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WiiU

E3 2012 Round-Up

by Neal Ronaghan - June 11, 2012, 12:02 pm EDT
Total comments: 11

Overwhelmed by all of the E3 news, games, and content? We got your back.

We rounded up all of the Wii U games that had some presence at E3 2012, whether it was cursory mention in Nintendo's press kit or a small showing on the floor. Here's our content in a somewhat organized list form. Enjoy!

First Party Wii U Games
  • Nintendo Land (Developer: Nintendo EAD, Release Date: Wii U Launch)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Neal's Impressions, Donkey Kong Crash Course Gameplay
    Nintendo Land is Nintendo's Wii Sports-esque launch title for the Wii U. It includes 12 games that show off the use the Wii U GamePad and include single-player and multiplayer modes. It also has a hub world where you can interact with other Miis. Five of the games were playable at E3, while a sixth, based on F-Zero, was briefly shown during the Developer Roundtable.
  • New Super Mario Bros. U (Developer: Nintendo EAD, Release Date: Wii U Launch)
    Pre E3 Preview, E3 Preview, Artwork, Screens, Patrick's Impressions, Zach's Impressions, E3 Gameplay Footage, E3 Demo Footage
    New Super Mario Bros. U, shown off last year as New Super Mario Bros. Mii, is another game slated for the Wii U launch. It is a 2D platformer seemingly developed by the same team who made New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It features a five-player mode where the fifth player uses the Wii U GamePad to strategically place blocks on the screen to help or hinder everyone else's progress. Three levels were playable at E3 2012.
  • Pikmin 3 (Developer: Nintendo EAD, Release Date: Wii U Launch Window)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, J.P.'s Impressions, Neal's Impressions, E3 Demo Footage
    Pikmin 3 is the long-awaited next entry in the Pikmin series. The demo at E3 2012 featured a Challenge Level and a Boss Battle, highlighting the two new control methods (Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and the GamePad) and one of the new Pikmin, the Rock Pikmin.
  • Wii Fit U (Developer: Nintendo EAD, Release Date: Wii U Launch Window)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Aaron's Impressions, Neal's Impressions
    Wii Fit U is the third entry in the Wii Fit series. While it still uses the Balance Board and Wii Remote, the latest game also uses the Wii U GamePad. Five games were shown off that used the GamePad in conjunction with other control methods. Wii Fit U also allows for GamePad-only play, and will come with a pedometer of some sort that allows users to update their workouts from outside the game.
  • SiNG (Developer: FreeStyle Games, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork
    SiNG is a karaoke game from the guys who made the DJ Hero series. It is set for launch and makes use of the GamePad to arrange set lists and read lyrics more easily.
  • Game & Wario (Developer: Nintendo, Release Date: Wii U Launch Window)
    Preview, Screens, Guillaume's Impressions
    Game & Wario wasn't mentioned during the press conference, but it is a sort-of new entry in the WarioWare series. Instead of microgames, there are longer form games, more than 10 in total, that feature the WarioWare characters. Four games were playable at E3 2012.
  • Project P-100 (Developer: Platinum Games, Release Date: Wii U Launch Window)
    Preview, Screens, J.P.'s Impressions, TYP's Impressions, E3 Demo Footage
    Project P-100 was likely the biggest surprise at Nintendo's booth. The Platinum Games-developed game is a weird cross of Pikmin, Little King's Story, and Viewtiful Joe. It is a mass action superhero game that uses the GamePad to organize your horde of offbeat superheros to solve puzzles, attack robot aliens, and more. There were two playable sections at E3 2012: a regular level and a boss battle.
  • Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (Developer: Team Ninja, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Neal's Impressions
    Ninja Gaiden 3 came out earlier this year on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to mixed reviews. So, on Wii U, Nintendo is working with Team Ninja to improve the experience. The demo showed off the combat and the GamePad and Controller Pro controls.
  • LEGO City: Undercover (Developer: Traveller's Tales, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Guillaume's Impressions, E3 Demo Footage
    LEGO City: Undercover is the new name for LEGO City Stories, which was revealed last year. LEGO City: Undercover crosses the regular LEGO gameplay with an open-world sandbox. There were two demos: an open-world section, and an underground level. It was, oddly, only available behind closed doors.
  • Panorama View (Developer: Nintendo)
    Preview, Screen, Aaron's Impressions
    Panorama View wasn't much of a game, and might not ever be more than a demo. The demo featured a few locations you could watch, and then you could use the Wii U GamePad to look around you in 360 degrees.
Third Party Wii U Games
  • Aliens: Colonial Marines (Publisher: Sega, Developer: Gearbox, Release Date: 2013)
    Preview
    Aliens: Colonial Marines was not playable at E3 2012, but folks from Gearbox have talked up the game on Wii U considerably, saying it will be the best console version available. We will likely find more out about the game as it nears its February 2013 launch.
  • Assassin's Creed III (Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: Wii U Launch)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens
    Assassin's Creed III, which takes place around the American Revolution, is the first game in the main series to hit a Nintendo platform. At E3 2012, a demo was available to watch but not play, likely because the GamePad support was rough around the edges.
  • The Avengers: Battle for Earth (Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview
    While it wasn't shown for Wii U, it was at Microsoft's booth and playable for Kinect.
  • Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition (Publisher: Warner Bros., Developer: Rocksteady Games/WB Games Montreal Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Zach's Impressions
    Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, shown off during Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conference, is a port of last year's acclaimed game, but with added Wii U GamePad support and all the downloadable content. The demo at E3 showed off the GamePad support, and Batman even has a Wii U GamePad-looking device on his arm.
  • Darksiders II (Publisher: THQ, Developer: Vigil Studios, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Another Preview, Artwork, Screens
    Darksiders II is the sequel to the 2009 Zelda-inspired game. The new game is set to hit other systems in August 2012, and should be out at the Wii U launch. It wasn't playable at E3 2012 for Wii U.
  • Just Dance 4 (Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: Wii U Launch)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Neal's Impressions
    Just Dance 4 was shown off at Nintendo and Ubisoft's press conference. On Wii U, the game will receive a brand new mode, that lets the GamePad user select what the next dance move is.
  • Mass Effect 3 (Publisher: EA, Developer: Bioware, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview
    We have very little information about Mass Effect 3's planned Wii U release. We know it's coming, and we also know that Bioware wasn't saying a damn thing about it at E3.
  • Rayman Legends (Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Neal's Impressions, Zach's Impressions
    Rayman Legends, which was confirmed a few weeks back when a leaked trailer showed off Wii U content, was shown off at Ubisoft's E3 2012 Press Conference. The demo focused on how the GamePad and the Wii Remote worked together in a co-op method, as the two worked together to make it through challenging platforming segments.
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited (Publisher: Warner Bros., Developer: 5th Cell, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Andrew's Impressions, Guillaume's Impressions
    Scribblenauts Unlimited is the third Scribblenauts game on a Nintendo platform, and the first time it has made the leap to a home console. The game adds object creation, where you combine different elements into one creation. It also adds a more non-linear structure, as you move around an open world solving people's problems.
  • TANK! TANK! TANK! (Publisher: Namco Bandai, Developer: Namco Bandai, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview, Screens, James' Impressions
    TANK! TANK! TANK! is a tank combat game with a variety of modes, ranging from single-player to co-op to competitive multiplayer.
  • Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Publisher: Namco Bandai, Developer: Namco Bandai, Release Date: Holiday 2012)
    Preview
    Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is hitting most consoles in September, but Wii U owners will have to wait until the system's launch to dive into Tekken's next opus. It was not playable at E3 2012.
  • Trine 2: Director's Cut (Developer: Frozenbyte, Release Date: Wii U eShop Launch)
    Preview, Artwork, Screens, Neal's Impressions
    Trine 2 was the only eShop game shown off at E3 2012. The demo showed off an early level and the GamePad controls. This game can be played exclusively on the GamePad.
  • ZombiU (Publisher: Ubisoft, Developer: Ubisoft, Release Date: Wii U Launch)
    Preview, Screens, J.P.'s Impressions, Neal's Impressions
    ZombiU was one of the standout third-party games of E3, featuring vicious zombie survival horror gameplay. There were three demos, one highlighting the campaign, another highlighting the arcade-like survival mode, and another showing off the game's multiplayer.
  • Netflix (Release Date: Wii U Launch Window)
    Impressions, Video
    Netflix is coming to Wii U, along with Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, and YouTube. We got to see Netflix in action, though.

