E3 2013 - Nintendo Australia announces games and dates for new Wii U & 3DS

LOS ANGELES, June 11, 2013 – Nintendo today unleashed a strong list of powerhouse games that will be available for Wii U this year, and provided first looks at key titles coming in 2014. These include some of the videogame industry’s most beloved franchises and characters, from Mario and Donkey Kong, to Luigi, Pikmin and Pokémon, to The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. 

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata introduced many of the games during a Nintendo Direct announcement. To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendodirect.  

Some of the key game info announced today by Nintendo includes: 

Wii U News

•            SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD: For the first time ever, Nintendo has created a four-player Mario game set in a 3D world. The game, developed by the same team that created SUPER MARIO 3D LAND for Nintendo 3DS and the Super Mario Galaxy games for Wii, lets up to four players play as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Toad. Each character has his or her own unique characteristics, and people can play cooperatively or competitively. The new cat transformation turns characters into adorable felines that can scratch enemies and even scamper up the flagpole at the end of levels. Transparent warp pipes add some new puzzle elements to gameplay. The game is scheduled to launch in December 2013.
•        Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: The first Wii U instalment in the franchise comes from Retro Studios. The side-scrolling platformer has beautiful HD graphics that show fine details, such as Donkey Kong’s fur. Dixie Kong joins the adventure, which features the Kongs swimming underwater and moving from the foreground to the background. This time, the camera changes perspective on certain levels to enhance the sense of motion and to deliver new experiences. The game is scheduled to launch towards the end of this year.
•           The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD: The classic Nintendo GameCube game has been enhanced with beautiful HD 1080p graphics. In one change from the original, the Tingle Tuner has been replaced by the Tingle Bottle, which uses the Wii U GamePad controller to post comments about the game to Miiverse. Comments from players wash up on the shores of beaches in the game. Players also have the option to sail faster than they did in the original version. The game is scheduled to launch in October 2013.
•              Mario Kart 8: The newest instalment of the gold-standard racing game introduces an anti- gravity feature that has karts racing up walls and clinging to inverted tracks. Elements from previous Mario Kart games have made their return, including gliders and motorbikes. The game is scheduled to launch in autumn 2014.
•       The Wonderful 101: This PlatinumGames original launches 24th August. Players take on the role of Wonder-Red, leader of a group of superheroes. Individually they are overpowered by invaders from space. But by working together, they can transform into a fist or blade and unleash massive attacks on their enemy. The polished, over-the-top look and music evoke classic superhero comics and cartoons.
•       Bayonetta 2: Developed by PlatinumGames, the game’s title character has had a makeover that gives her a new hairstyle and costume. Her climactic abilities are more powerful and the action is as intense as ever. The game is scheduled to launch in 2014.
•       A brand-new title developed by MONOLITH SOFTWARE INC. The creative force behind Xenoblade Chronicles is creating an open world for players to explore. Players can ride human-shaped robots at certain points in the game, or use the robots to battle enemies in the sky. The game is scheduled to launch in 2014.
•       Wii Party U: This is a game that’s perfect for every kind of party. It includes 80 different brand new minigames and what we are calling “Tabletop Minigames,” which you can play with just the GamePad. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.
•       Art Academy title for Wii U: A new instalment of the Art Academy series is in development. In advance of its launch, a new drawing tool taking some features of the new game will be released on Nintendo eShop this winter, just for Miiverse artists.
•       Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: The highly anticipated new entry in Nintendo’s popular fighting franchise will arrive for Wii U in 2014. 
•       Wii Fit U: Although this game was previously announced to launch in autumn or winter this year, it is now scheduled to launch this summer.  

Nintendo 3DS News

• Pokémon X and Pokémon Y: The first games in the core Pokémon series to appear on Nintendo 3DS launch worldwide on 12th October. The games introduce an 18th Pokémon type: Fairy Pokémon, and have an upgraded graphical look that is a new artistic pinnacle for the franchise. A new feature called “Pokémon-Amie” lets players have a deeper connection with their Pokémon. They can pet them, feed them and form friendships with them.

