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Pilotwings stage spotted in Super Smash Bros Wii U
Today's image du jour over on the official Super Smash Bros website unveiled a Pilotwings Resort-themed stage for the Wii U version of Nintendo's cross-franchise brawler. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this biplane is secretly a new playable character, a la Hornet in Fighters Megamix.
New 3DS colors & bundles in Japan, eShop gets digital re-releases
Nintendo announced three new 3DS XL bundles for Japan, with two special case designs for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Animal Crossing 3DS. The company also announced the upcoming arrival of eight previously released 3DS games on the Japanese eShop.In an initial Nintendo Direct broadcast, Nintendo showcased 3DS XL bundles for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, NSMB 2, and Animal Crossing 3DS. The Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate bundle comes with an all-black 3DS XL, and launches in Japan on November 1. The NSMB 2 bundle, pictured above, comes with a very flash red design, dotted with light red images from the Mario universe. The Animal Crossing 3DS design is similar, but with polka dot images against a white background, a bit 'Tutti Frutti' if you ask us. The Animal Crossing 3DS bundle arrives in Japan on November 8, with the NSMB 2 one a week after. All three bundles come with digital copies of the game.That brings us nicely onto the second Nintendo Direct broadcast, which announced eight digital versions of previously released 3DS games for the eShop. Those games don't include the three in the 3DS XL bundles above (cunning, Mr Nintendo), but they do include Ocarina of Time 3D, Pilotwings Resort, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Mario Tennis Open, Hana to Ikimorio Rittai Zukan (click if you're curious), and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The octet hit the Japanese eShop on November 1.%Gallery-167394%
Pilotwings Resort review: Flight of fancy
Nintendo has traditionally used the Pilotwings series as a showpiece for new 3D technology. When the SNES came out, Pilotwings was there to demonstrate its Mode 7 scaling. Then the game was used to show off the N64's new Silicon Graphics-designed polygon processing power. Now the 3DS is out with ... you know, 3D, and Nintendo has returned to its high-flying series. No idea why there wasn't one on Virtual Boy, if you're thinking that. Pilotwings Resort is a very familiar implementation of the Pilotwings gameplay, offering little that's too different, and even removing some things from previous games. And for the most part, that's okay. Streamlining has its advantages in flight.
Monster Games is behind Pilotwings Resort on 3DS
We didn't expect to get news about Pilotwings Resort during a Donkey Kong Country Returns panel, but here it is. During Retro Studios' GDC postmortem, Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe cited two other American developers that Nintendo works with: Next Level Games, which made Punch-Out for Wii, and ExciteTruck/ExciteBots developer Monster Games -- which he said is working on Pilotwings Resort. Until now, it seems that this detail had been a secret (and Pilotwings creator Nintendo EAD had been assumed to be the Resort developer) -- or, at least, it just wasn't mentioned. Resort isn't the first Pilotwings game to be co-created with an American company: Nintendo EAD worked with Paradigm Simulations for the Nintendo 64 sequel.
Nintendo 3DS to launch with 18 games in North America, $40 each for most
The North American launch details for Nintendo 3DS have been finalized. In addition to Face Raiders and AR Games, both pre-installed on the hardware, the system will launch with three first-party games: Pilotwings Resort, Steel Diver, and nintendogs + cats. Each first-party game has a suggested retail price of $39.99. Thirteen third-party games will be available on March 27th, including Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Rayman 3D. Nintendo promises that thirty games will be available for the platform by E3 expo. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and a new Mario Kart game will all be available before year's end. You'll find the complete launch lineup listed after the break.
3DS UK launch lineup revealed, Pilotwings makes the cut
Here's a thing that is weird: Nintendo has announced the software lineup set to drop day-and-date with the UK launch of the 3DS -- and it blows the handheld's Japanese launch titles right out of the water. There are 15 games due out on March 25, including four first-party offerings: Pilotwings Resort (which isn't listed on the Japanese launch roster) and three different Nintendogs and Cats games. Ubisoft's also making a strong showing on the launch lineup, providing Splinter Cell 3D, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars and Rayman 3D on day one. Check out the full list after the jump, and keep your fingers crossed for an equally attractive North American launch list. Heck, you could even wish for a more attractive list, if you're feeling particularly optimistic.
