rocket's Mewtwo, and in my opinion, equally cool. A heavily modified Steel/Bug-type with a giant modular laser cannon on its back. This cannon gives it a ton of power that would otherwise be unavailable to it, and its attack type changes depending on which disk is installed into it. This disk-swapping mechanic could theoretically give it a pretty good selection of moves that could mix up fighting strategies quite significantly.

#13: Deoxys

A pokemon like Deoxys that is capable of changing forms each of which that is designed for combat? You bet your ass that it should be in this game; it could probably be a potential boss fighter as well. Because it has four different forms, each based on Normal, Attack, Defense, and Speed-based skills, it could be all four fighting traits as well being Normal, Power, Technical, and Speed respectively. And if it were to be an easy fighter to learn, I think shifting between forms at the press of a button would be the best way to go.

#14: Lopunny

As much as I hate to admit it, if there were to be a fighter based around a kick-boxing style of combat, I think Lopunny would be a much better choice than Hitmonlee. It offers a more unique look about it and it becomes more combat oriented when it mega evolves. Plus it would probably help the non-existent "gender ratio" for the game because of its feminine appearance. You gotta hit all those points for the fans after all.

#15: Hydreigon

Probably one of my favorite fifth generation pokemon, Hydreigon is a monster on the battlefield. Not only is it a Dark/Dragon-type, it looks like a more evil version of King Ghidorah. Plus it can learn one of my favorite attacks that so few pokemon can learn, Tri-Attack. This could be one of the more powerful Power-Based fighters in the game if done correctly, but only time will tell if Namco will actually add more characters to the roster.

Well, that's my list folks, if you disagree with my choices, tell me why in the comments and what you would have chosen instead. Until then, I'll be seeing you.

JUST A HEADS UP
Unlike my past reviews, this one contains major spoilers to the game's rebooted story.
If you do not wish to be spoiled on the game's altered plot, please stop reading now.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Now as I was saying, Star Fox Zero has been completely rebooted and everything in it was re-imagined from scratch. Shigeru Miyamoto has even described it has being neither a sequel or a prequel, so I guess that would be an apt enough description. The game for the most part has the same design as the previous games where you would either fly down a predetermined path and shoot anything that impedes your progress, or have free-range flight where you need to actively hunt down your targets. But an additional level element was added to the game to make it feel a little more cinematic: Target Mode, where the target enemy is always the focus on the TV screen. This is where the game's new control gimmicks come into play.

Unlike Star Fox 64 or Star Fox Assault, Star Fox Zero has a brand new control scheme that tries to take advantage of the Wii U GamePad as much as possible. The GamePad's screen always has a first person view from the cockpit of the Arwing, the radio transmissions from your squad-mates and enemies only come from the GamePad's speakers, and aiming the targeting reticle is primarily done with the GamePad's gyro sensor. In addition to these GamePad gimmicks, the controls were mixed up a bit as well in an attempt to try and emulate the controls of a fighter jet (all steering is on the left stick, thrusters and rolling is on the right stick, and the ship's guns and bombs are on the ZR and R buttons respectively). And if that wasn't enough, there are three vehicles that each have different controls with two of them having the ability to transform which alters their controls even further. With these new controls and gimmicks, it makes the game feel a bit awkward and confusing to play, especially during the Target Mode segments where the camera focuses entirely on the enemy. It all makes it feel not fun...AT FIRST.

You see, this game had a very unusual form of Stockholm Syndrome on me. After I did a few missions in the game (about 2 hours worth) and played through some of the alternate paths, it all suddenly clicked for me and the controls finally started to make sense. From that point on, I was starting to enjoy the game much more than I was previously. The action was fast and exciting, the varied gameplay styles were a nice change of pace, and the environments were creative and colorful. I was even able to finally enjoy the music as well as most of them were remade from Star Fox 64. The amiibo features were also quite fun; playing as the Retro and Black Arwings gave the game a new challenge to it I was hoping for. It's just a shame that after I had gotten used to the controls that there is no multiplayer (local OR online) outside of the local Co-Op Mode (which is basically a Han & Chewie mode where one pilots the ship and the other mans the guns).

Now the story and level progression is where this game takes an unprecedented turn. Unlike Star Fox 64 which is where Zero gets most of its inspiration, the game is mostly linear with branching paths having little to no impact on the ending of the game. This is a rather big oversight as Star Fox 64 had a great reward system where in most stages if you did an unknown additional task during the level such as killing a certain number of enemies before the end or by keeping a certain character alive, you were given the opportunity to take a harder path which would lead to the true final battle and the canon ending of the game. Because that is no longer the case, there is now a lack of motivation to unlock the alternate paths (even though I did it anyway). In addition to this, many of the stages from the original game have been renamed, removed or completely changed to fit the new story. The Nebulae Sectors are now Alpha, Beta, and Gamma instead of X, Y, and Z; Area 6 has been replaced with a new Sector which appears to be a black hole called Sector Omega; Aquas, Katina, Macbeth, and Bolse are completely absent; and the biggest offender, Venom has been reduced to the size of a small moon and remodeled to be a Death Star like device. This last bit right here is why I can safely say that Zero is a reboot and not a re-imagining; it makes the plot of Star Fox Command completely null and void. That being said, I still really liked the level design and I loved the boss fights.

