Nintendo decided to skip out on holding a new press event in favor of a digital briefing that it streamed live online. Let’s get right to it.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Nintendo kicked off its briefing with its highly anticipated fighter, Super Smash Bros. The company revealed that players can fight as themselves or anyone else using Miis. These characters will have just as many abilities as any other Nintendo characters. They come in three varieties: Brawlers, Swordfighters, and Gunners. These self-explanatory types also come with four special moves that each have multiple options. This will enable you to customize your character to your liking.
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The company also revealed that the goddess from Kid Icarus, Palutena, is playable in Super Smash Bros.
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Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
While the Wii U Smash Bros is gigantic, the portable version is coming out first this October. Nintendo said it is working to bring all of the characters and levels to this game as well. The 3DS fighter was originally intended to debut this summer, but it now won’t arrive until early fall.
Amiibo
Nintendo’s interactive toy line is now known as Amiibo. The figurines won’t only support Super Smash Bros. It will also work with the upcoming Disney Infinity 2.0 and Skylanders: Trap Team sequels to give the Wii U version exclusive features.
The company is also promising that it is working on additional titles of its own that incorporates Amiibo.
That includes going back and patching Amiibo support into Mario Kart 8 for Wii U, which debuted late last month.
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Yoshi’s Wooly World
The team at Nintendo that made Kirby’s Epic Yarn is working on this new Yoshi platformer. The studio said it doesn’t want to just make a sequel to its Kirby release. Instead, it wants to make a Yoshi game that includes interesting fabric-based gameplay.
Co-op will enable players to work together by swallowing and shooting one another around the levels.
Wooly World is coming in 2015.
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Zelda: Wii U
Long-time Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma revealed his plans for the new game in the classic franchise. He started by talking about how previous Zeldas were limited in scope because of hardware limitation. For Wii U, the new Zelda will put the hero Link into a massive open world. See mountains in the background? Those aren’t decorations — you can walk to those and climb them.
Nintendo showed off a bit of the game in action. It had an art style that combined photorealism with some stylized elements.
Zelda for Wii U is due out in 2015.
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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Nintendo showed off the first gameplay of these classics running on 3DS. The updated remakes will use the same engine that powers X and Y, which means fully 3D worlds and highly detailed battles.
Bayonetta 2
Nintendo’s partnership with Platinum Games will some produce some delicious, brawling fruit. The two companies showed off a new trailer of the titular witch Bayonetta taking on hordes of demons.
The game is due out in October for Wii U.
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Zelda: Hyrule Warriors
The developer responsible for Dynasty Warriors is taking on the Zelda franchise in this new collaboration. This will have players taking control of Link, Zelda, Impa, and more to fight off endless waves of enemy grunts.
It is due out Sept. 30 for Wii U.
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Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Nintendo is finally introducing a sequel to one of the DS’s best games, Kirby’s Canvas Curse. The new release is on Wii U, but it will still have players drawing lines to control a rolling Kirby. The gameplay established itself as something new and different on DS, and we haven’t seen anything like it since.
It is due out in 2015.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Monolith Soft has finally revealed the name for the Wii U game known as X. It is Xenoblade Chronicles X, which makes it the latest entry in the Xeno franchise. The game will have players battling in mechs in an action role-playing game in 2015.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
In Super Mario 3D World, players got the chance to solve puzzles with Captain Toad. Now he is getting his own game that is nothing but these 3D brain-stumpers. It is due out soon.
Mario Maker
Nintendo is enabling gamers to make their own Mario games on Wii U. Mario Maker will have you using the GamePad to place items, obstacles, and powerups — and then you can share it with friends. Finally, I can make my re-re-re-remix of all my favorite levels from the franchise.
Splatoon
Nintendo is making a shooter — although, as you might expect, it won’t feature ultraviolence. Instead, players play as squids who shoot ink. It’s team based, and the point isn’t necessarily to kill one another. Instead, four-person squads fight to cover as much of the environment in their colored ink before time runs out. But you can also turn into a human to fire your weapons at each other, although you won’t win if you get the most kills.
It is due out soon.
Star Fox
Nnintendo teased this game, but we won’t see more until later into E3. It looks like another entry in the space-shooter genre.
Fantasy Life
A new RPG from Level-5.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong Wii U
Nintendo’s puzzler is coming to its home console. Just like with the portable versions, players will use the touchscreen to help Mario overcome his angry ape rival.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Gamers in the west will finally get the chance to play this mashup. It is coming soon, and Nintendo shared a new look at the game.
Pokémon Art Academy
Don’t draw a duck when you can draw a Psyduck. Nintendo is combining its painting game with its popular monster-catching franchise for this new 3DS title.
Art Academy Wii U
Nintendo is also bringing the drawing series to Wii U, which will enable talented players to share their work on the Miiverse.
Mario Party 10
This multiplayer minigame series isn’t going anywhere. Nintendo will release the next one for Wii U in the near future.
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