Nintendo Direct News Lineup

This past Thursday, Nintendo held it’s first Nintendo direct since the passing of former president Satoru Iwata. Though his absence was felt, there are a lot of new and exciting developments that came from the big N. If you don’t wanna watch teh full video, you can check out some of the high points after the jump.

Cloud Coming to….SMASH BROTHERS?

Despite the fact that Cloud hasn’t been in any Nintendo games besides the DS Kingdom Hearts spinoffs, he has been announced as the next character coming to Smash Brothers. Little detail has been given about his price or release date, but he’ll join Ryu, Mega Man, Pac Man, and Shulk as being among the last people you’d expect to see in this game. The direct ended with an announcement of a special Smash Brothers broadcast in December. WHo knows what this will be? Even more secret characters? I’m personally holding out for Simon Belmont and the return of Solid Snake.

Splatoon and Mario Maker Updates

Both Splatoon and Mario Maker are getting new updates. Splatoon received new maps and gear this past week, while Mario Maker will recieve an online search tool which will make it easier for players to find levels. For anyone who has had to wade through tons of crap to find good levels, this is a godsend. Earlier this month, Mario Maker also received an update allowing players to create checkpoints as well as state-specific power ups.

Legend of Zelda Updates

More information was revealed about next year’s 3DS port of Hyrule Warriors. Subtitled Legends, the game will allow players to play as Toon Link, The King of Hyrule, The Skull Kid, and Tetra. There is also a new original character, Linkle, a female version of Link. Tri-FOrce Heroes, which just released last month, will be getting a huge update, The Den of Trials. The Den of Trials is a collection of 30+ extremely tough stages to challenge players. There will also be two new costumes available. Finally, like all good games from last gen, The Twilight Princess will be getting an HD remake next year. Along with upgraded graphics, the game will be compatible with other Legend of Zelda related Amiibo, including a new Wolf Link Amiibo. Preorders are available for a collector’s edition package featuring the game and the Wolf Link Amiibo. Sadly, still no news on the Wii U Legend of Zelda, but I think this is good enough to tide us over.

Pokemon!

Pokemon also played a huge part at this week’s Nintendo Direct. There were no less than 4 separate announcements for Pokemon games coming to Wii U and 3DS. In early December, the free to play title Pokemon Picross will hit 3DS. The game will have players use clues to decipher pictures of Pokemon. By unlocking Pokemon, you can use their powers to assist during the game. Players can purchase what’s called picrites in order to assist in solving puzzles. This Friday, Nintendo will also release Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, the latest entry in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon spin-off series. Players will choose one of 20 Pokemon and explore a world filled only with Pokemon in order to discover why Pokemon are turning into stone. Players will explore randomly generated dungeons and encounter all of the franchise’s 700+ Pokemon. Namco/Bandai will also be bringing Pokken Tournament to the U.S Wii U next spring. Pokken Torunament is a fighting game developed in collaboration with the developers of Tekken. Finally, Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow will be re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console on February 27th of next year. The games will be recreated exactly as you remember them, only difference is that the game will use the 3DS wi-fi connection to battle and trade Pokemon with other players. You know, since the Game Boy link is no longer available.

RPG Goodness

There will be plenty awesomeness for RPG fans as well. As yop know, the open-world RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X is coming to Wii U December 4. If you’re planning on purchasing a hard copy, there are 4 download packs you can pre-install that will improve teh gameplay experience. Of course they come with the game if you pre-purchase it on the Nintendo e-shop. Fire Emblem Fates is coming to 3DS in February. Fates is actually made up of two games, Birthright and Conquest, each with their own storyline. Players can purchase one at $39.99 each, and buy the other for a reduced price. Or they can purchase both in a $39.99 collector’s edition which includes a digital-only third entry, Revelations which will be available on its own for $19.99. The game will also include DLC map packs which can be pre-purchased. In late Janruary 2016, Square-Enix is bringing the action RPG Final Fantasy Explorers to the 3DS. The game feature’s the franchises’ trademark job system, and players can switch jobs at anytime. Players can also put on costumes inspired by characters from other Final Fantasy games, and can even turn into those characters. PLayers can either go it alone or team up with friends. Project X Zone 2 is also returning to 3DS, and as we covered a few times before, the game’s cast will include characters from Xenoblade and Fire Emblem alongside dozens of Capcom, Sega, and Namco characters. Finally, Square Enix is bringing Dragon Quest VII and VIII to the 3DS next year. If you missed these two classics the first time out, now is the perfect time to get them.

Mario

What good would any Nintendo conference be without a visit from the big N’s mascot, Mario? Along with the aforementioned Mario Maker updates, Nintendo showed off Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, a tennis game featuring Mario Characters. Players can choose from several Mario characters, each with their own special moves. Players can use one of several Mario-related Amiibo to train and enhance their abilities, and they can even adjust the rulesets to disable specials in order to play a more traditional game of tennis (which looked reminiscent of Mario Tennis from the Virtual Boy several years back). Nintendo also showed off Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam, an RPG in which Mario and Luigi team up with Paper Mario. Paper Mario has unique abilities which he can use to help Mario and Luigi navigate the game’s environments. The battle system utilizes a card system which adds additional perks during combat. Of course the game is compatible with Amiibo, and players can unlock exclusive cards.

The Best of the Rest

Nintendo showed off more of Star Fox Zero, which we first saw at E3. Players will battle Andross and his forces using several new vehicles. We also saw some of Lego’s Marvel Avengers. Indie hits Hive Jump, Steamworld Heist, and Terraria were also shown. Mighty Number 9 is on it’s way for a February release. Speaking of which, Mega Man Legacy Collection is heading to Nintendo 3ds alongside a golden Mega Man Amiibo. While there is no doubt that the NX will be the talk of the town by this time next year, Nintendo has plenty of heat planned for the Wii U and 3DS, especially in the first couple of months. There is something for everyone too, that’s not even mentioning games such as Devil’s Third and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem. See anything you like? Let us know in the comments!