Pikmin 2 Grooms Wii Owners For WiiU

With Pikmin 3 gearing up as one of the major first party launch titles for the WiiU, Nintendo has decided to FINALLY release the "New Play Control" edition of Pikmin 2 on Wii.  I say finally because the game was released in Japan, Europe & Australia over 3 years ago which is just pitiful.  The US is actually getting this title as a way to help boost recognition of the series in preparation for the WiiU launch.  The US version drops the "New Play Control" label and is instead branded with the red border "Nintendo Selects" boxart.  The two enhancements to this version are the obvious Wii pointer control for the cursor which greatly enhances gameplay and full widescreen support offering a larger view of the playfield.  This version of the game also debuts at the very affordable price of $19.99 which is welcome considering the premium collector's prices for the Gamecube edition.  Personally, I enjoyed the first title in this series but it was Pikmin 2 that cemented my love for this quirky and original adventure/strategy title.  Highly recommended!

Kirby Sucks Wii One Last Time!

With the Wii reaching its final days, Kirby's Dream Collection will be joining the amazing and fittingly titled The Last Story as one of the final games on Nintendo's most divisive and successful home console.  Kirby's newest game is a 20th anniversary compilation of the pink puffballs "Dream Land" adventures.  The game will compile six of the main games in the series spanning four Nintendo consoles. The included Kirby games are:

      Kirby's Dream Land (Gameboy)
      Kirby's Adventure (NES)
      Kirby's Dream Land 2 (Gameboy)
      Kirby Super Star (SNES)
      Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)
      Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)

Also included on the disc are:
New Challenge Stages - These are done in the graphical style of Return to Dream Land and include new time/score attack levels exclusive to this disc.
Kirby Museum - The game includes a chronological history of every Kirby game including trivia about what was happening around the world at the time of each game's release.

While it is true that you can access all of these game digitally between the Wii & 3DS, having them all in one physical collection with added content is a nice bonus for fans & collector's.  Oddly, this collection shows an actual level of thought and care very uncharacteristic of Nintendo when you consider their handling of the anniversary's of Mario and Zelda and their complete ignoring of Metroid last year.  You can get your suck on this September, long live the pink creampuff!

Do We Really Need A New PlayStation & Xbox?

With the WiiU finally revealed and the so called "hardcore" gamers pissing and moaning about how Nintendo is an epic fail as usual.  The big question is what will happen with Sony and Microsoft's new consoles and the game industry in general.  Next years E3 will most likely see the reveal of Sony's PlayStation 4 (Codename Orbis) and Microsoft's Xbox 720 (Codename Durango).  Outside of tech numbers relating to console power and potential handling of the used games market, very little is known about these two systems.  Considering that we are reaching the "Law of Diminishing Returns" in terms of video game graphics, what is all of this power going to be used for?  I'm curious to hear what gamers in general have to say about these new systems.  Please comment below sharing your thoughts on these new systems.  Here are a few questions to get things rolling.

- What will set these systems apart from their current counterparts?

- How much are you willing to pay for these new consoles?

- Do you think "next-gen" graphics will really be that much better than now?

- What kinds of games would you like to see?

- The big question I pose to you is, do we really need or want a new set of consoles from Sony & Microsoft?

True Survival Horror Is Alive On WiiU With ZombiU

Are you a true survival horror fan?  Nintendo and Ubisoft have got your back with the amazing ZombiU.  I'm not talking about that half-ass "action horror" shit like Resident Evil 5, this is true one life, survive or die horror.  The game buck trends like checkpoints and instead moves you to another survivor if you die with someone, losing all learned skills of the previous survivor.  This is almost "Roguelike" in its gameplay showing no mercy for the faint of heart.  Your have to have a figurative big old hairy set of balls if you hope to make it out alive.  The WiiU Gamepad is your "survival kit" acting as a: scanner/backpack/gun/tracker/light/EVERYTHING!!
As I mentioned before, each survivor will grow and learn new moves and skills which will be COMPLETELY lost upon death creating a sense of personal connection to your character, a feature sorely missing from most survival horror games.  As a true horror game fan, my excitement is beyond peaked for this game.

Project P-100 For WiiU Brings Strategy & Action

Nintendo is working with Platinum Games on a new strategy/action game that looks to be a breath of fresh air for gamer's bombarded by endless FPS's, sports games and "open world" clones.  Platinum Games has made a name for themselves for both hardcore games as well as unique content.  The gameplay seems to be a mix of Pikmin & Bayonetta.  If that sounds interesting and bizarrely awesome, join the club.  The game utilizes the WiiU Gamepad's touch control for strategically "building" your team into different forms of defense against attacking alien invaders.  These forms of defense include a sword & dragon constructed of multiple characters bringing to mind an almost Voltron vibe.  The game is being designed by Hideki Kamiya who is responsible for some of the most unique and inventive action/adventure games of the last 15 years.  His director credits include:

Bayonetta - 2009
Okami - 2006
Viewtiful Joe - 2003
Devil May Cry - 2001
Resident Evil 2 - 1998

With a track record that amazing, I personally can't wait for this game scheduled for release within the WiiU "Launch Window".  WiiU is set to have a varied and strong launch lineup ranging from Batman to Pikmin to Mario sprinkled with even a couple -GASP- new IP's.  Go Nintendo!!!

Rayman Makes A Legendary Debut On WiiU

The WiiU love continues to pour from the generous Ubisoft in the form of Rayman Legends.  A gorgeous 2D platformer for up to 5 players and an absolute must for any true oldschool gamer.  The mix of traditional platforming using the Wii Remote and DS style touch controls on the WiiU Gamepad offers a sublime mix of old and new gameplay.  If Rayman Origins is any indication, this will be endlessly replayable for friends while offering a fun challenge for the solo gamer.  Welcome back Rayman!

ZombiU Takes A Bite Out Of Nintendo!

Nintendo is being treated to an exclusive zombie game titled ZombiU from Ubisoft and it definitely showcases a Dead Island vibe but the possibilities of the Wii U Gamepad are endless and could take the zombie genre in a new direction.  While this game was formerly known as Killer Freaks from Outer Space, it seems to have taken a turn for the serious.  No gameplay was shown but this is a welcome addition from a company that has shown Nintendo some consistent love on both the mature and family friendly front.  It's nice to see some exclusives for Nintendo's new console showing that the machine will be used for more than just enhanced ports.

Halo 4 Injected With Metroid Prime DNA?

Any Metroid fan who has seen the latest reveal for Halo 4 may be having flashbacks to the Metroid Prime series.  From the environment design to the new enemies that share more than a passing resemblance to the Space Pirates, Halo 4 shares a LOT of similarities to Nintendo's legendary Metroid Prime series.  Hell, even the HUD looks like your should see a flash of Samus Aran's face during explosions.  After a little research, it turns out that some of the Metroid Prime DNA has been injected into Halo 4's development team.  343 Industries, the new keepers of the Halo franchise, is populated by not one but two former Metroid Prime team members.

First up is Kynan Pearson who worked at Retro Studios for over 7 years and was a level designer for Metroid Prime 2, 3 and Donkey Kong Country Returns.  He is now a Lead Designer for 343 Industries.

Next up is Jason Behr, a photographer who was responsible for some of Prime's level design that was both photorealistic and claustrophobic adding that distinctive Metroid feel.  He is now a Mission Designer for 343 Industries.

So there you have it, as Halo evolves in the future, expect this series to adopt more from our beloved bounty hunter, Samas Aran.  One thing is for sure, my interest for this tired and frankly overrated series has just shot through the roof now that it is adopting elements of the vastly superior Metroid Prime series.

Follow Treon's Realm On Twitter

With E3 starting, I will be posting my thoughts on Twitter.  While I have had a Twitter account for a while, I've never really thought to use it until now.  I am primarily a Nintendo gamer so expect a slant towards the Wii U and 3DS.

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