Wed, Jan 23, 2013 | 20:21 GMT
Wii U tastic: Virtual Console, Mario at E3, Wind Waker HD
Nintendo Direct presentations for Europe, Japan, and North America brought some interesting news on Wii U, Miiverse, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and more. Find out what happened below.
Nintendo Direct Highlights
A new 3D Mario action game and Mario Kart Wii U will be shown at E3.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U is still too early in development to discuss.
Virtual Console games are coming to Wii U with the spring update.
Bayonetta 2 development is going well – still too early to discuss it.
The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker HD is heading to Wii U in the fall.
Miiverse is getting a smartphone app.
Classic Games for 30 Cents promotion announced.
A Fire Emblem x Shin-Megami Tensei crossover game was announced. No title.
The Legend of Zelda Wii U is too early in development to discuss.
A Monolith Soft RPG is in the works for Wii U. A title was not provided.
The developers behind Kirby’s Epic Yarn are working on a title starring Yoshi.
Spring and summer updates are planned for Miiverse.
A steady stream of Nintendo games will start hitting in March continuing into summer.
Miiverse updates, smartphone app
Nintendo announced that in the spring, users will be able to browse Miiverse from their smartphones. Initially the experience will be browser-based, but Nintendo plans to create a dedicated Miiverse app in the future. The firm promised that more information will be made available as development continues.
This spring will also see an update to the system which will address functionality, and shortening the time it takes to launch software or return to the menus screen. Another major update is planned for the summer.
“The fun of video games is not only just playing games, but also sharing experiences together with people – even though they live far away, their skill levels are different or their experience does not happen at the same time,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata during the presentation regarding Miiverse.
“We want Wii U to be the system that brings everyone together.”
A new Miiverse app for Wii Fit was highlighted during the presentation, called Wii Fit U Communities. New features in the works will allow players to create user communities on Miiverse from within the game where they can discuss exercises, BMI, weight changes and other health topics with other players. Similar functionality for other games is also planned.
It was also revealed Pikmin 3 players will be able to use the GamePad to capture photos of the game and share them through Miiverse. The shots can share the same perspective as Pikmin and close-ups of landscapes and creatures can be taken.
Verified accounts will also be added to Miiverse, and users will be able to discern the accounts from regular users by the green check mark in the avatar. Verified accounts will consist of game developers, celebrities, Nintendo representatives or brands.
The verified users can also incorporate external links to blogs, posts, services, sites, or YouTube videos.
Virtual Console hits Wii U in the spring
The spring update will not only include an update to Miiverse, but Virtual Console for Wii U as well with fully customizable controls. Games that are already present on Wii will be made available, and those who already own the game on the older system, can upgrade their game for Wii U. NES and Super NES games will be included with the update, and Game Boy Advance games are to be added in the future.
Prices for NES and Super NES Virtual Console games for Wii U will be the same as they were for the Virtual Console on Wii. People who have already purchased the Wii version of a certain NES or Super NES Virtual Console game and transferred it to their Wii U console can buy the enhanced Wii U version of the same game for the reduced price of $1 for NES games and $1.50 for Super NES games.
Also announced was the Classic Games for 30 Cents promotion to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the Famicom (NES) in Japan.
Nintendo is making one NES or Super NES game available each month starting today with Balloon Fight, through July at the anniversary price of 30 cents. Each game will be available at that price for 30 days.
Games, games, games
Iwata said in the Nintendo Direct presentation that development on Platinum Games’ Bayonetta 2 is going well, but now was not the time to discuss it. However, to keep it in your mind, a sizzle video showing work-in-progress clips of the game and the team at Platinum discussing it was shown
The next Iwata Asks will feature the team discussing the development of Bayonetta 2.
Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma also popped into the session to state that development on The Legend of Zelda Wii U is in progress, but it will be a while before the team can show it let alone discuss it. However, to make the wait a little less arduous, an HD version of Wind Waker will be released in the fall.
A new Super Mario title is also in the works from the team that created the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii and Super Mario 3D Land for Nintendo 3DS. The new 3D Mario action game for Wii U will be playable at E3.
