Nintendo held its first Nintendo Direct of 2014 today, offering a glimpse at the year ahead for Nintendo fans. Outside of an assortment of indie and “unique” titles, there weren’t many new releases announced for the 3DS or the struggling Wii U, but there were some updates on titles already in progress. Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights:
Bayonetta 2
The Wii U exclusive closed out today’s Nintendo Direct, giving us another look at Bayonetta’s redesign and a little more of the game’s outlandish story. No release date was given outside of a vague “2014” promise.
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One of the Wii U‘s most anticipated upcoming titles is also one of its more mysterious. It’s a game that takes place in the Xenoblade series, and features RPG gameplay mixed with giant mechs. It looks gorgeous, but Monolith Software still hasn’t given a release date. There’s no new trailer, but above is some new gameplay.
NES Remix 2
Nintendo’s mash-up of their classic NES games with new challenges and difficult minigames will be getting a sequel, coming to Wii U on April 25th.
Child of Light
One promising Wii U title is Child of Light from Ubisoft, featuring a beautiful art style and side-scrolling RPG gameplay. That’ll be available April 30th in the Nintendo eShop.
Super Smash Bros.
Little Mac of Punch-Out is joining the roster as a playable character for the first time. He’s a character many have been calling for over the past few years.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
The latest iteration in the wildly popular (and difficult) Monster Hunter series will make its way to the 3DS in North America in 2015. You’ve got a bit of a wait ahead of you.
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 for Wii U finally has a release date: May 30th. The latest trailer is both satisfying and dizzying.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YKN4NFYxA2k
The latest Kirby game is coming along nicely, and set for a May 2nd release on the Nintendo 3DS.
And finally, one of the biggest announcements was that beginning in April, GameBoy Advance games will finally come to the Nintendo 3DS. Expect titles like Yoshi’s Island, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Metroid Fusion to help launch the service.
Check out the full Nintendo Direct right here.