The Joypads » Nintendo

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Wii U coming 24th May

Paul Byron — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:24 +0000

Warner Bros and DC are bringing LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes to Wii U on 24th May with some unique new features.

The controller gives the player a handy map of Gotham City, as well as allowing for 2 players to play co-op using both the controller and the screen. It will also allow for faster choosing of different characters in the game.

You can check out our review of LEGO Batman 2 right here on the site. I personally reckon it’s the best LEGO game to date. Take a look at the trailer below for more.

Wii U Virtual Console title Super Metroid on 30p offer this week

Paul Byron — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:15:49 +0000

Nintendo are bringing Super Metroid to the Wii U’s new Virtual Console for a limited time price of 30p this week.

Beginning on 16th May (this Thursday) and running through to 14th June, the classic SNES game will be only 30p to Wii U owners before it rises to the regular price for SNES games (£5.49).

Virtual Console games on Wii U are able to use classic and pro controllers (including the excellent SNES controller available from the Nintendo Stars catalogue) as well as the Wii U’s own gamepad and can be played on the Gamepad screen or TV.

Fire Emblem: Awakening Review

Paul Byron — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:43:21 +0000

I’ve cared about game characters in the past, no, really I have. But not in the same way as the latest Fire Emblem made me care about them. Because as much as Fire Emblem Awakening is a game about war and strategy, it’s also about relationships, friends and family.

In realtime strategy games it’s fair to say that the objective is to generally conquer the map without suffering many losses, and the same could be said here. But Fire Emblem’s characters are so well designed and realised and relationships are so ingrained into the game that your emotional strings will be tugged when one of them is lost in the heat of battle. Yes, you can turn off the ability to kill off characters, but the option is a game changer that ensures you make every move as carefully as you possibly can.

In terms of general gameplay, Intelligent Systems haven’t deviated too far from the path of the turn based war game and fans of the genre will feel right at home with stats, strengths and weaknesses banded about here. New weapons are won in battle from fallen enemies, spells are picked up in the same way and every stat can be increased through practice or a trip to the shops that pop up throughout the campaign. Side quests are another way to improve your heroes defence and attack, as well as building on their relationships. These are important in pairing up characters, who will work better together if they have a good relationship with each other. Pairing is an essential skill to learn in order to progress through later missions.

Another sort of pairing is available later in the game, too, and one that took me a little by surprise. Characters can marry if they are compatible and this will allow them to have children. Since the children take on the major skill of their parents, a good player will be able to work on a single important skill for potential couples to create the best offspring.

The story helps to push players in the right direction, too. Beautiful animated cutscenes allow you to get to know each of the characters in turn and their general traits, as well as their allegiance. The odd well timed curveball makes up for some obvious plot devices early on, though there’s little in the story that will surprise you, but the important thing is that you’ll form a bond with the major characters and this is what makes Fire Emblem Awakening so unique.

At first, battles will be easily won, allowing newcomers to learn the ropes and helping to level up characters before they face the bigger challenges later on. Different classes are introduced gradually, along with the rock-paper-scissors approach to weapon combat, where axe beats lance, lance beats sword and sword beats axe. In the field of combat, though, there isn’t always the option of fighting with the best weapon available if your army is spread out across the map, so careful planning is required. Use of the three game save slots may also come in handy and you should be prepared to replay some battles many times to come out of them with your troops intact.

Then you start to lose people. Characters you’ve watched grow and have nurtured through ongoing battles will die at the hand of an over-powered or mis-judged foe. Do you carry on without them or, as seems to be common practice in Fire Emblem games, go back and start the battle again, giving them a second chance? I’m guessing you’ll do the latter, because that’s what I did. But despite the time reversal to save a beloved character, it’s no less jarring when they fail you in the next fight (or sometimes over and over in the same battle).

But if you’re up for the challenge and don’t mind the thought of replaying battles over and over again to come out the other side with an intact army then the game is about as good as any turn based RPG has ever been and future DLC means that you’re looking at possibly more than 30 or 40 hours. That’s before you start again from the beginning and replay the whole thing, of course.

