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Nintendo Develops Star Fox & 2 More Projects for Wii U

Time magazine revealed before Nintendo's streamed E3 events on Tuesday that the company is developing a new Star Fox game for the Wii U console. Nintendo is reimagining the franchise to use the Wii U's GamePad, with a new control scheme that acclaimed game creator Shigeru Miyamoto is overseeing himself. Under this control scheme, players have to maneuver the Game Pad in 3D to aim while simultaneously manipulating the GamePad's control sticks. The game will also have a new helicopter vehicle piloted by one player, while the second player controls the on-board robot.

Miyamoto noted that Nintendo had not released a Star Fox game for the earlier Wii console, although a "small group of people" was experimenting with Star Fox on the Wii hardware for six years. Nintendo has been expanding upon those assets for the new Wii U title for the past six to ten months.

In his Time interview, Miyamoto also revealed an experimental effort called Project Giant Robot. In this title, "players control sky-scraping automatons, angling the Wii U GamePad in front of a TV screen while shifting their torsos left and right or up and down to maneuver the robot's upper-body while thumbing the controller's joysticks to punch or grab — almost like a full-body game of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. The GamePad shows you what the robot sees, while the TV screen offers a zoomed-back view, letting onlookers — as well as you — admire your tromping, pummeling handiwork."

In still another experimental effort called Project Guard, "the GamePad became a quick-jump map of a fortress manned by numbered, laser-firing security cameras. As robots encroach on different entry points, you have to tap the GamePad to leap from camera to camera, blasting enemies that trundle or come at you sprinting — even some that sneak under your radar. All the while, onlookers can shout out the numbers that correspond to robot-threatened camera feeds, turning your defense operations into a frenetic, heart-racing, tap-and-fire scramble." Miyamoto added that project dated back to the Nintendo 64 era, but that console did not have processing power to create what the company wanted.

Miyamoto acknowledged that the new control scheme in these projects has a learning curve, but asserted that it will be ultimately be more immersive and enjoyable for players.

Time has since removed its article.

[Via Siliconera]