‘Bayonetta 2’ Stand-Alone Releases For Wii U Next Month

By Jordan Schilling/PFSolitude on 01/14/2016 • ( 1 Comment )

Bayonetta returns just in time for her Smash Bros. debut, but without the bonus content from her previous release.

Nintendo’s final Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS Nintendo Direct episode aired this past December across the internet and Nintendo consoles. Led by Director Masahiro Sakurai, the event played host to the final announcements for the Nintendo-exclusive fighting game; Smash Bros. fans were given the release of the Cloud Strife DLC, a look at a plethora of new Mii Fighter outfits and the reveal of Corrin as an additional DLC character. The result of the fan-voted DLC character poll was announced in the closing moments of the episode; a shock to many due to the suggestive nature of her self-titled games, Bayonetta was the top-ranked character worldwide among “realizable” choices. Her Smash Bros. appearance is toned-down from her original design, however all of her signature moves and abilities will be present in full force.

According to Nintendo, Bayonetta 2 will re-release this February, but as a stand-alone title. For the Smash Bros. players who may be interested in seeing what Bayonetta has to offer in her own game, Nintendo will release the game for $29.99 without the original Bayonetta, as included in the original run. The first Bayonetta can still be purchased through the Wii U eShop, though neither Nintendo nor Platinum Games have stated if Bayonetta will receive its own physical release.

Despite its numerous “best of” and “Game of 2014” awards and nominations from GameTrailers, Edge, Destructoid, IGN and The Game Awards, Bayonetta 2 performed worse than the original game, selling an estimated 500,000 copies in North America. Even with the relatively poor sales, Bayonetta 2 is often regarded as the best action game of 2014, and is rarely seen on store shelves. Those wanting to purchase a copy online can expect to spend $60-100; the price is expected to increase, as the original Bayonetta + Bayonetta 2 retail copy is presumably out-of-print.

Bayonetta 2 will re-release for the Wii U on 2/19 at $29.99. An official date has not been scheduled, however the Bayonetta Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS DLC is expected to launch the same month. The DLC will include both the character Bayonetta and a stage modeled after the “Prologue” chapter from the first game.