For Fire Emblem fans this game is the next stage, a fitting game for Nintendo’s current generation of handhelds. For those new to the series it provides the option of a gentle learning curve before turning up the heat. In short, another must-buy for 3DS owners.

9/10

Amazon matches Asda’s Wii U price – 8GB Wii U drops to £149.99

Paul Byron — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:40:55 +0000

Amazon have matched Asda’s recent price drop for the lower 8GB model Wii U. You can now grab the console online at Amazon.co.uk for £149.99

The lower end model doesn’t seem to be as popular with customers as the black 32GB premium console, perhaps it’s the colour or the lack of memory? Whatever it is, there may be a few more sales for Nintendo at the massively reduced price now that Amazon have taken the plunge and matched the price set by Asda earlier this week.

Amazon are also offering a choice of game for £25 extra when you buy the console. I’d recommend grabbing a copy of Zombie U for the lower price.

Nintendo have never set an RRP for the Wii U, preferring that other retailers set their own RRP, just as with the 3DS before it. Industry analysts have been fairly unanimous in suggesting that what the Wii U needs is a price cut, in a similar way to the 3DS. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a proper price cut for both models around E3 when Nintendo show off their new games coming out at the end of the year.

Rayman Legends – Mariachi Madness Screenshots

Paul Byron — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:46 +0000

Ubisoft have released a new trailer and screenshots for their forthcoming Rayman Legends game on Wii U, PS3 and 360, showcasing the Mariachi Madness level. Check out the screenshots below.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Wii U Review

Paul Byron — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:37:20 +0000

The Wii U launched with the promise of renewed interest in online play from Nintendo. Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, then, is an ideal litmus test for how well this has been realised in the hardware, but is also one of the first major cross-platform games to show that Nintendo’s latest console is more than up to the task of competing with ‘the big boys’.

Our full Black Ops 2 review can be found further down the site, with Jon taking the game through its paces on the Xbox 360, and it’s fair to say that the Wii U version, for the most part, shares the same good and bad points. That is; the single player is a slog and the story doesn’t make any sense, but stick on the multi-player mode and you’ll be having a blast (quite literally, in some cases).

The graphics on the Wii U game are more than capable of keeping up with the 360 and, if anything, are that bit clearer. There’s no huge gap in quality either way, though. Fans of the series who find themselves with only the Wii U as their console of choice will be glad to hear that it measures up in speed, looks and fluidity, even on a busy multiplayer game, showing that Nintendo’s console can do online gaming without breaking a sweat.

There is a lack of Elite and Livestreaming due to the already-in-place setup from the other systems, which is a minor loss but a disappointing one, none-the-less and doesn’t seem to bother those playing online. With a solid group of players now frequenting the servers, it’s pretty easy to get an online game, too.

Where the Wii U differs is, predictably, in the use of the Gamepad. I was concerned that the larger pad would make longer plays more cumbersome, but it’s pretty comfortable even after a long set of online matches. What’s more, the controller has some useful shortcuts that make calling for airstrikes and using your other Scorestreaks that much easier for those new to the game. The screen also provides a very useful map function that gives you a far bigger view of the current level’s map at any time, even if you choose to use another controller, such as the Wii U Pro Controller, to play the game. How useful this is to you, however, depends on how easy you find it looking away from the TV to view the map during intense battles.

The biggest change, though, comes from being able to use the screen on the Gamepad to play the game. It may seem over-emphasised unless you’ve actually used it, but continuing a game when the TV is out of action, thanks to a wife/kids/best mate’s dog needing to watch their favourite programme, can’t be understated.

Black Ops 2 on Wii U is reassuringly just as good as other consoles and arguably better for some thanks to the use of the gamepad.

8/10

Wii U System update out now! VC tomorrow

Ian Windram — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:01:56 +0000

The much hyped Wii U system update has been released bringing the version number to 3.0. In the new update Nintendo have added a new standby option that will allow you to keep downloading software even after you turn off your console. And the ability to download and install games and updates while playing other games! For the full list read onwards!

The Virtual Console launches with these fine games: Super Mario World, Excitebike, Mario’s Super Picross, F-Zero, Ice Climber, Donkey Kong Jr, and Punch-Out!! If you transferred over your Wii data over to the Wii U you can download the Wii U versions for a reduced price (99p for NES games and £1.49 for SNES games) Expect the Virtual Console to launch around 2pm UK time.

New Features:

A standby function to download and install software while the system is powered off Software purchased from the Nintendo eShop will automatically install in the background once the download is complete
Holding down the B Button while the Wii U logo is displayed during startup will load the Wii Menu*¹
The Wii U will continue downloading and installing software even if the system is turned off.
Disc drive no longer spins when playing downloaded games/applications.

Changes to System Settings

An option to transfer and/or copy between two USB storage devices in “Data Management” The ability to select multiple software titles when transferring, copying, or deleting data in “Data Management”
The option to adjust screen size is now available under “TV”*²
“Auto Power-Down” has been renamed “Power Settings”
*1 User selection may be necessary.
*2 A similar option has been removed from Nintendo eShop, Miiverse, and the Internet Browser

Changes to Miiverse:

Added support for the Wii Remote, Wii U Pro Controller, and Classic Controller
Handwritten posts will now also display on the TV screen during creation
“Undo” and “Redo” buttons are now available when creating a handwritten post
Removed screen size setting. This option can now be adjusted from System Settings

Changes to Nintendo eShop:

Software downloaded from the Nintendo eShop will include released updates and will no longer need to be updated after installation
Removed screen size setting. This option can now be adjusted from System Settings

Changes to the Internet Browser:

Added support for the Wii Remote and Wii U Pro Controller
Added the option to change search engines when performing a keyword search
Added the option to return to the start page from the bookmark menu
Removed screen size setting. This option can now be adjusted from System Settings

Changes to Download Management:

Added the option to change the priority of downloads
Random Bits
Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been
made to enhance the user experience.
The Wii U Virtual Console will be added the day after the update.

Rayman Legends Challenges App now available free on Nintendo eSHOP for Wii U

Paul Byron — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:42:53 +0000

Ubisoft has released the Rayman Legends Online Challenges App on the Nintendo eShop for Wii U today.

The Online Challenges App is exclusive to the Wii U version and lets you play through these competitive levels, improving your times and containing updated Daily and Weekly Challenges to compete online with their friends and players from all around the world.

The Online Challenges Mode works as an extended demo and contains many of the unique Wii U touchpad elements in the complete game. The levels include a crazy run through the Land of the Livid Dead, the Neverending Pit level and an adventure through Murfy’s Dungeon, a challenge dedicated to the Wii U GamePad where one player controls as Murfy on the touch screen while another controls one of the classic characters such as Rayman.

The Online Challenges App is available on the eShop now for free on Nintendo Wii U.

Nintendo offers a free 3DS game in new ‘So Many Games’ Promotion

Paul Byron — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:47:32 +0000

Nintendo are giving 3DS owners a free game from a choice of 8 when they buy 3 other games from the selection.

3DS gamers who register their new game with Club Nintendo, including digital copies and bundled games, will receive a free game of their choice once they’ve registered the 3 titles.

Those who have already picked up earlier titles such as Luigi’s Mansion and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate need not worry, as these will still count towards your 3 games, even if they were registered before the offer.

The games on offer are:

LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins

Luigi’s Mansion 2

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity

The final date for registering these games is 30th June, only 2 weeks after Animal Crossing is due out, so this may be a popular choice of free game.

Regardless of which title you choose, we reckon there are no duds here and every one is a good choice. Head over to Nintendo UK’s Website for more on this offer.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Wii U Trailer

Paul Byron — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:47:12 +0000

Ubisoft have today revealed a new trailer with details of the Wii U gamepad functions for their new Splinter Cell game, Blacklist.

The Wii U version hits the streets in August this year, a few months after the other console versions, but has a fair few specific features based around the use of the control pad. With all the gadgets and weapons on offer, Nintendo’s controller seems a perfect fit for the game.