This morning was host to the first Nintendo Direct of the year, and it did not disappoint! Games were shown off for the first time, important details were revealed, and Nintendo has made it clear it will be a good year for their fans. Read on below to find out what was announced!
2015 is here for Nintendo!
Fire Emblem
A Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei crossover was announced at last year's E3, but this is an entirely new Fire Emblem game! Nintendo showed off an impressive-looking trailer with gameplay that will look familiar to Fire Emblem: Awakening fans. It's no surprise: this title has been developed by the same team. Check out the trailer below!
Puzzle & Dragon Z
To those unfamiliar with the Japanese market, Puzzle and Dragon may be a bit of a mystery: it's an incredibly popular puzzle series that combines RPG stylings with a drag-and-drop take on classic Match Three gameplay. Puzzle & Dragon Z will feature that same gameplay, while also adding a Mario-themed campaign to go through! Puzzle & Dragon Z will be out in May of this year, so if puzzles with RPG elements sound interesting, there's plenty of time to look into the series yourself.
Kirby and The Rainbow Curse
This new Kirby game was given a brief explanation, though not much new information came of it. Similar to the DS title Canvas Curse, Kirby will roll along a line painted by the player on the Wii U Game Pad. Amiibo compatibility with the three Kirby characters was explained as well - Kirby amiibo can be used once a day, and will bestow a power-up on Kirby for a single level. Use those powerups wisely!
Kirby and The Rainbow Curse will be available on February 20th, 2015.
Splatoon
Splatoon was shown off during this Nintendo Direct, and several mechanics were explained in more detail. Each character will have three weapons: A Main, Sub and Special Weapon. These can be customized to a player's liking, but customization doesn't stop there. Clothes can also be bought that change stats such as power and speed.
No release date or trailer have been made available, so check out the full Nintendo Direct to see for yourself!
Downloadable Wii Titles Available In Wii U eShop
This announcement came completely out of left field! Wii games will now occasionally be added to the eShop for download. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available for download today, while Super Punch-Out is coming on January 22nd and Metriod Prime: Trilogy will be here on January 29th. It's exciting to think about what Wii games may make it onto the eShop - what would you want to see?
New Amiibo Coming
Amiibo fans have tons to be excited about. Not one, but two new rounds of amiibo were announced: a Mario series coming in March, and round four of Smash Bros. amiibo, coming sometime in the spring. Nintendo rep Bill Trinen also mentioned several games that will be compatible, including Kirby and The Rainbow Curse, Mario Party 10, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker! However, to use an existing Smash Bros. amiibo with Mario Party 10, you must erase your fighter's data first... which is a bit of a let-down.
Mario Party 10
Speaking of, new entry into the Mario Party series will have three main play modes: Bowser Party, Mario Party, and amiibo Party. Bowser Party features the 4 vs. 1 gameplay previously announced at last year's E3, while Mario Party is the more typical Mario Party experience. amiibo Party is exactly as it sounds: players will use their amiibo to play on character-themed boards and use special power-ups.
Mario Party 10 will be available on March 20th, 2015.
Mario Party is back!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars To Feature Cross-Play
The new Mario vs. Donkey Kong title coming later this year will be an eShop exclusive. It features gameplay familiar to series veterans, with the ability to create custom stages easily with the Game Pad. It will also be Nintendo first cross-play title! When bought on Wii U, a download code will be made available for the 3DS free of charge, and vice-versa. This is an exciting first, and hopefully Nintendo fans can look forward to more cross-play games in the future.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
This game is a sequel to what was arguably the best RPG on the Wii, so if JRPGs are your style it's absolutely worth checking out. It looks breathtaking, and features a combat system that Xenoblade fans can hop right into. Also mentioned during the Direct was a New 3DS XL-exclusive remake of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. It's being handled by the same team that ported over Donkey Kong Country Returns to the 3DS, so rest assured it will be faithful to the original.
