Feb. 29 to Mar. 6 Nintendo News Roundup

March 3 Nintendo Direct Roundup

Below you can find the full Nintendo Direct presentations for each region and their respective official overviews.

You can also find a video reel that was shown during the European Direct, featuring upcoming and recently released 3rd Party and Indie titles.

Furthermore, you can find all the new release dates and official game pages for each region on our Release Calendar page.

All game specific information will be covered in each game’s section in this post and the 3rd Party and Indie Roundup posts to be released during the week.

North America

Official Overview for North America

Europe / Australasia

Official Overview for Europe

Official Overview for Australasia

Japan

Official Overview for Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is now out everywhere, except for Japan.

During the week, we got another three tweets on the official Japanese Zelda Twitter talking about more improvements made in Twilight Princess HD. You can find the contents of the tweets below:

“…It’s Malo. According to pops with the beard (Aonuma), the Rupees taken won’t be returned to treasure chests even if your wallet is full. …with this, you should be able to more easily understand how far you have progressed… but where did the excess Rupees go? …You shouldn’t think too hard about it.”

“…It’s Malo. He’s wearing boots made of iron… But why could he stand upside-down… Normally he should have fallen… Until the trick is exposed, I won’t let him out of my shop even for one step…”

“…It’s Malo. Sometimes you’d better take a breather… Tips for fishing well? Ah right… don’t get distracted by the woman behind you. For some reason all adult males are unable to do that though…”

Moreover, Nintendo uploaded another two videos in its Twilight Princess Retrospective series, where staff members reflected on gameplay, dungeons, and bringing the game to the Wii U. Check them out below:

Moreover, Nintendo uploaded a couple of music tracks from the game to its Youtube channel. These are the Hyrule Field Theme and Midna’s Lament, which you can listen to below.

Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma also shared a launch day message with Zelda fans worldwide via Miiverse. Check it out below:

Eiji Aonuma and Wii U assistant director Tomomi Sano also participated in an interview with Nintendo Life pertaining to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. The two discussed the thought process behind remaking Twilight Princess HD, the frame rate of the game, enhancements that were tough to implement, and what ideas went into the Miiverse stamps and Wolf Link amiibo. Aonuma also commented on how Twilight Princess has personal significance for him due to helping him connect with his wife and son through his work, and why the title resonates with players. You can read these two parts of the interview over here and here.

Finally, we have a technical analysis of the game by DigitalFoundry, comparing the frame rate drops between the three versions of the game. Quite surprising results in this one.

Hyrule Warriors Legends

It was announced during the Direct that Hyrule Warriors Legends will be getting four DLC packs, just like Hyrule Warriors for Wii U.

You will be able to buy all four packs together in a DLC pack and get a bonus costume for Ganondorf with it, which is based on his Wind Waker appearence.

The first DLC pack will include a new playable character in Medli from the Wind Waker, using her harp for battle purposes.

A free demo for Hyrule Warriors Legends is now available in the European eShop too.

You can find artwork for the Ganondorf costume and Medli below, followed by a new trailer for the game.

Pokkén Tournament

Nintendo has released a new Combo video for Pokkén Tournament in its UK Youtube channel. Check it out:

Nintendo UK is also hosting a “Countdown Clash” for Pokkén Tournament in anticipation of the game’s launch on March 18th. You can find more about it by watching the videos below.

The Japanese Pokémon Youtube channel also uploaded a couple of new promo videos for Pokkén Tournament, which you can find below.

https://youtu.be/ULF1M2XaClM

https://youtu.be/Gsubkuat514

Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO developer Niantic was set to hold a presentation about the game at GDC 2016, where they would reveal new info and presumably show actual gameplay footage for the first time. Unfortunately, this presentation has now been cancelled.

GameInformer reached out to Niantic in search of a reason for this. Here’s the reply statement from Niantic’s CEO John Hanke, who was going to host the now-cancelled presentation:

“We have decided to forego our GDC talk on Pokémon GO in order to focus on getting the product ready for beta test and launch,” says Niantic CEO John Hanke. “As much as we hate to disappoint those in the industry attending GDC, we feel our time and energy right now are best spent on making sure every aspect of the product is where we want it to be.”