Now the post-game content is probably where a lot of players will get the most enjoyment assuming they stuck around long enough to beat the game. Finishing the main story once will unlock Arcade Mode which is a one sitting play-through of the game with no system map, and only ONE life. You can collect three gold rings to store an extra life for later, but they unfortunately don't stack. That means, one extra life is all you can keep at any one time. This, and the fact that the game keeps track of your high-score and all of the different flight paths you take during a single run is what Miyamoto was talking about when he and Platinum were trying to make the game as replayable as possible. And every time I beat it, I can't help but shed a tear whenever I see that dedication to Iwata in the credits.

All in all, Star Fox Zero is quite fun, but only after you get the hang of the controls. As such, I will not be giving this game a star score like I usually do since it is very much an acquired taste due to the steep learning curve. The remade story completely changed the timeline for the earlier made games, but if Nintendo were to continue the series, I'm sure they could figure out how to reintroduce old characters and worlds. Now the physical version of the game also came with Star Fox Guard as a bonus, but I'll cover that another time. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Now Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is partially what you would expect: It's obviously baseball themed, but it seems to go much deeper than that. When you first start it up, you are greeted by a retired pro-baseball player by the name Rusty Slugger: an 8-year-old DOG (56 in human years) who runs a little shack shop where he sells sports equipment and baseball video games to support his ten 10-month-old puppies (5 in human years) after his wife Mitzi left him. I tell ya, this wasn't exactly what I expected from a Nintendo game, let alone a baseball-themed one!

Now, Rusty is certainly down on his luck. If it wasn't bad enough that his wife left him, he seems to find himself in a bit of financial trouble as his little shop (and his life's dream by the way) is hemorrhaging money. As such, he's willing to haggle just to make a sale. Now this is where things get interesting. The only things he sells are ten baseball-themed minigames at $4.00 each (real world cash, tax not included) which is a bit steep; even the puppy that you are tasked with babysitting will tell you that. This is where the haggling comes into play. If you can cheer up Rusty with a doughnut and listen to his woes and/or give him a coupon or something that'll help him in his struggles, he will give you a discount or two until the price is a bit more affordable. This can make the game's total go from a maximum price of $40 to the minimum and much more reasonable cost of $16. It doesn't really seem all that moral to take advantage of a destitute man, but he seems to enjoy haggling so I guess it's alright.

Now the minigames are all based around a central theme of being certain parts of baseball such as batting reflexes; aiming, throwing, and catching the ball; and even lesser things you wouldn't expect such as umpiring and lathing your own bat, and they are all played on your Nontendo 4DS. No, that's not a typo. Nintendo actually parodies themselves within the game by making a fictional game system to be used in the player's mii's house. The longer I play this game, the more bizarre it gets, but at least all of the minigames play really well. They're responsive, well designed, addicting, and they are varied enough that they won't get stale too quickly. Plus, if you don't know much of the rules or terms in a standard game of baseball, you can consider this game an educational experience. I wouldn't say that they're worth $4 each though; definitely haggle the prices down.

All in all, this game is fun and extremely unique. Maybe a tad experimental with the micro-transactions, but they work really well in the context in which they are presented. Definitely worth checking out of you have the money to spare, but just a fair warning: you can't get the lowest total price possible unless you get at least ten street passes within the game. Spend your money wisely, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

• On day one they mostly showed off some indie titles that were going to be released on the Wii U's and 3DS's eShop. Some of these games were Jotun: Valhalla Edition, Runbow Pocket, Axiom Verge, and Severed.
• Also, while not shown by Nintendo themselves, Noitu Love: Devolution was confirmed to be coming to the both the Wii U and 3DS eShop this July.
• On day two they started to get out of first gear and showed their more anticipated stuff. Some new pokemon were shown off in Pokemon Sun & Moon and some new gameplay elements were shown off in the form of Battle Royals in which you and three other trainers face each other in a free-for-all battle.
• In the Zelda department, the new Zelda title that had been in development since 2013 now has an official name, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More info about the game was shown off in great detail during Nintendo's live Treehouse stream during the second day and they talked about many new features about the game such as rock climbing, hunting, weapon and armor crafting, amiibo support, and a world and story that are VERY non-linear. An official release date hasn't been announced yet, but I would estimate that it wouldn't be released until at least late spring of 2017.
• A bunch of new amiibo were shown off as well, three for Zelda (Archer Link, Rider Link, and a Guardian with posable arms) and seven for Mario (Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and a glow-in-the-dark Boo).
• Paper Mario: Color Splash now has an official release date of October 27, 2016.
• On day three they decided to wind down with some smaller info in the form of portable titles. Mario Party: Star Rush was announced for the 3DS and features a rather unusual gameplay style in which all players move at the same time on an open board while you recruit other Mario characters to help you in the game.
• A brand new IP was revealed for the 3DS called Ever Oasis and judging by the gameplay video, it looks like it might be an action RPG hybridizing the gameplay styles of Animal Crossing and Monster Hunter.
• Pokemon Go Plus is shooting for a July release with the wrist add-on costing around $34.99USD.
• Both versions of Yokai Watch 2, Dragon Quest VII for the 3DS, and BoxBoxBoy!! were all confirmed for localization.
• And finally, Rhythm Heaven Megamix was released later the same day as an eShop exclusive title on the Nintendo 3DS.

If you wish to watch the recorded Treehouse stream that Nintendo did for E3 in its entirety, you can watch the above video, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

From the start-up I noticed something a little off at first. The theme music was not the usual cheery style that Kirby usually goes for. Instead, it had a more ominous sounding theme, probably to emphasize the fact that Kirby's home world of Popstar is being mechanized and assimilated by the main antagonist of this game: the Haltmann Works Company. This already sounds a bit darker than what I'm used to in Kirby games, but I have an open mind so I decide to give it a pass for the sake of aesthetic composition. I am glad though that the gameplay is exactly what I've come to expect from a main series Kirby game and more. Kirby has the usual abilities that we've come to expect, but he also has the ability to hijack an enemy mech called an Invader Armor to completely wreck house. These mech sections of the game are freaking awesome too. They made me feel like I was untouchable and since the armor is tuned to the abilities of its pilot, it also gains Kirby's ability to copy enemy powers as well. Now while the armor has a slightly different gameplay style, it still retained the simplicity that made the Kirby games so accessible, plus it harkens back to the old Dreamland games where he could ride on the back of an animal friend like Rick, Coo, or Kine.

The visuals of the game are absolutely stunning as well. You'd think just because the game uses the same engine as Triple Deluxe and Return to Dreamland that it would just reuse assets in order to save time on development right? Wrong! Hal Labs went the extra mile and retextured every returning organic enemy and miniboss in the game with a more mechanized appearance to reflect the actions of the Haltmann Works Company. The world's backgrounds are visually impressive as well. Most everything still fits the food theme that the Kirby series is known for, but now its all industrialized to better fit the aesthetic that the game is going for. Strands of spaghetti held up by forks are power-lines, milk cartons are houses, and soda cans are water towers. The music (in the stages) is also pretty catchy too and it fits the Kirby style quite well, but unfortunately most of them aren't memorable enough for me remember how they go without coming back to the game and hearing them again.

Now if you're like me and say that a Kirby game isn't complete without a couple of sub games, well Planet Robobot has got you covered there too. This game has two short, but intriguing, sub games called Team Kirby Clash and Kirby 3D Rumble. Clash is a series of timed boss fights with up to four players and has RPG elements like leveling and job classes. And in order to set it apart from the main game mode, all of the fights are from past Kirby games that didn't return for the main story. 3D Rumble on the other hand is a fully 3D (you read that right) puzzle based game where you need to take out all of the enemies on the screen in the quickest and most efficient way possible. There are no copy abilities in this mode, but it feels MUCH different than the rest of the game. I think Hal should combine these two game modes to make a truly unique Kirby spin-off.

All in all, this entry in the series hit all the right points with me. It was fun, it built upon established gameplay well, the music fit where it was needed, it was incredibly pleasant to look at, and when it pandered to the nostalgic side in me, it was done well enough that it fit in the context where it was presented without sticking out like a sore thumb. Every aesthetic choice that was made for this game was absolutely spot on and I wouldn't change a bit of it. My only real gripe with it though is that it might be a tad too easy, even more so if you use an amiibo or two with it. But considering that it's Kirby, a series explicitly designed to be for people that aren't that good at games or are starting to get into them, I'm willing to let that slide. Definitely pick up this gem (especially if you're a fan of Kirby Super Star), but until then, I'll be seeing you.

Score

Included Content

First of all, here are the individual stats:

Analysis

As you can see, both have their highs and lows. While the NES may have less games than the Mega Drive, half of the 80 games included on the Mega Drive are low quality throwaway games (falsely listed as "Sega Arcade") that were added just to pad out the fluff. The Mega Drive does make up for this with the ability to play cartridges and it comes with two controllers instead of one, but the NES can use its controllers with the NES titles on the Wii's and Wii U's Virtual Console service. Plus if you don't want to buy a second controller, that's fine too as it can also work with the Wii Classic Controllers. The real deciding factor though is tough to determine. As I have stated many times in the past, I grew up with Nintendo games, so I'm a bit biased toward the NES Classic. Yes, it does have less games than the Mega Drive, but they are of objectively superior quality. It's just a shame that it can't be played on an old CRT TV set; retro games somehow look better on those older TV's.

Final Verdict

Even if I wasn't as Nintendo biased as I am, I'm going to have to give the upper hand to the NES Classic Edition. Considering the fact that not everyone owns a CRT TV anymore and most modern HD TV's no longer have support for composite cables, I don't think the Mega Drive Classic Console will be able to thrive in this new plug-n-play "console war" as much as I would want it to. So if you like retro games, get the NES Classic Edition when it is released on November 11th of this year; don't even bother with the Mega Drive unless you were a fan of those games in the past and still own cartridges that it can use, and/or if you own a CRT TV. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

First of all, for a fan-made remake of a classic of disputable merit, this game is on point when it comes to quality. The world closely follows the same map layout and physics as the original Metroid 2 and fixes OH SO MANY problems that the original game had. Some examples include: a much larger viewing area as Samus's sprite in the original game took up around 2% of the screen (which is quite a bit when you consider the Game Boy's pixel ratio); a map and area landmarks to make it less likely to become lost; and better aiming and enemy AI. And if that wasn't enough, the game was pretty much given the complete "Zero Mission" treatment as additional abilities and skills from other games, new bosses, added puzzles, and new optional areas were added to flesh out the game even more. I particularly enjoyed how the developer managed to fit an escape sequence, a staple in the franchise, into the game; it made it feel more like a true Metroid game as a result. Further in the game, I noticed some of the music from the original was replaced with newer songs, but there is no real loss there as the original hardly had any music in it outside the main SR388 theme, the metroid fights, and the last 4 songs you hear in the game. This was a very welcome addition as the original music was so boring and uninspired; it didn't really fit the "Metroid" vibe. This labor of love is the Metroid game that we dedicated fans have been waiting for since the lackluster performance of Other M. Since it is free it is well worth the play, that is if you can find it now.