No release date has been announced yet, but expect to hear more in the near future!
The New 3DS, Less Than A Month Away
Nintendo's latest upgrade to the 3DS is coming next month on February 13th! Host to a bevy of new features, the New 3DS will come in normal and XL sizes, are amiibo compatible, and have a new C-stick nub that can be used similarly to the ill-fated Circle Pad add-on. It also boasts better online functionality, 3D range, and battery life. It seems Nintendo has improved upon the original 3DS in every way, so it will be hard to keep hands off of this one when it shows up on shelves soon.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate, Demo Coming Soon
Monster Hunter 4 has been out in Japan for some time, but will be making its way to the Americas soon: April 14th, to be exact. It will feature full online and local play, so teams of hunters can play together from anywhere in the world! A demo is also 'coming shortly' on Nintendo 3DS, with a robust tutorial and access to all 14 classes of weapons, so keep an eye out for that! Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate will be releasing alongside the New Nintendo 3DS on February 13th, 2015.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate looks worlds better than its earlier counterpart - not an easy feat!
Project S.T.E.A.M
This strategy/action mashup game is being developed by the people behind Advance Wars, and features a mix of turn-based strategy and shooting action. It involves Abraham Lincoln pulling people from history into a crack team of commandos... so its premise is interesting to say the least. The game is also compatible with Fire Emblem amiibo - no real reason was given why, but having Marth, Ike and the gang available in-game is pretty neat. Project S.T.E.A.M. comes out March 13th, 2015 - check out the trailer below.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
Last but not least, Majora's Mask 3D is coming very soon! The new textures look beautiful, and remake though it may be it's hard not to get excited for one of the most unique Zelda games of all time. Majora's Mask 3D will also be launching with the New 3DS on February 13th, 2015, and for those interested in special edition systems, there will be a New 3DS Majora's Mask bundle available as well!
- - - - - -
These are all the big announcements, but if you want to see every little piece of info, from a Pokemon free-to-play title to Hyrule Warriors DLC to Namco's 4-player co-op mystery, check out the whole thing right here. What do you think? Any announcements you were hoping for? Excited for the next few months? Make your voice heard in the comments below!
The Derrit thinks this is almost TOO many games. Chat with him on Twitter at @TheDerrit.
2015 is here for Nintendo!
A Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei crossover was announced at last year's E3, but this is an entirely new Fire Emblem game! Nintendo showed off an impressive-looking trailer with gameplay that will look familiar to Fire Emblem: Awakening fans. It's no surprise: this title has been developed by the same team. Check out the trailer below!
To those unfamiliar with the Japanese market, Puzzle and Dragon may be a bit of a mystery: it's an incredibly popular puzzle series that combines RPG stylings with a drag-and-drop take on classic Match Three gameplay. Puzzle & Dragon Z will feature that same gameplay, while also adding a Mario-themed campaign to go through! Puzzle & Dragon Z will be out in May of this year, so if puzzles with RPG elements sound interesting, there's plenty of time to look into the series yourself.
Kirby and The Rainbow Curse
This new Kirby game was given a brief explanation, though not much new information came of it. Similar to the DS title Canvas Curse, Kirby will roll along a line painted by the player on the Wii U Game Pad. Amiibo compatibility with the three Kirby characters was explained as well - Kirby amiibo can be used once a day, and will bestow a power-up on Kirby for a single level. Use those powerups wisely!
Kirby and The Rainbow Curse will be available on February 20th, 2015.
Splatoon was shown off during this Nintendo Direct, and several mechanics were explained in more detail. Each character will have three weapons: A Main, Sub and Special Weapon. These can be customized to a player's liking, but customization doesn't stop there. Clothes can also be bought that change stats such as power and speed.
No release date or trailer have been made available, so check out the full Nintendo Direct to see for yourself!