Niantic then proceeded to open up the possibility to register for the Japanese field tests on March 3, via their website.

Niantic announced:

“The Pokémon Company and Niantic will be inviting users to field test Pokémon GO in Japan later this month. The Pokémon GO field test program will give users the opportunity to share early feedback and help improve the Pokémon GO experience. Please stay tuned for information about expansion of the field test to other markets.”

This month’s issue of GamesMaster also features an interview with Junichi Masuda, where he commented specifically on Pokémon GO for a bit, stating that the game “will bring about a new kind of experience, different from that of existing Pokémon titles”.

Here’s Masuda’s full comment:

“Amongst other things, this year will see the launch of Pokémon Go – a groundbreaking mobile game that will encourage fans to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Players will be able to catch, trade, and battle in the real world by utilizing location information.

“I have been involved personally in the project. It is a game where players can search, trade and battle Pokémon in the real world. I think Pokémon Go will bring about a new kind of experience, different from that of existing Pokémon titles, allowing players to explore their own neighborhoods, searching for Pokémon together with their friends. It is in this way that we hope that Pokémon Go, which will be released in 2016, will provide new enjoyment to our fans.”

Pokémon 20th Anniversary

The celebratory distribution for Celebi via Mystery Gift is now available for all Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games, until March 24. A new trailer has also been uploaded to promote the distribution and other 20th Anniversary products. Check it out:

Those who have Pokémon Bank can also obtain a Regirock, Regice and Registeel with their Hidden Ability by accessing the app between March 4 and October 31.

Here’s an overview of the promotion from The Pokémon Company:

“You can get the Pokémon trio by selecting the Pokémon Link option from the menu screen of your Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby, or Pokémon Alpha Sapphire game. Once you’ve received the Pokémon in Pokémon Bank, select Pokémon Link and the three Pokémon will be sent to a Box in your game. The three Pokémon will be sent one at a time from Pokémon Bank. Note that you can receive these Pokémon only once per Pokémon Bank account, even if you have multiple copies of Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby, or Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.

Each of the three Pokémon that you receive has a Hidden Ability, a trait they do not possess when found in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. This is your first chance to get these Pokémon with their Hidden Abilities, so don’t miss this opportunity!”

And here’s a breakdown of Regirock, Regice and Registeel:

Regirock

With the Hidden Ability Sturdy, if Regirock has full HP and is hit with an attack that would normally knock it out, it will be able to endure the hit with 1 HP remaining. This is a great Ability for Regirock to have, being a Rock type with many weaknesses.

Level: 50
Ability: Sturdy
Moves: Explosion
Ice Punch
Stone Edge
Hammer Arm

Regice

Regice’s Hidden Ability Ice Body allows it to restore HP when the weather condition is hail. Regice is strong against opponents that attack it with special moves. By using Hail, it can recover HP throughout the battle while doing even more damage!

Level: 50
Ability: Ice Body
Moves: Thunderbolt
Amnesia
Ice Beam
Hail

Registeel

Registeel’s Hidden Ability Light Metal reduces its weight by half. This decreases the damage it will take from moves such as Low Kick and Grass Knot that are more powerful the heavier the target is. It is especially good for Low Kick, a Fighting-type move that is super effective against the Steel-type Registeel. Roll with those supereffective punches and strike back!

Level: 50
Ability: Light Metal
Moves: Iron Head
Rock Slide
Gravity
Iron Defense

If you haven’t seen the special edition boxes released in Japan for Pokemon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow yet, you might want to take a look at this unboxing video by NintenDaan:

This week’s episode of Nintendo Minute was also dedicated to the 20th Anniversary, as Kit and Krysta reflect on their time at Nintendo NY for the Pokémon Day celebration and their trip to the local GameStop to check out the Pokkén Tournament Early Access Competition. You can watch the video below:

Finally, a new Japanese trailer for Pokémon: The Movie – Volcanion and The Ingenious Magearna was also released during the week, which you can watch below.

