It was nearly six months between Nintendo Directs, with E3 and a smattering of reveals and extended commercials in between (and some Japan-only Directs). It had ben quite a wait, though it seemed that Nintendo did a pretty good job with its 3DS Nintendo Direct on 1st September, albeit with some caveats.
As was stated very clearly by Nintendo ahead of time, there was nothing about the NX hardware; those that had ignored the warnings discovered that wishing for something to happen isn't enough on its own. As normal Nintendo also very briefly drifted away to Wii U on occasion, and threw in some amiibo announcements too. Make no mistake though, the Wii U was mostly absent and ignored, and the fact that two major titles from the home console are now coming to the 3DS is an indication that Nintendo is - effectively - moving on from its under-selling system. That's the current impression, in any case.
If you need to catch up on what was revealed or watch any of the streams again you can find all of the information in our Big Nintendo Direct Summary; it's fine, we'll wait...
A lot happened, and we saw contrasting approaches in broadcast style too. Nintendo of America continued its recent trend of hammy acting and slightly bizarre comedy, which at the very least made it fun. Nintendo of Europe was rather straight-faced by comparison; this writer prefers the NoA approach, as quirky weirdness suits the big N. The vibe in the live comments, too, suggested that the game reveals, 'out today' announcements and overall content went down well.
We've certainly got a variety of opinions to share on the Directs over the coming weekend, but before all that we want to know what you think. A little over a day has passed since the broadcasts, so now that the dust has settled where do you stand on Nintendo's efforts? What were your favourite announcements? Click some poll buttons below to let us know.
As always you can continue the conversation in the comments. With Nintendo keen to keep the 3DS active next year and beyond, let us know how confident you are - based on some of the reveals - that the handheld has plenty of life in it yet.
Comments 169
All about Picross 3D 2, Super Mario Maker, Poochy & Yoshi, Mario Sports and Rhythm Paradise Megamix. Good stuff.
Prior to yesterday, there wasn't anything coming out that I was interested in, now there's 3 or 4 games I'm looking forward to.
Edit: MM , Yoshi, and Pikmin are for sures for me, Mario Sports is my "or 4"...
It was nice. Still waiting for some sort of NX info before I purchase anything, or not...
I really enjoyed the European Nintendo Direct yesterday and I am really looking forward to the new Legend of Zelda amiibo.
Sorry nintendo. I'll just wait for the NX
I'm curious about the tank game, if I can play multiplayer against bots, with more than two teams I may need to get it.
I honestly loved it. I'm super excited for all these new games coming to the 3DS! and the Animal Crossing update! YAY!
Not very optimistic for the Wii U after that. Especially since it seems Wii U IP/games are being chucked in the 3DS lifeboat. And also a fair few Wii U announcements snuck their way into a 3DS direct, suggesting there wasn't enough for a whole Wii U direct and/or that Nintendo want to really focus on 3DS and not Wii U.
However, depending on what NX turns out to be, I might still pick up a 3DS devkit at some point (when I can afford it )
I was actually kind of let down... Just about everything announced was either uninteresting to me or a downgraded port of a Wii U game. It's a bummer that the new Pikmin game will be ANOTHER stupid 3DS side-scroller. First Chibi-Robo, now Pikmin...
Mario Maker 3DS was especially disappointing. I was ecstatic about that at first, but then they revealed that it won't have online sharing. I mean, what?! Really? That's gutting half the appeal of the entire concept right there. There's zero reason to get this version instead of the Wii U one.
But on the bright side... the Pokémon news at the start was cool (Alolan Raichu gets a gnarly exclusive Z-Move, hot diggity!), and the new Legend of Zelda amiibo look great. The LoZ line is the only one I'm completionist about collecting (it's my all-time favorite game franchise), and at this rate I'm going to need an exclusive shelf just for them.
Wasn't blown away, and the new reveals didn't excite me. Not a bad Direct any way you slice it but not one of their bests.
I think the Hyrule Warriors option shoud be like this"Original Hyrule Warriors and Legends Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks DLC Pack out now".
I'm mad that they didn't tell that the DLC was coming to Wii U in the Direct.I found out way later when I played the game.
Going through that list, I realize the only game that I'm really excited about was Mario Sports.
Thank goodness for Reggie's acting and Bill Trinen.
I know I'm in the minority, but I wasn't very impressed with what was shown, other than the Zelda amiibo. Basically all I seen was a boring Mario sports game that features two sports that already have there own games on 3DS (Mario Golf and Mario Tennis) Than I seen a 2d Pikmin game that looked like what Nintendo did to Chibi Robo, make it a Mario styled game. And to top it all off, 2 of the great games for Wii U worth getting the system for coming to the 3DS, basically saying they have given up on the Wii U.
This direct was great if you play Nintendo's portable, but for someone like me that prefers his consoles, this direct basically said the Wii U is dead and we don't really have anything good to offer till March 2017
6.5/10.
Slightly above average, but nothing super impressive.
Is Nintendo really going to make us wait until post christmas to talk about the NX?
It was decent. I think the Tank game looked kinda cool, I'll probably pick up Ocarina Link and the skits were funny but a lot of the games looked like Wii U ports. Not bad by any means, but I was hoping for a bit more of a peek into 2017
Other then Ever Oasis, DQ and SMTA no.
I'm not double dipping when I already have the better version on WiiU
I did like the skits. Hilarious
Wii U rehashes and more toys. Meh. Mario Maker, no on-line. Star Rush, no on-line. Pikmin, well, more like Lemmings. Useless StreetPass update. Games nobody cares about... No mention of Metroid anniversary. Too little shown of Ever Oasis. Anyway, I'm not giving Nintendo a single cent until they show me the NX.
It was amazing !! I loved everything on that direct even though Pikmin looked cheap low budget game ... Bu I still believe Nintendo should move on and release a new handheld device ... I love my 3ds its my fav handheld of all time but it start to show some age now since a year or two
It was far better then what I was expecting. Tbh I thought we would get Pokemon and Yokia Watch and maybe a couple more things like release dates.
