Mendon

Thanks for the response, guys! Much appreciated. How many of the Swap Force figures do each of you have? I thought I might pick up a couple of the Swap-power figures, i.e. Grilla Drilla and Stink Bomb, since Target was having a Buy 2 - Get 1 Free sale. But the two stores I went to had no Swap-power figures at all, just the regular SF figures like Roller Brawl and Countdown. I passed on those regular figures.

ACK... just found a Wiki page that answered my question: over $250 to see everything in the game!! Nope, far too expensive for me. http://www.ign.com/wikis/skylanders-swap-force/Minimum_Toys_Needed

I picked up a brand new starter package of Skylanders Swap Force for $20 on XboxOne. I played the original Skylanders on the Wii and enjoyed it but skipped Giants completely. Before getting too far into the game, I am curious: does anyone know how many actual Swap Force Figures you need to purchase to finish the game and get 100% on each level? In playing the first level, I was unable to open one gate because the starter pack didn't come with a Skylander with the "Dig" ability. And since I didn't find all the "hats" on this level or discover all the "worlds/lands", I'm guessing the last things I need are behind this gate. But these Swap Force figures are $15 each and this could get expensive! But, on the other hand, I was able to open another gate on the same first level by using one of my original Spyro's Adventure skylanders because he was of the undead element which was required to open the gate. So that saved me having to spend money for another character. But, on the other hand, on the same opening level, I came across a box and to open it I needed a Skylander Giant, which I don't have. More money to spend??? So I guess my question is, what is the mimimum amount one has to spend to get 100% on the game? I have a Skylander with every element from the first game, but that's about it. Even though I got the starter pack at a low, low price and the games seems fun, I really don't want to spend $150+ to completely finish the game with 100%.

My son & I tried it but neither of us was blown away much. For me, it reminded me too much of Halo, only with a ton more frog-hopping thrown in. I thought the game was sort of a cross between Halo and Borderlands (the RPG and loot elements).

I guess its me, but I really enjoyed Pandora & Last Story a lot more than I did Xenoblade Chronicles. XC started off fine and I was enjoying it, but for whatever reason, i lost interest in it and still haven't completed it. Pandora & LS I fully enjoyed and finished both.

Please list the Wii games that actually supported the add-on after its release.... I know Red Steel 2 did and required you to have it to play the game, but what other Wii games supported it and/or required it?

For me, the Nintendo Direct was not that impressive with games I want. A few thoughts: Smash Bros. - never been a fan of this series or type of game, so I have no interest. Zelda - It may look pretty but I'll reserve excitement for later when something of the story is revealed. Hyrule Warriors - never been a fan of the Dynasty series and this game doesn't convert me. Splatoon - nice to see a new IP and it looks fun. But if its online only, I'll pass. Mario Party 10 - if this game isn't online, I'll pass. Bayonneta 2 - not interested Xenoblade - not interested Captain Toad - looks fun as I enjoyed the mini-games in Mario World 3D. Star Fox - I'm confused; is this a whole new game or the old games with new controls?? Hard to tell from the reveal. Amiibo - after spending money in the past on Nintendo add-on's that they failed to actually support..... Wii-motion Plus, Wii-Speak, Wii Balance Board, SNES mouse, N64 RAM card, and others.... I'm not investing money in another add-on. Actually, none of the console conferences really impressed me. I saw games I'm excited about, like Master Chief Collection, Crackdown 3 (YES), Unity, Borderlands Pre-sequel, and a few others. But none of the console media events converted me into saying "This is my console of choice and I'll pour all my money into this system".

I hear what you are saying, Austin, and I agree. Having exclusive titles like Halo or Gears of War or Killzone or Uncharted is understandable as companies want to sell consoles and make money. But it seems weird to me what is happening now. I mean, why would EA make the Hardline Beta exclusive to PS4 when they want to sell their game on both consoles? Why would Disney make an exclusive figure for one system and potentially PO owners of the other systems? Like I said, maybe its me but the Infinity figure and Beta exclusive seem to go far beyond a title being console exclusive.