Super Mario Maker

It was announced during the Direct that Super Mario Maker will be receiving a new update on March 9, bringing the game up to version 1.40.

The patch for version 1.40 will require 361MB of free space and will add new items including Skewer columns and keys, Super Expert Mode in 100-Mario Challenge upon clearing Expert mode, and ranking categories for world records and the number of first clears on courses on the Super Mario Maker Bookmark site. Nintendo is also making adjustments for a more pleasant gaming experience.

You can also find a new Japanese trailer below showcasing the new additions to the game.

An official trailer for the Wolf Link costume is now available too. Check it out:

Meanwhile, Nintendo has announced a new Event Course that lets players obtain the Statue Mario costume.

Here’s an overview of the level titled “Secrets of Statue Mario”:

“From Super Mario Bros. 3, Statue Mario finally makes his Super Mario Maker debut! But there’s no Tanooki Suit in this game, and he can’t move on his own, so… I guess we’ll just have to carry him. He’s heavier than he looks, you know!

Can you carry him all the way to the goal”?

You can also find a trailer for the costume below, followed by some gameplay footage from the course.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was scheduled for release on June 24 (25 for Australasia; 23 for Japan) during the latest Nintendo Direct.

Rugby and Rhythmic Gymnastics were also introduced as new games to be featured in the title.

You can find the opening movie and some new screenshots below, followed by a look at soccer in the 3DS version of the game.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

Paper Mario: Color Splash was announced during the Direct and is coming to Wii U later this year.

The games features a colorless Prism Island which Paper Mario must bring color back to using his new paint hammer. In battle, you can paint special cards and then flick them to start the battle. It is said to be a colorful title.

You can find some screenshots from the game in the gallery below:

Mini Mario & Friends amiibo Challenge

Mini Mario & Friends amiibo Challenge was announced during the Direct. It will be available in North America starting March 25th with amiibo purchases in select retailers, for both the Wii U and 3DS. The game will later release on the eShop on April 28th. No announcement has been made yet regarding a PAL version of the game.

Splatoon

It was announced during the Direct that Splatoon is still going to receive another two updates.

The first of these is due out on March 8, balancing gear and updating the matchmaking system. Another patch will be released later to add pre-selected weapon combos to the in-game shop under the name “Sheldon’s Picks”.

You can find an overview of the March 8 version 2.6.0 update adjustments below, followed by some screenshots related to the new updates.

Stage Adjustments:

• Object placement in Regular Battle for the following stages will be changed to match that in Splat Zones.
  • Arowana Mall
  • Moray Towers

Matchmaking and Team Assignment Adjustments:

• Until now, team assignments in Ranked Battle were completely random, but some consideration will now be given to equipped weapons when assigning teams.
• Ranked Battle Matchmaking will be changed so that players of the following ranks are not matched together.
  • S+ and S
  • S and A+
  • A- and B+
  • B- and C+
  • This change may be subject to further adjustment depending on changes to matchmaking times that occur as a result.

Changes to Rank Points:

• During Ranked Battles, when a team plays at a disadvantage due to unavoidable issues such as teammates being disconnected, and then loses, the winning team’s points will be decreased by an amount proportional to the time they benefited from the above conditions.

Gear Ability Adjustments:

• Adjustments have been made to the efficacy of certain Gear Abilities.
  • More Info

Splatfest Changes:

• During Splatfests what was previously the Vibe Meter will now display your Splatfest Power.
  • Initial Splatfest Power level depends upon your current Ranked Battle rank.
  • Splatfest Power level will change depending on wins or losses during Splatfest Battles.
  • The player with the highest Splatfest Power on the winning team will receive a slightly larger boost to their Splatfest Power than their teammates after the match.
• Until now, Splatfest matchmaking favored grouping players with similar play styles. Players will now be more likely to play with those of similar Splatfest Power level.
• The higher a team’s average Splatfest Power level, the more Splatfest Points they will earn after winning.

