Nintendo surprised us all this morning with a new Nintendo Direct
dedicated specifically to Mario Kart 8. With release date of May 30 of this
year, it is a good move by Nintendo to get already excited fans even more
pumped for the next game in the series.
Starting up with a rather humorous infomercial skit, the broadcast jumps straight into the presentation. But
rather than doing the traditional presentation, they made this into a
compilation of "TV channels" ranging from infomercials, commercials, news, and documentaries all providing their own information on the game as well as plenty of clips.
Recap of Details
Spin Boosting - Bumping into other
karts/objects during zero-gravity mode will give you a spin boost. Collisions
will allow for risky speed boosts.
Mario Kart Customization
*Customize Kart body, Tires, Glides etc...
Allows for customization of karts which
will effect stats of karts and bikes.
New Challengers
*The 7 Koopalings
*Baby Rosalina
*Metal Mario
*Pink Gold Peach
30 different racers total including Miis
New Items
*Boomerang Flower - Throws fowards up to 3
times. Can hit going forward or back.
*Piranha Plant - Bites at nearby racers
and items on the ground.
*Crazy Eight - Give you 8 times at once!!
*Super Horn - Sound shockwave that affects
all racers around you. Breaks items EVEN BLUE SHELLS
Karts Vs Bikes
*Bikes were faster than Karts in Mario
Kart Wii
*In Mario Kart 8, Karts are faster on
straightaways while bikes are faster on corners. Depends on the course.
Online Racing Details
*4 Online modes
*Race up to 12 players
*Worldwide, Regional, friends, tournaments
*Text and voice chat available in lobby
*Players can hold their own tournaments -
specific rules
*Tournament specific ranking
*Ghosts data from around the world.
*Receive stamps for beating developer
ghosts
*Mario Kart TV - Lets you watch your own
racing highlight reels.
*Upload best ones and download others
*See most popular
*Highlight reels from Mario Kart 8
directly to YouTube!!
Music
*Sound tracks were recorded by live
instruments
Offer
*If you buy it between May 30th and June
21st, you can get a free download code for a free Wii U game.
*Mario Kart 8 Wii U Bundle - Black Wii U
Deluxe, Game, Wii Remote Plus, Wii Wheel, $329.99
Hey there readers, I just got wind of some awesome news. Nintendo has announced that on Tuesday, April 8th at 6pm eastern/3pm pacific time, they will be broadcasting a Nintendo Direct dedicated solely to the newest Super Smash Bros. title.
The broadcast will be live on Youtube, Nintendo.com and various other news and fan sites. Those rumors will get put to rest as I'm sure we can expect an official release date, perhaps a new official game title and more announcements regarding characters, stages, and gameplay.
I'll post a reminder on Twitter and I'm sure you'll be hearing all about it from various news sites. Get Your Body Ready!!!
*Yes I'm aware that this recap is about a month late and I apologize for that. Regardless, enjoy!*
Nintendo went the first month of 2014 without a Nintendo Direct broadcast and hadn't made any big announcements since December. February's Nintendo Direct revealed a new Super Smash Bros. fighter, brand new racers for Mario Kart 8, and lots of other updates for games coming out this spring. Check out the recap below for analysis.
Super Smash Bros. 4 - Trailer (Wii U/3DS, 2014)
"Little Mac Punches In"
The Nintendo Direct started off with a bang, or rather a "smash" as they introduced a new playable fighter that will be available in the next installation of the Super Smash Bros. series. Previously an assist trophy in Brawl, Little Mac, the protagonist of Punch-Out will be a full-fledged fighter specializing in quick, hard hitting punches and will likely be quick on his feet. His announcement uncovers the mystery behind the boxing/wrestling stage that has been seen since the first trailer. Little Mac's character is based off of the Punch-Out remake for the Nintendo Wii. His small stature and iconic green punching gloves are incorporated into his design. He will also have an ability that after taking a certain amount of damage and filling up a "K.O. Meter", he will be able to unleash a powerful upper-cut attack similar to the finisher moves of other fighting games. His final smash doubles his size and turns him into a hulking, shirt-less form (I'm rooting on "Big Mac" as its name).
Originally announced via their Facebook page, Nintendo will be hosting a new Nintendo Direct. It's been since December since we saw one of these so expect lots of new updates and announcements for both the 3DS and Wii U.
Check back here afterwards for my recap and analysis!
