Nintendo Direct 11.12.2015 highlights upcoming Holiday releases, early 2016 forecast

In a new Nintendo Direct video today, Reggie and Bill dropped in to cover some big and small news as we enter the holiday fray. The 45-minute video can be viewed in full below:

Covered are major upcoming releases, notably Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, and Pok?mon Super Mystery Dungeon (all three out this month), followed in December by the highly-anticipated Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Nintendo also made an official reveal for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD with a launch scheduled for March 4th. A Wolf Link amiibo and official soundtrack are slated to be included in a special bundle for the game.

In smaller news, Splatoon received new items today and is receiving a map called Museum d?Alfonsino in an upcoming update, Super Mario Maker will be gaining search functionality on a variety of devices, and Tri Force Heroes will see new costumes and a Den of Trials mode added to its outfit.

Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS also welcomes another third-party character, adding the Final Fantasy series to its ensemble with Cloud Strife in a future update.

Full press release with in-depth details and information below:

Nintendo debuted a new Nintendo Direct presentation today, revealing details about several new and upcoming Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games. Some of the exciting news included the reveal that iconic video game character Cloud from FINAL FANTASY VII will be added as a playable DLC fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Other notable announcements included the reveal of an HD remake of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii U console, a new Wii U bundle featuring Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and news that the Pok?mon games that started it all ? Pok?mon Red Version, Pok?mon Blue Version and Pok?mon Yellow Version ? will launch with new wireless communication functionality in the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo 3DS system on Feb. 27. To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.

Cloud Strife, the legendary protagonist from the classic RPG game FINAL FANTASY VII, will enter the battlefield as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS in the future. (Photo: Business Wire)

?There?s never been a better time to join in on the fun with Nintendo,? said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America?s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. ?From new experiences like Xenoblade Chronicles X that you can enjoy this year to re-imagined favorites like The Legend of Zelda and Pok?mon coming in 2016, we have you covered with games you?re sure to love.?

Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Wii U and Nintendo 3DS

• A New Challenger Approaches!: Cloud Strife, the legendary protagonist from the classic RPG game FINAL FANTASY VII, will enter the battlefield as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS in the future. A special video presentation will be released in December, which will share more updates about the hit fighting games. More information is available at http://www.smashbros.com/us/dlc/.

Wii U

• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD: Originally released for Wii and Nintendo GameCube systems in 2006, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is a visually remastered remake of one of the most critically acclaimed games in The Legend of Zelda series. The new game launches on March 4 in a bundle with a detailed new amiibo figure modeled after the Wolf Link and Midna characters in the game. The game will also be compatible with five other The Legend of Zelda amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series. The game?s iconic soundtrack will be offered as a bonus for fans who pre-order the game from select retailers.
• The Legend of Zelda for Wii U (name not final): Next year marks the 30^th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. And with that comes The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, the next entry in the storied franchise. During the Nintendo Direct presentation, it was revealed that certain saved data from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD on the Wolf Link amiibo can be carried over to this new game.
• New Wii U Bundle: A new Wii U Deluxe Set that includes the Wii U console and pre-installed versions of hit games Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U launches this holiday season.
• Pokk?n Tournament: A collaboration between The Pok?mon Company and BANDAI Namco Entertainment Inc., Pokk?n Tournament is a new fighting game for Wii U that lets players use their favorite Pok?mon characters to battle it out in fighting arenas. Fans who purchase a first-run version of the game at retail stores will receive a limited-edition Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card that immediately unlocks the character in the game after tapping it to the GamePad. Pokk?n Tournament launches exclusively for Wii U in spring 2016 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
• Star Fox Zero: Star Fox Zero delivers a new beginning for the classic shooter series. With a unique control scheme that uses both the TV screen and the screen on the GamePad, players pilot multiple vehicles through intergalactic levels with Fox and his classic crew. The game launches exclusively for Wii U on April 22.
• An Ink-redible Splatoon Update: Today at 5 p.m. PT, a free new update for Splatoon adds more than 40 pieces of new gear, including more winter items and some slick bandanas. And on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. PT, another free new update adds a new stage called Museum d?Alfonsino. Further stages and features will be added in future updates through January. A Nintendo Treehouse Splatoon Tournament will happen in December, featuring competitive game play as well as tips for players about setting up their own tournaments. The tournament will be live streamed at http://www.youtube.com/nintendo, http://www.twitch.tv/nintendo and http://live.nintendo.com.
• Super Mario Maker Powers Up Once Again: In December, a new Web portal will offer a more robust search function to find and filter levels in Super Mario Maker across a variety of Web-enabled devices!
• Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival: By tapping any of the Animal Crossing amiibo figures, players can play as that character in the game?s main mode, a dynamic board game. Players can also tap in their Animal Crossing amiibo cards to play other modes like an Animal Crossing quiz. The Wii U game that includes the Isabelle and Digby amiibo figures and three amiibo cards launches on Nov. 13 at a suggested retail price of $59.99, the same day as the standalone Animal Crossing amiibo figures.
• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash: On Nov. 20, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash launches exclusively for Wii U at a suggested price of $49.99. The game includes a fun New Super Mario Bros. power-up, the Mega Mushroom, which is featured in the over-the-top ?Mega Battle Mode.? Players can also select ?Classic Mode? to enjoy a more traditional game of tennis. Players can compete online or together via local play, and the game is compatible with amiibo in select modes, including online matches.
• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Massive RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X launches exclusively for Wii U on Dec. 4 at a suggested retail price of $59.99. For people who purchase the physical version of the game, four free high-speed data loading packs are available to download from the Nintendo eShop starting today. The data packs greatly increase the speed of loading times in the game, but are not required to play.

