Three more attractions have been added to the theme park that is Nintendo's flagship title for the Wii U's launch, Nintendo Land. With the addition of Yoshi's Fruit Cart, Captain Falcon's Twister Race and the Octopus Dance (Game and Watch), the total attractions in Nintendo Land equal 12, and the theme park is complete. With each of Nintendo's main franchises represented, one can only wonder what sorts of Easter Eggs and surprises await within.
Here are the descriptions for the newest Nintendo Land mini-games:
- 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.
Nintendo Land will come bundled with the $350 Deluxe Set Wii U, or will cost the current generation's standard $60 separately. Considering Nintendo Land is quite possibly the most exciting title of the the Wii U's launch lineup, I find it tough to consider the cheaper Wii U bundle that runs at $300.
Hopefully we'll get some footage of the new games in motion soon. Until then, we can look forward to Nintendo Land and the Wii U's release date on November 18.