RSS
Home
Best of E3 2009: Nintendo's press conference
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 announced at E3 2009. Yoshi revealed in this promo screenshot.
The Best of E3 2009 from Nintendo's point of view definitely relied upon what made the company famous in the first place: Mario, Metroid and Zelda. Nintendo once again relied on their past classic characters in order to show the world what the company could bring. And once again Nintendo has proved that they still have the chops to make great, accessible titles while appealing to a whole new audience. Even if they did so without all the flash and spark of their competitors at Microsoft and Sony.
So what do Wii console owners have to look forward to in the future for their beloved system? Plenty if you are a Nintendo fanboy, not much if you were looking for huge 3rd party titles (although they do have more than you would at first realize).
Here is what Nintendo announced, and showed off, at their E3 2009 Nintendo Press Conference.
* New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Nintendo announced that the DS hit New Super Mario Bros. is coming to the Wii, in style! New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes Mario back to his side-scrolling roots but enhances the concept by adding four-player simultaneous play to the mix. Sadly Nintendo didn't confirm online support but the game definitely looked fun.
* Wii Fit Plus
Wii Fit Plus is coming this Fall and will include a ton of upgrades over the previous version. Such as: 6 new exercises for strength and Yoga, 15 new mini-games to play with the Balance Board such as Juggling and Skateboarding and lots of tweaks like the ability to target individual areas of the body for strength or toning.
* Wii Sports Resort
The follow-up to the best selling game of all time. In Wii Sports Resort, the location moves to a tropical island called "Wuhu Island". Wuhu will be the game's major "character" and Nintendo hopes to turn it into a location that can be used in many different games of various genres. At Nintendo's E3 2009 Press Conference they started out by demonstrating the Wii Sports Resort opening which has you controlling a sky diving Mii by moving around the Wii Remote, which will now be equipped with the Wii MotionPlus accessory (which comes in the box), allowing for you to turn your Mii by rotating it and have the Mii immediately turn with you. They then demonstrated some of the new mini-games including basketball (which actually has you making a b-ball throwing motion with your hands), archery shooting (where you have to make motions like you are really shooting a bow & arrow and more.
Here is a video of the first half of Nintendo's E3 2009 press conference:
* Nintendo announced that the Wii MotionPlus accessory would ship not only with Wii Sports Resort but also with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Other games that will be supporting the peripheral include Grand Slam Tennis form EA and Virtual Tennis 2009 from Sega. In addition to Red Steel 3 from Ubisoft.
* Nintendo showed a trailer for Square Enix's highly anticipated Wii RPG, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. Showing a more story-focused game than before with a more epic feel. It also seems to be more of an Action RPG where the main character, Layle, can use telekinetic abilities. It will release on September 29th, 2009.
* Nintendo announced that Square Enix and Disny's Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days will be releasing for DS in America this September 2009. As you can see from the trailer, the game looks absolutely gorgeous on DS.
* Nintendo announced the final name for "Mario & Luigi RPG 3" as "Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Releasing on DS this Fall 2009 in North America and Europe, this sequel to Mario & Luigi: Partner's In Time finds the brothers literally on the inside of their nemesis Bowser. It will contain all the hilarious antics, clever puzzles and crazy animations that fans know and love.
* Nintendo announced an all new Golden Sun game entitled "Golden Sun DS"! With the slogan "The Sun Rises Again", the third sequel in the Golden Sun series brings the graphics into full 3D and will release in 2010.
* Nintendo announced a new DS adventure game targeted at adult women called "Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion" from THQ, based on the best-selling novels by James Patterson. The title will feature three playable characters, an interactive novel style, clever puzzles to solve, adventure and an in-depth storyline for players to unravel. It will release for DS on October 13th, 2009.
* Nintendo announced a new DS title called "Cop: The Recruit". A new DS adventure game from Ubisoft, it gives players fast and furious open world action with driving elements not unlike GTA. It also features third-person shooting.
* A new DS line targeting teens and young girls was announced called "Style Savvy". These fashion games are based on the Japanese "Girls Mode" titles and feature fashion customization with the ability to dress up your avatar. Players can also customize their shops and compete in runway contests.
* Nintendo announced a new DS animation program called Flip Note Studio which will release this Summer and makes good use of the DSi's abilities which I assume also includes its cameras.
