While last week's Nintendo Direct presentation (a video showcasing all the upcoming Nintendo goodness we can expect in the coming months), was a bit of a disappointment - we were hoping for some big announcements; a completely new Nintendo game that we didn't know was coming; or at least some new games announced for the downloadable eShop. Sadly, we didn't get much of the above (the only new game was Zen Pinball 2 on the Wii U eShop), but the streaming presentation did at least give us some more concrete details about some of our most anticipated games - and even the odd release date! One of the games instrumental in our decision to buy Nintendo's new console, the Wii U, Scribblenauts Unlimited is set to finally hit Europe on the 8th of February, almost four months after it hit America. The third iteration in the popular word 'em up series, the game asks you to solve puzzles - from feeding a hungry cannibal to protecting a nerd from a barrage of balls - by summoning practically anything you can think of by typing it into Maxwell's magical notebook, be it a person, animal, object, or a mixture of the three. While the game is set to release on both the 3DS and Wii U, it sounds like the home console version will be the definitive version to pick up, as it comes complete with it's own object editor that lets you share your creations with friends - something we'll no doubt put to good use, as we send pink versions of everything out to our friends...
And so the tables have turned...
After showing off his questionable singing skills (and rather nice dog), the Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata also revealed that the multiplayer-centric karaoke game Sing Party will be hitting stores early in the new year, on the 18th of January. With a wide range of music from modern hits like Carly Rae Jepson's 'Call Me Maybe' to old favourites like Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', there should be something for everyone - and with a multiplayer mode that mostly revolves around audience participation (clap your hands everybody), everyone can join in too.
But potentially even nudging in front of Scribblenauts Unlimited in the anticipation stakes, Lego City Undercover also showed its face in the presentation, but left us more than a little bit disappointed thanks to the distinct lack of any concrete release date, bar a vague 'early 2013'. Kind of like a blockier version of Grand Theft Auto but without all the blackjack and hookers, no over the top violence and with you playing on the side of the cops rather than the crooks (actually, perhaps it's nothing like Grand Theft Auto after all...), Lego City Undercover gives you an entire LEGO world to explore. With an original storyline, some cool functionality in which you can use the GamePad to scan areas for clues, and vehicles ranging from cars, to bikes, to helicopters waiting to be crashed, it's already sounding like a LEGO game from heaven - which is why we were mightily disappointed that we won't be able to step into the police-chasing, boat-building, disguise-wearing bricks of lead Chase McCain for a while longer - hopefully that Rex Fury doesn't cause too much trouble in the meantime. The veritable olive branch however was a rather funky trailer that reminds us why we love the Lego games so much:
While some new game announcements would have been nice, the Wii U's certainly looking to have a pretty solid line-up as we head into 2013. With the cute strategy of Pikmin 3 waiting in "Q2" (possibly April), and the madcap super-hero mayhem of The Wonderful 101 also set to release in the next few months, there's certainly going to be plenty to keep Wii U owners busy. And an exclusive LEGO game is never something to be sniffed at.
