Welcome to the Daily Wiretap: Weekend Edition! Each day the team here at Nintendo Wire works tirelessly to bring you the best, most relevant late-breaking Nintendo news this side of the Mushroom Kingdom. To help make ingesting all these meaty stories easier than Kirby hopped up on Miracle Fruit, we’ve compiled a handy list of noteworthy announcements and general industry happenings regarding the Big N in the last 48 hours. Without further ado, here’s a few things we’ve picked up over the wire this weekend:
DIGITAL ESHOP CARDS GET A MUSHROOM KINGDOM FACELIFT
A new line of digital eShop cards rocked Amazon earlier today, featuring a flurry of familiar faces from Mario’s colorful world. Fingers crossed for some new physical designs hitting retail stores in the near future.
Read more: Seven new digital eShop card designs featuring Mario characters available on Amazon
HAL LABORATORY CREDITED FOR SEVERAL SWITCH HARDWARE DESIGNS
HAL Laboratory, famous Kirby and Super Smash Bros. developers, worked on several key components for the Nintendo Switch. Specifically, they contributed towards UI development regarding the system’s Mii Maker and web browser, along with several other tools present on the console.
Read more: HAL Laboratory contributed to the Switch’s development
DON’T EXPECT TO PLAY OVERWATCH ON SWITCH ANYTIME SOON, HEARTHSTONE MAYBE A POSSIBILITY
Blizzard opened up this weekend on the possibility of Hearthstone and Overwatch finding their way to the Switch. While Overwatch could prove challenging, Hearthstone’s senior designer Mike Donais feels a Switch port for the highly addictive tabletop game could be in the cards.
Read more: Blizzard talks possibilities for Hearthstone and Overwatch on Switch
SPLATOON 2 CELEBRATES PUNS-A-PLENTY WITH NEW STAGE HUMPBACK PUMP
New stage Humpback Pump looks to channel the curving and secluded nature of the original Splatfest’s Blackbelly Skatepark. Check out a special video from Hisashi Nogami introducing the radical looking BMX track, as well as a gallery of epic screenshots.
Watch here: New stage Humpback Pump Track coming to Splatoon 2
Read more: Take a good look at Splatoon 2’s new map, Humpback Pump Track
YOOKA-LAYLEE RAP TRIGGERS CHILDHOOD TRAUMA (IN THE BEST OF WAYS)
Those suffering from night terrors sparked by Donkey 64’s infamously so-bad-it’s-good opening sequence might require hospitalization should they dare click the link below. Playtonic Games brought out all the stops for this weekend’s jovial festivities with a loving tribute to Yooka-Laylee’s spiritual legacy. When compared to the original, dare I say it proves bigger, faster and stronger, too!
Watch here: Playtonic graces the world with the Yooka-Laylee Rap
YOOKA-LAYLEE’S HIDDEN REFERENCE TO CONKER’S BAD FUR DAY IS AWESOME
Given Playtonic’s development team is largely comprised of Rareware veterans, a subtle nod to classic 3D platformer Conker’s Bad Fur Day was lovingly placed in Yooka-Laylee. Needless to say, steer clear if you consider the specifics remotely close to spoiler territory.
Read more: Conker’s Bad Fur Day Easter egg discovered in Yooka-Laylee
BAYONETTA SITE TEASES BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
Accompanying a small Bayonetta flash game being released on Steam as part of some good natured April Fools’ hijinx, a Bayonetta teaser site featuring a ten day countdown timer went live on Sega’s website.
Read more: Bayonetta countdown clock appears on Sega’s website
NEW MARIO KART 8 DELUXE TV SPOT SPLATTERS ONTO THE SCENE
Nintendo of America launched a new television ad for the Switch’s upcoming deluxe port of Mario Kart 8, featuring kid squids galore racing for the gold.
Read more: (Video) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Souped Up TV Spot
KIRBY’S INNOCENT NATURE EXPLOITED FOR PERFECT PRANK
In the spirit of everyone’s favorite pranking holiday, the official Kirby 25th Anniversary Twitter shared a humorous image starring the gluttonously gullible pink puff ball. See what happens when Super Star’s classic jester Marx and Return to Dream Land’s interstellar traveler Magolor team up for hilarious hijinx at Kirby’s expense.
Read more: Kirby 25th Anniversary Twitter shares a new image for April Fools
EVERY GAME EVER IS BASICALLY JUST A SHAMEFUL SHOVEL KNIGHT CLONE
It was just a matter of time before copycats and imitators ripped off one of gaming’s greatest gifts to mankind. Check out how Shovel Knight single-handedly defined the platforming genre, inspiring all the classics you’ve grown to love and appreciate over the years (and definitely not the other way around).
Read more: (April Fools) Games have been copying Shovel Knight left and right
WARIOWARE SPINOFF CRAZY GALAXY COMING TO A MULTIVERSE NEAR YOU
Nintendo of Japan announced an exciting new WarioWare spinoff starring the wicked Wiccan Ashley and four intrepid space girls who may or may not start a rock band while fighting evil… or something. Look forward to playing it this sprinter on Septober 37th, 20XX.
Read more: (April Fools) Nintendo announces fake WarioWare spinoff Crazy Galaxy
MACHAMP’S SPEEDO ENDORSEMENT DEAL FEELS LIKE A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Move over, Michael Jordan; there’s a new boxer brief promoting king in town! Superpowered Pokémon Machamp was officially declared the face of this year’s hottest underwear campaign: MaChamps.
Read more: (April Fools) Pokémon Company reveals its latest venture: MaChamps
That’s all for today! For all your future Nintendo news, stay plugged in to Nintendo Wire.
Written by Matthew Weidner
When it comes to playing and writing about video games, Matthew aspires to be the very best, like no one ever was. Writing for Nintendo Wire and the thought of one day finally achieving a perfect, no death Super Meat Boy run fills him with determination.