Talkback

geoJune 11, 2012

Wait, wait... Sing and ninja gaiden are being published by nintendo?

CericJune 11, 2012

What about Hardware impressions?

house3136June 11, 2012

I was wondering; will there be any Assassin’s Creed III impressions? There was a Wii U demo with the GamePad on the show floor. Maybe you’ll be covering this in an upcoming podcast. Or maybe I just missed it in the other podcasts.

You guys have done some great work; and the quality of your NWRExclusive videos is unmatched. Thanks for bringing us a taste of what the future holds.

Dear god. That Netflix video. That Netflix video!

Assassin's Creed III wasn't playable. We could watch someone play it.

There will be a preview in the coming days.

house3136June 11, 2012

Ah, thanks Neal. That’s why any video I saw was of the rep demoing it.  Ubisoft is really being quiet with this one. I only hope that means something special is being integrated. For instance, maybe controlling the ship by tilting the GamePad and aiming with the thumb-sticks; who knows?

TenserJune 11, 2012

Code of Princess?

Chozo GhostJune 11, 2012

Quote:

Overwhelmed by all of the E3 news, games, and content? We got your back.

What about those of us who were underwhelmed? Do you have our backs as well?

red14June 11, 2012

If it wasn't for the release dates, I'd get these games in this order:


Paper Mario SS
Luigi's Mansion DM
Kingdom Hearts DDD
NSMB 2
Rayman Legends
Tekken Tag 2
Assassin's Creed III
Darksider's II


Would anyone blame me if I wasn't impressed by a single Wii U title?

shinyray01June 12, 2012

Quote from: geo

Wait, wait... Sing and ninja gaiden are being published by nintendo?

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Not only is Nintendo publishing Ninja Gaiden, they're helping with its development.

Got a news tip? Send it in!
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