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:
  • Columns
  • Crystal Warriors
  • Defenders of Oasis
  • Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
  • G-LOC: Air Battles
  • Shining Force II: The Sword of Hajya
  • Sonic Blast
  • Sonic Drift 2
  • Sonic Labyrinth
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Tails Adventure
  • Vampire: Master of Darkness

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.

Not too interested in anything there

Exclusive Sonic? lol

Japan got an announcement of a Yakuza HD Collection port, but it isn't coming to America. Fuck this planet.

Hex based world? I'm calling it: Sonic Lost World will be a 4X game.

For how much bitching everyone does about Sonic the past few years of Sega's Sonic output, things like Colors, Generations, the Sonic racing games and even Sonic 4, have been solid. I'm looking forward to Sonic Lost World.

In other news: I'd play a Sonic game set in Jurassic Park.

On Nintendo UK's Twitter feed yesterday they mentioned there would be a separate Nintendo Direct for autumn and beyond in June.

There's a lot of Sonic in this article.

Fuck yeah, Game Gear. I totally played a few of those as a child.

Ostensibly

@thoseposers said:

This is about the only way you could get me to play another Sonic game.

Agreed! There's been a ton of really good sonic games this past decade. It's not that I'm waiting for that one Sonic game to blow my mind, but rather appreciating that the games are rather pretty enjoyable.

I will say that when they try to outright capitalize on nostalgia they lose, terribly. Sonic 4 and Generations were games that tried to rope in the crowd that grew up on the old games, but actually back-peddled on some great ideas they had going for them in titles like Rush and Colors.

Sonic hasn't been too shabby lately, so I'm looking forward to the new Sonic game. Also glad to see The Wonderful 101 and New Super Luigi U finally getting dates. Also Pikmin 3 is looking great. Looking forward to the E3 Directs.

A Sonic-themed Civilization game would definitely pique my interest...

@torrim: Oh man I forgot about Sonic Rush! That game was great.

Sonic 4, even though I mentioned it, has probably been their weakest effort but not totally offensive. I thought the nostalgia mining in Generations was great and, for me at least, I started to look at Sega in a better way because they released a great PC port of it. I could see people thinking they were a step back in terms of mechanics though.

You have a better chance betting on a PS3 version for the west.

Columns on my 3DS finally.

No word on Netflix app in Europe?

It says a lot about both Sega and Nintendo that Sonic exclusivity is something either party would strive toward. I guess it's not all bad. Apparently Generations was pretty good. Certainly they've improved from the infamous Sonic 2006.

I would play this video game.

Nintendo announced a partnership with Sega, and they'd have a much easier time bankrolling that localization than "oops we're fucked and shutting down everything" Sega. If it were coming to PS3 it probably would have been announced months ago.

Hrm. So its not next-gen.. I would think they would have 'Something' for the main consoles.. Sonic Heroes 2?.

I don't know if you knew that but Yakuza 1 and 2 HD is already out like 6 months in Japan for the PS3.. And for the west. It is not like Other Yakuza games did not come out here as well. My bet announcement for it at E3 including Yakuza 5 for a 2014 release for PS3 in the West.

Sega maybe is testing the waters for an new yakuza game comming to the Wii U or mabye make it multiplatform who knows.

Sonic Colors was pretty good, so I'm looking forward to this.

Okay.... Well at least nothing was set on fire during the feed.

Considering how Yakuza 4 and Dead Souls sold I think america is done getting Yakuza stuff from Sega which sucks balls. Still holding out a sliver of hope for Yakuza 5 in america.

Really excited to get and play the Oracles games again, gotta get my Subrosian dance moves on!

Also didn't those games a bunch of weird link-cable stuff in them? I wonder how/if that will work.

They did mention something about if you own both they could be played together to unlock content and story in each game.

I will always love Defenders of Oasis. For a really long time, it was the only RPG I beat after Final Fantasy. Now I have to get a 3DS XL next year sometime; it's possible my Game Gear and games are still at my parents' house but who knows?

I am pretty sure Sega or was satisfied with Yakuza 4 sales. Not sure about the spin off though.

@epidehl: Those games also had a code input system as well in the event you didn't have multiple gameboys to do the transfer with.

Still no Picross E, FUCK NINTENDO!

you know the bombcrew is just doing this to troll you now, right?

may pick up oracle of seasons/ages as i've never played them :\

It'd be cool if the Year of Luigi focused more on things like Luigi's Mansion and just completely avoided New Super Mario Bros Luigi.

The Oracle games finally coming out on VC will be nice though, I always liked those games even if both of them had a couple of really bad/confusing sections in them.

e: Also goddamn who even still cares about Sonic anymore.

My reaction to this news is a simple 'shrug' and 'meh'. I think I might be dead inside.

I had a game gear. The thing went through so many batteries, but was amazing at the time.

Of course, something I'd actually buy a Wii U for and it's Japan-only.

Sonic Generations was awesome, as was Racing Transformed. More of that stuff, please!

Swing and a miss, Nintendo.

Can't wait for the new Sonic Cycle of

And repeat. First time i've seen tables used here I think!

Mean Bean Machine!

Exclusive Sonic games is better than nothing. But not by much.

No coups or anything, but they could certainly have done worse.

Yeah! Columns! I love Columns!

First time I've been underwhelmed by a Nintendo Direct. Guess they can't all be winners.

To simulate the Game Gear experience you will have to charge the WiiU controller every hour.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Game Gear sucks so hard, it's not even funny.

I think Columns is the most interesting thing on this list. . . I think that is . . . sad?

That function has been there since launch.

Yeah nothing here is of interest to me and there was defiantly nothing announced that will help Nintendo sell the WiiU

I'm a pretty big Sonic Drift fan, so this is pretty great. You know, about 14 years ago, I even tried to use SonicDrift as my Battle.net username for StarCraft. It was in use already, so I ended up dropping a letter.

Around Christmas I scored some batteries from Dollarama and used 'em up in my olde Game Gear all playing G-LOC. I'm pretty excited to get that on my 3DS. I wasn't a fan of many of the Sonic games on GameGear beyond Triple Trouble and Chaos. I really don't recommend those Sonic games. For a portable Sonic game, I'd recommend finding Sonic Classics Collection for DS. Mean Bean Machine and Columns once held a special place in my heart, but I don't play puzzle games like that the way I did in the early 90s.