Just in case you missed last month's Nintendo Direct broadcast, it was filled with tons of news and updates regarding game titles for both the Wii U and the 3DS, including a lot of cross-over madness.
Recap
Hyrule Warriors (Wii U, 2014)
Right off the bat, Nintendo teased a trailer for Hyrule Warriors(Working Title). It appears that Link will be making some sort of playable appearance in the next edition of Tecmo Koei’s Dynasty Warriors. Satori Iwata made it clear that this isn’t the next game in the Zelda series that will come out on Wii U later on.
This is not the first time that Dynasty Warriors has taken on another franchise.
Happy October Everyone! You know what that means! Halloween, Fall, Pumpkins.....
AND A TON OF NINTENDO GAMES ON THE WAY!!
*Ahem* October starts the forth quarter of the years (Q4) and basically that mean's that we're quickly approaching the holiday season for electronics. And yesterday's Nintendo Direct was FULL of game announcements that will make any Nintendo Fan excited for the coming months.
Recap
Super Mario 3D World
Gameplay footage
Multiple character powerup – duplicate cherries - Tanooki suit - Boomerang bro suit - Bullet Bill Blaster Box - Propeller box - Goomba Hat - Baseball Weapon - Use Parahnahha Plant - Fire Peach
*Mario and Luigi Wii Remote Pluses November 1st
Wii Party U mini games October 25th
DK Country Tropical Freeze Delayed to Feb 2014
Mario and Sonic Winter Olympic Games (Nov. 15th) - Online Multiplayer o Earn points for your country o Play vs people around the world
*Blue Remote Bundle version
**Sonic announced for SSB 4
Pikmin 3 o DLC Missions o Updates § New Stage free of charge
Ehtriah Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl o Updated from DS game o Collection editions
Just Dance 2014 o Wii and Wii U o Online Multiplayer
*Wii Remote Bundle October 8th
Skylanders Swap Force – 3DS, Wii, Wii U (October 14th)
Lego Marvel New York (October 22) o 3DS and Wii U § Off TV Play
Bat Man Arkham Origins Blackgate for 3DS (October 25th)
Sonic Lost World (October 29th) o Available for Preorder § Deadly Six bonus edition with extra level
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Ace Attorney Phoenix Wright Dual Destinies 3DS (October 24th) o Free Demo Available on 3DS eShop
*Nintendo 2DS (October 12th)
- Special Content coming for Kid Icarus Uprising, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 at Nintendo Zone locations.
Bravely Default for release early 2014 o Trailer
Link Between Worlds (November 22nd) o Breaking from the norm § Instead of getting a new item at a new dungeon that requires using that dungeon, you can approach any dungeon in their own order. Items are all available for rental/purchase at a shop.
Iwata hosted another Nintendo Direct – the first full Nintendo Direct since E3 back in June. Although there weren’t many new titles revealed, Nintendo chose to go into more detail regarding previously released upcoming games for the Wii U and 3DS.
While we're waiting for my recap of today's Nintendo Direct, I wanted to let you all know that Nintendo has advertised a follow up Nintendo Direct that is exclusively dedicated to Platinum Games' upcoming The Wonderful 101 coming to the Wii U. It will be going live August 9, 2013 (2 days from now). Considering how much Nintendo has been steadily increasing the hype for this game, it really needs to be a hit if the company wants to really turn Wii U sales in the right direction.
Today's Nintendo Direct recap should be up shortly at The Geek Generation so I hope you'll stay tuned.
Just a heads up that Nintendo will be broadcasting a full Nintendo Direct tomorrow. It will be the first full one since E3. They said they'll be mostly covering more details on upcoming games that have already been announced. I'll be covering a recap and analysis of it afterwards here and at The Geek Generation.
Bill Trenin of the Nintendo Tree House hosts Nintendo’s first video broadcast since E3. This Nintendo Direct Mini serves to recap and update viewers on recently released and upcoming titles for both the Wii U and the 3DS.
Well, plenty of rumors have been going around regarding Nintendo's plans for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this year. Will Nintendo be there? What do they plan on showing? I lined it out for you in my latest article written for The Geek Generation.com
May’s edition of Nintendo Direct covered the many upcoming games that will be coming to Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Release dates for long awaited games and announcements of new games were revealed. Nintendo’s plan for E3 was also mentioned in the video. READ MORE
My apologies that I never got around to posting this sooner. It never made it through The Geek Generation in time so I have decided to post it here in full. And as soon as THIS month's analysis get's published, I'll share the link here as well.
