The Nintendo event took over the Edward Day Gallery in Toronto and highlighted recent Wii U and 3DS titles like Kirby Fighters Deluxe and Bayonetta to upcoming titles like Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire and Super Smash Bros. Wii U. Here are the games I tried out.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U
With the recent release of Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS, expectations are sky-high for the high-definition Wii U version, and fans will not be disappointed. The stage selection is quite different from its 3DS counterpart, including previous-game stages like Hyrule Temple and Luigi’s Mansions, but with all-new additions like the Wii Fit Studio or Palutena’s Temple. The biggest difference on the Wii U, however, is the fact that it can support a staggering eight-person smash battle on select stages.
I tried one of these eight-player battles and the result is absolute and utter mayhem. The stages are big enough to accommodate any type of battle you can imagine. Seven people can theoretically gang up one if you’re into not having a clue what’s happening, but the spaciousness could also let four sets of two duke it out.
amiibo (Wii U)
Not a game but a new type of device, this promises to be an interesting addition to Nintendo’s arsenal. An amiibo is simply a figurine with a bar code that can interact with the Wii U touchpad. The first game to support amiibo is Super Smash Bros and it allows you to insert classic computer-controlled versions of Mario, Link, Yoshi and more into a match. The computer is different, however — it learns based on the players that battle it. So if players are often dodging and blocking, the amiibo will start to do the same. The more it learns, the tougher it is to defeat. Players can then save data back onto the amiibo and bring the figurine to other Wii U consoles.
There are plans to expand amiibo use into Mario Kart 8, Yoshi’s Woolly World and many more games in the future, and an amiibo reader is in development for the 3DS with a 2015 launch date.
Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)
The Wii U is notably low on mature-audience titles, its last memorable mature release being ZombiU near the launch of the system. So it’s about time that a game like Bayonetta 2 showed up. The recently-released title has drawn some mild controversy over its hypersexual titular character, but really, it’s a small part of this game’s glorious absurdity.
Being my first foray into the world of Bayonetta, I had a million questions. Why can she transform into a panther and sea serpent at will? Why is her hair magical? What exactly are all these beasts? My answer to every single one of these questions was “Who cares?” Bayonetta 2 is like the lovechild of Final Fantasy and No More Heroes. Over-the-top violence, mythological creatures and a whole lot of f-bombs populate this game, not to mention the most overtly sexual themes in modern history, from skill levels referred to as “climaxes” to finishing blows that for whatever reason require Bayonetta to be naked.
Put simply, Bayonetta 2 is the reason why you should buy a Wii U.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Wii U)
The character introduced in Super Mario Galaxy gets his own game in a colourful world just like the games he started out in. Captain Toad, however, is not as powerful as Mario — he can’t even jump! So this game is more of a puzzle platformer. The demo shows him taking on a giant lava dragon, and taking him out is no easy task. Players have to maneuver Captain Toad by rotating cameras and stages to help him achieve his goals.
Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
This 3D remake of the popular 2002 GameBoy Advance games got fans salivating when announced earlier this year, and it looks to deliver on that promise. The graphical makeover is obviously the biggest difference, but the game will also deliver a bunch of new Mega Evolutions. In the limited demo I played, I had a party with Glalie, Blaziken, Swampert and Sceptile, all with the appropriate items for turning into their Mega forms. Though I didn’t get enough time to judge its relative merits, it looks beautiful and a very fun return to Hoenn.
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (3DS)
While Sonic the Hedgehog has endured for decades, his legacy is somewhat tainted due to a string of less-than-stellar games. While Shattered Crystal is somewhat of a return to form, it’s unlikely to make waves either. Repetitiveness is the biggest weakness here — I spent several minutes rolling, running and dashing through similar obstacles before giving up at the lack of progress. Speed is the name of Sonic’s game and Shattered Crystal just doesn’t get the adrenaline going.
Once again Nintendo seems to be on the cusp of keeping gamers occupied for months, and hey, might just convince a few more people to buy a Wii U at this rate.
