Wii U

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments

5th Cell is including Nintendo characters (and items) in Scribblenauts Unlimited. They’ll be in the Wii U version, but not the 3DS version. That’s because Warner Bros. signed the deal with Nintendo after the 3DS title went off to print.

Interestingly, there’s a chance that Nintendo characters could head to the 3DS version in the future. When asked if 5th Cell would consider this with a patch, CEO Jeremiah Slaczka said:

“There’s a possibility that will happen, but there’s nothing confirmed yet.”

Other tidbits from Slaczka include:

– Can add GamePad functionality in the Wii U version
– Can make a Scooby character and have him be afraid of ghosts
– Could also create Sub Zero and have him freeze enemies like Scorpion
– Editor is a “powerful tool”
– It’s close to the same thing the team uses to make the Scribblenauts games
– No online play

Source

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Holiday shoppers from coast to coast will soon get a firsthand look and hands-on time with Nintendo’s groundbreaking new Wii U console. Starting now, more than 5,000 interactive Wii U kiosks will roll out at select retail stores across the United States, inviting families and consumers to discover the unique gaming and entertainment experiences made possible by Wii U and its touch-screen Wii U GamePad controller.

Participating retailers include Target, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart and Toys ‘R’ Us. Depending on which type of Wii U sampling station is available at a given store location, visitors may be able to experience hands-on game play or enjoy specially created video content that highlights the console’s wide variety of available games and features. Consumers will be able to get more information about launch games like Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U and SiNG PARTY, along with ZombiU and Rayman Legends from Ubisoft, among others. To find the nearest Wii U sampling station, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/events.

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

The Wii U launches in just two weeks in North America. With its release on the horizon, game reviews are starting to arrive.

GamesMaster handed out verdicts for two Wii U titles in its Christmas 2012 issue. New Super Mario Bros. U and Nintendo Land were both rated in the issue.

Details from each review can be found below (along with scores), courtesy of Nintendo Everything reader joclo.

Nintendo Land

– “…Luigi’s Haunted Mansion, Animal Crossing Sweet Day and Mario Chase offer up some of the most innovative, raucous and party-fueling fun we’ve ever had with a console”
– Plaza is filled with all things Nintendo
– There’s menu music for each attraction that bleeps out in NES chimes
– Monita, the floating computer, guides you around the park’s features
– Spend winnings on pachinko-esque coin game
– Win a jukebox, day/night cycle button, and more
– Miis from your console and other consoles through the Internet
– Attraction mode: set up a Nintendo Land party; choose a time limit and player count and then head to a points-based tournament of mini-games
– Multiplayer games are fun, but GamesMaster says the single-player ones are sometimes forgettable
– A few games highlight “some seemingly inherent problems”
– Ex: Takamaru’s Ninja Challenge – “constant screen misalignment”
– GamesMaster says GamePad/TV crossover usually works best when done in tandem
– “As a discerning gamer, you may not find all that Nintendo Land has to offer to your liking, but should you fork out for a Wii U, you owe it to your family, to your friends and to everyone else you know, to bag a copy of this to go with it.”
– Graphics: 90%
– Gameplay: 86%
– Accessibility: 95%
– Lifespan: 82%
– Innovation: 92%
– Overall: 86%
– “An essential purchase for party lovers that whets the Nintendo appetite. Bring friends.”

New Super Mario Bros. U

– May look the same, but there are some “incredible tweaks”
– GamesMaster feels it’s easier than NSMB Wii
– Took under seven hours to complete
– More to the game outside of the main campaign
– Most of the innovation is saved for the final levels
– “Without wishing to spoil anything, we were surprised, excited, and twinkly-eyed during an excellent finale. It’s almost as if Nintendo suddenly realised that they were in fact working with a Wii U, with a game-changing GamePad and everything.”
– Hopes Nintendo will “build on this solid, if not mind-blowing, foundation.”
– Graphics: 82%
– Gameplay: 85%
– Accessibility: 90%
– Lifespan: 80%
– Innovation: 75%
– Overall: 82%
– “A great excuse for families to gather round the TV, and an enticing glimpse of Mario’s HD future.”

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii U | 0 comments

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

Nyamyam is a new indie studio from the UK comprised of former RARE staffers. The team is currently working on “Tengami”, an “explorative adventure game” set inside a pop-up-book.

For now, Tengami is only in the works for the PC, Mac, and iPad. But it sounds like the team has been chatting with Nintendo of Europe, and may be interested in bringing it to the Wii U eShop as well.

