A few hours after Nintendo released their E3 Nintendo Direct, they posted a series of “Developer Direct” videos. In this variant of Nintendo Direct, lead developers cover different features and go more in-depth on upcoming games revealed in the Nintendo Direct. The games covered in the Developer Direct videos are Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and Bayonetta 2.
There were a few new details that came from these videos, including the following.
Super Smash Bros. (Wii U/3DS)
Director Masahiro Sakurai went more in-depth on both the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game. First, he pointed out that the 3DS version will have outlined characters, so they’ll be easier to keep track of on the smaller screen of the 3DS. He also confirmed both the 3DS and Wii U versions will have the same number of characters (although he did not say whether they will share the same roster). The 3DS version will have stages based on other Nintendo handheld games, while the Wii U version will have stages based on home console games. Pit will see a change in his moveset based on his appearance in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
Also shown off was the Villager from Animal Crossing. All his attacks revolve around items from the Animal Crossing games. His moves involve dropping bowling balls, picking up projectiles, and throwing them back. His Final Smash seems to involve cutting down a tree he grows in the stage.
Sakurai then covered the long-awaited introduction of Mega Man. Mega Man’s moves revolve around his Mega Buster and his special abilities taken from enemy Robot Masters. The latter feature some very cool throwbacks to classic Mega Man games and appear to be just a part of his regular moveset.
Lastly, Sakurai showed the Wii Fit Trainer, whose moveset is, naturally, based on various exercises.
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 will include a community feature similar to Mario Kart 7, but it now implements Miiverse. You’ll be able to set up tournament rules, and at the end of each race, the game will automatically generate a 30-second highlight reel for you to watch and share on Miiverse. This feature is called Mario Kart TV. Nintendo also revealed that Mario Kart 8 will support all available controllers, including the GamePad and the Wii Remote. At the end, series producer Hideki Konno said Mario Kart 8 will be “the grand culmination of the past Mario Kart games.” Hopefully, this means the double-kart mechanic from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! will be making a comeback.
Super Mario 3D World
Like New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D World will include a multiplayer mode. But 3D World‘s multiplayer will be more competitive, since your objective will be to get the most points. The Fire Flower will return, and this time, it can even go into Warp Pipes to clear out enemies.
The GamePad can now be used in ways very similar to New Super Mario Bros. U, such as stopping enemies by touching them. You can also change the camera angle by moving the GamePad around. Director Koichi Hayashida ended by saying, “It’s feeling a lot like this new game is going to be the grand culmination of all the best ideas from past 3D Mario games.”
Pikmin 3
Shigeru Miyamoto emphasized that Pikmin 3 will allow you to play more at your own pace, and not pressure you to speedily finish the game. Also, a new Mission Mode will have you completing special objectives within a time limit.
