First released in 1996 for the Nintendo 64, Pilotwings 64 is a flight simulator game with six playable characters piloting different crafts like a gyrocopter, hang glider and so on in 3D environments. The goal is to complete flight tests and earn a flight badge. You can also access minigames like Cannonball and Sky Diving in addition to numerous challenges.

Praised for its visuals and concept, Pilotwings 64 was one of three launch titles for the console. It sold over one million units and even received a sequel, Pilotwings Resort, on the Nintendo 3DS. Stay tuned for more details when it goes live on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack next week.

In that regard, Mario Kart 8 is probably Nintendo’s greatest triumph in over a decade. The developers at Nintendo EAD have stripped away everything that was extraneous, and distilled the game down to its simplest essence- the core formula of racing, drifting, tailgating, and item usage. The focus is now squarely on the racing, and the racing alone, and everything in Mario Kart 8 exists to enable that racing. There is something to be said for starting up a game, and being well into it just thirty seconds later.

But at the same time, there’s also the nagging feeling that Nintendo, in their great hurry to have a bona fide system seller out for their struggling Wii U, made concessions, and compromised on the final product a bit more than you would expect. While it’s refreshing to see a simple main menu with just two game mode selections separating you from some high octane kart action, there is also some dismay associated with the fact when you realize that those two modes are really all that you get. And that right there is the curse and boon of Mario Kart 8- in its unyielding focus on simplicity, it has become what might be the greatest Nintendo game as far as pure game design goes in over a decade. But that same focus also holds the game back from true greatness as an overall product.

"The developers at Nintendo EAD have stripped away everything that was extraneous, and distilled the game down to its simplest essence- the core formula of racing, drifting, tailgating, and item usage. The focus is now squarely on the racing, and the racing alone, and everything in Mario Kart 8 exists to enable that racing."

Mario Kart 8, for those of you who are just now joining the rest of the world in its over twenty year long obsession with the franchise, is structured like every other game in the series- it splits itself into a single player mode and a multiplayer mode. The single player modes are racing (either in a Grand Prix, or custom tournaments), or the battle mode (more on this one in a bit). The Grand Prix functions as the main ‘career’ mode of the game, as you have to steadily make your way through all the 32 tracks, separated into 16 cups of 4 courses each, to unlock new characters and karts. The karts, characters, and tracks are all based on the Mushroom Kingdom that the main Mario games take place in.

You race to unlock more karts and characters, and you have to race across three ‘classes’ (roughly equivalent to difficulty levels) and complete the Grand Prix mode on each. Racing itself is extremely simple, and after eight iterations, Nintendo has this formula down to an art, with racing, drifting, drafting, gliding, and boosting feeling the best they ever have. In this regard, Mario Kart 8 also benefits from being the first game in the series that doesn’t dismiss the mechanical base of its predecessor to start afresh- it uses the already adept mechanical framework of Mario Kart 7, and finetunes and tweaks it. Mario Kart 8 as a result feels absolutely tight. The racing physics are amazing, and the kart seems to respond to what you want it to do, rather than your button presses on the controller. Newcomers and veterans to the series alike will be entirely comfortable with the mechanics of Mario Kart 8 within minutes, though both will probably spend inordinate hours of their lives trying to master said mechanics.

Of course, pure racing prowess will only take you so far in Mario Kart 8- a hallmark of the series has always been its emphasis on items and weapons. Indeed, item usage in the Mario Kart series is always emphasized, to the extent that it often compromises on the core racing, and makes the games unbalanced. This was an issue most endemic in Mario Kart Wii, where it felt like the game was actively punishing you for being good at it- it was impossible to be in first place for more than half a minute, and not be bombarded by all manner of red shells, blue shells, lightning bolts, and squids, and suddenly dropping down at least half a dozen places.

"Mario Kart has always been known for its stellar track design, but for the first time ever, it feels like the developers found themselves unconstrained, and went all out."

Mario Kart 8, however, is different. Item usage in the game is almost shockingly de-emphasized, as it places the focus squarely on the actual racing. Most items that you get aren’t offensive, they’re defensive, challenging you to try and maintain your lead or your current position as you try to work your way up. Existing items have all been retweaked to ensure that they remain balanced, with even the dreaded Blue Shell finally getting a counter in the form of the Super Horn, a new item that can destroy anything in its vicinity, including, yes, blue shells.

It’s just as well that items aren’t the focus of the game anymore, because the game’s exemplary track design demands absolute focus. Mario Kart has always been known for its stellar track design, but for the first time ever, it feels like the developers found themselves unconstrained, and went all out- Mario Kart 8’s new tracks will have you racing in forests, on cloudtops, at an airport, down a waterfall, underwater, gliding through the air, and even defying gravity. Functionally, there is little difference between racing up a wall, and racing on the ground, but it opens up so many alternate paths on each track, it encourages players to try and find shortcuts even where they wouldn’t ordinarily think of trying to find them. The new batch of 16 tracks that Mario Kart 8 introduces is, without question, the best new batch of tracks ever introduced in a Mario Kart game. Meanwhile, the 16 old remastered tracks that you are encouraged to revisit might as well be brand new tracks, with so much work having gone into rebuilding them that they feel brand new, and end up standing proud with the new introductions.

All of this also carries over to the multiplayer portions of the game. Mario Kart 8 supports up to four players locally, or twelve players online (with up to two players per console being allowed to go online). The multiplayer mode is surprisingly progressive- the netcode is impeccable, with there being no lag, the races go without a hitch, lobbies are easy to find, and the matchmaking is great. It’s easy to join races with friends too, and you even get a (very limited) voice chat option for friend races. To add to all of that, Mario Kart 8 also lets you set up tournaments, which is an expansion of the communities concept introduced in Mario Kart 7. Essentially, tournaments can function like custom servers or lobbies, with you being able to set custom playlists, decide what items will be allowed, decide what class and kinds of vehicles will be eligible, and deciding whether the tournament is open to the public, or to friends only. You can even make tournaments timed, so that they begin and end at certain times. It’s really all very well done, and the multiplayer, which has long been the lifeline of the Mario Kart series, is the best in Mario Kart 8 than it ever was.

Equally astonishing are Mario Kart 8’s sharing features- in addition to the standard screenshot sharing features that the Wii U supports at an OS level, Mario Kart 8 also supports video sharing and uploading, over both, Nintendo’s own Miiverse, as well as Youtube. After any race, you get the option to create a simple and short highlight reel (using a simple but to the point video editor suite), and to share it with your friends (or simply to save it so you can view it later). The feature, which is called Mario Kart TV, is actually the centerpiece of the game, and once again, represents an unusually progressive move for Nintendo, a company which is traditionally averse to online interactions. MKTV isn’t necessarily the best or most full featured video sharing suite on the market at all, but it’s simple enough to get into, and creates some truly memorable sizzle reels of some of your best moments.

"Mario Kart 8 is a gorgeous game. It won't be too much of a stretch to say that it might be the prettiest game on the market right now, and this owes itself to Nintendo's excellent artstyle, and also the technical accomplishments of the game, which include dynamic lighting and shadows, and a blistering 60FPS at 720p. "

All of this is wrapped up in one stellar looking and sounding package. You see, Mario Kart 8 is a gorgeous game. It won’t be too much of a stretch to say that it might be the prettiest game on the market right now, and this owes itself to Nintendo’s excellent artstyle, and also the technical accomplishments of the game, which include dynamic lighting and shadows, and a blistering 60FPS at 720p. It’s a treat for the eyes, and it’s actually incredible that Nintendo managed to get this out of the Wii U. Weak the console might be, but if this is the kind of visual output that we can expect from Nintendo games on the system, I don’t think Wii U fans have much to worry about.

As good as Mario Kart 8 looks, it somehow manages to sound even better. For the first time in series history, the music is all fully orchestrated, and it makes a world of a difference. The tracks all sound lively, upbeat, and jazzy, and they’ll immediately be stuck in your head. In fact, the title screen theme alone is so good that you probably won’t want to proceed to the main menu for a while, just so you can listen to it a bit more. The music is absolutely amazing, and the remixes of the old tracks that show up are incredible too, with Rainbow Road 64 probably being a standout of the entire set.