Even though I'm not very interested in getting most of the games mentioned/announced, I though it was a good direct. I AM very hyped for Mario Sports Superstars, Fire & Ice, and Mario Party Star Rush!
It had something for everyone which is always good, but honestly there was little to be particularly excited about, unless you liked Pikmin or Mario Maker. The stuff announced was decent, but nothing particularly striking. Mario Maker 3DS could have been brilliant but...well, you know.
@Megas I was also thinking this but it would be a huge mistake and repeating old mistakes if they wait less then 3 months before launch. They really need to show something now (or more like 3 months ago) to hold Nintendo fans interest then alone the general public.
As a HUGE fan of the 3DS, and someone who considers it the best Nintendo system since the SNES in terms of quality and quantity, the 3DS Nintendo Direct was truly superb! It gave me pertinent details about upcoming games, released content the day of the Direct, gave us surprises with SMM and YWW ports, and of course a 2D Pikmin game. There was something for everyone, and the diversity was quite astounding. It was fast paced, funny, informative and chalk full of great content that excites me as a 3DS owner.
10/10 for that amazing Direct, Nintendo!
I was genuinely impressed with this, more so than E3.
At least 3 games that were a surprise to me and looked genuinely appealing. That's impressive.
I was pretty pleased, but then I'm a portable gamer first and foremost. The Wii U is great, but I just don't play it as much as 3DS.
Wii U seems to have had the life support definitively switched off. The question of whether that indicates the direction NX will take remains to be answered. Does the derth of Wii U titles mean a new home console or a powerful portable capable of playing (Nintendo) home console titles? I dunno. If it is a powerful portable, then there is "no play like it", but that will mean an adjustment for fans of Nintendo home console titles. Can they pull it off?
Mario Maker kind of stained this direct for me.
I was so hyped when they announced that game and was so disappointed a minute later when they announced that you could not share your levels online.
Otherwise it was a decent direct. New Pinkmin looks interesting and depending on the content the new Mario Sports game could be cool.
6/10
I want Mario Maker 3DS for the levels on the go. I never really cared for online sharing, so bleh that
I know some of those are good games, and I was really expecting mario maker 3D but god, Bill's beard was the best, and I hope bill eating donuts gets some "my body is ready" treatment or something...
Mostly just ports, DLC and amiibo so lol who cares. Best news was the Animal Crossing stuff, new update looks cool and the mini direct coming will hopefully bring something good.
All they needed to do was announce gen 2 pokemon games for VC so that gen 1 doesn't dominate as much as it has been! 😊 go gen 1 !
@Spoony_Tech Funny, every time anybody in my family discusses this ND we always leave out YW. And I took a dozen photos at Play Nintendo but missed the 2 big YW sections. Pokémon hypnosis.
I was planning on ACNL, Pokémon and DQ7 and 8, and maybe even a little something new like that Tank game, just so they could say they had something new in it, there is always a little something new.
I wasn't expecting Wii U owners to be rounded up, dragged out back, scalped, shot and hung. I'm OK with them not marketing Wii U, I've grown used to them hiding it in the attic out of sight, I wasn't expecting us to be mocked by giving all of our best games to 3DS owners and then giving them games we never got like Mario Sports and a new Pikmin. It's like they were trying to tell us buying a Wii U was a mistake, which is bad since they are the ones who sold it to us.
I wasn't expecting anything WiiU, but I wasn't expecting public humiliation either.
I still give it a 9 out of 10 though, go figure.
I mean, it was OK... YWW was fun but tbh I'll probably only get Poochy. SMM without online seems... weird to me. Plus the Direct was basically the final nail in the Wii U's coffin.
I wasn't that pleased with it; did we really need more ports and spinoffs? But I'm super happy about Picross 3D 2 and the new amiibo. The NA skits were also great but I would have preferred PIKMIN 1 ON THE ESHOP OVER HERE NINTENDO!!!!
Loved it. Yoshi, all of the RPGs, and the Zelda amiibo. Can't wait to get the OoT Link amiibo! Also, Mario Sports Superstars looks legitimately fantastic and well done. Also pleasantly surprised with how Mario Party Star Rush looks to date.
If you own a 3DS but don't own a Wii U, then it was great Direct. But most of us do, and don't want to revisit Mario Maker, Hyrule Warriors, and Yoshi's Wooly World (no matter how great they are).
As an added observation, this Direct was on the first Thursday of September, the Animal Crossing Direct is coming on the 1st Thursday of November.
NX Direct 1st Thursday of October?
@LegendOfPokemon There were like two new ports and a ton of exclusive content. You don't have to buy the ports. Regardless of whether the exclusive stuff excites you, it doesn't change the fact that most of what they showed were not ports.
This direct makes me regret buying a Wii U on day one. Should of just stuck with my 3DS and the NX (maybe).
My expectations were somewhat low for the Direct, and overall I was quite pleased with it. I loved that there was a Pokémon segment, and that there's a Yo-Kai Watch 2 demo coming. Dragon Quest VIII was at least mentioned, though there still isn't a solid release date for it.
A lot of the new games revealed were intriguing, but none of them were exactly screaming "buy me" to me. I'm glad that Mario Maker 3DS is a thing since I know people were wanting it, but when I feel up to playing it I'll likely pick up the Wii U version.
Also, who can forget Bill's magnificent Castaway beard and donut-eating habits?
@NowhereMan11 A lot of the things they announced didn't excite me. I expect to be excited from a Nintendo Direct, and I wasn't, that's all. I would rather have 1 new game that excites me rather than 2 rereleases. The only new games I found myself excited for were Picross and Mario Sports; all the other games I wanted were revealed earlier.
I really liked the Zelda Amiibos.. Other than that I'm not interested in the other games. I loved Bill's beard though
Why people would want online on Mario Party of all games is beyond me.
Anyway, it was mostly impressive considering that my expectations were extremely low.
I thought it was terrible. No Wii U and no NX. And if I was a 3DS owner I'd be disappointed in the watered down Wii U ports. I've no time for SCamiibo either.
