With mere days before competitors launch their new hardware, Nintendo releases a Nintendo Direct to build what could be notification on their devices during these very important couple of weeks. Today’s Direct mainly focuses on the stronger of the two platforms, the Nintendo 3DS, and how it will keep its positive momentum into 2014.
The Direct takes place within Nintendo of America’s HQ with Reggie introducing a trailer for the last big 2013 title for the 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The trailer shows how Link can become a drawing, introduces new and old enemies alike, and its StreetPass functions. You can battle other Zelda players’ Shadow Link and if you defeat them, you obtain their bounty, which is based on what items you have equipped. Their Shadow Link can also be seen afterwards in your Hyrule.
Bill Trinen also talks about Nintendo's Instagram account and how there will be more 15 second trailers for A Link Between Worlds. He also introduces us to Irene, who will assist Link in his newest adventure by warping him, as well as the daughter of the high priest, Seres, who is one of the characters you must rescue. Last but not least, they unveil the game’s Milk Bar, which is a nod to Majora’s Mask.
Mario Party: Island Tour also launches on November 22nd and they now confirmed that the multiplayer will use the Download Play option, which means only one copy of the game is necessary to initiate multiplayer. Also in the game is the Mini-Game Tower, a singleplayer mode, which has you fight Bowser and fiends. The game also has StreetPass functions, which will allow you to compete against their ghosts on some minigames.
Bravely Default, Square-Enix’s RPG that Nintendo is localizing, was also shown off. It shows off its Brave and Default modes that characters initiate. Going to Default makes characters go in a defensive mode, which will accumulate Brave points. Brave Points can be spent (or even borrowed in your future Default turns) on attacking, and you can attack multiple times in a row if you earned enough. These strategies can also be used in coordination of the ability to stop time. The amount of time you can freeze is determined on, get this, how long you have Bravely Default running while your 3DS is in sleep mode. The game has a job class system and summons much like many of Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy games. Bravely Default launches on February 7th in North America and will have a collector’s edition containing AR cards, artbook, and soundtrack.
The next title mentioned is the sixth Professor Layton, subtitled The Azran Legacy, and will link the current prequel trilogy to the original one that started with Curious Village. It will also launch in February, the 28th of it to be exact.
Trinen also reminded folk about the update to the Nintendo Zone and how it allows them to save the last six Miis for Mii Plaza distribution as well as DLC for certain titles.
The next part of this Direct details the most important news delivered today. There will be a firmware update for the Nintendo 3DS next month, and it will finally modernize the system. This will allow you to register your Wii U Nintendo Network ID to the console, allowing you to merge your eShop balances and make them usable on both consoles. All you have to do is log in with your NNID once the update has finished installing. If you don’t have a Wii U, this will be your time to make your own NNID, and that will be used for both consoles if you get a Wii U (much like a PSN username for PS3/4/Vita, Apple ID for iDevices, etc.). Trinen has promised that this unification of the Wii U and 3DS will continue to evolve in the future, so maybe this update will be a stepping-stone to FINALLY having a true unified account system in place.
The update will also add Miiverse to 3DS. Again, if you have a Wii U, all your Miiverse content will be synced, but for those lacking Nintendo’s new console, you will finally see what the fuss was about. The Miiverse logo will be on top of the 3DS menu, meaning it will be a background app much like your Friends List or the note app, so you don’t need to close out your suspended game to access it. You can also upload 3DS screencaps as well as make posts offline (if you’re away from a Wi-Fi spot) and have them upload once you’re in one.
Lastly, the 3DS will finally get a YouTube app later in November. You can search for stuff on the bottom screen while watching stuff on the top. The Wii U’s YouTube app this month will also be updated to allow these features.
On the Wii U front, Pikmin 3 will get more DLC with more mission mode content. However, unlike the previous ones that used in-game assets to make these levels, this third pack will be all new content. These eight stages consist of a new outdoor level, inside someone’s house at Christmas time, a factory and a construction site. One of these stages has you play as Olimar and (if you find and revive him) Louie. The DLC launches on December 2nd and the core Pikmin 3 game will have a software update as well which will contain two free missions.
The Animal Crossing Plaza will be updated as well, and it will allow stamps for Miiverse posts, a feature that Super Mario 3D World will also utilize. There will also be a series of Animal Crossing-flavored polls that’ll happen monthly within the plaza between now and when the plaza goes offline at the end of next year. Lastly, you will be able to register your New Leaf residents and have them permanently on your plaza.
Reggie also introduced a trailer of some of the indie titles hitting Wii U and 3DS soon like Unepic, 1,001 Spikes, Tengami, Retro City Rampage and more. Here’s the trailer:
A new trailer also is unveiled for Super Mario 3D World, and it details some of the things you can do and unlock (which consist of spoilers), like the Luigi Bros. game, a greenish twist of the old 1983 Mario Bros. arcade game. If you own Super Luigi U, your save data for it will automatically unlock this remake.
While the Direct ended there, Nintendo shortly announced a couple of things via press releases. First, they announced the title for the new Kirby game for the 3DS. It is now called Kirby: Triple Deluxe. Secondly, the 3DS has officially sold more than the Nintendo 64 at over 34 million units. While that’s a great achievement, the 3DS has only sold about half the amount of software than it (120 million units versus the N64’s 224 million).
Like always, the entire Direct is below for you to view.
