With the PS4 / Xbox One Clash of the Titans looming, Nintendo keeps chugging along. Its Wii U is down, but certainly not out, and its 3DS handheld continues to rake in strong sales. With an eye toward the holiday sales rush, Nintendo dropped its latest Nintendo Direct Presentation. Here’s a roundup of what Reggie and Co. are cooking up!
The big news from the session is a system update coming to the handheld which will see the release of Miiverse on the 3DS and the ability to combine Nintendo eShop balances on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Wii U Network IDs will be coming to the 3DS and will be required in order to combine the eShop balances. 3DS owners who don’t wish to use a Network ID can still download software from the eShop without being forced to use one. Even 3DS users who don’t own a Wii U can create new Network IDs, probably a move toward a more unified ID system for the future of Nintendo gaming.
Both the Wii U and 3DS are getting updates to their Youtube apps too. Nintendo 3DS owners with a broadband Internet connection will be able to watch all their favorite YouTube content on the go, browsing on the bottom screen while viewing on the top screen. The Wii U Youtube app will function in a similar way, using the Wii U’s tablet controller for navigation.
As far as the games:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Super Mario 3D World, and Mario Party: Island Tour will each launch on the eShop and in retail on November.
Nintendo showed off a bunch of hidden or extra characters in its new handheld Zelda including Irene and her magic broom; Seres, who is trapped in a painting; and Gramps, who allows you to battle with other players encountered via StreetPass. The Milk Bar was also confirmed, but you will have to use Zora’s flippers to swim through Lake Hyrule to get there.
Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime showed off the previously confirmed 3DS XL Zelda bundle, which will launch for $219.99 in North America. It comes with a digital copy of the game and a 3DS XL decked out in gold-and-black coloring with the Triforce emblazoned on its shell. The game launches in stores and on the Nintendo eShop for $39.99.
Mario Party: Island Tour will contain seven new game boards and 80 new mini-games, including some that use the motion controls of 3DS, and the ability for four players to participate in all multiplayer game content with only one copy of the game via Download Play. Also, A new Kirby game, Kirby: Triple Deluxe was teased, but little information was given. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this in the future.
Bravely Default for is heading to North America on February 7. A Collector’s Edition of the RPG will be available exclusively at select retailers and includes the game, an art book, a soundtrack CD and 34 augmented-reality cards.
Super Mario 3D World also showed off some gameplay footage, and will feature the ability to play as Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy and Luigi Bros. She’ll be accessible for players who have New Super Luigi U save data on their systems. A whole slew of other secrets about the game was featured in the segment.
In other news, a new Animal Crossing Plaza was added to the MiiVerse, with several fun street pass sharing features. Also Pikmin 3 is getting a bunch of new DLC.
Hopefully Nintendo has a little more up their sleeve f0r next year. But a lot of great stuff was on display here! You can watch the entire Nintendo Direct presentation below. Probably best to skip past the painful skit in the beginning!
[Via: Nintendo]