Score

All of these good points make me wonder though...Why did Nintendo issue the cease and desist? I get that they have every right to protect their IP by any legal means necessary, but was shutting down a fantastically made fan project after it had been finished really the way to go? Nintendo could have done so many things to protect their IP without stating some legalese to Milton. I have seen quite a few examples where fan projects have garnered attention from the companies that own the IP in question, but they managed to handle it much better than what Nintendo has done. I'll list a few examples:

• A while back there was a fan-made Mega Man game that was being developed by a very dedicated fan and they ran into a similar problem that Milton had where the company that owned the IP had taken notice and contacted the developer about the matter. BUT instead, what CAPCOM did was much better by comparison. They gave this fan their full support AND even helped them by loaning them some software tools to make the project go more smoothly. The finished project, Mega Man X Street Fighter, was eventually finished and released on CAPCOM's fan-site without a hitch.
• Christian Whitehead, the developer of some fan games of his own, was also contacted by a big name dev; Sega in this case. Because of the quality of his work, he and and another dev called Headcannon teamed up and worked with Sega to produce these very well made enhanced ports of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games. And now they're working on Sonic Mania, which is basically the ultimate Sonic fan-game.
• And last but not least, Black Mesa, a fan-made HD remake of the first Half Life game. Similar to the Mega Man and Sonic scenarios where the game was being made and the owners of the original IP caught wind of it and contacted the devs. But instead of going all "I'ma sue you" on them, they allowed them to finish the game AND legally sell it on Steam. Sounds like a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Now with these successful scenarios present, why hasn't Nintendo caught on yet? The fans obviously aren't getting what they want from the owners of the IP in question, so they take matters into their own hands. And what does Nintendo do? They get WAY too protective of their property and inadvertently squash the hopes and dreams of their fans. What they should do is contact the dev and pay him to port the game to one of their consoles like the Wii U or 3DS, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. Now I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on this matter. They're a big company in another country; they likely don't realize how much PR damage they're causing. But even if they did, they probably would still issue the takedown notice anyway because they are quite stubborn in that regard. Now don't get me wrong, this whole ordeal doesn't make me love Nintendo any less; it just makes me frustrated with them, like I would get with a family member. They still have a lot to learn, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

#1: Competitively Weaker

When the Wii U launched back in November of 2012, it was shown to have specs that would out-perform that of the PS3. Unfortunately as impressive as those specs were, they would ultimately be outclassed by the PS4 and XBox One in the following year thus once again making Nintendo irrelevant in the competitive gaming scene, which is a shame because that is exactly what Nintendo was trying to do this time around. They were hoping that they could recapture some of the core gamers that they lost during the Wii era, but they unfortunately failed when they introduced reason number 2 on this list...

#2: The Gamepad

I'd never thought I'd say this, but if Nintendo wanted to recapture their old audience, the gamepad was definitely the wrong approach. It's bulky, it has a short battery life (compared to a traditional controller), it's expensive to replace, and only one gamepad can be linked to the console at any one time. Most core gamers don't care about hardware gimmicks when playing a game. They usually just want to play with a simple controller that has 2 analog sticks, a D-pad, 4-6 face buttons and 4 shoulder buttons. That controller design has been around long enough that tampering with that formula too much is guaranteed to cause some backlash, be it minor or (in the case of the Wii U) severe. Now I love the gamepad and it definitely has its moments, but it is best suited for more casual or party-type games.

#3: Advertising

Now those two things could've have been fine by themselves and it might even have made the Wii U sell well, if not for the fact that they were coupled with such terrible advertising. No matter where I looked, people were confused or angry on what exactly the Wii U was. They were outraged because they thought would be paying $300-350 for a fancy controller, not a console; they were displeased at the system's name exclaiming that it was idiotic and/or childish; they believed that the gimmick of the gamepad was unnecessary and a waste of space and money; and other similar complaints. Nintendo's ad department obviously made some mistakes and they tried to fix them as quickly as they could, but the damage had already been done. The Wii U would henceforth be known as Nintendo's worst selling home console due to their little screw-up.

These three problems by themselves could have been fine if it was just one of them on their own, but the fact that the Wii U had all three of these conundrums playing in conjunction with each other made it the perfect storm for failure. If you want my opinion on what Nintendo should've done; they needed to make the console's specs equal to that of at least the XBox One and have it packaged with the Wii U Pro Controller as standard. Then if it sold well enough, they can follow up with the Game Pad and compatible games as an add-on. But in retrospect, hindsight is 20/20. Hopefully Nintendo learns from these mistakes before the NX launches next year. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

Okay so let's start with the number one glaring issue: the controls. I know that Nintendo and Platinum were trying to be intuitive with the Gamepad, but it just winds up being awkward and confusing. I propose going back to the traditional way and just use a standard controller and no motion controls, but if intuitiveness is what Nintendo wants, then I think the picture below says it best.

