E3 2012: Nintendo Press Conference
Is that a Pikmin in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
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Good old Ninty managed to schedule their press conferences for times I miraculously WASN’T in school! In fact, I managed to catch all 3 conferences without a hitch. No, I didn’t hallucinate and mistake Sony’s and Microsoft’s conferences for Nintendo. I’m not THAT uninformed with my video game news. Nintendo had a pre-E3 video, a main E3 press conference, and a special “3DS Software Showcase.” The pre-E3 video covers nothing that isn’t explained during the main showings, so I’ll be focusing on the latter two events. |
Wii U
Without a doubt, the thing I wanted to see most from Nintendo at E3 was the Wii U. I was really on the fence when it was announced last E3, but my cynicism had begun to poison my mind over the year and push me to the “Wii ewwwww” side. Could Nintendo convince me that there was some magic to be found in their latest console? Well, they focused a lot of attention on explaining the functionality of the Wii U and how the gamepad works, so they’re definitely trying to reel in the gamers. Especially the gamepad. The layout has changed slightly from last year, as it now sports analog sticks and a slightly redesigned button layout for maximal comfort. There’s also an NFC reader where you can read cards or action figures, in case you really couldn’t live without more gimmicks. The best news about the gamepad is that each Wii U supports 2 gamepads (and any number of wiimotes depending on the game).
I think we all get how the Wii U works now, right? The stuff you see on the gamepad is different from the stuff on the TV. You can get the gist of the differences between the gamepad and the Tv screen from the trailers, so no point in me harping on about it. Some of the more exciting Wii U news is the fact that there will be 23 Wii U titles teased, it comes in a sexy black colour (this is ultra important), and it has something called Miiverse. Nintendo is finally encouraging friends to interact by allowing for people to send text messages to each other (or even drawings a la Swap Note) and discuss whatever game they’re playing. Super Mario Bros. U showed this off by displaying comments made by other players in the world whenever Mario died, to potentially provide some hints or a sense of comraderie in dying at the hands of the same darn Koopa. Overall, Miiverse is just aiming for more player-to-player communication.
Wii U Games
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Pikmin 3 |
| Ah, yes, the opener to the show! Pikmin 3 looks as bright and adorable as ever, and Miyamoto even had a little Pikmin plushie in his pocket during the entire presentation. This is the best thing the Wii U has going for it right now. The Wii U gamepad allows you to view the entire map to carefully plot out how to distribute your Pikmin army and accomplish multiple tasks at once. The more precise aiming system and the addition of a new rock Pikmin are yet more factors that amp up the strategic factor of the game, which is a factor that always makes me a happy camper. It looks great, it has 4-player co-op (with 4 asronauts minus Olimar because..it’s a secret!), and it’s everything you could ever really want for a sequel of such a cute game. All together now…AWWWW! |
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Super Mario Bros. U |
| It is Mario but on the Wii U. But seriously, there is some new stuff despite it looking identical to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. For one, there’s the Miiverse compatibility I discussed earlier. There’s also some new power-ups such as a flying squirrel suit, a balloon-yoshi and a bubble-spewing yoshi. They don’t look like they’re anything amazing (two of those already involve flying) but at least it’s SOMETHING new. Since this is the Wii U, anyone using the gamepad during multiplayer will have a different view from the other wii-mote wielding players and will be able to help them out. In other words, you give the gamepad to the person who sucks at platforming so they just help the good players. Up to 5 players can get in on the coin-grubbing fun. Same Mario as per usual, but with a new coat of paint. |
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Scribblenauts Unlimited |
| Nintendo, you are just the cutest darned company, aren’t you? The Wii U (And 3DS) roster of games now includes the next iteration of Scribblenauts – the imaginative game where you write words and the game brings them to life. I played the original one, and had a hell of a time just trying to get Max do what I wanted him to do, so hopefully they’ve ironed out the broken mechanics. Just based on looks, Scribblenauts Unlimited is a bright and vibrant game where you can really go wild and even customize your own horrible, frankenstein creations such as the “auto-mutt” displayed in the trailer. Instead of separate puzzles, Maxwell is actually in an open-world full of puzzles that you can solve at your own pace. Those who like playing around and solving puzzles with outside-the-box creative thinking, look no further! Or…maybe you just want to combine a squid with a dragon. That is cool too. |
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Lego City Undercover |
| You get to run around the city as a cop and fight crime…but here’s the plot twist…YOU ARE A LEGO. EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND LOVE IS LEGO. The very molecules in the air do not consist of atoms, but lego, for the smallest particle in this universe is lego and it is what makes up everything in the universe. |
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NintendoLand |
| I thought this was a free game at first, if that says anything about it. Anyways, a new console is not complete with an obligatory set of mini games featuring all of the beloved characters from the company. NintendoLand is a theme park where your Mii can go to 12 different attractions – each with an unique mini game. They’re simple, but cute, and they use the gamepad in interesting ways. There’s one for Animal Crossing, Luigi’s Mansion, Zelda and more (because that does not equal 12, obviously). It’s one of those games most people will have great fun with…for all of 5 minutes.It looks great though. They weren’t kidding when they said the Wii U would have nice, HD graphics! |
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Zombi U |
