It has been a few months since the last proper Nintendo Direct and today’s Direct focused on the upcoming Wii U and 3DS titles. Bill Trinen hosted the event.
The long awaited Star Fox Zero showed up with some new information. Firstly, branching paths are making the triumphant return and will open up new areas. In addition, there will be a unique two player mode where one character pilots the Airwing with the Wii U Pro Controller and the other shoots using the Gamepad.  Star Fox Zero will also support Amiibo. Tapping the Star Fox figure will unlock a classic Airwing skin as well as other content. Teleporters will be important to the game’s story as well as affect the gameplay.
Zero wasn’t the only Star Fox game on the direct, Star Fox Guard was also shown off. It stars Slippy as he tries to ward off invading forces from his Uncle’s mining site. The player will setup cameras and traps to keep the hordes at bay. The game also supports a custom mode that will allow players to customize the waves of enemies and upload them online for others to take turns defending themselves.
Star Fox Zero and Star Fox Guard will be available as a bundle on April 22nd at retail and both can be purchased separately through the eShop.
Splatoon isn’t done getting updates. Some upcoming patches are going to rebalance weapons as well as adjusting special abilites that weren’t used as often. Starting in April, there will be two updates that will adjust existing weapons as well as have a new set of weapon recommendations called “Sheldon’s Picks.”
Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be launching on the Wii U on June 24th and will include two new events to the series, Rugby Sevens and Rhythmic Gymnastic Clubs. The 3DS version, however, will be released much earlier on March 18th.
Super Mario Maker is getting some new assets for more Mario Level Mayhem on March 9th. Skewers from Super Mario World will be available with the update after shaking a Thwomp. There will also be keys and doors added into the mix. Not only are there traditional keys, but coins can be transformed into pink coins that will make a key appear when completely collected. The 100 Mario Challenge will also see a new difficulty added, Super Expert as well as several new Mystery Mushrooms, such as Tetra from Wind Waker. The Super Mario Maker Bookmark site will also see an update with new filter options.
The Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (pronounced sharp F-E), will be releasing in North America on June 24th. The game will only have a Japanese dub with English subtitles. #FE will also feature music from Japanese company, Avex, who produce a lot of hit tunes in Japan.
Lost Reavers is Bandai Namco’s free-to-play game coming out on the Wii U. The game is a co-op action game where survival is key. The Open Beta will be released on April 14th with the full release two weeks later on April 28th.
Paper Mario is making his console return in Paper Mario Color Splash coming to the Wii U. Mario will bring color to land of Prism Island with his paint coated hammer.
Pokkén Tournament is still on track for it’s March 18th launch. The direct did show off customization options that players can get by buying with in-game currency through battles.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD will be releasing tomorrow. Nothing new was shown off or mentioned.
Club Nintendo is finally getting it’s successor with My Nintendo. Users can sign up for a Miitomo or a Nintendo Network account. The new site will also have gamers earning My Nintendo Platinum Coins. Not much is known yet.
Mini Mario & Friends Amiibo Challenge was announced for the Wii U and 3DS. The game will utilize very specific Amiibo figures to unlock challenges that only those characters can complete. The game will be a bonus for anyone who buys an Amiibo through GameStop, Best Buy, or Amazon on March 25th. The game will be released on the eShop on April 28th for everyone else.
Wave 4 of the Animal Crossing Amiibo cards will be releasing on June 10th. Not only that but the Isabelle figure from the Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival bundle will be getting a stand alone release on the same date. She will also have a brand-new figure available with her Summer outfit on the same day.
New Nintendo 3DS owners are in for some good times when Super Nintendo games become available exclusively for the system. Today, three games will be released, Pilotwings, Super Mario World and F-Zero. March 24th will see the release of three more games, Super Mario Kart, Earthbound, and Donkey Kong Country. And the last batch of just announced games will be The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest will appear on the NN3DS on April 14th.