Downloadable Wii Titles Available In Wii U eShop
This announcement came completely out of left field! Wii games will now occasionally be added to the eShop for download. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available for download today, while Super Punch-Out is coming on January 22nd and Metriod Prime: Trilogy will be here on January 29th. It's exciting to think about what Wii games may make it onto the eShop - what would you want to see?
New Amiibo Coming
Amiibo fans have tons to be excited about. Not one, but two new rounds of amiibo were announced: a Mario series coming in March, and round four of Smash Bros. amiibo, coming sometime in the spring. Nintendo rep Bill Trinen also mentioned several games that will be compatible, including Kirby and The Rainbow Curse, Mario Party 10, and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker! However, to use an existing Smash Bros. amiibo with Mario Party 10, you must erase your fighter's data first... which is a bit of a let-down.
Mario Party 10
Speaking of, new entry into the Mario Party series will have three main play modes: Bowser Party, Mario Party, and amiibo Party. Bowser Party features the 4 vs. 1 gameplay previously announced at last year's E3, while Mario Party is the more typical Mario Party experience. amiibo Party is exactly as it sounds: players will use their amiibo to play on character-themed boards and use special power-ups.
Mario Party 10 will be available on March 20th, 2015.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars To Feature Cross-Play
The new Mario vs. Donkey Kong title coming later this year will be an eShop exclusive. It features gameplay familiar to series veterans, with the ability to create custom stages easily with the Game Pad. It will also be Nintendo first cross-play title! When bought on Wii U, a download code will be made available for the 3DS free of charge, and vice-versa. This is an exciting first, and hopefully Nintendo fans can look forward to more cross-play games in the future.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
This game is a sequel to what was arguably the best RPG on the Wii, so if JRPGs are your style it's absolutely worth checking out. It looks breathtaking, and features a combat system that Xenoblade fans can hop right into. Also mentioned during the Direct was a New 3DS XL-exclusive remake of the original Xenoblade Chronicles. It's being handled by the same team that ported over Donkey Kong Country Returns to the 3DS, so rest assured it will be faithful to the original.
No release date has been announced yet, but expect to hear more in the near future!
The New 3DS, Less Than A Month Away
Nintendo's latest upgrade to the 3DS is coming next month on February 13th! Host to a bevy of new features, the New 3DS will come in normal and XL sizes, are amiibo compatible, and have a new C-stick nub that can be used similarly to the ill-fated Circle Pad add-on. It also boasts better online functionality, 3D range, and battery life. It seems Nintendo has improved upon the original 3DS in every way, so it will be hard to keep hands off of this one when it shows up on shelves soon.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate, Demo Coming Soon
Monster Hunter 4 has been out in Japan for some time, but will be making its way to the Americas soon: April 14th, to be exact. It will feature full online and local play, so teams of hunters can play together from anywhere in the world! A demo is also 'coming shortly' on Nintendo 3DS, with a robust tutorial and access to all 14 classes of weapons, so keep an eye out for that! Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate will be releasing alongside the New Nintendo 3DS on February 13th, 2015.
This strategy/action mashup game is being developed by the people behind Advance Wars, and features a mix of turn-based strategy and shooting action. It involves Abraham Lincoln pulling people from history into a crack team of commandos... so its premise is interesting to say the least. The game is also compatible with Fire Emblem amiibo - no real reason was given why, but having Marth, Ike and the gang available in-game is pretty neat. Project S.T.E.A.M. comes out March 13th, 2015 - check out the trailer below.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D
Last but not least, Majora's Mask 3D is coming very soon! The new textures look beautiful, and remake though it may be it's hard not to get excited for one of the most unique Zelda games of all time. Majora's Mask 3D will also be launching with the New 3DS on February 13th, 2015, and for those interested in special edition systems, there will be a New 3DS Majora's Mask bundle available as well!
- - - - - -
The Derrit thinks this is almost TOO many games. Chat with him on Twitter at @TheDerrit.
Last edited:
