So another Nintendo Direct has come to an end. There didn’t seem to be as much excitement surrounding it, though. Probably because it was Japan-only and was aired only a couple of weeks before E3, so there wasn’t going to be much in the way of bombshell surprises. If you chose to skip it, I don’t blame you but there was still quite a bit announced so here’s a quick and basic rundown of the more important reveals from this month’s Direct.
1. Dragon Quest VIII Remake for 3DS
Originally released on the PS2, the eighth main title in the Drgaon Quest series of RPGs was the first title to release in Europe and Australia. Its success might have helped bring subsequent titles (including all those remakes of previous games) to the PAL region, and now it too will receive the remake treatment on the 3DS. Players take control of a motley crew of heroes on a journey to save their kingdom and lift the curse on both its King and Princess. Fans of turn-based RPGs better keep their eyes peeled for this one.
2. Create a town in new Fire Emblem
Anybody who loves the Fire Emblem series are probably not just fans of the strategy RPG genre. Fire Emblem has always been about the bonds the player develops with the cast of characters at his/her command; that’s why there’s such a heavy emphasis on characterisation and interacting with said characters. That’s why a lot of people will probably be very happy with the announcement of a new feature of the next entry: making your own towns.
Not only that, but you will be able to use StreetPass to visit other player’s towns and fight in their party. What benefit you gain from this is unknown at the moment but this sounds like a great way of implementing Fire Emblem’s own brand of multiplayer.
It was also confirmed that the Fire Emblem amiibos (Marth, Ike, Robin and Lucina) will be compatible with the game. Judging by the footage shown, you can summon the respective characters to fight against, though it looks like they will be rather challenging.
3. Chibi Robo is back
in 2006, Nintendo released a quaint, little title on the GameCube called Chibi Robo. It had players take control of the titular character, whose job it was to do good deeds for the family of the home he was living in, in order to accumulate Happy Points, all the while making sure he didn’t run out of battery as he moved around the house. Those who played it loved it, but Chibi Robo fell into obscurity; its sequel wasn’t even released in Europe.
Now, to our surprise, the tiny robot is back, but in a very different kind of game. Chibi Robo will now star in a more action-orientated game; a side-scrolling 3DS platformer that will have Chibi Robo using his plug as a whip to defeat enemies, destroy blocks and solve puzzles. It even functions as a grappling hook. What’s more, there will also be a Chibi Robo amiibo. Fingers crossed this makes it to the West.
4. Mario & Sonic head to Rio
Mario and Sonic will be crossing paths at the Olympics once again; this time at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. As the fifth game in the series, you probably already know what to expect from this: more minigame-style events designed for anyone to pick up and play.
The last game in the series, which was set at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, was very underwhelming, only being released for the Wii U, sporting forced implementation of the GamePad and very few events to take part in. This title, which will be released for both Wii U and 3DS, will hopefully be a vast improvement. A short trailer revealed quite a few events including football, table tennis and golf, as well as some new playable characters like Nabbit and Rouge the Bat. With a wide variety of events, interesting and fun modes and plenty of fan service, this could have the potential of being the best entry yet.
5. Monster Hunter X
Capcom has decided to skip the numbering stuff and go straight to adding an X at the end of the title because, as we all know, the X makes it sound cool.
In all seriousness, Capcom will be bringing another Monster Hunter to the 3DS, promising new moves, new areas and, of course, new monsters to slay. Capcom has also stated that the concept for the game is to take the action and make it varied enough so that anyone can find their own style of play. There will also be other villages from previous Monster Hunter games to visit.
Aside from that, Capcom also revealed that Monster Hunter spin-off Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX (which originally came out on the PSP in 2010 as Japan-only) will be coming to the 3DS and would see players take control of the series’ feylene cat characters, going on quests and managing their village.
While Nintendo is obviously saving the big guns for E3, there was still some interesting stuff here, including a few things I left out due to lack of information (and my inability to understand Japanese) including trailers for a new Dr. Mario and the next Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game. If you want to see the whole direct, check it out here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxgnYVD_-Q
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