With the game doing so much right, it’s actually shocking to realize how much it does wrong (or more accurately, doesn’t do at all). The Battle Mode is the first instance of this- although Battle Modes have always been divisive ever since Mario Kart 64, they have also always been fun. Mario Kart 8’s Battle Mode is probably the first instance of a battle mode in the series being poorly designed. No longer do you get custom battle mode arenas to battle in, and are instead relegated to running around the same courses that you race on, trying to find other players before the time runs out. Not only is this tedious and boring- you aren’t likely to ever actually come across another player, and a battle will never be properly finished, with winners instead being decided by the standings at the end of the timer- but it’s also shockingly lazy, and is perhaps the first indication that the game was rushed.

And then you realize that for all of its mechanical and visual flair, there really isn’t much to do in Mario Kart 8- once you’re done racing and unlocking things, what’s left to do? You can go online and race there, you can race locally, or you can try your luck at the butchered battle mode. There’s a Time Trial mode, and there are always Miiverse Stamps to unlock, but unlike previous games in the series, which have offered a wide range of single player content, Mario Kart 8 feels very barebones.

"And then you realize that for all of its mechanical and visual flair, there really isn't much to do in Mario Kart 8. Unlike previous games in the series, which have offered a wide range of single player content, Mario Kart 8 feels very barebones."

There are multiple other such problems with Mario Kart 8 too- for example, the game somehow doesn’t have an options menu. Yes, I know what I said before about an admirable focus on game design and a reluctance to overwhelm the player with a bloated options menu, but just a simple one, that maybe let players set custom controls, or just set the volume of the music and sound effects individually, would have been acceptable. But it doesn’t exist, it’s not there. Also not there is a stats tracker, which feels like a baffling omission. And perhaps most relevant tot he actual game, the character roster feels very padded- we have over 30 characters to choose from, but they’re padded out with seven different Koopalings and a lot of Baby and reskinned characters.

None of this really detracts from the core game’s brilliance, of course. Mario Kart 8 is a masterwork of pure mechanical and game design, and it’s a very progressive game. A lack of options or content does not change from any of that, or from the fact that Mario Kart 8 probably represents the series at its best, even eclipsing the innovative Double Dash, or the loaded to the brim with content Mario Kart DS. And ultimately, like I said before, there’s something to be said for the stark focus on simplicity that Mario Kart 8 emphasizes. We can sit here all day and debate the merits of including a proper battle mode, or a better character roster (both of which are highly likely anyway in the form of post game DLC), but when all is said and done, Mario Kart 8 represents the best game currently available on the three next gen consoles, and is the best reason to get a Wii U if there ever was one.

This game was reviewed on Wii U.

People still haven’t gotten over just how good Wii U’s Super Mario 3D World was, and it looks like Nintendo EAD have already started working on the next Mario game. In an interview with Edge Online, EAD Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi confirmed that the development team has already begun work on a new title in the platformer series.

Koizumi was reluctant to comment on whether the game would be out for the 3DS or for the Wii U, but he did talk about the project itself. “We’ve already started approaching our next challenge,” he said. “There’s still a lot more room for discovery and invention, and we’ll continue to propose new and exciting game mechanics going into the future.”

Considering how consistently successful and amazing Super Mario games have been since the release of Galaxy back in 2007, there’s no surprise in seeing this.

We loved Super Mario 3D World too, and you can read our review of the game through this link.

The game sold 65,740 copies this week, followed by Fantasy Life (20,606 copies for the 3DS) and DmC: Devil May Cry (15,157 copies for PS3). A new entry in the top 5 comes with Superbot’s PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, available for the PS3, with 11,758 copies sold.

Meanwhile in the hardware charts, the Nintendo 3DS XL leads with 51,654 copies sold, an increase over last week’s 48,226 copies. This was followed by the 3DS at 26,028 copies and the Playstation 3 at 18,106 copies.

Thanks to the release JRPGs like Tales of Xillia 2 along with a new Devil May Cry, it’s no wonder that Sony’s console still features in the top 3, especially ahead of the Wii U (12,959 copies) and its own PS Vita (9,596 copies).

Source: GIBiz

Did we say “gorgeous”? Because we also meant downright frightening. Some of the Pikmin creatures were disturbing in their own right but given the new graphical treatment with the Wii U? Madness.

Regardless, Pikmin 3 is one of the more anticipated titles and was scheduled to release last year as a launch title. The game has since been delayed to Spring this year (with a Q2 release in Europe).

Unlike previous game, Pikmin 3 will allow for the use of four leaders instead of two, and Captain Olimar is currently AWOL for reasons unknown. Nintendo has also taken it upon itself to add new Pikmin, namely Rock Pikmin for destroying tough barriers and Pink Pikmin which can fly.

And hey, a touchscreen gamepad for unit management. If not a AAA release, Pikmin 3 will at least let us play the series as it was meant to be played.

About New Super Mario Bros. U:

Game Overview:
Mario is known for, the game includes a number of special modes and features that will make players want to jump in again and again.
Challenge Mode: Challenge Mode tasks players with completing specific objectives, such as clearing a course without obtaining a single coin or touching the ground. There are four single-player Challenge categories: Time Attack, Coin Collection, 1-Up Rally and Special (miscellaneous challenges). Boost Mode Challenges require two players. Once players complete a Challenge, the game saves a replay of the action so players can show off their accomplishments.
Coin Battle: Up to four players run through a course and compete to see who can collect the most coins. Another player can also use the Wii U GamePad in Boost Mode to place Boost Blocks to help grab hard-to-reach coins. Players can also use the GamePad to edit and customise the coin layout in dedicated courses. The coin layout can then be saved and played by the players using Wii Remote controllers.
World Map: New Super Mario Bros. U is the first side-scrolling Mario game since 1992’s Super Mario World that features a seamless world map with named worlds and courses. The map contains many secret exits, which might change the map and cause shortcuts to appear. The worlds are interconnected, so people can play through the game in a nonlinear fashiion.
Nabbit: From time to time, a creature named Nabbit will appear on the world map. Players must enter the course and catch the speedy Nabbit to recover items stolen from Toad. If Nabbit is nabbed, players receive a powerful P-Acorn, which will allow them to fly continuously through an entire stage. The only way to obtain a P-Acorn is to catch Nabbit.

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Platforms: WiiU

Release Date: 30/11/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

About :Nintendo Land

Game Overview:

Yoshi’s Fruit Cart: Using the GamePad touch screen and stylus, the player draws a path for the Yoshi Cart to follow through each course. However, only the view of the course displayed on the TV screen shows fruit that must be collected and obstacles that must be avoided along the way to the goal. This fun attraction is a great example of the kind of integrated second-screen game play made possible by Wii U and the GamePad controller.
Captain Falcon’s Twister Race: In this single-player Attraction based on the F-Zero racing franchise, players get a top-down view of the track on the GamePad, which is held vertically and turned to steer the vehicle through a winding, twisting track, as they try to hit checkpoints before time runs out. Driving across dash plates can provide a quick burst of speed, while obstacles like speed spikes, whirlwinds, other vehicles and even bombs can make for a dangerous run.
Octopus Dance: In this single-player Attraction, players use the GamePad to mirror dance moves performed by a deep-sea dance instructor. The goal is to always be watching one’s own movements from the back to more easily mirror dance moves, but the dynamic interaction between the GamePad and the TV adds a unique twist. Players must be ready to switch between the views offered on the TV screen and the GamePad screen, as sometimes one view is more useful than the other.

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Platforms: WiiU

Release Date: 30/11/2012

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

There are some videogames that have defined the gaming industry over the years, and whenever a new one comes along, it’s simply a monumental occasion. You know which ones they are, right? Yeah, I’m talking about GTA and Zelda and Mario and others. It will be a while before GTA V is finally in our hands, but the latest Zelda game from Nintendo, Skyward Sword is already here, and, dare I say, is spectacular. It’s also the 25^th anniversary of the Zelda franchise, so this is special in more ways than one.

This is one franchise that showcases Nintendo’s ability as a game designer, and their ability to simply mesmerise people in the world they have woven with so much love. Make no mistake about it; Skyward Sword is their largest undertaking yet, spanning 5 years and with some of Nintendo’s best developers sculpting it with meticulous care. It’s perhaps, a fitting tribute to the Wii that disrupted the balance of force this generation. One could say that this year wasn’t that eventful for the console, but it doesn’t have to be, when a game comes out for it that oozes with so much charisma that it puts plenty of other games to shame.

Unwavering praise aside, Skyward Sword heavily utilizes the Wii Motion Plus here, resulting in almost a 1:1 tracking accuracy. Basically, you are Link, the hero of the game, and you probably don’t need any introduction here as he is one of the defining characters of the franchise. And Zelda, of course, who has the entire franchise named after her. Cute, charming and pleasant, her visual overhaul here has been for the better.

The game starts of slowly as you would expect in a mystical place known as Skyloft. No, it’s doesn’t start in Hyrule, but somewhere way above it, over the clouds where there are a bunch of floating islands. So, with an ingenious new setting, comes an ingenious new method of transportation – Giant Birds. I have to be honest here, Link’s bird made me go “awww,” which is pretty much a testament to Nintendo’s design more than anything else. One of the major reasons for immersion here is the music. Mostly Orchestral tunes accompanied by some of the best hummable themes ever, makes it oh, so satisfying.

And this is where I have a few issues with the game. The tutorial system is completely overdone. Hey, Nintendo! I know you are trying to make it accessible to new gamers, but let the experienced people or people who actually have an IQ over 90 skip it. There is absolutely no reason to hold anyone hostage like this. Unfortunately, this remains a hindrance till much later in the game. You have a new companion in this game, and she known as FI. You can summon her anytime in the game for hints and general updates. Veteran Zelda players will be familiar with how this mechanic works.

This is a pretty gigantic game. There are plenty of things to do here. You can do the side quests, clear dungeons or just leisurely explore the vast Skyloft and the lands beneath it which comes in three varieties – Forest, Desert and Volcano. The thing that impressed me the most was the story. It’s more personal this time around, making you genuinely feel for the characters. It isn’t complicated at all. In fact, it’s the same – Hero searches for the princess and fighting bad guys in the way type of story. But the thing that stands out here is Nintendo’s execution.

After some optional training and a (*shudder*) tutorial, Link sets out to find Zelda in what is, and could be termed as, one of the best adventures ever. It won’t be an easy task though, as Link’s journey is full of dangers and obstacles. The motion controls are a mixed bag I feel. Sometimes it works well, sometimes it doesn’t. There isn’t any consistency here, but overall, I’d say it’s the best Nintendo could possibly squeeze out of the main hardware and the controller. And yeah, it’s definitely not as embarrassing as Miyamoto’s E3 2010 Skyward Sword demonstration.

The dungeons are one of the staples of the franchise and again, they’re expertly designed, especially- and I have to give a special mention here- dungeon 4. I wouldn’t say almost all of them are perfect, but it definitely is enjoyable and well done. Some of them are simply a joy to explore. Of course, at the end of the dungeon you will have a boss fight, whom after defeating nets you a cool accessory, and you proceed ahead in the game after that. Some of the boss fights here are simply spectacular. They require a lot of agility and cleverness to defeat and what could be a seemingly impossible boss fight, is actually incredibly simple, if you figure out how to go about it.

The pacing could be a bit better as there is a slight semblance of repetitiveness here. But once you get into that “zone” where you wake up at 4 am in the morning to play this game, pacing can go to hell for all I care. Link isn’t a super hero though, just a hero, so there is a stamina gauge here which determines how much you can run. I felt this addition was pretty unnecessary, but I guess Nintendo wanted you to slow down a little bit and admire the beautiful world they created. And oh boy, beautiful it is, indeed. I’d say, this is the best looking Zelda game ever. The cutscenes are masterfully created, which permeates a lot of emotion without any sort of voiceover at all.

There are a lot of extras here as well. When you fly using your bird, the controls, while having a slight learning curve, are pretty easy to master, and it usually gives a sense of exhilaration once you soar through the skies, and towards your objective, whatever that might be. Overall, it is really satisfying. When you do reach the end of the game, after spending almost 30 hours trying to fight, solve puzzles and find where Zelda could have gone, you reach the final boss fight, which ends in a thrilling conclusion. That’s when you realize why this series is revered so much by many.

A game which can be termed as a fitting send off to the Wii, Skyward Sword is well worth your time and money, whether you have played the previous Zelda games or not (thanks tutorial). It is worth buying the Wii just to experience this masterpiece Nintendo has created. It’s a game that is made by the developers at the peak of their prowess and is a fitting celebration of game design itself.

This game was reviewed on the Wii.