Poll: Nintendo's Year of Adventure on Wii U and 3DS Promises Hundreds of Immersive Gaming Hours

Xenoblade or Legend of Zelda, which is top of your list?

by Thomas Whitehead Sun 18th Jan 2015

There are plenty of games already confirmed by Nintendo for 2015, covering the Wii U, 3DS and - in one case - the New Nintendo 3DS. We have diverse experiences, from shooting to platforming, level creation to strategy, yet it's in the RPG and Adventure genres that the most hours may be lost. Put simply, for those that love nothing more than diving into a hearty, time consuming adventure, this year could be truly special.

This humble writer may struggle to find the time to give tens of hours (maybe hundreds) to a game, but nevertheless it's an endeavour that can be hugely rewarding. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is certainly time-consuming, for example; despite admirable and welcome efforts at a storyline, it's still primarily about grinding for equipment and tackling hulking beasts in thrilling battles. Utterly enthralling in its way, but not a plot-driven extravaganza that urges you onwards while also tugging at the obsessive part of the brain to complete one more sub-quest.

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Undoubtedly, when we refer to all-encompassing adventures and worlds to explore in 2015, we're talking about the Xenoblade and The Legend of Zelda, and to have two entries in each this year - two portable and two home console - is almost too delicious; yes, we're aware that Xenoblade in particular is considered an RPG, but with its real-time battling and focus on both exploration and storytelling, we're considering the experience to be an adventure in itself.

Of course, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D arguably has the least impact of these games, for a couple of reasons. For one it's a port of the brilliant Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, and secondly it's exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS. Therefore it cuts out those that don't upgrade their hardware, and also potentially some of those that have fought their way through the incredibly lengthy original; as we highlighted in our Xenoblade Chronicles 3D first impressions, it's lovely but is ultimately the same game we had before. Those two provisos mentioned, however, it's exciting that it'll be available on the go and in stores in April.

Arriving before that is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, landing at the same time as the new hardware but just as playable on the original 3DS. Long anticipated, it's a chance for a new generation to jump into one of the series' most experimental and unique entries, albeit with tweaks to the formula to make it better suited to portable play and a little more accessible to newcomers. Considering its status as a popular 'cult classic', it has a big chance of success not just due to the Zelda brand but also for the fact that, somewhat more-so than Ocarina of Time 3D, it'll be a new title to a number of those that take the plunge.

Back to Monolith Soft's games - though Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is being ported by Monster Games - we come to Xenoblade Chronicles X for Wii U, which suddenly looks like a far safer bet for a 2015 arrival in the West. It hits Japan on 29th April, and was given a 2015 release window once again in the recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts. After limited updates of occasional blog posts and interviews from Monolith Soft, we suddenly realise that development is moving along towards a rapid conclusion, and Nintendo looks set to push hard on localisation for this year. Like its predecessor it appears to have an enormous world, while it'll surely utilise the Wii U GamePad and make good use of the hardware's capabilities. A new setting, fresh monsters and more, it looks enticing.

Then, of course, we'll have The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, revealed at E3 and shown off in more detail at the Game Awards in December. It's aiming for a large, seamlessly connected world, adopting an idea seen elsewhere of looking to the horizon and being able to travel to a distant point without being split into zones. Talk so far has focused on a less linear approach than previous games, with exploration and player choice playing a greater role, along with GamePad controls in gyroscope aiming and an always-accessible map. It looks like the biggest leap in style and scope seen in the franchise for quite some time, with a lovely visual style to boot.

So those are four exciting games on the way that'll take us across distinguished, intriguing worlds in hundreds of combined hours. Yet which are pushing your buttons the most? We're pitting the games together in some polls below, so have your say in these and in the comments section on which you want to play the most.