Heavy lifting

Toki Tori 2 is likely to be one of the most widely recognisable names in the early weeks of the Wii U eShop, due to its predecessor being one of the leading titles to herald the arrival of WiiWare. The diminutive little chicken isn't going to be quite ready for launch day, however, with confirmation from Two Tribes that the title will arrive on 20th December in North America and Europe.

In the blog post used to make the announcement, Two Tribes has explained that Toki Tori 2 has been the studio's sole focus for over a year, and that the original plan to be available on launch day was dropped in order to refine the final game. It also clarified that the Wii U version became its priority, meaning the title hits Nintendo's system before the original target platform, Steam on PC.

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Since we’re a relatively small indie studio, a lot is riding on the success of Toki Tori 2 for us. We have spent well over a year with everyone at Two Tribes on this single project, which means Toki Tori 2 will be the only source of income for a while to come. When Nintendo announced their plans for the Wii U, we decided early on that the game needed to be on that platform, but it wasn’t until we noticed that our completion date and the Wii U launch date aligned that we made the call.

Making something for a console launch has several benefits from a development and business standpoint. You don’t have to support a wide range of configurations as you would need to on Steam, meaning we can release earlier after we finish the game. And business-wise, it makes a lot of sense to be available at or around launch, since players are very eager for new things to play on their new devices.

With a new open world approach to puzzles, a variety of animals in the environment that take the place of traditional items, as well as a level creation tool, this game promises much. If you want to learn a bit more you can check out our Toki Tori 2 first impressions, and the screenshot above (click to see full size) has been provided to Nintendo Life exclusively, just for you.

So, are you looking forward to this sequel, and is it on your festive download wishlist?

[source twotribes.com]