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Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD hits Wii U in October
Nintendo just announced the HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker sets sail for the Wii U this October. Nintendo also detailed that it's altering the original GameCube game's Tingle Tuner functionality with the Game Boy Advance. In the 1080p Wii U remaster it'll be titled Tingle Bottle, and will be compatible with Miiverse. The tingly feature will see Miiverse messages will appear in bottles on the shores of players' games.%Gallery-191110%
Mario Kart 8 races to Wii U Spring 2014
During today's E3 Nintendo Direct stream, president Satoru Iwata revealed Mario Kart 8 for Wii U. This new entry in the series will launch in Spring 2014. Last month, Nintendo teased not only a new Mario Kart, but also the new Smash Bros. and more. You can watch the ongoing Nintendo Direct stream here.%Gallery-191096%
Wii Party U announced for Wii U, coming in October
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced Wii Party U for the Wii U during the company's Nintendo Direct stream today. This sequel to Wii Party was initially announced at a January Nintendo Direct event, but now has a full title and an October 2013 release date. A gameplay trailer for the game showed four-player mini-game competitions, including ones in which players race animals around a track and another where four players use one Wii U Game Pad. Wii Party U will include 80 different mini-games.wii party u %Gallery-191103%
Super Mario 3D World pounces on Wii U Dec. 2013 [Update: Trailer added]
After years of seeing the New Super Mario Bros. series taking over consoles, Nintendo gamers are in for a treat this December: today's Nintendo Direct included the announcement of Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U, which includes a roster identical to the line-up of the 1988 NES classic Super Mario Bros. 2. As indicated by its name, 3D World contains the same type of game play as its 3DS predecessor, but with an added cat-themed power-up for added cuteness, and the same multiplayer madness as the New Super Mario Bros. series. R.I.P. Blue Toad: we knew thee well.%Gallery-191101%
Watch Nintendo's E3 Direct right here [Update: It's over!]
Welcome to the Nintendo Direct of Nintendo Directs in 2013 - the fully armed and operational Death Star of Nintendo Directs, if you will. Thanks to the House of Mario's decision to forego the traditional E3 conference, this morning brings a Direct broadcast that should be stuffed to the brim with announcements and games. Nintendo's streamed presentations are often packed with news, but this is Eee Three, and it's a whole minus world of hidden gems. Nintendo has already promised us it'll be showcasing the new 3D Mario, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros games for the Wii U today, and we're sure it has plenty of other things up its Wii U and 3DS sleeves. As ever, we've got the North American stream up top for you to watch right here on Joystiq, as well as the European and Japanese streams below the break. The whole shebang kicks off at 7AM PT/10AM ET (3PM UK) and we'll have all the news as it happens. Update: It's done, check out everything that happened right here.
Monster Hunter 4 tracks Japan Sep. 14 [update: trailer, Ace Attorney Iwata]
Monster Hunter 4 seeks out Japan on September 14. Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto announced the release date in a Nintendo Direct today, during which he also unveiled two limited edition MH4 3DS XLs. Both designs are due at launch, and come with the game. There's no news as yet on MH4 localization for the west. Update: We've added in the new trailer that was shown during the Direct broadcast. You can find the MH4 3DS designs after the break, along with the undoubted highlight of today's Direct: Ace Attorney Iwata.
Monster Hunter 4, Ace Attorney 5 feature in Nintendo Direct for Japan this week
Japan is getting a bit of exclusive Nintendo Direct love this week. On Friday, May 31, Nintendo will broadcast a presentation that will focus on 3DS games Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies and Monster Hunter 4. The Direct, which you can watch here, begins at 8PM in Japan (4AM PT, 7AM ET, midday Brit-time). Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies has its release date of July 25 in Japan - it's scheduled to come west to the eShop this autumn. Monster Hunter 4, however, is still undated, so maybe this week's Direct will see its summer window upgraded to something more concrete.
