My Favourite Mario Kart Courses from Each Game!

Super Mario Kart turned 25 yesterday! The now renowned and popular series paved the way for fun item-shooting racing games that we've all come to know and love. Allowing players the chance to race as one of their favourite Mario heroes or enemies, the game offered a bunch of truly fantastic tracks, as well as a multi-player Battle Mode. 

To celebrate the games anniversary, join me as I share my favourite course from each of the games so far. 

Super Mario Kart 

Rainbow Road 

There's no way I could do a list like this without mentioning Rainbow Road somewhere! The track that has no doubt made plenty of people utter profanities as they slipped to their doom, Rainbow Road provided a challenging final course in Super Mario Kart's Special Cup. Pretty simple in design, this multi-coloured road offered sharp bends, angry Thwomps, and holed-up pathways. The simplicity is deceiving, as when you're trying to traverse this with other players, there's no doubt at one point you'll find yourself being nudged off the side. 

Rainbow Road also included some truly memorable music, and has since seen several reiterations throughout the games 25-year history.

10 Reasons To Get Excited About Mario Kart 8

Finally, Mario Kart 8 is going to be released on the Wii U on the 30^th May 2014! Always a big seller for Nintendo, the Mario Kart series has gone from strength to strength since its début on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Snes) in 1992 (you can currently relive your Super Mario Kart nostalgia by downloading it on the Wii U’s Virtual Console). Nintendo's first Mario-themed racing game provided great controls, music, fun courses and power-ups, plus a chance to zip around as one of the company's well loved characters for the first time. Since then, Super Mario Kart has spawned eight console games and three arcade versions, showing that our love of this memorable racer is still as strong as ever.

Reviews have started to pour in for the game, thankfully the majority of reviews have been favourable. The embargo is lifted, but most of us have to wait until the games official release date to play. Thankfully, it appears that Mario Kart 8 holds up to its promise of blending the series' classic racing format with brand spanking new HD graphics, modernised courses, expanded online play and new ways of racing. Also, it is worth mentioning that as a special release promotion, Nintendo are offering one of ten free games as a download for anyone who registers the game on Club Nintendo before the 30^th July 2014, including titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker HD and Pikmin 3.

With pre-orders of Mario Kart 8 promising, and plenty of people picking up a Wii U console in preparation for this racing title’s release, it looks like Nintendo’s Wii U is finally finding its feet, and it definitely doesn't hurt that reviewers are already billing the game as one of the best in Mario Kart's long and familiar 22 year history.

For all of you interested in giving the latest instalment of Mario Kart a go, check out my list of 10 reasons why you should pick up this game.

10. Mirror Mode Unlocked from the Start

Previous Mario Kart games required completion of the Tournament Mode to unlock Mirror Mode, a function that mirrors the entire course so that the route is reversed, posing a new challenge for gamers left wanting more after unlocking each cup, course and character.

In Mario Kart 8 however, Mirror Mode is available to play from the start, with the option to set this as a rule when setting up matches on the Online Tournament Mode. Whilst some may argue that this means that the Mirror Mode unlocking tradition in previous games has now been broken, it is quite refreshing to allow gamers the ability to challenge themselves from the get-go. The choice to jump in as a novice or after you have fully mastered each track is now yours.

9. Mario Kart TV

A first for the series, Mario Kart TV is an in-game channel that allows players to record highlights of their races, with the choice to then upload them to their YouTube or account or MiiVerse if they desire. Other players can then watch and comment on recorded highlight reels from any race played throughout the world. This allows for a fun experience in particular for local multiplayer sessions, where you and a group of friends can re-live a race, cheer as a friend lands an amusing shot on another player, boo or cheer the victor as they cross the finish line, and so on.

Editing options allow players to choose to focus the camera on different kinds of highlights, such as items, hits and drifting, with further options to set the video duration (30, 45 or 60 seconds). This is great news for those of you who are lacking the software needed to record your gameplay footage already, as demonstrated daily on YouTube by countless ‘Let’s Play’ videos.

