My Top 5 Games to bridge the Gap till Breath of the Wild

Since it's full reveal at e3 2016 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been one of the most anticipated games for every Nintendo Fan. A huge open World and never before known freedom of choice mark a fresh start for the franchise and personally I can hardly wait till the game finally releases.

Sadly we're still more than a half year away form that day, but luckily there are several great games that can help bridge the gap till Breath of the Wild finally releases. The most obvious choices are, of course, the Remakes of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess for the Wii-U. However I'm more looking towards open World kind of games, which fall more in line with the newest Zelda title. So here are my five choices for games that help bridge the gap until The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

5: Minecraft

Source

Minecraft offers a huge open world, a deep crafting system and nearly endless possibilities. It isn't without reason that this game became the phenomena it has. It is a truly open World game without any boarders or end in sight. It's all about you and the goals you set for yourself.

Of course Minecraft is a very basic game, but that's exactly the strength of it. Because of that I can offer a near limitless variety. You can craft, build and explore nearly everything. And while some may find such a game without a clear end boring or see it growing stale after a while, there are many others who enjoy Minecraft for hours upon hours.

In the end it's up to the preferences of the Player but Minecraft offers something to engage everyone. At least for a couple of hours. And if you like exploring and/or setting your own goals and don't mind the simplistic graphics Minecraft has the potential to provide you with countless hours of fun, until Breath of Wild finally releases.

4: Hyrule Warriors

Source

This game was a pretty obvious pic and I promise it will be the only Zelda related title on this list. Hyrule Warriors it's different from other games on this Top 5 in the way that it doesn't offer an open world. But still it provides over 100 hours of content and with it's DLC that number can easily be doubled.

It's not on this list however because of it's similarity to the newest Zelda game, but because it's the ultimate Fan Game. You get to play as fan favourite characters from nearly every Zelda Game (With the notable exception of the best one, Groose), fight in familiar places and enjoy an ultimate power fantasy. It's extremely satisfying to kill one hundred Bokoblins with one special attack or to absolutely decimate huge armies.

As a Zelda Fan you'll get plenty of fanservice too. The game oozes with nods and innuendos to all Zelda Games. And the original storyline isn't half bad either.

And on top all of that Hyrule Warriors offers an insane amount of content. Next to the lengthy Story Mode the gigantic Adventure Mode with several Maps provides literally hundred of hours of content. Levelin up your characters, equipping them with new weapons and getting all the Upgrades for them, also fits well with the slight RPG approach Breath of the Wild has shown so far.

Of course Hyrule Warriors has some weakpoints. If you don't like the Warriors style of gameplay from Koei Tecmo then you'll get bored pretty fast and to be honest even if you like this kind of game it can get quite monotones some times.

But even though it has some flaws Hyrule Warriors remains the quintessential Zelda Fan Game.

3: Assassins Creed: Black Flag

Source

Some of you may not have seen this coming, but I quite like this game. Assassins Creed has grown quite stale over the last couple of years, but this doesn't concern us Wii-U gamer. Because this is the last title of the series we got to play, and, luckily for us, it was one of the best. It's not only a good Assassins Creed but one of the best pirate themed games out there. I would even go so far as to say that the Assassin part of the game is more of a side story, and Black Flag would have functioned just as well if not better as a pure Pirate game.

The game offers a huge, open and quite good looking Caribbean sea to explore. Jacked full with side missions and distractions for you to embark upon you'll hardly ever get bored while sailing across the sea. Especially the ship segments are truly great. Unlike Wind Waker they don't become a chore, but stay engaging and fun. Even something as mundane as sailing from one point to another is made quite enjoyable by the sea shantys of your crew. And with waters full of cargo loaded ships and an excellent ship battle system and handling, the next action packed confrontation is never far away.

Of course Black Flag doesn't offer the most varied of open world, the Caribbean consists mostly of tropical islands and water after all, and the Assassins Creed mantle of this excellent Pirate games often gets in the way, but this game still offers countless of hours of great entertainment in a huge open world. And it will increase your desire to drink some rum. Cheers!

2: Darksiders 2

Source

When I first played this game I immediately thought of Zelda... only darker. And looking at some reviews I'm not the only one who felt that way. Darksiders has often been called a Zelda game for adults, and I can't really talk against that notion. It truly is a Zelda game for Adults. Especially the second one. I am quite fond of the comic style aesthetic of the game, which fits the world perfectly.

And the World of Darksiders is what drew me in. The varied locations and great lore help you really get invested into the story of the game, which is, to be honest, quite mediocre. Still Death is an intriguing protagonist and the outlandish worlds he visits really have a lot charm. Especially the Land of the Death as well as the destroyed earth.

This all coupled with a nice, but pretty shallow talent tree, and a great combat system make this a great bridge till Breath of the Wild. There are countless challenges and side quests do delve deeper into the fascinating world of Darksiders, as well as some really great boss fights during the main story.

But the one thing that reminded me most of Zelda in this game were its dungeons. They don't quite reach the quality of Zelda dungeons, but they are quite good. Some of them offer great puzzles and I even got stuck one or two times. They may not have quite the same excellent ''flow'' that many Zelda dungeons develop, but they are very enjoyable to play through.

From all the games on this list this one is probably the closest to a classic 3D Zelda experience, so if you haven't tried it, you definitely should give Darksiders 2 a chance.

1: Xenoblade Chronicles X

Source

Xenoblade Chronicles X is probably my favourite game on the Wii-U. Only Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze manages to get the same feelings of joy out of me. But while I adore the Ape, he isn't really a suitable game to bridge the gap till Breath of the Wilds release.

Xenoblade on the other hand is more than that. Calling it a gap filler wouldn't do this game justice. Mira is still one of the greatest open worlds ever created. In no other game I had the same feeling of exploring a true alien planet. Monolith Soft truly managed to create a world that is not from this world, if you allow me the bad word play. Mira truly offers near limitless freedom. I say near, because the hostile inhabitants of the planet often hinder your advances at low levels.

But once you got your skell and took it into the skies the game opens up a whole new dimension of exploration.

And while some may lambast the weak main story, the countless side and affinity missions are the true star of the game. At least in the quest department. They flesh out Mira and its inhabitants brilliantly and help filling the world with life.

All this coupled with an extremely deep and well thought out class and fight system (which is sadly quite badly explained) make Xenoblade Chronicles X the perfect candidate to fill the upcoming winter months with hours upon hours of entertainment. If you haven't played this game yet, then there is only one thing I have to say to you.

So what games do you think are perfect to bridge the gap until The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally releases? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

The NX Mystery

Source

Looking back Nintendo President Satoru Iwata did no one any favors, when he announced the newest Nintendo Gaming System NX in early 2015. More than one and a half year later and we still don't know anything about it. The NX could be a console, a handheld, a hybrid or new series of Game&Watch.

After the initial announcement rumors and speculations started to spread, like always when a new piece of hardware, especially Nintendo hardware, is announced, but after over a year of running rampant without any official news the Hype Level for the NX has grown into ludicrous proportions. But what does Nintendon have to gain from keeping the NX a secret for such a long time? Let us take a look at some of the more likely thoughts behind holding back NX information.

The NX Mystery: Good or Bad?

When the NX was announced it was to squelch Investors, who were worried because of the failure of the Wii-U as well as fans, who weren't happy about the decision of developing mobile games. It was done to send the message that Nintendo is still staying true to their vision as gaming company as well as showing that they already took steps forward and away from the Wii-U failure.

Because of that I think at that time they didn't have anything specific to show or tell about the NX platform. It was still deep into development.

But then one year later they announced a release date for the new console. March 2017 would be the worldwide release of the NX. If they have a definitive release date, that also means that the product is in a advanced state already. Alpha testing has probably started already, maybe even Beta testing. With this in mind they could have shown the NX form this day on. They could have shown in it at e3, Gamescom, the Tokyo Game Show or at a Nintendo Direct.

But they didn't.

The most logical answer is summarized in one Word. Hype.

Over the last year the rumors and speculations towards the NX have build up an incredible Hype. People have expectations for something they only know the name off. And I think Nintendo wants to capitalize on that. So far they have done nothing against those rumors and that is why I think that Nintendo feels confident to satisfy the Hype, consumers have created for the NX. If not they would have announced the system by now to bring the expectations back into reality.

But if they can satisfy the hype that has build up around the system then this stalling tactic makes sense. What I think is that Nintendo plans on a very short but intense ad campaign. They don't want the Hype to die down in the months leading up to the release of NX. That is why they let the rumors, the leaks and the speculation run wild for a little longer. My guess is that they plan on unveiling the system somewhere in October and then start a short, but intense, five month ad campaign.

This way they can secure that the people don't grow tired and the excitement doesn't die down.

To me this seems like the most logical course of actions, and if it turns out to be true then Nintendo has much to gain from keeping the NX secret for such a long time.

