Nintendo today used its Direct broadcast to detail various new games and features coming to both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles later this year.
All eyes were once again on the Japanese publisher, as it made an effort to get consumers excited about its hardware through an injection of new game announcements, including a new The Legend of Zelda game for Nintendo 3DS.
Earlier this year, Kyoto-based Nintendo said overseas sales for the 3DS were falling short of expectations. CEO Satoru Iwata admitted the 3DS' software lineup was lacking the kind of diversity it needs to attract a global audience. As of January, Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL global hardware shipments stood at 29.84 million units, with software shipments of 84.99 million.
The as-of-yet unnamed Zelda title, coming holiday 2013, is a sequel to the iconic A Link to the Past, and is set in the world as the original 1991 SNES release. The gameplay focuses around making use of the new 3D perspective, and will allow players to convert Link into a flat drawing and traverse the walls.
This new Zelda game joins the two that are also planned for the coming years -- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and another as-of-yet unnamed title, both for Wii U.
There were other big announcements from the company too. A new title in the Yoshi's Island is coming to the Nintendo 3DS, while the next in the Mario Party franchise was also revealed, again for 3DS.
Nintendo touted plenty of other upcoming titles for the handheld as part of the broadcast too, including Shin Megami Tensei IV, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, Bravely Default and Mario Golf: World Tour.
Wii U bound
Although the Wii U didn't receive as many notable announcements in comparison, it still had a few tricks up its sleeve.
Nintendo says it will release an update for the console next week that will reduce the system's loading times, and add features such as the ability to switch straight to the Nintendo Wii menu, and allow for system updates without switching the console on.
The previously promised Virtual Console feature will also be made available as part of next week's update.
And the original Earthbound will be released via the Virtual Console at some point. Notably this will be the first time that the classic SNES game is released in Europe officially.
@ Phil M - Personally, I don't mind getting this particular Zelda game for the 3DS, but having said that, it is not impossible for this game to be ported onto the Wii U, either, as the Wii U does practically transform the TV into a giant DS. The only thing that the 3DS Zelda game wouldn't have if ported onto the Wii U is the 3-D function, which may not be a big deal to some people.
@ Ujn Hunter - I thought about the whole thing with the 3D television, but unlike the 3DS and the last time I checked, a 3D TV would need 3D glasses. Granted, that may change as time goes by (if it hadn't already), but even so, not too many people will have 3D TV just yet. There are people that are starting to adopt to HD TV, so I don't think that we would see a 3-D Zelda game for the Wii U anytime soon even if Nintendo decides to port the 3DS Zelda game onto the Wii U.
I have said it time and time again. I would not mind if Nintendo made another top down Zelda for home consoles. This Zelda comes close, but I believe Zelda should get the same treatment as Mario has when it comes to this. I know Nintendo of Japan loves their 3D Zeldas because they are masterpiece showcases, but 2D Zelda is just as loved too.
Don't care for Zelda... no, seriously. The series never held much appeal to me on its own, despite being generally positive about nintendo stuff. That's usually because there were usually enough really good third-party stuff that it didn't really matter if I wasn't big on the Marquis first-party Nintendo games.
That said, the 3DS has been an overall letdown. To date, the only game I really own for the 3DS platform is Paper Mario: Sticker star. most everything else are VC titles I received as part of the Ambassador program, because the 3DS seemed to finally fix the hinge issue the DS lites were plagued with. It doesn't help that the stock battery is embarrassingly awful, pretty much requiring purchasing an extended battery to keep it going for even as long as the DS lite and DSi would last.
I can't even bring myself to play any of the NSMB games because Nintendo clearly has no interest in trying to make any of them unique to another. Even the original SMB franchise had a very unique soundtrack to each game, helping them differentiate in a very audible way, along with the different mechanics Nintendo explored. So by now, the "new" in New Super Mario Bros. has become quite the misnomer. We already know they're rehashing many of the same powerups, but the thing that sticks out most for me is how the soundtrack for four games now has remained unchanged, which just seems to make the similarities stick out even worse.