The Japanese Direct also announced the next Splatfest for Japan, which will be held from March 12 (Saturday) at 9: 00 to March 13 (Sunday) at 9:00. The event is a collaboration with the Dragon Quest franchise and asks players to choose their favorite monster, the She-slime or the Healslime.

Kirby: Planet Robobot

A new Kirby game, titled Kirby: Planet Robobot, was announced for the 3DS during the latest Direct.

Here’s an overview of Kirby: Planet Robobot from the North American game page:

Harness the power of a mysterious mech to stop the ruthless Haltmann Works Company from mechanizing Kirby’s home world. Smash through tough obstacles, lift heavy objects with ease, and scan enemies to shape-shift into new Modes with powerful abilities in this supercharged action-platformer!

That’s right—Kirby’s Robobot Armor can shape-shift into different modes by scanning enemies to copy their moves—like the new Jet Mode. Not to mention, Kirby™ can copy abilities the old-fashioned way too—by inhaling them! After saving the world, team up with three friends to defeat foes in Team Kirby Clash, an RPG-styled 4-player brawl where you choose from varied classes and level them up. Need a quick fix? Take on challenges in a 3D space and aim for a high score in Kirby 3D Rumble. Ready for a challenge? Play as Meta Knight in a blazing-fast time attack mode to fight new bosses and tougher enemies while Kirby takes a well-deserved nap!

– Use the mysterious Robobot Armor to scan enemies and shape-shift into powerful Modes
– Kirby’s copy ability returns, allowing him to inhale, spit out foes, and transform
– Employ new and improved Copy Abilities including: Doctor: Use clip boards, throw pills, and mix concoctions; ESP: Wear a cool hat and use psychic abilities; Poison: Spray toxic mists and other noxious abilities
– Super Smash Bros.: Gain Kirby’s updated Super Smash Bros. move set
– Use the Download Play feature in Team Kirby Clash, an RPG-styled mode for up to 4 players (or sharpen your skills by playing solo)
– Enjoy a selection of additional game modes, including Meta Knightmare Returns (note: tap amiibo in this mode to heal Meta Knight), Kirby 3D Rumble, and The Arena
– Collect hidden code cubes and stickers in every level and use the stickers to decorate your Robobot Armor

And a few extra details.

Examples of Modes:

– Beam Mode: Launches mysterious beams that bounce and explode
– Fire Mode: Both hands change into flamethrowers, like a burning red dragon
– Sword Mode: Slice evil powers into two with the scientific sword

By scanning amiibo, Kirby can obtain a copy ability or healing items. Any amiibo can be scanned to produce an effect. Some amiibo have random effects, while others are implied to have fixed effects. For example:

– Mario: Fire ability
– Peach: Parasol ability
– Link: Sword ability
– Kirby (Smash Bros. Series): Smash Bros. ability (gives Kirby his Smash Bros. moveset)

A new series of Kirby amiibo was also announced to be launching along with the game with each new amiibo unlocking the following special abilities:

– Kirby: a rare UFO ability
– Meta Knight: special Sword ability
– King Dedede: special Hammer ability
– Waddle Dee: special Parasol ability

You can find some screenshots and artwork of the game and amiibo below, followed by some gameplay footage.

Star Fox Zero

Star Fox Zero was possibly one of the most covered titles during the week, inside and outside of the Direct.

For starters, it was finally announced that Europe will be getting the game on the same day as North America, April 22nd (23rd for Australasia).

Moreover, the Direct gave players a first look at Fortuna, one of the game’s stages. A new co-op mode was also introduced, where one player can control the Arwing using a Pro Controller, while the other player aims and shoots using the Wii U Gamepad. Amiibo compatibility was also confirmed, where you can tap one of the Star Fox amiibos to give the Arwing a 16-bit retro look.

According to USgamer, Nintendo has brought back all of the old voice actors from Star Fox 64 for Star Fox Zero, which is quite the impressive feat.

Below, you can find trailers for the game and the European First Print Edition, followed by some screenshots and artwork in a new gallery.

