Nintendo Direct 03/03/2016 (EU): Not-so-live Impressions

I'm really debating the merits of doing this one here. Apparently there won't be any NX or mobile talk, so I 'm wondering what that leaves for this direct. I think we're more or less at the end of the line for new Wi U and 3DS announcements now, so I'm guessing this is going to be a lot of follow-up type stuff. Do I really have anything else to say about the 3DS version of Hyrule Warriors? I guess we'll find out. :D

• 00:20 - Yes! The triumphant return. Somewhere, Mr. Iwata is very happy right now. :)

• 00:35 - Star Fox Zero first. Damn. Shiggy's looking very contrite here. I'm expecting another delay, or at least some bowing.
• 00:43 - Yep. Little bow there.
• 00:50 - I want to believe this'll be an authentic action game, but reports of them doubling down on the second screen stuff lately aren't exactly filling me with confidence.

• 01:02 - General Pepper's looking good. Overall plot and structure similar to Starfox 64. Is this another pseudo remake of the original Star Fox then (like 64)?
• 01:06 - Oh, okay. The story's new. (Hopefully they'll take lots of cues from Star Fox Command. Never played that game, but boy, the screen grabs that keep popping up from it's story are incredible. :D)

• 01:24 - Wooo! Kat! Man, its been so long since I've plated Star Fox 64, I'm not sure how this compares to Fortuna in that, but this is definitely pretty.
• 01:51 - Always enjoyed the branching paths in Star Fox, so this is all good to hear. Ooh, an amiibo logo on the map screen. I wonder how they're going to work those in here?

• 02:41 - Oh hey, you guys remember asynchronous gameplay? Although I suppose this is more like the co-op mode in like, Mario Galaxy than the types of games they were showing off before the Wii U launched. Also, no one's going to be playing this way.

• 03:11 - Okay, so the Fox amiibo unlock let's you fly the SNES arwing. I sill haven't picked up that Fox amiibo. Is this enough to justify a purchase? Yeah, probably. :D

• 03:19 - Project Guard. It's back, you guys. I suppose as a mode in Star Fox Zero.
• 03:22 - Slippy's uncle Grippy? Boy, Grippy's an unfortunate uncle name.

• 03:39 - I don't think I ever bothered to watch footage of this before. Is this basically Night Trap? :D
• 03:45 - So Night Trap with gun turrets then. Howard Lincoln would be so disappointed.
• 04:10 - It's seems to be kind of a tower defence thing really. Yeah, not really my thing, custom levels or not. I don't know.
• 04:22 - Oh, Star Fox Guard is a separate thing. April 22nd for that and Star Fox Zero. I think I'm waiting for some impressions before I buy Star Fox. The control scheme is still a bit of a question mark. I know there was a tweet confirming a standard control option back in the summer, but that's a long time ago now. Many tea tables have been upended since then I'm willing to bet.

• 04:37 - Oh weird. Star Fox Guard is getting a physical release in the limited edition of Star Fox Zero. Wow, that box art sure is something. :D Just what does Uncle Grippy have a hold of? Looking at the bottom right of the bundle box, it looks like there's a third thing in the bundle too. Some kind of DLC maybe?
• 04:58 - Oh, it's a steelbook. Never really got the steelbook hype. Depending on price though, yeah, I might go for this pack.

• 05:17 - Damn it, I still haven't gotten around to Splatoon. I even bought the soundtrack already, and I STILL haven't gotten around to the actual game.
• 06:41 - Mario and Sonic at the Rio Olympics. Those games are still a thing. Remember that short window where everyone was excited about Mario and Sonic teaming up in the first one of these before Sonic in Smash completely destroyed any excitment for that endeavor? What a time to be alive.

• 08:00 - Still, this looks about 1,000 more appealing than watching the actual Olympics. Shy Guys on floats? That's an opening ceremony I could get behind.

• 09:05 - Oh, Super Mario Maker. Slopes?

• 09:35 - Nice. I've been working on a SMW castle stage. These will fit right in.

• 09:42 - Nope. Fuck that. :D
• 09:50 - Yes! Keys! Though, unless you can attach a second bonus level to a keyhole, they won't be that cool.
• 10:12 - Yeah, not really the implementation of keys I was hoping for. Still, they'll be useful for creating boss battles.

• 10:28 - Oh, these are interesting - red coins that you need to collect all of before a key will appear. Bringing some Mario 64 into Mario Maker. I like it.
• 11:01 - Yikes! Super Expert Mode. Granted, I haven't checked in in a while, but I even find most of the levels that wind up in Expert borderline unplayable.

• 11:10 - Yay! Tetra! My dark secret though? I super don't care about mystery mushroom characters in Mario Maker. I haven't even scanned all the amiibos I have to unlock those mushrooms. I don't know. If the characters had different abilities maybe they'd be more appealing, but as it is, they're just palette swaps for Small Mario with a couple of custom sound effects. I'd rather just play as Mario. Now a Tetra amiibo? Day. Freaking. One.
• 11:35 - Damn it! No slopes. Denied!