Why wasn't Ever Oasis an option? That game looks awesome!
The direct wasnt exactly spectacular to say the least. A lazy effort in regard to yoshi and mario maker. A surprise zelda game would have made the day. The only interesting reveals to me are pikmin, an unnecessary game but will be bought and mario sports which could actually be a lot of fun.
Ever Oasis, Mario Sports Superstars, and Pikmin were probably the top three highlights for me. Tank Troopers and Mario Party look interesting, and I look forward to learning more about them. Pokemon looks more interesting to me with every reveal. Plus we'll hopefully get an Etrian Odyssey V release date soon (that was the only thing that was lacking for me in this direct...coughs and Untold III coughs).
2016-17 is shaping up to make my bank account bleed!
I'd say the Direct was pretty good. It wasn't incredible, but it did give me a couple games to look forward.
Super Mario Maker for 3DS was a bit disappointing since you can't upload stages or play every Wii U one. That kills a lot of the reason why the game was so enjoyable. It's still nice that it's being ported over, but I'm not interested in it.
Seeing Yoshi's Wooly World come to the 3DS next year is really exciting. I just bought the Wii U version and from the little of what I played, it's a great game. I'll consider getting it next year if I have an urge to replay it.
Mario Sports Super Stars was also a nice surprise. I'm not completely sold on it yet until I see the depth of the games included in it, but I'll remain optimistic as I was very interested in the reveal for it.
I was disappointed by the Wii U ports and no Nx direct announcement, but the comedy bits made up for it.
The 3ds had something for everyone, to keep us happy for the rest of the year.
But, very little for 2017. Yoshi, Pikmin ok but next year has twelve months and these could be a year away.
Considering that I went in with low expectations and came away with several new games on my to-buy list (Pikmin, Mario Maker, Wooly World and Sports Smash) I would say that it was a pretty good Direct for me. The only disappointment was confirmation that DQ VIII is delayed into 2017 and that is a minor gripe.
The impression I get from this is that Nintendo absolutely intend for 3DS and NX to co-exist, at least for a while.
I'm annoyed about Mario Maker and Wooly World being released on 3DS. There doen't seem to be many unique Wii U titles left, even the new Zelda won't be a Wii U exclusive.
The fact that I had a hard time picking only 5 things in the poll above is a good indication of my outlook
I'm so excited for all the news-- even the Yo Kai Watch 2 demo. I feel like I'll really like this one more than the first!
3DS is absolutely my abortive system ever and this news fortifies it once more. Can't wait to see those stop motion wooly world videos.
@Ikramali exactly. NX or GTFO. Because Zelda.
You know it was a bad direct when the upcoming Zelda Amiibo is one of the most picked options in the poll.
With ports of wiiu games I have a feeling that 3DS carts will be playable on the NX. I hope so
To be honest I would rather have something, ANYTHING on a more phenomenal level than just more 3ds game announcements.
@Randomname19 It's not even worth getting those DLC for Wii U since they only give you the hero and the weapon with nothing else, all their skins for their weapons and news heroes are exclusive to the adventure maps on 3DS. They obviously made the NEw 3DS Legends version the definitive version since it get more than just characters and weapons but actual fairies + adventure maps and even a new story mode.
It was a fantastic Direct but HWL DLC had to be the biggest highlight, just so much content and there's still 1 pack to go!
3DS isn't dead yet! 2011 and going strong!
Fairly solid Direct, though it was mostly just going through the motions.
Anyways, I think 2017 is looking to have a fairly solid lineup despite the NX, especially in the west thanks to localizations. Looking to be better than 2015's lineup.
This could be a potential lineup in NA:
1st half:
-Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
-Mario Sports Superstars
-Dragon Quest VIII
-Ever Oasis
-Dragon Ball Fusions
-Etrian Odyssey V
-Monster Hunter Stories
-Yokai Watch 2 third version
2nd half:
-Lady Layton
-Etrian Odyssey III Untold
-Yokai Watch Busters
-Kirby & the Rainbow Curse
-Pikmin 3DS
-Pokemon Sun 2/Moon 2
Not bad. Of course, the Rainbow Curse port isn't guaranteed to happen, but it seems likely. I'm sure there will be plenty of other games to strengthen said lineup.
Overall good direct - lets just hope Mario Maker 3DS has online functionality!
Remember earlier this year they said they (Nintendo) would be targeting female gamers and kids in upcoming releases? Well, many of these appeal to kids, and that's great, but what about the female gamers? Oops? Nintendo, did you forget about us? We can forget about you too.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE why do you think it was called "3DS Direct" then? It sounds quite silly to complain there was no Wii U nor NX, especially taking into consideration it was explicitly stated it wouldn't feature any NX news.
Bill’s beard was the best from this direct.
I love Nintendo's super silly humor.
The whimsical presentation itself was well done, but as far as the content goes ... well, I'm still going to get SMTIV:A but that was always a given. I might keep an eye on Mario Sports and Oasis, they looked remotely interesting at least, the rest did precisely nothing for me. I was not interested in Yoshi (despite the cuteness) or Mario Maker when it launched on the WiiU, and porting it to the 3DS makes it even less compelling to me, if that is even possible ^^
Pretty good Direct overall. Was very disappointed about the lack of two announcements I was really hopeful for though: the reveal of the last Smash Bros. amiibo and Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal coming to the eShop.
@Kiyata
Tbh, i don't think ninty has any idea what to do for women gamers. It usually feels like they think they can slap some pink on hardware and we will flock to buy it.
Their emails to us are freaking insulting, imho.
@k8sMum
Out of honest curiosity, what do you want Nintendo to do for women gamers?
Not understanding the Pikmin Chibi Robo comments.
Zip Lash was a straight up 2D platformer when the main series genre was totally different.
With Pikmin 3DS, it's not some 2D platformer featuring Olimar. It actually looks like a Pikmin game. Translated to 2D, yes, but still a Pikmin game.
I find it ignorant to label and lump together all 2D games as the same. That's no different than lumping all 3D games together as the same.