Pocket Card Jockey is the newest game from Pokémon developer Game Freak. The eShop game will combine solitaire with horse racing. There is an emphasis on horse placement during races and gaining sponsorships. The game will be available on the eShop in May.
IntiCreates’ platformer is getting a sequel in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2. The game will have Gunvolt’s rival Copen playable who can copy the abilities of bosses. The game is set to release this Summer on the eShop. Plus the original game will be on sale for $9.99 starting now until June 1st.
Fire Emblem Fates will be seeing some new DLC released very soon. The third story path, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations will be available on March 10th for $19.99. There will also be two new maps, Museum Melee and Ghostly Gold, available to purchase for $2.49 each or part of the Map Pack 1 set. Another map, Royal Royale, will be available on March 17th with new maps releasing weekly until April 21st.
Hyrule Warriors Legends will be released on March 25th. The game will come with a special code to unlock the 3DS characters and Ganondorg’s Trident on the Wii U version of the title. Legends will also feature it’s share of DLC as well when the game gets a Season Pass that will be available on the game’s launch date. Those who purchase the pass will get a Wind Waker themed costume for Gannondorf. Â The upcoming DLC will be bundled in four packs and Medli, also from Wind Waker, will be a free download when the first pack is released.
Disney Art Academy was also newly announced. DAA will take the familiar concept of artistic lessons and combine them with memorable Disney and Pixar characters. Fear not as Frozen will make an appearance. Disney Art Academy will be released on May 13th.
Bravely Second: End Layer will have a sidestory/demo similar to the first game on March 10th. The game will unlock special bonuses for the final fame. For Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked members, they will be given a code to download the demo 3 days early. There was also some footage on some of the new classes. Most interesting was the Catmancer. Similar to a Blue Mage, the Catmancer learns enemy attacks and trains cats to perform them for treats. Bravely Second will be released on April 15th.
Some thought it wouldn’t happen, but Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past will be seeing release on the 3DS in the west in 2016. The game has been rebuilt for the 3DS and features a new translation instead of using the one from the 2000 Dragon Quest VII PS1 version.
The Monster Hunter series is getting a new title with Monster Hunter Generations. Known in Japan as Monster Hunter X, Generations takes the familiar combat and amps it up with new abilities. Those who have a Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save file will unlock special content in the new game. And for those who love Marth from Fire Emblem will be pleased to know that the  swordsman is getting a costume set in the new game. Monster Hunter Generations will be release on the 3DS this Summer.
The oft derided Metroid Prime: Federation Force was shown off. The game follows Federation soldiers as they take on the Space Pirate menace. The game features a weight limit on subweapons that encourage class-based play with others. The game is set for release Late Spring 2016.
The frantic music-based minigame compilation, Rhythm Heaven Megamix, is making it’s North American appearance. The game features 70 classic rhythm games with 30 new ones to bring the total to 100. Going as far back as the original GBA title. The game will be released later this year.
And finally, Kirby’s getting a new game on the 3DS with Kirby: Planet Robobot. Dreamland is being mechanized and of course the only one to stop it is that little pink puff. Kirby uses the invader’s technology against them as he dons the Robobot Armor which can gain new abilities similar to Kirby’s copy ability. Those who want a multiplayer Kirby affair will get it with Team Kirby Clash. A four player game is very similar to the Tales of series as battles take place on a 2D field and utilize each of Kirby’s special abilities and level him up.
Kirby is also getting his own series of Amiibo figures that can be used in Planet Robobot. Joining Kirby is Meta Knight, King DeDeDe and Waddle Dee. Each of the figures will give Kirby a new ability in-game. Not only will the Kirby figures work, but select other amiibo will have effects in the game. For example, Mario will give Kirby a fireball ability and Link will give him the Sword power. The new game and figures will release on June 10th.
And that’s it for this month’s Nintendo Direct. There will more than likely be another Direct closer to E3 with the rest of the year’s games and release dates.