Mario Kart Wii U will also be playable at E3, and Iwata said a new Super Smash Bros. installment is in the works, but it needs more development time before details can be revealed or it can be shown.
Nintendo is also collaborating with Atlus on a Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei franchise crossover for Wii U , and a video for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
Monolith Soft is also working on a new RPG, and other than a very short sizzle reel, not much was shown or revealed regarding it – not even a title.
Yarn Yoshi is in the works from the team that created Kirby’s Epic Yarn. It will be the first title since 1998’s Yoshi’s Story for Nintendo 64 to star the little guy, and Takashi Tezuka, director of Yoshi’s Island and Yoshi’s Story, is supervising the development.
A new installment in the Wii Party franchise is planned to launch this summer, and it features various play styles, including one that lets both players compete head-to-head using just the GamePad.
Iwata also shared a new video for The Wonderful 101, which along with Game & Wario are scheduled to launch in the first half of 2013.
Nintendo doesn’t have any titles to release this month or in February, but said a “steady stream” of games will be released from the firm starting in March and continuing through the summer.
You can watch the Nintendo Direct session below, along with videos for Bayonetta 2, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, the new Monolith Soft title, the Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei crossover title, and one for The Wonderful 101.
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Posted in: Europe, Nintendo, Videos, Virtual Console, Wii U
Tags: gamecube, Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata, Virtual Console
97 comments
Newer Comments
#1
Telepathic.Geometry
23/01/13, 1:55 pm
Yay. I’m actually interested in this…
#2
Moonwalker1982
23/01/13, 2:04 pm
Gonna say it now..nothing incredibly interesting will happen here. Wait for E3.
#3
Fin
23/01/13, 2:05 pm
The way it started, I thought it was going to be a web interface to Miiverse.
Nope.
#4
KrazyKraut
23/01/13, 2:05 pm
thx for this post…sitting at work and have no flash plug in the linux system.
#5
friendlydave
23/01/13, 2:17 pm
@3 Miiverse on smart phones.
#6
DrDamn
23/01/13, 2:24 pm
“upgrade the game if you already own it for $1″
What does that mean? A game you already bought on Wii VC can be transferred to WiiU for $1? Bit cheeky.
#7
friendlydave
23/01/13, 2:30 pm
Shin megami tensei meets Fire emblem!
And Yoshi epic yarn.
Looks like I’m buying a WiiU
#8
DrDamn
23/01/13, 2:33 pm
Two OS updates Spring and Summer to address UI speed.
#9
friendlydave
23/01/13, 2:34 pm
looks like a Wind Waker HD Remake by fall too.
#10
maxroy
23/01/13, 2:34 pm
WIND WAKER HD!
#11
Fin
23/01/13, 2:34 pm
“We’re working on new versions of our franchises, but aren’t going to show anything”
also
“Even if you’ve already bought VC games, we’re going charge you again”
#12
OlderGamer
23/01/13, 2:34 pm
I don’t know what it means Doc, but all of my Wii VC games are playable on the WiiU. It might mean full GamePad support, HD graphics, I have no idea. But I played a couple VC games on my WiiU a couple days ago.
Continuence of digital purchase is going to be a huge issue for me. Imagine losing all of your PSN/XBL purchases when they decide to put out new systems.
Again for clearity, you can transfer(free of charge) your Wii/VC purchases from Wii to WiiU. WiiWare works too, as I have Swords and Soliders and Aliens Crush and Onslought.
#13
Moonwalker1982
23/01/13, 2:36 pm
So Mario 3D, Mario Kart and a Yoshi’s epic yarn game. It’s awesome for the fans, but let’s be honest. A new Mario and Mario Kart is always a given.
#14
DrDamn
23/01/13, 2:37 pm
@OG
Ah are they playable currently through the regular Wii emulation?
#15
OlderGamer
23/01/13, 2:39 pm
Yeah, and maybe that is what they mean by upgrade. I don’t like the Wii emulater myself. But have no idea.
