In a streamed Nintendo Direct video presentation, Sega said it would bring a new Sonic the Hedgehog game, subtitled Lost World, exclusively to Wii U and 3DS. In more Sonic news, there will be a new Mario & Sonic Olympics title to tie into the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. As with previous entries in the series, it will be a minigame collection based on events like skiing, snowboarding and figure skating.
In a broadcast for the Japanese market, Sega said it would bring its gangster adventure games Yakuza and Yakuza 2 to Wii U, but did not announce these for the U.S.
As for the 3DS' Virtual Console service, Game Boy Color classics The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons will be made available May 30. From launch through June 20 the games will be sold for $4.99 each, but the price will bump up to $5.99 each thereafter. Players who buy both versions of the game will get access to additional content, including a unique final boss. Sega said it would bring around a dozen classic Game Gear games to the 3DS Virtual Console as well, including Sonic the Hedgehog and Shining Force II: Sword of Hajya.
Nintendo also said that New Super Luigi U, a downloadable expansion pack for New Super Mario Bros. U that features Mario's brother as the main character, will also be sold as a packaged product that doesn't require a copy of the original. The digital version will be made available June 20 (for $19.99), and the physical copy will hit stores August 25 (for $29.99).
The press briefing concluded with an extended look at Pikmin 3, due for release for the Wii U on July 26. Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata revealed that the game will feature three playable characters, and spent time demonstrating the special features possible when playing on the Wii U GamePad screen.
Pikmin 3 was originally announced as a "launch window" title, although the Wii U has been in stores for about six months now. Meanwhile, the Wii U has been so lacking for good content that its best games are old. Really old.
In a similar video announcement from Nintendo last month, the publisher announced a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and a flurry of other games for the 3DS.
The company has been making a point to keep information about new releases flowing, while at the same time other developers have been abandoning Wii U. Yesterday Kotaku reported that megapublisher EA has no games for the Wii U platform currently in development.