Meanwhile, Shigeru Miyamoto has participated in a bunch of video interviews, three of them in partnership with various Youtubers, to discuss Star Fox Zero and the series in general, as well as the changes they have decided to make in this game. You can find all the videos below and I recommend watching, since they contain some very interesting insight into the series’ development (videos by IGN, The Game Theorists, That One Video Gamer, TheJWittz):

Miyamoto has also shared his interest in making a transformable Arwing amiibo with GameInformer and why it ultimately didn’t happen. Here’s his comment:

“We were working on a couple of ideas for the game for well over a year. There was one point where we had an Arwing Amiibo that would transform into the walker. But it was really tough to execute that in the normal Amiibo size and in a way that met with product-safety standards. We had to give up on it. For now, it’s only going to work with Fox and Falco from the Super Smash Bros. series. At some point, if we don’t have to do it at Amiibo size, it might be nice to have that Arwing that can transform into a walker.”

Nintendo has also explained why you can’t turn off motion controls:

“Motion controls cannot be entirely disabled in Star Fox Zero, although players will have some options to choose how they are implemented. The game was designed to be played with motion controls, and it would be incredibly difficult to complete certain areas of the game without the independent aiming and flight that they offer.”

Finally, you can find some gameplay footage and comparisons below:

Star Fox Guard

It was announced during the Direct that Project Guard has been rebranded as Star Fox Guard and will be launching in all regions along Star Fox Zero.

The game will see a retail release together with Star Fox Zero and will also receive an eShop release as a stand alone title.

The Japanese website for the game states that the player is a fresh new staff member at Corneria Precious Metals Ltd., a company that runs a rare metal mining business. Your task is to repel intruder robots who invade the rare metal mining base, and to do so, you’re provided with surveillance cameras equipped with lasers.

Grippy Toad is the CEO of Corneria Special Metals Ltd. and Slippy’s uncle, while Slippy Toad is the developer of the surveillance cameras.

There are 12 cameras set in each stage, and images from each one is shown on the TV screen. The player can search for the enemies alone or have friends help them by looking at the TV. Once the enemy is found, the player can use the Wii U GamePad to focus their aim and shoot lasers from the cameras. The enemies cannot be allowed to reach the tower that’s located at the center of the base or otherwise it’ll be a game over.

Over 100 missions are included in Star Fox Guard, divided into two categories: Main Mission and Extra Mission.

In Main Mission, you take on missions to defend rare metal mining bases located on planets in the Lilat system, including Corneria and Titania. By progressing through main missions, Extra Missions which have different rules from usual will be unlocked and can be challenged.

The Star Fox Guard site gives these examples as Extra Missions:

– Sniper: Protect the base with limited ammo. The point is to aim well to not miss when shooting.
– Airborne: Enemies invade from the sky by using parachute drops. Shoot them down before they land.
– Tottori Tour: A camera is installed on top of a Tottori. It moves all around the stage, but at the same time the player needs to aim at enemies from there. This is classified as an advanced level mission.

Enemy robots come in two types, the attack type and the jammer type. Here’s some details on each:

Attack Type: move towards the central tower.

– Attacker: Shooting it once will make it split its upper body, which makes it lighter and move faster.
– Shield: It can protect against frontal attacks with its shield, but its back is completely unguarded.

Jammer Type: focus’ more on hindering player’s attempts to destroy the robots.

– Hi-Ho: Low health and easy to destroy, but its objective is to get close to a camera and self-explode, damaging the camera.
– Jack: Emits interference signals which will cut off access to cameras.
– Smog: Destroying it will spew out smog which will hamper visibility.
– Green Tank: Uses cannon fire to attack and destroy cameras.

In addition to what’s mentioned above, giant enemy boss robots are included in the game as well.

You can find some gameplay footage, screenshots and artwork below.

Fire Emblem Fates

Fire Emblem Fates has finally got a release date for PAL territories during the latest Nintendo Direct. The game will be out on May 20 for Europe and May 21 for Australasia.

PAL regions will be getting the Special Edition and New 3DS XL previously seen in other territories too, which you can take a look at in the trailers below:

The Japanese Direct has also announced the second wave of Fire Emblem Fates DLC, which will be releasing soon in Japan. You can find the full rundown of the maps below, thanks to Serenes Forest and Siliconera.

