When it comes to the Wii U, Nintendo has definitely gotten off to a slow start.
With just a trickle of game releases and only a handful of first party titles, the Wii U has left consumers disappointed. In a break from tradition, Nintendo has released their new console without any major first party releases from the 3D Mario or Legend of Zelda franchises.
But Nintendo fans will be glad to hear that a recent announcement has changed everything. It seems Nintendo has been keeping a huge secret for 2013.
This could be a big year for the Big N.
A Spate of First Party Releases Promised
Nintendo’s announcements cover some massive new releases which will no doubt excite the hard core Nintendo fans out there.
First of all, a new Legend of Zelda title has been announced. It has been stated that this new iteration in the Zelda series will rethink some of the franchise’s major concepts. There has been mention of multiplayer and non-linear dungeon progression, but will Zelda really be different this time? And will changing such a recognizable and loved formula pay off? We have to wait to see.
But for those who cannot wait, Nintendo has announced a little something to help pass the time. This year there will be an HD remake of the GameCube classic, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.
The new high definition Zelda appears to be a faithful recreation of one of Nintendo’s most courageous and original classics. There are suggestions that this re-release will also contain new content, but there is nothing concrete at this point.
What is concrete is the news that there will be a few exciting additions to this year’s E3. Nintendo has announced that there will be a playable version of the next 3D Mario game at the show. This new Mario will be produced by the same team responsible for the successful Super Mario Galaxy series.
Additional E3 appearances will include a new Mario Kart game, a new Yoshi game and screens from the new Super Smash Brothers.
Furthermore Pikmin 3 is expected to be released mid-year.
New to the Virtual Console
One of the complaints from owners of the original Wii concerned the software rights on the Virtual Console. Consumers were unhappy to find that their downloaded titles only worked on the console they were purchased on. This meant that a broken Wii could mean lost purchases. Also, a new Wii could not use any Virtual Console titles previously purchased. Although the old and new Wiis could be shipped to Nintendo to have their data swapped over, this was a time consuming process which no Wii owner was keen to endure.
But not all is lost. It seems that Nintendo has heard your complaints, and responded with new account-linked titles, which offers a fairer system for users.
And it doesn’t end there. Nintendo has announced that Wii U Virtual Console titles can be downloaded at a discount if they have already been purchased on the original Wii.
Some Big Third Party Releases
Nintendo’s also revealed a number of upcoming games from the third party developers as well. The biggest so far include a new release from the studio behind the RPG Xenoblade Chronicles, and a crossover between the Fire Emblem and the Shin Megami Tensei franchises, Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei.
There is even speculation about the new Grand Theft Auto 5 making an appearance, but at this stage nothing has been confirmed or denied by Rockstar.
Still Much More to Come
So it seems that the Big N may have a lot to give, and a lot to prove in 2013.
With a new Mario, two new Zelda titles, numerous first party releases, some major third part releases and the return of the Virtual Console, hopes are running high amongst Nintendo fans.
Have you been putting off buying a Wii U until more games are available? Will you be getting one now or waiting ’till you see these launch? Let us know in the comments section below!
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