As I sit here and wait for the Wii U Direct to begin, I see many anxious gamers sharing their anticipation in the scrolling side bar. Although there is an adequate amount of infantile troll fails, there are just as many sharing their wish lists:
BATRACHOS: BATTALION WARS 3 PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN
Sku11kid: They wont show any special things, just gameplay of games that are
ThorstenHaak: Super Metroid HD
Zorpix: I’m guessing we’ll get word on netflix and TiVo for TVii
Mubarak Al-Sulaiti: Please Be Smash Bros.
With Ten minutes remaining until broadcast, I am just as anxious as those listed above to see what will be announced. Of course, by the time you read this the broadcast will be over, but you can hit the jump to see a recap. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!
The last five minutes are always the longest, but the time has finally arrived…Here we go!
Iwata is going to change up the format a bit. First he starts by recapping the console a bit. He starts with the Mii Verse. He stated that there are so many post in the Mii Verse, that it is easy to miss important posts. Using the Zombie U discussion board as an example, he shows the interaction between players, stressing that people can use the community to help each other in tough spots. I wish I had this back in the day of the Nintendo Hotline, I would have saved a lot of money on the phone bill!
He is also talking about the Wii U TVii, and the interaction between the fans. And he mentions the ability to screen shot what you are watching.
Next he highlights some of his favorite Mii Verse Drawings, including one of himself.
You may have noticed Wii Users with Green checkmarks next to their names. These people are verified users that can share content and links to various sites such as Youtube. Some of these people might be developers, etc…
Two new updates coming this summer will allow faster launching and faster Wii U menus, incrementally this spring ans summer. There will also be a Wii U Virtual Console update, although he cannot reveal the actual line up. He only states that there will be NES and SNES games. You will be able to save a back up of your game process and play on either the Wii U gamepad or TV. He also reveals that there will a Gamaeboy Advance Virtual Console! If you already purchased for the Wii, you can receive a discount on the re-purchase.
To celebrate the Family Computer’s 30th Anniversary, they are allowing some Famicon games for only 30 Cents! Below are the games available at the discounted pricing. You can download this month’s game now! Be sure to post a screen shot of your high score!
In Pikman 3, they are going to allow you to use the gamepad as a camera to capture moments in the game and share them with others. For Wii Fit U, they are going to assign ID numbers to User communities to allow privacy among a group. This will allow a private group in which you can share your success or support for your friends.
He explains that the Wii Verse can be easily expanded as necessary. Such expansions are communities, more than one community per title, Usability improvements, and various filters. Although, these are just examples and are possibly limitless.
This spring, you will be able to browse the Mii Verse on your smartphone. At first it will be browser based, however they are working on an APP.
Now he moves on to the games…
He states that there are no new titles to be released by Nintendo in January or February. They want to ensure that the game quality is great, especially this soon after the console’s birth. He apologizes for the delay, but stated that there will be a steady stream of games this spring, for example Lego undercover and the Wonderful 101.
He plays a video of Wonderful 101
Now he states that Bayonetta 2 is going well, but the timing is not right for the release. He shows a video of the games development, most of it is pretty raw without added details on the characters and backgrounds. However, it still looks fantastic!
Instead of focusing on each game, like he has in the past, he visited Platinum Games and spoke to them in his most recent Iwata Asks. He stated that it will be available soon.
No on to the New Smash Bros. Game for 3DS and Wii U…He says they need more time…He asks us to wait a little longer.
Now on to new game announcements:
A new 3D mario Game for Wii Uand a New Mario Kart in Development will both be shown in playable form at E3.
A new Party Game is also in development, although it does not appear to be a Mario Party, yet uses the gamepad to bring the family together.
A new game by the Kirby Epic Yarn Team is in development, with Yoshi as the main character. The first Yoshi game since 1998:
Nintendo and Atlus are working on a collaboration that features the Fire Emblem and Shin-Megami Tensei franchises. A video trailer for the game was shown in the Nintendo Direct.
He is now stating that they are working with many partners for future game developments, but he cannot discuss them at this time.
NOW, A ZELDA ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
The Producer of the Legend of Zelda is on
He shows some HD pictures of Zelda to let us know that it will take some time to complete. The below picture is of Windwaker HD, scheduled to be released this fall.
The Brand New Wii U Zelda game will take some time, so he will update us when he is ready. I think it might be a while…
Now he shows a new game by the developers of Xenoblade, it appears to be titled, “X”.
As the broadcast ends, he assures us that he will tell us more about the 3DS in the future.
Sorry for the choppy post, I wanted to get as much as I could as the broadcast was on air.
Overall, what are your thoughts?
If you want to watch the entire broadcast, I have included it below: