Nintendo drops Wii U price, intros Zelda bundle & affordable 2DS portable

With the releases of Xbox One and PS4 fast approaching, Nintendo is making moves.

First up, a price drop. The Wii U is shedding $50 and will sell for $299.99 starting September 20. This is the black-coated 32GB “deluxe” Wii U that’s seeing the price decrease. The white 8GB “standard” version remains at $300 but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ninty decided to discontinue what used to be the cheaper model soon. With an even more competitive price tag and an onslaught of anticipated first-party titles coming soon (see below) perhaps the time is nigh to finally pull the trigger and pick up Nintendo’s next-gen entry.

Also hitting shelves on the 20th of September is a limited-edition Wii U bundle packed with the anticipated Gamecube remake The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. At the same $299.99 price point you get the deluxe console, a code to download a digital copy of the Zelda title from the Nintendo eShop (the physical disc doesn’t hit retail until October 4), one GamePad controller adorned with Zelda-inspired gold lettering, and a digital copy of Hyrule Historia, a book that details the chronology, history, and artwork of The Legend of Zelda series.

Next up: new hardware. The Nintendo 3DS is getting a new sibling and its name is 2DS. At $40 less than the 3DS, the 2DS eliminates the ability to play games in eye-popping 3D. Dual screens, cameras, and touch input remain intact, but the original hinge design is replaced with a flat look. The 2DS plays all 3DS games in 2D and it’s backwards compatible with all DS games. When it comes out October 12 for $129.99 it’ll be available in two hues: black/red and black/blue. Watch an introductory video after the break.

Lastly, the house that built Mario is pimping its upcoming games lineup as we near the holiday season. In addition to the aforementioned Zelda title, also in the Wii U pipeline are Wii Party U (10/25), Super Mario 3D World (11/22), Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (12/6), and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Coming soon to 3DS (and 2DS) are The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (11/22) and Mario Party: Island Tour (11/22). For a list of third party games coming soon to Ninty’s home console and handhelds, jump after the break.

Wii U
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD: Launches Sept. 20 (downloadable) and Oct. 4 (packaged) at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
• Wii Party U: Launches Oct. 25 bundled with a Wii Remote Plus controller and stand at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
• Super Mario 3D World: Launches Nov. 22 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: Launches Dec. 6 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
• Wii Fit U: Launches this holiday season. Further details, including launch date, pricing and bundling information, will be revealed at a later date.
• Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games:  Launches this holiday season. Further details, including launch date and pricing, will be revealed at a later date.
• Third-party titles: Previously announced titles on the way from Nintendo’s publishing partners include: Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Sept. 24) and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (Fall) from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Skylanders SWAP Force(Oct. 13) and Call of Duty: Ghosts (Nov. 5) from Activision Publishing;Sonic Lost World (Oct. 22) from SEGA; and Rayman Legends (Sept. 3), Just Dance 2014 (Oct. 8), Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (Oct. 29) and Watch_Dogs (Nov. 19) from Ubisoft.

Nintendo 3DS
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds: Launches Nov. 22 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
 Mario Party: Island Tour: Launches Nov. 22 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
• Third-party titles: Previously announced titles on the way from Nintendo’s publishing partners include: Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Sept. 24); LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril (Fall) and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Oct. 25) from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Skylanders SWAP Force (Oct. 13) from Activision Publishing; Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! (Nov. 19) from D3Publisher; and Sonic Lost World (Oct. 22) from SEGA.

[Via Nintendo]

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