Earlier today a brand new Nintendo Direct hit the internet much to the excitement of Nintendo fans. Notably, this is the first Nintendo Direct since the passing of former Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in July. Rather than post up individual news articles, we’ve decided to round up all announcements in the one piece. As Rocket Chainsaw is based in Australia, we have taken all news from the European version of the Nintendo Direct. Please note that release dates stated in this article are for Europe and may be slightly different for Australia.
The Direct opened with Nintendo Europe President Satoru Shibata thanking fans for their support in regards to Iwata’s passing. Shibata said Nintendo would like to continue delivering information “directly” to fans, mirroring earlier comments that Nintendo Directs would continue for the foreseeable future.
The first new game announced was the heavily rumoured The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Development is being handled by Australian developer Tantalus, with the game featuring enhanced graphics. A new Wolf Link Amiibo and CD soundtrack will be bundled with the game. Support for existing Smash Bros Zelda Amiibos will also be included in some way. Twilight Princess HD will be released on March 4th. More information is promised to come at a later date.
Shibata mentioned that 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series, and confirmed Zelda Wii U is slated for a release that same year on the Wii U console. Some brief footage of Link riding a horse was shown. Shibata mentioned data saved onto the Wolf Link Amiibo from Twilight Princess HD will be transferrable to Zelda Wii U.
It was revealed The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks have both been released on the Nintendo e-Shop for 3DS as of today. If you purchase both games by November 19th, 2015 you will get a 50% off discount on the second title.
Free DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes was revealed to be coming on December 3rd. The DLC includes a new area called the Den of Trials which has 30 levels to complete, and two new costumes including Linebeck’s uniform which lets you see inside treasure chests before opening them and the Fierce Deity Armour which lets you shoot four beams in different directions.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. was shown. Shibata provided an explanation of the game’s plot and new gameplay mechanics. Mario, Paper Mario and Luigi will join forces and combine their attacks for some whacky combinations. At certain points, players will be able to take control of paper craft character “tanks” and battle enemies. Battle Cards will also be feature in the normal RPG-style battles by providing power-up effects and damaging opponents. Amiibos will unlock more Battle Cards for players to use. The game will be released on December 4th.
More content for Splatoon was promised including two brand new stages, gear and several costumes. Regular updates will continue until at least January 2016, with one being available to download as of right now.
A web portal was demonstrated for Super Mario Maker. Shibata explained Nintendo had noticed players were having difficulty searching for user-created courses so they have developed an improved web-based search function. This can be accessed from any browser and if you select courses while away from your Wii U console, you will still be able to play them when you get home. The web portal is expected to launch in December this year.
A new trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X was shown, featuring monsters featured in the game as well as some minor story elements. The game will be released on December 4.
Fans were reminded Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash and Nintendo Presents New Style Boutique 2 will all be released on November 20th.
Ed Valiente, European Publisher Business for Nintendo of Europe, appeared to show some new titles that were coming soon. Titles shown were Fast Racing Neo and Typoman for Wii U, as well as Steamworld Heist, Nintendo Badge Arcade and Pokemon Picross for 3DS. Brief descriptions of the games were accompanied by trailers. With the exception of Nintendo Badge Arcade which is out now, all other titles will be coming in December.
It was revealed Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow would be coming to the Nintendo e-Shop on 3DS. The games have been kept faithful to their original GameBoy release, with the notable exception that trading and battling will now be handled wirelessly instead of with a pesky cable. All three versions will be released on 27th February, 2016.
Final Fantasy Explorers was shown. Up to four players can team up in both online and local multiplayer. You can play the game solo if you wish, but it will be a tough challenge. To help fill the void you can train monsters to take a party slots and assist you in battle. There is a new trance command which lets you play as classic Final Fantasy characters. The game will be released on 29th January and all DLC which was released in Japan will be included for free. The game will be released in both a standard edition and collector’s pack which contains an artbook, a soundtrack CD, a hardcase for your 3DS console, exclusive quests and of course, a copy of the game.
Mega Man Legacy Collection for 3DS was shown. It will contain the first six Mega Man titles, a museum mode which shows production art for various releases throughout the series, and a challenge mode. The Mega Man Amiibo will unlock an additional 11 challenges exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version. The game is slated for release on February 23rd, 2016.
Shibata returned for some more updates. Pokken Tournament was shown, specifically with gameplay footage and the Shadow Mewtwo reveal trailer. Players who purchase first production copies will get a Shadow Mewtwo Amiibo card which unlocks the character right away. The game is planned for a release during Autum 2016.
A new Star Fox Zero trailer was shown. The trailer featured the Star Fox gang in various gameplay scenarios. Shibata continued to discuss some of the gameplay mechanics, though most had already been revealed during E3 2015. It was essentially a recap with some new footage. Following the title’s delay earlier this year, it will now be released in April 2016.
Smash Bros. Lucas Amiibo was confirmed to be released in early 2016, along with Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks Animal Crossing Amiibo. There was also a recap of the Animal Crossing Amiibos and series 2 Animal Crossing Amiibo cards, all of which will be released on November 20th.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon was revealed to be coming out on February 19th, 2016. The game will feature all 720 Pokemon, randomly generated levels and let players battle alongside legendary Pokemon.
Hyrule Warriors Legends was shown, reminding fans the game will include new playable characters Toon Link, Tetra, The King of Red Lions and Skull Kid. Revealed for the first time was Linkle, who is a unique character and is best described as a female version of Link. She wields two crossbow weapons and has a spin-kick attack. A special edition will be released which includes a copy of the game and a compass prop that Linkle was shown using in the trailer. The game is coming out on March 25th, 2016.
Bravely Second: End Layer was confirmed for a Q1 2016 release. A collector’s edition will be released which includes a CD soundtrack, artbook, a copy of the game and a small figurine packaged in a collector’s box.
Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of The Forgotten Past and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King were both confirmed to be coming out in 2016.
Two versions of Fire Emblem Fates are confirmed to be coming to the West – Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. The difference between each version is the story. Owners of both versions can see each side of the conflict. If you purchase one version you will get the second at a reduced price on the Nintendo e-Shop. A third story pass dubbed Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations will be available to purchase after the initial launch. Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition will also be released and will contain all three stories and an art book.
To finish off the Nintendo Direct, a trailer for a new Super Smash Bros. character was revealed. Surprisingly, Cloud from Final Fantasy will take to the battlefield with his trademark sword in tow. Final Fantasy inspired costumes and a stage were also shown. No pricing or release date was announced, though a special Smash Bros presentation will be happening in December this year. No doubt we’ll hear more then.
