ocre

Whew. North America got the sweetest looking deal, I think. NintendoLand pack in AND the earliest launch date. I fully expected Japan to get it when we did. Glad Europe is getting it before December, even if it's the Nintendo definition of 'before'. Securing Bayonetta 2 exclusivity (with Nintendo's genius 'you bring the ideas, we'll publish' program) is a bold gesture. More of that please. Put me down for a Premium(Deluxe) package.

I think it's a mistake to not offer the two SKUs in each color. Hopefully Reggie and NOA agree with me. Even if I decided I was getting a black one before any of this was announced. Also not a good thing that the Japanese release is in December. IT'S STARTING! - http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu 2 SKU/Color/Pricing structure also being used in North America. Release Date: 11/18/12 Price: Basic Model - 299.99; Premium Model - 349.99 -Premium model is black and includes Nintendoland, GamePad stand accessories and a digital purchase reward plan that lets you accumulate points redeemable for future 'downloadable content'. From Platinum Games: -Bayonetta 2! -Wii U Exclusive- Published by: Nintendo -Project P-100 gets a real name: 'The Wonderful 101' From Capcom: - Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Full details forthcoming) - CoD: Black Ops 2 officially confirmed.

Insert post about how WF's games always look, play and sound phenomenal but always seem to disappointment in the amount of game content they offer; how it always feels like they could've only been a bit more ambitious and hold such things as Menu design up to the same standard as their sprite work or virt's tunes. I always expect a Mega Man ZX because I know I'd love a robust single player experience with bosses and different areas and fun and varied combat, but I always end up getting a, well a Mighty Switch Force.

That's pretty mathematical. Or algebraic. One of those.

Saw this a day ago. I think it's really amazing what some people can do with a game that allows User-generated content. I know I've seen my fair share of great tributes, this one is quite cool. I love how they managed the dialogue scenes. Great job to the one who did it!

I will be providing source roundup support again this year, for those who are looking to use VG source material: "Snow World Map" from NEW Super Mario Bros 2 -- "Snow Overworld" from Super Mario 3D Land -- "Alpina Blue" from Yoshi's Story -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tclN5utHarYEE7D "Pitch Black Intrustion" from Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5iPHgqiivg "The Schoolyard with Fluttering Snow" from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hNqm9A7YM0 "White Snow" from Super Mario Galaxy 2 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhHWCwf9D0 "Ring Rink" from Ristar -- "Hollijolli Village" from Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time -- "Robotnic Winter Zone" from Sonic Triple Trouble -- "Over Shiver Mountain" from Paper Mario -- "Frost Walrus Stage 1" from Mega Man X4 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWnIPxFMXw "Frost Walrus Stage 2" from Mega Man X4 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFaKWt9RWrg "Blizzard Wolfgang Stage" from Mega Man X6 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDiVxIwToyU "The Snow Plains" from New Super Mario Bros. -- "Another Winter" from Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Game -- "Sonic 3D Blast "Saturn" Music - Diamond Dust Act 2" -- "Freezeezy Peak" from Banjo Kazooie --

I ain't mockin' you when I say Happy Birthday, Mr Mokram.

The XL really is a sweet system and I'm very anxious to get one but I decided to wait til they give me the super awesome silver one they got in Eurolandia. Hopefully they put out a new color, perhaps to compliment the Paper Mario, Luigi Manse or the Animal Crossing release. :3

Happy birthday mr. Pizza!

Masafumi Takada too. :3 Again; Kid Icarus: Uprising. 15 dollars. Best Buy. Tuesday. Get it.

