Fast & Furious: Showdown coming to Wii U

The sixth entry in the Fast & Furious film franchise is coming soon, and it appears there is a video game in the works as well. VG247 spotted a listing for a game called Fast & Furious: Showdown on EB Games Australian website, and they are reporting that it will feature events from the previous movies as well as the upcoming film. The storyline is said to revolve around heists, hijacking, and shoot-outs. The box art you see above confirms that it will be available on the Wii U, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Here are the details:

Play through the story taking on various roles, and switch it up as you please; take on skill-based high scoring challenges on your own or cooperatively with a buddy, and compare your results against your friends list; complete 31 missions through eight chapters in eight locations around the world.

Missions are comprised of one or more objectives. Objectives include:

        Get to Location – get to a target location as quickly as possible
        Transport – transport a person, vehicle or item to a target location
        Win Race – win a street race by finishing in 1st place
        Catch Vehicle – catch up with an escaping vehicle
        Survive Pursuit – survive a police or gang pursuit
        Protect Vehicle – protect a target vehicle from being destroyed
        Enter Vehicle – get your character inside the back of a moving vehicle
        Wreck Objectives/vehicles – wreck target objects or vehicles
        Avoid Detection – travel past security cameras at high speed
        Rescue Teammate – rescue a teammate in distress
        Hijack Vehicle – hijack a target car
        Steal Cargo – steal cargo from a moving vehicle

The game is being developed by Firebrand Games, the same company that worked on the Wii and 3DS versions of Need for Speed: The Run. The tie-in is scheduled for release on May 22nd. The film will be released on May 24th.

Sources: Eurogamer, VG247

The Amazing Spider-Man - Wii U details

Jared Rosenberg of Nintendo World Report recently played a demo of the final build of the Wii U version of The Amazing Spider-Man, and he has posted an article which gives his impressions of the game. As you can tell from the image above, the GamePad can be used as a map to navigate, but there a few other uses for the controller, as Rosenberg explains:

The other big Wii U-specific addition is the the ability to use the Wii U GamePad as Spider-Man's OsPhone. The OsPhone is basically a series of menus on the GamePad where players can read emails featuring useful hints, read statistics about the their progress, and manage upgrades. You will immediately know when an upgrade is available thanks to a small on-screen prompt (that doesn't seem to fade away unless followed) asking you to hit the minus button to make your upgrade selection. Each of Spidey's upgrades, such as Combat Boost and Web Bounce, are represented by large icons on the Wii U GamePad, and are easily upgraded with a touch of your finger or the stylus.

Rosenberg also confirms that the Wii U version includes four additional gameplay packs which were originally available as paid DLC on the other consoles. He says they are accessible right from the start and include online leaderboards.

As for performance, the game's visuals were reportedly "identical" to those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, although there did seem to be some screen tearing while playing.

You can check out the article here:

The Amazing Spider-Man: Ultimate Edition Impressions - Nintendo World Report


Currently, there is one customer review of the Wii U version of The Amazing Spider-Man on Amazon, but I'm sure there will be more in the coming days. Since the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were released last year, they have plenty of customer reviews. You can check them out via the links below:

The Amazing Spider-Man - Wii U - Amazon

The Amazing Spider-Man - Xbox 360 - Amazon

The Amazing Spider-Man - PS3 - Amazon

The Amazing Spider-Man - Video Review by IGN (PS3 version)

The Amazing Spider-Man was announced for the Wii U months ago, but it hasn't received much attention from the press. It is a port of the game which was released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in the summer of 2012. It features an open-world structure and gameplay reminiscent of the recent Batman games Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. The web slinger's HD outing received mixed reviews from critics, and the Xbox 360 version currently has a Metacritic average of 69% while the PS3 version is at 71%.

The Wii and 3DS received their own versions of The Amazing Spider-Man, and some of our readers may have played them. However, it should be emphasized that those were entirely different from the HD version which appeared on the other platforms. They may have shared some elements, but they were not the same game.

While the Wii U version is a port of the HD version, it has a few extra perks thanks to the GamePad. The controller's touchscreen can be used as a map to navigate, and also acts as Spidey's in-game cellphone. In addition, it can be used to accept challenges and access upgrades.

Now that the game has launched in North America (and will be released in Europe in a few days), I figured it would be a good idea to post a video review for our readers to watch. You can watch IGN's review of The Amazing Spider-Man after the break. Keep in mind that this is the PlayStation 3 version, although it should be pretty much the same.