Hoshidan Festival of Bonding

– Will cost 250 yen and be available starting March 16 in Japan.
– The group visits Hoshido in another world. Here, a festival to celebrate the growth of children is underway. But crooks have come to spoil the fun…
– This map offers special illustrations, parent-child conversations and the Exalt’s Brand.

Nohrian Festival of Bonding

– Will cost 250 yen and be available starting March 23 in Japan.
– The group visits Nohr in another world. Here, a festival to celebrate the ties between friends is underway. But Faceless have come to spoil the fun…
– This map features special illustrations, 1st generation conversations and the Hero’s Brand

Short-Lived Memories

– A pack of six maps for 1,500 yen and will be available on March 16 in Japan.
– The Deeprealms are attacked and the children have lost their parents and their homes. Those who managed to escape early face new friends and an inescapable battle.
– Shiro and Siegbert are shown conversing, saying “so we can’t do anything but sit here and wait until it’s all over… until Shigure dies?”
– Completing one of the maps without losing any characters will give the Point Blank skill and other rewards.

Meanwhile, Nintendo has started a new developer series dedicated to Fire Emblem Fates. You can find the first episode “A Tale of Two Families: Birthright” below:

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

It was announced during the Direct that Genei Ibun Roku #FE is to be named Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE in the western version, which will release on June 24th for North America and Europe, and June 25th for Australasia.

Since the game makes use of a Japanese setting, the western versions will just include the original Japanese VO track with English subtitles.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

The latest Direct gave us our first news about Metroid Prime: Federation Force since we last saw the game at E3 2015.

Federation Force is set to release by late Spring in North America, June in Japan, Summer in Europe and Winter in Australasia.

According to Nintendo, Metroid Prime: Federation Force was always intended to be an online multiplayer experience and part of the Metroid Prime series. The game details the struggle between the Galactic Federation and the infamous Space Pirates. Like in an RPG, players can customize their “role” in the game, with some players focusing on weapons and others on healing.

Below, you can find a video message from Kensuke Tanabe, the Metroid Prime series producer, a new story trailer, some gameplay footage, and a new batch of screenshots and artwork from the game.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix

Rhythm Heaven (Paradise) Megamix has been announced for a late 2016 release in western regions in the latest Nintendo Direct.

You can find some screenshots and artwork below:

Pocket Card Jokey

It was announced in the Direct that Game Freak will be releasing its Pocket Card Jokey in the North American 3DS eShop in May.

The game’s focus is on playing fast-paced games of solitaire to propel your horse through intense races. You can level-up your horse and increase its stats through the competitions, and later you can even acquire sponsors or breed your horses for more racing champions.

You can find some screenshots in the gallery below:

Nintendo Selects

Nintendo has officially confirmed a new wave of Nintendo Selects for North America. Several Wii U, 3DS and Wii games will be joining the lineup on March 11, dropping in price to $19.99.

The list of games includes:

– Pikmin 3
– Super Mario 3D World
– Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
– NES Remix Pack
– Super Mario Galaxy 2
– Super Mario All-Stars
– Animal Crossing: City Folk
– Donkey Kong Country Returns
– The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
– Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
– Yoshi’s New Island
– Mario Party: Island Tour

Nintendo of America’s Scott Moffitt said of today’s news:

“Whether you just picked up a new Wii U or Nintendo 3DS system over the holiday season or want to expand your ever-growing game collection, Nintendo Selects are a great, affordable option. Not only are these games easier than ever to enjoy, but they also represent some of our highest-quality offerings in recent memory.”

And here’s a look at all the new box arts for the new wave of Nintendo Selects titles:

Happy Price Selection

Nintendo will be kicking off a similar promotional effort in Japan with “Happy Price Selection”, reducing the price of several 3DS titles to 2,700 Yen from March 17.