Kid Icarus: Uprising. 15 dollars. Best Buy. Tuesday. Get it. Some dude said it best: "Consider [that] you get three epic acts spanning 25 chapters, each chapter divided into flight, ground and boss battles -- a campaign that is essentially a trilogy, more akin to a 26-episode anime OVA than anything else. And consider also that there are more than 300 in-game achievements, each with unlockable prizes; more than 400 3D figurines to collect, each with pokedex-style entries; more than a hundred weapons to collect and fuse into an infinite number of even stronger weapons; dozens and dozens of power-up perks you can equip in a grid much like RE4's inventory; a fully orchestrated soundtrack and hours and hours of dialogue featuring some of the best writing and voice acting in a videogame (and certainly the best from Nintendo); an online multiplayer suite including addictive loot-driven 3v3 team deathmatch and 6P free-for-all; great StreetPass and SpotPass support; top-notch production values, right down to the fully narrated tutorial after the title montage; an augmented reality mode utilizing the trading cards, of which six are included with the game; wonderful humor, including many references to other Nintendo games and plenty of moments that break the fourth wall (Pit: "That guy? He looked a lot more pixelated back in the '80s!"); and then there's the optional stand accessory as well." All for 15 bucks.

Really glad to read that you're enjoying the games! Awesome. I had a lot of fun with the Wii one and wish more people would be aware of the series, so we can keep getting them here in North America!

Great post, Malaki and I pretty much agree with every point you make. I've had a lot of fun with this game and having beaten the main Worlds, I'm now trying my hand at the Coin Rush mode (I feel a little bit like I'm cheating with the coin multiplier you get for hitting the top of the pole) and it's pretty much just like you said. Any mistake you make will ruin your run, but at least you get to keep your coins. Apparently the game borrows its music and boss fights from NSMBWii? Having not played that game, I haven't had anything to say about anything feeling like a lazy rehash. Instead, I've quite enjoyed the level designs and I absolutely hope that coins are as fun to collect in future 2D Mario titles, even if the 'Million coins' challenge isn't a focal point of the game (and it's only really a focus of this games marketing, less so in the gameplay).

Happiest of birthdays to the man who introduced me to Homestar BEFORE it got all popular!

Blegh. I figured 'berry lemonade' would taste better than green apple soda. I was so wrong. @2manygentlemen I appreciate your appreciation!