Producer of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 won't rule out Wii U version

Developer MercurySteam is currently working on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, and we have heard that it isn't in development for the Wii U due to a lack of resources and time. However, producer Dave Cox has revealed that he hasn't completely ruled out a port to Nintendo's new console. Here's a brief exchange he had with Nintendo Life on the subject:

Nintendo Life: Castlevania has a long and proud association with Nintendo systems - you've stated that Lords of Shadow 2 is out of the question due to time and resource constraints, but are there any plans whatsoever for the instalment on Wii U?

Dave Cox: No plans for those very reasons, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

Source: Nintendo Life

Developer says Watch_Dogs will give players "the same experience" on all platforms

Just days ago, Ubisoft confirmed that Watch_Dogs is coming to the Wii U, in addition to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. When it comes to multiplatform games, there are often minor differences between versions, but creative director Jonathan Morin told Kotaku that players will have "the same experience" on all platforms.

"I firmly believe that creating a game experience starts with what you want to do and achieve as a team. It has nothing to do with tools. The tools are there to facilitate certain things. So the same experience is there on the PS3 and other consoles. Players will have the same enjoyment; they will not feel any letdown."

Morin also revealed that the demo shown at Sony's PS4 press event included a brief instance of multiplayer at the end, and confirmed that other players can affect what's happening in your game.

"Watch Dogs is all about hyperconnectivity. To me, that has to mean all the time and anywhere. So yes, other people are out there all the time, when you don't expect it. Whether you're playing single-player or multiplayer, it's happening. You're saying asynchronous but it's much more real-time than that."

"We'll let players do pretty much what they want on those terms. If you can do that... you need to ask yourself if Aiden Pearce can do all of this, can anybody else out there do the same thing? And the answer is absolutely yes."

Source: Kotaku

Destiny could be coming to Wii U

Bungie are best known for their work on the Halo series, but they have left the popular franchise behind and are currently working on a new sci-fi shooter called Destiny. While speaking with Eurogamer, Bungie COO Pete Parsons had this to say in regards to what platforms it will be available for:

"You'll definitely be playing on Xbox and you'll definitely be playing on PlayStation. We would absolutely love to be on the PC. If you talk to the people upstairs, we play it on all platforms. So, stay tuned."

Parsons made no mention of Destiny coming to the Wii U, and many gaming sites have taken that as a sign that it won't be available for the system. While the highly-anticipated title won't be released for quite some time, a pre-order page has already been posted on the official website for the game, and a few readers discovered the following info in its source code:

pc: "platform-pc",
ps3: "platform-ps3",
ps4: "platform-ps4",
xbox: "platform-xbox",
xbox720: "platform-xbox720",
wiiu: "platform-wiiu",
psvista: "platform-psvita"

As you can see, Nintendo's new console does appear in the list. However, this should not be taken as confirmation due to the fact that these formats could merely be place-holders. Still, it does appear that Bungie is at least considering all options.

Source: Nintendo Life

Retailers taking pre-orders for Wii U version of Watch Dogs

Recently, images of promotional material for Ubisoft's Watch Dogs appeared online stating that the game is coming to "all home consoles." While the publisher hasn't officially confirmed what platforms it will be available on, there is increasing evidence that it will come to Nintendo's new console. Retailers Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy have posted listings for a Wii U version of Watch Dogs and are even taking pre-orders already.

Here's a brief description from Amazon's detail page:

In today's hyper-connected world, Chicago has the country's most advanced computer system - one which controls almost every piece of city technology and holds key information on all of the city's residents. You play as Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker but also a former thug, whose criminal past lead to a violent family tragedy. Now on the hunt for those who hurt your family, you'll be able to monitor and hack all who surround you while manipulating the city's systems to stop traffic lights, detonate gas lines, turn off the electrical grid and more. Use the city of Chicago as your ultimate weapon and exact your own style of revenge.            