| Ubisoft gave us a little tease of this during their press conference, but Nintendo showed most of the gameplay footage. It’s a classic “explore this desolate region and fight off zombie” formula where you need to work hard to survive. One bite and you’re done. Luckily, you have the gamepad to use as a scanner, sniper, menu, sonar and all sorts of other goodies to give you the upper hand. It’s nothing really special except that it’s a zombie game that shows off what the Wii U can do. It doesn’t look BAD, but it does look uninspired. |
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Wii U Misc. Games
Wii Fit U
SiNG
Mass Effect 3
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Trine 2: Director’s Cut
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
Aliens Colonial Marines
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition
Just Dance 4
Assassin’s Creed 3
Rabbid’s Land
Your Shape: fitness
Rayman Legends
Sports Connection
Avengers: Battle for Earth
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3DS Games
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Paper Mario: Sticker Star |
| I want this game so bad it hurts. Paper Mario (the original, N64 one) is one of my top 5 video games of all time, and seeing this beautiful return to form has got me rather excited. It seems weird to have a Paper Mario game on the 3DS, but I imagine it would work somewhat like the wii version did, and the switches from 2D to 3D actually worked quite well. However, the most exciting thing is that the old combat system is back. The battles are turn-based and require timely button presses to do extra damage and avoid taking damage. I hated what they did with the wii version, taking out the turn-based, almost RPG-like strategic combat. The trailer shows Mario in that sort of situation again, except this time he uses stickers he finds to attack. Hopefully it still involves a good amount of skill and well-timed button presses to pull off. The stickers can also be used to alter the environment to get to new areas and progress in the story. I CAN’T WAIT! |
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Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon |
| They showed this last year, and not much has changed. Luigi will need to learn what sucking patterns (hehe) are needed to catch various types of ghosts as he travels through multiple haunted houses. It looks like a pretty decent game, although one devoid of much heart, perhaps. |
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Castlevania: Lord of Shadows – Mirrors of Fate |
| I haven’t played a Castlevania game in my life, so I don’t see what’s so special about this. You’ve got a 2D platformer/beat-em-up with gothic castles, vampires and other manner of otherworldly enemies. I seems very straight-forward, although there is at least some depth in the combat system. Trevor Belmont showed off a wide variety of moves, as well as an interesting second weapon that can be used strategically to defeat enemies. They showed us the boomerang, which slows chips at the health bar of whatever it attaches to during it’s U-shaped flight pattern. You constantly have to refuel your mana and second weapon too, so you can’t just spam overpowered attacks and hope for the best. Fans of the series, does this excite you? |
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Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion |
| Drawing heavily from the old Castle of Illusion game, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion is a real blast from the past. The graphics look like GBA-era stuff and it’s been reduced to a 2D platformer. It’s up to Mickey to rescue all of his beloved friends (Disney characters) and use their powers to get the hell out of this creepy world called Wasteland. He does this with the power of his magic paintbrush. Draw something on the bottom pad, and it comes to life in the game. Not just ANYTHING, of course. Think Okami, where you had to draw specific patterns and then the game would do the rest. This doesn’t look like my cup of tea, but eh… |
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New Super Mario Bros. 2 |
| Another Mario game…but with money! Mario can get gold mushrooms and turn everything he touches into glorious gold! It’s all about getting coins. There’s even a streetpass feature where you try and beat your friend’s score in “Coin Rush” mode, which is basically a speedrun of 3 levels in a row. You’ve only got one life, and every second you take subtracts precious coins from your overall haul during the run. For those of you who’d rather work together, there’s co-op mode too. Or you can be a dick and run ahead while your friend stays as a bubble, like the guy in the demo did. Whatever you want! Again…this is another Mario game. I hope you like Mario. |
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Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance |
| I’m not sure if they’ll EVER stop wringing this poor franchise for extra games instead of moving on to Kingdom Hearts 3. I don’t even know what the hell happened to the story – it’s since become a convoluted mess about teens complaining about shadows, shadows, hearts, shadows, shadows, hearts, nobodies etc. Oh well, this game has Riku in it as well as characters from The World Ends With You, which is great! I had forgotten how fun KH games were to play since I skipped a bunch of them out of disdain for all the spin-offs, but now I feel like I’m being pulled back in. The combat is always a blast, and re-exploring old Disney worlds never gets old. Do want. |
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Misc. 3DS Games
Rhythm Thief
Skylanders Giants
Code of Princess
Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy
Rayman Origins
Pokemon Black/White 2
Pokedex 3D Pro (eshop)
Pokemon Dream Radar (eshop)
I have to admit that Nintendo sure knows how to please the crowd. I mean, they actually got Reggie to say “my body is ready” and Miyamoto waved a little Pikmin plushie around! Nintendo, no one can deny that you are an adorable company that pumps out cute little aliens with flowers on their heads while everyone else is releasing gritty shooters. But was cuteness enough? Nintendo did announce some games that have me excited: Paper Mario being the number one example. It’s probably the game I’m looking forward to the most out of everything at E3, thanks to childhood nostalgia. Although not everything was talked about during the conference, it just took a little digging to find out that Nintendo is actually releasing a ton of great stuff for 3DS owners. Paper Mario, Kingdom Hearts, Rhythm Thief, Theatrhym: Final Fantasy and Luigi’s Mansion are on my list of games I’m willing to shell out some cash for. The new line up of 3DS games is good news because it means I can actually use my 3DS!