Reggie articulates what's compelling about Nintendo's 3DS launch games
Just as Super Mario 64 DS ushered in the era of the original DS system, it seemed fitting that a 3D-enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -- the cherry on top of last June's "E3DS" scoop -- would be the linchpin of the 3DS hardware launch this March. Except, it's not going to happen. Footnoted in a vague announcement that more than thirty 3DS games would be released between the system's launch and E3 2011 (in early June) was the equally ill-defined update that Zelda: OoT 3D was still "in the works," along with other triple-A Nintendo iterations for the new handheld, including Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing and Star Fox -- not to mention the ballyhooed Kid Icarus comeback, Uprising, which did impress at last week's preview event. "Mario, Zelda, all of those titles are coming," Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told MTV Multiplayer. "From our perspective, we like to launch titles when they're ready. And so they'll be ready. They'll be ready soon -- just not in that initial time period of late March to early June." In other words: "after E3." That leaves Nintendo with a somewhat dubious 3DS launch "window" lineup (we still don't know exact release dates) of first-party titles -- three to be exact: Nintendogs + cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver. You could make a case for those first two serving strong supporting roles in the hardware launch; and Reggie, off the top of his head, said that the Nintendogs and Pilotwings franchises have combined to sell "tens of millions of copies," despite neither being a particularly prolific sequel bearer. Steel Diver, on the other hand, is an unknown (it began as a tech demo for the original DS) and stars ... a rather drab submarine. Astutely sensing our apathy for the game, Reggie explained that "from a compelling standpoint, we think it's awfully compelling." If you're not buying it ... you could just buy Street Fighter IV again.
3DS 'launch window' to include more than 30 games leading up to E3
Did you hear? It's got a built-in pedometer! The 3DS measures your steps as you walk -- right there in your pocket! Even better: You can pull the thing out whenever and snap all kinds of pics -- the thing's got three cameras! And get this: It also pipes out music, browses the internet and even plays games. True, you've already got a pile of old DS games (and now defunct DS devices) that you could be playing on your new pedometer, but more than 30 three-DEE titles are expected to be released during the 3DS "launch window" (which begins March 27 and promptly closes on June 7 with the start of E3). We've listed 24 of the apparent launch-window releases after the break (though Nintendo's being coy about exact dates), including Nintendo's own Nintendogs + cats and Pilotwings Resort, plus a hearty helping of third-party support; with notable newcomers, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (previously unannounced outside of Japan) and Crush 3D, a possible port of the 2007 PSP platforming puzzler from Sega. Don't look at the date ambiguity in dismay -- see it as an opportunity! Beginning in late March, you can walk to and from GameStop in anticipation of a new batch of games each Tuesday for ten whole weeks, and the 3DS will count your steps -- each and every one of them! And just imagine how many Street Passes you're going to rack up?
Nintendo World 2011's 3DS games unveiled
Nintendo's official website for Nintendo World 2011, next month's public showing of the 3DS in Japan, has been updated, now highlighting the full list of games to be shown during the Tokyo event. Playable versions of everything from MGS3: Snake Eater to Pilotwings Resort will be on hand, though, bizarrely, some demos that were playable at this year's E3 will be for display only, including Starfox 64 3D. Nintendo has also announced that the 3DS will make an appearance at next month's World Hobby Fair (also in Japan) and at two Japanese outlet shopping centers, according to 1UP. We suspect you'd find the shortest lines at those outlets, but, personally, we'd rather take our chances at the Makuhari Messe event to check out the long list of titles (found after the break) than watch a few demos at the local Uniqlo.
Pilotwings Resort flying to 3DS
Though there have been shades of it in games like Wii Sports Resort, we've been without a new entry in the Pilotwings series since 1996 with Pilotwings 64. The 14-year wait is finally coming to a close with Pilotwings Resort, which is headed to the 3DS according to a list distributed this morning.
