Archive for June, 2016
Prism Pets by Intropy Games to arrive June 30th on the Wii U eShop!
June 29th, 2016 | 
Author: Looks like Prism Pets will be color combining on the Wii U eShop starting 6/30! #nindies #wiiu #WiiUeShop pic.twitter.com/b1jGGdMo9y
— Ⓘntropy Ⓖames (@intropygames) June 15, 2016
Prismatic Games gives development update on Hex Heroes for Wii U!
It’s no surprise that the Wii U is less powerful than a PC. We build Hex Heroes on a computer using the Unity engine which lets the game play on both PC and Wii U. However, the size of the game and all of its components determines how much memory is required on a device to allow it to play. The sheer number of hexagon tiles, trees, and other objects in the game continually made Hex Heroes unplayable on the Wii U, at least in the way that we originally built the game. In order to get it running, we had to revisit the very foundation of how the game is built.
Without getting too technical, our first job was building the map tiles automatically with efficiency. Originally, each hex tile was its own model. Now, the game creates only the visible portions of hexes, so that any sides of the tiles that would have been underground or obstructed by another hex aren’t created in the game at all. This is known as culling, and by not rendering what isn’t seen, we can really free up space.
With the map being built dynamically, we also changed the way objects (like resources, enemies, etc.) relate to the map. Each hex now knows if it has a resource, or if a Hero is standing on it, or if an enemy can move to it. It’s a much more deliberate method of keeping track of all objects in the game, and it offers us some interesting ways to use this feature in the future.
Although we finally got the map to run on the Wii U, there were still some problems with the way it looked. Unfortunately, what’s seen on our computers isn’t always what we’ll get when we run it on the Wii U. Here’s an example of how our hexes first looked when we ran the Wii U build. They’ve since been fixed 😉
Source: Hex Heroes Kickstarter Page
Review of Frozenbyte’s Trine 2 – Director’s Cut!
Here’s our video review of Trine 2 – Director’s Cut by Frozenbyte for the Nintendo Wii U.
Host Your Own Olympic Games with Mario & Sonic on Wii U!
VANCOUVER, B.C., June 24, 2016 – Calling all active families! While Mario, Sonic and all their friends compete in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (launching today for the Wii U console), you and your family members can join in on all the fun … and enter for a chance to win a great prize package in the process. Starting today, Nintendo kicks off a contest on Instagram asking fans to take photos of their friends and families playing the game together or re-creating some of the game’s most memorable events, including Football (Soccer), Rugby Sevens and Beach Volleyball. Now’s your chance to get your family and friends together to host your very own Olympic Games at home! This could entail taking a photo of the family as they have a friendly competition while playing Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the living room at home (victory poses while wearing makeshift medals are optional!) or organizing an impromptu soccer match in the backyard with all your friends. The more creative and active the photos, the better. The most important thing, however, is to just have fun playing together!
With so many multiplayer modes and events in the game*, finding inspiration for the Instagram photo contest should be easy. The contest runs today until July 22. To participate, simply snap a photo of your family and/or friends competing in your own home Mario & Sonic-themed competition and post to Instagram using the hashtags #MarioSonicRio2016 and #NintendoContest.
Every week starting on July 1, Nintendo will select one winning photo, with the winning entrant receiving a Wii U system, two New Nintendo 3DS XL systems, one each of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games game and both the Mario and Sonic amiibo figures. That’s quite a prize package!
“Mario & Sonic aren’t the only ones breaking a sweat this summer with Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,” said Pierre-Paul Trepanier, Nintendo of Canada’s General Manager and Senior Director. “This contest encourages families to get out and be just as active as the Mario & Sonic characters in the game.”
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the Wii U console is full of engaging multiplayer modes that get your family and friends playing together using the largest cast of characters in series history. In Tournament mode, up to two players participate in Preliminary Heat, Semifinal and Final matches in a wide variety of different events. Winning a tournament will earn you “Mii Wear” outfits for your Mii character, coins, rings and medals. If your family and friends are ready for a challenge, the Heroes Showdown mode is ready and waiting to be conquered. In this mode, you can form a team to compete head-to-head with another player in random events. One team is assigned 10 random characters from Team Mario, while the other receives Team Sonic superstars. If you lose an event, characters are eliminated from your team until only one team, or one team captain, is left standing. With many different multiplayer options to choose from, friends and family will have a blast honing their skills in a wide variety of events in order to earn a spot on the winner’s podium.
