Recap: Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright Announced During Nintendo Direct

During today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata officially confirmed the announcement of a Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney game coming to North America for the Nintendo 3DS in 2014.

The title was announced back in 2010 and has since been released in Japan back in November of 2012. Fans of both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright series are looking for a fun story that combines elements of both game series in a just setting that makes sense. Additionally Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, a mainline title that has been released in Japan, will also be coming to the Nintendo 3DS next year.

Other than the Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright announcements, there wasn’t much new information announced during this Nintendo Direct. Mostly, we got an update for previously-announced and upcoming titles.

In the Wii U version of Rayman Legends, you can use exclusive Mario and Luigi costumes to outfit both Rayman and your companions. That, along with the use of the GamePad that the Wii U offers, will definitely convince mutli-console users to purchase the Nintendo version. It released on September 3.

In Mario and Luigi: Dream Team for the Nintendo 3DS, they announced an expert challenge mode. Performing gameplay events, like dodging attacks a certain amount of times in a row, will allow you to earn items, some of which have been considered “best in the game.” As well, depending on the badges you wear in tandem between Mario and Luigi, you will be able to better synchronize your attacks and power ups.

The Legend of Zelda series got a considerable amount of screentime during today’s Nintendo Direct series. For example, Iwata discussed The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and revealed some new information. The game takes place in the same Hyrule as in A Link to the Past, the SNES game, but a generation after those events. This means that you will be playing an entirely new Link, but will still be playing in the same Hyrulian lands. The Dark World, however, is a completely new landscape separate from any previous Zelda title. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds will be released in November of this year.

Additionally, Iwata spoke about The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD remake that is coming out in October. It’s clear that Nintendo is listening to the fans who want to be more clear about the lore of the series, as Mr. Iwata was sure to state that the events precede those in Phantom Hourglass, while the video showcased a lot of Wind Waker gameplay that many have been clamoring to see. We already know that this game will be released for $50, despite no mention of a price during the Nintendo Direct.

A sort of surprise that came out was the announcement of more classic Nintendo games coming to their Nintendo e-shop. Out of the entire bunch, the most notable would have to be Tecmo Bowl. The game already came to the Wii’s virtual console, but now will be making its way to the newest generation of systems. Joining Tecmo Bowl in restoration is Recca Summer Carnival 92, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Wario Land 3, the latter of which is coming to the 3DS e-shop on August 29.

In (sarcastic) SHOCKING NEWS, Luigi has been announced as a playable character for the upcoming Super Smash Bros. game, a title that still did not get a release date or even a release window. Furthermore, Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be getting its own Miiverse on the Wii U called the Animal Crossing Plaza. It will serve as a hangout for fans of the 3DS game where people can share photos, talk about the game and more. You can download it for free now, and will run through to the end of 2014.

As the Nintendo Direct came to a close, the Wonderful 101 Direct was announced for Friday August 8 at 7AM PT. All and all, the Nintendo Direct served its purpose by bringing more information to already-announced upcoming games, with a few surprises along the way. There was no megaton that was dropped (like a new Metroid game), but with a slew of games coming out to the Wii U, plus the repeated successes of the 3DS and its titles, hopefully Nintedo has seen its worst days.

You can check out the full video below.