During another Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo announced a broad slate of upcoming titles for the year. The lineup spans beloved franchises and brings back familiar faces like Mario, Luigi, Link, and Donkey Kong on the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U. The announcements show Nintendo’s ongoing commitment to portable play on the 3DS and home console experiences on the Wii U, as shared in the official briefing.
Opening the 3DS lineup is a fresh entry in The Legend of Zelda series. The project has no public name yet, but it will share the world of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the classic Super NES game released in 1992. The game will make use of the 3D capabilities of the handheld, letting Link become a drawing and move along walls. It is planned for release during the holiday season, according to Nintendo’s briefing.
Donkey Kong fans will see two appearances on the 3DS. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D remasters the Wii original with eight new stages and enhanced portability for on-the-go play. It is scheduled for May 24, as noted by Nintendo.
A second Donkey Kong project features a collaboration with Mario in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, an exclusive to the Nintendo eShop. The game uses both 3DS screens to guide the Mini Marios toward the goal and launches on May 9, per the announcement.
Yoshi returns in Yoshi’s Island, marking the series’ third installment. Baby Mario accompanies Yoshi as they jump, perform ground pounds, and throw eggs to defeat foes. No release date has been announced yet, according to the briefing.
To celebrate Animal Crossing: New Leaf, a special Nintendo 3DS XL bundle will arrive with game designs and the title pre-installed. The bundle goes on sale June 9, as reported by Nintendo.
The third chapter in the puzzle franchise’s second trilogy sees Professor Layton return in Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. Scheduled for 2014, the game will feature more than 500 puzzles for players to solve, Nintendo confirms.
Switching to the Wii U, EarthBound will be available on the Wii U Virtual Console later this year. The game originally released in 1995 on the Super NES, and fans can look forward to revisiting it on modern hardware, according to Nintendo.
As part of the Year of Luigi, players who own New Super Mario Bros U can download downloadable content where Luigi becomes the main character in New Super Luigi U. The update brings 82 updated stages and a new adventure featuring Luigi, with a summer release window cited in the presentation.
For those who enjoy playing the villain, Game & Wario uses the Wii U GamePad in creative ways and will be in stores on June 23, as Nintendo notes.
Available on August 4, Pikmin 3 introduces two new characters — Rock Pikmin and Winged Pikmin — who can carry items through the air and help advance the search through new environments.
Which of these games excites readers the most? Share thoughts in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter, as noted by Nintendo in its recent briefing.