Nintendo Direct Highlights

Here are some highlights for those of you that missed the Nintendo Direct this morning.

Rosalina has been confirmed for BOTH Super Smash Bros 4 (3DS and Wii U versions) as well as Mario Kart 8. She will partner with Luma.

You can watch the official video below:

Next up we have a new Zelda spin-off tentatively titled "Hyrule Warriors." Nintendo has teamed with Tecmo Koei, developers of the Dynasty Warriors series. Iwata has expressed that Hyrule Warriors features the "tried and true action" of Dynasty Warriors while incorporating the environment, weapons, and enemies from The Legend of Zelda series. Link appears to have various items in his disposable besides his sword, such as bombs and the Fire Rod. There also seems to be a "special attack" that Link can use, where Link lifts his sword up and devastates the Bokoblins with what resembles the Hurricane Spin from Wind Waker. Various enemies appear in the game such as Bokoblins, Dodongos, Lizalfos, and probably more (despite there being only the three in the trailer). This game is due to release sometime in 2014.

You can watch the trailer below:

Dr. Luigi has been announced to release for the Wii U eShop. It's a puzzle game and similar to that of the original Dr. Mario game where you have to line up color-coded pills to destroy viruses. There is a special "Operation L" mode where the pills are L-shaped and apparently the game play is a lot easier, as each pill is essentially two fused into one. There is also a Germ Buster mode where the Wii U GamePad is held vertically and the touchscreen can be used to drag and rotate the pills to different positions. A Dr. Mario mode is also included.

The game can be played locally or online and there are different difficulty and attack levels. The game also features a multiplayer mode.

You can watch the trailer below:

Mario Kart 8 was featured and confirmed for release Spring 2014. The Baby characters - Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy - have been confirmed as well as Rosalina. A bunch of new race tracks have been featured, such as a Super Mario Sunshine-inspired one (Delfino Airport?), a beanstalk-cloud track, and a desert Dry Bowser inspired track.

You can check out the trailer here.

A new series of NES Remix have been announced. It's available for purchase in the Wii U eShop and features mini-game versions of 16 NES titles like The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Excitebike, among others. There are two modes - Remix mode and NES stages. The Remix mode will have new challenges and twists at every moment while the NES stages will be more traditional but a little tweaked. The overall basis of the game is to try to get the highest score so you can broadcast it on Miiverse.

You can watch the trailer below:

Rosalina Joins Super Mario 3D World!

Rumors have been circulating the Web that Rosalina, who first debuted in Super Mario Galaxy back in 2007 for the Nintendo Wii, was an unlockable character in the upcoming Wii U title Super Mario 3D World. Rest assured, those rumors can finally be confirmed, as our beloved galactic princess is indeed, a playable character!

She has the same abilities as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach, such as fire and cat suits! A little Luma follows her, much like in Mario Kart Wii. She has a spin attack, which is quite similar to Mario's spin attack in the Super Mario Galaxy series.

Super Mario 3D World is scheduled for release very soon! November 22. Retail price is $59.99.

EarthBound is FINALLY Released to WiiU Virtual Console!

Finally, after months of waiting--or years, for previous MOTHER 2/EarthBound fans--the time has come! I own a hard copy of the game for the SNES, but this won't stop me from purchasing a digital copy. I am very excited that EarthBound can be played legally by people all over the world. If you are interested in RPGs, I highly recommend this game. The characters, story line, music, and dialogue are all very engaging and entertaining; you won't be disappointed.

The game is up for $9.99, which is more expensive than most SNES games on the Virtual Console, but Nintendo explains that "[we] set prices in the Nintendo eShop and Virtual Console on a game-by-game basis. Different games will be offered at different prices." Evidently, the high price didn't seem to bother fans as the game currently ranks at #2 on the best seller's list. Nintendo knew how much fans wanted this game and jacked up the price accordingly.

Be sure to buy the game today!

Source: Nintendo News

GAME REVIEW- Animal Crossing: New Leaf

In case you guys didn't know, I have been obsessively playing the latest installment in the Animal Crossing series- New Leaf! I attended the Animal Crossing event June 8, 2013 that was at Nintendo World and it was pretty awesome! They had all of these cut-outs of the characters and they also had a photo booth where you could get your picture taken! You were able to purchase the game a day early. It was extremely crowded (the line to enter the store was 'til the end of the block) and you had to wait a while, but I think it was well worth it!