And speaking of events, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is overflowing with diverse events for up to four players that will keep all members of the family entertained. For the first time in the franchise (and the first time in real life!), Rugby Sevens makes its Olympic Games debut. By fielding a seven-character team, you’re tasked with scoring goals while also navigating a chaotic field of fellow players. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games features 14 Olympic Games events and three Duel events, which infuse some Mario & Sonic elements like Chaos Emeralds and Fire Flowers into the proceedings. In addition to Rugby Sevens, other main events include Football (Soccer), Beach Volleyball, BMX and Rhythmic Gymnastics (Clubs), which is also making its series debut.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Wii U is now available, and can be purchased in stores, in Nintendo eShop or at Nintendo.ca at a suggested retail price of $74.99. The Nintendo 3DS version of the game, which contains exclusive events and game modes, is also available at a suggested retail price of $49.99. For more information about Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, visit http://www.olympicvideogames.com/wiiu/en_CA/index.html.
Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/3ds.
*Additional accessories are required for multiplayer mode and are sold separately.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of the US (incl. DC) and Canada (excl. Quebec), 18 years or older. Promotion begins 9:00 AM PT on 6/24/16 and ends 11:59 PM PT on 7/22/14. To enter, upload photo to Instagram using hashtags stated in Official Rules. Four winners will each receive: 1 Mario amiibo figure; 1 Sonic amiibo figure; 1 Wii U video game system; 2 New Nintendo 3DS XL video game systems; 1 Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games video game for the Wii U system; and 1 Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games video game for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. ARV of each prize package: $825.93. For Official Rules, visit http://Ninten.do/6189BQgjB. Sponsor: Nintendo of America Inc. © 2016 Nintendo. All rights reserved.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.ca.
About SEGA® of America, Inc.: SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Games Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s website is located at www.sega.com.
About ISM: ISM is the IOC’s exclusive worldwide licensee for Interactive Entertainment Software. In addition to these exclusive rights, ISM is one of the world’s leading providers of sports fantasy games working with a number of sport’s governing bodies. Visit the company’s website at www.ismltd.com and www.olympicvideogames.com
TM IOC/USOC 36USC220506. Copyright © 2016 International Olympic Committee (“IOC”). All rights reserved.
Minecraft: Wii U Edition now available in stores!
VANCOUVER, B.C., June 20, 2016 – Being able to buy the boxed version of the Minecraft: Wii U Edition game in stores at a suggested retail price of only $29.99 is great news. Even better news? This retail version of the game comes with the same popular Minecraft add-on content packs included in the Nintendo eShop version of the game on the disc at no extra charge. This includes the recently released Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, which adds elements from the Super Mario series to the game.
“Even more Nintendo fans are going to love discovering the worldwide phenomenon of Minecraft on Wii U,” said Pierre-Paul Trepanier, Nintendo of Canada’s General Manager and Senior Director. “The retail version of Minecraft: Wii U Edition is great for any video game fan that wants to get creative and see what the Minecraft phenomenon is all about.”
The Wii U version of Minecraft features the full game, as well as many of the most popular previously released content packs. These include:
- Super Mario Mash-Up Pack
- Battle & Beasts Skin Pack
- Battle & Beasts 2 Skin Pack
- Natural Texture Packs
- City Texture Packs
- Fantasy Texture Pack
- Festive Mash-up
The Super Mario Mash-Up Pack is only available in Minecraft: Wii U Edition. The bonus content gives players 40 new Super Mario-themed skins, which transform the game’s characters into familiar heroes like Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach, and even troublemakers like Wario and all seven Koopalings. All the world and item textures in the game will also be redone, providing players the opportunity to create their own Super Mario-themed locations within the world of Minecraft. Builders of all ages will love crafting massive new worlds using building blocks inspired by a series as accessible and iconic as Super Mario.
