Nintendo hosted their long awaited first Nintendo Direct since E3 2015 on 12th November. It was hosted by Satoru Shibata, President of Nintendo of Europe. Many fans were waiting with baited breath, as it is also the first Nintendo direct event since Satorua Iwata’s passing earlier this year.
They made some very noteworthy announcements so I’ve decided to do my top 5 from the live stream.
5. Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
Twilight Princess HD has now been officially confirmed. There were rumours of it making an appearance in the near future when some suspicious looking icons appeared on the Nintendo eShop. That’s why this comes in at number 5, as the lack of surprise put a slight damper on this announcement. I am a huge Zelda fan anyway, so the chance to play yet another title in HD is a noteworthy achievement.
It would be nice to see them add some new features to the game, but the inclusion of a Special Edition bundle is quite promising: it will contain a copy of the game, an original soundtrack CD and the newly announced Wolf Link amiibo. Shibata also said that other amiibos will be compatible with the game: Link, Toon Link, Sheik, Zelda and Ganondorf. He didn’t go into detail about how these will work, but I’m sure further announcements on this will be made in the future.
The release date for Twilight Princess HD is March 4th 2016.
4. Zelda Wii U (Working Title)
Now I know nothing more was said about the actual game, but the 15 second snippet of Link riding a horse (new look Epona maybe?) across a vast field just had me giddy with so much excitement! It’s good to see the game is still slated for a 2016 release window as well. There was a lot to be noted from the short clip we saw; Why has Link got so much baggage? Is that Death Mountain in the foreground?
The screenshot above also shows some creatures with horns in the background which reminded me of the goats you have to herd at the beginning of Twilight Princess. Nintendo is continuing to build up the hype for their upcoming Zelda Wii U title and I really can’t wait to see where Link is heading next!
3. Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS)
This little gem has been on my radar for a while now. It has been out in Japan since 2014, and fortunately Europe and North America will be able to get their hands on it too. I love a good RPG, and Final Fantasy Explorers looks like a game I can really sink my teeth into! Playing online with friends and choosing between a whole host of jobs and combat roles sounds like a great idea. You’re not pinned down to one set of skills per job either, as some of them can be transferable.
They’ve thrown in something for older fans of the Final Fantasy series too; the new ability known as ‘trance’ enables you to play as older characters from the games such as Cloud, Terra, Lightning, and more. European gamers will receive all the DLC that was released in Japan as free content, plus there will be a Special Edition released which includes a copy of the game, artbook, 20 track CD sampler, 3DS case, and exclusive quests to unlock legendary Final Fantasy weapons.
It will be released January 29th 2016.
2. Cloud Joins Super Smash Bros (Wii U & 3DS)
I’m not a massive Final Fantasy player, but I am aware of a certain character called Cloud. I was not expecting anyone from the Final Fantasy series to even be included in the line up for Super Smash Bros., but judging from the reveal trailer he’s going to be a worthy addition! There’s an accompanying stage as well, featuring various summons. Towards the end of the trailer you can see Cloud’s final smash which looks epic.
There was no word on when he will be released on the Nintendo eShop, but they also announced a special Super Smash Bros. broadcast for December 2015. The fact that Nintendo has included a character from Final Fantasy VII, a game that isn’t even on a Nintendo console, is a smart move. Judging by the reactions on Twitter, a lot of fans were surprised too.
1. Linkle Revealed For Hyrule Warriors Legends
I think when I saw this announcement, my jaw was genuinely on the floor. There was speculation around a female Link when this image was circulating the internet, and if you are the proud owner of Hyrule Hystoria, there is also a page in the book that illustrates a female Link holding a crossbow. People started putting two and two together, but nothing had been mentioned until now. It has been so long ago since I read the rumors I had completely forgotten a female Link could even exist in the world.
But now Linkle (slightly unfortunate name) has been revealed for Hyrule Warriors Legends as a playable character. Described as ‘a girl who lives in a small village with cuckoo’s’, she will have not one, but two crossbows at her disposal. Speed and agility look set to be her friend.
There’s yet another Special Edition for this game which includes a nice pocket watch that is featured in the announcement trailer towards the end. This is exclusive to Europe only.
Nintendo has started something big by adding a female Link to the Zelda universe, now there’s no telling where else she may feature in the future but it sure does open a lot of possibilites!
Hyrule Warriors Legends will be released March 25th 2016.
So that’s it from me. As usual I love hearing all your comments. Do you agree with my list or have you got your own? Let me know below!