About the only positive I can take away from this is the fact that they're FINALLY releasing Earthbound for virtual console. I could never afford to get a copy legitimately back then, and while it was a clever move bundling the strategy guide with every copy of the game, the markup for doing so elicited the kind of sticker shock we haven't seen since the Neo Geo AES and the $200 asking price for that one mech game on the Xbox that came with the over-sized controller.
3DS for me is absolutely the best console I'm playing today.
Fire Emblem is a top tier game that is simply wonderful. Luigi's Mansion is also a great title. I love the Layton series and am 13 hours in the latest with my wife (we always play those titles together).
Add to that a lot of great downloads such as Pushmo + Crashmo, quirky stuff like Crimson Shroud + Liberation Maiden, AAA titles like Mario 3D Land + Mario Kart, multiplayer bliss with Monster Hunter and a host of cool RPGs from Atlus such as Etrian Odyssey 4, and of course a line-up of upcoming games including the next Pokemon, a new Zelda, a new Mario+Luigi game, Bravely Flying Default, and my favorite: a new Rune Factory, and I really walk away in bliss.
...and the thing is, there are a TON of great titles that I didn't mention b/c they don't appeal to me.
I really think the 3DS is absolutely killing it on the software front at the moment. I didn't pick up NSMB2 b/c it looked like more of the same to me too, but that's hardly the game to hang your hat on for the system. There are a LOT of GREAT titles out there and more coming. The best line-up of mobile games today, in my opinion, is found on the 3DS. If you're not checking out the great games the 3DS has to offer (like Fire Emblem!) you really should!
None of the Fire Emblem games have done anything for me. None. Tried the original on GBA, DS, and the demo here on 3DS, and it just has no appeal for me... at all.
I didn't much care for Luigi's mansion on GameCube, so I have little to no incentive to pick it up for 3DS.
Only other game I would pick up for 3DS at this point in time is Rhythm Thief, but finding a copy of that is next to impossible, new or used. I would consider MGS3D, Kingdom Hearts or RE: Revelations, but since NyKo abandoned their combination Circle Pad Pro + battery, I can't bring myself to touch any of the games that use a Circle Pad Pro because I refuse to be forced to choose between battery life and controls.
Part of me is still upset that we'll never get Saint's Row like we were promised... it was MY REASON to buy a 3DS in the first place. Then Mega Man Legends 3 gets cancelled. At this point the only upcoming titles I'm really looking forward to made FOR 3DS is the promised Smash Bros. and now that I'm aware of it, the new Mario & Luigi.
I have mixed feelings on Rhythm Thief. Playing it mostly makes me want to go and play more Rhythm Heaven or Professor Layton. If you are in SoCal I'd be happy to sell you my used copy.
I also didn't get into Luigi's Mansion on the GCN, but I only tried it for about 15 minutes before bailing on it. Don't know if the 3DS version is different gameplay wise or my tastes have just changed, but I am really enjoying the 3DS version!
Did you try Kid Icarus? I loved the dialog + air portion of the game, but the ground portion of the game didn't work for me personally.
My personal favorite game on the 3DS is also on the PSP, Crush 3D. I love puzzling platform games that make me think so Pushmo & Crush 3D both get very high marks from me :).
I went through about 8 DS lites because of either the hinges breaking or the shoulder buttons refusing to respond after a few short months of use. And with my one and only attempt at a DSi leading to one that was extremely crash-happy, I was pretty much stuck until Nintendo released the 3DS... which finally addressed both of those problems, only to trade it for a laughably bad battery life, especially when doing anything with the 3D effect enabled. it is a cool effect, but even with my extended battery install and brightness set on the lowest (power saving mode enabled, for good measure), I still get horrendously bad battery life when playing Paper Mario.
Any demo out there for a 'core' game I pretty much tried already. But pretty much I refuse to buy any of the Circle Pad Pro supporting games until either NyKo releases their Power Pad Pro setup for the 3DS or I can find the tools and time to modify a stock Circle Pad Pro to make room for the extended battery. Some of the especially stupid ways I was discovered and tripped the alert on the MGS 3D demo alone were enough to have me give up on any game that used it until I could get one. Even Yahtzee's review of Kid Icarus was enough to convince me not to touch it until I had the right controls for the game.