Too amiibo heavy for my liking, but am intrigued by Pikmin, Mario Sports, and interested in YWW. Yes, I could just get it for my Wii U (probably for quite cheap), but for some reason I think I only really enjoy 2D platformers on if they're pm a portable system... I haven't quite worked out why.
@Jingo_Unchained Yoshi was confirmed as having 100 percent of the Wii U content. And the 3DS has a lower resolution screen so graphics are scaled to it. But Yoshi of the two games you mentioned will have more content.
Not being able to search ID's is disappointing on Mario Maker but you have to look at the positives too. I typically play my 3DS on the go without internet. It has some cool spot pass shared level building. It includes all of the Mario challenges, and it has 100 Nintendo creations for playing. So slightly disappointing but it had to be built to complement and not copy the Wii U version. I'm excited for it.
@hYdeks I completely agree. There was basically no reason for me to get a Wii U, as every game for that system has a port and/or counterpart playable on the 3DS.
I was quite pleased. It made me glad I got I upgraded to a New Model 3DS as it seems like it will supported at least for another year.
@Lzeon Yeah, I feel the same way in regards to Super Mario Maker 3D. Considering there's over 6 million levels to play from and the majority will most likely be playable in Super Mario Maker 3D, I'm pleased with the end product. Sure it would be nice to upload your creations online or search for ID's, but I suspect there's a fairly good reason as to why they choose not to add that. Either hardware limitations or perhaps server issues, I'm not 100% sure. I primarily play Mario Maker for the content these days. I use to create courses but ultimately I prefer to play them than make them.
POOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOC- oh, um... I'm definitely going to get Mario Maker 3DS, Poochy & Yoshi, Mario Sports Superstars, Toon Link + Zelda amiibo, Pikmin 3DS, and of course... POOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHYPOOCHY!
Also, Pikmin wasn't Zip Lash-ized. This isn't Pikmin 4!
First of all, this isn't a platformer, it's a 2D action-adventure game.
Second, it at least keeps the same gameplay style as the 3D games.
And third of all, this is being made by Arzest, not Nintendo EAD.
A good direct with something for almost everyone!
Still missing is Mother 3 in the US. I don't like being driven to emulation for titles unreleased in the States.
Lots of 3DS titles that are ports of existing Wii U games. Still, they look well done.
The Zelda amiibo were a surprise, though functionality wasn't even touched upon.
What I really wanted to see was something to coincide with the SNES turning 25, but NOA didn't even shoot a Tweet over it. Even a sale on existing VC titles would have been a nice touch.
@MarinoKadame I disagree. You only get the challenge modes on the wiiu. You only get the fury of Gannon mode on wiiu. The graphics take a serious hit. They took the challenge out of it by adding the fairies. The camera function is god awful on the new 3ds. I have put 300 hours on the wiiu version and about 40 on the 3ds. The 3ds version does have added content but it sacrifices a lot.
I didn't realise there was a separate one for Europe, so I watched the NoA one. It was probably better, with Reggie's doughnuts.
Wasn't bad, but wasn't phenomenal either. Only things that interest me are Mario Party and Sports.
@Kiyata So I assume you forgot about Style Savvy (or whatever it was called over there)?
Anyway, my highlights were Picross 3D Round 2, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (along with the amiibo) and Mario Sports Superstars. Solid direct, overall. I have to comment Nintendo for not really dwelling on anything for too long - it was well paced.
I was all right with Pikmin 2D, Ever Oasis, and DQ7+8. That is it. Mario Maker is a maybe for me. Of course I'm going to get Pokemon Moon. I already knew what I'm getting except for Pikmin. So for me the Direct was "meh". The only Direct I want to be hyped about is the NX. I know. I know. I have to wait, but I'm already to RIP the system.
This poll opened my eyes, I thought I loved the direct, but the only announcement I feel to vote for is Mario Sports SuperStars, there is nothing else that I liked enough to define a "favorite moment" (well, okay, I also voted for Bill's beard, after seeing that it's a bit dissapointing how NOE went serious/simple in comparison).
Woolly World and Mario Maker on 3DS is amazing. New Pikmin on 3DS? Yup, I'll pick that up as well. Ever Oasis looks to be good as well and from a creator of the Mana series no less. Gives me plenty to do while I wait for some good games to hit the NX. After the Wii U I'll be waiting this time around until there are some games I just have to have there. Unless the launch lineup blows me away, then I'm all in.
Edit: Forgot Sports Mix, if the games are indeed more than just "mini games" that would really go over well with me. Haven't been excited for a Mario Sports game since Strikers Charged hit the Wii.
@Jingo_Unchained you seem to be missing the point. All their energy is on the nx. That why you are getting half baked ports and outsourced games like pikmin.
It was great in a sense because I have now 5 to 8 titles I'd love to get (european releases, imported cards), but sadly we had no news about a euro Yokai Watch 2 or western releases for all the forgotten Level-5 sequels and their upcoming games (Miss Layton, Inazuma Ares, Snack World), and a MH Stories localization. It made me also envious for a japanese Download game (the mouses tank "strategy" game) and the new Puyo² who seems to be a successor to the Nazo Puyo.
@k8sMum @Kiyata What kind of videogames should they label as "oriented toward women"? Most of their games are "asexuals", none of my girl friends (any age) has ever said to me Zelda, any platformer or Puyo Puyo (despite the famous Genshiken Puyo chapter) was masculine. Same for Pokémon, Yôkai Watch, etc...
@JamesCoote Isn't that free now through their new developer platform website?
Nintendo might as well just throw their arms up and say "we give up on the Wii U".
I feel the same after the direct as I did before it.
As in, neutral.
I didn't expect anything amazing in this Direct, with the NX around the corner, and I was not surprised.
A normal pikmin game will not work on a small screen like the new 3ds or would work but would be very hard to see so I like the platforming aspect of the title. I think it looks very similar to lemmings for snes.
@Mikegamer You are right. They buried the WiiU. It is deader than a donkey's dung and that is a shame. The only last hoorah is BoW and Paper Mario. I can honestly say I am getting BoW for NX and Paper Mario looks like sticker so whatever with that. So the WiiU is dead. Let us have a moment of silence.
