Nintendo Land is a theme park for Wii U with Miiverse integration
Katsuya Eguchi, Wii U software producer, took the E3 stage at Nintendo's press conference to detail Nintendo Land. A single game which brings together 12 different attractions such as the Legend of Zelda Battle, Donkey King's Crash Course, and Takamaru.
Miiverse integration will bring players from around the world together. How the connection works will be explained during a roundtable tonight. The multiplayer will feature asymmetric gameplay and used Luigi's Ghost Mansion as an example of how it will work.
Players will use the GamePad screen and see the same floor as the other, but "sense" different things.
The game ghost can see the players all the time, but the players won't see the ghost - both fighting against an enemy they can't see, but they can shine flashlights on the ghost working cooperatively to weaken it. But the flashlight, if kept on too long, will drain the batteries.
Up to four players can join the game.
The game is basically a virtual theme park with a dozen attractions inspired by Nintendo franchises with both single-player and multiplayer experiences.
Nintendo Land introduces the entirely new dynamic of asymmetric game play, where the images being displayed on the GamePad are entirely different than what is seen on the TV. Giving the player with the GamePad different information, viewpoints, advantages and objectives creates completely new cooperative and competitive opportunities and enables novice and advanced players to enjoy games together and not be forced to play above or below their skill level.
“The GamePad doesn’t just introduce a new type of game play, it redefines an entire dynamic. With asymmetric game play, multiple experiences are possible in the same game at the same time. That’s transformative,” said NOA pesident and COO Reggie Fils-Aime.
“While games are the focus of this year’s E3, the Wii U story also includes the enhanced social connections and integrated entertainment experiences created by the GamePad. We’re providing a glimpse of that with the introduction of Miiverse and by revealing partnerships with some of the biggest content providers on the planet.”
It launches alongside Wii U this holiday. Features are below.
- Donkey Kong's Crash Course: Using the GamePad's motion control, players tilt the controller to guide a fragile rolling cart through an obstacle course that resembles the original Donkey Kong arcade game. This single-player game lets other spectators watch the action on the TV and offer advice about how to pass the next obstacle.
- Luigi's Ghost Mansion: The player with the GamePad is a ghost (invisible to others) who is trying to capture up to four humans armed with flashlights. The ghost must sneak around the environment by staying in the shadows and try to catch them one by one. The humans can work together to revive fallen comrades before the ghost catches everyone. If all four humans are caught before they are revived, the ghost wins. But if they are successful at shining their flashlights on the ghost long enough to reduce its hit points to zero, the humans win.
- Animal Crossing: Sweet Day: The player holding the Wii U GamePad controls two guards who are in charge of safeguarding a candy orchard from a group of candy-loving animals. Up to four other players, using the Wii Remote controllers to control these animals, must work together to outwit – and outrun – the guards. The game ends when a combined total of 50 pieces of candy are collected, or when the guards catch any one of the animals three times.
- The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest: The player with the GamePad is an archer who can aim and shoot arrows using the screen as a view finder. That player is joined by up to three others who wield Wii Remote Plus controllers like swords. Players work together to take on a variety of enemies in a world that looks like a cloth version of a game from The Legend of Zelda series.
- Takamaru's Ninja Castle: Based on an early Famicom game available only in Japan, this single-player game turns the GamePad into a launcher for ninja stars. Players swipe the controller's touch screen to take out an ever-growing army of ninja attackers, earning more points for consecutive hits. Moving the GamePad around at different angles enables the player to take aim in an intuitive fashion.
Trailer is below via CVG along with screenshots.