Inspired partly by Sin & Punishment's controls, this is the simplest and most intuitive control scheme I can think of. It has enough familiarity of the old control styles for anyone to get the hang of quickly and offers a new challenge by needing to control the targeting reticle separate from the vehicle. Oh and while we're on the subject of vehicles, this needs to be addressed. All of the vehicles that can transform NEED to have the ability to do so from the get go. It promotes a greater emphasis on replayability through experimentation. Giving the ability to the player because of plot reasons is sloppy design in a game of this type. In addition, ONE VEHICLE TYPE PER LEVEL PLEASE. Swapping between vehicles in the middle of a mission defeats the purpose of having a stage dedicated to those specific mechanics.

Now onto issue number 2: Pacing. The Arwing and Landmaster stages usually are pretty good when it comes to pacing the action in a stage, but the addition of the Gyrowing in Star Fox Zero kinda flopped. Know why? Because those missions were a play style that COMPLETELY changed the pacing of the game from action to stealth. So if you want to keep its inclusion in the series, here's how to fix it, AKA make it more tolerable: make the Gyrowing faster, and have the enemies be more aware of the vehicle's presence. Or you could of course completely remove it altogether in favor of the Blue Marine, but to be honest I kinda liked those stages. They just weren't meant for fast paced action. While were on the subject of the Blue Marine though, I really think it needs to make a comeback. Instead of giving it the ability to transform, maybe plop the sub in Zoness and have it maneuver through the murky water using a dedicated sonar button? I think it could work quite well if the pacing was done right.

Issue 3: Optional sub missions and branching paths. I think everyone can agree that one of the things that made Star Fox 64 so great was the fact that just about every stage had a hidden secondary mission that, when completed, would change your route and send you on a harder path. This reward system was great. It gave the player incentive to get better at the game and try the harder paths, unlike Star Fox Zero which had a linear path. And if that wasn't incentive enough, Star Fox 64 made it so you could get an extended (and harder) final boss accompanied by a better ending if you always took the harder choice of the two paths given to you. While I'm at it, the short "satellite" missions in Star Fox Zero that were your "reward" for finding the secret path in a stage were boring. This is not how you reward a player for finding secrets.

Number 4: Story. Now I think this might be the hardest thing to do in a sequel to Star Fox Zero as Nintendo hasn't had the best track record when it comes to this series, and because Nintendo completely rebooted the timeline with this game and altered so much (namely the vast change in Venom's size), it might be a bit difficult trying to reintroduce old characters and worlds. But I think I might have a story that could work. Allow me to elaborate. (Keep in mind this treads on Fan-Fiction territory, just bear with me for the moment.)

Set 7-8 years after the events of Star Fox Zero, the few remaining stragglers of Andross's fleet (known as the Venomian Cult) are fleeing from the Cornerian army at the edge of the Lylat System. Believing that Andross is still alive in the alternate dimension he was imprisoned in, Andrew Oikonny (Nephew of Andross and former member of Star Wolf) breaks away from the fleet and researches into an alien artifact called the Warp Stone, an ancient autonomous construct built by the now extinct Krazoa of Sauria, which he believes can open a doorway to that dimension. Some time later, the Star Fox team intercepts a distress signal from Sauria and broadcasts it to Peppy Hare, the new General of the Cornerian Army after Pepper retires. Fearing the worst, Peppy tells them to investigate, but not after having Star Fox enlist two new recruits, Miyu: a lynx; and Fey: a dog (from the cancelled Star Fox 2). After arriving within range of Sauria, the Star Fox team intercepts the being that sent out the distress beacon: A young vixen bounty hunter named Krystal that calls Sauria her home. She explains that a swarm of cybernetic insectoid creatures called Aparoids started pouring out of a portal in the sky shortly after a lone ship landed. Fox and his crew decide to help and thus sets the story in motion.

Now I know this is probably something that might not fit in the new chronology that Nintendo has set up with the reboot of the franchise, but this is just one of many things they could do to reintroduce characters that were erased from the timeline when the canon was reset. They don't have to do this with their next game, I just think this would be a good path they could take. Plus if they did go this route, they could make it so that Andross was assimilated into the Aparoid hive and have the final boss be Andross on the easy path and Andross followed by the Aparoid Queen for the hard path.

Number 5: Game Modes. Hoo boy, this probably made a lot of fans angry when they played Star Fox Zero. The fact that that game had ZERO competitive multiplayer modes, neither local nor online, caused the game's replayability to suffer greatly. This game NEEDS a versus mode in order for it to sustain any kind of life. Here are some examples on how I'd do it.

• Score Attack - First to a specific number of kills wins (Arwing, Gyrowing, Landmaster, up to 16 players when online)
• Dogfight - 3 lives then game over, last pilot alive is the winner (Arwing Only, up to 16 players when online)
• 4v4 - Star Fox VS Star Wolf (Arwing Only, Online Only, must have 8 players to play)
• Warzone - 3 lives then game over, be the last man standing in a 1st-person only tank war (Landmaster Only, up to 16 players when online)
• Ring Race - First to pass through all rings in order wins (Arwing, Gyrowing, Roadmaster, up to 4 players)
• Base Hacker - Whoever has control of the most computer terminals when the timer runs out wins (Gyrowing Only, up to 4 players)
• Bounty Hunters - A handful of enemies spawn hidden on the map and you need to hunt them down, first to a specific score number wins, killing other players penalizes you. (Arwing, Gyrowing, Landmaster, up to 4 players)

These are just a few game styles that could work quite well in the Star Fox series and the fact that Nintendo didn't make a single one for Star Fox Zero is disappointing. Instead, we got some single-player challenge maps. Not bad ones mind you, just underwhelming is all.