So what are your thoughts on that matter? Are you tired of not knowing what the NX is about? Or are you still excited about Nintendos next gaming system? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

My Top 5 ''Exclusive'' Wii-U Games

The Wii-U offers great and unique games. But she also has a huge Problem. And I'm not talking about the Name, the controller(which I love) or the Marketing. No I'm talking about the 3DS. I already talked about the fact that the 3DS is the Wii-Us biggest competition and the problems that arise from that fact. If you want to read about it you can do it here.

But today is not about the 3DS. After we celebrated unique 3DS experiences last week, this week it's time to talk about games that can only be found on the Wii-U. Truly unique experiences that you can't get on Nintendos Handheld.

So here are my Top 5 truly exclusive Wii-U games.

5: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Source

When this game was first announced I wasn't surprised. It was a natural progression after the entertaining Captain Toad Stages from Super Mario 3D World. The game offered exactly that. Entertaining puzzle levels with the unique twist that Captain Toad can't jump. And while the short and small stages would have been a perfect fit for a Handheld game Captain Toad works just as well on the Wii-U.

It is in fact one of the countless smaller, but charming games, that make the library of Nintendos failed console so appealing to me. It has some hiccups like an uneven difficulty progression or the fact that I can't play Toadette in every stage, but apart from that it's great. There is just a lot of charm put into this game. A great graphical style, that shows that Mario and High Definition belong together, lots of adorable animations and a ton of details show that this game was a labor of love.

If you're looking for a unique Puzzle game you should definitely give Captain Toad a chance. It's surprisingly meaty for such a simple game with lots of extra stages and special goals in each of them. It entertained me greatly and I'm sure it will do the same for you.

4: Project Zero 5: Maiden of Black Water (Fatal Frame)

Source

Horror Titles these days don't have it easy. After Resident Evil abandoned the genre(although Resi 7 seems to return to it) there wasn't much left for bigger Hororr games. Of course smaller titles like Outlast and Five Night at Freddys invigorated the genre, but they all offer the same in your face Horror experience. And while some people love the constant terror and adrenalin rush such games provide, I'm more a fan of the slower more creeping style of Horror.

Luckily Project Zero provides exactly that. Enemy encounters aren't to common and often you explore a creepy location without anything happening for a long time. Also it's one of the few games that used the unique possibilities of the Wii-U Gamepad. The controller acting as Camera Obscura felt natural and greatly enhanced the gameplay. While in Games like Star Fox the narrowing of your window of sight hinders the gameplay, here it enhances the feeling of being vulnerable, even though you have the possibility to fight back.

Horror has a hard stand on handhelds, and even though some games tried it and have been partially successful (Resident Evil: Revelations), these kind of games won't ever become a staple of handheld gaming.

That's why I'm happy that Project Zero managed to get translated, and even though there have been some censorship issues, I can recommend this game wholeheartedly. There are several different endings and even though some of the locations feel repetitive after visiting them several times, I've never been bored. Instead each time I start up Project Zero I know that I'm in for a creepy and atmospheric horror experience.

3: Fast Racing Neo

Source

Well Nintendo won't give us an F-Zero, but luckily we have some very talented people from Germany stepping up to fill that gap. And they did more than that. Fast Racing Neo is not only a worthy replacement for F-Zero, but also WipeOut and other similar racers. In a time where Racing Games and especially future Racing Games have a hard standing, Fast Racing Neo provides a unique kind of game that many of us have been craving.

The Boost Mechanic of the game gives it a unique twist. Coupled with the high speed and intensity this creates an adrenalin rush unlike any other found on the Wii-U or 3DS. This is something that wouldn't be possible on the small screen of Nintendos Handheld.

2: Splatoon

Source

Now it probably isn't a surprise to you that this game appears on this list, but maybe some of you expected it at Number One. And while Splatoon is definitely a worthy candidate for this spot, some issues keep it a clear Number 2 position. At least for me.

Splatoon is a 4on4 Multiplayer shoooter only Nintendo could create. At first it may have lacked some content, but if you buy it now you'll get one of the best multiplayer experiences on the market. There are countless weapons, gear combinations and stages, as well as several unique and cool modes to play. The game even offers a great single player campaign, something that has been (sadly) lacking in many other multiplayer focused games of recent memory.

The gameplay itself is very polished and intuitive. It's a perfect example of an easy to learn, but hard to master kind of game. It's focus on online and competitive muliplayer also make it a hard fit on a handheld, which is why Splatoon is one of the defining Wii-U exclusives. It wouldn't work nearly as well on the 3DS.

The only reason why it's not on the number 1 spot is the map rotation. The inability to vote for which map to play in online mode often kills my motivation to play this game for extended periods of time. In short bursts it's great, but playing the same two maps for four hours gets boring, even with the best stages.

