NinjaBee originally hoped to have A World of Keflings out last year. That didn’t happen, but the studio is now targeting a late Q1 2014 launch for its Wii U eShop title.
NinjaBee wrote on Twitter earlier this month:
Sadly, we didn't release A World of Keflings for the Wii U last year. Thankfully, Keflings will be arriving in the latter half of Q1 2014.
— NinjaBeeGames (@NinjaBeeGames) January 2, 2014
A slew of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze details have emerged from this month’s issue of ONM. There are a bunch of noteworthy tidbits here, including the ability to upload times and full replays. The full roundup of information can be found below.
– ONM estimates that most levels will take about 10 minutes to complete on your first attempt
– 3-3 Frantic Field: set against a hurricane, with small tornadoes, and lightning as obstacles; eventually you reach the eye of the storm
– Next stage takes place in a forest, with sections on fire due to the previous levels lightning
– Need to use watery fruit to put out vine fires in order to progress
– Game includes tag barrels ala Donkey Kong 64, to switch between Kongs (could just be DK barrels)
– Multiple routes in the various levels
– 3 secret levels per world confirmed
– Time Attack returns
– In Time Attack, you can choose which character’s DK barrels will appear
– Upload times and full replays to show friends, and to help other players improve their own times
– There seems to be more emphasis on the background, which is constantly moving, which makes the world feel alive, and sometimes provides hints to what you’re going to encounter next
– When asked if there was anything the felt was missing from the game, Kensuke Tanabe said that he wishes they could have done more with the animal buddies
– Tanabe also mentions that there is something from A Link to the Past that he wanted to do, couldn’t, and used it in Link’s Awakening instead (ending of LA when the egg opens)
– Retro president’s favorite levels: 6-6 Cliffside Slide, “like jumping right into the middle of an action movie”, it’s a silhouette level. 4-4 Irate Eight, and underwater level which sounds like the giant octopus from DKCR is back. 3-3 Frantic Fields, which is challenging, but with a bit of comedy.
Tanabe mentions that World 4 is made of only underwater levels.
– Kelbaugh also mentions that he likes 4-4, and 3-6 Cannon Canyon, because of the dynamic 3D camera movement
– Animation quality has improved over Returns
– With David Wise, Kenji Yamamoto, and Scott Petersen, they have an amazing soundtrack, and special effects effort
– Tanabe was surprised that so few people in DKCR didn’t want to use the Super Guide once it appeared. He said that the difficulty of Tropical Freeze hasn’t been lowered, but that they have added some features that will give casual players an easier time.
– Difficulty hasn’t been lowered, but the new items, and Kong POW allow you to change the difficulty of the levels somewhat
– Miyamoto told Retro, when first working on DKCR: “This is my baby. Don’t mess it up.”
– Kelbaugh and Tanabe both worked on DKC, with Tanabe on the Japanese localisation, but never met.
Ten years later Tanabe met Kelbaugh, when he became president of Retro. He saw that Kelbaugh had a DKC jacket, and they learned that they both worked on DKC.
– A few years after that they both started on DKCR, Michael gave DKCR the codename F8 – fate.
– Retro was working on Mario Kart 7, and TF at the same time
– Tanabe, and his team at SPD is Retro’s primary contact at Nintendo, but the games are a collaborative effort throughout Nintendo
– If they found themselves on Kong Island Kelbaugh would team up with Diddy, and Tanabe with Donkey Kong, so that he could be carried around
Update: Prices have been restored to their original amounts. Hope you got an order in if you were interested!
Original:
Nintendo’s UK store currently has huge discounts on a number of downloadable first-party Wii U and 3DS games. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins is £6.95, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team are £7.95, and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, The Wonderful 101, and Pikmin 3 are down to £8.95 a piece.
Wow indeed. Thing is, those prices were likely initiated in error. I assume these “sales” won’t last long, so take advantage while you can.
We’re hearing – as reported in this month’s ONM – that Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will offer three secret levels per world. In total, the game would end up featuring 60 levels if true.
ONM also apparently contains a quote from Retro president Michael Kelbaugh who told the magazine, “As for Tropical Freeze, there are a few more things I feel we could have done with the animal buddies”. Some are speculating that Kelbaugh could be hinting at more animal buddies included in the Wii U title.
Along with today’s screenshot, Sakurai passed along the following message on Miiverse:
Rosalina and Luma’s attacks are very different. This screencap shows Rosalina producing a Saturnian ring for her strong up attack.
After a years-long legal battle, it appears that Eternal Darkness and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes developer Silicon Knights is going to end up paying a $9.1 million fine to Epic Games for allegedly using an unlicensed copy of Unreal Engine, breaching contractual obligations, and racking up court fees.
Silicon Knights hasn’t been up to much lately and the studio is a shell of its former self. Dennis Dyack– former leader of the developers there– has said that there’s only one or two people still officially working there, and after losing this legal battle it appears unlikely that they’ll continue. A sad way for the developer to go out.
Court Ruling via Gamespot
This week’s video additions to the Wii U/3DS eShops are as follows:
Wii U
Nintendo Minute – Mega Man 2
NES Remix – Remix I Stage 10: Skate Mario!
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 2 Transformations
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 3 The Bomb
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 4 Done and Dungeon
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 1 Letting Go
Various Wii Fit U videos
Cocoto Magic Circuis 2 Trailer
Gradius Trailer
3DS
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Trailer
Nintendo Minute – Mega Man 2
NES Remix – Remix I Stage 10: Skate Mario!
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 2 Transformations
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 3 The Bomb
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 4 Done and Dungeon
Play With Your Food Zelda Edition Ep. 1 Letting Go
Girls’ Fashion Shoot Trailer
Beyblade Evolution Trailer
Source: Wii U/3DS eShops
Nintendo recently added in a trailer for Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the North American 3DS eShop. Might that suggest that a Virtual Console release is planned for the near future?
Europe will actually be getting Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest on the 3DS VC later this week. It wouldn’t be too surprising if the game will also be made available in the US on Thursday.
This week’s Wii U eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Zelda: Wind Waker HD
2. Dr. Luigi
3. NES Remix
4. Super Mario World
5. Super Mario 3D World
6. Super Mario Bros.
7. Mega Man X2
8. EarthBound
9. The Legend of Zelda
10. Art Academy: SketchPad
11. Pokemon Rumble U
12. Super Metroid
13. Super Punch-Out!!
14. DuckTales Remastered
15. Super Mario Bros.
16. Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
17. Trine 2: Director’s Cut
18. Mega Man X
19. EDGE
20. Donkey Kong
Videos
1. Dr. Luigi Trailer
2. Mario Kart 8 Trailer
3. NES Remix Trailer
4. Super Mario 3D World Trailer
5. Super Mario 3D World Trailer 2
6. Super Mario 3D World Accolades Trailer
7. Mega Man X2 Trailer
8. Super Smash Bros. – Rosalina Reveal Trailer
9. Hyrule Warriors Teaser Trailer
10. Zelda: Wind Waker HD 6/11/13
11. Wii Sports Club Trailer
12. Pokemon Rumble U Gameplay Trailer
13. Sonic Lost World Launch Trailer
14. Super Mario World Trailer
15. Sonic Lost World Trailer
16. Pikmin 3 Accolades Trailer
17. CastleStorm Trailer
18. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Trailer
19. Yoshi’s New Island – Teaser Trailer
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Video
Source: Wii U eShop