Wonderful 101 arrives on Wii U September 15 in NA, August 23 in EU
Nintendo has revealed that Wonderful 101 will land on the Wii U on September 15 in North America and on August 23 in Europe. Coming from Platinum Games, Wonderful 101 sees players wielding ordinary citizens as weapons. It's as nutty as it sounds.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games coming to Wii U
A new Mario & Sonic game is headed to the Wii U. Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games reunites the members of the Mushroom Kingdom with Sonic and friends for a bit of snowy competition. Winter Games will offer lots of events that make use of both Wii Motion Plus and the Wii U GamePad, sometimes in combination. For example, the Biathlon uses the Wii Remote for skiing, while the GamePad is used as a scope for rifle sections. (Side note: The Biathlon is a weird event.) Other events shown include bobsledding, snowboarding, skiing, skating and more. Launch timing was not announced, though winter seems like a good bet.
Watch this morning's summery Nintendo Direct right here [update: and it's done]
We're not sure today's Nintendo Direct will announce much in the way of new Wii U games. Well, it' unlikely to reveal any new EA ones, anyway. What we do know is that the North American broadcast covers Wii U and 3DS games coming in the summer. As ever, the North American stream intertwines with simultaneous ones from Europe and Japan. Ninty's Euro division says its stream is about spring and summer Wii U games. Should you prefer, you can find both those streams after the break. We hope you're ready to rumble, because this summer party gets started at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM UK) right here on this post, right here on this Joystiq. We'll have all the news for you as it's revealed, like lots of little suns peeking out from behind an Iwata-shaped cloud. Update: It's all over, friends. And there was a new game...
Wii U Direct tomorrow covers summer, autumn details around E3
Nintendo of America tell us it's got a Direct for tomorrow that's focused on summer Wii U and 3DS games. The company's Euro division also has a Wii U-focused Direct scheduled for the same time. Just to be different, its Direct is on spring and summer Wii U games. We've no confirmation of one for Japan yet, but chances are tomorrow's another worldwide triforce of Directs. Nintendo of Europe also announced there'll be a Direct broadcast around the time of next month's E3 conference, and that one will cover Wii U games for "autumn and beyond." Nintendo recently revealed it'll have two closed events at E3 in lieu of the traditional presentation. The company noted "Nintendo Direct videos in the run up to E3," so there may be more pre-E3 broadcasts beyond the autumn one. As ever, you'll be able to tune in to tomorrow's streams here on Joystiq, so we recommend you move precisely no muscles for the next day or so. Well, the streams will be in a new post, so you'll have to move some muscles. Apart from that, we'll see you right here(-ish) at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM UK) tomorrow.
Nintendo Direct roundup: Earthbound, Zelda, and more
That was a particularly meaty Nintendo Direct, even by previous standards, so we've got out the carving knife and cut it up into more manageable bits. Here's a bite-sized version of everything Nintendo announced in this morning's broadcast. The 3DS is getting a new Zelda, and it'll be a top-down affair set in the world of SNES classic A Link to the Past. Meanwhile, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons make their journeys west to the eShop on May 30. If you like new 3DS games, and you also like a bit of Yoshi's Island and Mario Party, then you're most likely a very happy bunny today. Japanese games heading west: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy wings over to North America next year, as does Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy - the prof visits Europe this year first. Meanwhile, Level-5's 'Guild02' is coming to the eShop. North America has one over Europe when it comes to Shin Megami Tensei 4, though, thanks to a concrete July 16 release date. Game & Wario hops over on June 23. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team follow on August 11 (Europe gets the jump again on Dream Team: July 12). Pikmin 3 finally has a release date, albeit a later than expected one of August 4. The Virtual Console proper is coming to the Wii U in a spring system update next week. In terms of upcoming new arrivals, it's hard to beat Earthbound. The 'New Super Luigi U' DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U is due in the summertime. Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move heads for the 3DS eShop on May 9. Oh, and the Animal Crossing 3DS XL bundle is coming west. [Image Source: Sigil79]
Three more Level-5 collaborations coming to eShop
A second collection of Level-5 games (released in Japan as Guild02) is coming to 3DS eShop as separate downloads. Like the previous collection, each is a collaboration with a known game designer.The Starship Damrey is an adventure game by Kazuya Asano and Takemaru Abiko in which your character wakes up in total darkness and must figure out where, and who, they are. The less cerebral Bugs vs. Tanks by Keiji Inafune lets you control a tiny tank and shoot giant bugs. My Summer Vacation creator Kaz Ayabe's Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale stars a 10-year-old boy who lives in a town where monsters from Japanese TV shows appear every Friday. We'd say "why doesn't he move" but we're also kind of thinking "where can we find that town?"%Gallery-185939%%Gallery-185938%%Gallery-185935%
Animal Crossing 3DS XL coming to North America and Europe
The Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS XL will be released in Europe and North America, Nintendo revealed during separate regional Nintendo Direct presentations. The system retails for $219.99 and comes with a copy of the game pre-loaded on its 4GB SD card.The system, which bears a tiled pattern of Tom Nook leaves, houses, and fruit, will be released alongside the game on June 9 in North America and June 14 in Europe.