It was aight, just aight.
Love the wii u version of SMM and a 3ds port I can play on the go? AWESOME. Also loved yww and a new Mario sports sounds pretty good. Can't wait for color splash
@mikegamer It means
'The Wii u is not our future'
Poochy & Yoshi, Pokemon news, and a free Street Pass game make a good Direct for me. Maybe Mario sports, hope it's good.
Oh yeah, totally forgot about Miitopia, which is a retail game announced in the Japanese Direct. That game could be slotted into the 2nd half of 2017.
@Lzeon at least your grateful, 3ds users begged for the game and finally got it. you get to make and play your levels you created. It's still playable right that's all that Matters.
Has there ever been a poll on this site when the majority didn't say they enjoyed it? Just curious because the impressions seem to be generally the same regardless of the quality of the reveals or presentation.
Anyway, I thought it was terrible. The only new reveals were Wii U ports, and it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I'm waiting for NEW games and not the hodgepodge of mediocrity that is the current 2016 lineup. We need an NX reveal yesterday. Literally, we need to be talking about this thing now.
Super Mario Maker for the 3DS, a total no-brainer that I've been wishing for ever since the first time I had to go outside for some chores mere days after having bought the originality. Portability is vital to me.
Also, as I said before the direct, "anything else is a bonus", hence my second vote - the 100 hits. Another long overdue change, even though I had to pay for it.
@Rei
I agree.
However, I think Nintendo wants the money they feel they are missing from a lack of female gamers so they make comments about targeting us but, imho, miss the boat. I am very put off by their emails when they attempt this as they come across very stereotypical.
It was a bigger surprise than I imagined; on one level the 3DS certainly isn't dead and has some great games on the way or just recently; on another level the Wii U is certainly dead and all of its exclusives are now redundant when compared to the 3DS versions getting released later this year or early next year. I'm excited and sad at the same time.
The biggest announcement for me was the new Pikmin game. For years I have been wanting a portable Pikmin, and they're finally making one. I just hope this isn't the Pikmin 4 Miyamoto mentioned before. I'm still hoping that's an NX game.
Other than Pikmin, I'm also very interested in Pokemon Sun, Ever Oasis, and DQ7, with a little interest in DQ8 and Yo-Kai Watch. I'm curious about the Animal Crossing update too, but unless it adds some major content, it probably won't be pulling me back into the game at this point. And because I already have them on the Wii U, I'm not really interested in Mario Maker or Woolly World for the 3DS.
@Zach777 The Wii u has some great exclusives still like SM 3D world, MK8 which HAS A VERSUS MODE and Captain Toad, as well as awesome VC games. I look forward to playing my Wii U when I get home every day. Plus Nintendo is still releasing more Wii U exclusives (I highly doubt Colour Splash is coming to the NX.
AC New Leaf new update > HHD and Amiibo Festival
I'm excited about the streetpass updates and new games.
Mario Maker 3DS would have been exciting if they had even attempted to make it an accessible stand-alone version for Western audiences. The lack of online compatibility and costumes pretty much kills it for me.
Loads of boring minigames, more Mario sports crap, more pointless amiibo, and even less reason to own a Wii U. Terrible. Ever Oasis and Pokemon are the only games I'm even vaguely interested in.
@Bolt_Strike "The only new reveals were Wii U ports".
False. Pikmin 3DS, Mario Sports Superstars, and Tank Troopers are new game announcements and none of them are Wii U ports.
Also, I don't think DQVII, Ace Attorney 6, and SMT IV Apocalypse, among others, can be considered "mediocrity".
@Rect_Pola I don't think Nintendo has ever stealth launched a proper portable or console so chances are they will give a certain amount of time for people to know about the NX especially since it comes out in March.
We don't know anything at the moment which could be due to them making major changes to the console and getting manufacturer cooperation (this is speculation of course, could be anything really). They most likely wouldn't announce features if they couldn't get it into the console for sure.
For example, if they wanted to add VR into it they would need to get some other company's hardware for the glasses/display and then make changes to the console's inner workings if it wasn't originally powerful enough to support VR (meaning they would need to negotiate with their console manufacturer).
It was alright, the Mario sports mix could be really cool provided the features aren't half baked. I'd like a Mario baseball akin to super sluggers where I can select every position player not a handful and then a bunch of Toad fill ins. Ditto with the other sports. Horse racing doesn't really interest me and I'm curious if they're going to make a full-feature golf game considering Mario Golf is already on the 3ds.
Really this is more confirmation the 3ds/wii u line is on their last legs as the 3ds has been mostly ports this year and the wii u has been basically on life support since May of 2015. Hoping the NX is decent because I have been disappointed with Nintendo this last gen on both fronts. Clearly they can no longer support two consoles without leaving one to rot so hopefully unification will lead to more games as I doubt major third party support is coming back given the rumored specs of the NX placing it as the strongest handheld to date, but basically the Wii U as a home console, provided the docking bay doesn't add some extra horsepower.
Nothing I was really interested in, but it's pretty impressive that they'll be releasing stuff for it in 2017 because 2011 feels like a really long time ago.
@Jingo_Unchained well the way i see the Mario maker thing, is that Nintendo is making this game kind of like a companion to go along with the main Wii U title. If your on your couch you play the regular MM with all it's bells and whistles and when your out and about you play a slightly downgraded version with the random levels you downloaded prior to leaving the house. I don't think that sounds too bad =)
@buildz no, I play that awesome game every day, but still, one game for women, really? Are we dogs? Was that just a bone to pacify us? Nintendo is very insulting and has a tremendous bias against certain demographics anymore.
I'm pretty stoked to know that there's still a dozen or so games coming out on 3DS that I will likely day one buy, if not preorder. Besides DQ7 and DQ8 I'm looking most forward to Mario Maker as it'll compliment the Wii U version perfectly. It's a handheld game and streetpass levels will be great for those short burst plays and I can make one or two wacky levels a month to share while still doing the majority of my level making and playing on my U when I'm home.
Nintendo did said that that they will continue supporting 3DS after NX launch, so maybe some of the 3DS games will be release for NX too. They will complement each other like smartphones and tablets, similar to iOS: buy one, installed on many.
Will the 3DS cartridge be compatible with NX though?
I was about to go crazy when they announced Mario Maker 3ds.......then i found out it wasn't the full version (which makes sense with dated hardware I guess) ..........now I'm interested but not excited. Alolan Rattata gets me stoked for Sun & Moon even though keeping normal typing and adding dark typing makes a 4x weakness to fighting which is annoying. I loved seeing Rattata, definitely my favorite Alolan form so far, hope to enjoy Raticate as well. SMTA also looks great even though I haven't played smt4, I'm pretty interested.
@Zach777 again there are great exclusives on the Wii u and Nintendo hasn't totally abandoned it. I think that once nx is revealed and even released they will slowly stop making games altogether for Wii u.
I'm also kind of excited for mp star rush. Is it just me or is anyone else excited for it?
How did Streetpass become my 2nd most anticipated thing from the Direct? You have Super Downgrade Maker, Yoshi and Poochy's Watercolored World, Chibi-Pikmin, and Mario Sports Mix 2. If your bored, try to guess my order for these.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy
Feeling the Poochy love 💕
There are a lot of 3DS games I'm looking forward to, but I already knew about most of them before the direct. The only new announcement that really got me hyped was Poochy & Yoshi's Wooly World
@MarinoKadame Fo me it's totally worth it.Playing as other characters aside for Link and seeing them with the modern graphics it's the thing I like the most about Hyrule Warriors U.
@hYdeks I personally enjoyed the Japanese one.
By "enjoyed," I mean "pained by how none of the games will get released outside Japan." Especially that Megami Megumi game that apparently uses train cards.
@Kiyata stereotypical female gamers =/= all women that play vidya gaems
@k8sMum @Kiyata Nintendo of Japan made the statement, and to be fair, they actually do follow through. Puyo Puyo Chronicle was given a lot of screen time on their Direct, and every other game bar Megami Megumi is not targeted at a male audience. If you look at their advertisements, you'll also notice that women are also targeted particularly when it comes to more relaxed or casual-looking titles.
That said, let me remind you that the developers of Style Savvy used to make some good wrestling games.
@Rei The strange thing about those releases is that they're 3DS/mobile in 2017. I have a feeling Nintendo has already locked them up for the NX, too, so they'll save the announcement for when the NX actually does get revealed.
@MarcelRguez Cause not everyone lives near there friends man.
Q) What were your favourite announcements / moments?
A) I cannot answer this question properly as it is missing two of my favourite moments. One of these is seeing Ever Oasis being showcased once more, and the other was the Nindies section where they showed off upcoming eShop releases that will have a 10% discount at launch.
I have a feeling that the poll made was more focused on the Nintendo of America Direct, and that the moments I mentioned must not have been included in said region's direct.
I am really only hyped for Dragon Quest VII, that's a game I want to start playing now. I also have some interest in Ever Oasis and SMT IV: FINAL (Final is the better name in my opinion), if it has better characters that I want to have a connection with and care about and if the overworld isn't complete rubbish.
It'd be great if they had a surprise Wii U Direct in October with Pikmin 4, Super Mario Sunshine remaster, more Paper Mario Color Splash, and a Wii Sport/Resort type game with gamepad utilization. With that (or others) along with LOZ: BOTW I would maybe buy another Wii U instead of just waiting for the NX.
I just need to know if that Poochy Amiibo (which will be mine either way) will unlock all the extra content the 3DS Yosi game is getting on my WiiU? I'm fine with the port, I appreciate the game getting a wider audience. I just don't want to be penalised for having supported the game at launch day.
@Acein210 my pic shod tell you who my fav gen 1 pokemon is
That's why Super Mario Maker wasn't updated anymore They made a 3DS version...
And Pikmin 4 for Wii U? No, make a 3DS spinoff.
These two and Ever Oasis were my favourite announcements, even though I wish they'd put it all on Wii U.
New Zelda amiibos? Why aren't they giving the old ones some better usage first?
I hate that 3DS gets version of Wii U games with more/different content. (first they did it with Smash, then Hyrule Warriors, now Yoshi's Woolly World) Can't wait for NX, so both homeconsole players and handheld players have the same content.
@TwilightOniAngel That was not the point. The point was that, if I'm forced to play online with my friends, I'd probably play whatever before Mario Party.
How is it that Nintendolife seems to represent the Direct much more poorly than how it actually was? They leave out stuff like the 2DS model for Pokemon Sun/Moon (EU) and 2DS new colors / full launch in Japan, and other interesting stuff.
I was definately satisfied with the Sun and Moon biz we got. But everything else... there wasn't much that caught my eye. Rhythm Heaven Megamix is definitely the only thing other than pokemon that made me smile - and I'll get that. However nothing else appealed to me. I sincerely hoped Dragonball Fusions would have gotten confirmed for the west or something. Now THAT would definitely have been a welcome surprise. But no. We didn't even get that. How droll.
I do want that 8-bit Link ☺
Streetpass has been one of my favorite games. Mario Maker somewhat. The Tank game seems cool- again, love the mini-games that Nintendo has come out with. Of course Pikmin. Mario Super Stars looks worth a look.
@jrob23 And more MK8 DLC.... I know they need to ramp up the NX, but I'd like a few bones thrown our way too!
@shiggysplumber I don't regret my Wii U purchase. It's given me more great games that I've played on any console for a long time. I've loved it
Sad to see Nintendo give up on it.
@Petey4Smash I too will admit to feeling somewhat amorous towards Star Rush.
I feel like Mario Party deserves revival.
I also reckon that this Direct is solid evidence of 3 things:
-Wii U is dead.
-NX will use 3DS style cartridges.
-NX will be 3DS backwards compatible.
Nintendo wouldn't spend time or money on software for the 3DS if the NX was set to fully replace the 3DS and make all its software redundant. It will also help to plug a software gap until NX builds up a solid library of games. Makes total sense.