I still find myself pining for Saint's Row... or Mega Man legends 3... despite the fact that I know they'll never happen now.
Saint's Row? I don't get why you'd be pining for that game, I've always found them kind of lame.
For me, right now the 3DS has all of the best games! Bravely Default, Code of Princess, Kid Icarus, Virtue's Last Reward, Theatryhthm... and most of the games I'm really looking forward to as well, like Ace Attourney 5 and Shin Megami Tensei 4.
You're welcome to your own tastes, but for me I've found the 3DS to be a lifesaver, this generation! If it weren't for Dark Souls 2, there'd be nothing for me to look forward to on the consoles.
The reason I was looking forward to Saint's Row on 3DS is because I fell in love with the franchise after being disappointed with Grand Theft Auto 4... namely, one holiday I decided to give a couple of games a rent (Pure, and SR2). Pure was not bad, and had a lot of things going for it. But soon as I started playing Saint's Row 2 and getting a taste for the sheer wackiness of what you're able to get away with (and scored on!), I would soon turn around and buy the Collector's Edition. #3 wasn't so much a decision of whether I'd preorder it, as it was whom would grant the best reward for doing so.. which ended up being THQ directly to get the Season Pass for free. At this point, the only thing(s) I'm really missing are going through it on co-op for SR3, and all I could want from it is "more!"
If I come off like I'm complaining, it's because I want Nintendo (and its third parties) to be doing better, and because many of the cancellations were games I pretty much had listed off as day-one purchases had they been completed to release (in this case, Saint's Row and Mega Man Legends 3). Saint's Row was pretty much the 'kicker' to get me to upgrade to a 3DS in the first place.
Okay, I'll admit, I'm excited. The original Zelda:Link to the Past was definitely a favorite of mine as well. I know my son has his 3DS but this might force me to buy my own. LOL!
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Wii U forced me to by a 3DS because of the data transfer off play mechanic, and now it seems that the I bought one just at the right moment with all of these games coming. Top down Zelda = buy first day for me. Been wanting a new top down Zelda for a long time. Hopefully the sequel can surpass the original.
More complete summary here http://www.penny-arcade.com/report/article/zelda-link-to-the-past-gets-sequel-ea rthbound-us-bound-more-big-name-sequel
For me, the bigger 3DS game announcement was Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Day 1 purchase right there :)
Also interesting, RE: Wii U update: "First and foremost, the update will decrease the time it takes to switch from software to the Wii U menu and other apps. Second, it will allow users to copy data from one USB drive to another. While both of these are nice, it's the way Nintendo has changed its software updating that's really exciting.
After the update next week, the Wii U will be able to install software even while you're playing another game, and it will be able to download and install system updates, even while powered off. "
The M&L announcement took me off guard, mostly because all any articles seem to be talking about with regards to their video is - of course - zelda, completely ignoring most everything else.
actually, the reason that most articles are focusing on the new Zelda game, rather than on the Mario and Luigi game, is because the former is new, while the latter is not. Mario and Luigi: Dream Team was announced back in February, hence why I don't mention it in this article: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/186686/Nintendo_shows_its_2013_hand_Lo ts_of_n ew_3DS_games.php
This Nintendo Direct was just giving extra details on how it plays, which obviously isn't what Gamasutra focuses on. You'll find that the games I mention in this article are the new ones, while anything I have omitted has been announced previously.
Thanks for clarifying. Even so, I had to find another article that broke down the Nintendo Direct video to even find out the news on the new M&L or Earthbound finally coming out to Virtual Console. What articles out there even talk about the ND video all of course only focus on the new Zelda, though. I get it's a huge franchise with an equally large fanbase, but it's one I can do without. ;)
"As of January, Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL global hardware shipments stood at 12.71 million units, with software shipments of 39.56 million."
I doubt that this number is correct, japanese sales of the 3DS have already passed 11 million units, it seems unlikely, that global sales outside japan of the 3DS XL and 3DS were 1.5 million.
EDIT: The correct number is 29.84 million hardware and 84.99 million software units as of December 31 2012.
