Like a rich uncle who is vacationing someplace exotic and as such is unable to attend the family get together, Nintendo didn't have a big ol press conference like Sony or Microsoft did, but like that same uncle, we can't help but talk about them. Also like that uncle, Nintendo sent a video greeting to all of its fans and the results were extraordinary. This is Nintendo after all. What it lacks in graphics, it makes up for in pure, unadulterated smiles. There was much to be smiling about at this E3.
Wii U Legend of Zelda Will Be Open World And Boundless
Nintendo's aim this E3 was to "Invent and Reinvent Gaming for Everyone with Imaginative New Experiences". They showed off fan favorite properties, such as a new upcoming Zelda for Wii U, and showcased some brand new ways to play and get excited about games.
New Ways To Play: Nintendo wants you to catch em all. Not Pokemon! Amiibos! What's an amiibo? Well, amiibos are "figures of Nintendo characters can interact with multiple future Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games in unique new ways, providing fresh game-play experiences and a great value for consumers with compatibility across multiple games. Fans can buy and collect amiibo, to bring them closer to the games and characters they love." Each amiibo is different, my Link and your Link will have different stats and can be leveled up differently, providing a different gameplay for everyone. Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U will be the first, and obvious, game that supports the new technology, with other games quickly following suit.
Lady Palutena From Kid Icarus Joins The Smash Bros. Roster
Several new projects are coming down the road from Nintendo, nearly all set for a 2015 release schedule (the year of Luigi strikes again). Shigeru Miyamoto has a bunch of titles in the works, none more mysterious and intriguing than Project Guard, in which "the goal is to stop a robot invasion using a security system of 12 cameras as a last line of defense. Players mount a dozen security cameras around a perimeter before the invasion, and then monitor all 12 as the robot army invades. Cameras also can blast lasers, so players must look, search and shoot quickly if they want to survive the onslaught. The innovative use of the two-screen game play makes for a thrilling spectator experience, allowing anyone in the living room to join in on the fun as an additional set of eyes." Kotaku has a great hands on write-up here.
Splatoon made waves as a fun, bright 8 player melee where paint is the key to victory. Watch the video here. "Players of each team spray ink on the ground around them while blotting out the opposing team members in turf war competitions. Each character can turn into a squid-like character and swim through his or her own team's ink - gliding up and down walls and under floors - with ease." It looks like a hell of a lot of fun, a next generation Super Mario Sunshine, which is still a great game!
In addition to the new IPs announced, of course Nintendo had a slew of old favorites, reimagined and redone for Wii U and 3DS. For charm, there's Yoshi's Woolly World (video), where you play as a yarn-esque Yoshi in a time-free Mario-esque platformer. There's also Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (video), slated for the Wii U in which "Everything is made from clay and placed perfectly in a gorgeously sculpted landscape.". Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (video) will give everyone's favorite Mushroom Kingdom denizen his own adventure this holiday season. Bayonetta 2 (video) is sure to silence the cries of 'need "moar" hardcore'. The next installment of the Xenoblade franchise, Chronicles X (video) will give Nintendo some great third party support from Monolith Entertainment.
Skylanders Trap Team, the precursor to the "amiibo" is coming out for both Wii U and 3DS this October 5. Mario vs Donkey Kong (video) will "feature a near-limitless puzzle-creation mode that allows fans to share puzzles and leave comments on Miiverse." Along the same lines, Mario Maker, working title (video) will let players design their very own Super Mario Bros levels as both classic 8-bit and Wii U versions!
We haven't seen it yet (though it was clear Miyamoto was playing it during his announcements), Star Fox will be returning to the Wii U. The game "turns the Wii U GamePad into the view from the cockpit of Fox McCloud's Arwing fighter. While the TV shows the perspective from behind the Arwing, players can also use the gyro sensors of the GamePad to intuitively and independently target enemies. Players can instantly switch between the Arwing and Landmaster tank with the press of a button, and the game also introduces a new helicopter-type vehicle."
Super Smash Bros is getting all the well deserved hype, and it just added a new player, too! Do I need to say anything more? "As classic Nintendo characters interact wirelessly in the game, amiibo will add a different dimension to game play. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be available this holiday season at a suggested retail price of $59.99, while the Nintendo 3DS version will be available this October at a suggested retail price of $39.99."
But of course, no game got the sheer visceral reaction from the audience like The Legend of Zelda. Rumored to be title Unbound King, the game will literally be that: unbound. Now no corner of Hyrule is denied to you and you can explore and complete quests in whatever order you wish. "That's one of the ways the game breaks with franchise norms and introduces new ways to play."
It's been a great E3 for gamers, hands down one of the best. There's no console war, no new technology, this year it is all about the software and Nintendo is making a strong case. You can never count out the House That Mario Built. They are eternal, everlasting. They are all of our childhoods' combined and they will continue to innovate and excite with every new announcement, with every title. 2015 is going to be a banner year for Nintendo, and it cannot get here fast enough.
Stay tuned in to GameNGuide. There's more E3 Nintendo news coming. And check out Hyrule Warriors, coming out on September 26!
