Yesterday, February 13th of 2014, I watched the live stream from Nintendo Direct which focused on announcing the games to be released in Spring of 2014 (and earlier). Let me list the games here and then I will offer up some details and thoughts. Here's the games:
- Super Smash Bros (3DS and Wii U) - Sometime in 2014
- Mario Golf World Tour (3DS) - May 2nd
- Kirby Triple Deluxe (3DS) - May 2nd
- Yoshi's New Island (3DS) - March 14th
- Steel Diver: Sub Wars (3DS) - February 13th (yes, same day as the announcement)
- Rusty's Real Deal Baseball (3DS) - April
- Pokemon Battle Trozei (3DS) - March 20th
- Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (3DS) - February 28th
- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) - Early 2015 (just news, sadly not a release for this Spring)
- Weapon Shop de Omasse (3DS) - February 20th
- Ina Zuma Eleven (3DS) - February 13th (again, same day)
- Child of Light (Wii U) - April 30th
- Donkey Kong Country Topical Freeze (Wii U) - February 21st
- NES Remix 2 (Wii U) - April 25th
- Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) - May 30th
- Monolith's X - Untitled project, thinking its a Wii U game
- Bayonetta 2 (Wii U) - Some time in 2014
In addition to these games, the estore is going to be booming with new games from tons of indie developers. From what they showed, you can expect a large mix of nostalgic 8-bit titles here; many of which are aiming to take us back to the roots of Nintendo's game history.
Another large and exciting announcement was that the GameBoy Advanced will be coming to the Virtual Console. So if you really enjoyed a title on the GameBoy Advanced, you may be able to get it on your new device to enjoy for years to come. I guess you could also be new to these titles and find something of interest to experience for the first time. Either way, this is a great addition to the array of downloadable games that Nintendo has to offer.
And before I end this, I want to share a few more details and personal thoughts. Some of these games are breaking into the new Free-to-Play trend such as Steel Diver: Sub Wars. Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is bringing micro-transactions to the table. Whether these new game trends are hated or supported, they certainly seem to be here to stay. It's no real surprise that Nintendo would try to tap into this market as well. Let's look at some of the other titles that personally sparked some interest
Super Smash Bros, Donkey Kong Country, and Mario Kart
A title that I am hoping needs very little introduction, Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3DS will be coming sometime in 2014. This new installment of the series is bringing the same excitement we have all come to love along with some new faces (and arenas I am sure). Check out the game's official website here: http://www.smashbros.com/us/
Donkey Kong Country is another famous title that I am happy to see is getting some new attention. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze seems like it is going to deliver a new adventure that not only excites the players but will also carry a tune of nostalgia. We don't have to wait much longer for this one. Expect it to hit the shelves the 21st of this month Visit this game's website for more: http://donkeykong.nintendo.com/tropical-freeze/
Mario Kart 8, like the previous 2 titles, looks to be ready to deliver a solid next installment to it's classic series. Staying true to the wacky fast-paced races, we can expect to see challenging new tracks and some twisted new physics with racing underwater, using hovering capabilities, gliding with hang gliders, and taking on inverted maps that may make you question gravity. Keep your eye open for shortcuts as you race along and keep your eye on this game coming to us May 30th of this year.
Yoshi's New Island
One of my favorite Super Nintendo titles, Yoshi's Island, is finally getting some attention in the new generation of gaming. Simply name Yoshi's New Island, this game is keeping a lot of the elements from the classic game - shooting eggs, carrying baby Mario, and collecting things like flowers, coins, stars, and red coins. It is also adding some fun new elements to consider. The game is going to actually track a players "skill" as they play though the game and will reward that player's Yoshi with better flying abilities. I am sure this new concept will be used in other ways as well. I am very excited to see what they do this is title; and I only have to wait until March 14th of this year.
Child of Light and Monolith's X
This UbiSoft title for the Wii U is to be downloadable on April 30th of this year. I hadn't heard of it until this press release, but it looked extremely entertaining. It is a fantasy RPG set in a fairy tale world. This is definitely worth watching for.
Monolith's X project is currently untitled (at least to the public) but is looking good. They showed a video of a battle sequence from the game and it reminded me a little of the newer Final Fantasy games; though, I am sure there are more than enough defining factors that clearly separate it - perhaps the fact that it seems to actually be a mech game at its roots? I can't really comment much on this as I have not done any research beyond seeing that clip in the press release, but it definitely looks like my kind of game. I will try to find out more and post about it if and when I do.
If you want to check out the press release for yourself, you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdQg43n2OaM
Thanks for reading! Post your thoughts and/or questions below! What games are you most excited to see?