#16
DrDamn
23/01/13, 2:40 pm
@13
I prefer they put some effort into something new before another Mario Kart. There is only so many more places they can go with that. Mario 3D game, fine lots of room for something different there. Was not a big fan of Wii Mario Kart mind, thought the balance was awful.
#17
Stephany Nunneley
23/01/13, 2:40 pm
If I heard Iwata’s accent properly, if you already own the VC title, they will charge you $1 for the graphical upgrade. If you don’t already own it, it will run you the same price as the Wii version.
So basically $1 for more pretty.
Anyway – I am going to transfer all the information I tweeted out into the post. I’ll mention it’s completion in the comments section once I am finished.
#18
bitsnark
23/01/13, 2:41 pm
NEW MONOLITH SOFT RPG.
:O
#19
Moonwalker1982
23/01/13, 2:42 pm
@16
Exactly man. I agree with that. I LOVED Mario Kart 64 but after that, it went downhill IMO. I really miss the sense of speed in the MK games.
#20
OlderGamer
23/01/13, 2:48 pm
Ok Steph, thnx. For some games a buck might be worth spending.
#21
KrazyKraut
23/01/13, 2:56 pm
awesome update and news.
#22
killersense
23/01/13, 2:59 pm
even though a lot of the stuff shown is a ways off they did announce a lot. i might be very tempted for that smt x fireemblem. they really pleased the nintendo fans with this direct. hope they have stuff to release before the fall. they did say playable mario and mario kart at e3 so that might be coming fall with a price cut just like 3ds and zelda hd is targetted for fall as well but i doubt that will make it.
they probably announced all this stuff for the next two years to please the investors but hey there is promise.
#23
DrDamn
23/01/13, 2:59 pm
@12
“Continuence of digital purchase is going to be a huge issue for me. Imagine losing all of your PSN/XBL purchases when they decide to put out new systems.”
It will depend on Backwards Compatibility issues for next gen. Sony have a good track record for digital purchases if there is compatibility. Digital titles I bought on my PSP I have downloaded at no cost to my Vita. PSOne titles I bought on my PS3 I have also downloaded at no cost to my Vita too – they play on both systems.
#24
theevilaires
23/01/13, 3:04 pm
I always wanted to go back and play Wind Waker. Its one of the best games released last gen. This can’t come out any sooner.
#25
mistermogul
23/01/13, 3:05 pm
That was the best ND so far.
Wonderful 101, the new Monolith RPG, Yoshi and Wind Waker look superb.
Shame they showed no footage of Mario Universe (or whatever it’ll be called) or Mario Kart 8 though…
#26
daytripper
23/01/13, 3:10 pm
Monolith RPG looks brilliant woah !!!
#27
Clupula
23/01/13, 3:13 pm
I looked at this and was all, BORING, BORING, CRAP, BORING…OH! A Megaten title! Even if it is crossed over with Fire Emblem, which I’ve never played, a new Shin Megami Tensei title gets my attention.
So, we are now at three exclusive games for the Wii U that I definitely want. 17 to go before I buy the system.
#28
lexph3re
23/01/13, 3:17 pm
I’m finishing up the stream 15minutes left. So far I am pushing back my purchase of Wii U till after E3 announcements.
#29
Stephany Nunneley
23/01/13, 3:21 pm
OK. It’s updated with everything I could pull, and the sizzle videos are all in there as well.
#30
alimokrane
23/01/13, 3:21 pm
The only thing worthy in here is Wind Waker HD, the rest is poo!
#31
Deacon
23/01/13, 3:30 pm
Oh Nintendo…
you had my curiosity, now you have my attention.
#32
Stephany Nunneley
23/01/13, 3:36 pm
Once again, Nintendo is forcing my hand. Sort of. I mean, I don’t have a 3DS but I need one for the Layton games, and I am torn over the Wind Waker HD. My GameCube still works like a charm, as does the game, but I would love to play it properly on my 52 inch LED. So I guess I will have to break down and get one. Damn it. :p
#33
monkeygourmet
23/01/13, 3:36 pm
New monolith RPG looks amazing. Looks like its beaten FF Versusto the punch.
Very happy with my Wii U, awesome console
#34
OlderGamer
23/01/13, 3:40 pm
Me too MG. Haters can hate, I really enjoy the stupid thing lol.
