January 1, 2015 by

A quick look at the over 40 titles coming to Nintendo platforms in 2015.

As per annual tradition on my blog, I would like to begin this New Year with a look at what Nintendo has planned for gamers these upcoming twelve months. Last year the company brought host of great new games to both Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, which helped bring Nintendo back into the black. Nintendo also launched their near-field communication figurine line Amiibo, which according to holiday sales reports sold better than, if not just as well as, similar products like Skylanders and Disney Infinity.

But enough about the past—today I would like to talk about the future, of Nintendo in 2015. Keep in mind that this list is obviously incomplete; game companies like Nintendo tend to enjoy announcing things in the middle of the summer, which is something I unfortunately cannot control. Nevertheless, please enjoy this preview of Nintendo’s 2015 line-up.

Previous Years: 2012, 2013, 2014

Nintendo 3DS

The 3DS had a relatively weak year last year, but that can only mean that Nintendo is working on some great stuff for the little handheld that is now approaching its fifth year on the market. Obviously, everyone’s eyes are on the New 3DS, the next iteration of the 3DS family of systems that has already seen release in Japan and Australia. Whether Nintendo will push for a 2015 release in the West is anyone’s guess, but if Nintendo wants the sales boost they need to keep the handheld alive for the next few years, sooner is certainly better than later.

In terms of software, Nintendo seems awfully quiet about their upcoming line-up for 3DS, and it honestly has gotten me a little worried. Nevertheless, some very high-profile titles are headed our way this year, starting with Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., a strategy/third-person shooter hybrid by Intelligent Systems inspired by the golden age of comic books. It is followed shortly by The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, a portable remake of the 2000 N64 classic. Finally, Xenoblade Chronicles releases on 3DS some time this year, presumably alongside the launch of the New 3DS.

Japanese third parties seem to have taken a liking to Nintendo’s current handheld, having released a myriad of different games on the 3DS last year. This year, XSeed’s Story of Seasons, a Harvest Moon spin-off with a rather complex history, leads the charge in February. In the following months, a number of fantastic role-playing games will make their way onto the little console, including Capcom’s Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as well as Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker and Etrian Mystery Dungeon. Still no word on current Japan-exclusive titles like Bravely Second and Etrian Odyssey Untold 2, though historical precedent suggests those two titles will make it to the West sooner or later. Other third party titles include Hatsune Mike: Project Mirai 2, Cartoon Network: Backlot Party, and Fossil Fighters: Frontiers.

The 3DS eShop has always had a wide range of different titles, with every week bringing a few new surprises.  A few big-name indie titles to look forward this year are Mighty No. 9, SteamWorld Heist, and Gunman Clive 2, among other lesser-known titles such as Citizens of Earth and Blast ‘Em Bunnies. Also to note: SEGA’s second batch of 3D Classics games is coming to the eShop next year, which includes Outrun, Fantasy Zone I & II, After Burner II, and Thunder Blade.

The question for 3DS now is… what is next? With the handheld arguably having gone through half of its lifespan, what other surprises does Nintendo have in store? Perhaps only time will tell, but I would like to think that we have not even seen the best that the 3DS has to offer.

[Update 1/4/2015] On the eShop, Renegade Kid is looking to publish the remaining three episodes of Moon Chronicles, as well as a complete second season in 2015. RK is also planning on releasing Treasurenauts, a cooperative multiplayer 2D dungeon crawler, this year. Japan is getting two more interesting titles in 2015: Furyu's The Legend of Legacy and Prope's Rodea the Sky Soldier (the latter of which will also have a Wii U release). Finally, Level 5 has been teasing a North American release of the popular Japanese game Yokai Watch, which has already sold 1.3 million units overseas.

Wii U

Despite a strong first and second-party line-up, Nintendo’s latest home console has not yet become the sales success the company perhaps had wanted. While the next few months may not necessarily turn things around drastically, there is still plenty to love about the Wii U, especially if you are a Nintendo fan.

Wii U owners will start the year with Kirby and the Rainbow Curse next month, which features gameplay reminiscent of 2005’s Kirby: Canvas Curse on Nintendo DS. It will be followed by two high-profile game releases in the spring: Splatoon—Nintendo’s unique take on the competitive third-person shooter genre—and Yoshi’s Woolly World—the highly anticipated 2D platformer developed by Good Feel, the people behind Kirby’s Epic Yarn.

That is not all on the first party front. Nintendo hopes to wrap up the first half of 2015 with Mario Maker and Project Guard, two interesting titles that we still do not know too much about. The rest of the year is filled with big release after big release. Xenoblade Chronicles X looks to take away weeks of our lives with a massive, science fiction RPG world from the creators of one of the highest-rated Wii games of last generation. Miyamoto has been working hard on a new Star Fox title for Wii U, one that he promises makes creative use of the Wii U GamePad. Finally, Nintendo hopes to release The Legend of Zelda for Wii U by the end of this year, which features a rather large and colorful open overworld.

Other Nintendo titles coming in 2015 include Mario Party 10, a new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game, and Project Giant Robot. Owners of Mario Kart 8 will get their second DLC pack in May featuring Isabelle and Villager from Animal Crossing, and Smash Bros. fans will finally get their hands on Mewtwo.

Third party support has never been very strong on the Wii U, but that does not mean all hope is lost (but that is a blog for another day). Nintendo has been known to help out other developers in times of need, and they seem to love collaborating with other studios as of late. Itagaki’s upcoming action title Devil’s Third surprised a lot of gamers last year when it was announced as a Wii U exclusive, and it is poised to release some time in 2015. Though little has been said about Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, we will likely see more of Atlus and Intelligent Systems’ RPG crossover title this year, even if Nintendo is hesitant to put a release window on it. Tecmo Koei’s Fatal Frame V has not yet left Japan, but with the Wii U in desperate need for more game releases in the West, I would not be surprised to see it localized. Finally, Bandai Namco’s Project CARS will see release on Wii U in 2015 after it hits other platforms.

The Wii U eShop has been pretty busy this past year, even if there were several bumps in the middle of the road. Expect a number of big indie titles come our way this year, including but not limited to Mighty No. 9, 6180 The Moon, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Beatbuddy: Tale of Guardians, Affordable Space Adventures, Runbow, RIVE, Olli Olli, and Adventures of Pip. It is a pretty good year to be a Wii U owner, even without the Assassin’s Creed’s and Call of Duty’s.

[Update 1/4/2015] It is also interesting to note that Pokken Fighters - a Pokemon fighting game developed by the team behind Tekken - will release in arcades in Japan later this year. As with all of Bandai Namco's fighting games, it is likely that it will land on a home console later as well, which would be of course in this case the Wii U.

And Everything Else

Nintendo is trying to extend their branding power to new opportunities parallel to their gaming business. Last year, they transformed their cherished IP’s into little figurines known as Amiibo, which will see added functionality in games such as Mario Party 10, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Yoshi’s Woolly World later this year.

Nintendo is also trying new things with their mysterious “Quality of Life” platform, which they have yet to fully reveal. What we know now is that it will possibly take the form of a sleep sensor, though anything beyond that is anyone’s guess. The likelihood that it will somehow be integrated into the company’s gaming business in the future is pretty high in my opinion, but that is something that only Nintendo knows.

There is also the question of unannounced games. Studios like Next Level Games (creators of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon) and Retro Studios (creators of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze) are clearly working on something. GameFreak is likely to be working on another Pokémon game as well. What other games are in the works for Nintendo systems? Rumor has it that Nintendo is working to publish three more titles from outside developers in the same vane as Devil’s Third and Bayonetta 2. What might these titles be?

Nintendo has a lot in store for us in 2015, and I would not be surprised to see even more surprises come our way. Which titles are you most excited for? What else do you think Nintendo will announce this year? Discuss in the comments below!

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