All I can say is...NEW PIKMIN!!
Pikmin 3DS is a great idea so that was nice to see. Hopefully we also are getting Pikmin 4 on NX at launch.
With the 3DS getting so much love and the Wii U... not, I'd love to see something akin to the adapter the Gamecube had to play GBA (I think it was) games. Would love to play 3DS games on the Wii U, upscaled a bit of course.
@TheWPCTraveler lol yea, I stopped watching the Japanese ones because a lot of the great games they get just don't come over to North America for some reason, or if they do, it takes forever for them to get here.
@NintendoHistory yup, and it's really sad. The 3DS is a great system with tons of excellent games, Wii U is the system that needs the sales and if you keep taking games off that system and giving 3DS ports, people will see no reason into buying a Wii U for those once great exclusives. Hyrule Warriors, Smash Bros, and now Yoshi Woolly World and Super Mario Maker are games you can get for the 3DS, and with the 3DS's excellent library of games, and ones to come, why would these people that might have once considered buying a Wii U get one now? There is only a handful of games I can think of worth getting just for the Wii U, and to lots of ppl, that isn't enough for the price of the Wii U
For people who were disappointed with no NX announcements, um I have no clue what you were smoking going in, but there was ZERO NX news to be had.
For those Disappointed with next to no Wii U news, I get it, but it was also stated by Nintendo that it was a 3DS DIRECT not a Wii U one.
I actually think it would have been better for Nintendo not to mention the Wii U at all, because in the end it did more damage than good, sure it was nice to hear that Skyward Sword was coming to Wii U, but highlighting a port and showing little else just proves you have nothing to talk about and just enforces the death of the Wii U.
@hYdeks I don't think you can include Smash in the "ports"category since the 3DS version came out first, and was simultaneously developed.
Don't get me wrong I LOVE my Wii U (I have close to 30 retail games), but I knew it was dead even before E3.
There is so much Nintendo could do (ports, better VC, release eshop as physical, to extend its visibility at retail) but with the announcement of the NX, and Nintendo's stubbornness to not do any marketing or price cuts for the Wii U just means that they have almost ZERO resources focused on Wii U, and zero interest to grow its install base. They've crunched the numbers and its not financially sustainable to try and push console sales at this point.
These games are coming to 3DS because of their portability (without too much lost in translation), their marketability, and the fact that Nintendo see's the investment as one that will likely see decent returns, there are few likely future sales in the Wii U dept. for those games, and an untapped market on 3DS where they can flourish.
@Mahe Is Japan getting a NEW 2DS with NFC built in and a nub or just new colors? I think the U.S. needs a New 2DS for amiibo card sales. And that Poochy.
@hYdeks Nintendo doesn't want people to buy Wii U now. My guess is they have just enough stock left to keep on store shelves for the holiday, maybe a big price cut late October when they announce manufacturing has been discontinued. They predicted only 800k Wii U sales for the year, they could easily do twice that if they wanted too. They want people to save their money for NX or 3DS.
@Ogbert I don't think the Poochy amiibo will unlock anything judging by SSB where you had to pay to unlock the add-on characters and buy the amiibo. I am hoping they are saving Cloud Bayonetta and Corrin amiibo to unlock them in the inevitable NX port.
Also, while HW does get the HWL DLC, the Poochy parts of this game seem very built it, not DLC. Maybe they could have an entire new game to download on the eShop, but I don't see the disc version getting this.
No Advance Wars and no Meteos, so no.
As a Wii U owner, I set my expectations to this 3DS Direct to ZERO. I knew I wasn't going to get anything new.
Alas, Nintendo still managed to disappoint me and shatter my dreams. They are now set on playing a cruel game on Wii U. If they gave up on selling it, they could at least leave it be with its exclusive 1st party library.
Nintendo never fails to disappoint me.
@HappyMaskedGuy I'm always welcome to new Mario games. And animal crossing games. I'm super hyped for the mini direct in November, cus I think they will reveal the new mobile app. But they said it would come out in fall so they will have to release it almost right away if they do first reveal it then.
@RoomB31 I also, as I previously mentioned, believe there isn't much more for Wii u other than PMCS and the final title Zelda Breath Of The Wild.
Pretty much every game that was announced went on my wishlist. Super happy about Yoshi's Woolly world and Mario Maker both coming to 3DS. Gotta love having big games like those playable anywhere.
I'd say it was actually a pretty good 3DS-centric Direct.
Just tell us what the NX is already Nintendo! For petes sake if rumours are to be believed most of the world already knows anyway! No one, not even you seems to care about the 3ds any more. At least in terms of interesting ip. I mean Wii U ports...really? Urgh. Im guna go back to my ps4 and vita now until the reveal.
Woolly World 3DS is definitely a surprise. I thought Nintendo would make Tropical Freeze 3DS instead. I guess it's better for Retro Studios to focus on NX anyway.
@rjejr The new 2DS models for Japan are the original 2DS hardware, so no NFC. That's why Nintendo is selling the NFC reader add-on.
And if I remember some recent Nintendo report / Kimishima quote correctly, people don't use Amiibo in games as much as Nintendo thought they would. People just like collecting them as figurines.
@Mahe Thanks for the 2DS update. They dont' list 2DS in the Media Create charts every Wednesday, just old and new 3DS and LL, so I thought still no 2DS in Japan. I figured if they finally decided to launch it in Japan a New 2DS would be the way to go. Besides NFC a 2nd thumbstick for MH and being able to play XC would be nice for them.
"people don't use Amiibo in games as much as Nintendo thought they would"
Well that's probably b/c the 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS don't have NFC chip readers, and nobody was paying $19.99 for that hard to find portal.
Also, they never made an amiibo game like Skylanders, Disney Infinity or Lego Dimensions. They made a game like SSB where you play next to your amiibo, not as your amiibo, and you can do that w/o the amiibo anyway, just make teams in the settings.