It also emphasises that Mario Kart is about to embrace the online social community, something that is touched upon in the next addition to the list…

8. Expanded Online Play

A stand-out feature of Mario Kart Wii, online play has returned for the Wii U. The game offers online multiplayer up to 12 people, with four main categories of opponent: Global, Regional, Friends and Rivals. This time around, Mario Kart is a much more social experience, with the inclusion of the Wii U MiiVerse’s ability to post messages, doodles and interact with like-minded fans.

New to the online function is Tournament Mode, allowing players to create and name tournaments with a variety of different changeable rules, such as duration, frequency, type of remote used (if you want everyone to stick to Wii motes only, no problem) and so on. Your courses can be shared with all other players online, or limited to your friend group only by providing friends with your tournaments unique code.

There is also the option to download player ghosts to attempt to beat their race finish time. Beat a Mario Kart 8 developers ghost and you will get a bonus MiiVerse stamp. Finally, if you are playing a game with friends, Mario Kart 8 has incorporated voice chat in the lobby between courses via the GamePad’s built-in microphone.

7. Nice Mix of Retro and Modern Courses

Let’s face it; we all like to get a little nostalgic every now and then. Thankfully, Nintendo realise this by adding a mixture of retro courses in with their new modern races in the course roster. Fans will see a return of well-loved courses such as Donut Plains 3, Dry Dry Desert, and Rainbow Road; all revamped to incorporate the changes in vehicles, functions and modes, alongside brand new courses that will make their debut on Mario Kart 8.

Although change is a good thing, it is comforting to know that much of the gameplay fans familiarised themselves with in the previous games (especially in the more recent titles) remains, with just a few modernising touches to kept the formula from getting stale.

No Mario Kart is complete without the inclusion of items. As Mario Kart veterans will know, items can be launched at other racers to knock them off course, spin them out of control and help the player to race to the finish line in a respectable place. Joining the list of classic items (blue shell, anyone?) is the Boomerang which can attack racers on its return flight, the Piranha Plant that attacks nearby racers and obstacles, the Lucky Eight that randomly selects from all eight items, and the Super Horn which emits a defensive shockwave that attacks other racers, also sucking up and spitting out incoming obstacles (including the Blue Shell) which means for the first time there is actually a foolproof way of avoiding them, allowing players to stay in first place for longer.

6. Battle Mode

A nice alternative to straight-forward racing, Battle Mode - first seen in the SNES classic Super Mario Kart - returns for the latest instalment. This mode now features race tracks remixed to fit battle mode rather than containing all-new separate areas. Balloon Battle, Timed Points Battle Mode both make their welcome return, whilst Survival Mode, first introduced in Mario Kart DS, has also been added to the list.

Players can now also adjust the duration of each battle from one to five minutes, allowing for short, sweet and highly frantic matches. Whilst not a new addition to Mario Kart 8, Battle Mode is indeed a welcome one. This is also the mode where you may notice who is the most competitive out of your friends-things can get a little crazy when shells are flying left, right and centre.

5. Multi-Vehicles Return

Mario Kart Wii took the classic kart racing formula and expanded it by adding in the ability to drive underwater on specially adapted karts, zip around on motorbikes and hand glide through certain sections of the course, making for a refreshing, ever-changing race. Thankfully, this new addition has been carried over on to Mario Kart 8, joining a new ATV-a four wheeler all-terrain vehicle to the list of available transport.

This is the perfect time to mention that Mario Kart 8 boasts both impressive handling and drifting abilities. As Mario Kart veterans will probably tell you, drifting can often be the key to winning a race. Drifting for a short period of time produces a temporary boost which will excel your character at a faster speed than normal. It is fair to say that overtaking an opponent after pulling off the perfect drift is one of the most satisfying aspects of the game.

Like Mario Kart Wii before it, the ability to pull of tricks in mid-air for boosts also adds another dose of fun to the mix, which is perhaps best demonstrated whilst riding on the motorbikes. The use of Nintendo's in-game currency of those familiar golden coins also makes a return here, allowing the player to buy new Kart parts, as shown in Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS.

