Nintendo Highlights Holiday and Early 2016 Game Line Up For Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo's latest Nintendo Direct presentation revealed details about several new and upcoming Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games. Some of the news included the reveal that video game character Cloud from FINAL FANTASY VII will be added as a playable DLC fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Other announcements included the reveal of an HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii U console, a new Wii U bundle featuring Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and news that the Pokemon games that started it all e Pokemon Red Version, Pokemon Blue Version and Pokemon Yellow Version e will launch with new wireless communication functionality in the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo 3DS system on Feb. 27.
Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:
Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
- A New Challenger Approaches!: Cloud Strife, the protagonist from the classic RPG game FINAL FANTASY VII, will enter the battlefield as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS in the future. More information is available at http://www.smashbros.com/us/dlc/.
Wii U
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD: Originally released for Wii and Nintendo GameCube systems in 2006, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is a visually remastered remake of one of the most critically acclaimed games in The Legend of Zelda series. The new game launches on March 4 in a bundle with a detailed new amiibo figure modeled after the Wolf Link and Midna characters in the game. The game will also be compatible with five other The Legend of Zelda amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series.
- The Legend of Zelda for Wii U (name not final): Next year marks the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. And with that comes The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, the next entry in the storied franchise. During the Nintendo Direct presentation, it was revealed that certain saved data from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD on the Wolf Link amiibo can be carried over to this new game.
- New Wii U Bundle: A new Wii U Deluxe Set that includes the Wii U console and pre-installed versions of hit games Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U launches this holiday season.
- Pokken Tournament: A collaboration between The Pokemon Company and BANDAI Namco Entertainment Inc., Pokken Tournament is a new fighting game for Wii U that lets players use their favorite Pokemon characters to battle it out in fighting arenas. Fans who purchase a first-run version of the game at retail stores will receive a limited-edition Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card that immediately unlocks the character in the game after tapping it to the GamePad. Pokken Tournament launches exclusively for Wii U in spring 2016 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
- Star Fox Zero: Star Fox Zero delivers a new beginning for the classic shooter series. With a unique control scheme that uses both the TV screen and the screen on the GamePad, players pilot multiple vehicles through intergalactic levels with Fox and his classic crew. The game launches exclusively for Wii U on April 22.
- An Ink-redible Splatoon Update: A free new update for Splatoon has been already released and adds more than 40 pieces of new gear, including more winter items and some slick bandanas. And on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. PT, another free new update adds a new stage called Museum deAlfonsino. Further stages and features will be added in future updates through January. A Nintendo Treehouse Splatoon Tournament will happen in December, featuring competitive game play as well as tips for players about setting up their own tournaments.
- Super Mario Maker Powers Up Once Again: In December, a new Web portal will offer a better search function to find and filter levels in Super Mario Maker across a variety of Web-enabled devices.
- Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival: By tapping any of the Animal Crossing amiibo figures, players can play as that character in the gamees main mode, a dynamic board game. Players can also tap in their Animal Crossing amiibo cards to play other modes like an Animal Crossing quiz. The Wii U game that includes the Isabelle and Digby amiibo figures and three amiibo cards launches on Nov. 13 at a suggested retail price of $59.99, the same day as the standalone Animal Crossing amiibo figures.
- Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash: On Nov. 20, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash launches exclusively for Wii U at a suggested price of $49.99. The game includes a fun New Super Mario Bros. power-up, the Mega Mushroom, which is featured in the over-the-top "Mega Battle Mode." Players can also select "Classic Mode" to enjoy a more traditional game of tennis. Players can compete online or together via local play, and the game is compatible with amiibo in select modes, including online matches.
- Xenoblade Chronicles X: Massive RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X launches exclusively for Wii U on Dec. 4 at a suggested retail price of $59.99. For people who purchase the physical version of the game, four free high-speed data loading packs are available to download from the Nintendo eShop starting today. The data packs greatly increase the speed of loading times in the game, but are not required to play.
Nintendo 3DS
- Where it all Began: The original Pokemon games - Pokemon Red Version, Pokemon Blue Version and Pokemon Yellow Version - are coming to the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 27, the same day that the original games first released in Japan in 1996. And therees no need to pull out those old Game Boy Game Link cables while playing. Using the wireless communication on Nintendo 3DS, players can trade Pokemon with other players.
