E3 2013 Preview: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a game to look forward to

June 13, 2013 - Written by Mark Fajardo of JustPushStart.com

When it comes to a classic The Legend of Zelda game, I must say that Link of the Past is the one that stands out the most. Over a decade following its release, Nintendo finally decided to give the game a true sequel on the Nintendo 3DS and carry the name: A Link Between Worlds. At first glance, the game will give some nostalgic moments to a lot of Zelda fans who have played the game. Playing through it gives a lot of good memories back when it was out and I’m sure with the game coming out this year, it’s the game everyone will be looking forward to get.

Visually, A Link Between Worlds has the same playing style as the original. The camera angle is somewhat on the birds eye view where we see Link’s head and a portion of his body. The build that I got to play was divided into two sections; one is where I got to play in the field and the other in dungeons.

The way the game is laid out this time in the sequel is almost the same as the original. You see the grasses that you can cut, and those who have played the original before will see somewhat of a familiar area in the game that I’m sure fans have explored in the original. The green slime blobs that we used to fight will make a return, especially those knights with a shield that stops your way. The area that I got to play is a small one, but it sure is enough to give me the original feeling when I played the original over a decade ago. Was it a good thing? Definitely as it really feels a true sequel that Zelda fans have been waiting for.

As for the dungeons, the puzzles and the traps will show some sort of similarities to the original too. The challenge is still there and getting around with it will take some time to get used to. Expect to pull pots to go from one way or another. Sometimes, you will dodge stuff to get out from the game. Combat wise, it’s more of a hack and slash thing, but one improvement they implemented in the sequel is the ability to use three weapons at a time. Unlike in the original, you have to press stuff to switch from the bow to the sword and three weapons will be placed in the Y, X, and B button. The weapons that I got to use was a Master Sword, a Bow, and a hammer when it pounds enemies, they get stunned in an instant.

Remember the time when if you hold the sword button long enough, Link will do a 360 degree slash? Unfortunately it was not in the game at all. However, with Link using the Master Sword, he is now able to do a sonic wave attack to enemies within a distance, which is helpful against enemies that are hard to get close to.

Overall, the experience with The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a fantastic experience. It’s really something to look forward to this year, especially the fans who have played the original.

NINTENDO ANNOUNCES NOV. 18 LAUNCH DATE AND DETAILS FOR REVOLUTIONARY WII U CONSOLE

More Than 50 Games Confirmed for Launch Window, Including Super Mario Bros., Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed Titles

New Nintendo TVii Application to Change the Way Viewers Experience TV and Video Content Using Wii U GamePad Controller

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 13, 2012 – Nintendo today revealed full details about how the new Wii U™ home console and its groundbreaking touch-screen Wii U GamePad controller can revolutionize not only video game play but also the way people find and watch TV and video content. The new HD system will offer entirely new ways for consumers to play games and enjoy their favorite programming when it launches in the Americas on Nov. 18. During the launch window, more than 50 games will be available for Wii U, which will be offered in two different colors and configurations. The Basic Set will be offered in white at a suggested retail price of $299.99, while the Deluxe Set, which includes higher storage capacity, additional accessories and the new Nintendo Land™ video game, will be offered in black at a suggested retail price of $349.99.

At a special Wii U preview event in New York, Nintendo also unveiled Nintendo TVii, an application that will let Wii U owners in the United States and Canada find, watch and engage with their favorite video entertainment in fun new ways. Using the GamePad controller, Nintendo TVii lets viewers seamlessly explore available video content from a variety of sources – including live TV, their TiVo DVR and video-on-demand services such as Netflix – all in one easy-to-use interface.

Additionally, Nintendo shared new information about dozens of games on the way for Wii U, including Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros.™ U, LEGO® City: Undercover, BAYONETTA 2, The Wonderful 101™, Capcom's Monster Hunter™ 3 Ultimate and Activision's Call of Duty®: Black Ops II. New Super Mario Bros. U offers unprecedented ways for friends and families to play together and explore Mario's world using the GamePad. Nintendo Land, which will be available as a standalone game or included with the Wii U Deluxe Set, is a virtual theme park featuring a lineup of 12 playable attractions based on Nintendo's greatest game worlds, including The Legend of Zelda™, Metroid™, Mario™, Animal Crossing™ and Donkey Kong™. As an added bonus for consumers, a Chase McCain LEGO minifigure will come as a special pre-order bonus for those who pre-order a copy of LEGO City: Undercover at participating retailers while supplies last. All of these games will instantly immerse players in a variety of new game-play experiences that are available only on Wii U.

"The wait is almost over — in just 66 days, Wii U will arrive with the strongest lineup of launch software in Nintendo history," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "With the integrated second screen of the included GamePad and features that instantly enhance the way people play games, watch video and interact with each other, consumers will see how Wii U delivers a completely unique experience and a remarkable value right out of the box. The new system also creates extraordinary new possibilities for game developers, bound only by the limits of their imaginations."

The Wii U Basic Set includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB of internal storage, one white GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI® cable. In the Wii U Deluxe Set, components are black. This bundle includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as the Nintendo Land game, increased console storage capacity of 32 GB, a console stand, GamePad charging cradle and a stand that allows users to place the GamePad vertically on a table. Consumers who purchase the Deluxe Set also will be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which lets Wii U owners receive points for each digital download and redeem those points for future downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop. The promotion is currently planned through 2014.

