Week: End Game: On 01.16.2016

What games are the staff playing in 2016?

By Nintendojo Staff. Posted 01/16/2016 12:00 3 Comments     ShareThis

Welcome to another installment of Week: End Game: On! What games are the staff playing as we make our way into 2016? Read on to find out!


Marc Deschamps

This Christmas was quite good to me, as I ended up with a plethora of games for the Wii U under the tree. The one I’ve spent the most time with thus far has been Disney Infinity 3.0. I’ve been on a big Star Wars kick since The Force Awakens hit theaters, and this has been the perfect game to help me scratch that particular itch. In fact, I’d even call it one of the best Star Wars games I’ve ever played! I jumped right into the Force Awakens set before clearing Twilight of the Republic, a set based on the Clone Wars cartoon and the prequel films. The latter was surprisingly my favorite set so far, as the lightsaber combat and action were just an absolute blast. Plus I snagged the Light FX figures of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it’s really cool seeing them light-up on the Disney Infinity base. I haven’t played the set based on the original trilogy just yet, but I’ll be cracking into that very soon!

Speaking of my Star Wars kick, I’ve also been playing Angry Birds: Star Wars lately. My fiance found it for dirt cheap for me on Black Friday, and it’s actually been a pretty fun game to pick up when I’m looking for something quick. The little Star Wars nods are pretty clever, too!

This weekend, I’ll likely make some time to take part in the Splatfest, as well. I haven’t picked a side yet, but I really love the competitive nature of the contests. It’s kept Splatoon from ever staying on my shelf for too long. I personally hope Nintendo keeps them going up until the inevitable sequel!


Craig Harnett

I finally have a 3DS! I must admit, though, I’ve never been a massive fan of handhelds, and the need to own a 3DS never really hit me until I started to write for Nintendojo. Reading updates from users and fellow staffers regarding the latest 3DS releases or eShop titles meant that it was only a matter of time before I was broken into submission, and I have to say, I couldn’t be happier!

It’s a great little machine and so far I haven’t been able to put it down. I think this is due to a mixture of exploring all the ins and outs of the system and its online offerings, as well as a few lengthy sessions on my 3DS game of choice: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, which, by the way, is quite simply brilliant.

I love the sense of nostalgia I get from exploring the very same Hyrule I spent hours trudging through all those years ago when I first played A Link to the Past. At the same time it also feels fresh and new thanks to its polished new look, its new merge mechanic that allows you to travel along walls as a painting, and even the new rental system for Link’s items. My only gripe at the moment is that I am finding it a little easy, but I really don’t think that’s going to last very long. I’m sure I’ll be stuck at some point, waiving the Master Sword around in frustration, not knowing where to go or what to do next…and I can’t wait!


Robert Marrujo

Welcome to the family of 3DS owners, Craig! It’s a wonderful little system, though I think DS still has a slightly bigger hold on my heart. I’ll probably be getting back to my favorite handheld in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I’ve been playing around a lot with my 2DS and Oracle of Ages.

I’m pretty deep into the game, at this point. I just started poking around where the Zoras are, and it’s not looking too good for King Zora. Yikes. I do have to say, it’s odd how these Virtual Console Oracle games don’t have access to their Game Boy Advance features. If the games were plugged into a GBA back in the day, it would unlock access to a couple different things. These VC emulations, though, just block it all off. Weird. Not game-ruining, but weird.

Beyond that, I finally stuck my copy of Devil’s Third into my Wii U. I have a habit of forgetting to pre-order games (I’ll think I did when I didn’t), but by some miracle I actually remembered to put down $5 on this one, of all things. And you know what? It’s fun! It really is! It’s no Bioshock, but as a pure, all-out crazy action game, I’ve really been enjoying myself. It’s not worth the ridiculous amounts of money that scalpels are asking, but if spotted in the wild at regular price? I recommend it.


Kevin Knezevic

I’m slowly but surely exploring the uncharted wilds of planet Mira in Xenoblade Chronicles X. I’m still fairly early into the game, all things considered– only about 45 hours in– and I’ve just gotten my hands on a cadre of Skells, which are absolutely awesome. The game does a really great job of making Skells feel special, and the first time you take one out into the field is a memorable experience. The first thing I made sure to do was pay a visit to any tyrant that had been giving me trouble before I got my mechs!

I’m also jumping between Metroid: Zero Mission on Wii U and Yo-Kai Watch on 3DS. The former was one of my most anticipated Virtual Console games. Ever since it was added to the European eShop back in March 2015 (!!), I was eagerly hoping to play it again, but it’s definitely been worth the wait. I had forgotten just how immediate the game feels– right after you touch down on Zebes it throws you into the action, and it’s still an absolute visual treat to behold. To this day, Zero Mission is one of my favorite games in the Metroid series, and I can’t wait to delve even further into its labyrinthine caverns.

Yo-Kai Watch, on the other hand, was something of an impulse buy. I’d heard good thing about it from Marc’s review, but the deciding factor was ultimately my nostalgia for Pokémon. Now that we’re heading into the series’ 20th anniversary, I’ve been reminiscing about the various Pokémon games I’ve played over the years, and I’m slightly perplexed that a new installment (even if it does just turn out to be Pokémon Z) hasn’t been announced yet. Fortunately, Yo-Kai Watch is a fun substitute. Even though the two series don’t really share many gameplay elements, it’s hard not to play one without thinking of the other. I’ve really enjoyed what little I’ve played of it thus far, though, and I’m hoping I can get a few more hour in before the weekend is over!


What games are you playing this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

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