Nyamyam posted the following message on Twitter on a couple of days back:

“Chatted with Nintendo Europe today. Really excited about Nintendo’s plans for the digital WiiU store. Very indie/small dev friendly.”

The studio also started asking its followers if they’d like to see Tengami on Wii U. Nothing is set in stone right now, but I’d say the prospects are pretty good.

Source

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Wii U | 0 comments

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

We have a bunch of translated details from a recent Shigeru Miyamoto interview. Read on below for Miyamoto’s thoughts about F-Zero, a Metroid game on Wii U, and more. Be sure to check out this post for news concerning Link’s origins.

Miyamoto’s role with Wii U development

– Miyamoto is technically supposed to be responsible for software
– He always tends to have his say on development of hardware though
– As the hardware is developed together with new games, he’s been involved with development of the DS and Wii
– For Wii U, there was a very thin boundary between the controller and the software responsible for the hardware
– Miyamoto was among those who supported the idea of having a small screen in the controller
– After that it is pretty hard to tell who did what

Miyamoto on a Metroid game for Wii U

– A lot of Miyamoto’s Metroid ideas can be found in the Nintendo Land mini-game, Metroid Blast
– Miyamoto noted that the Wii U is an HD console with more power and prettier graphics
– Nintendo can naturally think about a nice Metroid action game in HD, but nothing is confirmed
– Miyamoto had a big smile of someone who won’t say more than this

Miyamoto on F-Zero

– Pleased to hear that fans are still interested in F-Zero since he feels the series hasn’t changed much since the first game
– Miyamoto thought people may start to become tired of the IP
– Miyamoto thanks the fans for their patience and advises to try playing the mini-game in Nintendo Land
– Miyamoto is curious to see what fans would like to see that they haven’t done before

Where Miyamoto hopes to be in ten years

– Miyamoto hopes he’ll still be alive
– He also hopes to be doing what he loves at Nintendo
– Thanks to some of the younger talented staff at Nintendo, he can let go of a few of his regular duties since their projects are in good hands
– Miyamoto wants to focus on the things that interest him, even if he continues to supervise a little
– He’s currently working hard to finish Pikmin 3

Source

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 0 comments

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Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

NotEnoughShaders conducted a massive interview with Shin’en’s Manfred Linzner. Linzner opened up on Nano Assault Neo’s gameplay and technical features, WiiWare and eShop, Wii U hardware, and much, much more.

There’s a comprehensive summary below, courtesy of NeoGAF.

Nano Assault Neo
– Online leaderboards, ‘survivor’ mode, local two player.
– Tunnel sequences from 3DS version not present in Neo, instead replaced with tunnel ‘races’.
– Uses the ‘C-Engine’, an engine Shin’en has used on around 17 games.
– In two player mode, the GamePad camera captures the second player (on the GamePad) playing, and displays this image on the TV for the first player to see. Image captures at 30fps. Can be disabled.
– ‘Missions’ take place of achievements. Missions success is ranked online.
– 100mb download size.
– 5.1 LPCM surround sound audio.
– Hoping for launch day and low price.
– Loading times almost reduced to zero.

eStore/Digital
– Made profit on WiiWare, but felt the market was too small. Feels the 3DS eStore is a sign of Nintendo taking digital more seriously.
– Feels Nintendo is “listening to feedback”, including from developers.
– Had no restrictions from Nintendo in terms of size, content and gameplay for their digital titles.

Wii U Hardware/Tech
– Hardware avoids “typical bottlenecks”, such as RAM latency.
– GPU “quite open”.
– Hardware has good optimisation potential, and components well balanced.
– Have had no problems with the CPU/GPU combination. Feels they’re a “good match”.
– GamePad streaming and camera capture do not put a burden on the CPU/GPU.
– Nano Assault Neo using a few tricks that are not possible on current generation hardware. States the modern Wii U GPU is capable of effects that can make Wii U games look better than any game on current generation hardware.
– Audio DPS used for 3D audio and lowpass filtering.
– Excited to see what developers do with the hardware over the years.

Design/Company Philosophy
– Big focus on framerate. Always aim for 60fps.
– Enhancements made to the C-Engine for one game can then be used in other games on other platforms.
– Enjoy independent, smaller working versus larger, contractual working. Allows for full ownership of properties and engines, and full control of project direction.
– Influenced by arcade games from the 80s/90s.
– Enjoy first party Nintendo games. Thought Journey was really great.
– Happy with their relationship with Nintendo.
– Developing Jett Rocket for 3DS. Hoping to release it in the next few months. Planning another Wii U game, to be announced early next year.

Source 1, Source 2