Source:http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e12 1 2.pdf
I adored the DS but I refuse to buy a 3DS until they add the second stick as a part of the base unit- not as some Quasimodo hump off the side. I'm perfectly willing to skip this generation if they don't add it. And before someone says "But they can't do that or it would fragment the user base!"- no it wouldn't. Nintendo certifies every game on the system and they can simply require that no game can require the use of the second stick- which is exactly what they do right now for games that make use of the add-on. The 3DSXL would be a perfect handheld for me- if it had that second stick in that big, empty spot on the lower right corner. As an additional benefit, lefties could finally be given some love.
@Joseph Anthony B. A. Tanimowo-Reyes - You're obviously right handed. I too will not buy a 3DS unless they make a symmetrical system with dual nubs. The DS handled games for Lefties because it was symmetrical and allowed the ABXY buttons to be used in place of a D-Pad for Lefties. Thank goodness they didn't botch the Wii U Gamepad the same way they botched the 3DS.
Leftie here, no problems with the 3DS, quite the contrary.
I never understood, why right handed people aren't complaining about Nintendo's invention of the Gamepad, it clearly favours left handed people. Before the Gamepad, there was the Joystick and all the fine movements of the stick where done with the right hand (in the arcades the buttons where sometimes left and right of the stick, but on the VCS for example steering was done with the right hand and pressing the button with the left thumb). Then Nintendo invented the Gamepad and suddenly all steering had to be done with the left thumb, must have been terrible for all right handed players back then.
@Christian Keichel - You do realize that Hand & Thumb movement is different yes? Pressing buttons with your thumbs doesn't quite matter so much which hand is pressing the button... the movement is minimal. Holding a pen/remote in your off Hand is much different than pressing a button regardless of what hand is doing the pressing. Go throw a football with your off Hand. Doesn't feel that great does it? The Wii & 3DS are designed poorly for Left Handed people. I'm glad you're able to overcome the awkwardness and enjoy your 3DS. Not all of us Lefties are that lucky. Games become a chore and aren't fun at all.
I realize I'm being a Nintendo troll here and taking in a little too much Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw mentality, but actually I've loved Nintendo games since they've come out. Ever since Super Mario 64 every 3D mario game is "120 Star Hunt". But I can't really blame Nintendo for releasing almost exactly the same game every year. It's what the people want. They tried a different direction with Metroid Other M and people hated it, so I guess it's our fault. When they do make a new IP and it's good (which Pikmin is really the only good one I can think of from the past 10 years) it's amazing. I am happy the Wii-U is doing terrible though. I think it's humorous for some reason. So I'll have to do without Pikmin 3 I assume.
Anyway, a lot my favorite games are for the Super Nintendo. Chrono Trigger, Any MegaMan X before 5 kinda took it off the deep end, and Secret of Mana & Evermore. I'm more into online games now because I don't really have time or money for console stuff but my recent favs are obscure PS2 titles like Dual Hearts and Ephemeral Fantasia.
@Jeferson Soler - I don't see why they couldn't add 3D support for 3D TV's if they really wanted to?
That said, the 3DS has been an overall letdown. To date, the only game I really own for the 3DS platform is Paper Mario: Sticker star. most everything else are VC titles I received as part of the Ambassador program, because the 3DS seemed to finally fix the hinge issue the DS lites were plagued with. It doesn't help that the stock battery is embarrassingly awful, pretty much requiring purchasing an extended battery to keep it going for even as long as the DS lite and DSi would last.
I can't even bring myself to play any of the NSMB games because Nintendo clearly has no interest in trying to make any of them unique to another. Even the original SMB franchise had a very unique soundtrack to each game, helping them differentiate in a very audible way, along with the different mechanics Nintendo explored. So by now, the "new" in New Super Mario Bros. has become quite the misnomer. We already know they're rehashing many of the same powerups, but the thing that sticks out most for me is how the soundtrack for four games now has remained unchanged, which just seems to make the similarities stick out even worse.
About the only positive I can take away from this is the fact that they're FINALLY releasing Earthbound for virtual console. I could never afford to get a copy legitimately back then, and while it was a clever move bundling the strategy guide with every copy of the game, the markup for doing so elicited the kind of sticker shock we haven't seen since the Neo Geo AES and the $200 asking price for that one mech game on the Xbox that came with the over-sized controller.
Fire Emblem is a top tier game that is simply wonderful. Luigi's Mansion is also a great title. I love the Layton series and am 13 hours in the latest with my wife (we always play those titles together).
Add to that a lot of great downloads such as Pushmo + Crashmo, quirky stuff like Crimson Shroud + Liberation Maiden, AAA titles like Mario 3D Land + Mario Kart, multiplayer bliss with Monster Hunter and a host of cool RPGs from Atlus such as Etrian Odyssey 4, and of course a line-up of upcoming games including the next Pokemon, a new Zelda, a new Mario+Luigi game, Bravely Flying Default, and my favorite: a new Rune Factory, and I really walk away in bliss.
...and the thing is, there are a TON of great titles that I didn't mention b/c they don't appeal to me.
I really think the 3DS is absolutely killing it on the software front at the moment. I didn't pick up NSMB2 b/c it looked like more of the same to me too, but that's hardly the game to hang your hat on for the system. There are a LOT of GREAT titles out there and more coming. The best line-up of mobile games today, in my opinion, is found on the 3DS. If you're not checking out the great games the 3DS has to offer (like Fire Emblem!) you really should!
None of the Fire Emblem games have done anything for me. None. Tried the original on GBA, DS, and the demo here on 3DS, and it just has no appeal for me... at all.
I didn't much care for Luigi's mansion on GameCube, so I have little to no incentive to pick it up for 3DS.
Only other game I would pick up for 3DS at this point in time is Rhythm Thief, but finding a copy of that is next to impossible, new or used. I would consider MGS3D, Kingdom Hearts or RE: Revelations, but since NyKo abandoned their combination Circle Pad Pro + battery, I can't bring myself to touch any of the games that use a Circle Pad Pro because I refuse to be forced to choose between battery life and controls.
Part of me is still upset that we'll never get Saint's Row like we were promised... it was MY REASON to buy a 3DS in the first place. Then Mega Man Legends 3 gets cancelled. At this point the only upcoming titles I'm really looking forward to made FOR 3DS is the promised Smash Bros. and now that I'm aware of it, the new Mario & Luigi.
I also didn't get into Luigi's Mansion on the GCN, but I only tried it for about 15 minutes before bailing on it. Don't know if the 3DS version is different gameplay wise or my tastes have just changed, but I am really enjoying the 3DS version!
Did you try Kid Icarus? I loved the dialog + air portion of the game, but the ground portion of the game didn't work for me personally.
My personal favorite game on the 3DS is also on the PSP, Crush 3D. I love puzzling platform games that make me think so Pushmo & Crush 3D both get very high marks from me :).
Sold my 3ds Xl Ambassador for $330ish.
Or are you one of those huge fans that constantly complains?
I went through about 8 DS lites because of either the hinges breaking or the shoulder buttons refusing to respond after a few short months of use. And with my one and only attempt at a DSi leading to one that was extremely crash-happy, I was pretty much stuck until Nintendo released the 3DS... which finally addressed both of those problems, only to trade it for a laughably bad battery life, especially when doing anything with the 3D effect enabled. it is a cool effect, but even with my extended battery install and brightness set on the lowest (power saving mode enabled, for good measure), I still get horrendously bad battery life when playing Paper Mario.
Any demo out there for a 'core' game I pretty much tried already. But pretty much I refuse to buy any of the Circle Pad Pro supporting games until either NyKo releases their Power Pad Pro setup for the 3DS or I can find the tools and time to modify a stock Circle Pad Pro to make room for the extended battery. Some of the especially stupid ways I was discovered and tripped the alert on the MGS 3D demo alone were enough to have me give up on any game that used it until I could get one. Even Yahtzee's review of Kid Icarus was enough to convince me not to touch it until I had the right controls for the game.
I still find myself pining for Saint's Row... or Mega Man legends 3... despite the fact that I know they'll never happen now.
