Nintendo's ‘Star Fox Zero’ Could Breathe New Life Into Wii U Gamepad

To some, it may seem that Nintendo is losing confidence in its Wii U console, especially since the company has announced a new console called the NX. But the company clearly hasn’t given up hope: Sources say the upcoming “Star Fox Zero” game will not only use the Wii U gamepad to its full potential, but it may even make more people want to buy a Wii U.

Polygon reported that Shigeru Miyamoto and other members of Nintendo decided to make a game that would fully engage players. To accomplish this, the team came up with a control scheme in which the gamepad controller shows a cockpit view of the starship, while the television screen shows a third-person view of the ship -- giving players a choice in how they want to play the game. But Forbes notes a few problems with the control scheme, stating that toggling between the TV and the gamepad could get confusing for some players.

Nintendo also announced a co-op mode that would have one player steering the ship and another player shooting lasers, in case a player wants to, for example, team up with his or her child. In addition, Nintendo announced that Platinum Games would develop the title.

This seems to be a busy year for Platinum, which is also working on “Transformers: Devastation” and the new “Nier” game -- projects that suggest other publishers have confidence in Platinum's various talents. Nintendo stated that Platinum is good at making action games, so getting Platinum for “Star Fox Zero” was a coup.

Nintendo hopes that “Star Fox Zero” helps revitalize Wii U, just as the most recent “Splatoon” game did. With the previous “Star Fox” games having been hits, it's clear that Nintendo remains focused on making the Wii U a must-have console.