Anyways, let's get to the review of the game itself. It is the fourth installment and for the Nintendo 3DS. Yes, the game IS in 3D. Unfortunately, I get motion sickness easily and my eyes get strained from the 3D, so I never use it. The game's objective is still the same as the previous game, but there are some changes! For one, you're mayor of the town, which means you have say and control over what gets built! Of course, that also means you have to satisfy your neighbors in order to build anything. When you first start off the game, you get to choose the layout of your town, which is really nice because I know I was annoyed at some of the layouts in the previous game. You also get to choose the placement of your house AND what your house looks like! That is, after you pay Tom Nook $10,000 to move out of your tent.

There are some new shops located in the little market place above the train tracks. When you first start off, there's a photo booth, the museum, Nook Homes, the post office, Able Sisters, and Nooklings convenience store. However, once you start living in your town long enough and start spending some bells, more stores come in, such as a gardening store.

The exterior of my house so far!

As mayor, you have a lot of duties to attend to. You have to make sure your neighbors are satisfied with you and you have to make sure you continue to please them by engaging in either Ordinances or Public Works projects. Both require you to pay a hefty sum in which none of your neighbors will help you donate. As mayor, you should be laying down the law and forcing them to pay; if you want it, pay for it! Unfortunately, you can't do that.

One new feature is a getaway trip to an island. At the island, you can participate in little mini-games and earn medals so you can buy tropical furniture, hats, wallpapers, and carpets. You can also rent equipment so you can catch some bugs, fish, and even go deep sea diving! It's quite fun and this is where you'll be spending a good portion of your time as the bugs and aquatic creatures here can give you a lot of money.

Heading to the island! Kapp'n sings a cute little song that's different every time you go.

Deep sea diving with a wet suit!

Crab diving mini-game!

My favorite part of the game is the fortune cookies you can buy at the Nookling store. Although you can only buy one a day and they cost play coins instead of bells, they're still a lot of fun! You get a rare item based on the fortune! When I tried it the first time, my fortune was this:

This is a quote from the Happy Mask Man in Majora's Mask, my favorite Zelda game, and right away I knew what I would receive:

Tada! Majora's Mask!

There are other items too. I received the Red Pikmin headgear as well as the Varia Suit from Metroid and the Mushroom Mural, which is basically the background in the first level of Super Mario Bros.

Overall, I would have to say this game is one of the better installments of the Animal Crossing series, not that any of the previous ones were terrible. I still like the original, but this one is probably my second favorite. It was overly-hyped up but for a good reason and I think you should definitely buy it if you own a 3DS or plan on buying one! They even have a special bundle set where you can get the Animal Crossing 3DS XL with the game installed! It's a little hard to find though.

Overall Game Rating: 5/5

 

TO BE RELEASED: Sequel to A Link to the Past?

That's right, a sequel to the Super Nintendo game A Link to the Past in The Legend of Zelda franchise. I was shocked that they would make a sequel to that game, considering it was released in Japan in 1991 and in North America the following year. I can't complain though, as it is my favorite Zelda game.

It looks eerily similar to the Moldrom in the original, doesn't it? :)

The game is to be in both 3D and 2D, much like Super Paper Mario for the Nintendo Wii. Link can switch to 2D mode and almost become a hieroglyph of some sort, as evident by this GIF.

I am excited to hear more about this game. I can't wait to see more footage and pictures as well as the release date and story line! Oh, and of course the title of the game... :)

CONFIRMED: EarthBound To Be Released to Wii U Virtual Console

I cannot even begin to explain my excitement for this. I have been an avid fan of EarthBound (or better known as MOTHER 2 in Japan) for years now. While I own a hardcopy of the game itself for the Super Nintendo, I know a lot of people who can't afford to buy one themselves (and let's face it- emulators simply don't cut it). All the better to buy a Wii U! EarthBound has already been released to the Japanese Virtual Console a couple weeks ago, however it is finally confirmed that it will be released to North America as well as Europe by the end of the year. Here's to hoping Nintendo will finally realize how big of a fanbase this game has (and will make an excellent Holiday gift!).

Just because it failed once, doesn't mean it'll fail again. Besides, Nintendo will end up making a profit in the end, especially because this is a digital download and not a physical copy that will be sold in stores.