Fans of customisation, rejoice!

4. The Soundtrack

You can always rely on Nintendo to produce a great soundtrack, and this is particularly evident in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8’s soundtrack is no exception. The 32-track playlist contains modernised versions of classic retro courses such as Donut Plains, Cheep Cheep Beach and Rainbow Road along with brand new music for the new courses. Infectious, cheerful and catchy, this soundtrack is definitely one to stick on when you are feeling a little low.

If you haven't heard it yet, YouTuber Vini64 has posted the full soundtrack online for you all to hear. Give it a listen below.

3. Anti-Gravity Function

A new feature for Mario Kart 8, the anti-gravity function allows the games designers to create their most innovative courses yet. In the previous games, elevation was only achieved via the inclusion of big jumps or by a gradual progression up hills and mountains. With Mario Kart 8, height can be achieved almost instantly, as the standard circuit tracks can be viewed at different angles, creating a refreshing spin that was definitely needed to revamp old, tired and very basic tracks.

With anti-gravity in place, racers will now be driving perpendicular to the ground in certain sections of courses. For example, the old classic Mario Circuit will now be viewed upside down in sections, allowing players to have a brand new way of viewing the familiar Mushroom Castle and other familiar Mario landmarks.

2. Large Character and Course Roster

Mario Kart 8 will include a substantial character roster, composing of 30 characters in total; 9 of which are brand new to the game.

New entries include Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings (Morton, Roy, Iggy, Ludwig, Larry, Lemmy and Wendy), Baby Rosalina and Pink Gold Peach, a counterpart to Metal Mario. Previous series' characters Waluigi and Toadette will also be re-joining the usual Mario Kart lineup too, providing a nice balance between heavy, medium and lightweight racers all perfect for switching between depending on the cup difficulty and choice of level.

Good courses are crucial to Mario Kart’s success, so thankfully there are 32 of them that prove to be more vibrant, crazy and intuitive than ever. Courses comprise of water, air and ground racing and combine classic Mario environments with brand new landscapes, set in a multitude of environments such as snowy mountains and dry deserts. Wii U's latest offering also feels extraordinarily epic, from its giant stadium courses to those travels among the clouds - Cloudtop Cruise, set to Super Mario Galaxy's brilliant Gusty Garden theme, is definitely a great example of this. As with the other titles in the series, Mario Kart 8 draws on familiar and revamped locations from other Mario games, like the previously mentioned Super Mario Galaxy, along with the vibrant Super Mario Sunshine.

In addition to the main goal of winning the race, fun can also be found via finding secret short cuts littered in the courses, which will help to get you ahead of the other competitors in the future.

1. Mario Kart in HD...Finally!

With Nintendo finally embracing 1080p high definition on the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 becomes the first Mario Kart game in full HD. Running in 60 frames per second, this is no doubt the most visually-stunning entry in the series yet. Mario Kart’s use of vibrant colours will look even better when gamers are playing it on their HD screens. In this new display, racing is fluid, fun and downright beautiful, even if the framerate is reduced to 30fps when playing the four-player local split screen mode.

Mario Kart 8 also incorporates the use of the Wii U GamePad, allowing for a more portable high definition experience if this is your choice of controller. Of the reviews published so far, Mario Kart 8 has been praised for its beauty, with many reviewers clearly very pleased with the game's high quality aesthetic.

Deemed as a worthy addition to the series, it looks like Mario Kart 8 may well stand up to be the best Mario Kart game yet.

Have you pre-ordered Mario Kart 8? What are you most looking forward to? Post your opinions in the comments!

Great Wii Fit Trainer Cosplay!

I never really saw anyone cosplaying the Wii Fit Trainer until she was announced as a new character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game for Wii U and 3DS.

This is the best one I have seen so far. The colouring is spot on!

Wii Fit Trainer cosplayed by Hayley Elise.

Infernal Mode coming to Resident Evil Revelations

Capcom has announced that their upcoming re-release of Resident Evil Revelations will include Infernal Mode. Infernal Mode provides players with an even tougher challenge, with different enemy placements and remixed items. 

Resident Evil: Revelations will be released on the Wii U, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on the 21st May (North America) and on the 24th May (Europe). Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, this home console edition boasts updated graphics, and new modes. The original version on the 3DS was met with great review scores, so no doubt the re-released version will also do well!

Check out the trailer for the new Infernal Mode below.

Wind Waker Is Coming To Wii U!

If you needed a reason to buy the Wii U...then this is it. Wind Waker, the classic cell-shaded Zelda game for the Gamecube is getting a HD remake!

Fans will see this beloved title get a complete overhaul, including new HD graphics, up-scaled for today's televisions, alongside new controls to integrate the Wii U's controller. In a Nintendo Direct broadcast today, it's been announced that the game is due to be expected sometime in Autumn 2013.

But that's not all. As well as the exciting announcement of Wind Waker Wii U, there is another Zelda title in the works for Nintendo's latest console. Producer Eiji Aonuma said their mission is to "rethink the conventions of Zelda", but no further details about the game, and what changes are expected, were announced. A big tease, but quite a welcome one. A new Zelda game is just what the Wii U is needing. 

Below are nine screenshots from the remake of Wind Waker. A beautiful game on the Gamecube, it appears that Nintendo have managed to improve on this even more. But will it beat the gameplay experience we originally had on the Gamecube? Only time will tell.

My Day at the Eurogamer Expo

So today I went along to the Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court, London. Whilst I've been to several other cons plenty of times before, this was my first ever time at Eurogamer! Join me as I give a run-down of what I got up to during the day.

8.40am, my train arrives at Earls Court station. I promptly go and join fellow Tweeter and blogger James Hare (aka RealityGlitch) in the line, and queue until the early entry and press lot are allowed in at 10am. In the line we witnessed plenty of people go crazy over freebies, and I picked up plenty of Streetpass hits. Then finally, 10am rolled around, and the doors opened...

Cheesy grin :s (photo taken by James Hare).

Inside:

Myself and James headed straight to the Tomb Raider section. It's one of my most anticipated games right now, and I wanted to avoid the queues this early on. You'll read my "hands on" impressions of this in a separate post soon, but in short, Tomb Raider's demo felt fluid, it was fun, and pretty refreshing to see Lara actually struggle for once. 

After this, we headed on to the Wii U section, where we were shown the "Panorama Mode" on the Wii U tablet. Choosing a Japanese scene, this mode placed you in the setting. Moving the Wii U tablet 360 degrees, up and down allows you to explore the scenery. In this case, I was able to walk through a busy Japanese street, traverse through cherry blossom trees, and take a ride in a cart with a Geisha. I was actually rather impressed with how clear the screen and footage looked, and I can imagine this is a fun little time waster when you first get hold of your Wii U console.

James Hare playing the Panorama Viewer on the Wii U Tablet

Also in the Wii U section, we tried out three mini-games in Nintendo Land; Donkey Kong's Crash Course, Luigi's Ghost Mansion and Animal Crossing: Sweet Day. I loved playing these, especially the Animal Crossing game! Children are definitely going to love these fun and easy to understand games, and they make great party games. (My full reviews of these will be in a separate post). Sadly I never got to try out Zombi U, due to the ridiculous average queuing time of 3 hours. Unfortunately it seemed that a lot of games had similar waiting times, and yet this was ten minutes in to the early opening!

After spending near enough fifty minutes inside the Wii U section, we headed off for a look around the place. The venue was huge, and there was plenty of games of all different genres and systems! Also, I was surprised to see that the merchandise section was so small, after being used to the abundance of stalls in cons such as the London MCM Expo, but ah well, I was here for one thing today-the gaming. It didn't stop me buying this though!:

Today made me realise how much people love a freebie. A good freebie at that, too. For instance, Insert Coin Clothing handed out a bunch of free t-shirts, keyrings, stickers, promo codes and a hoodie, and honestly, it was like being in the middle of a mosh pit at a metal gig when items were thrown. I happened to catch the end of one shirt, before being practically jumped on by a hoard of guys desperate for their chance of owning a free t-shirt, worth £35. Alas, I didn't grab the shirt, but I didn't have a chance...I'm surprised it even stayed in one piece after all the tugging!

After playing some great little co-op mini games with a bunch of people in the Wii U section, we headed to Borderlands 2. I was a huge fan of Borderlands, near enough completing every achievement, and seeing as I have not bought the sequel yet, I was looking forward to giving this a go. As I expected, Borderlands 2 hasn't changed much from it's predecessor  but then personally I thought this was fine, as I never had many qualms with the original. (Again, my hands on review will be in a separate post!).

Photo taken by James Hare...check out my concentration face, yo.

I then tried out Dance Central 3, playing a Nicki Minaj track (no, I'm not a Minaj fan, but then it was fun nonetheless). It's more of the same, but I love the previous two. I've often mentioned that it is a great way to get in shape, and it looks like DC3 will add even more energetic dance routines, as well as a  more varied playlist. My hands on review will come up soon!

The indie game section had some interesting looking titles, but unfortunately a few of them seemed a little disappointing. I tried out The Button Affair, a endless running game that sees you avoiding obstacles such as lasers, trapdoors and gun-wielding enemies. Sadly it all got a bit samey too quickly, and the graphics weren't really that impressive either.

After a lot of walking around, we tried out Carmageddon Funsize, an iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad version of Carmageddon, remastered for the handheld generation. It looks like it'll be a lot of fun, but in all honesty I found the controls a little too clunky, and ended up getting a bit frustrated. Perhaps I was just rubbish at the game, but I'm sorry, I just didn't find it that enjoyable. 

The final game myself and James tried out today was The Cave, which is due for a release on XBLA, PSN and Wii U. An adventure game with a puzzling twist, this co-op game was a lot of fun. I also bagged a free tiny figure at the end of the characters I chose to play:

Hands On coming in a separate post!

So all in all, my day at the Eurogamer Expo was great. Yes, there was a lot of queuing, but there were so many impressive games on offer, plus it was nice meeting some Twitter people. I'm looking forward to the next one! 

Now, check out a few more photos:

Photo taken by James Hare. Me with Sonic!

A panorama I took of the show floor. Please click here to see the bigger version.

50 Launch Window Games Announced for Wii U

Nintendo have announced fifty games that will be released in the Wii U's launch window. The launch window spans from it's release date, 30th November, up until the 18th March 2013.

The Wii U will receive several big releases, such as Pikmin 3, ZombiU, Assassins Creed III, Mass Effect 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in this time period. 

Here is the full list of anticipated games in the launch window:

Nintendo Land (Available free with the 32GB model)
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
Sing Party
Wii Fit U
The Wonderful 101
Pikmin 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
007 Legends
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Transformers Prime
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Sonic & All-Stars: Racing Transformed
Trine 2
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Wheel of Fortune
Jeopardy
Darksiders II
Funky Barn
Disney’s Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Ben 10: Omniverse
Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game

Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Zumba Fitness
New Super Mario Bros. Wii U
Game & Wario
NBA 2K13
Jett Tailfin
Madden NFL 13
FIFA 13
Mass Effect 3
Toki Tori 2
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
ZombiU
Just Dance 4
Avengers: Battle for Earth
Rabbids Land
Assassin’s Creed 3
Rayman Legends
Sports Connection
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
Nano Assault Neo

Catwoman Gets A New Suit for Wii U Venture

Catwoman will be getting a new suit in Wii U's Batman launch title. A playable character, Catwoman's suit differs slightly from what we have seen previously in Arkham City. She now wears a brand new armoured suit, as you can see above.

Wii U's version of the game, Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition will be released sometime later this year. 

New Zombi U Trailer Released

A new trailer for Zombi U has been released for Gamescom. The game, scheduled for a Nintendo Wii U release, features plenty of zombie killing action, and fully utilises both the television screen and Wii U tablet controller.

The new trailer below features plenty of gameplay footage too, so check it out. 

Wii U Box Art Leak Is Genuine

Wii U's box art was leaked a few days ago, and now Ubisoft have officially confirmed that these leaked images are the real deal.

Reminiscent somewhat of a Blu-ray case, this new Wii U case design will be incorporated into all upcoming titles. Check out an example below.

Mass Effect 3 for Wii U will be a Port

An third-party developer will be porting Mass Effect 3 across to Nintendo's Wii U. 

Melanie Faulknor, Assistant Localization Project Manager at BioWare told Got Game that they will be working with a developer that has had plenty of experience developing games for Nintendo platforms. 

Nothing else has been revealed as of yet. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Trailer

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have released a new gameplay trailer for Injustice: Gods Among Us at the San Diego Comic Con.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game featuring a cast of DC Comics characters, such as Batman, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Superman and more.

Check out the trailer below. The game is planned to be released sometime in 2013 for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii U.

Kayleigh Powis

Namco Bandai Step Up To Smash Bros Challenge

Nintendo have announced that they are teaming up with Namco Bandai for the next two editions of their well loved Super Smash Bros. series. 


Whilst Smash Bros. original creator Masahiro Sakurai will still be in charge of the games, developers from Namco Bandai will also be lending a helping hand. The latest titles, on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, will apparently be the "most powerful games" in the series. 


Both Sakurai and Namco Bandai's Yoshito Higuchi and Kenya Kobayashi, both on board for the games, have stated that fans will see a brand new team to play with, and no doubt a few fan favourites will also be making a welcome appearance once again. 


It's early days, and we've got a long wait ahead of us before the latest Smash Bros. is out...but what do you think of this news?

Wii U To Get Achievements

Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed to Kotaku that the Wii U will have an achievement system.


Nintendo have previously added achievement systems to the Nintendo 3DS via the Mii Plaza. However, Reggie added that "Microsoft may require every game to have achievements, but that it not our philosophy."


So not every Wii U game will be gaining achievements...it's completely up to the developers to decide whether they include them or not.

Watch Dogs Coming To Wii U Too?

Ubisoft's vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key has hinted that Watch Dogs, the title that got critics and gamers alike excited at E3, may eventually come to the Wii U.


The game is set for a release on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in 2013, but Key hasn't ruled out the possibility of bringing it over to Nintendo's upcoming console either.


Nintendo gamers will just have to wait and see then. 

E3: Ubisoft Press Conference Summary

Ubisoft's press conference was, for the most part, a little hit and miss. Presented by Aisha Tyler from Archer (personally...I'd never heard of it) and YouTube gamer Toby "Tobuscus" Turner was somewhat embarrassing to watch, due to their constant sniping at one another, and an awkward script.


Awkwardness aside though, Ubisoft did present a number of great looking games. They blew critics, gamers away with an incredibly engaging, impressive and intriguing demo of their new IP, Watch Dogs. By the end of the demo, Watch Dogs had already become the number one trending topic on Twitter. In an E3 full of sequels, fan favourites and remakes, this was definitely one of the breaths of fresh air that we needed.


Rapper Flo Rida opened the show by performing his track "Good Feeling" whilst Just Dance 4 was displayed on the screen behind him. It was hardly surprising that this game would be announced...the Just Dance series has done incredibly well so far. 


A new trailer for Far Cry 3 made it's debut, which showed protagonist Jason battling his way across the island he is staying on. A gameplay demo was previewed straight after which showed how vast the free-roaming single player action will be. Action packed, crazy and boasting gorgeous graphics, this was another game that fared well. 


Splinter Cell: Blacklist's debut trailer was presented, which showed off spy Sam Fisher attempting his usual mix of stealth, combat and impressive agility. Whilst I've never played much of the Splinter Cell series, this one should go down well with the fans. 


The first glimpse of the Wii U in action was shown at Ubisoft's conference when Rayman Legends was presented. The gameplay demo showed Rayman Legends being played on the Wii U GamePad, where players use the touch screen to move Rayman through each level. The Wii U Pro Controller is also supported, and each level can be played with up to five players at the same time. Just like it's predeccessor, Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends is vibrant, fun looking and boasts some eye-catching cartoon graphics. It looks fun, especially as so many friends can be roped in at once!


