It wouldn't be a new year without a new Nintendo Direct - and Nintendo are never ones to disappoint. This time giving us just over 24 hour's notice, Nintendo today hosted another of their online live streams, where they cram every bit of Nintendo news for the next few months into a 40 or so minute video, and feed it "directly" to you.
In case you missed it, or simply don't have the 40 minutes to spare, we've rounded up all the Wii U news from the broadcast itself, in a handy bite-sized piece. Don't say we never do anything for you.
Next amiibo wave announced for March 2015
Following the great (and perhaps inexplicable) success of the amiibo toy range - a collection of little plastic figures that you can scan into compatible games to unlock bits and pieces - it's no surprise that Nintendo are anxious to throw even more at us in the New Year. Today's Nintendo Direct revealed that the next wave of amiibo figures are on their way as of 20th March, and will feature not only brand new characters, but also redesigned versions of those already sold.
Moving away from the Smash Bros theming, this wave will include a new version of Mario, Peach and Yoshi, along with Bowser, Luigi and even Toad, with Toad being the first non-Smash character to appear. It was also revealed that another potential wave of amiibo, including Robin, Lucina, Pac-Man, Ness, Wario and Charizard may be due sometime next month, and are designed to work and play with the new Mario Party 10 game. More on that later.
Hyrule Warriors due a Majora's Mask add-on pack
With the highly anticipated Zelda remake, Majora's Mask 3D confirmed for February 13th, the Dynasty Warriors/Legend of Zelda crossover Hyrule Warriors has decided to get into the spirit of things, with the release of a specially themed Majora's Mask add-on pack.Due February 5th the DLC is sure to get you in the dark, dreary mood of impending doom that Majora's Mask is famous for, by including the terrifying Tingle as a playable character, along with a young version of our infamous hero Link. Each character comes with their own weapons, such Tingle using his vast amount of rupees (given by me in Wind Waker, I'm sure!) to strike his foes. Mysteriously enough, the pack is also set to come with three, bonus "mystery skins".
Priced at only $7.99 in the US, quite cheap considering Tingle is involved, you can't miss out!
Wii U eShop gets Wii games
If you traded in your entire Wii collection when you bought your Wii U, yet still have cravings for some Mario Galaxy goodness, look no further! Never ones to miss a trick, Nintendo have announced that as of today, you'll be able to download several Wii games straight to your Wii U, and play them without having to load up the Wii U's special Wii menu app, which used to be used for backwards compatibility purposes. The very first game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is available to buy as we write, with Punch Out due January 22nd, and the Metroid Prime Trilogy set for January 29th. For a limited time (or, more specifically, a week after they launch) these games will set you back £8.99 - before they bounce back up to their regular price, a whopping £17.99. With most Wii games setting you back a lot less than that in the shops, this is only going to be worth it in very rare cases.
Splatoon will feature character customization
Nintendo's highly anticipated accessible shooter game, Splatoon, has been on everyone's mind since it's announcement last year (not in the least ours, as we had a lot of fun playing it). The kooky, crazy game featuring half-octopus, half-children players shooting colourful spurts of ink at one another is set for a release in May, and today's Direct gave us a closer look at what it might contain.The Direct showed that Splatoon's opening menu will start the player off in a colourful and exciting plaza, free to explore and roam, with the different game modes being accessible via doors and adjacent pathways. There will also be a range stores that allow players to buy clothes and accessories and customize their character, including a weapons shop, run by a horseshoe crab. Only in a Nintendo game.
Xenoblade Chronicles X set for 2015 release and looking good
One of the most mysterious titles in the Wii U's line-up, yet also one of the most impressive, today's Nintendo Direct also treated us to another glimpse at the incredible Xenoblade Chronicles X, an open-world RPG for the Wii U that's shaping up to be something very special indeed. Promising a huge world, full of potential exploration, a sultry woman wailing on the soundtrack, and all the usual Japanese role playing goodness, this is high up on our most wanted lists. More like this please, Nintendo.
Mario Party 10 will feature amiibo compatibility
Featuring a new "amiibo party mode" Nintendo's latest mini-game/board game hybrid, Mario Party 10, will work in conjunction with the new amiibo figurines. By scanning one of the many amiibo figurines in to your game, you'll be able to not only play as that character in game, but you'll also be able to unlock exclusive boards. Sadly, that also means that many of the game's boards will be effectively locked unless you own the relevant amiibos - although we'll reserve judgement on how much of an issue that is until we get our hands on it.
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And that's your lot! Sadly fairly light on the Wii U side of things, it seems there isn't going to be much happening on Nintendo's struggling home console over the next few months. With no news on Yoshi's Woolly World, Kirby, Starfox or Zelda, there's plenty of heavy hitters left in the Wii U line-up - we just have no idea when they'll arrive.
