In addition to unveiling its next-generation Wii U console, Nintendo on Tuesday also showed off a handful of high-profile games that are coming to the Nintendo 3DS later this year.
Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime highlighted five upcoming games, including "Mario Kart," "Starfox 3D," "Super Mario," "Kid Icarus Uprising," and "Luigi's Mansion 2."
"A new world of content opened up overnight," for the 3DS with the launch of the eShop and Web browser for 3DS, Fils-Aime said during the company's E3 press conference.
First up is "Mario Kart," which Fils-Aime described as "a tricked-out version you haven't driven before." The demo featured varied tracks, karts that grew hang gliders for huge jumps, underwater racing with propellers at the back of the kart, and kart customization. It will be available by the holiday season.
In September, however, U.S. users can get their hands on "Starfox 3D," a reboot of a game that debuted in 1993. "When Fox jumps back into the cockpit, you can use buttons for traditional control or turn the hardware itself into the controller," Fils-Aime said. The 3DS cameras, meanwhile, will focus in on your face and reaction, so you can keep tabs on your opponent during group play.
"Super Mario 3D," meanwhile, will be the first 3D Mario adventure created from scratch for a portable system, Fils-Aime said. It will hit stores "before the year is over." Also coming later this year is "Kid Icarus Uprising," which will utilize augmented reality cards to conduct battles.
Finally, Fils-Aime showed off "Luigi's Mansion 2," which he said is "not a simple revision [but] an entirely new game making extraordinary use of 3D and featuring several new mansions." A release date was not mentioned.
Nintendo also showed off some upcoming 3DS games from its third-party partners, including: "Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D"; "Ace Combat 3D"; "Tetris"; "Cave Story 3D"; "Resident Evil: Revelations"; "Driver Renegade"; "Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions"; "Tekken 3D"; and "Metal Geard Solid Snake Eater 3D."
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the "Legend of Zelda," and in celebration, Nintendo will release a different Zelda game for each hardware system.
First, Nintendo will add "Link's Awakening" to the eShop by day's end. "This is a game that we created with the most unbridled creativity of any game in the series, [and it's] great for people playing Zelda for the first time because they can learn the basics," said Shigeru Miyamoto, senior managing director of Nintendo.
Next weekend, "Ocarina of Time 3D" will launch for the 3DS around the world. "Now that it's on the 3DS, the frame rate has been improved, graphics have been revamped, [and there's a] new sense of realism when you're riding your horse," Miyamoto said.
For the DSi, Nintendo will release a four-player "Four Swords" as a free download in September. "Skyward Sword," meanwhile, will be released this holiday season for the Wii. "The game is going to use Wii Motion Plus to swing your sword and will help you use the bow and arrow easier," Miyamoto said.
Nintendo will also release a special gold Wii remote that will be available as a promotion at the game's launch.
Tuesday's press event opened with a symphony playing music from "Zelda," and in honor of the 25th anniversary, Nintendo will host symphony concerts in Europe, the U.S., and Japan this fall. For those who can't make it, Nintendo will also release music CDs of the concerts, as well as the "Ocarina of Time 3D" soundtrack.
Also today, Nintendo unveiled the Wii U, a new gaming platform that adds a small screen to a controller that can interact with the larger TV screen or be used as a standalone handheld device. For more, see PCMag's hands on and the slideshow below.