Instead of a typical press conference, Nintendo tried something a little different with its Nintendo Direct. The focus was on Wii U software, with some announcements and a few nice surprises.
Super Smash Bros.: Probably the most anticipated reveal at Nintendo’s event was for a new game in the Super Smash Bros. series, and the company delivered (complete with some surprises). The video showed off a slew of returning characters, including Mario, Link, Kirby and Pikachu. The two new combatants introduced are Villager, the playable character from Animal Crossing, and Capcom’s Mega Man.
Super Mario 3D World: The new 3D Mario title from Nintendo is Super Mario 3D World, following in the footsteps of the well-regarded Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. It features four player co-op, a first for the 3D Mario games, including a playable Princess Peach.
Mario Kart 8: One of Nintendo’s most popular franchises is Mario Kart, so it’s no surprise that with a new Nintendo system comes a new game in that series. Mario Kart 8 implements anti-gravity tracks, and will be out in early 2014.
Donkey Kong Country: After the huge success that was Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro is back with a new game in the series. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looked similar to the previous title, but the gameplay video demonstrated Dixie Kong’s return to the series and a new, dynamic camera.
Bayonetta 2: The first gameplay trailer for the Wii U exclusive Bayonetta 2 showcased the fast and fluid combat from the original, looking just as sharp as ever. Not much else was discussed, but the game will be released in 2014.
X: The next project from Monolith Soft, the creators of Xenoblade Chronicles, was once again shown and confirmed for a North American release. X seems to be an open-world RPG complete with mech suits and large areas full of monsters to fight. While its connection to Xenoblade is still unannounced, it seems to be very similar to the popular Wii title.
Other games: Also shown were new gameplay videos for Pokemon X and Pokemon Y, Wii Party U, Wind Waker HD and The Wonderful 101. Outside of the Direct stream, the company released new 3DS trailers, including The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Yoshi’s New Island and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
