Thanks, that's my mistake - had meant to say first time with Black Ops.

Lastly, a note on Metroid Prime 4. While it hasn't been delayed to 2026, it received oddly little fanfare despite a decade in development. Curious about Nintendo's expectations of it and its ability to grow that franchise. No mention of it getting a dedicated Direct, while Kirby gets a second.

Nintendo are the masters of monetising nostalgia, or identifying key parts or extensions of games its fans will respond to and pay more for ($20 for Mega Raichu DLC? I'm probably there).

$100 for a Virtual Boy accessory (or $25 for a cardboard version). DLC for a Pokemon game that's not yet out, which will bring the total outlay to around $100. Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 ports with seemingly minimal upgrades for $70, or $40 each. That talking Mario flower toy won't be cheap either.

And for those core fans, well, yesterday saw almost every major franchise represented (and for the Animal Crossing crowd, there was a new Pokémon Animal Crossing-like which seems assured to sell). In the cold light of day, though, some of the pricing raises eyebrows.

The recent launch of a Mario merchandise range for toddlers and kids was another example of this. For core fans, Nintendo is a way of life. And as Mario hits 40, Nintendo is ensuring its franchises are embedded in a new generation.