•       Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS: The hand-held counterpart to the Wii U version will also arrive in 2014.  

At the Show Additional games that were not mentioned in the Nintendo Direct but are playable at E3 include: 

Wii U

• Pikmin 3: This game is in a genre all its own. Players take command of three explorers and a legion of adorable Pikmin in a fight for survival. By employing the unique abilities of these tiny Pikmin creatures, players will solve puzzles, battle dangerous predators and recover food needed to save the explorers’ depleted home planet. The game launches 27th July.

•       New Super Luigi U: Luigi takes centre stage in his first starring role in a platform adventure. Players can show off their skills as Luigi, complete with his trademark high jump and unique slide, as they experience more than 80 new courses set in the world of New Super Mario Bros. U. For people who already own New Super Mario Bros. U, the new Luigi content launches as downloadable content in the Nintendo eShop on 21st June. A stand-alone retail version of the game that does not require the original launches 27th July.

•       Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic* Winter Games: The game includes a variety of events from the Winter Games, including bobsleigh, skiing, figure skating pairs and snowboard slopestyle – which will make its Olympic Games debut in Sochi, Russia. Different events might use the Wii Remote Plus controller, Wii U GamePad controller or both. In addition to realistic events, the game also includes those set in the worlds of Sonic and Mario that let players perform moves not possible in real life. Launch details and timing will be announced at a later date.  

Nintendo 3DS

·         The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: This game takes place after the events of and in the same world as The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Link can now become a drawing to move along walls. This opens up ways to explore and puzzle elements that give Link access to locations he could not otherwise reach. The game is scheduled to launch towards the end of this year.

·         Yoshi’s New Island (name not final): The third game in the series offers classic Yoshi abilities while introducing new ones, such as giant Mega Eggs that Yoshi can use to mow down obstacles. The game features different worlds in a variety of art styles, including oil, watercolour and pastels. The game is scheduled to launch in 2014.

·         Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros.: Mario and Luigi embark on the adventure of their dreams in a hilarious action RPG that combines action in both the real world and inside Luigi’s dreams. The game launches 13th July.  

Third-Party Games Nintendo’s third-party partners are bringing their best creations to Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. A selection of the games on the way for Nintendo systems include (titles in bold are playable at Nintendo’s E3 booth):  

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag - Ubisoft Wii U 31/10/2013

Batman: Arkham Origins - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Wii U 25/10/2013

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Nintendo 3DS 25/10/2013

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director’s Cut - Square Enix, Inc.  Wii U 2013

Disney Infinity - Disney Interactive Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS 20/08/2013

Disney’s Planes - Disney Interactive Wii U, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS 12/09/2013

Just Dance 2014 -Ubisoft Wii U, Wii 03/10/2013

Rayman Legends -Ubisoft Wii U 30/08/2013

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Wii U, Nintendo 3DS Autumn 2013

Shin Megami Tensei IV - ATLUS (Index Digital Media, Inc.) Nintendo 3DS TBC

Skylanders SWAP Force - Activision Publishing Wii U, Wii,  Nintendo 3DS 16/10/2013 

Sonic Lost World - SEGA Wii U,  Nintendo 3DS  2013

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist Ubisoft - Wii U 23/08/2013

Watch_Dogs -Ubisoft Wii U 22/11/2013   

 Additionally, third parties are also bringing strong digital-only content to the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. Some of these titles include Ballpoint Universe (Arachnid Games),  DuckTales: Remastered (Capcom), Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara (Capcom), Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails (Dakko Dakko), Coaster Crazy Deluxe (Frontier Developments), Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party (KnapNok Games), A World of Keflings (NinjaBee), Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty (Oddworld Inhabitants), Mutant Mudds Deluxe (Renegade Kid), Cloudberry Kingdom (Ubisoft) and Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games).  

For further updates: 

Nintendo Direct website http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendodirect  

Wii U website http://www.nintendo.com.au/wiiu  

Nintendo AU on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/nintendoau