I recently got a hands on with the Wii U GamePad and Pro Controller to play a few Wii U games last Thursday at Nintendo's Wii U Experience in Austin. I played Rayman Legends, New Super Mario Bros U, Pikmin 3, a couple of NintendoLand games and ZombiU (Project P-100, Batman Arkham City, Wii Fit U, Game and Wario and Ninja Gaiden 3 were there too but time didn't permit me to play them - Game and Wario had as long a line as Pikmin 3 and it took like 18 minutes to get to play that one.) Anyway, some impressions on the controllers: I was VERY pleased with the GamePad and Pro Controllers. They feel light (but not cheap) and the button and stick placement is as easily adapted to as Nintendo's controllers always have been. Everything feels natural and the screen on the Wii U GamePad feels smooth and solid (I was afraid it would have a cheap feel- it feels very similar to a 3DS screen.) Rayman Legends has been elevated from "will probably get" to "definitely want it on launch" for me, after demoing a stage. It's really gorgeous (even moreso than Origins) and the co-op play (I had my brother using the GamePad while I played as Rayman on the Pro Controller, and we switched so I got to use the GamePad to control the flying assistant fairy Murphy) is quite fun and involved. As Murphy you can cut ropes, turn handles, manipulate the level to find secrets and you can highlight the games collectibles to make them worth more points. Admittedly - and maybe it's because the venue was so chaotic - at first you don't know what in the environment you can manipulate, outside of the obvious cranks and ropes, but I'm sure with more time, everything would've been clear in no time. NSMBU, in the interest of having as many people play it at once, was played in 5-player mode (4 people with Wii Remotes, 1 with GamePad) and with so many people playing, it was harder than I'm used to my Mario games being. Thankfully I'll be playing in 1 player most of the time, when I do get the game. Anyway, we were playing on the "rotating star platorms" level - I was immediately taken aback at how "heavy" Mario feels, though that may have been because I hadn't played a 2D Mario game since NSMB DS -there was a lot of dying among all involved, but I managed to be the only one still alive at the end of the level. I didn't get to play this one with the GamePad (placing blocks doesn't sound too interesting to me) but the player with the GamePad saved me from dying a few times, which was cool. Remembering that this game will be one of the ones you can play on the GamePad without the TV, and the fact that we haven't seen everything the game has to offer, keeps me interested in getting it at launch. Pikmin 3 was playable in two modes - a 'time attack' mode where you have to collect fruit (which I strongly doubt will be the campaigns collectible du jour) and dead enemies against the clock - and a Boss Battle involving that giant millipede thing. I elected to play the time attack mode. I should note that they didn't allow us to use the GamePad to play this, instead they made us use a Wii Remote; I haven't played New Play Control Pikmin, but I assume the controls were the same, with the addition of a side-roll dodge move, which was kind of cool. The Nintendo rep showed me the map and replay functions that you can do with the GamePad, which were pretty cool. Since the vast majority of the main game is still a big secret, I'll still anxiously await getting my hands on the full retail version. I was able to play a couple of games from NintendoLand, the Zelda one and Takamaru's Ninja Castle. The Zelda one is an -on rails- 'adventure' where you and whoever you're playing with use your sword and shield to navigate an outdoor area and a 'dungeon'. This was played with the Wii Remote instead of the GamePad. The swordplay is similar to Skyward Sword, where enemies can block if you're not slicing at the right angle, and shieldplay is rather simplistic, basically you raise your shield when the enemy fires arrows at you. If you get hit by anything, it deducts a heart from you and your companions shared pool of life. We didn't make it to the end of the stage. Since the Nintendo reps were trying to get as many people to play as possible, they weren't demoing Takamaru's Ninja Castle BUT I was able to catch the NintendoLand couch at a lull and I asked if I could demo that one, and the rep allowed me to. The aiming is a bit more difficult than I was expecting, not by fault of the game design but just from the mechanics of physically aiming the GamePad. In the game, you rack up more points by throwing shuriken at the ninja enemies without missing any - the rep urged me not to haphazardly spam ninja stars, but it was difficult not to miss any without doing that. Of course, some portions of the minigame are easier if you take your time and aim carefully, for instance when the enemies throw their own stars at you. All in all, NintendoLand was alright. Not something I am expecting to go to the store and drop 60 dollars on, so hopefully it's a pack-in with the system at launch. Lastly, ZombiU. This was one of the titles I was really anxious to test out and see if it was going to be worth getting at launch but unfortunately the idiot representative didn't reset the game and made me play at some 'escape' portion of the game where the flashlight goes out every 5 seconds, and there's some kind of ghost zombie lady attacking you at random. I died within 4 minutes of 'playing'(more like stumbling around near an air condition vent, disoriented) and my turn was over, while the guy before me got a ton of time playing a more low-key stage. All in all, the event was a blast. They gave us custom Wii U lanyards with the state capitol building on it (quite classy), free drinks and snacks (a Wii U cookie and a Super Mushroom 'cakepop' on a stick). They had contests too but I didn't participate in those. My brother did take part in the Wii Fit U trampoline game contest but he got second place.

I think there's a little system coming out this year called "Wii U" or something.

Horpy tor! I mean happy birthday!

To be fair, we only have concrete details on one and the launch details will be revealed before the end of next month. The other two launch well into next year. All of Nintendo's energy right now should be behind the Wii U launch AND making sure there's a compelling line of games in the months following launch. You'd be pretty dumb to completely discount the double dose of opportunity both 2D Mario at launch and the Holiday alone offer up to the Wii U's chances. As for the other systems, at this moment, everyone is sure they are the 360/Kinect/PS3 on steroids. I won't comment on how much interest there is there, because there isn't any information to value that with any real meaning. Though I will say that people banking on hardware specs alone seem to be slow learners.

Okay, so these Wii games(yes this is on topic, as the Wii U has full BC) will be on sale at Best Buy from 8/12 - 8/18 for their big Games Blowout or whatever. - $4.99: Rhythm Heaven Fever - $9.99: Rayman Origins(for PS3 and 360 too), Kirby's Epic Yarn, Animal Crossing: City Folk & Wii Party Get on it, YOU CHEAPSKATES!

Okay, so this game will be on sale for $4.99 at Best Buy from 8/12 - 8/18 for their big Games Blowout or whatever. Get on it, YOU CHEAPSKATES!

Happy Bronxday to the Bronxiest OCRer out there.

Basicaly this. And .It stars a cute girl too. :3 Can't wait for dis.

Happy birthday to two of the greatest men in the biz!