Well, it’s such a good morning/afternoon/night/sleeping time that we decided to cover a Nintendo Direct. And in a coincidence, Nintendo decided to release a new Direct as well.
…Yeah, Jonathan had to work today, so I’m covering this Direct.
So, in a Nintendo Direct that promised information on Nintendo 3DS, what can we expect? Would long expected games finally get a release date? Will DLC be coming to some games, like a crime-solving puzzle adventure that had DLC release in Japan? Will there be a surprise in store for us? Let’s find out…
After an awkward intro segment featuring Bill Trinen stuck in an elevator (at least that’s how it started for us North Americans; Europeans just had the standard Shibata opening), we see Reggie make his return to the Nintendo Directs as he talks about The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, the sequel to A Link to the Past. A brand new trailer was shown for the game featuring a number of interesting new elements. Some of the new elements include using Streetpass to battle Shadow Link for rupees and the use of fast travel with a witch named Irene. The game, along with the 3DS bundle, will launch on November 22nd in both North America and Europe. Also, new 30 second mini-trailers will appear on Nintendo’s Instagram page.
After Zelda came Mario Party: Island Tour, which will also be coming November 22nd in North America (January 17, 2014, for Europe). This is the third Mario Party to come out on a handheld console after Advance and DS. The game will feature 7 new maps, along with a single player Mini-Game Tower and Streetpass features that will allow you to battle with those that you pass.
Up next is Bravely Default. Nintendo took time out to talk about the Brave and Default battle features, as well as special features that use sleep mode and Streetpass. Bravely Default will be coming in both standard and Collector’s Editions on February 7, 2014, in North America and December 6, 2013, in Europe. European players can also download an English demo today.
From one long awaited game to another, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy was next. The sixth game in the Layton series will be coming to North America on February 28th.
New system related information was revealed, including a new system update that is coming next month. This will bring in Nintendo Network IDs for the 3DS in order to combine eShop balances between the 3DS and Wii U. They also promise to bring new services that will use the IDs, including the long awaited 3DS Miiverse.
Also coming to the 3DS is YouTube. One of the important features is the ability to watch videos on the top screen while searching for new videos on the bottom screen. The Wii U YouTube app will also be getting an upgrade, which will allow for similar searching features with the Gamepad that the 3DS will get. This will be coming to both North America and Europe soon.
New downloadable content for Pikmin 3 has been announced. A new round of Mission stages will be coming on December 2nd for both North America and Europe. A software update will be coming as well in order to play the new stages.
New information about Animal Crossing Plaza was revealed. Two new features will be coming. First, you will be able to use stamps in order to help express how you feel. Similar stamps will be coming for Super Mario 3D World. Also coming is ranking, which will be based on poll questions asked in the Plaza. This new update will be coming tonight.
A number of eShop games were featured in a sizzle reel for both Europe and North America. Here’s a list of what’s coming soon (console in parenthesis).
- Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut (Wii U)
- Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails (Wii U)
- Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (3DS)
- Armillo (Wii U)
- Grinsia (3DS)
- 1,001 Spikes (Wii U)
- Tengami (Wii U)
- Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai (3DS)
- Pier Solar HD (Wii U)
- Putty Squad (3DS)
- Teslagrad (Wii U)
- Treasurenauts (3DS)
- Wooden Sen’Sey (Wii U)
- Retro City Rampage (3DS)
- Knytt Underground (Wii U)
- Unepic (Wii U)
- Siesta Fiesta (3DS)
- Shovel Knight (Wii U)
While only revealed in the European Direct, Jett Rocket II: The Wrath of Taikai was announced for release today for both North America and Europe. Also announced on the European Direct were Picross e3 and Nintendo Pocket Football Club.
At the very end of the Directs, Nintendo talked about Super Mario 3D World, which will be launching in North America on November 22nd (man, that’s gonna be a busy day in the region) and in Europe on November 29th. Along with that, Reggie and Shibata revealed 10 interesting things about the game, which includes using the touch screen and blowing into the mic to reveal new things in the stage, Kart-style stages, time-attack stages, and an unlockable 5th character with her own special features.
There you have it. What did you think of today’s Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments.
And as always, this article will be updated periodically will updated information and new images.