Still Splatoon is the success story of the Wii-U and it's here to stay. If you haven't played it, but like fast paced and action packed online games then you should try it.

1: Bayonetta 2 & The Wonderful 101

Source

Ok this may be a little bit cheating, putting two games at the number 1 spot, but they both deserve it. And luckily both are very similar. It's not without reason that Bayonetta 2 was a contender for many Game of Year awards and even won some of them. That game is that damn good.

And The Wonderful 101 is THE overlooked gem of the Wii-U. It's probably my favourite game on the console next to Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze. These two titles prove why Platinum is one of the best developers on the planet.

Especially Wonderful 101 with it's great sense of humor, colorful graphics and deep combat system is a mixture you don't find that often in today’s modern gaming industry.

Source

The fast paced and intense action also only works on the big screen. There is hardly anything better than locking yourself at home and diving deep into such a game. There won't be a boring second.

Both games offer great action gameplay, but both also offer a unique twist on it. While Bayonetta is more traditional in that sense, The Wonderful 101 offers a greater variety through their Unite Morph system.

In the end both games are great representatives of their genre and shouldn't miss in any good selection of Wii-U games.

Creating this list was harder than expected, which shows the problem the Wii-U and 3DS have with their overlapping libraries. Still these five games alone are enough to warrant the purchase of Wii-U. At least in my opinion, but judging from the sales figures of the console I'm the minority here. In the end the Wii-U offers a great library, but the 3DS offers nearly the same... and more, for a cheaper price.

But enough of that. What are your favourite Wii-U games? No matter if unique or not. Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Lost&Found: Super Mario Green Star Groove

Hello and Welcome to todays episode of Lost & Found.

In the last couple of weeks Nintendo and its treatment of Fanworks got a lot of coverage. And while I understand why Nintendo does everything possible to protect their IPs, I think this situation could be handled much better. I also think that these great Fan Projects, in which the creators put their heart and soul, deserve attention.

That is why I want to show you a very promising fan game, because simply calling it a fan hack wouldn't do it justice. Following the great Newer Super Mario Bros., which even got in my Top 5 Nintendo Fan Games, Super Mario Green Star Groove sets out to do the same as it's predecessor. Be a full fledged Mario adventure.

And if you have played Newer Super Mario Bros. you surely are as exited as I am. Anyways here is the trailer for you to enjoy and maybe get excited. It definitely looks great. 

Source

and as always

thanks for reading

My Top 5 ''Exclusive'' 3DS Games

The Wii-U and 3DS both have some amazing games. There is lots of fun to be had with Nintendos consoles. But they also overlap a lot. Super Mario 3D World is just a bigger and more beautiful version of Super Mario 3D Land. And while I love both of those games, many gamers are happy with just one of them. In the light of my recent Thoughtpiece about this problem I want to share today my Top 5 Nintendo 3DS games, which don't have an equivalent on the Wii-U. So no Mario Kart, Smash Bros. or New Super Mario Bros. 2. Instead I want to talk about five games, which are truly exclusive to the 3DS.

First let's make some rules for this list. I will only feature one game per Franchise and Genre. Also I won't talk about Games that weren’t released outside of Japan. And lastly this is highly subjective, so please don't take it personal if my taste doesn't align with yours.

So let's jump right in.

5: Kid Icarus Uprising

Source

Seeing this game for the first time was a real eye opener. I never thought the 3DS could provide such great graphics. Especially in Motion this game looks amazing for a 3DS title. And all that in 3D and with smooth FPS. Smash Bros. father Masahiro Sakurai proved that he can do more than just make amazing brawlers. He and his Team from Project Sora, which was only founded for this project, delivered a fresh, funny and entertaining action title for the small screen.

Of course the control scheme requires some time getting used to, but I honestly didn't think it was as bad as many called it. To me it feels intuitive and responsive and especially the ground battles are a blast if you get the hang of it.

Storywise it's also great with a much deeper plot than most other Nintendo games and a lot of humor. Palutena, Kid and Hades are a blast, with honorable mentions going to Viridi. The game is a little bit hard to come by, but if you haven't played it you should definitely give it a try. It's an experience you can't find on other consoles.

4: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros.

Source

The Mario & Luigi Series has long been a staple for great Nintendo RPGs, and with Paper Marios Shift towards an action adventure it's the sole representative of classic turn based strategy from them. And even though the last installment Paper Jam Bros. has been a little bit lackluster, this one isn't.

Starting with a cool premise of Luigis Dream World and an actually interesting story that makes Bowers look threatening, this game offers great RPG entertainment from start to finish. Especially the Dream World segment, where there are no logical boundaries, are a lot of fun to play. The game has it's weaknesses of course and in my opinion doesn't quite manage to reach the heights of Bowsers Inside Story, but it is nonetheless one of the best RPG on the 3DS.