So Nintendo is doing a great job with the 3DS. Okay, looking good for Nintendo this year so far. But Nintendo’s main focus was the Wii U and all 23 new games announced for it. I have to admit, I am not convinced. I do not want a Wii U. There are no games I want enough to buy the system for, and the gamepad looks annoying to use. I don’t mind motion controls, but only if they’re used in a way to make the game better instead of “WHOA, HEY, LOOK WHAT THIS GAMEPAD CAN DO!” Unless this thing is dirt cheap, I’m not sold on it, and I don’t think very many others are either. The “casual gamer” demographic of soccer moms that bought wiis in large numbers already have their wii, and probably won’t bother getting this newfangled “wii U.” Then you have the rest of the gamers who are just tired of this motion-control schtick. It will take a ton of good games to convince me to buy this. :/
As for the presser itself, it was pretty interesting. Lots of gameplay footage, very organized, and really sweet/cute. I wish they didn’t split it into 3 parts though. The pre-E3 thing was a long-ass video of TALKING about things they showed during E3 anyways. Then they gave the 3DS games their own hour-long showcase, even though we had already seen almost all of the bloody games during the main event. That really wasn’t needed. It was an interesting attempt to gain hype, but it didn’t really work. I also think a lot of people were disappointed in the lack of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing announcements. We like Mario, Nintendo…don’t get us wrong…but we like OTHER THINGS TOO. The funny thing is, North America is actually getting Fire Emblem: Awakening…Nintendo just figured we wouldn’t care because we got all this Mario. They hardly even gave any attention to Rhythm Thief either and that game looks sick! Have you guys even seen the trailer? Oh man…
So, who won? I’d say Sony got a slight leg-up over Nintendo. Both their main console and their handheld have a lot to offer. I’d say the Vita might be neck and neck with the 3DS once all these sexy games come out, but the Wii U really can’t compare to the PS3 and the great line-up of games. Just DmC alone is enough to make me prefer the PS3. So, yes, I’d say Sony fared a smidgen better than Nintendo. Just pretend the whole Wonderbook segment never happened hahahaha ohhhhh man…
Wanna decide who “won” E3? Check out our Microsoft, Ubisoft & EA and Sony posts.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 209 comments
Nintendo was kinda lacking. I understand what the WiiU can do but Nintendo didn’t really show it. Their also making the mistake of porting old games instead of making new ones that will use the device. They have time to present more stuff for the system but their kinda miss their big opportunity to due so. What they need is games that really uses the features like ZombiU, I mean where is the next Trauma Center?
At least Nintendo beat Microsoft and EA.
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
I 1000% disagree with that statement. Smart Glass, in its concept alone, makes mincemeat of the Wii U and its control pad.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Eh, depends on what you’re looking for. Smart Glass is a huge “eff you” to the Wii U…as long as you like the games it offers. Microsoft has no exclusive titles that I would ever want to play, so it really doesn’t matter to me.
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
They’re bringing Fire Emblem over here. That’s all the information I needed xD.
I could care less about all of the WiiU stuff though and I don’t think there’s much they can do about getting me interested.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
The Wii U really isn’t worth it at the moment. The only way I’d be convinced is if 1. they get a landslide of games that I want and 2. somehow the weird gamepad controller is actually decent to use. :/
Oh well, long live the 3DS!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
In my opinion, Nintendo might not have everything well done with the systems (Wii U) but they sure know how to excite with the games.
