You figure Nintendo is probably keeping the majority of its more interesting stuff for E3. At least, I hope so, because this morning's Nintendo Direct wasn't exactly a banger. Ostensibly focused on the Wii U and 3DS' summer lineups, the live stream also revealed a couple of new, further-flung titles headed to Nintendo's various platforms, including two new Sonic the Hedgehog games.
The one shown most prominently was Mario & Sonic at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, which may win the award for "Most Unwieldy Game Title" for the foreseeable future. As with other Mario/Sonic crossover sports titles, this one will feature a variety of multiplayer-focused sports, including skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, figure skating, and curling, among others. That game is expected to launch in time for the event early next year.
However, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also announced another title featuring Sega's hedgehog mascot. Sonic Lost World is a new action/adventure/platformer that will be coming exclusively to the Wii U and 3DS. Details were scarce, but Nintendo is expected to reveal more about the title at E3.
Elsewhere, Nintendo mostly confirmed release dates for its summer games, and added a couple of details about some games already set for release. Here's the rest of today's info in bite-sized chunks.
- New Super Luigi U, the Luigi-themed DLC content for New Super Mario Bros. U, will release for $19.99 on June 20 as an eShop download. However, in addition to that, the Luigi DLC will also be packaged as a stand-alone retail game, which launches on August 25 for $29.99.
- The Wonderful 101, Platinum Games' insane looking superhero action/strategy/brawler, now has a release date of September 15 in North America.
- Nintendo plans to give you, the player, hands-on time with some of its upcoming Wii U titles during the week of E3. It will launch a demo program in over 100 different Best Buy locations in the U.S. and Canada, feauring games that will be shown on the E3 show floor. Specific locations and games have not yet been announced, but Nintendo plans to announce those details soon.
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, which will both launch on the 3DS Virtual Console on May 30, will be released at a sale price of $4.99 each for the first three weeks. After that, each title will revert to the price of $5.99.
- Nintendo and Sega will be bringing a number of Game Gear titles to the 3DS Virtual Console in the future. The titles announced for release are:
If you would like to watch the entire stream, which also features additional details and footage for Game & Wario, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Pikmin 3, you can do so here.