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Round Up: Nintendo Direct 14th January 2015

Last night, Nintendo announced it would host a Nintendo Direct for Europe today at 2pm to reveal its plans for the next year. Though the email about the event (which I only myself received at 8pm – talk about short notice, Nintendo!) claimed we’d just hear about “upcoming Wii U and 3DS titles”, with the announcement of the Ambassador Promotion for the New Nintendo 3DS and numerous leaks, many of us at Sanitarium.FM put a bet on a European Release Date for the New Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL models being confirmed – and we were right! But first, let’s take a look at the other stuff we saw during today’s 30 minute session:

 

Fire Emblem

 

A recurring theme about Nintendo Directs is as well as hearing more concrete information about games that we already know are in the works, we also often hear about new titles but are only given basic information so that we know they’re in the pipeline but don’t know much else until the next episode. Sure enough, Nintendo started the show with one of these teasers. Nintendo revealed that a new Fire Emblem game is being developed for the Nintendo 3DS by the same team who created Awakening. Intelligent Systems have also got some new staffers on board to help with the game’s storyline which is apparently being designed to give players more choices than ever in the game’s events. It remains to be seen when we’ll learn more about this new title.

 

 

Puzzle & Dragons Duo

 

Excitement – and a little eyebrow-raising – was generated when rumours spread earlier this week that Puzzle & Dragons might not only make an appearance on a Nintendo platform in Europe for the first time, but also might include Mario characters in the game. The franchise – combining RPG and puzzle elements – is already a popular hit in Japan and has made a name for itself on mobile platforms as well, but given Nintendo’s disdain for smartphones and unwillingness to allow its IP onto other devices, it was clear any Mario-based Puzzle & Dragons title would have to be a console exclusive to Nintendo.

 

In fact, the reality turned out to be even more exciting. The Puzzle & Dragons series is to make its first European appearance with TWO new 3DS titles – a more traditional entry called Puzzle & Dragons Z; and an exclusive Nintendo-themed spin-off called Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition. Both are due to be released as one package this May; and it will be interesting to see how Europe reacts.

 

Nintendo have not made footage of the Super Mario Edition available on YouTube, but we can bring you the official trailer for Puzzle & Dragons Z:

 

 

Pokémon Shuffle

 

DAMN YOU NINTENDO! How DARE you get involved in the murky world of in-game micro-transactions! After the success of the Pokémon Trozei line of match-three style puzzle games (known in some regions as Pokémon Link), Nintendo are releasing yet ANOTHER match-three Pokémon spin-off, this time with the title Pokémon Shuffle, the gameplay of which drew comparisons from my colleagues to King’s popular puzzle hit Candy Crush. In another comparison to Candy Crush, disappointingly the game will feature an optional micro-transaction feature which will allow players to pay to progress further faster if they so choose – because we all know that doesn’t ruin 99% of mobile games, right…?

 

 

Pokémon Shuffle will be a free download from the Nintendo eShop some time in February, on the off chance you still care.

 

Wii Games hit the WiiU eShop

 

A picture outlining the deal outlined below

 

Now that you can download most Wii U games straight to the console via the eShop and never touch a disk again, why should you have to still dig out your Wii disks to play last generation’s games? Though not explicitly stated by Nintendo, you can’t help but feel this is what their Directors were thinking when Iwata announced today that classic Wii games are coming to the Wii U eShop to be downloaded directly to the console. The standard price of £17.99 / €19,99 comes to roughly half-to-two-thirds of the game’s original cost brand new, but you can reduce this even further if you’re quick, as each title will have another 50% reduction – to £8.99 / €9,99 – for one week following the game’s eShop launch. Super Mario Galaxy 2 hits the eShop today; Donkey Kong Country Returns will be available from January 22nd; and Metroid Prime Trilogy comes Jan 29. For those of you reading this in America, a similar deal is coming to you guys too, but Donkey Kong Country Returns is replaced with Punch-Out!! – why the difference I don’t know, but it seems to have caused a small amount of Twitter outrage if my feed is anything to go by. Let’s move on…

 

Amiibo

 

Now for the part of Nintendo I keep forgetting about but some of our DJs appear to be crazy over. Nintendo have announced two new waves of their NFC-enabled Amiibo figures, which will launch in Europe on March 20. The Wave 2 figures will include Robin, Lucina, Charizard, PAC-MAN, Wario and Ness; while at the same time we will also see the launch of the Super Mario series figures, featuring all six of the series’ main characters – the Brothers themselves, Mario and Luigi; eternal captive Peach; the trusty steed Yoshi; my favourite Nintendo baddie Bowser; and candidate for “most annoying video game voice” Toad.

 

All six figures are likely to be used in future Mario-themed Nintendo titles. The Toad figure at least serves an immediately useful purpose, as it will be compatible with Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker to open up a new hide & seek game mode. Following the Nintendo Direct the company also posted to Youtube a Trailer for Mario Party 10, which will utilise all six new Mario figures as well as the Donkey Kong, Wario and Rosalina figures to unlock a new “Amiibo” game mode with its own boards, items and features and a more traditional board-game styling with even the in-game characters designed to look like the Amiibo statuettes. See the trailer below.

 

 

In addition, Kirby & the Rainbow Curse releases next month and Kirby, Meta Knight & King Dedede Amiibo will unlock new powers. We were also shown footage of a new jet-fighting game coming to 3DS this year, Ace Combat 4, which will also support Amiibo by unlocking jets based on the character you place on the system, though little else of this game is known.

 

Project Treasure

 

Yet another title we know little about – even the title is a code name! Revealed by Namco’s Harada-san, who is spearheading the project, Treasure will be a Wii U exclusive, free to download 4-player co-op action game… and that’s all we have to go on for now.

 

 

Splatoon

 

Colour me impressed, if you’ll pardon the pun 😛 The third-party Wii U title that puts a comical slant on territorial warfare, by asking you to paint the town red (or blue, or green, or yellow) AND use paint to knock out competing teams, is turning out to be far more in-depth than the comical, family-friendly styling would suggest. Throughout the game you’ll collect coins, which you’ll be able to spend in a central Plaza area to kit out your characters. As well as being able to buy and equip different weapon packs consisting of one primary, one support and one special weapon each (Primary weapons being your main attack and painting tool; Support being your defence; and Special being an additional tool for large-scale painting); you will also be able to change various pieces of clothing, each of which affects your statistics in different ways, such as making you faster or slower; adding or taking away power from your attacks and defensive capabilities, and so on. Releasing this May, Splatoon may prove to be more than a kiddie shoot-em-up after all.

 

 

Xenoblade Chronicles X

 

Yet another title we know basically nothing about – except that we’ve known that a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles has been in the work for about a year now, ever since E3 when it was originally revealed as just “X”. Now slated for a 2015 launch, Nintendo gave us a new trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X, but revealed little else.

 

 

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

 

Nintendo have announced that the next title in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Tipping Stars, is to become the company’s first true Cross-Buy game, after semi-trialling the idea with Pullblox. While Pullblox only allowed people who bought the Wii U title Pullblox World to get a 3DS version for free but not vice-versa, MvDK will work both ways – buy the game on either Wii U OR 3DS and you’ll get the other console’s version for free. Bonus!

 

Anime Channel

 

The logo for the Anime Channel and #logos for the first series to appear on it

 

Following the success of anime based on Pikmin being released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS eShop, Nintendo have now announced that 3DS owners in Europe will from 13th February be able to download the free Anime Channel, which will feature anime based on Pokémon, Kirby and Inazuma Eleven. As no similar announcement has yet been made in America, this seems so far to be an EU exclusive and will probably be of interest to the younger Nintendo gamers. The service will be compatible with all models of the 3DS and new content is expected to be added regularly.

 

And now for what you’ve all been waiting for…

 

The New Nintendo 3DSes gets a European Launch Date and Special Edition Launch Bundles!

 

New3DSColours

 

Though it was leaked through various sources beforehand, Nintendo decided to round off the second half of this edition of Nintendo Direct by officially confirming the European Launch date, which will be February 13th for both models (the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS XL). As we already know, the New 3DS will be available in White or Black with buttons coloured like the original European SNES Controller, while the New 3DS XL will be available in Metallic Black or Metallic Blue similar to the original colours of first model 3DSes – but it turns out, these won’t be the only designs available at launch!

 

A picture of the Special Edition Majora's Mask New Nintendo 3DS XL

 

In a shock to Nintendo gamers anywhere, the recently announced 3DS Zelda Remake, Majora’s Mask 3D is to become a launch title for the new 3DS models – though it will also be compatible with the existing models. To celebrate, Nintendo will not only sell the game on its own, but will also offer a limited edition New 3DS XL bundle consisting of a special Gold-coloured New 3DS XL with the titular Majora’s Mask emblazoned on the front in black ink, along with the game pre-installed on the console.

 

The Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Bundle

 

There’s also a special edition for Monster Hunter fans, who no doubt will be massively excited by the revelation that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be another title launched at the same time as the new 3DS models. The bundle for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate features a New 3DS XL in silver emblazoned with Monster Hunter iconography. Obviously Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be pre-installed too; and the game will still be available separately on February 13 for both existing and new 3DS models.

 

So to summarise: You can get a White or Black 3DS, a Metallic Blue or Metallic Black new 3DS XL; a silver new 3DS XL with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate built-in, or a gold with Majora’s Mask built-in and etched onto the front. Take your pick! And that concludes all the news from this edition of Nintendo Direct.

 

Until next time, Crimsonshade out!


January 15th, 2015 by CrimsonShade
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2015 at 12:00 and is filed under Gaming, General, Nintendo, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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