I had assumed they were going with an enhanced port, so I was pretty happy when it turned out that it was a legit sequel.

Aha, that makes quite a bit of sense. I hadn't considered that, unfamiliar as I am with the mini-console's library, but it's by a wide margin the most coherent explanation I've heard yet.

Great choice! Gotta love moogles.

With regard to the music, I've actually been pretty impressed with the limited amount of audio we've heard from ARMS. And yes, I agree with your take on the internet reaction - I've been interested since the start, as it just seems like something well-designed and approachable yet entirely different from any games I…

Oh dear, I suppose I should have guessed. Never change, Internet.

Too cool! I never thought to return. I'm mentally gathering up stuff that I know I missed* for my inevitable second run (on Hard Mode of course) early next year. I feel like this is the kind of game where, much like Super Mario World, I could replay it annually and never grow weary of it.

There's someone who sells fire-resistant potions. They might be in Zora's Domain? Or… someone might give it to you as you get into the Death Mountain region. I can't remember, but I do know that they game did provide some offer of limited fire resistance until you obtain the entirely fireproof gear in (or around?)…

Ugh, that's a challenging aspect of Shovel Knight's final encounter. As a tip, be aware that if you jump diagonally up and towards Shield Knight while pointing your shovel down, there's actually a fairly generous area that lets you get the second leap. I feel like I've bounced up even while not directly touching her…

Hey, it's a great question and times change - ask it again next year!

Oh man, favorite video game mascot… this is tough. I really like the Toads from Mario, if they count. I don't think they really came into their own until the Wii era, when they were given those horrifying/adorable voices, but I'm so happy that they were played up significantly in Nintendo's 3DS/Wii U releases. I…

That makes sense - I don't think many 3DS games feature any motion control. The ones I was thinking of were the two Zelda N64 re-releases; I was so spoiled by their implementation of gyroscopic aiming for projectiles (pretty similar to Splatoon) that going back to aiming with classic controls is nigh-impossible.

Miiverse 9/11 truther posts?! Damn it, America. Glad I never encountered those - my Splatoon Miiverse experience was overwhelmingly positive.

That's legit. I suspect ARMS will be a touch hollow for those not using the motion controls. It's nice that such functionality exists, though I'd imagine (and they've said as much) that it's designed with motion in mind.

Good call on the Splatfests' story influence - that may be my favorite bizarre detail about the new game, along with the outlandish Salmon Run mode.

Oh yeah, forgot to note in my post below - I finally bought the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection on PS3, and it's getting delivered this Friday or Saturday. it's be nice to catch up on that series, since I haven't played an entry since MGS2. I guess I'll alternate between that and Disgaea 5 for the foreseeable…

Hey come on - it's right there in the contract that you signed when you bought the house: "flamboyant squatter and guest(s) to be permitted at all hours." It's an odd provision, sure, but who has the time to read those contracts carefully when there's a Hyrule to save?

Agreed on being surprised about the speed of release. It's no surprise that assets seem to be pretty similar, given the quick turnaround. I am still a touch ambivalent on how I feel about a sequel following so closely in its predecessor's footsteps, given Nintendo's inclination to experiment with each iteration of…

It's always interesting to see that enthusiasts are rarely the ideal workers in a given industry (with notable exceptions - actors, for example, are often great fans of cinema). I find the same to be true in my field, as the kind of folks who excel at archival work are rarely genealogists or those inclined to save…

Anybody wanna discuss this week's Nintendo Direct?

I assume this game will be discussed and analyzed in the lecture halls of the 2700s, much as we discuss Dante or Boccaccio in our own day.