Nintendo Direct 10/1/13

It's time for another Nintendo Direct!

Super Mario 3D World- There's a celebration going on in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Blue Toad stumble upon a clear warp pipe, which grabs their attention. A green fairy appears from it and Bowser captures it. The four will have to travel through different levels with some new powerups. As cats, they can sneak up on the wildlife, such as birds and rabbits. A cherry makes copies of the character. The Tanooki Suit makes a return and a new block appears that allows the character to fire cannon balls. Coin blocks and propeller blocks also make a reappearance. There is a new powerup that will disguise the characters as Goombas. There's an ice skate the characters can skate around in like a Kuribo Shoe. Other items they can carry include baseballs and soccer balls to throw at enemies. Piranha Plants can be carried and used to eat enemies. In Ghost Houses, some flagpoles may be fake. Boom Boom will also appear. Bowser gets to drive around in a car. -November 22

There are special Mario and Luigi-themed Wiimote + controllers that will be available November 1.

Wii Party U- Some of the new minigames were discussed, including Water Runners, where players scoop up water from the stream on the Game Pad and pouring it into jars displayed on the TV without spilling, and Dance with Mii, where players stand in a circle around the Game Pad and move their hands and rotate around the circle to the music. Button Smashers is a game where every player must press a sequence of buttons in order. In the packaged version, a horizontal Game Pad stand will be included. -October 25

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze- Released delayed until February 2014.

Mario and Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games- There will be a new feature allowing players across the globe to compete online. Real Olympic events short track speed skating, ski cross, and snowboard cross, as well as the Dream Event Winter Sport Champion Race will be playable. Earning a medal in an event online adds points to your country's total, allowing the nations to be ranked. There will be bundled copies of the game with a blue Wiimote + controller. -November 15

Super Smash Bros.- Sonic is confirmed to be a playable character.

Pikmin 3- There will be new Mission Mode stages available as paid downloadable content. The first round is the Collect Treasure Pack (Stages 7-10) for $1.99 on the Wii U eShop available now. More will come later. A new software update available now will allow you to see the Mission Mode's highest scores globally. The update will also include a free extra Mission Mode Stage.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl- This game contains two games in one, with five pre-made characters that get to explore parts of Etria not seen in the original release. Classic Mode has the same gameplay and dungeons from the original Nintendo DS entry, but will full 3D graphics and the Grimoire Stone system. The first run of packaged games is a special edition containing a CD with unheard tracks and a design book. - October 1

Just Dance 2014- There are over 40 new tracks to dance to, as well as World Stage Mode, allowing global online multiplayer. On-Stage Mode lets one player shine in front of their friends. Party Master Mode allows players to MC the party on the Game Pad. Just Sweat Mode allows for customizable playlists and calorie counting. There is a packaged bundled version with a Wiimote + controller. - October 8

Skylanders: Swap Force- A new layer is added to gameplay by swapping the upper and lower halves of the figurines to create new characters and abilities. The 3DS version contains a unique story and figurines not found on the Wii U version. The 3DS version also allows players to upload their characters so they can swap them out. - October 13

Lego: Marvel Super Heroes- There are over 100 characters with their own strengths and abilities. Big Fig characters like Hulk allow for greater destruction. Players can travel to locations such as Asgard and the X-Mansion. The Wii U version supports Off-TV play and the 3DS version covers the entire Marvel universe in 45 missions with additional challenges and modes. -October 22

Batman: Arkham Origins: Blackgate- This is a companion version to Arkham Origins and is a 2.5D adventure the delves deeper into the Dark Knight's past. Use the Touch Screen to scrub crime scenes clean with the Environment Analysis system. -October 25

Sonic: Lost World- The game is now available for preorder with the Deadly Six bonus edition, a level with boss battles against enormous enemies. Each version has unique Color Powers and levels, and the 3DS version has customizable gadgets. These gadgets can be shared between the Wii U and 3DS. -October 29

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag: Play as Edward Kenway in 1715. The naval gameplay has been enhanced and you can customize your ship with weapons, sails, and more. -October 29

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies- Exclusive to the 3DS eShop, Phoenix Wright is back with trials in 3D. Investigate crime scenes, present evidence, and challenges witnesses. Use the Mood Matrix to discover the truth in each case. A free demo is available now. -October 24

In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, go to the Able Sisters' Shop and ask to use the sewing machine. Scan the QR code found in the Nintendo Direct video to get Link's Outset Shirt from the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

The Nintendo 2DS will launch alongside Pokémon X and Y. An update to the Streetpass Relay system will let you get the data from the last 6 people to participate in that Nintendo Zone's Streetpass Relay, making it easier to complete puzzles and games. There will be new Nintendo Zone distributions throughout October and November. For Animal Crossing: New Leaf, a Fedora Chair is available starting October 1 and a Sushi Platter will be available October 15. More special content will be available for the following games: Kid Icarus: Uprising, Super Mario 3D Land, and MarioKart 7.

Bravely Default- Play as Tiz Arrior, a young man searching for the truth of his village's destruction. Joining him is Agnes, a young woman on a journey to save the world from darkness. Ringabel has a diary that tells the future. Edea is trying to make her father proud, as she is the daughter of the Templar. The game contains voice acting in English or Japanese.

Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds- The game designers are reconsidering the Zelda conventions of getting new items in new dungeons and primarily solving the dungeon's puzzles with the new item. In this game, the order in which you approach a dungeon and the way you do so is up to you. The items will be sold in Ravio's shop and most will be available at the beginning of the game. Items can be rented and eventually purchased. Ravio may look like Nabbit from New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, but has nothing to do with the Mario series. Other characters make appearances throughout the game. -November 22

Kirby- Kirby can go into the background with special Warp Stars. -2014

On September 4, Nintendo released a Pokémon Direct.

A new feature called the Pokémon Bank will be available. This will allow you to store Pokémon on the internet in up to 100 boxes, allowing for the storage of up to 3000 Pokémon. You can take them from the Bank or add them to it whenever you like. There are several search functions that allow you to find the one you want with ease. Another application that works with the Pokémon Bank is the Poké Transporter, allowing you to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. The Pokémon will go from the game to the Pokémon Bank, then to your games. A yearly fee will be charged for the Pokémon Bank.

In Pokémon X and Y, a friend will give you your starter Pokémon, instead of the professor. The professor will give you another Pokémon later on. This will be one of the Pokémon Red and Blue starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. These Pokémon can evolve into Mega Venasaur, Mega Charizard, and Mega Blastoise. They will change appearance and unleash a hidden power only found in the Mega Evolution. Trainers will get a Mega Ring, which will let a Pokémon evolve into its Mega Evolution when the Pokémon's Mega Stone connects with the Mega Ring. This requires a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. These Pokémon are not the only ones to get Mega Evolutions.

The games will be released on October 12 in seven languages. Players can select which language they'd like to play the game in. There are Xerneas and Yvetal-themed Nintendo 3DS XLs now available, in either blue or red.

On Septembet 18, Nintendo released a Wii Fit U Direct.

Wii Fit U uses the Wii Balance Board for its activities as well as balance and monitoring. The game features dancing, as well as 19 new activities for a total of 77. Some of these new activities take advantage of the Game Pad. The trainer is sporting a sportier hairstyle of two short ponytails. With the Wii U Fit Meter, you can track calories burned while on the go. It's an activity meter that calculates step and exercise intensity with a 3-axis accelerometer, so it's more than just a pedometer. I t can measure changes in altitude with a pressure sensor to more accurately calculate calories burned. It is worn on the hip. The Fit Meter can transfer data to the Wii Fit U software via the IR port on the Game Pad. Up to 50 days' worth of data can be stored. The game allows you to create a gym community on Miiverse to communicate with other users. They can be closed communities so only close friends can see and talk about more sensitive topics.

If you currently own a Wii Balance Board, you can download Wii Fit U between November 1 and January 31 and play free for one month. If you purchase a Fit Meter and sync it up with this free downloaded copy, you can keep the game forever. The Fit Meter will cost around $19.99. After January 31, the free version will be replaced by the normal version. It has a large file size. On December 13, packaged versions including the game disc and a Fit Meter, or the game disc, Fit Meter, and a Wii Balance Board will be available for purchase.

Wii Street U- With the Wii Balance Board, step in place with this application open and it will appear as though you are walking around in the location on screen. Shift your weight to change direction. The update for this software is now available. The software is a free download until October 31.

Wii Sports Club- The sports in Wii Sports are back with better control due to the Wii Motion + controller functionality. You can play the games online with other players. You will play online as a registered member of your state's or region's sports club. Communicate with messages on Miiverse. You can compete casually or competitively with other sports clubs. The clubs will be ranked. Wii Sports Club will be available for download, or just the games Tennis and Bowling, on November 7. The Club Pass will allow you to purchase each game for $9.99. The Day Pass will give you unlimited access to all sports for 24 hours for $1.99. There will be a trial pass for a 24 hour period starting from when you start up the game.