Had SSB included something like Subspace Emissary 2, where you could only play as your amiibo, then maybe they would be used more. Or a game like Pokemon Snap! called amiibo Snap! where you searched for your amiibo. Or a game like a cross between Mincraft and Free Realms called Mushroom Kingdom or Nintnedo Land 2 where you played as your amiibo. You don't even play as your amiibo in Splatoon.
So Kimishima is right, nobody uses amiibo, b/c nobody has a reason to use amiibo in games. If they gave people a reason to use them, people probably would. Mario and friends amiibo Challenge free download thing is not that reason.
@k8sMum Right, I did not think about it because I never cared about the promotional e-mails: they look either very childish or caricatural. (women/girls who like videogames aren't irresistibly seduced by certain colours or genres, or brands: they can play anything like men/boys)
Certainly staved off my dread of anticipation of the NX for the time being!
The 3ds is definitely taking over the holiday while the wiiu has to more or less sit this one out as it's days are done.
Heh, not that I'm complaining. Hurry up mario maker 3ds, New leaf update and pokemon!
Exceeded my expectations but i would not say great, again i haven't found anything really innovative. Additionally i dont understand why they support hyrule warriors for 3ds and not wiiu, no thx i wont buy the 3ds version
@rjejr Yeah, 2DS hasn't been "publicly" released in Japan, before the upcoming release on September 15. The previous 2DS release in Japan were the limited editions for the Pokemon anniversary celebration, and Media Create and others probably didn't include them in the charts as it was a one-time thing. But now that 2DS is getting a wide release in Japan, it should appear in the charts too.
@Mahe "But now that 2DS is getting a wide release in Japan, it should appear in the charts too."
Thank you very much for that. I can't belive after all this time Nintendo is launching the 2DS in Japan in 10 days and NL didn't do a piece on it. OK, maybe they did and I missed it. I'm going to go watch the Japanese ND now, thanks for keeping me in the loop, appreciate it.
Oh, and I care b/c I've been thinking a New 2DS was due, but if Japan is getting the old one, due or not, it probably isnt' coming. Seems so odd in light of the Hello Kitty amiibo cards, I'm guessing they'll be big in Japan.
@Mahe Watched the vid. 9 different colors, 4 Pokemon and 5 "normal". 9,800 Yen. Not sure why anybody would buy the 5 normal colors w/ those Pokemon models available, but I don't read or understand a lick of Japanese. And that price seems high for what I still think is a piece of junk, especially now compared to the New 3DS models. But I will be looking forward to see their debut and continuing sales in the charts. I always assumed Japan had too much sense to buy these, like Ntineod assumed "size matters" in the US so no normal sized NEw 3DS. Guess I'll see.
Thanks again.
@rjejr The 2DS was probably first made for Western markets because 3DS wasn't doing as well here as it was in Japan. In Japan, 3DS still sold relatively well, even if it wasn't in DS numbers. But since the New 3DS release, Japanese 3DS sales were starting to stagnate before Pokemon Go gave them a boost. Nintendo is probably hoping for the 2DS models to continue that boost in Japan. Also, Nintendo probably wants to keep the 2DS hardware uniform across regions. From the 2DS's continued sales in the West, Nintendo has seen that people just don't care that much about N3DS features, so instead of devising new 2DS devices for Japan, they go with what already works.
It could also be speculated that the 2DS anniversary Pokemon edition was a "test release" for Japan, and it was proven successful now that 2DS is seeing full release there.
Also, have you tried the 2DS? It's better than any 3DS!
@Mahe "Also, have you tried the 2DS? It's better than any 3DS!"
The only thing I ever liked about it was that "sleeve" they marketed with it at the beginning. Besides that, no. I do hope if NX is either a handheld or hybrid it gets a similar sleeve. But stereo speakers are mandatory, none of that mono-speaker nonsense. Plenty of room. And the nub. Not that kids play MH, but if NX gets MH it needs a 2nd thumbstick.
@rjejr The 2DS mono speaker sounds really good, and the stereo output for the headphones is better quality than on a 3DS. Also, New 3DS 2nd analog nub is a joke, as is the rest of N3DS design.
@Mahe " is a joke"
Ouch, so not a big fan, huh? I'm not a fan of the nub either, and those 4 shoulder buttons are oddly placed, but I figure at least they tried.
How do you feel about the Gamepad itself (bundling aside, we've been down that road enough)? I was looking at it closely the other night and it just seems way too big for that screen. Would be easy to take 1/2" off the top and bottom, 3/4" off each side. Not a huge difference in size, but sleek looking rather than bulky. And smaller and lighter would be better for me, I'm a slender man.
@rjejr Yeah, I absolutely can't go back to 3DS models after 2DS, and the new buttons of the New 3DS just make it more ridiculous. Love those huge and responsive shoulder triggers of the 2DS.
Wii U Gamepad has good buttons, d-pad etc. but the controller as a whole is just too uncomfortable, massive and bulky. And it has no pointer controls, and it can't be used as a motion controller in the way Wiimote and Nunchuk could. And then there's the battery, the lag, and the limited range, and everything else. Because of all those reasons and even more, the Wii U Gamepad is a complete travesty of a controller. The bundling isn't the problem, bundling and forcing the use of such a terrible controller is the problem. The Wii U Gamepad is a crime against gaming.
@Mahe The Wii U Gamepad is a crime against gaming.
Well I wouldn't call it a crime, but it's certainly a misdemeanor.
Actually that was a joke, having a wireless screen for off-TV play that has a shorter distance than some of my wired controllers should be a crime. And a camera that got used maybe once. And a TVii button. It's like they threw a whole bunch of stuff together w/o spending enough time to get any of it to work properly.
Hopefully NX is better, but reading rumours about two Wiimotes attached to the sides doesn't fill me w/ joy. Though I am biased after 19 years of playing w/ the Sony Dualshocks so I don't expect them to wow me, I just want it to be functional like a Pro controller. Just something normal. N64 doesn't count.
@rjejr NX has to be better. They missed the boat so badly with the Wii U Gamepad, they have to realize that they need to be better. But will the NX and its control options still be good enough?
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