Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Wii U
Nintendo Download: Shantae Half-Genie Hero, Mario Party 2, more
Even though we’re counting down the days until Nintendo’s Switch Presentation, the consolemaker is still adding new titles to the Nintendo eShop, including one game that’s retro-styled and another that’s just plain retro.
WayForward’s Shantae series began on the Game Boy Color all the way back in 2002. It wasn’t a design choice to create retro-styled side-scrolling platforming in those days, but it is today, and Shantae still looks impressive in her first high definition outing on the Wii U. In Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, a mysterious crime wave has swept through Sequin Land, and players will need to master the genie’s “devastating Hair-Whip Attack” to fight back against the criminal masterminds employed by Risky Boots.
Also available to download for the Wii U today is Mario Party 2, which was originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. More than a dozen sequels have been added to the Mario Party in the years since, but I’m sure one of the earliest games in the franchise still has plenty of fans for this Virtual Console re-release.
You can learn more about both of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. (more…)
Link snowboards and wishes fans a “Happy Holidays” in new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild mini-trailer
After the strong sales of 1080 Snowboarding, Nintendo embraced their extreme sports success and pushed out a sequel, 1080 Avalanche, for the GameCube. More than 13 years later, the consolemaker hasn’t shown any interest in revisiting their surprise hit.
And yet, it’s hard not to be reminded of the 1080 franchise after watching Link shred some powder in this brand new mini-trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The hero wants to wish fans a “Happy Holidays” and tear down a mountain with reckless abandon on his shield. The epic music is also a nice touch.
In addition to the new mini-trailer, Nintendo is trotting out a series of new Breath of the Wild screenshots on Facebook that will “explore the Hyrulean landscape.”
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released for the Nintendo Switch and the Wii U sometime in 2017.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo Download: Super Mario Run, Picross E7, Excitebots, more
This Spring’s Miitomo was a fun experiment, but Nintendo is truly kicking off their mobile push today with the launch of Super Mario Run. The “one-handed” platformer will include dozens of levels, a multiplayer versus mode, and a Kingdom Builder mode for players interested in creating their own Mushroom Kingdom.
Also available to download this week on the Wii U is Excitebots: Trick Racing, which was originally released for the Wii in 2009. Swapping out motorcycles for customizable robots, Excitebots features 25 different courses and a huge selection of stunts.
Finally this week, the seventh Picross E game is now available to download through the 3DS eShop. Picross E7 is the latest game in the “Picture Crossword Puzzle” series and the first with 20×15 “Mega Picross” puzzles.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Run
Yooka-Laylee will be released on April 11; Switch release planned for later in 2017 after Playtonic cancels Wii U version
Playtonic Games has announced that Yooka-Laylee will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 11. Yes, you read that right, the Wii U version of the colorful 3D platformer has been canceled. According to the developer’s official website, the Wii U version was dropped due to “unforeseen technical issues.”
However, Playtonic revealed that they’re working closely with Nintendo to bring Yooka-Laylee to the upcoming Nintendo Switch. More details about the Switch release of Yooka-Laylee will be revealed next year, likely during Nintendo’s livestream presentation on January 12.
In other Yooka-Laylee news, Playtonic also unveiled a gameplay trailer for the game that focuses on a brand new locale, the “Capital Cashino”:
This glamorous, marble-floored playground has our buddy-duo navigating the casino floor, discotheques and oversized roulette tables in search of delicious golden bounty. But there’s a twist; players must now compete to win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for the pivotal Pagies!
Finally, Playtonic announced that everyone who pre-orders a copy of Yooka-Laylee will instantly receive the Toybox Demo, “which offers a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox.”
Nintendo Download: Animal Crossing New Leaf Welcome Amiibo Edition, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, more
Nintendo is going retro with this week’s eShop update, as four games from the consolemaker’s past resurface in new locales or with new features.
Leading the way is a 3DS re-release for Animal Crossing: New Leaf that adds Amiibo functionality to the game. The appropriately-named Welcome Amiibo Edition adds new features and activities, as well as support for all Amiibo figures and cards in the Animal Crossing series. Players who’ve previously purchased Animal Crossing; New Leaf will be able to access all of the Welcome Amiibo content with a free update.
3DS fans might also be interested in Demon’s Crest, which is also now available to download for Nintendo’s handheld. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Demon’s Crest is the final adventure of Firebrand, a heroic gargoyle first glimpsed in the Ghosts N Goblins franchise.
Over on the Wii U eShop, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The strategy RPG is a remake of the first Fire Emblem game, and it was originally released for the DS in 2009.
Finally this week, the divisive Metroid: Other M makes the leap from the Wii to the Wii U. Developed by Team Ninja, Other M gives bounty hunter Samus Aran a very complicated backstory in a game that combines first-person and side-scrolling viewpoints.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Nintendo brought Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (on the Switch) and Super Mario Run to The Tonight Show
Nintend of America’s President, Reggie Fils-Aime, stopped by The Tonight Show last night to play Super Mario Run with host Jimmy Fallon. The mobile game will be available to download for iOS devices next week, on December 15, and Fallon showed some pretty impressive skills during his time with the game. However, players who want to try it out early will be able to play a demo at Apple Stores across the country beginning today.
However, before Fils-Aime left the stage, he handed Fallon a Nintendo Switch console and let him play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for a few minutes. Fallon, who constantly told the audience he was “freaking out,” also showed off many of the Switch’s features, including the detachable Joy-Con controllers and the kickstand for portable multiplayer gaming.
Finally, Shigeru Miyamoto sat in with The Roots to play a live version of the “Super Mario Bros. Theme.” Check it out after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Super Mario Run, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Game Awards 2016 Trailer: Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
During tonight’s Game Awards ceremony, Yacht Club games presented the next DLC update to their wildly popular game, Shovel Knight. The add-on, titled Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, tells an entirely new story as seen through the eyes of Specter Knight, the first member of The Order of No Quarter. If the Plague of Shadows chapter is any indication, this expansion will breathe new life into the already-addicting retro title.
In a Kickstarter update, Yacht Club promised that players will find “new areas, new music, new enemies, new objects, new boss fights, new weapons, new armors, and way, way more than ever before” in Specter of Torment. They also revealed that the add-on will serve as a prequel to Shovel Knight’s main storyline.
No release date was given, but we should expect to see the update sometime in Spring 2017.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2016, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
New Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay video and trailer revealed at Game Awards 2016
Geoff Keighley’s long-time friend (and Nintendo of America’s head honcho), Reggie Fils-Aime, took to the Game Awards stage to present a new video for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild toonight. This one was less of a trailer and more of a Let’s Play courtesy of the Nintendo Treehouse. The video showed Link in action as he fought off some enemies, healed himself with some food, and battled a boss. The gameplay video ended just as Link approached a treasure chest (of course).
The biggest takeaway, though, is that Bill Trinen announced that Breath of the Wild is going to release in “2017,” which should only add fuel to the rumors that the title is going to miss its hoped-for March 2017 release date alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Only time will tell.
However, we also got a new Breath of the Wild trailer tonight as well, and it’s available after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged Game Awards 2016, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild