The Wii U edition, which is being ported by Armature, will include a number of unique features that take advantage of what separates the oddball console from its more straight-laced peers. Players will be able to use the gamepad to look at the map while playing. They will also be able to draw on and annotate the map, which is an especially useful feature in a genre that involves so much backtracking to explore previously inaccessible areas once you have the items necessary to reach them. The gamepad can also be used exclusively for off-screen play. Miiverse social integration will be enabled, and your mii avatars will even make it into the game somehow.
The Wii U version was unlocked when fans recently reached the $3 million mark in donations, surpassing the original $500,000 goal six times over. Coming down the pipe for stretch goals are asynchronous multiplayer at $3.25 million and a port for PlayStation’s Vita handheld at $3.5 million. The multiplayer sounds interesting, with friends’ games passively interacting, such as finding a tombstone where a friend fell. You will also be able to watch ghosts of your friends from when they tackled boss fights, gaining valuable information about what tactics can help you. Perhaps, like in Dark Souls, players will be able to leave messages to help (or confuse) others as they explore the castle. Other unlocked goodies have included an expanded castle, a second playable character, a boss rush mode, and a retro-styled level.
At the time of this writing there are still 11 days to go before the campaign concludes on Friday, June 12, if you want to get in on any of the rewards. For full disclosure, I have personally backed this project (I have many fond memories of exploring Symphony of the Night‘s expansive castle), so take that as you will.