3: Luigis Mansion: Dark Moon

Source

Another game staring our favorite second fiddle. The original GameCube game is short, but entertaining classic. This sequel however improves on the original in nearly every sense. More varied and bigger locations to discover. Challenging and cool boss fights. Well the story is pretty much the same with Mario missing once more, but you can't really expect much.

Control wise they managed to solve the problem of a missing second circle pad quite well and I never had the feeling of being held back by the system of choice. The graphics of the game are colorful and charming and the artstyle is great fit for a smaller screen.

Ghost variety is the only thing that is a little bit lacking, but the great variety of rooms and puzzles make you forget that fact pretty fast. If you're looking for an entertaining and well crafted adventure game then you don't need to search any further. It's fun, it's entertaining and you won't find it on the Wii-U.

2: Fire Emblem: Awakening

Source

I must admit that I haven't played Fates (and probably never will because of the translation fiasko) so I can't give you an answer which is the better title. What I can tell you however is that Fire Emblem Awakening is great. Not simply good but great. This title single handily save the franchise and revived it. And while some older fans don't like the Anime Waifu direction the series has taken since Awakening, I absolutely love it.

Awakening introduces some nice quality of life improvements to the Franchise, which opened it up to newer players. But no matter what you do, don't turn of the Permadeath feature. This is one of the defining traits of Fire Emblem and playing a game without it just isn't right.

Fire Emblem Awakening is turn based strategy at its best and shouldn't miss an any good 3DS Library.

1: Pokemon X&Y

Source

No Surprises at the top spot. Pokemon is the defining handheld franchise from Nintendo. It was born on the Gameboy and it's core concept has been molded as a perfect fit for mobile gaming. Of course the rise of the Internet has made many of these concept obsolete, but still there is hardly anything more satisfying than seeing the face of your opponent after your Snorlax delivered the final blow.

Even after 20 years Pokemon still works. It still sells millions upon millions of copies. The two version system still creates the incentive to go out and trade with other people. The easy accessibility still ensures that newcomer can enjoy the game, while it also offers enough complexity for competitive play.

Pokemon is a brand that brings young and old together. And it's an experience that you only get on your Nintendo 3DS.

So what are unique 3DS games do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Lost&Found: Howard and Nester Comics Archive

Source

Hello and Welcome to todays episode of Lost & Found. Many of you probably have heard the drama surrounding the upload of all Nintendo Power issues and the take down notice by Nintendo which followed. While this is truly regrettable, because this was a wonderfully nostalgic window into the gaming past, today I have a small consolation for you.

While it's not the whole magazine some good managed to upload all of the Howard & Nester strips from the magazines. Now if you don't know what these strips were about then here is a shamelessly copy&pasted explanation from the side itself.

Anyone who has read Nintendo Power since its beginning has, obviously, at least glanced at the little comic strips in a couple of pages of the magazine called "Howard & Nester", which chronicled the adventures of bowtie-wearing Howard Philips (who was an actual employee of Nintendo and president of the Nintendo Fun Club at the time) and a stubborn redheaded teen named Nester. Together, the two ventured into the worlds of various NES games, gave us a couple of thinly-veiled legitimate tips, and always provided a little bit of humor for us all.

In Volume 25 of Nintendo Power, Howard left the magazine to pursue other goals (JVC?! I'll bet that worked out well), and left Nester to star in a series of comics of his own. But a few years after, all traces of Nester (and Howard) vanished, and left the magazine to wilt away.

Take a look, have some laughs and return to a time when gaming was much much simpler. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as I did.

Howard&Nester Comics Archive

And as always

thanks for reading

Super Mario Run

Source

I've given this game a lot of thought over the course of yesterday and I'm not a fan. I can see why Nintendo did it. I can understand them. But as a fan, not a shareholder, I'm not happy about this game.

For any of you, who haven't heard about this yet, Super Mario Run was a surprise announcement during the Apple Keynote that happened two days ago. It will launch as a timed exclusive in IOS in December 2016 and it won't be a Free to Play title. The Concept is pretty easy. Mario runs automatically through levels and you can make him jump with a tap of the screen. Nintendo even boasted that they developed the game with the fact in mind that you'd only use one hand to play.

Source

So the stock market and analysts have, predictably, been going crazy about this announcement. Nintendos stock climbed upwards across the board and everyone with financial ties to the company has received this info very well. So let's talk about the good and bad aspects of Super Mario Run.

The logical conclusion:

From the moment Nintendo announced their mobile venture it was set in Stone that Mario would make an appearance. In fact many analysts were disappointed when their first mobile game Miitomo wasn't using the Mario Ip. Also this Mario Runner concept isn't all too surprising. In fact several Nintendo Fansites used this concept as their Apirl Fools Joke. So in that regard this game had to be expected.

Especially after the success of Pokemon Go, which also increased the sales of the Pokemon Games for the 3DS, we need to look at Super Mario Run in that regard. Nintendos hope is to funnel many new gamers towards their systems. If they like Super Mario Run they will like Super Mario Bros. U and maybe even try Super Mario Maker or Super Mario 3D World. This is the thought process behind releasing Super Mario Run. They hope to get into this huge untapped market.

Also it will probably make tons of money. The Mario name still is a huge draw, even with non gamers. And as opposed with Pokemon Go Nintendo will keep the profits for themselves with this game.

A dangerous future:

During several interviews Miyamoto revealed that they used experienced key members of the Mario development team to make Super Mario Run. Shigeru Miyamoto himself acts as Producer while series veteran Takashi Tezuka serves as the games director. Now Super Mario Run is only a small project, but it diverts their attention from bigger Mario Project. As someone, who has no interest in Smart Phone games, I'm not to happy about that. Of course with only a couple of games in development for Smart Phones this only poses a small danger, but if they increase their output, and if they are successful they will, this could impact the quality of big games negatively.

Also I'm not sure if the funneling of casual gamers towards their dedicated gaming platforms will work with this title. Pokemon Go was such a huge success because of Pokemon. The core concept of that franchise is something that every human can relate to. Capturing and collecting are some of the most basic urges we have.

Mario on the other hand clearly feels like a Video Game. Pokemon can reach people who have no interest in video games, while Mario can't.

Also the Smart Phone crowd is a fickle one. Nintendo needs to be very careful not to chase every small trend and whim of the market there. They need to draw a distinct line between their Smart Device games and their games for console and handheld. None should interfere with the other.

There is a real danger of Nintendo oversimplifying their console games to keep the Smart Phone Crowd engaged.

In the end Super Mario Run was an expected announcement. I'm still not happy about it, but I accept it. What are your thoughts about it? Positive? Negative? Let me know about it in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading.

The Wii-Us Main Competition

Source

With the dawn of the NX on the Horizon now is a good time to look back at the Wii-U and discuss it's failures and success. Even though the latter is much smaller than the first. Still the Wii-U was a great console. Of course I'm only talking for myself, but I never regretted purchasing it and I had a great time with many of its games. Still nobody can deny that it was a commercial failure. And after last weeks Nintendo Direct it's become even more evident why this is the case.

You see the Wii-U had many problems right from the start. A subpar Third Party Support, a confusing name, bad Marketing and only one true Nintendo game, which was a 2D Mario and had hit franchise fatigue.

So from the get go the odds were stacked against Nintendos console. But the biggest Problem was none of these things. The biggest Problem of the Wii-U across the consoles lifespan was it's competition. And I'm not talking about the PlayStation or the Xbox. No, the biggest competition for the Wii-U is the 3DS.

A half hearted Fusion:

Source

When I look at my Wii-U and 3DS library, it often seems to me as if Nintendo has tried the fusion concept with these two consoles, albeit very halfheartedly. Games like the Port of Yoshis Wooly World only increase this feeling, even though some of them may make sense. (For example Mario Maker)

Just take a look at the Wii-U and 3DS library. You find a counterpart for nearly every Wii-U game on the handheld, while the 3DS also offers more games and even some genres and franchise that didn't appear on the Wii-U. If someone wants the ultimate Nintendo experience just direct him to the 3DS. And if the handheld fulfills all your wishes, then why should you buy the home console?

If you want a 2D Mario you don't need to buy New Super Mario Bros. U because you can simply buy New Super Mario Bros. 2 or Mario Maker for 3DS next year. Super Mario 3D World is an excellent game, but Super Mario 3D Land is nearly as good. Mario Kart and Smash Bros. are also on the handheld. Together with two 3D Zelda remakes, a completely new top down Zelda and a Multiplayer spinoof. Hyrule Warriors? On the 3DS. Mario Party? On the 3DS.

This together with exclusive games like Luigis Mansion, Kid Icarus Uprising, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem and others, great Indie support and a good Virtual Console makes the 3DS more appealing in every sense.

And yes the Wii-U still has several great exclusive titles, which I love dearly, but if you aren't a hardcore Nintendo Fans the overall package of the 3DS is simply better. You can still play all big Nintendo titles for a smaller price.

Most people are satisfied with one 3D Mario and one Mario Kart and one Smash Bros. each console cycle. They don't need Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D Land.

The 12 Million buyers of the Wii-U are the Nintendo Faithful, who play nearly every game from them. That's why the Wii-U has insane attach rates. But for a broad success it doesn't suffice only satisfying them. You need the masses and if you offer the masses a more appealing product it shouldn't surprise you when the flock towards it.

What is the solution?

Source

While this may be to late for the Wii-U/3DS combo I hope Nintendo won't make this mistake again in the future. Of course it all depends if the NX truly is a Fusion concept, which unifies Handheld and console gaming, but if it isn't then Nintendo does need to do a better job at distinguishing their platforms.

First of some Series are better suited for Handhelds, while others function on consoles. Pokemon mainline games should always stay handheld exclusives. The same goes for Top Down Zelda titles. And I would even go a step further. Make 2D Marios exclusive to your handhelds. The whole structure fits perfectly. For Consoles Donkey Kong could take the place as the go to Jump'n'Run. The vibrant and lively backgrounds of Tropical Freeze only work on strong hardware and a big screen.

Games like Bayonetta or Xenoblade Chronicles should also stay on consoles.

Next make 3D Mario and Zelda games exclusive to consoles. Let Paper Mario truly return to its role playing roots and make it the go to RPG on consoles, while the Mario and Luigi Series continues on the handhelds.

Captain Toad with it's small contained puzzle levels would also be a perfect fit for handhelds, while Splatoons Multiyplayer heavy focus is better suited for console gaming. Give handheld gamers a classic 2D Metroid and a full fledged 3D adventure of Samus to the console.

For both to succeed Nintendo needs to make a sharp distinction between their handhelds and consoles without taking important brands from either of them. This also creates an incentive to buy both systems, while as of now you only need one to get a complete Nintendo experience.

This distinction would raise the appeal of both systems. Hardcore Nintendo fans will always buy both, but this the more casual fans also have more incentive to buy both systems.

So what are your thoughts about this? Would you like more difference between the 3DS and the Wii-U? Or are you happy with the current situation? Agree or Disagree? Let me know in the comments.

And as always

thanks for reading

Lost & Found: The ''Real'' Legend of Zelda

Hello and Welcome to todays episode of Lost & Found. And what do you know. Today I have another video to show you. It's kind of a classic and was (sadly) never completed so now, after seeing it, you'll share my pain.

A great Parody of the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and if you have the time I'm sure it'll get some laughs out of you. So enjoy todays treat and see you soon.

Source

And as always

thanks for reading (even though it's not much)

Nintendo Direct 01.09.2016

It was a good Direct. It truly was. I can't really complain about anything shown there. Even the more controversial games don't bother me. It really was a good Nintendo Direct focused solely on the Nintendo 3DS.

But first if you haven't watched it you can catch up right here:

Source

Objectively we got everything we could ask from this direct. New information about upcoming big games, Indie Love and some new announcements. And the skits in between are a great way to break up the continuous announcements.

Pokemon Sun and Moon look better and better each time they are shown. I like the concept of Alola forms for older Pokemon a lot. What I'm not so sure about is the restriction to Gen 1 only. It seems GameFreak is riding the Nostalgia Wave pretty hard with this one. But from the looks and information we got so far this Generation seems like it will break up a lot of established rules for the franchise. Something that is more than welcome after 20 years. To me it seems as if GameFreak intends Sun and Moon to be the next big leap in the Pokemon Franchise, maybe being as influental as the ground breaking first games.

Next up is one of the more controversial games in this Direct, but honestly one that I was expecting. Ever since it's announcement I was sure that Mario Maker will find its way onto the Nintendo 3DS. And on the first glance this is good. And on the second too. Yes I won't complain about them ''robbing'' the Wii-U of one of its exclusives, because in my eyes they're not. They're expanding the Playerbase and more Players means more wacky and more great designed courses. Of course it also means more trash courses, but let's ignore that for the moment.

But what I have to criticize is the way they implemented things. The idea of strengthening the local aspect of the game is great, but cutting down the Online functionality is not. For me this robs most of the games motivation.

But something that I imagine to be great would be like a level jam, where you meet up with other like minded People and you all create levels together and try to beat them. This is something this game offers. Anyway I'm sure it will be a huge success, especially in Japan.

Mario Party Star Rush also looks good, but for me it's still not really interesting because it has the same Problems every handheld Mario Party had so far. It's not the games fault, but more or less a platform problem. Mario Party works best with friends on couch. That's also why I've never missed online functionalities in those games.