* Nintendo announced a new Mario vs Donkey Kong title called "Mario vs Donkey Kong 2: Minis March Again" which is now available for download via DSiWare. The game allows players to create their own custom levels from the ground up that they can then upload and trade with friends.
* A new WarioWare is coming called "WarioWare DIY" (Do It Yourself). It will allow the player to control and create everything from the ground up. So players can not only create their own custom microgames but can even create the order in which you play them, effectively making their own WarioWare game.
* Nintendo announced that Facebook is coming to DSi this Summer. Players will be able to upload any pics taken with their DSi cameras directly to Facebook and share them with friends.
* Nintendo announced a new Vitality Sensor that can read your pulse and stress levels when you insert your finger into the device. They didn't show or announce any games for it, but they did hint that it will be the start of new "relaxation" games similar to Yoga.
* Nintendo showed off a trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks on DS. The game will be released this holiday. Stylized like Phantom Hourglass, the game features Link riding a new train and using new weapons like a whip. Looks like standard Zelda otherwise. Which is not a bad thing.
* Nintendo announced Super Mario Galaxy 2! In a major rarity, the game is a direct sequel to the first Super Mario Galaxy. Made up of many levels that didn't make the original game plus all new ones, the game also marks the current-gen debut of Yoshi! Who is rideable in the game and will open-up Mario to a lot of new abilities (like swinging from objects with Yoshi's tongue). As you can see from this trailer, the game looks great.
* Last but not least, Nintendo announced an all new Metroid game developed by Team Ninja called Metroid: Other M! Team Ninja are the folks who brought us the Xbox Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive titles. Other M is a dynamic 3D/side-scrolling third-person/first-person action game that features Samus like you've never seen her before! The game will also delve deeper into story than past Metroid games (even featuring Adam from Metroid Fusion) and will give players a more involved look at the real Samus Aran. Pictures don't do it justice, you gotta see this baby in action to truly appreciate it!
Here is a video of the second half of Nintendo's E3 2009 press conference.
Nintendo also made a few announcements on the side. Among them is the fact that they are creating a new Zelda game for Wii. Which will use the same realistic style as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Additionally, Nintendo quietly announced the following games:
Span Smasher
Span Smasher combines the hands-on fun of tennis with the nonstop action and instant gratification of pinball in a game brought to you by the guys who created Yoshi's Island DS. Smasher is a floating yellow ball full of personality. With his island paradise threatened, Smasher springs into action by bouncing around and smashing into barriers. This is performed by the player making a throwing motion. Players use just one hand to literally swat Smasher toward the objects they want him to destroy, and Smasher does the rest. The game features both single- and multi-player although Wii MotionPlus support has yet to be confirmed.
Glory of Heracles
Glory of Heracles is a new DS remake of a classic RPG that features the eponymous Greek hero in a pick-up-and-play role-playing game that has a rich storyline in a Greek motif and a deep battle system. The story begins when Heracles washes up on a beach with amnesia. Players must journey far and wide to figure out Heracles’ story and unravel the mysterious pasts of the other main characters in this new adventure. The game uses ancient Greece as its backdrop, and players can visit cities like Sparta and Athens on their travels.
Line Attack Heroes
Line Attack Heroes is a fast-paced, melee action game for the Wii which uses quick thinking and smart strategy. Players command a line of fierce warriors who launch an attack with a flick of the Wii Remote controller.
Monado: Beginning Of The World
An all new Wii RPG from Monolith Soft (Baten Kaitos, Xenosaga) was announced by Nintendo. The game looks very similar to Final Fantasy XII (even has a similar art style) but will definitely be a welcome addition.
Overall the Nintendo Press Conference featured a very solid line-up with quite a bit of new titles for both casual and hardcore players, but also a lot that we had seen before. The biggest disappointment for me however came from Nintendo's presentation. They need to get a new presenter. Cammy Dunway just does not cut it. My friend reacted that it feels like she is talking down to you like a bad teacher. And thus Nintendo's press conference kind of fell flat. There was no excitement. No "pow". And even the Reggie-nator is only a shadow of his former glory.
Nintendo also could've excited the fan-base more with a few major announcements of titles that fans have been clamoring for. Namely, EarthBound, a new Kid Icarus, a new Starfox or a new F-Zero.
It'll be interesting to see how Nintendo's line-up fares sales-wise and hopefully Nintendo will reboot their presentation for next year's show.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
