Nintendo had big shoes to fill at this E3. All eyes were looking to Nintendo and what the Wii U was going to bring to the table. Most of the conference was spent on Wii U with 23 titles shown during the conference and little of 3DS as well. Let’s get down to business and see if Nintendo hit a home run this year at E3.
The conference started out with Shigeru Miyamoto in his dressing room getting ready to make his way on stage, but he was not alone as the cute and whimsical Pikmin were also present. As Miyamoto was about to take the stage a red Pikmin falls into the pocket of the suit Miyamoto put on as he took the stage. The presentation started with Wii U and focused that with Wii U that the system will no longer require the use of the TV in order to enjoy gaming. The controller will now act as the medium to allow you instant gratification rather than be dependent of the TV. Rather than have to wait for someone else to be done with the TV in order for you to be able to enjoy playing consoles you can now use the screen on the controller to enjoy that experience. Now this already sounds like a bad idea. It is 2012, and most people have multiple TV’s in their house. If you remove the TV element of a console, doesn’t that mean that it is a handheld now?
The first game that was shown was Pikmin 3 for the Wii U. Using the Wii U controller you can manage 100 Pikmin at a time and use them to complete tasks. While the gameplay is being shown on the big screen a lot of attention to detail is brought up. Where to place the camera where you can see enough map but be able to see individual movement, how more realistic it looks when Pikmin break down a wall, and a new Pikmin type: Rock Pikmin. Using the Rock Pikmin you can take down large objects. More strategy goes into combat as you can target certain body parts or areas to do more damage or target enemy weaknesses using Motion Plus Technology to aim with more precision. With the new Wii U Gamepad you will be able to see an overview of the map in order to more quickly and effectively manage your Pikmin at accomplishing tasks, or give you a different view that is overhead and more tactical as well as control up to 4 leaders. If you’re a fan of Pikmin than Pikmin 3 will be sure to be a must have title on the Wii U
Next up is my personal E3 favorite Reggie Fils-Aime who always brings nothing but happiness to my whole E3 experience. Reggie states the focus of the conference won’t so much be the hardware itself, but the games and the experiences that the Wii U will bring. By the end of the presentation there will be a total of 23 games shown. The 3 core parts of Wii U is to impact the way that you game, how you socialize with the community and your friends, and the platforms of entertainment that Wii U can deliver. Wii U using the Gamepad will allow for what is called A-Symmetric gameplay, which is explained as having a completely different experience from the rest of the players on the TV screen using the Gamepad. Also announced, the Wii U will support up to 2 Gamepads at once.
Cut to video demo showing off everything on the Wii U Gamepad
Like Miis, well than you’ll love the new idea behind Miiverse. The Miis will congregate on with the rest of the world and interaction levels will be deeper. An overhead view is shown with Miis running under tiles of well-known 1st party Nintendo titles. Messages, game screen pictures, record times and scores, and drawn pictures start popping up as people send them to the Miiverse. Miiverse will enhance games like Super Mario Wii U which will allow players inside the game to connect with one another, leave messages about hidden areas, or tips to help get past levels. Miiverse is in place to enhance the game experience on a whole new level, a level that already exists on the internet. Using the internet I can find the answer to any question I have, parts I get stuck on, or just about any tip or trick I may wonder about when playing a game. If this is what Nintendo thinks is “enhancing my gaming experience” that’s just dumb. No part of this should make playing Super Mario Bros Wii U any better than it will be.
No matter how many times Mario gets released the inner child in me always gets excited and Super Mario Bros Wii U is no exception. This game looks great! New things like Yoshis that blow bubbles, Mario flying squirrel like suits, Yoshis that become giant balloons, and with the Wii Pad your friend can place blocks to help you through levels and try to achieve the ultimate speed run. The Gamepad will allow you to play this game on the pad instead of the TV for a constant gaming experience.
It takes more than just a new Mario game to sell a Nintendo sys………nevermind. So now it is time to see what 3rd party teams have in store for the Wii U. First up is Batman Arkham City Armored Edition which will use the Gamepad to access inventory, search for clues, hack devices, control the remote batarang, pull away walls with your bat claw, or trigger your explosive gels individually or all at once by touching your screen. In the Armored Edition you will build up a BAT meter and once full you can use the Gamepad to unleash BAT mode to dish out more damage and put more hurt on enemies. For those that already own Batman Arkham City it doesn’t look like Wii U is bringing much more to the experience.
Scribblenauts will also be coming to Wii U with more options and things to create than ever before. Like a monster truck hot rod dog with a mohawk, a headless horseman riding a vacuum wielding a blow up doll, or a 50ft hooker who shoots marmalade out of her eyes. With Scribblenauts Unlimited the possibilities are endless and only limited by your imagination.
*Cut to Wii U 3rd party montage*
Health freaks who love Wii Fit will get to enjoy some new experiences with Wii Fit U. Using the Gamepad will add extra depth to the workout you can burn those calories in ways new ways. The camera built into the Gamepad will recognize your movements and map your position and movement to your character. Wii Fit U will also allow you to keep a tracker with you so you can upload exercise outside the game experience giving you a more accurate measurement on your Wii Fit U progress. Wii Fit U will use the Gamepad as your screen allowing you to continue your workout while your TV is in use.
You the type of person who likes to embarrass yourself on karaoke night? Well no more will you have to torture crowds of people with your voice, because Nintendo is working on a karaoke title called Sing. This title will display the music on the touch screen while you hold a mic in your other hand. Everyone in the room will be participating in the song and have to dance and sing along.
Nintendo 3DS takes to the floor with a short appearance as we all needed a break for the “revolutionary” and “groundbreaking” new ways the Wii U is going to change gaming life. But don’t get too comfortable because the presentation starts out by roughly saying, “I don’t plan to show you much. Instead I am doing a dedicated 3DS presentation the next day, but I will at least show you the 3 titles you care the most about.”
Starting first with New Super Mario Bros 2 the gold is everywhere and in everything you do. Just watching the trailer alone you should expect to earn enough coins to net you 99 lives after World 1-1. I don’t know where the challenge is if I should expect to have more lives than I know what to do with. There really won’t be any penalty for dying other than just inconvenience. This game is expected to hit stores August 19th.
Paper Mario has always been a series near and dear to my heart. With Paper Mario Sticker Star rather than stick to the traditional style from the previous RPG titles you collect stickers in order to execute battle commands, progress in the game, and equip onto your character. You can buy more stickers or find them scattered all over the world and I look forward to seeing how this game will play. Stickers will make up a great portion of the entire game, and this game will be out sometime this holiday season.
Last we get a trailer from the better half of the Mario Bros with Luigi’s Mansion 2. The scared ****less younger brother will have to go through multiple mansions this time, and the ghosts are going to make it any easier for him. There will be some new ghosts to capture and new gadgets for Luigi to use. This title will be a smash hit for any 3DS owner.
The 3DS presentation closes with a sneak peek at all the games you can check out the day after the E3 Nintendo Press Conference along with some hot Castlevania action.
Wii U starts back up for the remainder of the conference and shows off a title worth keeping an eye on. Lego City stars you as Chase McCain a crime fighter. The game shows off the Gamepad which can be used as an overhead map legend of the city and also to scan areas to find objectives. The game uses Lego mechanics that allow you to move around the world with ease in fluid movement. As an added bonus the comedy for the game seems to be well written. One scene Chase falling down a tunnel at fast speeds and dodges a giant fan that has no reason being there. He shouts out loud to himself, “Why was this even there!” They also steal from the Matrix fight scene and Chase assembles a Mario Warp Pipe as well. As the trailer ends the crowd picks up as you hear cheering over excitement of Lego City and next up is Ubisoft.
Taken to the stage to talk more about Ubisoft is Yves Guillemot CEO of Ubisoft. Ubisoft has a great line up of games at this E3 with Rayman Legends and ZombiU. Now is it me or does Yves seem extremely happy in a creepy way at the beginning? Starting from the least to most interesting we see Just Dance 4 showcased first. Using the Gamepad Reggie controls what moves the people dancing on stage have to perform. Not much to look at with this title.
ZombiU will rely heavily on the Gamepad as your sole means for survival. This is one of the games that will be utilizing the full potential of what the Wii U Gamepad can do to enhance your gaming experience. This game will use the Gamepad to manage your inventory, keypad for door entry, sonar for finding zombies, and scanner for objects among other gameplay mechanics that you will be using in the game. ZombiU is the perfect type of game that the Wii U was designed for. The Wii U doesn’t just play the game, it enhances it. ZombiU will be a major seller for Wii U console owners in the future.
Zombie Reggie is probably the funniest thing he has ever done at E3.
Ubisoft shows their support for Wii U with a lineup of video games.
What Wii Sports did for the Wii NintendoLand will do for the Wii U. NintendoLand will be a theme park where you use your Mii go to one of 12 attractions. Each attraction will showcase a feature of the Wii U and really get you adjusted to the system just as Wii Sports did. The NintendoLand attraction that was demoed was Luigi’s: Ghost Mansion. There is a ghost on the screen and it is up for everyone using the Wiimote to try to capture the ghost. The person using the Gamepad is the only one who can see the ghost and must inform the other players where to search for the ghost in the room. The ghost will try to scare the rest of the players rendering them unconscious. Once a player is unconscious the other players can flash their flashlights on the knocked out player in an attempt to wake them. The flashlight does have a battery life so conservation is also key. I am hoping this will be packaged just like Wii Sports was when you purchased the Wii. Please watch more on NintendoLand and the last game to be shown at Nintendo E3.
NintendoLand ending cinematic
Overall the Wii U doesn’t really bring anything to the table. The gimmick to Wii U just isn’t there like it was with the Wii. This system will sell, but I think that the hardcore gamer will give this system a pass. What do you think about Nintendo at E3, are you excited about the release of Wii U this holiday? Did Nintendo deliver and meet your expectations, or do you feel let down and disappointed? Post your comments below and don’t forget to like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thegamersabstract
If you are interested in watching the whole Nintendo E3 Press conference look no further than directly below.
The Gamer's Abstract 