• 11:58 - Hold up, you guys. Genei Ibun Roku ♯FE AKA SMT X Fire Emblem might actually have a real name in the West now.
• 12:53 - Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. Well, close enough. Really excited to grab this actually. It's looked better and better every time they've shown it.

• 13:08 - Oh shit! IT'S HAPPENING! The Paper Mario on Wii U rumors were true. Already sounds like this one has another dumb gimmick though. Great.

• 13:42 - Damn, Mario. I know you hate Toad's guts, but that's cold.

• 13:55 - Really like the look of this, but this color hammer stuff sounds worrying.
• 14:25 - Oof, the battle system sounds a lot like Sticker Star. Man, I really want another good Paper Mario. I have a bad feeling that this won't be it.

• 14:58 - My Nintendo. Still haven't gotten around to to signing up for that. (I've been laid up with what felt like the plague for the last week and a half.)
• 15:41 - Yeah! Amiibo news. Really hope they're done the Animal Crossing ones now, 'cause yaaaaaaaaawn.

• 15:50 - Apparently not. And they're cards too. Yuck.

• 16:01 - Okay, some physical ones. Nothing I'm really after though. I still hoping they'll at least do a series of Zelda ones before the amiibo train comes off the rails.

• 16:22 - Huh? What? Some relevant Hyrule Warriors Legends news. So, I guess I got my wish and the new characters *will* be available to download in the Wii U version, but only with that code that comes in the 3DS version I'm guessing. Come on, Nintendo, not like this. Let me pay for them separately.
• 17:49 - Well, at least we'll get Medli for free on the Wii U. (Psst, another Zelda amiibo I'd totally get day one. Do you hear me, Nintendo? Come on, do it.)
• 18:52 - Yo-kai Watch. Yeah, I guess we're into the 3DS section now.

• 19:08 - Yikes.

• 19:13 - The thirst for animated GIFs is real. :D
• 20:06 - Hey, I finally have a 3DS now. I should probably download that Yo-Kai Watch demo. (I won't though.)

• 20:26 - Disney Art Academy. Yep.

• 21:47 - Oh boy, did Metroid Federation Force leave fans with "some questions". :D
• 25:31 - Yeah, I can't say that much to sell me on this game. Tanabe might want to play out battles between Federation forces and Space Pirates in a Metroid game, but I think he might be the only one.

• 26:12 - Lost Reavers - it's that free to play Namco treasure game.
• 26:58 - Open beta on April 14th. I don't know, it looks... interesting, maybe.

• 27:26 - Oh, SNES games on the New 3DS virtual console. Not that I'd buying them on 3DS even if I hadn't opted for the older, cheaper 3DS XL, but I wonder if we'll get any cross buy with the Wii U VC?

• 27:63 - A solid launch window line-up (and 60hz versions too), but who's willing to bet that these will be the last releases for a while after they're done with them? It's sadly become the way of the VC.

• 29:13 - A downloadable game sizzle reel. But you know downloadable games are thin on the ground when you're leading with the eShop version of a Lego Star Wars game.
• 29:45 - Oddworld: New and Tasty. Was surprised to see that on the Wii U eShop the other day. There's still a few indie devs supporting it at least.

• 29:58 - Mousecraft. Finally the Bad Rats sequel we've all been waiting for.

• 30:12 - Lifespeed. Looks like an interesting racing game (by everyone's favorite Jackass).
• 31:21 - Oh man, Super Meat Boy is finally coming to a Nintendo platform. I still need to try and finish those last two stages. Holy crap, that game's tough.

• 34:26 - 3DS RPG time! (AKA JiliK sleepy time) Prince Kiefer? Damn it, Chloe!
• 34:40 - Monster Hunter Generations. (Sleepy time intensifies).

• 36:20 - This looks quite nice in motion though. (Not that you can tell here. :D) If I ever try one of these though, it'll probably be the Wii U one.

• 37:43 - Okay. :D I guess they're bringing out that Rhythm Heaven best of in Europe then.
• 37:53 - Yep. I don't know if Rhythm Heaven is really for me though. I couldn't get into the DS version at all. The Wii one, I've had some fun with, but even early on in that one, the timing often seems brutal. I'll try to stick at it though, see if I can improve a bit.

• 38:38 - Kirby: turning out the lights on yet another console. :D

• 39:19 - Angry eyebrows and a mech suit. Finally a mature Kirby game for mature gamers such as myself.
• 39:41 - Actually though, the robot armor looks pretty fun.
• 41:05 - Wait, what? You can tap amiibos to gain abilities, but they're just ones that are in-game already? At least for the first party amiibos, you'd expect Kirby to take on their appearance and abilities like in Smash Bros.. Come on, Nintendo. This is pretty half-assed.

• 41:33 - Some new amiibos at last! Kirby ones though? I do kind of want Kirby. Maybe I'll go for this one instead of the Smash Bros. version.
• 41:49 - Kirby: Planet Robobot. I guess that's it then.
• 42:01 - Yep. next stop: E3? I can feel some predictions coming on.