It's that time of year again! No, not Christmas, but something almost as good! The Game Developers' Conference is now in full force, with Nintendo's keynote speech leading the pack. Plenty of gamers' concerns have been addressed, and the prospect of some new and exciting titles gets us a little flushed in the cheeks! Satoru Iwata took the stage to announce some tasty new morsels for everyone to sink their teeth into. Even if you can't get excited over Nintendo's offerings, we can all agree that their vision is one to be reckoned with. With that, let's get into a day's worth of Nintendo coverage straight from GDC! Hit the jump for all the shiny bits of news.
Wii System Update - Game From Your SD Card!
Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, announced a new system update for the Wii during his long-awaited keynote. For those of you who have mourned the scarcity of system memory and the lack of solutions regarding such, the update adds an SD card option to the Wii's main menu. Upon clicking the SD card icon, users are notified that they can launch channels straight from the card, "temporarily utilizing the Wii system memory" in order to play the games directly from the card. The menu goes on to warn that any saved games on the card should be moved to the Wii's memory before launching.
Upon clicking the SD card icon, users are notified that they can launch channels straight from the card, "temporarily utilizing the Wii system memory" in order to play the games directly from the card. The menu goes on to warn that any saved games on the card should be moved to the Wii's memory before launching.
Nintendo's Bill Trinnen elaborated on the shiny new update, informing the crowds at GDC that we can now download straight from the Wii Shop Channel to an SD card as well, allowing us to launch new purchases straight from the card. If you needed a reason to stock up on some SD cards, that may be the best reason you could find!
The SD launch menu allows up to 20 screens with 12 channels spread throughout. Paired with a card of sufficient storage space, it's possible to store up to 240 games at any one time. SD cards up to 32 GB are now supported with this update, so if you're even the least bit interested, get to downloading and trying this baby out! True, this does seem like a bit of a temporary fix to gamers' storage concerns, but it is a step in the right direction. Bravo, Nintendo!
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Coming to DS
No doubt you'd been anticipating a new Zelda title for a long time coming. Unfortunately, you'll have to settle for another installment via the DS. Dubbed The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the art style hearkens back to the Phantom Hourglass/WindWaker days, as well as importing the Phantom Hourglass touch controls. From the trailer that was released, we can surmise that it most definitely will feature a railroad flavor, and rail-styled gameplay mechanics.
It's a safe bet that most anticipating Iwata's keynote were anticipating something with a bit more substance. However, at least you've gotten something. Right?
Final Fantasy Titles Infiltrating Virtual Console
Along with the Zelda-flavored news announced today, Square Enix had a bit of a showing as well for the Wii, announcing two new Virtual Console titles as well as the introduction of the classic Final Fantasy titles to the Virtual Console. While the addition of the originals to the Virtual Console is a nice move, they have been released a couple times too many by now.
However, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord should be a welcome addition to the Final Fantasy lineup. A sequel to the popular My Life as a King title, the tables will be turned a gamers will walk in the shoes of, well, a dark lord. Perhaps the most striking news to come about regarding Final Fantasy and the Wii is Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, a sequel to Final Fantasy IV that had previously been released on cell phones in Japan. Gamers will follow Ceodore, son of Rosa and Cecil, as he investigates the appearance of a strange moon over the land.
Both titles will be released via WiiWare, while the Final Fantasy remakes will be sent to the Virtual Console. Color me excited!
The Wii Visits the (Virtual) Arcade
Today, the Wii Shop Channel saw the addition of the Wii Virtual Arcade. Providing a range of arcade classics from companies such as Taito, Sega, and Namco, now the Wii will become a haven for all the arcade greats of yesteryear. As of right now, games such as Mappy, The Tower of Druaga, and Star Force are up for grabs, beginning at 500 Wii Points apiece. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are plenty more arcade hits to come. It's a safe bet that more companies will soon be providing games from their libraries as well. With that said, what are some must-haves that need to make their way to the Virtual Arcade that you'd drop some points on? Personally, I can't wait to see Space Harrier, as it's coming soon!
You can see that Nintendo's showing was particularly varied and impressive, catering to a glut of different audiences. What could be coming next? As GDC wears on, more surprises are certainly in store!