After watching the Xbox and PS3 media events, I got to wondering: with both companies fighting for exclusive content and games, will gamers ever get tired of this exclusivity and start yelling at companies to STOP? Take for example, Battlefield Hardline, an upcoming game on PS4 & XB1.... someone laid out $500 for an XB1 and bought Battlefield 4 for it and enjoyed & played the hell out of the game. Yet this XB1 owner will get no access to the Hardline Beta currently going on because Sony signed a deal with EA to be exclusive. Could it ever reach a point where gamers say "To hell with EA for not letting me play the Beta, I'm not buying Hardline now". Or how about PS4 being the only console to get the Hulk figure for Disney Infinity 2.... could XB1 or Wii U owners ever reach a point where they say to hell with this exclusivity and not buy the Infinity game because a part of the game is withheld from their console of choice? It used to be just exclusive titles, a Halo or Uncharted, that people grumbled about because they couldn't play it on their system of choice. Then it became timed exclusives. And now, its becoming parts of a game (like with Infinity) or a Beta. Maybe its me, but I'm of the mind that this exclusivity is getting a little out of hand. I'm curious as to what you think.

Sure glad I didn't purchase any of the digital versions of this series as Nintendo announces a disk package of all 5 games is to be released on July 25th. http://www.gonintendo.com/s/229896-wii-sports-club-for-wii-u-arrives-in-stores-on-july-25-digitally-june-26th

It really PO's me that Nintendo made a limited edition bundle of the game and sold this version only at their World of Nintendo store in New York. And of course, the store doesn't do mail order. So the only way you can get this limited edition (and I'd really like one) is thru eBay and already they are priced from $250 to $500. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mario-Kart-8-Limited-Edition-Nintendo-World-NYC-Exclusive-NEW-SEALED/151314875113?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D7264539661327190418%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D20131017132637%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D151314875113

I'm really amazed at how much Smash Bros. is taking off right now. News stories everywhere, including sites such as Yahoo & AOL. GameCube controllers and various Smash Bros. games are all over the "Movers & Shakers List" on Amazon. eBay has a ton of Smash Bros. items highlighted. Gaming sites, like Go Nintendo, feature a new daily screenshot every day. And on and on. I've never been that big of a Smash Bros. fan but methinks this Wii U game is going to be really, really BIG.

I don't shop at GS but if you do, they have a Mario Kart 8 racing wheel for sale, priced at $10 http://www.gamestop.com/accessories/wii-wheel-mario-kart-8/114134

If you have a Wii U, now is the time to jump on some bargain priced games and put your system to use. Feel free to post other bargain priced games and I'll add more to this list (there are a LOT) later: Duck Tales Remastered - $15.67 - Awesome game!! http://www.amazon.com/DuckTales-Remastered-Wii-U/dp/B00F9N08WI/ref=pd_sim_vg_23?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZCJBJEJ1ADDQQV508EZ FIFA Soccer 13 - $10.97 - I'm not into sports games but hey, $11 http://www.amazon.com/FIFA-Soccer-13-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B008UQGHTE/ref=pd_sim_vg_27?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZCJBJEJ1ADDQQV508EZ Just Dance 4 - $12.79 - I'm not into dance games but hey, $13 http://www.amazon.com/Just-Dance-4-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B0088I86SO/ref=pd_sim_vg_39?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZCJBJEJ1ADDQQV508EZ Sing Party with Microphone - $15.99 - I'm not into singing games but hey, $16 http://www.amazon.com/SiNG-Party-Wii-U-Microphone-Nintendo/dp/B0050SWP96/ref=pd_sim_vg_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=01M1M54M28RB7QBH5JZ6 Your Shape Fitness Evolved 13 - $9.99 - Good exercise game but I like Wii Fit U better. http://www.amazon.com/Your-Shape-Fitness-Evolved-Nintendo-u/dp/B0086V5TYC/ref=pd_sim_vg_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=01M73X6TPQQVVRFJ4X2D Madden NFL 13 - $13.89 - I'm not into sports games but hey, $14 http://www.amazon.com/Madden-NFL-13-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B008UR2JEA/ref=pd_sim_vg_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=01M73X6TPQQVVRFJ4X2D 007 Legends - $9.90 - I like this game and have had a lot of fun with it. http://www.amazon.com/007-Legends-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B002I0GCD4/ref=pd_sim_vg_18?ie=UTF8&refRID=01M73X6TPQQVVRFJ4X2D Batman Arkham City Armored Edition - $14.30 - great port of a great game http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-City-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B002I0H0NU/ref=pd_sim_vg_74?ie=UTF8&refRID=01M73X6TPQQVVRFJ4X2D Splinter Cell: Blacklist - $14.99 - just ordered this. Good reviews, great price. http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Splinter-Cell-Blacklist-u/dp/B00CAY50CW/ref=sr_1_1_title_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1401295299&sr=1-1&keywords=splinter+cell+blacklist Assassins Creed III - $12.50 - Excellent game and a very good price. http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-III-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B00897Z218/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1401295414&sr=1-1&keywords=assassins+creed+wii+u Zombie U - $13.40 - Excellent game and the atmosphere is incredible http://www.amazon.com/ZombiU-Nintendo-Wii-U/dp/B00897Z27C/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1401295516&sr=1-1&keywords=zombie+u

I just downloaded a demo for a game called Defense Technica from the PS Store. Its a tower defense game and reminds me A LOT of the Defense Grid game for the Xbox360. I played for about a half hour and it seems to be very well done. Not sure if I'll buy it but I've enjoyed what I've played so far.

Anything in the SSI Gold Box series of D&D games Dungeon Master & Chaos Strikes Back Bard's Tale Wizardry Eye of the Beholder Bounty Bob Jumpman Shamus Epyx classics Star Warrior & Crush-Crumble-Chomp Alternate Reality: City & Dungeon Star Raiders I seem to see a pattern of C64-Atari800-Atari ST gaming here.... I did play a lot of console games, especially Intellivsion & Atari, but it was the launch of the affordable home computer and the longevity of computer games (vs. just getting a high score on console games) that grabbed me and hasn't let go.

The game looks really, really good and I'll be picking this up (eventually). The only complaint I have with this version (without actually playing it) is that Nintendo, for whatever reason, decided to NOT use the gamepad for multiplayer, choosing instead to use split screen. After promoting the gamepad as unique and enhancing your gameplay experience, Nintendo decides to not make use of it. Very, very weird.

Only a year??? LOL But I agree totally with you. I think both PS4 & Xbox One are nice systems with a lot of potential. But I've really found nothing to play on XB1 that inspires me to fire it up on a daily basis. And the only thing that has kept my PS4 turned on is that I've been playing the heck out of FF: A Realm Reborn with two of my sons. I've still got a BIG pile of shrinkwrapped disk games for the 360 & PS3 to play. Plus I have about 8 XBL & PSN freebie games to play. Once I burn out on FF, I believe I don't have to hit the stores for 2 or 3 years!

Looks awesome! And its cheaper than that $250 Titanfall CE.... LOL I don't think I've ever paid more than $75 for a CE and doubt I'll start now. But it does have some cool stuff in there.

I bought the Nyko product: it worked but I didn't like it as it just added too much weight to the gamepad... for me (your experience may differ). I also bought the new longer-life battery from the Nintendo store: was easy to install (once I found a small enough screw driver...LOL) and it does improve the length of game time between charges.

Sorry, maybe I should have made my post clearer.... the bundles & the game are in the stores but you can't buy either until May 30th. So that was the reason for my post, just asking that if the bundles and the game are finished, in stores, and ready to sell, why not do so now instead of waiting another 30 days. And I agree with you Austin about your "strategy" post... Sony is doing it with the new Vita Borderlands 2 game: you can buy the bundle, which includes the game and the redesigned Vita, on May 6th but if you only want the game, you have to wait a week until May 13th. This strategy doesn't apply to the Wii U bundle & Mario Kart 8 as both the game & bundle are available on the same day.

I was in Best Buy yesterday and saw 4 Mario Kart 8 system bundles sitting in a case. Then i read this morning a story that GameStop also has them in the store. http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Mario-Kart-8-Wii-U-Pre-Order-Bundles-Now-Available-Best-Buy-GameStop-63785.html Sorry, but I have to ask: if the game is finished & packaged and is in stores ready to sell, WHY not sell it now instead of waiting until May 30th? I know there must be some business decision here that I fail to see, but I can think of no reason to postpone sales another 30 days. If nothing else, I would think your customers might appreciate the early release, seeing that its been almost 5 months since Donkey Kong and 3rd parties aren't providing much support. Guess I will never understand the logic Nintendo employs.

Hey Cim... did you play the Beta over the weekend? My son & I spent some time with it and both of us had quite a bit of fun. Got our characters up to Lvl 10 pretty quickly and found some interesting quests. Big, big world to explore. They fixed the text so it is now very readable. Only real problem we had was with targeting.... we'd run into a battle and wanted to target the closest enemy and time after time it would target something 2 miles away and we'd have to cycle thru all the enemies onscreen to get to one close to us. Oh, and I have to figure out how to filter out general messages as both of us got tired of being inundated with messages from Gold Farmers.

My son played it A LOT on PS3 and now that he has a PS4, he is playing that version on a regular basis. He really likes the game and hasn't paid for any extra's at all. I can't comment on the game, though, since I have never played it.

Just finished beating Xcom for the first time and might go back soon and up the difficulty and try a few different tactics this playthrough. Starting Bioshock Infinite and Metro Last Light now, both games I got for free with PS+