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| I take no credit for the above image. It is however a thing of beauty. |
I was gutted when I found out I would be working when Nintendo did their Nintendo Direct E3 special. To be honest I wasn't a fan of the move away from the big show they usually put on at E3 and I still think it would have been better to put those trailers in front of 1000s of excited journalists.
That being said I feel this has been one of Nintendo's strongest E3s in a long time. Nothing has made me quite as excited since the Metroid Other M, Mario galaxy 2 double of 2009.
As many have pointed out they have played pretty safe. But I don't own Nintendo hardware to play a lot of third party titles to be honest. The games they showed weren't totally revolutionary but they do look like a hell of a lot of fun and that's why I'm proud to be a Nintendo fan.
My inner nerd coming out right now. Not that it was ever a secret.
So let's have a look at the Nintendo Direct again, bit by bit.
Pokemon X and Y
So we start with Pokemon X and Y. Breaking us in pretty slow. It's hardly a big reveal but does have some really interesting info like the fairy type pokemon. Lets just not talk too much about Pokemon-amie. That was just a little embarrassing. They played the game down a bit, almost as if it was exclusively for children but it had a ton of new pokemon and just enough new stuff to warrant it being featured.
Super Mario 3D World
And then mazza's face appeared. Time to get hyped. The first thing that struck me and indeed anyone watching was that it appeared to be Super Mario 3D land but a little bigger. Now it's not like me to talk shit about Nintendo but I dunno, I felt just a little disappointed. With the N64 we had Mario 64 revolutionizing the way 3D platformers are played, GC had Mario Sunshine which was very innovative. Mario Galaxy was an absolute masterpiece that raised the bar for platformers past and present and really made the Wii a must have console. And for the Wii U? A sequel to a 3DS game that wasn't quite as highly rated as other 3D Mario games. An odd move and one that has taken out the awe and sense of 'epic' that used to go along with 3D Mario games.
Still! I loved Mario 3D Land on 3DS and look forward to more of the same. The cat suit looks like it could be fun and it still has elements of Galaxy in it which made those games so enjoyable. The biggest wave of excitement hit when I saw that Peach was a playable character, something fans wanted in New Super Mario Bros years ago. Even better is how the characters have the abilities they had in Mario Bros 2 which is a great retro reference.
I can see Mario 3D World going the same way as Mario Bros 2 actually. Not regarded as the best Mario game ever but remembered for being a good time none the less.
Mario Kart 8
I see Nintendo are going for the plain and simple 'Mario Kart #NUMBER' now. Not a bad thing, any title referencing the 'gimmick' would cheapen it a bit.
This is the only part of E3 I predicted almost spot on. I always thought they'd have an almost 'Mario Kart Galaxy' game but just wouldn't have a clue how it would look. Well now I know. And it looks hella fun! It's mixed it up just enough to make Mario Kart interesting again. I just worry it'll put off some more casual gamers who will find it too confusing. The joy of Mario Kart is that anyone can pick up and play it. I think parents and grandfolk will be put off as the tracks start to tilt upside down and such. 'ach no, looks too confusing to me, you play though'
For the fans like myself though it's a direction I love that they've gone in. It just makes me wonder what on earth Mario Kart 17 will look like.
Wii Party U, Wii Fit U and Art Academy
All things I'm uninterested in but can understand why they are there. Never really saw the point in Wii Party when Mario Party exists but it looks kinda fun. No images or trailer for Wii Fit U but the delay seems to suggest they are putting a lot of effort into it. And Art Academy could be a fun time waster, if you're into that sort of thing. The question remains why draw something on the Wii U gamepad when you could just draw it in real life instead? Shirly it's more rewarding.
3rd Party Games
As said before, I've never been too excited for 3rd part games on any Nintendo system. There's been a few that have been completely amazing but with Nintendo I usually just stick with the favourites. Xbox and PS get the best third party stuff anyway. I'm stoked for Arkham Origins for example but I really don't care which console I play it on. Thought it was a bit cheeky to include Rayman on that sizzle reel as well seeings as Wii U should have had it months ago. I'll give Sonic: The Lost Worlds a look though probably and also Watchdogs, maybe on another console, maybe on Wii U.
And a lot of the eshop stuff looked totally insane, especially the spin the bottle game. DRILL. Wut. Oh and Duck Tales, want to play that to understand what the hype is about.
Zelda: Windwaker HD
It looks bootiful. More bootiful than I could ever imagined. It's a game where I could happily watch someone else play through and just marvel at how much more amazing a currently amazing looking game can look.
We got shown clips of the sea and the exterior of the islands but my god just think about some of the bosses. Gohma, the first boss on a 40 inch screen in HD. Goan be epic.
No confirmation if they will add the two extra dungeons that got rejected from the original but they seem to have no worries in changing things about. I liked the fast-sailing option and the new Tingle message service could be quite funny as it's obviously going to get misused. I look forward to finding all manner of smut on the beach of Windfall Island.
Wonderful 101
Anything that looks like Pikmin will always be a big hit with me. If this gets reviewed highly it'll be a defiinite purchase, and it's coming soonish as well.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
A fantastic reveal as Donkey Kong Country Returns is possibly my favourite 2D platformer of all time. It's again 'more of the same' but when the original is so good why change much else?
The inclusion of Dixie Kong is nice and also that there will be underwater levels. The best bit of the whole trailer is the mine-cart section with the realistic swinging plane and storage containers - cannot wait to play these new levels. And the new camera angles will make the game more exciting too. One of the best bits of Returns was when you were showcasing your mad platforming skills while all hell broke loose behind and around you. The different camera angles will hopefully take us even closer to the action.
How do I feel that this is Retro Studio's Wii U project? Happy...but at the same time a little disappointed. I'm so glad that we're getting another Donkey Kong Country game but thought they might rebooting an old series. And seeings as everything they touch turns to gold it could have been a much needed step forward for Star Fox or another Nintendo franchise.
Bayonetta 2
It looks completely nuts. Some of the coolest shit I've ever seen happen in a video game and I'm glad it's coming to Wii U. I don't know too much about the original but this just looks like a rush.
X
They seem to be really excited for this game but they're still not giving an awful lot away. Maybe I need to play Xenoblade Chronicles to understand the hype. Looks alright though.
Super Smash Brothers Wii U / 3DS
Tears nearly fell. Thank you Nintendo for leaving this til last, the Megaman reveal was fantastic.
I loved every bit about this trailer. The Animal Crossing intro that confirmed a villager as a character [something I always wanted in Brawl]. The Spirit Tracks level, the Mario 3D Land inspired level and of course Skyloft. It was always going to happen but to see a Smash Brothers match happening in front of it was just something special.
I think it's a smart move to make the 3DS game kinda cel-shaded as well. I'll be honest, it's the game I'm less hyped for but the trailer made me a little more interested in that version again.
Smash Bros in HD though. All that chaos is just going to look great.
And then the reveal. I honestly never thought Megaman would be included but then there he is. He's who the fans wanted and exactly who the fans got. For just a few seconds at E3 all the PS4 vs Xbox One talk was forgotten as everyone at the same time exclaimed 'oh my god, Mega Man is in the new smash bros!'. And it was a happy moment.
And there it is for another year. A good show that would certainly have gotten a bunch of whoops and cheers if it was in front of an audience. With Pikmin 3 just round the corner and a few other games not even mentioned like the new Mario Golf on 3DS I think it's going to be a great year to be a Ninty fan.