- Hyrule Warriors: Legends: Take the Hyrule Warriors experience on the go! Hyrule Warriors: Legends offers players the entire Hyrule Warriors game on Nintendo 3DS. This time, Tetra, Toon Link and the King of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker join the Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majoraes Mask on the battlefield. In addition, new character Linkle, a girl who lives in a small village filled with Cuccos and wields two crossbows, joins the large cast of playable characters. Players will be able to command multiple characters, taking direct control of them at any time, leading to new strategic options on the battlefield. Hyrule Warriors: Legends launches for Nintendo 3DS on March 25 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam: The hilarious Mario & Luigi series meets the charming Paper Mario series in the Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam game, launching exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 22 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. Using compatible amiibo, players can create a corresponding character card in the game, which has powerful effects during battle.
- Fire Emblem Fates: There are multiple adventures waiting to be experienced in Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS. By purchasing one of the two main games at a suggested retail price of $39.99 e Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest e either at retail locations or in the Nintendo eShop starting Feb. 19, players choose to embark on a unique quest with a different story and different experiences. The decision that the player makes early in the game will dictate the gamees story and difficulty. After purchasing one game, the downloadable version of the other is only $19.99 via an in-game purchase. There will even be a third downloadable version in the near future, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, for players who own either Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and want to take on a new challenge and experience an alternative version of the game. For fans of the series, a special edition will be available that includes all three games, an artbook and a Nintendo 3DS XL pouch at a suggested retail price of $79.99.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes DLC: New free DLC is coming on Dec. 2, adding Linebeckes Uniform and Fierce Deity Armor outfits, each with unique powers, as well as the new Den of Trials with more than 30 stages to conquer. The upcoming software update also makes it more convenient to get Friendly Tokens by purchasing them from the Street Merchant once the princesse curse has been lifted. Additionally, by answering a question before matchmaking, you will be matched with other players who gave similar answers, plus players who leave a game in progress through the Pause menu can be added to the blacklist.
- Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon: Players can become one of 20 Pokemon in Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, launching for Nintendo 3DS on Nov. 20 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. With turn-based battles and ever-changing dungeons, players can encounter every single known Pokemon in the game e all 720 of them.
- Nintendo Badge Arcade: Now available in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Badge Arcade is a free-to-start game that lets players control a classic arcade-style crane machine to earn badges from popular titles to customize their Nintendo 3DS HOME menus. The game is constantly being updated with new badges.
- Two DRAGON QUEST Games are Better Than One: The lineup of RPGs on Nintendo 3DS continues to grow with classic games DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, both remastered for Nintendo 3DS and coming in 2016.
- Pokemon Picross: The popular Picross series meets the lovable world of Pokemon when free-to-start game Pokemon Picross launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS in early December.
amiibo
- Jan. 22 sees the release of Lucas in the Super Smash Bros. series, amiibo figures for Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks in the Animal Crossing series, and Series 2 of the Animal Crossing amiibo cards.
Third-Party
- FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS from Square Enix, Inc. (Nintendo 3DS): In the first FINAL FANTASY action-RPG on Nintendo 3DS, players journey to an island filled with mystical crystals protected by powerful eidolons. More than 20 jobs can be learned, each with its own set of special skills. When FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS launches exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 26, it will include all the DLC that was previously released in Japan. Multiplayer functionality for up to four players is enabled through Nintendo 3DS local wireless communication.
- Mega Man Legacy Collection from Capcom (Nintendo 3DS): Capcomes Blue Bomber has been a classic part of Nintendo history since the NES days. Mega Man Legacy Collection launches for Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 23 and features faithful reproductions of the first six NES Mega Man games (Mega Man 1-6), plus new ways to experience these classics with Challenge Modees remix stages and Museum Modees repository of original production art. In addition, the game comes with exclusive new challenges that can be unlocked using the Mega Man amiibo. But thates not the only amiibo that can unlock these bonus challenges! A new gold-colored Mega Man amiibo figure also launches as part of the Mega Man Legacy Collection Collectores Edition.
- Hive Jump from Graphite Lab (Wii U): Players shoot their way through dangerous alien infestations in Hive Jump, a frenetic run ene gun platformer for one to four players. Hive Jump launches in the Nintendo eShop with exclusive Wii U features in early 2016.