Number 6: Bonuses and Extras. If there is one thing that promotes replayability the most, it is usually a bonus of some kind. Star Fox Zero had a couple, but they weren't really all that special. Plus if you had the Fox and/or Falco amiibo, then you didn't even need to attempt to get 100%. In my experience, this is not how you get someone to come back to your game. Yes, Star Fox Zero had an "Arcade Mode" you could unlock where you could go from start to finish in just one go, but that mode should've been the main campaign from the start just like in Star Fox 64. The extras that you get from the two amiibo are nice, but they aren't enough. I think that instead of two new Arwing designs with slightly altered stats, every amiibo should be usable and they should give your vehicles a new paint job based on that figure.

Number 7: Challenges and Collectables. This was by far the most underwhelming portion of Star Fox Zero that I played. Not because they were bad, but because on how they were unlocked. In order to unlock a Challenge Mission, you needed to find and collect medals hidden throughout the stages. Now this is all well and good, but some of these medals were really tedious to collect or were downright unfair. 5 medals per stage is perfectly fine, but there should at least be some consistency on how you find them. Here's what I'd do:

1. Getting a certain number of points by the stage's end (needs to be more fair though, the current system is downright brutal. Remember, this series is played by children too)
2. Keeping all teammates alive
3. Finding 3 specially marked gold rings
4. Beating the stage boss within a specific amount of time
5. Completing the secondary mission to achieve a "Mission Accomplished" at the stage's end

This is consistent, easy to remember, and simple. I didn't really care for finding specific medals that were just hidden throughout the stage. Hide-and-Seek with collectibles does not a good Star Fox game make. You need to earn them.

Final Issue: Something to set it apart from the other games in the series. Besides the Gyrowing (which we already established was implemented poorly), Star Fox Zero really only had one thing going for it, and that was the fact that both the Arwing and the Landmaster could transform into the Walker and the Gravmaster respectively. This is all well and good and I hope to see it again in a future installment of the series, but if Nintendo doesn't take the next game seriously, then I foresee the possible death of this franchise. Now if I remember correctly, each of the past games had something about them to set them apart in the series. The first one was the first console game with full 3D graphics, 64 had the rumble pack, Adventure was an entirely different genre, Assault had a variety of on-foot weapons, and Command was a tactical game. There is one thing that I think might, I repeat MIGHT, be able to shake up the formula enough without completely alienating fans from a true "Star Fox experience" and that is customizable vehicle load-outs. I think giving the player a variety of different laser and bomb types that they can apply to their ship/tank before a mission would bump up the replayability dramatically. It certainly would be a step in the right direction anyway.

Closing Statement

As you can see, there is SO MUCH that can be done to fix this series in the next installment, but unless Nintendo sees this article themselves, the chances of that happening are slim to none. If you agree with the points I made, please share this article as much as you can. Maybe Nintendo will listen if enough people agree with these ideas. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

The video is centered almost entirely around the 3DS, but like always here's the short recap for you folks out there that don't have the time to watch the whole thing.

• Two things were revealed in Pokemon Sun & Moon; Alolan Rattata being one and a special Munchlax as an early purchase bonus being the other.
• A slightly watered down version of Super Mario Maker is being ported to the 3DS that lacks the costume mushroom and the ability to upload stages you made to the internet, but you can make collaborative stages with other people and complete special challenges in the pre-installed stages. It is set to be released on December 2.
• Some more info was shown off for Mario Party: Star Rush. It is stated to have 7 game modes, three of which are entirely different board game each with their own unique rules. The game will be released along side the second wave of Mario series amiibo on November 4.
• Animal Crossing New Leaf was stated to be getting a major update after being out for 3 years. This update will add amiibo functionality to the game and 50 new amiibo cards will be released along side it. In addition to this, a special version of the game, called Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo will also be released this holiday season that will include the update on the cart.
• The 3DS's Mii Plaza was given a new update which adds 5 new games (1 free plus $2.99 for each after or $8.99 for the full bundle), a special quick-start plaza, and a new queue for Mii's encountered via streetpass which bumps the total from 10 to a whopping 100. This update is available now.
• A new eShop exclusive title called Tank Troopers was revealed to be in the works which would have up to 6-player versus and customizable tanks where the abilities change depending on who's manning the vehicle. No release date was shown at the time of writing this article.
• Picross 3D: Round 2 was also shown for the eShop and was launched following the Direct.
• The Nindies Summer Jam started on the same day the Direct aired and revealed that 5 anticipated indie titles would be released over the course of 5 weeks with Axiom Verge being the first game on that list followed by Jotun, Noitu Love: Devolution, Severed, and Azure Striker Gunvolt 2.
• To celebrate The Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary, four new amiibo were announced being 8-bit Link, Ocarina of Time Link, and a 2-pack that has Toon Link and Toon Zelda. They will all be compatible with Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
• Nintendo also teamed up with Darkhorse to make three new Zelda books with the first being an artwork collection with over 2,000 images spanning the 30 year history of the franchise. The first book is also available to pre-order.
• Zelda: Skyward Sword was also released on the Wii U eShop.
• The New 3DS XL now has a new galaxy themed color and the regular New 3DS has a new Mario themed bundle that comes with Super Mario 3D Land and two sets of Mario themed faceplates.
• Hyrule Warriors Legends showed off a new weapon for Toon Link being the Sand Wand and a new playable character being Toon Zelda among other things like a new adventure map based on Phantom Hourglass.
• Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice got a release date of September 8 exclusively for the 3DS eShop.
• Dragon Quest VII for the 3DS release date was revealed as well being September 16.
• Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls showed off some new gameplay elements and a special bonus medal for those that buy the game physically. They will both launch September 30.
• Disney Magical World 2 was also shown off with some Nintendo 3DS themes based around it being shown as well.
• Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice for the 3DS finally got an official release date being September 27 with a special launch edition which also includes a DVD containing 3 episodes of the TV that it's based on.
• Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse for the 3DS got a release date being September 20.
• A special version of Yoshi's Woolly World is being ported to the 3DS that will include a bunch of new stages where you play as Poochy and 30 stop-motion shorts featuring the two. Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World will be released February 3, 2017 along side the new Yarn Poochy amiibo.
• The new IP Ever Oasis had some gameplay shown off and will be released for the 3DS some time in 2017.
• Mario Sports Super Stars for the 3DS was revealed and was shown to include 5 different sports being Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Baseball, and of all things Horseback Riding. It will also have the ability to be played online or in local multiplayer. It will release some time in Spring of 2017.
• In a big surprise, it turns out that the Pikmin series is getting a 2D spin-off game on the 3DS. Judging by the gameplay shown, it looks like it might play similar to Kirby: Mass Attack. No official release date was revealed, but it is scheduled for 2017.

Well that's all of it. Out of all these, I'm probably most excited for the Pikmin spin-off, but only time will tell if it is any good. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

1. More often than not, when a fan-dev makes a fangame they are showing their appreciation to the company that made the original work. Most of the time they mean no harm in their intentions and just want to show how much they like the game or series that inspired them to make their own with their favorite characters. However sometimes when the fan project gets shut down, it breaks the heart of the fan sometimes even making them think that their favorite game company doesn't care about what the fans think at all.
2. They give potential future game developers a good jumping off point in which they can get into the field of game design, but if the project gets shut down relatively early in its development cycle, it becomes rather dejecting to the fan-dev thinking that game development just isn't for them.
3. Some fangames promote awareness of a franchise or series that might not be selling well or have been neglected by the owners of the original IP. Now this is where things get a little gray. Whether or not if the game gets canned, this still promotes awareness for the series in question. It just happens to work better if the game gets finished first.
4. Fans gain more from the experience of fangames and official works combined than from the official works by themselves. It is actually quite common for a fan to run into a fangame that is of extremely poor quality and makes them appreciate the polish that went into the official series more as a result. But in the event that a fangame is really good, it makes them not only appreciate the original work, but applaud the effort that the fan-dev made to make it as close to the original series as possible and anticipates whether or not if they will make anything original later.
5. Much like video game piracy, fangames WILL happen with or without the IP holder's consent and trying to police this and prevent it from happening is a fruitless effort that not only wouldn't accomplish anything, but would alienate any future game devs from making their own original work down the line.
6. Fan-devs gain more from encouragement than from a cease and desist. It costs nothing to allow them to keep their finished work up for others to play, and more often than not will not affect their sales much if at all. Most fan-devs even encourage the fans that play their games to buy from the original IP holders so as to offset their involvement in making their little project.
7. If a fan-game is good enough, it benefits both parties more if the original IP holders buy the rights to the fan work and/or ask them to port it to a system they regularly develop games for. Non-canonical works by the original IP holders do exist in the video game industry and fangames always fall under this as they have no legal rights to any of the characters, music, assets, etc. that they borrowed from.

Now with the advent of more user friendly game development tools like Unity, Game Maker Pro, RPG Maker, and the upcoming Mystic Searches S.T.A.G.E, it has become much easier for fans to get into game design. So what should the big gaming companies do? First of all the way I see it, STOP BEING SO STRICT. A hundred or so fangames that happen to contain assets from your works is not the end of the world. Your paychecks aren't going to be affected any from a few practice projects. Secondly, if you see one that looks promising, ENCOURAGE THE DEV. A few kind words can go a long way, especially if you can get a profit from it in some way, shape, or form. And lastly (and this is most important), if a popular fangame is of a series that hasn't seen the light of day in over a decade or so, TAKE THE HINT. It's obvious that the fans want that series to come back, but since you're not doing anything with it, they often take matters into their own hands. The only time you should break out the legalese is when a fan-dev is trying to make money off of their game when it contains many assets your company created. This should be done especially if that fan in question happens to work for a rival game company.

Only time will tell if gaming companies like Nintendo will loosen the leash they have on their property. Many gaming companies like Namco, Sega, and Capcom have already become more lenient on these matters, but while this is a step in the right direction, bigger gaming giants like Konami, Square Enix, and Nintendo still need to unclench and treat the fans as fans and not as parasites. But until then, I'll be seeing you.

At least six games were teased in the trailer for the system being Skyrim Remastered, an untitled NBA game, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a currently unnamed Mario title, and what appear to be enhanced ports of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon. Only time will tell if the remastered games are truly remasterings or are just proof of concept for the system's hardware. Additionally, a rather impressive list of developers (written below) have also signed on for supporting the Switch long term.

• 505 Games
• Activision
• Arc System Works
• Atlus
• AudioKinetic
• Autodesk
• Bandai Namco
• Bethesda
• Capcom
• Codemasters
• CRI Middleware
• DeNA
• Electronic Arts
• Epic Games
• Firelight Technologies
• FromSoftware
• FrozenByte
• GameTrust
• Grasshopper Manufacture
• Gungho Online Entertainment
• Hamster Corporation
• Havok
• Inti Creates
• Koei Tecmo
• Konami Digital Entertainment
• Level-5
• Marvelous
• Maximum Games
• Nippon Ichi Software
• Parity Bit
• Platinum Games
• Rad Game Tools
• RecoChoku
• SEGA Games
• Silicon Studio Corporations
• Spike Chunsoft Co
• Square Enix
• Star Breeze Studios
• Take-Two Interactive Software
• Telltale Games
• THQ Nordic
• Tokyo RPG Factory
• TT Games
• UBbisoft
• Ubitus
• Unity Technologies
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Web Technology Corp

I personally can't say if Nintendo knows what they're doing this time around, but the concept of the Switch is certainly promising and quite unique. I just hope that it has a decent battery life. The Nintendo Switch will launch in March of 2017 and I assure you I'll definitely be one of its early adopters, but until then, I'll be seeing you.

The story basically goes like this: Princess Peach receives a letter in the mail from someplace called Prism Island, but the letter happens to be a folded up Toad with all of his color drained. On a dark and storming night, she takes the seemingly dead Toad to Mario who then decides to go to Prism Island where with the help of a magical paint can named Huey, he uncovers a dastardly plan by Bowser (and his army of Shy-Guys) where he infused himself with the sinister power of black paint to help him conquer Prism Island by capturing the six Paint Stars to hopefully keep Mario from using their power to stop him. Not the most original plot, but in concept it's at least is better than Sticker Star.

Now first of all, this game looks absolutely gorgeous. The game is in full 1080p 60fps and has a very impressive art style. Everything truly looks like it is made of paper or cardboard, save for the 3D "things" that you occasionally run into here and there. Everything is also very bright and colorful which makes it feel all the more inviting; It all just pulled me right in. My only real gripe about the design though is the fact that the paper aesthetic was just a visual style in the earlier games whereas in this game, just like in Sticker Star, the paper visuals is actually what their world is made of and further reinforces this fact when the characters and NPC's refer to themselves as such. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but with the release of Mario & Luigi; Paper Jam, I don't think this will be changing back any time soon.

The gameplay is just about the same as the previous installment where all of your actions are limited to however much space you have available in your inventory (99 cards max). Where Sticker Star had it where all you had to do was find an attack sticker so you could use it in battle, Color Splash adds a little bit more strategy to the mix, although that's not saying much. In this game, most of the cards that you get are unpainted and must be painted first before you can use them in battle, but using paint in any way depletes your reserves which are needed to recolor the spots that had been sucked dry by the invading Shy-Guys. Luckily, it is possible to find pre-painted cards to circumvent this handicap. In addition, while winning battles in Sticker Star would only reward you with coins, in Color Splash you are rewarded with coins, paint, and special mini-hammers which will permanently increase your maximum paint reserves once enough of them are collected. I guess one would equate these mini-hammers to being battle experience since there is no way to "level up" in this game, but it is certainly better than nothing. Overall this system is decent and a good step up from the last game.

Now the map is certainly something. Unlike the previous game which had a very predictable map and was laid out and numbered like a traditional Mario game, the map of Prism Island was much more open ended in design. But because the story is still linear (as most JRPG's are), the map gives the illusion that the world can be explored in whatever order you so choose. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it would've likely been a much better game had it had that option.

Now one thing about most modern Mario games that has been leaving such a bad taste in my mouth is the overuse of Toads; This game is no exception. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but some time after Mario & Luigi: Dream Team there was some sort of decision to only have Toads as the "good guy" NPC of choice. Once again, not really a bad thing and the attempt to make them have more varied personalities in this game is a nice touch. But the way I see it, there is still no variety if they all still look the same; Make them look more interesting, and I would be more inclined to talk to them.

Which brings me to the writing. This game's writing was MUCH better than its predecessor. The humor was on point when it needed to be, and there was a natural progression of plot and character development (what little of it there was). Plus I loved all the little references and inside jokes that were thrown in here and there. It made it feel a bit more alive compared to Sticker Star. Plus the music compliments the writing very well. It was upbeat when the dialog was humorous and was intense during scenes of duress. Plus it didn't shy away from the more melancholy writing and music as well.

Overall I found it very difficult to hate this game. It has this problem where is feels disconnected from the first three Paper Mario games in the series, but it certainly tries to recapture their charm. I feel that it definitely could've been better though. It was missing the atmosphere that the first three games had, but it was otherwise quite the enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend this game for first timers of the series, but even if you are a fan of the older games, you might find some enjoyment with it here and there. So until next time, I'll be seeing you.

Score