The PlayStation people are always going on about indie games. The Xbox people talk them up, too. Nintendo's been quieter about supporting indie games, but that appears to be changing. A whole bunch of indie games are coming to Wii U and 3DS, and pretty soon at that.
3DS
Moon Chronicles
This one is an episodic re-release of the Renegade Kid's Metroid-inspired first-person shooter for the Nintendo DS, now presented on the 3DS at four re-mastered episodes. Nine bucks for the first, two for each of the next three. I played this one last week and must say that a glasses-free stereoscopic 3D first-person shooter running at 60 frames per second is quite a sight. The first episode is slated for a March/April release, with an original second season planned to follow.
Here's a comparison of the 3DS graphics to the DS visuals:
Treasurenauts
Also from Renegade Kid and slated for a May or June release, this is a 2D platformer about grabbing loot in various arena levels. There is an optional brutally-hard, no-saving mode that one of the game's creators theorizes that some people will love ("everyone else will hate it").
The basic idea is that your hero—there are a variety of them to choose from, some referencing other games—is dropped off an island by the Bad Pirate Pete and has about two hours to get as much loot as possible before he returns. The player will always be shown how far away Pete is and can try to delay him. Levels have interesting quirks, such as the one that gradually becomes haunted unless you un-haunt it by hitting a central orb. The game supports local co-op.
Retro City Rampage DX
What's new in this multi-platform homage to classic games and old-school GTA? Watch the trailer above. Oh, and it's out tomorrow! February 6.
Siesta Fiesta
From Mojo Bones, the press release describes it as "a colorful action game where players take control of the snoozing Siesta as he’s taken on a one-of-a-kind tour of Fiestaville: home to the beloved Fiestas. Use Siesta’s bed to bounce, boost and rebound across the island’s 8 fun-filled regions." From screenshots it appears to be a Breakout style ball-deflection game.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
WayForward's 2D platformer series returns sometime between now and the end of March. Official gameplay bullet points from the press release:
- Whipping! Destroy monsters, topple bosses, and solve puzzles with your hair
- Platforming! Run and jump through deviously designed levels
- Exploring! Navigate a world of interconnected levels and Labyrinths
- Belly Dancing! Dance with your Magic Lamp to suck up magic and items
- Customizing! Earn new abilities, unlock stat-boosting artifacts, magic & costumes
- Storytelling! Flirtatious characters and wonderfully off-beat humor
Wii U
1,001 Spikes
You have 1,001 lives in this game, and, from the looks of it, you'll need them. Slated for a spring release. This Wii U version has four-player local co-op and versus multiplayer.
Shovel Knight
We spotted this homage to the glory days of the NES and Super Nintendo last year at PAX East and liked it a lot. The creators at Yacht Club games cite a combination of Duck Tales and Mega Man as influences, though you'll likely sense a lot of Zelda II, too.
The game is also coming to the 3DS and PC. Releasing March 31.
Armillo
We saw this game nearly three years ago and were impressed. It's a surprisingly slick-looking 3D platformer along the lines of a Super Mario Galaxy, but starring an armadillo who controls and rolls a bit more like Sonic. Slated for a March release and now apparently includes 2D platforming sections as well.
Assault Android Cactus
We know next to nothing about this twin-stick shooter from Witch Beam games. Supports 1-4 players, slated for release between April and the end of June. (Also coming to non-Nintendo platforms, including PS4 and PS Vita).
Ballpoint Universe: Infinite
We've already fallen for Arachnid Game's hand-drawn game on PC. It's coming to Wii U on March 18.
Ittle Dew
Another game we liked on PC now coming to Wii U. Slated for February or March.
Monkey Pirates
We don't know much about this multliplayer-centric game. It's coming to Wii U by the end of March. Also coming to PC.
Nihilumbra
We already dug this spooky platformer on iOS. It's out for PC, too, and coming to Wii U.
Q.U.B.E.
This Portal-ish, PC first-person game is slated for a Wii U release.
Scram Kitty And His Buddy On Rails
2D shooting, 360-degree platforming, from Dakko Dakko Limited. Slated for March.
Teslagrad
This seamless 2D, hand-drawn game from Norweigan studio Rain Games is scheduled for a March or April release.
Wooden Sen'SeY
Developed by Upper Byte, this one's a 2D action-platformer set in a so-called "Japan Steam Rock" world. Set for release this month.
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And there you have it... Nintendo themselves may not be releasing many Wii U games in the first half of this year and might be sticking to a proven, one-cool-game-a-month for 3DS, but with all these indies coming, it does look like there will be more to check out on the company's platforms than you might have expected. Which of these games will you play?
To contact the author of this post, write to stephentotilo@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @stephentotilo.