As is tradition for Nintendo now, the house that built Mario did not commit to a stage for its E3 briefing but instead hosted its very own “Digital Event” on YouTube. Every year Nintendo has an obscene amount of fun with their E3 events, and this year’s hour-long showcase was no different. The theme this go-around was puppets. That’s right–company President and CEO Satoru Iwata, Nintendo of America’s President and COO Reggie Fils-Amie, and influencial Ninty game producer Shigeru Miyamoto all took the form of puppets for the 2015 Digital Event. If you fancy yourself a Nintendo fanboy or fangirl, you cracked up along with me when Fils-Amie was introduced by performing (Nintendo) 64 push-ups and proclaiming, “My puppet body is ready!”
The entirety of Ninty’s Digital Event was comprised of game unveilings and the introduction of some new amiibo figures. Fils-Amie let loose pretty early on that the company would not be discussing its next console codenamed NX; expect more information regarding it next year. 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros., so there’s more pressing game-related announcements at hand! For the full breakdown of games coming soon to Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, jump after the break.
Pro gamers may sneer at the Nintendo lot. Though the Wii U finally brought Mario and all his friends into the age of high definition, Nintendo typically trails behind the likes of Microsoft and Sony in regards to third-party developer support (especially so with the Wii and Wii U). Still, Nintendo is making it very hard to ignore its first-party lineups at E3 year after year. Mario is always finding himself in a new game, and this year is special because 2015 celebrates 30 years of the mustached plumber. In September, Ninty is releasing the ultimate remix title dubbed Super Mario Maker that turns gamers into creators, allowing them to produce, play, and share their very own side-scrolling Mario levels. It’s intuitive, nostalgic, and loads of fun. Speaking of nostolgia, Nintendo is a master at pulling gamer heartstrings: titles like Yoshi’s Wooly World and Star Fox Zero bring classic, rich franchises into the HD era with original gameplay and unique control schemes with the Wii U GamePad. So, say what you will about third-parties ditching; with a goldmine of fun, familiar franchises consistently churning out titles starring iconic video game characters, Nintendo fanboys will tell you: who needs ’em?!
Here’s a handy list of all the games previewed inside Nintendo’s latest Digital Event. Click the links to hop over to each game’s dedicated site where you’ll find trailers, stills, and descriptions.
Star Fox Zero / Nintendo & Platinum Games / Out Holiday 2015 for Wii U
*GamePad features a “cockpit view.” The Arwing is a transformer that can be used in the air and on land.
Skylanders SuperChargers / Vicarious Visions / Out 9.20.15 for Wii U
*Vehicles enter the fray. Nintendo and game publisher Activision have entered a partnership to include Nintendo IP in this version of Skylanders. Turbo Charge Donkey Kong with the Barrel Blaster vehicle & Hammer Slam Browser with the Clown Cruiser vehicle will hit the market alongside the game. Simply twist the figurine bases to turn them into amiibo to make them work with first-party amiibo-supported games.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes / Nintendo / Out Fall 2015 for Nintendo 3DS
Hyrule Warriors Legends / Koei Tecmo Games / Nintendo 3DS / Out Q1 2016
Metroid Prime: Federation Force / Next Level Games / Out 2016 for Nintendo 3DS
*Supports 4-player co-op missions and includes Metroid Prime: Blast Ball (3v3 sci-fi sports battles).
Fire Emblem Fates / Nintendo / Out 2016 for Nintendo 3DS
Genei Ibun Roku / ATLUS / Out 2016 for Wii U
Xenoblade Chronicles X / Monolith Software Inc. / Out 12.4.15 for Wii U
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer / Nintendo / Out 9.25.15 for Nintendo 3DS
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival / Nintendo / Out Holiday 2015 for Wii U
Yoshi’s Woolly World / Good-Feel / Out 10.16.15 for Wii U
YO-KAI WATCH / LEVEL-5 / Out Holiday 2015 for Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam / ALPHADREAM / Out Spring 2016 for Nintendo 3DS
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash / Camelot / Out Holiday 2015 for Wii U
Super Mario Maker / Nintendo / Out 9.11.15 for Wii U
*Create, play, and share your own side-scrolling Mario levels plucking worlds, items, and more from the following classic games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. U. Miyamoto says “it’s like game design training software.” The game introduces Costume Mario; tap an amiibo on the GamePad and when you collect a Mystery Mushroom, Mario will transform into your amiibo character of choice in-game. Nintendo will soon sell an “8-bit Mario” amiibo; use it in this title to make Mario grow extra big in size with a Big Mushroom power-up. Gamers can demo the title at participating Best Buy retail stores this Wednesday, 6/17 from 4-9pm local time and Saturday, 6/20 from noon-5pm.