Going Overboard!

Today's Nintendo Direct totally blindsided the gaming community with one unexpected announcement: An HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker!

This instalment of Link's adventures was oft-ridiculed back in its day for using a cel-shaded, 'kiddy' art style, but I think most fans these days have come to realize how great it looks. The original GameCube version still holds up today -- which says a lot about its graphics being a technical marvel -- but with the HD treatment and enhanced lighting the game looks even more magical than it did during the PS2 era.

This ship of wonders will be arriving on our shores sometime this Fall, which is good news because the wait would be unbearable! I'll confess and say I have yet to play the original Wind Waker (my days were spent on PS2 back then), so this is a great opportunity for anyone unfortunate enough to have missed the game the first time it came around.

Beyond the Great Aether: What To Play In 2013

Yes, I know this is some three weeks late, but we've officially survived 2012 without the planet going up in flames!

So, what is there to look forward to now that we've dodged our inevitable doom? Well, Nintendo fans surely won't be bored this year. Check out the box arts below to see what's in store for the 3DS and WiiU in 2013!

What games are you looking forward to this year?

4 Reasons To Get The WiiU

With the WiiU fast approaching in a matter of days, it's an exciting time for gamers indeed! I'm sure many of you have been setting aside a good amount of cash - or even pre-ordered the system in advance - and are prepared to wade through the crowds at your local Walmart or Best Buy to receive Nintendo's newest gift to mankind. (Or open your mailbox on Sunday morning if you're one of those online buyers.)

On the other hand, I know a good portion of you readers are still uncertain about making such a hefty purchase early on. And while I could ask, "What the hell is wrong with you!?" like a good Nintendo fan, it's perfectly understandable that you'd feel that way. It's new, experimental, the game library hasn't developed yet, and it doesn't toast waffles. Following the Wii and the massive game droughts it had in-between its life cycle, there's more than enough reason for gamers to be cautious this time around.

But that doesn't mean Nintendo hasn't learned from their mistakes; they've gone out of their way to apologize for turning away the so-called "hardcore" gamers for the casual crowd, and they've promised that this generation will be a welcome back to their truer fans. A lot of people are quick to dismiss that as a broken oath after the reveal of the WiiU and its tablet controller gimmick guaranteed to bring in another five years of shovelware. They're blind to the fact that yes, Nintendo is doing everything in their power to make this next generation a good one for hardcore Nintendo fans.

Here are four big reasons why gamers should be excited about the WiiU, and why U should look into getting one, too.

Unearthing Two Treasures

This lucky sap from GamesRadar has gotten ahold of Just Dance 4 and Rabbids Land and has the nerve not only to unwrap open such sacred items, but also to record and post it to the Internet. Such envy he inspires! Thankfully, the WiiU and many of its launch games will be out on November 18 (in America). Stay strong until then, Nintendo gamers!

The WiiU Is... a Controller?

The advertising campaign for Nintendo's WiiU console started in America yesterday, with the television commercial above.

I'm sorely disappointed in Nintendo of America's marketing department on this one. Unlike the old 3DS ad that made it clear that it was a separate experience from the DS, the entire one-minute and six seconds is spent on the GamePad. It's important to market the system's main selling point, but nothing saying 'this isn't Wii, this is WiiU' is just asking for monumental confusion among the less-savvy casual gamers. There isn't even a proper close-up of the console itself! It's as if Nintendo wants people to believe the GamePad is just another controller peripheral. On top of everything, the music is also pretty bad. A glitchy sounding electro song over people playing and laughing in poppy, multicoloured rooms? It sounds like the next video in the series of unfitting music videos on Youtube.

When they decided to keep the Wii name I expected Nintendo to be more cautious about advertising, after the mass confusion between the 3DS and DS. Heck, they even acknowledged that as one of factors attributing to the former's poor launch sales. I doubt it'll happen to the same degree as some venues are already completely booked in pre-orders, which is actually very exciting. Still, if Nintendo doesn't up their game this time, the WiiU will soon be known as the Wii Tablet Controller.

An Unchained Universe

Anyone who's ever owned a Nintendo system, starting with the DS, knows well about the horrors of Friend Codes. A 12-character string of random digits that are unique to every game you play, and have to be entered for every single one of your friends for every game. Now Nintendo's been known for being kid-friendly and (sensible) people can see we're the coming from with this system, but for most people (aka those who aren't small children) it only makes adding friends more a hassle than a delight.

The 3DS has made things marginally better at present, with a friend code unique to each system instead of each game copy. Entering in a line of digits is still troublesome but only adding it once for each friend is much better. (And it allows you to use any username you want, instead of having to add arbitrary numbers/characters to it. No more names like xXxName3248xXx!)

Well, now Nintendo's upcoming WiiU console will bring things one step further by allowing users to befriend strangers in the Miiverse who share similar tastes in games. Friend codes are still in place some way, but from the looks of things it seems that a simple button press is all that's needed to add a guy with the same taste in Japanese Rhythm Games to your Friends List. More importantly, it'll hush all those naysayers banking on Nintendo's child-centric security system, because now it's easier than ever before to add random people with phalluses in their profile picture.

The full word on the matter from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata:

Also, on Nintendo platforms up to this point, in order to become friends with people on the same system (specified people with whom you could exchange data), you were required to mutually enter numbers called “Friend Codes.” This was set in place in order to prevent negative gameplay experiences caused by a few people who might derive pleasure from anonymously harassing strangers, so that games could be played without that worry. On the Wii U, you can become friends with people who share your tastes through the Miiverse, so increasing the number of people to enjoy games with is its critical mission.

He doesn't really go into how you'd add them this way or even under what circumstances Miiverse will allow you to do so, other than that they have to "share your tastes." (Which is, in retrospect, supported by the Miis congregating around specific titles in images like the one above.) As with a lot of other unknown details about the WiiU, I expect more information as November 18th looms ever closer.

An Outbreak In Europe

Let it be known that I envy Europe deeply for getting this bundle exclusively; ZombiU is no doubt the must-have title for the WiiU at launch. But North America will be getting Nintendoland with the Pro Bundle, which is another game I would have gotten eventually anyway.

The GamePad Is The Future

Yes, it's that special time that comes about every five years: a new Nintendo console launch! This would encourage a universal hurrah from gamers across the globe, but after the Wii (and arguably the 3DS' abysmal start) people have grown skeptical of the gaming giant's newest ventures.

Personally, I wouldn't blame them. While I adored the Wii's motion control and believe it to be a revolution instead of a gimmick, there's no denying that most developers implemented them poorly into their games. The result was a mountain of shovelware that companies cashed in on because "ooh, motion controls are cool and make up for lack of effort."