E3: New Wii Fit, Mario for Japan this year

By Robert Purchese Published 1 June, 2009

Report spills Nintendo's E3 beans early.

Japanese news service Nikkei is reporting that a new Mario game and Wii Fit title will be out in Japan before the end of the year, adding weight to Macquarie Research claims made last week.

Wii Fit Plus, as the report (spotted by GameSpot) calls it, will allow gamers to "compete" with each other online and offers "gentle exercises for the elderly". It will also "respond to player inputs more precisely than in the current version", although there's no mention of a redesigned peripheral.

The Mario revelation is less specific and gives no indication as to which of the many franchises the game will belong. There's no name or date either.

The report does mention, however, that the Mario game hopes to boost sales of Wii in Japan, which at least confirms the platform.

E3 takes place this week and, as always, will get underway with all three platform holders delivering their keynote address. Nintendo goes second this year, speaking from 5pm UK time on Tuesday, 2nd June.

We're there.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bad09 #1 3 years ago

    Didn't like SMG TBH, but a decent Mario is all I need to invest in Wii again. I love that little plumber.

    Ninty's show just got interesting....
    Edited by 1 at 01/06/09 @ 08:47

  • peteb #2 3 years ago

    That would be typical if Mario was out in japan this year and not out over here until 2010.

  • DonnieDarko333 #3 3 years ago

    Nah it'll be out here Xmas 2009, Nintendo really needs to pull there finger out this E3, after last years..well...awful effort.

    Its a follow-up to Mario Galaxy with more galaxies to explore etc..i heard a rumour from a dog that it's gonna be called 'Mario Universe'... ;)

  • peteb #4 3 years ago

    That would make sense yea, i can see them wanting to reuse the engine to make a quick buck as opposed to creating a whole new mario game, which would probably take a few more years. You couldnt blame them though, but it would feel a little like simply being tossed a bone.

  • DonnieDarko333 #5 3 years ago

    My worry is that unlike Sony and Microsoft which probably have back-up reveals..this is Nintendo's E3 conference right here! No more surprises! Wouldn't surprise me at all.

  • Santino #6 3 years ago

    i have been wanting more mario galaxy ever since finishing the first game, i hope it is a sequel but am not so sure.

  • gingerlink #7 3 years ago

    The title makes it sound like this is a confirmed rumour, it's just a report speculating.

    Making speculations that would seem rather likely, but still.

    Also, no-one's started up the F-Zero Wii Rumour again...

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #8 3 years ago

    yet again we'd like to confirm that there are rumors on the net but theres still no real news till during/after E3 - we'd just thought we'd post rumors in case they are real then we can go 'told you so! You heard it here first!'

  • LazyDan #9 3 years ago

    Give us a 2D Mario! An upgraded Super Mario Bros 2 with 4 player local and online co-op! It would be AMAZING.

  • Cid #10 3 years ago

    I'd like to think it's Super Mario Galaxy 2 (or at least another main-series instalment), but more than likely it's just a spin-off. Probably something like Super Paper Mario 2.

  • macmurphy #11 3 years ago

    'No mention of a redesigned peripheral'

    Surely the clues in the name? it's just going to utilise motion plus.

  • kinky_mong #12 3 years ago

    "I'd like to think it's Super Mario Galaxy 2 (or at least another main-series instalment), but more than likely it's just a spin-off. Probably something like Super Paper Mario 2."

    I'm pessimistic enough to think it will probably turn out to be another Mario Baseball game, with added waggle fun!

  • CallousB #13 3 years ago

    It could be New Super Mario Bros 2 for the DS..it doesn't actually say it's a Wii game.

    If it is for Wii it's seems highly likely it'll re-use the galaxy engine....although they could be taking about a new Mario Party.

  • makeamazing #14 3 years ago

    Wii Fit 2..... seriously though they still cant ship enough WF1 so why bother at this stage. crazy.

    My prediction (and some people wont like this), but I expect Nintendo to have the worst E3 show this year.

  • Rubarack #15 3 years ago

    My prediction (and some people wont like this), but I expect Nintendo to have the worst E3 show this year.

    They would have to find some way to announce even less than MS this year, that could be quite a challenge.

  • CallousB #16 3 years ago

    "My prediction (and some people wont like this), but I expect Nintendo to have the worst E3 show this year"

    It really depends on if they bother showing what they've got. They could have had a great show last year if they had just shown the stuff they saved for their small conference in Japan a few months later. They could have dropped two Wii Megatons at last years E3 like Monster Hunter 3 and Dragon Quest X on wii...as well as fanboy fodder like Punch-Out and Sin and Punishment 2....but they didn't.

    If they just showed what has already been annnounced by themselves and 3rd parties...they could have a great show. The worry is they'll just show off a couple of strong casual titles..and not bother showing the rest.

  • scouserfuller9 #17 3 years ago

    @CallousB - I totally disagree with your opinion on this being Nintendo's worst E3 ever. They don't have any titles for the DS or Wii announced for the future other than the NPC games and Zelda: Spirit Tracks. With last years being so poor too I think Nintendo know they need to make a big improvement this year and although I'm not convinced we'll see a new Super Mario or Zelda title for the Wii there's still DK, Metroid, Kirby, Starfox, Pikmin, etc... who can all feature in the next 12 months!

  • Nikanoru #18 3 years ago

    "Didn't like SMG TBH, but a decent Mario is all I need to invest in Wii again. I love that little plumber. "

    You know with pretty much 100% certainty there's always gonna be a new Mario. So then why'd you sell it in the first place? Is that the thing to do among hardcoar gaemrz these days, sell your Wii and buy it back each time another game comes out you want to play, just so you can tell people how you "sold your Wii"?

  • scouserfuller9 #19 3 years ago

    @Nikanoru - I've had loads of mates who buy Nintendo consoles for the big Mario and Zelda titles and then just sell them and buy another one when a new title's released. I find them nuts!

  • smelly #20 3 years ago

    "The worry is they'll just show off a couple of strong casual titles..and not bother showing the rest."

    Worry for who?

    Do you REALLY care that much?

    Sure, i hope they show off lots of great new games myself.. but i dont like waiting, i'd rather find out about new stuff closer to release dates. I mean all of microsofts stuff was 2010!