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3DS

What to Expect on Nintendo Platforms in 2015

Nintendo 3DS (Part 1)

by Justin Berube, Becky Hollada, Zachary Miller, Alex Osborn, and Bryan Rose - January 28, 2015, 10:41 am EST

There is a plethora of first and third party software hitting Nintendo's handheld this year.

Nintendo 3DS


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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

NA Release Date: Feb. 13, 2015

Video: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS vs. N64 Comparison

Video: Another The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS vs. N64 Comparison

Editorial: Excitement for a Gentler Majora’s Mask on 3DS

Preview: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Hands-on Impressions

Preview: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Hands-on Impressions While Playing on New Nintendo 3DS XL

While it may be a polarizing entry among Zelda fans, Majora’s Mask must be applauded for taking the series in some brave and innovative new directions. The fact that it’s getting the remake treatment for 3DS has me and so many others excited because it provides us with an excellent excuse to take a trip down memory lane. At the same time, the changes being made in order to make the experience more accessible and enjoyable on the go will be great for newcomers. Majora’s Mask’s twisted and dark tone was a major departure for the series during the days of the Nintendo 64, and will once again serve as a nice contrast after the lighthearted releases of Skyward Sword and The Wind Waker HD. I don’t know about you, but I simply can’t wait to explore Termina in all of its 3D glory.


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Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

NA Release Date: Feb. 13, 2015

Preview: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Hands-on Impressions

Preview: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Hands-on Impressions

Preview: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Preview

Miss the days of endless monster murder? Capcom is bringing it back, better than ever. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will be hitting the 3DS stateside early this year and has every intention of kicking the pants off its predecessor. For the first time, Monster Hunter will have fully integrated online play and I, for one, am thrilled. Previous portable entries in the series only allowed for local multiplayer unless you went through and connected the game to your Wii U. Luckily players won’t have to deal with that cumbersome mess anymore. Not to mention there is to be more emphasis on story progression and adventure in this entry. Monster grinding is great for getting out some anger, but it’ll be interesting to see how this, a couple of gameplay tweaks, and some new weapons change the name of the game. If you’re in the market for an action-RPG this winter season, here’s one for the list.


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Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy +

NA Release Date: Feb. 13, 2015

Preview: Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + Hands-on Impressions

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy + is a remake of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy, which launched on 3DS over three years ago. While this may not sound too exciting, one of the upgrades it’s receiving is Amiibo support, so check it out!


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Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

NA Release Date: March 13, 2015

Preview: Code Name S.T.E.A.M.: Abraham Lincoln's Alien Shooty Adventure

Preview: Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Hands-on Impressions

A new take on strategy games, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M has players battling it out against aliens in a steampunk version of the United States headed by Abraham Lincoln. It sounds crazy, yes. Intelligent Systems is going in a new direction for this title and it looks as if they are including elements from their cherished Fire Emblem series, as well as the XCOM series and other strategy games to form something new and unique. The setting, gameplay, and comic-inspired graphics make this a very new and interesting experience for strategy enthusiast, and the good news is that it’s coming soon.


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Fossil Fighters: Frontier

NA Release Date: March 20, 2015

Preview: Fossil Fighters: Frontier Hands-on Impressions

Video: Fossil Fighters: Frontier Gameplay Footage

Fossil Fighters uses bizarre mash-ups of prehistoric critters that make no sense. How about a saber-toothed tyrannosaur with a cat nose? Sounds legit, right? Guh. Luckily, there are a few cartoony representations of actual animals, like Edaphosaurus for you non-mammalian synapsid fans. Frontier looks to be extremely similar to its two predecessors. Players dig up and clean fossils, which are then cloned into living, breathing, clone-o-sauruses. While I can’t say I’m sold, there’s definitely something to be said for Pokémon with dinosaurs.


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Talkback

JdloJanuary 28, 2015

Why are your news stories so short?  I know you can only report on info you have, but man, there is no substance to any of these articles.

Quote from: Jdlo

Why are your news stories so short?  I know you can only report on info you have, but man, there is no substance to any of these articles.

This is a massive 10 page Feature. The first page is a short intro created to describe the Feature in its entirety before going more in depth. Please use the table of contents on the right hand side of the page to navigate the different pages and to see the real meat of this particular article.

I hope that helps. :)

This is a ten page feature, so I think there's at least a certain degree of substance to it.

CericJanuary 28, 2015

Forgot Steamworld Heist was coming.  That looks interesting.  I really need to get there first Steamworld game which is tower defense and looks interesting.

CericJanuary 28, 2015

Technically Star Fox has a Release Date of Before Zelda.  I'm looking forward to being able to actually play Xenoblade.

fred13January 28, 2015

First of all you missed Metroid Prime Trilogy out tomorrow on Wii U.


Second, this never dawned on me. When I saw the Fire Emblem Amiibo integration with Codename: S.T.E.A.M. during the Nintendo Direct I just assumed that meant that Ike, Robin, and Lucina Amiibo would release by March 13th at the latest, but this makes it sound like Robin and Lucina aren't very likely to come by then. I was going to skip Ike and grab Robin and Lucina (I loved Awakening, but I've never played any of the other FE games so I have no emotional attachment to Ike or Marth) Now I'm wondering if I need to try and find Marth and Ike so I can enjoy the Amiibo side of Codename: STEAM

Just to clarify things, we did not include Virtual Console titles on this list. While the Wii Download games on Wii U are technically not called Virtual Console, they are in a sense. It's for that reason they did not make the list.

As far as release dates go, they are only shown on this Feature if the exact month of the release is known (at a minimum). Anything else I felt had a higher chance of slipping out of its "Release Window" so it doesn't have a release date listed.

Please Understand!

TrueNerdJanuary 28, 2015

This is gonna be a good year, even if Zelda falls into 2016. There are six full priced retail games that I plan on buying on that list. Nine if Star Fox and Project Giant Robot/Guard are good and separate games. Ten if I cave and don't wait for a sale or price drop for Kirby Rainbow Curse.

I'd also like to purchase Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and Captain Toad at some point.

Maybe I'll hold off til 2016 on that PS4 purchase.

Mop it upJanuary 28, 2015

I don't expect all of this stuff to release in 2015, but it's a nice summation anyway.

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