Nintendo's April press video covered mostly 3DS news along with a little bit of Wii U information covering software details spanning this Spring up until the holidays season. The full video can be seen at the bottom of this article.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Preview
Satoru Iwata revealed more information about upcoming video games for its Nintendo 3DS Library. First revealed in the special Year of Luigi edition, the story and game play of the RPG, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, was talked about in detail. Vacationing on "Pi'illo Island", Mario and pals run into trouble when Princess Peach suddenly gets sucked into the dreams of a sleeping Luigi. Mario and Luigi need to work together both in the real world and in the environments of Luigi's dreams to find out what's going on and rescue the princess.
In the real world, the Mario Bros. work together, fighting enemies and traveling through different locations. But once Luigi lays his head down on a magic pillow, it's up to Mario to navigate this strange world. While Mario is in the dream world, the player can interact with sleeping Luigi (tickling his nose, pulling on his mustache, etc...) via the Touch Screen and as a result can cause changes in the dream environments. Mario is also aided by many Luigis who exist only in Luigi's mind and can be used in humorous ways to fight enemies and clear obstacles.
The game appears to make good use of the 3D screen using depth and the gyro sensor to enhance the game's experience. The graphics have been updated from the previous incarnations of the Mario & Luigi series and new abilities will be discovered. The game, like its predecessors will be quirky, humorous, and full of cheesy puns.
The game will be released for the Nintendo 3DS August 11, 2013.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Gameplay Trailer
Originally hinted at in February, Nintendo has set a release date for the 3DS port of Donkey Kong Country Returns. May 24, 2013 is the date set for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. The original form of this game was released only 2 years ago for the Nintendo Wii and is more of an upgrade than anything. The game capitalizes on the 3DS's abilities using various camera schemes such as foreground and background paths that intermingle with the barrel cannons.
The game also features a "New Mode" which has been described as a way to make the game feel "more portable". The game is made a bit easier with more HP and more items such has the Portable DK Barrel (instantly summons Diddy Kong), the Green Balloon (to undo a leap into an endless pit) and "Crash Guard" for up to 2 hits on rail-car levels. This will allow players to pick up and put the game down as they would with a handheld instead of getting settled in with a console.
A new secret world has also been added with 8 new levels that promise to challenge even those who played the more difficult version. Co-Op Mode via local connection is featured. It will be available in both physical for and on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 3DS Bundle
Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be released on June 9, 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. The game will feature new ways to create your perfect laid-back life as this time it is set in a vacation paradise. It will feature muliplayer allowing people to connect and interact together.
This game will be available in digital and physical form but can also be purchased as a part of a bundle featuring a Animal Crossing designed 3 and a pre-downloaded copy of the game.
Nintendo Reveals a Direct Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Nintendo revealed that a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is currently in the works for the Nintendo 3DS. Many fans of the game had been calling for a remake of the game but it looks like this sequel will also be an answer to their prayers.
The A Link to the Past was released for the SNES in 1992 and has been regarded as being the best of the 2D Zelda games and one of the best of all time. Much like how Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask take place in the same universe, the Hyrule of this Link to the Past is the same as the original. The game will be top down like the first one, but it will be rendered with colorful 3D graphics.
The concept of height will be an added puzzle feature making for new dungeon paths. Link will also sport a new power that allows him to turn into a hieroglyphic-like image against walls and use them to reach new areas and slide between iron bars.
Other Titles
Other titles that Nintendo briefly outlined and covered were: a brand new Mario Party for the Nintendo 3DS, a new sequel in the Yoshi's Island series, Mario Golf: World Tour, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, as well as a few other eShop games.
In just a couple of hours, Nintendo is going to be displaying it's final news on Spring and Summer titles for the 3DS and WiiU! Coverage begins at 10am Eastern/7am Pacific. Head over to Nintendo.com or on Facebook for coverage.
Well, as much as I tried, it looks like I can't just let this blog sit here knowing that there are still people here that take a look at it now and again. So here's my first post in ages! It's simple yes, but the video is definitely worth the post. Enjoy as you get all caught up with what Nintendo has been doing lately.
Also, be sure to check out my work at The Geek Generation to keep up with more in depth Nintendo News! Also (also), if you're in the area for this, why not come see a screening of a retro BatMan movie?