Nintendo 3DS

• Where it all Began: The original Pok?mon games ? Pok?mon Red Version, Pok?mon Blue Version and Pok?mon Yellow Version ? are coming to the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 27, the same day that the original games first released in Japan in 1996. And there?s no need to pull out those old Game Boy Game Link cables while playing. Using the wireless communication on Nintendo 3DS, players can trade Pok?mon with other players.
• Hyrule Warriors: Legends: Take the epic Hyrule Warriors experience on the go! Hyrule Warriors: Legends offers players the entire Hyrule Warriors game on Nintendo 3DS ? but with even more content! This time, Tetra, Toon Link and the King of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker join the Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora?s Mask on the battlefield. In addition, new character Linkle, a girl who lives in a small village filled with Cuccos and wields two crossbows, joins the large cast of playable characters. Players will be able to command multiple characters, taking direct control of them at any time, leading to new strategic options on the battlefield. Hyrule Warriors: Legends launches for Nintendo 3DS on March 25 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
• Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam: The hilarious Mario & Luigi series meets the charming Paper Mario series in the Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam game, launching exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 22 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. Using compatible amiibo, players can create a corresponding character card in the game, which has powerful effects during battle.
• Fire Emblem Fates: There are multiple adventures waiting to be experienced in Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS. By purchasing one of the two main games at a suggested retail price of $39.99 ? Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest ? either at retail locations or in the Nintendo eShop starting Feb. 19, players choose to embark on a unique quest with a different story and different experiences. The decision that the player makes early in the game will dictate the game?s story and difficulty. After purchasing one game, the downloadable version of the other is only $19.99 via an in-game purchase. There will even be a third downloadable version in the near future, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, for players who own either Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright or Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and want to take on a new challenge and experience an alternative version of the game. For fans of the series, a special edition will be available that includes all three games, an artbook and a Nintendo 3DS XL pouch at a suggested retail price of $79.99.
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes DLC: New free DLC is coming on Dec. 2, adding Linebeck?s Uniform and Fierce Deity Armor outfits, each with unique powers, as well as the new Den of Trials with more than 30 stages to conquer. The upcoming software update also makes it more convenient to get Friendly Tokens by purchasing them from the Street Merchant once the princess? curse has been lifted. Additionally, two adjustments will ensure a more comfortable online experience: By answering a question before matchmaking, you will be matched with other players who gave similar answers, plus players who leave a game in progress through the Pause menu can be added to the blacklist.
• Pok?mon Super Mystery Dungeon: Players can become one of 20 Pok?mon in Pok?mon Super Mystery Dungeon, launching for Nintendo 3DS on Nov. 20 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. With turn-based battles and ever-changing dungeons, players can encounter every single known Pok?mon in the game ? all 720 of them!
• Nintendo Badge Arcade: Now available in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Badge Arcade is a free-to-start game that lets players control a classic arcade-style crane machine to earn badges from popular titles to customize their Nintendo 3DS HOME menus. The game is constantly being updated with new badges, so it?s always great to keep checking back!
• Two DRAGON QUEST Games are Better Than One: The lineup of RPGs on Nintendo 3DS continues to grow with classic games DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, both remastered for Nintendo 3DS and coming in 2016.
• Pok?mon Picross: The popular Picross series meets the lovable world of Pok?mon when free-to-start game Pok?mon Picross launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS in early December.

amiibo

• Jan. 22 sees the release of Lucas in the Super Smash Bros. series, amiibo figures for Resetti, Blathers, Celeste and Kicks in the Animal Crossing series, and Series 2 of the Animal Crossing amiibo cards.