Since launching in 2011, Minecraft has become a global phenomenon, selling more than 100 million games worldwide. The game places players in a massive randomly generated world, and lets them explore, harvest resources and craft anything their imaginations can conjure. The Wii U version of Minecraft features Off-TV Play, touch-screen functionality and online multiplayer.
Minecraft: Wii U Edition is also available on Nintendo eShop for $29.99 with the Super Mario Mash-Up pack available as a free game update. For more information about Minecraft: Wii U Edition, visit http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/games/detail/minecraft-wii-u-edition.
Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/wiiu.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.ca.
Starr Mazer announced for Wii U & 3DS; to be a fusion of Point N’ Click and Shoot ‘Em Up!
… Starr Mazer would be arriving on the PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Mobile devices, Nintendo 3DS and the WiiU apart from its Steam releases for Windows, Mac and Linux — all of which bar the PC releases were up until now tentative given their dependence on unaccomplished Stretch Goals.
Said PC release is scheduled for somewhere in the early period of 2017 as per its creator with the subsequent console releases coming a while later — of course…
…Starr Mazer is an upcoming retro-modern fusion of the Point N’ Click and Shoot ‘Em Up genres that was originally due for a summer release this year.
Featuring modern game-play brainwaves such as the unpredictability of narrative unfolding and sophisticated role playing elements, the tale of a DSP Mk. II pilot — that wakes up amid an intense bout of amnesia in the aftermath of the galactic GREAT WAR and sets out to unravel the mysteries of his universe…
Source: Higher Eclectic Ground
Nintendo Gives Players Unprecedented Freedom of Adventure in the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!
LOS ANGELES, June 14, 2016 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild represents the next great boundary-breaking adventure from Nintendo. The game marks a new pinnacle for the franchise, and today Nintendo gave the world its first look at the immense, living and breathing world of the Wii U version of the game at the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles. The game challenges and surprises players at every turn, while giving them incredible freedom to explore the massive world found in this open-air adventure.
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild breaks boundaries for the franchise and for games as a whole,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “Where you go, how you get there, the order in which you do it, and the items, weapons and approaches used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies are all up to you.”
Today Nintendo gave fans just a taste of how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes the franchise to new heights. Nintendo’s booth at E3 immerses attendees in the world of the game. As E3 attendees investigate Hyrule, they can explore the game any way they want because the world is so vast and players are not required to take a pre-determined path. This sense of freedom and vastness will truly come alive in the final game when the experience isn’t limited by the restrictions of a show floor demo.
During a Nintendo Treehouse: Live demo, Nintendo showed that heroic Link needs to be resourceful as he explores his environment. It’s important for players to become familiar with their surroundings so they can find weapons or collect them from defeated enemies. Food helps Link sustain his hearts and can give him a temporary boost or ability that will sustain him.
The game breaks with some conventions from the series. For example, many of the minor enemies are no longer scattered randomly around the world, as many now live together in colonies. Link can climb towers and massive structures to get a bearing on his surroundings. He can even reach the top of mountains – any mountain he can see, he can climb. He can paraglide to lower areas or even use his shield to slide down a mountain. Link will travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks.
The game’s wild world surrounds Link, and he must pay attention to changes in climate, as a shift in weather or temperature can affect the environment and his ability to survive in it. A sudden downpour might douse a roaring campfire or a lightning storm might be attracted to Link’s metallic weapons. Players might need to bundle up with warmer clothes or change into something better suited to the desert heat.
More than 100 Shrines of Trials dot the landscape, waiting for players to discover and explore them in any order they want. As players work their way through the traps and puzzles inside, they’ll earn special items and other rewards that will help them on their adventure. Puzzles in the game often have multiple answers, and secrets can be found everywhere. Exploration and discovery are a huge part of the fun.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is scheduled to launch simultaneously for both the Wii U console and Nintendo’s next system, code-named NX, in 2017. The game also includes compatibility with amiibo, which are sold separately. Nintendo announced a new series of amiibo figures specific to the game that includes Link with a bow (“Archer”), Link on horseback (“Rider”), and a “Guardian” that is the first amiibo with flexible parts. The existing Wolf Link amiibo works with the game as well: When players tap a Wolf Link amiibo to the Wii U GamePad controller, Wolf Link will attack enemies on his own and help players to hunt. He has three hearts, unless players carry over save data from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Wolf Link disappears when his hearts run out. Details can be found at http://e3.nintendo.com/amiibo/
While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is clearly the star of Nintendo’s presence at E3, Nintendo Treehouse: Live also gave Pokémon fans something to go wild about this morning: the world premiere of live gameplay from Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, the seventh, and newest, era of the core Pokémon series. The games*, made for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, include new Pokémon, a new Pokédex, a new region and a new battle format to enhance the Pokémon experience in almost every way.
In the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games, players embark on a new adventure as a Pokémon Trainer. They catch, battle and trade new Pokémon characters on the tropical islands of the Alola Region, which is comprised of four islands rich in natural beauty and an artificial island.
Players can choose from one of three new Partner Pokémon (Rowlet, Litten and Popplio) and discover the mystery behind the Legendary Pokémon (Solgaleo and Lunala).
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon launch Nov. 18. More information on the games can be found at Pokemon.com/SunMoon, and a video showing today’s reveal can be found at YouTube.com/Pokemon.
Anyone who wants to keep tabs on Nintendo’s activities at E3 from afar can keep an eye on Nintendo Treehouse: Live at http://e3.nintendo.com, or on Nintendo’s YouTube or Twitch channels. The remainder of today’s show will be dedicated to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The final day of Nintendo Treehouse: Live begins at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, June 15, and will primarily offer a showcase of previously announced Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games, including Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (June 24), Monster Hunter Generations from Capcom (July 15), Paper Mario: Color Splash (Oct. 7) and Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (2016). Additionally, viewers will get their first look at a new Mario Party game for Nintendo 3DS that includes additions and changes to make it much more fast-paced and portable-friendly – players no longer have to wait for their turn, as everyone moves at once. Mario Party Star Rush launches Nov. 4.
Also on Nov. 4, Nintendo will launch new amiibo in the Super Mario series. The collection will feature the debut of amiibo figures for Daisy, Waluigi and Boo – and the Boo amiibo figure glows in the dark! The collection also introduces new poses for Wario, Rosalina, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
As a special treat for fans, Nintendo eShop is offering discounts of up to 40 percent for some of its most popular games between 11 a.m. PT on June 14 and 8:59 a.m. PT on June 21. Even better, My Nintendo members who have signed in, linked their Nintendo Network IDs and visited Nintendo eShop at least once before purchase get an extra 10 percent off the already-discounted price on select titles. Discounts have been applied to dozens of games, including multiple games in The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon series, as well as a number of Virtual Console games. For a full list of games, more information about the sale and the ability to purchase the games directly from the website, please visit http://e3.nintendo.com/sale.
My Nintendo members will find some new website missions related to The Legend of Zelda at https://my.nintendo.com/
To see details about all of Nintendo’s activities at E3, visit http://e3.nintendo.com.
Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/
*Games in 2D. Some areas also playable in 3D.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.ca
Review of PlayEveryWare Games’ Olympia Rising!
Here’s our video review of Olympia Rising, developed by Paleozoic Games & published by PlayEveryWare Games for the Nintendo Wii U.
Posted in Reviews | 
Tags: Nintendo, Olympia Rising, Paleozoic Games, PlayEveryWare Games, Wii U | 
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Stardew Valley coming to Wii U in Q4 2016!
Hi everyone!
In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that console ports were in the works, but I couldn’t give you any more details at the time.
So today, I’m pleased to officially announce that Stardew Valley is coming to the Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Wii U!
With the help of Chucklefish and Sickhead Games, I’m expecting to have these versions ready in time for the winter holidays!
It’s very important to me that playing Stardew Valley with console controllers is intuitive and effortless. I’ll be the first to admit that the current, rudimentary controller support in the PC version is far from ideal, and it will need to be adjusted prior to the launch.
I’m also excited about the possibility of utilizing special console features like the Wii U’s second screen!
Source: Stardew Valley Website