Sources

Amazon - Watch Dogs Wii U

GameStop - Watch Dogs - Wii U

Best Buy - Watch Dogs - Wii U

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct coming to Wii U

Publisher Activision has announced that The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is being ported to the Wii U. Terminal Reality is developing the zombie-filled first-person shooter, which is scheduled for release in March.  Producer Glenn Gamble says the game will use the GamePad for inventory management, which should make it easier and more intuitive than the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

“We were over halfway through the project when the Wii U thing started coming about. We didn’t want to change the game, because the game had already been established, so we tried to say, ‘What can we augment with the Wii U version?’ That’s where it’s basically a more elegant inventory management system. With the Wii U you have access to your backpack at all times, so you can tap what weapons you want, you can drop stuff. It’s a lot more streamlined.” -Glenn Gamble, producer

Source: Digital Spy

Team Ninja considering new Wii U games

In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, Yosuke Hayashi, director of Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, revealed that Team Ninja is considering new titles for the Wii U. He did say that they have begun work on a new action game, but didn't provide any further information as to whether or not it is currently in development for Nintendo's console.

“We are working on an action game, and we are looking into other titles for Wii U.”

Hayashi also said that Team Ninja decided to work on an enhanced port of Ninja Gaiden 3 very early after hearing about the concept behind the Big N's new system.

“One of the reasons we decided to develop Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge was because we heard about the development concept of Wii U itself early on. I think that starting development early was what allowed us to create a game that fully takes advantage of the hardware specs and special features.”

In another interview, Hayashi addressed the question as to whether or not the Wii U is a "next-gen console," saying there's more to consider than processing power alone.

"If you’re basing this simply on processor speed, then it’s not next generation. If you’re basing this on Wii U being a new idea that challenges existing platforms, then it definitely is next generation. It is a console videogame platform that is now independent of the TV. Nobody has done that before."

"Players want new innovation that includes the environment in which you play and services you use, rather than just raw processor spec. Nintendo is at the forefront of that innovation. I’m looking forward to seeing what the other platforms come up with in the future."

Sources: Official Nintendo Magazine, Nintendo Life

No plans for Wii U version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

In an interview with Eurogamer, producer Yuji Korekado confirmed that Kojima Productions has no plans to bring Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to the Wii U. Here is what he had to say:

“We aren’t currently thinking about that. One of the strongest appeals of the Wii U is the GamePad. However, we’ve constructed Metal Gear Rising so you can fully enjoy the game on the controllers whether it’s on the PS3 or the Xbox. So, currently we aren’t thinking about Metal Gear Rising on the Wii U.”

Source: Eurogamer

Developer: Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed framerate is fine now

Disney's Wreck-It Ralph will be a playable character.

Sumo Digital is bringing their upcoming racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed to Nintendo's new console, and it was widely reported that the Wii U demo had framerate and other graphical issues. According to Executive Producer Steve Lycett, those problems are a thing of the past. When a Sega forum user posted a statement claiming the PS3 version would be superior, Lycett replied:

"Wrong. If anything the WiiU version is now the closest to the target framerate, well discounting the PC version that is."

Lycett has also explained that the demo that's been making rounds is from a build created from code dating back to July, and the development team has been so focused on getting the Wii U version ready for launch that they haven't had time to create a new demo.

Source: sonicstadium.org


For those of you missed it, Sega staff were on hand at Nintendo's press event to discuss the game. You can see the video overview as well as the E3 trailer after the break.

Box art for Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013, Wipeout 3, and Family Party 30 Great Games: Obstacle Arcade

The finalized box art for Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013, Wipeout 3, and Family Party 30 Great Games: Obstacle Arcade have been released. You can see them in full HD after the break.

Trine 2 dev says Wii U eShop is very promising

Gorgeous graphics.

Developer Frozenbyte are bringing their hit download title Trine 2 to the Wii U, and the game's producer,  Lauri Hyvarinen, is very optimistic about the Wii U eShop. In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, Hyvarinen said, "Nintendo is taking online very seriously with Wii U. Everything we have seen and heard about the Wii U eShop sounds very promising." He also told ONM what he wants from Nintendo's online store. "Our hopes as developers are quite simple: inexpensive updating and easy certification process. That's really it. If the Wii U eShop can deliver either one of these, or even both, then we will be very happy!"

The Wii U version of the game will include the 6 levels featured in the expansion pack, Goblin Menace. You can either go it alone, or play along with friends, as the title sports a three player cooperative mode. Trine 2: Director's Cut will be a launch window title on the Wii U eShop. Latest trailer along with the extended trailer after the break.

Source: Official Nintendo Magazine

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 Trailer

No shortage of enemies or action.