The included games are:

– Tobidase Doubtsu no Mori (Animal Crossing: New Leaf) (Nintendo)
– Tomodachi Collection: Shin Seikatsu (Tomodachi Life) (Nintendo
– Luigi’s Mansion 2 (Nintendo)
– Nintendogs+cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)
– Nintendogs+cats: French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo)
– Nintendogs+cats: Shiba Inu & New Friends (Nintendo)
– Dora Eigo: Nobita to Yousei no Fushigi Collection (Shogakukan)
– Sumikko Gurashi: Koko ga Ochitsukundesu (Nippon Columbia)
– Kuma ・Tomo (Bandai-Namco)
– Gotouji Tetsudou ~ Gotoji Chara to Nippon Zenkoku no Tabi~ (Bandai-Namco)
– Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigina Orb (Bandai-Namco)
– Bokujou Monogatari: Hajimari no Daichi (Harvest Moon: A New Beginning) (Marvelous)

And here’s a promo video showcasing all of them:

Virtual Console

It was announced during the Direct that the New 3DS will now receive SNES games for its Virtual Console service.

In PAL territories, games will be released two at a time, and you can buy one of them at half price if you buy the other one too.

Here’s the title llineup for each region:

North America

Out Now:

– Pilot Wings
– Super Mario World
– F-Zero

March 24:

– Super Mario Kart
– Earthbound
– Donkey Kong Country

April 14:

– The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
– Super Metroid
– Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Europe / Australasia

Out Now:

– Super Mario World
– Earthbound

March 10:

– The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
– Super Metroid

March 17:

– F-Zero
– Super Mario Kart

March 24:

– Donkey Kong Country
– Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Japan

Out Now:

– Super Mario World
– F-Zero
– Donkey Kong Country
– The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
– Earthbound

Other upcoming titles include:

– Kirby’s Dream Course
– Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem
– Fire Emblem: Geneology of the Holy War
– Mega Man X
– Mega Man X2
– Mega Man X3
– Mega Man 7
– Street Fighter II Turbo
– Super Street Fighter 2
– Street Fighter Alpha 2
– Final Fight
– Final Fight 2
– Final Fight Guy
– Super Ghouls and GhostsMystical Ninja Starring Goemon
– Contra III: The Alien Wars
– Super Castlevania IV

You can find trailers for some of these and other Virtual Console titles for both the 3DS and Wii U below.

Super Mario World / F-Zero / Pilotwings (North America, SNES, New 3DS)

F-Zero (Japan, SNES, New 3DS)

Super Mario World (Japan, SNES, New 3DS)

Donkey Kong Country (Japan, SNES, New 3DS)

Earthbound (Japan, SNES, New 3DS)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Japan, SNES, New 3DS)

Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Europe, DS, Wii U)

Kirby Mass Attack (Japan, DS, Wii U)

Universal Studios Japan x Nintendo

New information regarding Universal and Nintendo’s partnership was reported last month, confirming that the collaboration between the two sides would extend to Japan. Sankei West now shares a few more nuggets of information about this in a new article.

Universal Studios Japan plans to spend 40 billion yen (about $352.76 million / €320.23 million) on Nintendo attractions, which will be housed on the left side of the park’s main gate. The plan is to have the work done by 2020 in time for the Summer Olympics in Japan. It’s a large-scale investment, considered about the same scale as the Harry Potter-themed area that opened back in July 2014.

Universal Studios Japan raises its profits by taking a peculiar route where it makes attractions based on not only movies, but also Japanese games and anime, so they have a basic agreement with Nintendo in a cooperative effort to expand business. At first it was assumed that the partnership was going to be only a single Mario-themed attraction, but considering how the investment level is the same as Harry Potter’s, the possibility is high that the area will be expanded into multiple attractions along with restaurants and goods shops.

Since it’s going to be built right to the left side of the main gate, it’s assumed to be using the area currently used for events. Universal Studios Japan only has some land it can expand into, but since they’re considering to move the area used for offices and staff rooms right next to event area, this space can be secured.

Erik Peterson leaves Nintendo

Erik Peterson spent many years at Nintendo, contributing to the localization of various games for the western market. He has now announced on the past day of February 29 that he’s leaving the company.