Also something that I find quite interesting is the fact, that so far the classic Party mode (with or without car) hasn't been shown. Maybe they scrapped it all together in favour of Toad Scramble?

But anyways the game looks really solid and it offers a ton of different modes to play. So any handheld gamer, who was let down by Mario Party: Island Tour, can look forward to this iteration.

As for Animal Crossing. I'm not the hugest fan of the series, but a good friend of mine absolutely loves it. And she is looking forward to this new Update, which, for her, reinvigorated New Leaf. She is playing it regularly again in anticipation. Also the announcement of an Animal Crossing Direct raised some expectations. We'll probably get some new information about Animal Crossing for Smart Phones and hopefully a completely new Animal Crossing. As for platform I really can't make and prediction. It could be NX or even a new 3DS Title.

Tank Troopers and the Mii Plaza Games look like simple fun, and I'm pretty sure that they will find enough fans, who'll enjoy them.

The Zelda Amiibos look great and I'll definitely get Ocarina of Time Link. Also the release of Skyward Sword for the Wii-U Virtual Console reminded me that I have to play this game again before Breath of the Wild releases. Thanks Nintendo. You're always looking out for me.

And now we have the next controversial title after Super Mario Maker 3D. Yoshis Wooly World will be ported to the Nintendo 3DS with new levels and new features, as well as all the content that could be found inside the Wii-U Version of the game. And again I won't complain about them robbing the Wii-U one of it's exclusives, but instead try to stay positive.

The game looks great, even on the 3DS screen. The Yarn look is just timeless. Of course I prefer the HD Version, which looks more vibrant and detailed, but for someone looking for a great 3DS Yoshi game, after the disappointing Yoshis New Island, this is perfect. The new additions are not enough for me to say that I feel robbed and they are not enough to warrant another purchase of the game for me. So I'm just happy that more people get the chance to play this delightful game.

Ever Oasis got a little bit overlooked during this Years e3, which is a damn shame. It looks like Grezzo has taken all they learned from making Ocarina of Time 3DS and Majoras Mask 3DS and gave it their own spin with their first own IP. The game reminds me a lot of Fantasy Life, which was a great title for the 3DS. And with Level 5 chasing the mobile dream with that franchise Ever Oasis comes right along to fill that gap. The mixture of RPG, Town building and The Sims looks like a lot of fun. If Grezzo manages to balance all this aspects I think Ever Oasis could become a big success. Let's hope it will.

Mario Sports Superstars looks fine, but I really missed some wacky Mario like items or areas to spice up the Sports. So far it looks like it will be regular sports with Mario Characters attached, which really doesn't interest me. This was one of the main reasons I didn't buy Mario Tennis for the Wii-U. In a Mario Sports game I want crazy courts, abilities and items. I hope they deliver this to Mario Sports Superstars, because it looks like a solid game even without these features. But with them this could be a hit.

And lastly we have a surprising announcement. A new Pikmin is headed to the 3DS. Now to quench your worries. This is not Pikmin 4 and it's not created by the main Pikmin team. This new game is a 2D spinoff. The true Pikmin 4 is still headed to Wii-U or NX (probably NX).

This game focuses on puzzle solving and fighting in a 2 dimensional plane. On the one hand this reduces the complexity, but also opens up new ways to interact with your Pikmin. The announcement of this game took me completely by surprise and I'll hope it doesn't share Federation Force destiny.

Now I haven't talked about the worries of several people that Nintendo is robbing the Wii-U of it's games with these ports. I think this is an interesting topic and I want to discuss this in depth, so that's why this will be next weeks topic for the Wednesday Thoughtpiece. I hope you can be patient until then.

And now before I wrap this up I want to adress the people that called this direct disappointing. What did you expect? We got a lot of games. Big titles and smaller ones. New announcements completely out of the blue and more information on upcoming games. In fact let me just list all the games that where shown during this direct.

• Pokemon Sun and Moon
• Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
• Mario Party Star Rush
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf
• Mii Plaza Games
• Tank Troopers
• Picross 3D Round 2
• Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC
• Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
• Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King
• Yo-Kai Watch 2
• Disney Magical World 2
• Sonic Boom: Fire&Ice
• Shin Megaim Tensei 4: Apocalypse
• Poochy & Yoshis Wooly World
• Ever Oasis
• Mario Sports Superstars
• Pikmin

And that's just the games. I haven't even included the merchandise like the New Amiibos.

So what are your thoughts on this direct? Are you happy? What would you have loved to see, but wasn't shown? Let me know in the comments

and as always

thanks for reading

Source of all Pictures: Nintendo