Wii U Virtual Console out in North America next week
The Virtual Console will arrive for real on Wii U next week, a Nintendo Direct presentation revealed. The launch lineup includes Excitebike, Super Mario World, Mario Bros. Punch-Out, Super Metroid, Balloon Fight, and F-Zero, with GBA games and N64 games planned for the future.You might notice that some of these Wii U Virtual Console launch games ... are already on the Wii U Virtual Console. F-Zero, Balloon Fight, and Punch-Out were released for 30 cents as an early preview.
New Yoshi's Island game coming to 3DS
A new Yoshi's Island sequel, with the familiar baby-Mario-on-Yoshi, egg-throwing gameplay, is due on 3DS. Footage of the 2.5D game was shown just now on Nintendo Direct. That's pretty much all we know now!
New Mario Party coming to 3DS this winter
You could find a new Mario Party 3DS game in your Christmas stocking this year, since one is being released in Japan, North America, and Europe this winter. The news comes via this morning's Nintendo Direct broadcast, and if you've ever played, seen, or even imagined Mario Party, you know the deal. It's multiplayer competitive minigames.There are some new twists, like AR minigames and some that use drawing. 7 different boards each use their own rule sets. It's coming out this winter.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team in Europe July 12, North America August 11
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, the first entry in the long-running RPG series for the 3DS, will arrive in Europe on July 12. The game will hit North American shores on August 11. Dream Team takes place in Luigi's dreams, giving Mario's second banana something of a starring role, which plays into Nintendo's Year of Luigi.
Watch today's 3DS-focused Nintendo Direct right here [update: it's over!]
Update: And it's over. And there was a lo-ho-ot of news. If you missed the live version, you can check out a replay of the North American Direct above. After a wee flurry of Nintendo Direct broadcasts at the top of the year, it's been kind of a while since we last saw Satoru Iwata do that weird hands thing, or make Reggie Fils-Aime's grasp of other languages look terrible. So that's why we're eager and keen about this morning's batch of Nintendo Direct. Oh, and all the news and announcements and stuff.North America and Europe's Directs are 3DS-focused, while Japan's is based around 'The Year of Luigi.' Japan's Direct should also provide some details on April's Wii U system update, which is expected next week.As ever, we've got the North American stream up high for you to watch here on Joystiq, while Europe and Japan are below the equator - wait no, that's geography (and not good geography). They're below the break. Each stream is scheduled to begin at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM UK), and we'll have all the news on the site as it happens.
Japan's Nintendo Direct is a Luigi Special, Wii U update next week
This morning's Nintendo Direct broadcast for Japan is bringing the Luigi love, and maybe the kind of Luigi love that spills more details on the 'New Super Luigi U' DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U. Nintendo is calling 2013 'The Year of Luigi,' and so far the year's brought us a new Luigi's Mansion game and the announcement of the upcoming NSMB U content. We're not sure that constitutes a year's worth of lanky plumberness, so maybe the other Mario brother has some more surprises up his green-clad sleeves in today's Luigi Special direct.One not-so-surprising bit of news is that the Wii U's April system update is coming next week to Japan. Given that there won't be much April left by the end of next week, there are good odds the update is being released worldwide at the same time. Nintendo is billing the update as a big one, with a chunk of Virtual Console support and reduced UI loading times both part of the package.We expect more details to be spilled in Japan's Nintendo Direct, which you can watch here on Joystiq when it's broadcast live today at 10AM ET (7AM PT, 3PM UK). We'll also have North America and Europe's 3DS-focused broadcasts at the same time for your perusal.