You may recognize Peterson as one of the leading faces behind the Nintendo Treehouse streams, including the ones hosted during E3 events. In total, he spent 13 years working at Nintendo of America.

Peterson posted on Twitter:

Big life news! After 13 yrs, I’m moving on from Nintendo. I’ll miss my Nintendo family–so grateful for such an unbelievable experience.

— Erik Peterson (@CountLePants) 29 de fevereiro de 2016

 

But I’m also really excited for this new phase of my life. Thank you for your support all these years!

— Erik Peterson (@CountLePants) 29 de fevereiro de 2016

Wherever you may go next, thank you for all the hard work in the last 13 years Erik. Here’s to your future success! 🙂

Rumour: Kensuke Tanabe no longer working with Retro Studios, Yoshio Sakamoto could be new NCL producer

Kensuke Tanabe has long been associated with Retro Studios over the years, specially when it comes to the Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong franchises. While working with the company, Tanabe acted as a producer, or co-producer, on all of its games. However, the two sides “are allegedly no longer on good terms”, at least according to a recent report from Liam Robertson.

Robertson claims in his report that:

“Last year, I was investigating Tanabe with regards to this. This involved speaking to a number of developers who had worked alongside him. The way in which they all described Tanabe’s directorial style was fascinating. Their words built up a portrait in my mind of a Gordon Ramsey esque figure who strived for perfection and berated anything short of it. It’s difficult for me to fully convey my impressions of him without explicitly detailing the anecdotes shared with me in confidence, which could compromise those involved; but I will try my best to elaborate.

The majority of those I spoke to about their experiences with Tanabe told tales of how he would quite often explode with great passion on certain designers when one of them either made what he perceived to be a mistake, or boldly challenged a creative decision of his.

None of these employees spoke of the producer begrudgingly, however. On the contrary, they described him as a competent creative and leader; albeit a fiery personality. If that makes him sound a bit like J. K. Simmons’ character from Whiplash, that’s not completely off the mark; minus the hurling of furniture and general psychological torment.”

After working with Tanabe on Tropical Freeze, some employees at Retro were apparently unhappy, which led to Retro management appealing to NCL about the situation, while taking the opportunity to ask for more autonomy and freedom.

Apparently, Nintendo did respond to some of Retro’s requests. Tanabe was eventually removed, but a new staffer from NCL took over his role. This portion of Robertson’s report is less certain, but he speculates that the producer in question might be Yoshio Sakamoto, which has had a huge role in the development of the Metroid series since its inception. This doesn’t necessarily mean Retro is creating a new Metroid entry, mind you. Sakamoto was also greatly involved with Tomodachi Life and in 2014 showed interest in creating “new experiences” as opposed to traditional games.

For now, we will have to wait and see if these rumours turn out to be true.

Personal note: Imagine how akward it would be for some Retro Studios personnel to be working with the man that erased the Metroid Prime games from the Metroid series’ cannon when he made Other M… yeah…

Rumour: Nintendo funding Beyond Good & Evil 2 as an NX exclusive

Destructoid recently reported that Nintendo is funding Beyond Good & Evil 2, and not only that, the site claims that the game is planned as an NX exclusive for 2017. This could be a move similar to the previous one involving Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U, trying to help Nintendo generate goodwill with gamers by helping bring a much-desired sequel to its new platform as an exclusive.

Destructoid’s initial source originates from Alexander Maier, who recently posted a series of rumours about NX. However, the outlet “also reached out to a second source, who independently gave a number of the same bullet points regarding the future of Beyond Good and Evil. The number of points of crossover between these two sources suggests that this rumor, while not confirmed by Nintendo, may hold water.”

The new game may be currently carrying the working title “Beyond Good and Evil: The Prejudices of Philosophers”. This is said to be “a reference to a specific chapter in the philosophical text Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche, which details how morality can be altered by authority, and the ways black-and-white morality overlooks the larger complexity of the nature of morals”.

As with all rumors, please take this report with a grain of salt. Still would be interesting to see this move come to life though.