A Wii U version of Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2 is in development, and publisher Tecmo Koei has released a new trailer at the Tokyo Games Show. The title is a beat-em-up and will have a multiplayer mode, so you won't have to take on the hordes of enemies all by yourself. It is scheduled for release in North America in February of 2013. Trailer after the break.

Scribblenauts Unlimited will be available for Wii U at launch

You can have your very own rooster hat if you pre-order at GameStop. Press release after the break.

Scribblenauts Unlimited will be available on November 18th in North America, the same day the Wii U launches. Also, if you pre-order the game from GameStop you will recieve one of three different rooster hats. If you don't plan on getting Nintendo's new console, you can still get a free rooster hat if you pre-order it for any of the other platforms it's headed to. Official press release with pictures of said rooster hats after the break.

Box art and trailer for Skylanders: Giants

This is a massive box!

Skylanders: Giants is on its way to the Wii U, and the marketing machine is kicking into high gear. The Wii U box art has just been revealed and a new trailer has been released as well. The video gives a pretty good overview of the game and shows how the figures are entered into the game via placing figures on the "Portal of Power." While the other versions are scheduled to come out next month in the West, there is still no word on a release date for the Wii U version. Trailer after the break.

Wii U version of Trine 2 will have exclusive content, new trailer released

Gorgeous.

Developer Frozenbyte has released a new trailer for Trine 2:Director's Cut which shows an all-new level that will be exclusive to the Wii U. Director's Cut will also have a new Magic Mayhem mode which, like the campaign, allows three players to team up locally or online for an awesome co-op experience. The expansion pack, Goblin Menace, which features six new levels as well as new skills and puzzles, will be included as well. Sounds like the Wii U release will be the definitive version.

Trine 2: Director's Cut will be a launch window title on the Wii U eShop. New trailer along with the extended trailer after the break.

European ZombiU Premium Pack doesn't include Nintendo Land

Nintendo and Ubisoft have teamed up to offer a special ZombiU Premium Pack in Europe which includes ZombiU as a pack-in. Nintendo Europe has now confirmed via Twitter that said pack will not include Nintendo Land as a pack-in, but it will include a Wii U Pro Controller.

The ZombiU Pack is like the #WiiU Premium Pack but instead of Nintendo Land it includes the #ZombiU game and a black Wii U Pro Controller.

The ZombiU Premium Pack is priced at £349.99.

Source: Official Nintendo Magazine, Twitter

Bayonetta fans angry that Bayonetta 2 will be a Wii U exclusive

Bayonetta 2 was announced yesterday, and the news that it will be a Wii U exclusive is causing some controversy. The first title was released on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and gamers who bought the first one are venting their anger over the fact that they will have to buy yet another console if they want to play the sequel. The game is being developed by Platinum Games, the same company who created the original Bayonetta, and Tatsuya Minami, the CEO has commented on the uproar. Here is what he had to say:

    On September 13, 2012 Bayonetta 2 was announced as an exclusive title under development for the Wii U during the Nintendo Direction presentation held on the same day.

    As game developers, we are incredibly excited to be able to announce a new title to all of our fans; however, we are aware that the announcement may have come as a shock to many of you.

    As with Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 is under development and production here at PlatinumGames, and is a true sequel to the acclaimed first game in the series. Bayonetta is one of our most beloved titles, and it played a large part in establishing PlatinumGames as an emerging game studio in the minds of users worldwide. Bayonetta has fans the world over, and we would never dream of alienating them from participating in the future of PlatinumGames.

    That being said, the console games market is in a state of upheaval, so establishing a new game franchise requires a considerable amount of will, determination, and love. Bayonetta is a brand that we want to see become stronger, reaching the hands of more and more gamers, so we have continued to consult with SEGA, the previous game’s publisher, on how we can make sure this takes place. Our answer was a new partnership with Nintendo.

    Along with their new hardware, Nintendo, as a company, is dedicated to establishing a new future for the games industry, as you can tell by their record of passionate support for gaming. Alongside Nintendo, we hope to grow the Bayonetta brand beyond where it stands today, allowing even more gamers around the world to experience the action of our beloved witch. As developers, we are working hard to make this a reality.

    We hope that you will look forward to what we have in store.

Source: Gematsu

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate coming to Wii U

Online multiplayer included.

At today's press conference, Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is coming to the Wii U. I could give you a short description of the game but I figure it's best if you hear it directly from the source. Press release and video announcement after the break.