Another impressive reveal was Ubisoft's Wii U exclusive ZombieU. Packing plenty of gore and zombie battling action, this one will appeal to the mature Wii U audience. Also shown was a slow motion CGI trailer, complete with a slow version of "God Save The Queen" playing as shots of London in the midst of a zombie apocalypse was shown. Whilst many other Brits were busy singing the national anthem for other reasons (the Queen's Diamond Jubilee), the rest of us were watching a much more grim version. OK, so there is no shortage of zombie games on the market, but I'm looking forward to finding out more about this one!


The Avengers: Battle for Earth trailer showed plenty of battles featuring Marvel fan favourites such as Wolverine, Spider-man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Venom. It's hard to judge how this game is going to be from the brief clip we were shown, but no doubt we'll find out more soon. 


A montage of clips of other upcoming games was shown, featuring Rabbids Land (Ubisoft do love those Rabbids don't they?), Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013, Skid To Glory and Sports Connection amongst others. 


Of course, Ubisoft could not pass without mentioning one of their most successful franchises-Assassin's Creed. The trailer for Assassin's Creed III showed new protagonist Connor caught up in a battle during the American Revolution. After this, gameplay footage presented Connor hunting in a winter forest, battling with wolves, conversing with soldiers, riding a horse and of course, doing some assassinating. It's a gorgeous looking game so far with some brilliant animation. No doubt this will do well on it's release!


Sadly we were treated to far too much awkward banter (and screen-time) from the hosts in the end for this one to be a pleasant watch. Also, the boredom set in by the time Shootmania was demoed. In what was supposed to be a "fun tournament", the stage was divided up into two teams for a boys vs. girl match. Unfortunately it outstayed it's welcome, and I actually lost interest in how the game even works.


Overall though, there were some fantastic games on show by Ubisoft. Here's, in my opinion, the best games on show:


Watch Dogs
Far Cry 3
Rayman Legends
ZombiU
Assassin's Creed III
Splinter Cell: Blacklist


Missed it? Not to worry. Watch it below! (skip to 31 minute mark):




What did you think of the conference? Have your say in the comments!

Eminem Set For Nintendo's Acid Ghost?

Although only a rumour as of now, Nintendo is apparently collaborating with rapper Eminem for a brand new Wii U title called Acid Ghost. Eminem will be starring in a marketing trailer for the game, with work starting on this at some point this week.


No other details have emerged so far, so we'll have to wait and see what this game, and Eminem's involvement, entail. 

Marvel Avengers Game Green-Lit

Ubisoft have announced that Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth will be released for the Wii U and Xbox 360 via it's Kinect sensor later this year.


Rumours surfaced after the company registered a domain, Avengersbattleforearth.com a few weeks ago, leading to speculation that the game was on it's way. It seems pretty obvious now, with The Avengers currently dominating the box office...


Avengers: Battle for Earth will take inspiration from the artwork in the Marvel comics, and is inspired by the "Secret Invasion" storyline. It'll feature 20 different characters, including the Avengers team, and other memorable super heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe.


This is what has been published on the website, which currently only likes back to a Ubisoft page dedicated to this title:

“We are excited to team up with Marvel Entertainment to bring some of the most iconic comic book characters from the Marvel line-up to life in motion-gaming,” said Tony Key, US senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “Fans of the Marvel universe and superhero games are going to love the extensive combinations of characters, motion-controlled moves and competitive gameplay.”
 “For the last few years, Marvel has positioned itself to deliver the absolute best in entertainment, be it in film, animation, comics or games,”  said Andreea Enache-Thune, senior vice president of games and digital distribution at Marvel.  “Partnering with Ubisoft is a big part of that ongoing movement. We are confident that Ubisoft’s talent matches Marvel’s own commitment to making the Avengers: Battle for Earth the best in the motion-controlled gaming category.”