Next for Nintendo: Zelda reboots, fresh Splatoon gear and more
Nintendo announced a slew of upcoming titles and their release dates — as well as new content for existing franchises — during the company’s Nintendo Direct livestream on Thursday. Gird your loins and prepare for Zelda reboots, fancy new Splatoon arenas, and so. many. amiibo sets.
Source: Nintendo of America (Twitter)
Um, Cloud from ‘Final Fantasy VII’ is heading to Smash Bros.
You haven’t accidentally stumbled into an alternate reality where Final Fantasy VII was actually developed by Nintendo. But, the following is still true: Cloud from Final Fantasy VII will be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Nintendo dropped the announcement right at the end of its Nintendo Direct livestream today.
Watch today’s Nintendo Direct right here
Nintendo Direct is back and ready to deliver some serious 3DS and Wii U news. Today’s live stream starts at 2PM PT (5PM ET/10PM GMT), and the US version is viewable at the bottom of this post (or see region-specific streams here). Don’t expect any details about the NX or Nintendo’s mobile games — today is poised to be all about the Wii U and 3DS only. This is the first Nintendo Direct since President Satoru Iwata’s death in July; former Nintendo of America and Pokémon USA President Tatsumi Kimishima is now the head of the company. So, grab a banana, pull up a chair and prepare for a brand new Nintendo Direct.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD’ hits Wii U in 2016
It’s official: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD exists and it’s heading to Wii U on March 4th, 2016. Twilight Princess HD introduces a new Wolf Link amiibo, which is included in a special game bundle. The game shares some data with the new Legend of Zelda game heading to Wii U in 2016 as well. Rumors of Twilight Princess HD‘s existence first hit the ‘net in October. Nintendo made the official announcement today during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
Playdate: Giving away a ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ Xbox One bundle
So you want to play the new timed-exclusive Tomb Raider game, but you don’t have an Xbox One. We might be able to help with that: today on Engadget Playdate, we’re streaming Rise of the Tomb Raider and giving one lucky viewer a chance to win a 1TB Xbox One (with the game, of course). Want in? Simply hit the contest widget after the break. Want to see what we’re giving out? Join us on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage or right here in this post starting at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific. Good luck!
‘Star Fox Zero’ lands on Wii U in April
Star Fox Zero makes its way to Wii U on April 22nd, 2016, barrel rolls and all. The game was originally due on November 20th, but in September, Nintendo announced its delay into 2016. “we will need a little more time to work on areas such as the unprecedented discovery that we want players to experience in the game by using two screens, and further polishing the level designs and perfecting the tone of the cut scenes,” Nintendo said at the time. The company announced the new release date during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
Control the weather via Twitch and torture these poor souls in London
You read that correctly. It’s called Survival Billboard, and to be clear, it’s a marketing campaign for Rise of the Tomb Raider‘s launch in the UK — but it’s so strange (and slightly sadistic) that it’s worth a mention. Eight people volunteered to stand on a billboard in London and be subjected to a series of extreme weather conditions, as chosen by people voting online. So far, the contestants have endured snow, wind, rain and heat, and they’ve been up there for just a few hours. One contestant has already been eliminated, meaning seven remain at time of publication. The last person standing wins a trip to exotic locations around the world. If you tune in (and vote to torture these people, you monster), be warned that the ad breaks (aside from the giant billboard) are lengthy and full of Tomb Raider cutscenes. That may be a small price to pay to be a digital weather god for a little while.
Source: Survival Billboard
Storytelling in video games doesn’t have to be scary
Benjamin Rivers believes in the dramatic, emotional appeal of the video game industry. He’s the man behind Home, a surprisingly complex, pixelated horror game that found great success once it debuted in 2012. It’s praised for impressive narrative arcs that branch in twisted, unique ways depending on the decisions of each player, and this is precisely the type of story-centric design that delights Rivers. He sees video games’ potential to convey convoluted human experiences through strong narrative design, and he’s bringing these sensibilities to Alone with You, a science-fiction adventure due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in the spring.
Alone with You stars a lonely survivor on a planet due for implosion in a few weeks; players have to escape with help from the colony’s AI system, which eventually takes on the personalities of dead crew members. And, it’s a romance. A futuristic, interstellar romance starring just one actual human — because that’s the kind of storyteller Rivers is.
ASUS confirms it will build a Hololens-style headset
After teasing the idea last month, ASUS has confirmed that it’s planning to release an augmented reality (AR) headset sometime in 2016. “It should be next year when we come out with a product. We think AR will be very important for people’s lives,” said CEO Jonny Shih, according to CNET. Judging by ASUS’s earlier comments, the device will be a version of Microsoft’s HoloLens and likely come at a lower price. However, ASUS neither confirmed that it would be a HoloLens clone, nor the final price during an earnings webcast yesterday.
Source: CNET
‘Sensible Soccer’ is getting a modern remake
For kids growing up in the early 90s, the Commodore Amiga was the pinnacle of gaming hardware. It was no doubt helped by classic titles like Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder, which were the brainchild of Sensible Software founder Jon Hare. It’s been eight years since the last Sensible Soccer game hit the Xbox 360, but with Codemasters still holding on to the licence, Hare’s decided it’s about time for a reboot: Sociable Soccer.
Source: Sociable Soccer (Kickstarter)
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