Compared to some of the other news coming out of E3 this year, Nintendo didn’t make quite the same splash as its competitors. However, big Nintendo fans should be pleased with the new roster of games Nintendo announced, adding to already popular narratives from the company.
Mario Maker Harnesses Player Creativity
If you feel like you’ve gotten all that you can out of the age-old Super Mario franchise, you’re in for a surprise. At E3, Nintendo announced the September 11th, 2015 arrival of Mario Maker, a game that will allow players to design their very own Super Mario levels.
However, that’s not all. Mario Maker will also be compatible with plastic figurines, known as Amiibos. This new feature activates a special in-game mushroom that transforms your Mario into your selected Amiibo. In honor of Mario Maker, Nintendo will release a special Mario Amiibo.
Nintendo Joins The Skylanders Family
Not only will we see Nintendo Amiibos with Mario Maker, but also Nintendo announced at E3 that the company is now partnering with Activision, the makers of the Skylanders games. Now your favorite Nintendo characters will be able to play along in the Wii U Skylanders games. There will even be a fire-breathing Bowser available for the game.
Starfox Is Back
When was the last time you thought about the Starfox games? Starfox has been out of circulation for a while, but he’ll be back this year in Wii U’s Starfox Zero. The reveal on Starfox’s visuals so far has been exciting, featuring a willypit view on the Wii U screen simultaneously with a wide view on the TV screen. In fact, the Wii U controller will offer some exciting new options, specific to the gamepad, that should add additional intrigue to the game.
Animal Crossing Comes Home
In a lot of ways, Nintendo is the gentlest of the various video games companies, and Animal Crossing is the epitome of this. The new Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer hits the market on September 25th, and, right along with Mario Maker, it’ll harness the creative tendencies of gamers, rather than the destructive ones.
Yoshi’s Yarn Adventure
We all love Yoshi; the little green guy and his eggs are just the sweetest. Well, get ready for the Yoshi games to get even cuter. The next Yoshi game, which will hit the market in October, is called Yoshi’s Woolly World. If you didn’t guessed from the title, this new world is made entirely of yarn! Some of you may recognize this premise from the older game, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, but Kirby didn’t have Amiibos. And, in honor of the whole yarn premise, some plush Amiibos will be released as well.
Paper Mario Goes 3D
Coming in 2016, the familiar characters from Paper Mario appear to be crash landing in a 3D Universe. There are still a lot of questions about how this game will work, but with the combined efforts of different parts of the Mario franchise at hand, and a quick paced RPG and puzzle set-up, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam looks like it’ll be an enjoyable addition to a favorite franchise.
