April’s Nintendo Direct saw updates on what we can expect from Nintendo in the near future, as well as giving us a glance at some far off, but rather exciting, new titles. While we didn’t see any mention of Star Fox or Legend of Zelda Wii U, there’s still plenty to look forward to.
If you missed the stream, never fear, we have the highlights right here!
First, Nintendo unveiled future plans for Super Smash Bros Wii U and 3DS. Mewtwo will be joining in the brawl on April 15th for those who registered 3DS and Wii U copies of the game on Club Nintendo, available to others for purchase come April 28th. Lucas will be joining roster in June this year, as well as Mii fighter Skins as paid DLC. Nintendo have also opened up a Smash Bros Fighter Ballot, allowing players to vote on characters they’d like to see added to the roster – I’m hoping we’ll finally see Isabelle as a playable fighter!
The Super Smash Bros Amiibo range is also seeing updates, with a new range including Lady Palutena, Ganondorf and Zero Suit Samus, releasing later this year. The closest range of Smash Amiibo are set to release on May 29th, including Robin, Lucina, Jigglypuff and Ness.
Mario Maker once again made its return to the Direct, showcasing a release window of September that coincides with Mario’s 30th Anniversary. More of the games features were shown off, highlighting the ability to toggle between retro and newer 3D Mario graphics.
Nintendo Virtual Console is in the process of being updated over April with Nintendo 64 and DS titles, with Super Mario Bros N64 and Yoshi’s Island DS available for purchase right now. Games like Donkey Kong 64 and Mario Kart DS will be coming to the store later this month.
Nintendo also gave us a look at some of the upcoming indie titles to hit the Nintendo systems this year in quite a cool little highlight trailer.
Pokemon Rumble World will be coming to the 3DS on April 8th and will be a free to play title, spanning all generations of Pokemon. Players will be able to use real money and eShop credit to purchase items and Pokemon in game.
Yoshi’s Wooly World was shown off with a release window of later this year, but the real highlight of this segment was the announcement of an Amiibo range for the game. Nintendo is releasing three plush Yoshi amiibos, made from yarn in the style of the game. Available in green, pink and blue, and apart from just being adorable, they’ll allow you to call extra Yoshis to your side in game when tapped on the Wii U gamepad, ensuring you never feel alone on your adventure, even in single player.
A release day of May 29th has been announced for Splatoon, Nintendo’s new multiplayer shooter. Launching alongside the game is a range of three Amiibo – a male and a female inkling and a squid inkling, available in a three pack. Tapping these Amiibo on the gamepad grants the player special in game missions they can complete to gain new gear and equipment.
StreetPass Mii Plaza is getting two new games – a fishing game called Ultimate Angler and a zombie horde game called Battleground Z come April 16th, releasing for $5 each or as a bundle for $8. A premium service is also launching in the same update, costing another $5. This will allow users access to new features like a VIP Mii room and the ability to store Mii birthdays.
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer will hit the 3DS later this year and introduce card based Amiibo products to the world. The game is centred around interior design of houses in the world of Animal Crossing, and tapping an Amiibo card allows you to create a home for the character on it. From there, you can scan other cards to bring those animals over and watch them interact with the house and its inhabitants. For those who have not yet upgraded to a New 3DS with the inbuilt NFC reader, a wireless NFC adapter will be available for purchase later in the year.
Previously announced in 2013, Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem finally has a trailer, showing off some sweet anime shots and bright, fast paced gameplay. The game will be coming to the Wii U console, although as yet it has no release window.
If one mention of Fire Emblem wasn’t enough, Nintendo continues to excite with a first look at their new handheld Fire Emblem title, set to release in 2016. The game puts you in the middle of a war between two nations, allowing you to choose a side as you battle, explore and adventure through the game, changing the outcome of the war.
Lastly, Mario Kart 8 owners are in for a treat as the Animal Crossing themed second DLC pack launches early on April 23rd. Alongside new Mii costumes unlocked from your Amiibo, Nintendo also announced the addition of a 200cc mode for the game, promising a faster and more challenging experience for fans, coming in a free update on April 23rd.
With an April direct like this, it’s hard not to be excited for what Nintendo has in store for 2015 and beyond. We can expect even more news when E3 rolls around in June, but till then, those Fire Emblem trailers are sure to keep many people (me included) on the Nintendo hype train.