Third-Party

• FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS from Square Enix, Inc. (Nintendo 3DS): In the first FINAL FANTASY action-RPG on Nintendo 3DS, players journey to an island filled with mystical crystals protected by powerful eidolons. More than 20 jobs can be learned, each with its own set of special skills. When FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS launches exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 26, it will include all the DLC that was previously released in Japan. Multiplayer functionality for up to four players is enabled through Nintendo 3DS local wireless communication.
• Mega Man Legacy Collection from Capcom (Nintendo 3DS): Capcom?s iconic Blue Bomber has been a classic part of Nintendo history since the NES days. Mega Man Legacy Collection launches for Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 23 and features faithful reproductions of the first six NES Mega Man games (Mega Man 1-6), plus new ways to experience these classics with Challenge Mode?s remix stages and Museum Mode?s repository of original production art. In addition, the game comes with exclusive new challenges that can be unlocked using the Mega Man amiibo. But that?s not the only amiibo that can unlock these bonus challenges! A new gold-colored Mega Man amiibo figure also launches as part of the Mega Man Legacy Collection Collector?s Edition.
• Hive Jump from Graphite Lab (Wii U): Players shoot their way through dangerous alien infestations in Hive Jump, a frenetic run ?n? gun platformer for one to four players. Hive Jump launches in the Nintendo eShop with exclusive Wii U features in early 2016.
• Kerbal Space Program from Squad (Wii U): By using the Wii U GamePad, players can take part in the complete space agency experience, from building a spaceship part by part, to mission control by flying their creation and conquering the planets and moons of the solar system. Kerbal Space Program launches in Nintendo eShop for Wii U in early 2016.
• SteamWorld Heist from Image & Form (Nintendo 3DS): For a limited time, players who purchase side-scrolling, turn-based strategy shooter SteamWorld Heist in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS when it launches this holiday season will receive an exclusive Nintendo 3DS HOME Menu theme.
• FAST Racing Neo from Shin?en (Wii U): It?s almost here! FAST Racing Neo, the high-octane racing game with up to eight-player online multiplayer, launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U in early December.
• Typoman from Headup Games and Brainseed Factory (Wii U): Typoman is a puzzling platformer that tells a dark tale of heroes and monsters, where words can either be a blessing … or a curse! Using the GamePad in a unique way, players set out on an adventure to explore the incredible power of words and how they can be used to survive the environmental hazards and overcome vicious enemies. The game launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U on Nov. 19.
• Mighty No. 9 from Deep Silver (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): From Keiji Inafune, the creator of the Mega Man series, comes Mighty No. 9. This action side-scroller can be played solo or with two players in online co-op and competitive modes. The Wii U version of the game launches on Feb. 9, with a Nintendo 3DS version following shortly thereafter.
• LEGO Marvel?s Avengers from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): With an extensive roster of new characters to play, LEGO Marvel?s Avengers features storylines and locations from six different films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as classic Avengers content seen in Marvel Comics, all retold with a unique splash of LEGO humor. The game launches for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS on Jan. 26.
• Project X Zone 2 from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Inc. (Nintendo 3DS): Everyone?s favorite Capcom, SEGA and BANDAI NAMCO characters are crossing over once again in Project X Zone 2. But this time Nintendo is also joining the fun by adding Chrom and Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening and Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles to the game. Project X Zone 2 launches exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on Feb. 16.
• Terraria from 505 Games (Wii U / Nintendo 3DS): In Terraria, players explore vast fantasy worlds and wage war on hundreds of enemies and giant bosses using weapons and armor they craft themselves. They can even use the touch-screen interface on the Nintendo 3DS system or the Wii U GamePad to reach directly into the world of Terraria, fashioning elaborate and amazing structures with their fingertips. It?s also possible to share the adventure with friends, with online and split-screen multiplayer for Wii U and local play for Nintendo 3DS. Hundreds of hours of entertainment await in Terraria, launching in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in early 2016.

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