- Kerbal Space Program from Squad (Wii U): By using the Wii U GamePad, players can take part in the complete space agency experience, from building a spaceship part by part, to mission control by flying their creation and conquering the planets and moons of the solar system. Kerbal Space Program launches in Nintendo eShop for Wii U in early 2016.
- SteamWorld Heist from Image & Form (Nintendo 3DS): For a limited time, players who purchase side-scrolling, turn-based strategy shooter SteamWorld Heist in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS when it launches this holiday season will receive an exclusive Nintendo 3DS HOME Menu theme.
- FAST Racing Neo from Shineen (Wii U): Ites almost here! FAST Racing Neo, the high-octane racing game with up to eight-player online multiplayer, launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U in early December.
- Typoman from Headup Games and Brainseed Factory (Wii U): Typoman is a puzzling platformer that tells a dark tale of heroes and monsters, where words can either be a blessing ... or a curse! Using the GamePad in a unique way, players set out on an adventure to explore the incredible power of words and how they can be used to survive the environmental hazards and overcome vicious enemies. The game launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U on Nov. 19.
- Mighty No. 9 from Deep Silver (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): From Keiji Inafune, the creator of the Mega Man series, comes Mighty No. 9. This action side-scroller can be played solo or with two players in online co-op and competitive modes. The Wii U version of the game launches on Feb. 9, with a Nintendo 3DS version following shortly thereafter.
- LEGO Marveles Avengers from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): With an extensive roster of new characters to play, LEGO Marveles Avengers features storylines and locations from six different films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as classic Avengers content seen in Marvel Comics, all retold with a unique splash of LEGO humor. The game launches for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 26.
- Project X Zone 2 from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Inc. (Nintendo 3DS): Everyonees favorite Capcom, SEGA and BANDAI NAMCO characters are crossing over once again in Project X Zone 2. But this time Nintendo is also joining the fun by adding Chrom and Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening and Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles to the game. Project X Zone 2 launches exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 16.
- Terraria from 505 Games (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): In Terraria, players explore vast fantasy worlds and wage war on hundreds of enemies and giant bosses using weapons and armor they craft themselves. They can even use the touch-screen interface on the Nintendo 3DS system or the Wii U GamePad to reach directly into the world of Terraria, fashioning elaborate and amazing structures with their fingertips. Ites also possible to share the adventure with friends, with online and split-screen multiplayer for Wii U and local play for Nintendo 3DS. Hundreds of hours of entertainment await in Terraria, launching in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in early 2016.
Black Friday deals
Major retailers in the U.S. will be offering deals on some of Nintendo’s most popular games and systems for the holidays, highlighted by a new Smash Splat Wii U Deluxe Set that includes the Wii U console and two games: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and the squid hit of the year: Splatoon, both pre-installed on the system. This bundle launches in retail stores at a low suggested retail price of $279.99, with select retailers offering it at less than $250. Walmart and Amazon will offer the original Nintendo 3DS XL system with a download code for the mega-hit g
Or, if you prefer the flagship New Nintendo 3DS XL, you can save $20 off the suggested retail price of $199.99 at major retail stores. Additionally, starting Nov. 25, the Nintendo eShop will be offering up to 50 percent discounts on select downloadable games. More great savings will be available at various retailers.
Here’s a roundup of some of the deals that will be available around Black Friday.
- Smash Splat Wii U Deluxe Set: Suggested retail price of $279.99 at major retailers, available at Target and Walmart for less than $250
- New Nintendo 3DS XL: Save $20 off the suggested retail price of $199.99 at Best Buy, Target, Toys R Us, GameStop and Walmart.com
- Nintendo 3DS XL: Bundle with a download code for the Super Mario 3D Land game at a suggested retail price of $129.99 at Amazon.com, $129 at Walmart
- amiibo:
- Buy one, get one for 40 percent off on all figures and cards, at Toys R Us
- Walmart exclusive: Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo figure - Modern Color for $12.96
- Select Wii U Games at Walmart for $25:
- Splatoon
- Mario Party 10
- Select Nintendo 3DS Games at Target for $15:
- New Super Mario Bros. 2
- Mario Kart 7
- Super Mario 3D Land
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf