This Nintendo Direct dropped a lot of games, filling out the 3DS and Wii U line-ups for the spring.
During today’s lovely presentation, everything from Star Fox Zero to Metroid Prime Federation Force was laid out with details to spare. Below are some bullet points of the announcements and reveals that the company wanted everyone to hear about today.
- Star Fox Zero is still coming and, more importantly, not delayed into the summer as was rumored. This long-standing series will also be coming with Star Fox Guard, the official name given to a collection of mini games showcased at the year before last’s E3. Guard will apparently task you with holding the line against a series of robots using both the TV and Wii U gamepad and cameras. Other mini-games are also included with the Guard and Zero package that will release together on April 22.
- Splatoon and Super Mario Maker are receiving a series of updates to satisfy their wide player bases. The Splatoon updates will focus on Splatfest elements, making lesser used gear abilities seem more attractive, adjusting some elements of ranked battles, and adding new weapon set customizations in the following three months. Super Mario Maker, on the back of 6.2 million courses online, will receive an update that will add keys and key doors, pink coins (used to unlock keys), a Thwomp-to-Skewer option, and Super Expert Mode for the hardest of hardcore. This update hits on March 9.
The Mario and Sonic at Rio 2016 Games opening cinematic was shown off as well with Rugby, Boxing, Archery, Running, Biking, Rhythmic floor routines, Volleyball, Soccer, and parades all shown off as events in the game. Wii U owners have until June 24 to wait while 3DS olympians can grab the gold on March 18.
- Plenty of JRPGs were shown off during this Nintendo Direct with Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Dragon Quest 7, Bravely Second, and Fire Emblem Revelations all making an appearance. Tokyo Mirage is a new property based off of a mix of Atlus games and pop concerts, and will be a JRPG through and through with the original Japanese vocals remaining with English subtitles available. It looks to be a highly-stylized, almost cel-shaded game with lively backgrounds and a quick battle system that’s incoming on June 24 for 3DS.
Bravely Second will be a little later in the year, but a free demo that features a contained side-story will be coming this month. Those that play this prologue chapter will find their gear and other pieces transferable to the main game when it releases. Wizards and Cat-mancers were also shown off as job alternatives, the former allowing for power magical pairings and the latter lending you a cat army to train and throw at your enemies. Bravely Second’s demo is coming on March 10 while the main game is coming April 15.
Dragon Quest 7, in practically remade form according to Nintendo, is coming to the 3DS sometime this year. Last but not least, the third and final chapter of Fire Emblem’s latest trilogy, Revelations, is set to give up the ghost when it releases with lots of answers in tow. This branch, which will allow you to take a third option at the very beginning of the game, will launch on March 10 for $19.99 and will be available for purchase inside your respective Emblem’s home screen.
- Probably the biggest news of the Nintendo Direct came alongside the announcement that My Nintendo, the company’s new loyalty program, will be launching sometime this month. It will work a lot like Club Nintendo in that you simply play/buy Nintendo software and products and you’ll earn points to Gold and Platinum levels. Miitomo, the company’s first mobile title, is the gate through which you must walk should you want to pre-register for an account. My Nintendo will, presumably, release alongside Miitomo when it launches sometime this month.
- Paper Mario: Color Splash, Pokken Tournament, and Mini Mario Amiibo and Friends were also detailed and coming to Wii U. The first console Paper Mario this generation, Color Splash puts Mario and friends on Prism Island where he must bring the color back to the barren environment and probably take down a big baddie along the way. This one is penciled in for a 2016 release.
Coming quite soon is Pokken Torunament that got a little powerful with Machamp, quick with Lucario, and crafty with Gengar during the Nintendo Direct. On display was the difference between attackers and their relative strengths and weaknesses, all of which will have to be considered by players when the game launches on March 18. The first run of physical copies of Pokken Tournament will also include an exclusive Shadow Mewtwo Amiibo card for in-game use.
Amiibo and Friends will indeed deal with Amiibo, giving you figure-specific levels based upon which character you scan in. This will be a free title coming to Wii U on April 28, but will be available to anyone that purchases an Amiibo beginning on March 25.
- Speaking of Amiibo, there was plenty of news related to that widening corner of Nintendo-fueled insanity. Series four of the Animal Crossing cards, as well as a separate Animal Crossing figure, will drop on June 10. An entire new series, dealing with a new Kirby game, will bring Kirby, Meta Knight, King DeeDeeDee, and Waddle Dee onto new bases and in new poses also starting on June 10.
As the go-home game for the Nintendo Direct, Kirby received the full treatment in regards to his upcoming 3DS title. It will play a lot like Triple Deluxe with the kicker being the enemy’s mech suit that, like the pink ball himself, can absorb enemy abilities and unleash them to devastating effect. Swiping any Amiibo will give Kirby some kind of in-game effect, including possible power ups, and a multiplayer mode will be added in to where four Kirbys of varying class will take down various boss creatures, level up, and drink in merriment. Again, all of this can be yours beginning on June 10.
- The 3DS action was strong in this presentation as well. A lot of time went into justifying the very existence of Metroid Prime Federation Force that, as it turns out, makes mention of Samus Aran and seems to have a single-player RPG approach. Your force will be tasked with taking down a hostile, infectious group of attackers while Samus herself is off on another assignment, but your weapons and armor function in much the same way as hers with a few exceptions. Your collective team will have to properly disperse the weight of the items you find, creating a self-correcting class system that gives the experience a unique spin. You’ll be able to find out for yourself when the game comes sometime in late spring.
- Two other big 3DS titles dropping are Hyrule Warriors Legends and Monster Hunter Generations, both of which received plenty of screen time in this Nintendo Direct. Legends will have an artbook bonus for those that pick it up if they pre-order at Gamestop, and Wii U version owners will find their game transferable alongside a bevy of extras that include Medli of Wind Waker fame as a fighter character. Nintendo’s first season pass is also being added to Legends wherein players can expect four packs of DLC to come this year, and a free Ganondorf outfit to accompany the purchase for an unknown price. Legends comes out on March 25 and Medli will come when the first DLC pack comes sometime later.
- Monster Hunter Generations showed off a trailer of the westward-coming title from Japan. Lots of beasties, weapons, armor, and plenty of grunting were on display during the trailer while it was revealed that series loyalists that have Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save data on their systems will get some unspecified goodies for their familiarity. 4 Ultimate is also on sale for $19.99 for a little brand promotion before Generations releases sometime this summer.
And there’s your summary for most of the news of this Nintendo Direct. Anything in particular that you’re excited about?