OK I guess you are one of those fans who shows their love by complaining about everything. ;)
For me, right now the 3DS has all of the best games! Bravely Default, Code of Princess, Kid Icarus, Virtue's Last Reward, Theatryhthm... and most of the games I'm really looking forward to as well, like Ace Attourney 5 and Shin Megami Tensei 4.
You're welcome to your own tastes, but for me I've found the 3DS to be a lifesaver, this generation! If it weren't for Dark Souls 2, there'd be nothing for me to look forward to on the consoles.
The reason I was looking forward to Saint's Row on 3DS is because I fell in love with the franchise after being disappointed with Grand Theft Auto 4... namely, one holiday I decided to give a couple of games a rent (Pure, and SR2). Pure was not bad, and had a lot of things going for it. But soon as I started playing Saint's Row 2 and getting a taste for the sheer wackiness of what you're able to get away with (and scored on!), I would soon turn around and buy the Collector's Edition. #3 wasn't so much a decision of whether I'd preorder it, as it was whom would grant the best reward for doing so.. which ended up being THQ directly to get the Season Pass for free. At this point, the only thing(s) I'm really missing are going through it on co-op for SR3, and all I could want from it is "more!"
If I come off like I'm complaining, it's because I want Nintendo (and its third parties) to be doing better, and because many of the cancellations were games I pretty much had listed off as day-one purchases had they been completed to release (in this case, Saint's Row and Mega Man Legends 3). Saint's Row was pretty much the 'kicker' to get me to upgrade to a 3DS in the first place.
rthbound-us-bound-more-big-name-sequel
For me, the bigger 3DS game announcement was Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Day 1 purchase right there :)
Also interesting, RE: Wii U update: "First and foremost, the update will decrease the time it takes to switch from software to the Wii U menu and other apps. Second, it will allow users to copy data from one USB drive to another. While both of these are nice, it's the way Nintendo has changed its software updating that's really exciting.
After the update next week, the Wii U will be able to install software even while you're playing another game, and it will be able to download and install system updates, even while powered off. "
actually, the reason that most articles are focusing on the new Zelda game, rather than on the Mario and Luigi game, is because the former is new, while the latter is not. Mario and Luigi: Dream Team was announced back in February, hence why I don't mention it in this article: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/186686/Nintendo_shows_its_2013_hand_Lo ts_of_n
ew_3DS_games.php
This Nintendo Direct was just giving extra details on how it plays, which obviously isn't what Gamasutra focuses on. You'll find that the games I mention in this article are the new ones, while anything I have omitted has been announced previously.
Cheers
Mike
Thanks for clarifying. Even so, I had to find another article that broke down the Nintendo Direct video to even find out the news on the new M&L or Earthbound finally coming out to Virtual Console. What articles out there even talk about the ND video all of course only focus on the new Zelda, though. I get it's a huge franchise with an equally large fanbase, but it's one I can do without. ;)
I owned LttP on my SNES, and never got that far into it -- even though it's an awesome game.
It took me several more attempts to complete it, the SNES, Mac ***, GBA, and then the DS with its backlight.
Maybe this game will end up on the Wii-U? Nintendo could even offer a 3DS player with support for some games.
I doubt that this number is correct, japanese sales of the 3DS have already passed 11 million units, it seems unlikely, that global sales outside japan of the 3DS XL and 3DS were 1.5 million.
EDIT: The correct number is 29.84 million hardware and 84.99 million software units as of December 31 2012.
Source:http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e12 1
2.pdf
I never understood, why right handed people aren't complaining about Nintendo's invention of the Gamepad, it clearly favours left handed people. Before the Gamepad, there was the Joystick and all the fine movements of the stick where done with the right hand (in the arcades the buttons where sometimes left and right of the stick, but on the VCS for example steering was done with the right hand and pressing the button with the left thumb). Then Nintendo invented the Gamepad and suddenly all steering had to be done with the left thumb, must have been terrible for all right handed players back then.
What are your favorite games?
Anyway, a lot my favorite games are for the Super Nintendo. Chrono Trigger, Any MegaMan X before 5 kinda took it off the deep end, and Secret of Mana & Evermore. I'm more into online games now because I don't really have time or money for console stuff but my recent favs are obscure PS2 titles like Dual Hearts and Ephemeral Fantasia.