Nintendo Direct - The Essentials

Pokémon X/Y was the first game to feature during Nintendo's E3 livestream. The two new games - X and Y - will include a selection of new features, including new fairy types, which are especially effective against dragon type Pokémons, adding a new layer of strategy to the game.

Pokémon-Aime is another new feature. It's a way to interact with your Pokémon. You can form a strong bond with your virtual pet by stroking them, and doing things like copying their actions to make them happy. The games are to be launched worldwide on October 12.

Super Mario 3D World - latest title in the long-running series, was announced by Satoru Iwata during the broadcast. According to Iwata, the new Mario title represents the next step forward in the series. It features crisp HD graphics, and a multiplayer mode for up to four players. The game is coming out in December.

Iwata then announced yet another classic series is to be revisited on Wii U. Mario Kart 8 features an assortment of classic characters, including: Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong and more. We saw gameplay featuring the various characters tearing around tracks on a variety of different vehicles (bikes, quads, karts, wall-hugging contraptions, and hand-gliders).

There's a new anti-gravity mechanic, allowing for extravagant three-dimensional courses. Once again we'll be able to race underwater, as well as glide through the sky. We're promised the best collection of online multiplayer modes to date, and not just in terms of racing, but sharing fun via the Miiverse. Mario Kart 8 is due sometime during spring 2014.

It was also revealed that Wii Party U - a game that features (yes, you guessed it) party games and tabletop mini-games played with the gamepad - will see its release pushed back from a planned summer launch. No firm date was given, we're just told it will be with us later this year. The same fate befell Wii Fit U, which has also been pushed back, this time until some point during the winter.

The Art Academy series is in development for Wii U, in response to players sharing art over the Miiverse. New drawing tool features are being released this summer, ahead of the game's full launch next year. Users will be able to use virtual pencils, coloured pencils, and pastels to draw on gamepad screen and share their artistic creations with others.

We then saw a montage of third-party titles that included Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Disney Infinity, Just Dance 2014, Rayman Legends, Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, Disney's Planes, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Skylanders: Swap Force, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Sonic Lost World, and Watch Dogs.

A new Donkey Kong title was then revealed. Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze is, as you would expect, a side-scrolling platform game that sees the return of some of Nintendo's most iconic characters. The premise is simple, Donkey Kong's back yard has been overrun by vikings, and he must defend his home/island with the help of Diddy and Dixie.

The gameplay demonstration we were privy to boasted HD graphics, with camera angles that will spin around and show dynamic scenes for new gameplay experiences. Once again there'll be two player simultaneous multiplayer for co-op buddies to savour, but sadly there was no mention of a release date other than sometime this year, so we'll have to wait for a future announcement regarding when the game will launch.

There were two Platinum Games titles on show. First up was The Wonderful 101 - a game where players use swarms of characters to unite together and turn them into a weapon to fight giant metallic aliens that are invading earth. There's a co-op mode for up to five players, and the game will be released in Europe on August 23.

Platinum Games also prepared another Bayonetta trailer for this latest Nintendo Direct. The gun-toting witch has undergone a little makeover, and now has a new hair style and costume. After the CGI trailer we got to see some gameplay footage of Bayonetta 2, along with a release window of April 2014.

During the E3 Nintendo Direct broadcast we got to see a new game called X, from makers of Xenoblade Chronicles, Tetsuya Takahashi and Monolith Soft. The demo we watched was filled to the brim with huge mechs and monsters. Iwata then promised a huge open world for players to explore, and a release sometime in 2014.

The game last games to be announced are called, for the time being: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The content is the same in both versions, but the portable game presents a cel-shaded visual finish with black outlines (to better define the characters on the small screen) and the Wii U version offers detailed HD graphics.

The first trailer for Super Smash Bros. 4 also demonstrated new stages and moves that will appear in the fourth installment of the beloved game, that invites Mega Man and a simple villager from Animal Crossing to the fray. At the moment Super Smash Bros. 4 has 11 confirmed characters: the two aforementioned additions, as well as Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Kirby, Fox, Pikachu, Bowser and Pit.