Though I have my heart set on a PS Vita first, I’d buy a 3DS just to get my hands on Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon, Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Though I don’t understand why “New” is part of the title), certainly Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance since I’ll go for anything Square Enix and maybe, on a whim, I’d get Castlevania: Lord of Shadows – Mirrors of Fate (Certain things in the summary caught my attention).
Unfortunately for us Square Enix fans, any hope of a Kingdom Hearts III will be on hold for a while because the project has yet to begin development, due to series creator Tetsuya Nomura’s focus on Final Fantasy Versus XIII. However, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance was announced to connect to Kingdom Hearts III, both in terms of gameplay system and story.
Pokemon Black/White 2: I see they’re continuing the Pokemon Black and White arc instead of making a new one. They are slated for the DS but can play on the 3DS. I understand the story takes place two years later and it looks like they’re trying out fusion. The covers of both games look like Zekrom and Reshiram have fused with the legendary Ice Pokemon Kyurem.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m surprised you’d go for Epic Mickey. It seems more like something fans of old school games would like. Castlevania has vampires in it, that’s all I’ll say lol.
There hasn’t been so much as a peep about KH3 for ages, which is frustrating…Especially since I’m not a big final fantasy fan :/ I only like the “spin-off” FF games like Tactics and Crystal Chronicles. Technically, all Kingdom Hearts games would connect to KH3 somehow though, wouldn’t they?
Yep, more Pokemon. I love Pokemon, but I don’t think I’d get another “updated” version. Have you seen the trailer for the Pokemon Black/White anime though? That looks really damn good.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
KINGDOM HEARTS RULEZZ
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Without a doubt Kingdom Hearts rule!! It’s right there with Final Fantasy!!
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
US is getting the new Fire Emblem!? Oh man, I have to get my 3DS soon with all these new announcements. LOVE FE. TAKE ALL MY MONEY.
I’m REALLY against getting a Wii U, like you I’m not sold on the whole concept, but Pikmin 3 … ah, why couldn’t it be released on the normal Wii too. >< Thanks for the coverage OC!
POWUH: Meta Team and Megane-chan with 3214 comments
Hawt. They’re also making Rune Factory 4 for the 3DS (with a male AND female protagonist too!!!). Not a clue if it will be localized though.
POWUH: 700-799 and Horror Expert with 701 comments
Srsly!? There’s no way they wouldn’t localize that! … I hope. Agh, even more reason to get a 3DS. xD
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Are you thinking of getting a 3DS just for FE? XD
If Pikmin 3 was on the wii, I’d totally buy it. But no one is buying a Wii U just for that one game unless they’re rich <_<
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
Where that quote really hurts is in the first-party offerings, which are a real letdown for me. They don’t even tease the idea of a Super Smash Bros. being worked on or a new Metroid game, which I think they learned their lesson when they teased Smash Bros. last year which surprised even Sakurai. “Wait, what? I’m making a new Smash Bros?”
The foreseeable future of the Wii U doesn’t have anything that stands out enough to get me to the idea of buying a Wii U, let alone think about a launch day purchase.
The 3DS is doing better, which is nice to see.
btw, the Castlevania games in the past for DS are really nice. Quality adventure games with lots of hours of exploration, tight action and leveling up, etc. The aesthetic in Mirror of Fate looks different, though. I’d like to see something more fast-paced soon.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Nintendo seems to be really bad at releasing a console and having games that people ACTUALLY WANT on it when it releases. This happened with the 3DS, and it’s happening with the Wii U. Nintendo just doesn’t know what the fans want. They’re trying so hard though! So very hard! Maybe one day we’ll actually hear more about the new Smash Bros that they talked about for like 10 seconds out of nowhere. XD
Hmm, interesting. I’ll look into downlo- buying some of the older DS games if I have time.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 338 comments
Whoo~~~ Kingdom Hearts 3DS!!! Can’t wait really can’t wait!! And Pokemon Black / White 2 o.0 HA! Did they finally run out of colors?
I have Tales of the Abyss for my 3DS so fricken cool ><; I what them to make The World Ends With You in 3D mode, that would be sooo kewl! But most likely won't happen. Awesome post OC! This E3 was pretty awesome but I think last year was a little more exciting.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Pokemon always has ridiculous sequels. There’s always a third game released that’s an updated version…like Platinum, Yellow etc. Except now they decided “Pokemon Gray” was too depressing so they used 2 instead XD
Thanks Kitty! Last E3 was a bit more exciting because we were hearing about the Wii U and other cool stuff for the first time. A lot of the stuff here I knew before even watching the conference :B
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 107 comments
As much as it was unlikely I was hoping for them to reveal Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers for the 3DS.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
No word about a localization yet, from what I remember D: