PixlBit

Hard to believe the series is back after all these years. Pity you didn't score that Turtle Beach headset!

"However, while the game retains the charm and tight gameplay of Returns, it didn’t seem to bring anything new to the table."

I imagine this game will be to DKC Returns as DKC 2 was to the original back in the SNES days.

Anyway, since Retro seems insistent on making these platformers, it's a pity the company doesn't try a direct sequel to DK 64 (but one in which there isn't a gazillion things to collect). If anyone could pull that off, Retro could.

You might be right, but I wonder if it's actually an homage to the original Super Mario Bros. 2, which did feature the blue-spotted toad. This toad would later be retconned as the red-spotted Toad we've known since, but perhaps the development team is ignorant of this fact (or simply doesn't care). And maybe I shouldn't care, either, but I've been a fan of Toad since the Super Mario Super Show days.

Yeah, I agree. It's an extension of the 3DS game, but it still looks like a lot of fun in a world in which the platformer is nearly dead.

I was initially disappointed that the game was based so much on 3D Land's design, but after watching some videos, I have to admit it still looks quite awesome.

My only bone of contention is with "Toad." Why isn't the classic red-spotted one featured as the fourth playable character? You know, the one who's in Wario's Woods, Mario Kart, and nearly every other Mario game (including the SNES and GBA remakes of Mario 2).

It really kind of bugs me.

Sonic Lost World reminds me vaguely of the long ago abandoned Saturn title Sonic X-Treme in that, while the gameplay is 3-D, it still maintains (some of) the spirit that made the original 2-D games so compelling, with the abstract levels and cutesy enemies.

I might just go for the 3DS version of this game at some point, although I do think the $40 pricepoint is a bit much. Pity the 3DS doesn't have a crossplay feature as found on many Vita/PS3 titles.

"If you’ve been holding out on buying a Wii U, buy it for this game; The Wonderful 101 deserves to be in your collection, and it deserves to be played."

I give the game props for originality--a principle I wish sequel/rehash-happy Nintendo would learn from. Nevertheless, this one title alone is not enough to convince me to shell out $300 for last-gen hardware. Like the original Wii, I see the Wii U as a more secondary system existing to compliment one of the other two competing consoles. I'll have my thrills with Titanfall or Watch Dogs, for instance, and then sidle over to my Wii U when I have a hankering for something quirky (this game) or old-school (DK Tropical Freeze).

In truth, however, I probably won't scrape together the money for a Wii U until the next price drop, or when Smash finally hits.

Concerning the "Gigolo Mode," I haven't seen it in action, but the criticisms against it probably belong to that same vocal minority that wails about GTA 5 and any other game that doesn't fit neatly within politically correct parameters. It's getting to the point where developers are going to be too afraid to create anything but safe, meaningless, vanilla-style content. Even more progressive games like The Last of Us have been attacked for sexism and the like.

*sigh* Video games have never had it easy. 

My time being as precious as it is, these type of games in which a player can lose hours of play time due to one unfortunate mistake kinda scare me. But I've been hearing about this series for quite a while now, and if I'm ever going to dive in, this seems as good as any place to start.

And who can resist that deluxe, preorder bonus edition?

Glad I was introduced to this site a few months back! Indeed, finding gaming sites that are unpretentious but still stimulating is becoming harder and harder. PixlBit, keep up the good work.