Nintendo Direct certainly came out with guns blazing today. Nintendo have come under scrutiny over the last year, at least as far as the Wii U is concerned, and many Nintendo Directs throughout the year have been underwhelming to say the least.
Today, however, was not one of those days.
To kick things off with an enormous bang, Hyrule Warriors, a Zelda-spin-off of Dynasty Warriors (yes! Really!) was announced for Wii U and will release sometime in 2014. Very little is known about the game (in fact, Hyrule Warriors is just a working title at this point) but a brief video showing the title in action was enough to whet everyone’s apetite. It was also officially confirmed that this is not viewed as a core Zelda experience and we can still expect a proper Legend of Zelda reveal at some point in the future.
From here, the Direct went back to the 3DS, Nintendo’s saving grace, showing off new footage of Kirby: Triple Deluxe. The video showed off Kirby’s new Hyper Nova ability, enabling him to absorb more than ever. There will also be two new modes, Kirby Fighters,a four player fight mode, sees combatants battling online using abilities. There’s even a bot-match mode. Then there’s Dedede’s Drum Dash, which requires players to jump on drums in time with the music to collect coins.
We also caught a brief glimpse of Yoshi’s New Island, and the game is on track for a Spring 2014 release.
However, it was the Chibi Robo title that really sent tongues wagging. Players will take photos with their 3DS, bring them into the Chibi Robo universe and fit orders from a museum curator. Chibi Robo: Photo Finder will release in NA on January 9th.
We also got a quick look at Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter. Both launch December 27th and a free 30 day trial will be available until the end of November. Using either service will reward players with a Celebi for free.
Back to the Wii U, Nintendo revealed a new piece of free DLC for Sonic: Lost Worlds today. Called Yoshi’s Island Zone, Sonic will cross-over with everyone’s favourite green dinosaur and must face obstacles, such as pipes and shy guys. However, Nintendo’s other big surprise was that next year, Sonic Lost Worlds will receive another form of DLC, crossing over with the Zelda franchise!
Wii Sport Club gets Golf in EU today. A 24 hour sampling period will be available across golf, tennis and bowling and you can download the packs from the eShop right now.
Also available today is NES Remix. This £8.99 title brings 16 classic Nintendo titles into the modern era, adding challenges and ideas relevant to today’s gamer. Titles include Donkey Kong, Excitebike and The Legend of Zelda and will reward players with 8-bit MiiVerse stamps.
And to round out the Year of Luigi? Dr Luigi has been revealed and will release on New Years Eve in NA on the Wii U eShop. The title takes on the classic Dr Mario formula, but adds online play, new gameplay modes and new L-shaped pills. EU owners will get it in early January.
With a few other tidbits on Smash Brothers and Mario Kart 8, Nintendo are aggressively repositioning themselves and reminding the gaming world in the face of Xbox One and Playstation 4 that they’re still very much alive and well.
More details and news as it comes in. For now, here are a few more trailers, including Donkey Kong and Mario Kart!