Both configurations offer a wealth of one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences, including an online gaming community called Miiverse™ and the new Nintendo TVii application. Using the touch screen on the GamePad controller, Nintendo TVii users will be able to browse programming from sources they subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube and even their recorded TiVo shows – all from a single starting point.

The selection of third-party games on the way for Wii U will include some of the industry's biggest names and most beloved franchises. Activision is set to bring several of its leading properties to Wii U during the launch window, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Skylanders Giants™ and TRANSFORMERS PRIME™. Other third-party games coming soon to Wii U include Assassin's Creed® III, ZombiU™, Rayman Legends® and Just Dance® 4 from Ubisoft, Madden NFL 13 and Mass Effect™ 3 from Electronic Arts, Scribblenauts™ Unlimited and Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney Interactve.

"The integrated second screen of the GamePad creates new possibilities for how games can be played, and further reflects the innovation Nintendo has poured into the Wii U," said Eric Hirshberg, Activision Publishing's CEO. "We're excited for our fans to experience the biggest franchises, like Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Skylanders Giants and Transformers Prime, in new ways made possible on Wii U."

Below is a list of upcoming Wii U games that will be available on launch day or during the launch window*. (For information about third-party games, check with the individual publishers.)

505 Games
Funky Barn

2K Sports
NBA 2K13

Activision Publishing, Inc.
007™ Legends
Call of Duty®: Black Ops II
TRANSFORMERS PRIME™
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants™
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing

Capcom
Monster Hunter™ 3 Ultimate

D3Publisher
Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
Ben 10: Omniverse™
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade

Disney Interactive
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Electronic Arts
Mass Effect™ 3
Madden NFL 13
EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13

Frozenbyte
Trine 2™: Director's Cut

Gaijin Games
Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

Majesco Entertainment
Zumba® Fitness Core

Maximum Games
Jett Tailfin™

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT™ 2 Wii U Edition
TANK! TANK! TANK!™

Nintendo
Nintendo Land™
New Super Mario Bros.™ U
NINJA GAIDEN™ 3: Razor's Edge
SiNG PARTY™
LEGO® City: Undercover
Wii Fit™ U
Game & Wario™
Pikmin™ 3
The Wonderful 101™

SEGA
Aliens: Colonial Marines™
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Shin'en
Nano Assault Neo

Tecmo Koei America Corporation
WARRIORS OROCHI® 3 Hyper

THQ
Darksiders® II
Wheel of Fortune®
JEOPARDY! ®

Two Tribes
Toki Tori 2

Ubisoft
Assassin's Creed® III
Just Dance® 4
Marvel Avengers™: Battle for Earth
Rabbids® Land
Sports Connection™
Your Shape®: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU™
Rayman Legends®

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scribblenauts™ Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition

* Launch window is defined as the period beginning Nov. 18, 2012, and ending March 31, 2013.

Broadband Internet access is required for online features. For more information, go to http://support.nintendo.com.

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/wiiu.

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

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™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.9 billion video games and more than 630 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ 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.com.

Metroid: Other M Review

Written Fri, Sep 3, 2010 by Just Push Start

After almost two decades since the release of Super Metroid on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the true sequel to the long forgotten Super Metroid is finally here. After the long wait, Metroid fans can finally find out what happens to
the infamous Samus Aran after the defeat of Motherbrain. Metroid: Other M is nothing like the Super Metroid but instead, it reinvents the game compeltely by taking the features from the past three Metroid games that were released on the Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii. Don’t worry, the Metroid experience is still intact.

Full review after the break.. read on.

Full story »

Views from the Nintendo E3 conference

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Soundbites from:

• Mr. Satoru Iwata, President, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
• Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, Senior Managing Director and General Manager, Entertainment Analysis & Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd.
• Reggie Fils-Aime, President and Chief Operating Officer, Nintendo of America Inc.

Gameplay footage:

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• Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword for Nintendo Wii

One of the biggest franchises by Nintendo has always been Mario. When Super Mario Galaxy was released in late 2007, veteran and new comers a like were pleased as to how the game turned out. It was a successful hit and many have been anticipating for the sequel. Since the start of the Super Mario Bros. series on the Nintendo Entertainment System, no one has expected that up until now Mario is still a fab hit even to older gamers. With Super Mario Galaxy 2 now available worldwide (New Zealand release, June 17), can fans expect an awesome adventure once again?

The Super Mario Galaxy series was inspired to the 3D platformer Super Mario 64 that was released 14 years ago on the Nintendo 64. Both have the same type of gameplay but with Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii, there is more to it since there are motion controls involved. Comparing the first Super Mario Galaxy to the second one, nothing has really changed in terms of the gameplay. If that’s the case, then what makes Super Mario Galaxy 2 so special? Before starting the review, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a perfect game in every aspect of platform gaming. Why? Let’s take a look on the HOTs and NOTs of the game:

HOT

Same Old Story

Nothing is really special when it comes to the story of each Mario game. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Princess Peach is once again kidnapped by King Bowser, who somehow obtained the power of the Stars. As always, Mario comes to the rescue and seeks the help of the Lumas whom he aided once before. Thanks to the Starship that the Lumas gives Mario, he can now go and rescue Princess Peach from Bowser into the eight different worlds. Throughout his adventure, Mario will be meeting friends that he will be able to recruit to his Starship. Each of them will have a specific purpose as Mario is near the end of the game. Similar to the first Super Mario Galaxy, there will be Toadstools that will give Mario some help such as delivering a letter from Princess Peach and such.

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