#35
Clupula
23/01/13, 3:41 pm
Nintendo got my attention today, but they’ve got a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong way to getting my money.
#36
mistermogul
23/01/13, 3:43 pm
Shin megami tensei v’s Fire emblem is a must buy for me. Damn where can I preorder this baby?!
#37
mistermogul
23/01/13, 3:45 pm
“Very happy with my Wii U, awesome console”
Me too buddy!
“Haters can hate”
I just don’t get it. These muppets are gonna miss out on some superb games just because they are retarded! lol
#38
Clupula
23/01/13, 3:51 pm
Three games does not justify a $350 purchase.
Another 17 and I’ll be on board.
#39
Gheritt White
23/01/13, 3:55 pm
LOOK AT THOSE GRAPHICS!
#40
mistermogul
23/01/13, 3:57 pm
Cool to hear the Wii U VC has customisable controls and 2 Gamepad support…
#41
lexph3re
23/01/13, 3:58 pm
So wait. We’re haters because we’re not fully ass blown by games with un-confirmed release dates?
Monolith beats FFvs to the punch with an no named game? Right, So much hater raid going on in these corners.
While you guys are sitting there waiting for your games with the little device you love. I will maintain my holding off of purchasing said device until it has substantial output for me
#42
Stephany Nunneley
23/01/13, 4:00 pm
The video clip featuring Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma discussing The Legend of Zelda Wii U development and Wind Waker has been added.
#43
Deacon
23/01/13, 4:05 pm
Oh yeah, not gonna get on board just yet, but my tail is ever so gently swaying.
#44
mistermogul
23/01/13, 4:05 pm
@42 – Looks like the stress of developing Zelda after Zelda has taken a toll on his hair. Looking rather grey!
#45
Dragon246
23/01/13, 4:09 pm
@Lex
They have really lost it now.
“OG-Lots of Sony fans like to praise how good the Sony exclusives are, yet not one single PS3 exclusive is on that list. Go figure.”
http://www.vg247.com/2013/01/23/fifa-13-was-best-selling-ps3-retail-game-of-2012/
The troika has really their rants to an all new level.
On topic, Monolith game looks good and smt is a blast, lets see how they pan out.
#46
lexph3re
23/01/13, 4:14 pm
I know Dragon as much as they like to act like others are fanboys. It never fails for them to be the first to fire off in a crowd with crazy banter.
#47
DeVitowned
23/01/13, 4:16 pm
Hey, is that new Monolith Soft game an MMORPG? I noticed a chat box, system log and people independent of parties fighting big mobs in the distance.
#48
Clupula
23/01/13, 4:21 pm
@45 – You know he never passes a chance to 1) take a dig at Sony and 2) dismiss anything positive ever said about them.
Meanwhile, I was being called a Sony fanboy in the same thread where I said that I wouldn’t buy Sony’s new system if it doesn’t have the controller I want. I would think if I were a Sony fanboy, I’d swallow whatever they gave me, the way a lot of the NDF do here, but nope, apparently, huge raging fanboy.
#49
Dragon246
23/01/13, 4:22 pm
@lex
And when MG pointed that he expecting your comment in the forum, the same words would have come out for me or any other poster too.
@clupula
See more proof at that vita magazine article. Unfortunately for them, I have pretty good memory
#50
Christopher Jack
23/01/13, 4:29 pm
I would have considered the Wii U if it presented a graphical leap over this gen. At this point I don’t think there are any potential games or feature that can change my mind.
I was going to buy the original Wii ’til I played it at a mates place & saw how little it improved over the previous gen. I know graphics aren’t everything but its limited power prevented many blockbuster games from launching on it & those that did were heavily neutered.I predict the exact same thing will happen all over again
The Wii U maybe great as a secondary console, for the children & for its quality exclusives but I don’t see its value if, like me, you don’t appreciate the exclusives when there will be two similarly priced competitors that will offer much better looking & performing multiplatform games.
To put it simply, I don’t think it’ll be the go to console for your future FIFA & CoD purchases.
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