Friday, June 8, 2012

NinSage's E3 Wrap-Up!

Here are my reactions to Nintendo's week of E3 events.  I never hit the panic button, I frequently pulled the awesome lever, but I also flipped the disappointment switch.





My reaction was a mix of joy and disappointment.
GP's Bulborb's reaction was hunger.

Nintendo Direct
  • Wii U Pro Controller - I kid you not, I have always wanted the twin sticks on a traditional controller to be above the d-pad/buttons.  I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.  I will probably trade in my CCPro just like I did when I traded in my CC for the CCP.
  • Miiverse - I am extremely looking forward to this more social, yet actually practical, experience.  I love Miis when they are used properly (Find Mii, Puzzle Swap).  So, I'm really looking forward to this.  Plus! I felt that note leaving from Dark Souls was one of the best game concepts to come out of the 7th console generation.



Nintendo E3 Keynote
  • Pikmin 3 - Loved Miyamoto's entrance.  Game looks gorgeous.  The awesomeness of Pikmin 3 and the recent announcement that both New Play Control Pikmins will be available in the states means this might just be the time when NinSage jumps in to the Pikmin universe.  We shall see!
  • NSMBU - Flying Squirrel Transformation had me at "hello."  I also can't wait to be the "boost" player using the GamePad to help my buddies through the game!
  • Scribblenauts Unlimited - Looks fun.  I never got completely sucked in to the first two Scribblenauts games, but this one does look even better.
  • Rayman Legends -  As stunning as the Rayman Origins/Legends visuals are, the characters/style just doesn't appeal to me.  So, again, this looks like for many people it will be one of the coolest games on the market.  But, just not for me.  Hope it stays Wii U exclusive, at least for a while.
  • ZombiU - The more I see about this game the more intrigued I am.  I'm a big fan of survival horror and I love the GamePad implementation - I think that's so brilliant.  I just hope that they change the name and reveal some kind of backstory that makes this generic setting match its unique gameplay.  Also, you know the game is good when gaming media is already grasping at straws that the game will go multi-platform! haha
  • NintendoLand - Make it a pack-in (on the hard drive?) and make it have online multiplayer and I will gladly have a ton of fun with this.  Sell it separately and make it local only? I'd probably pass.





  • Project P-100 - I really think that this game should have been at the conference instead of announced afterwards.  It's a great looking, intriguing, third-party game that will be exclusive to the Wii U.  It has a great pedigree (Platinum Games) and seems to be at least somewhat related to the Viewtiful Joe franchise.  That's the kind of thing Nintendo should have included a focus on to make a better first impression with the Wii U.

Developer Round Table
  • We will be able to transfer game saves and digital games from the Wii to the Wii U! Rejoice!!
  • I guess somewhere after the conference someone said there would not be friend codes on the Wii U.  If true, that should have been front-page news from Nintendo's PR folks.  But, hey, I guess it's nice to (kind of) know...?

3DS Conference
  • Paper Mario: Sticker Star - Looks like there are some fresh game mechanics that will really enhance the Paper Mario series and on the 3DS the visuals are going to look more amazing than ever.
  • Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon - Just behind Kid Icarus Uprising, the promise of a new Luigi's Mansion was one of the big reasons I knew I was going to get a 3DS.  This game looks like it has a ton of content and new, exciting features.  Barring any unforeseen financial issues, I will be getting this on day one.  Also, having viewed the 3D effect via the eShop trailers, I can say with certainty that it will really add to the immersion on this title.
  • NSMB2 - Apparently people knew about this beforehand, but it was news to me that you could play 2P co-op in this game.  If that is online I will freak out with joy.  But, it probably isn't, so I guess I'll just have to hope it works via Download Play (not requiring a second cartridge) and wait until my wife gets a 3DS of her own.  Also, 2D parallax visuals on the 3DS are mind-blowingly good.  Trust me.




  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate - I'm still on the fence about this game simply because I am not at all thrilled by the LoS narrative.  However, the inclusion of Alucard has me very interested and the gameplay itself looks really fun.  So, I'll be keeping a close eye on this one and will probably end up picking it up eventually, if not at its launch day.
  • Fire Emblem: Awakening - After the conference, Reggie accidentally confirmed the release of this title for North American territories.  What a gaff! Could you imagine how terrible it would have been to announce a new game when cameras and microphones were actually around!? 

Overall

Everyone knows I'm a positive Pete when it comes to Nintendo.  I mean, when you look at the facts, they just plain know what they are doing in the world of video games.  The always deliver, one way or another.  That's what has made me so optimistic - past evidence, not blind hope.

However, Nintendo let me down at this E3.  And it's not because the items they showed were not impressive.  They were! It's just that I wanted Nintendo to drop the Wii U on the gaming industry like a nuclear bomb of digital awesome.  And I would bet anything that Nintendo has enough going on beyond the scenes that they could have done just that.  However, Nintendo clearly wanted this E3 to just be about the next six months and I can see the wisdom in that philosophy.

But, that means we have to go right back to a gaming industry (gamers, journalists, developers) that aren't fully sold on/committed to Nintendo's console.  Which means we're going to have to endure more bullsh*t about Wii U exclusives being begged to go multi-platform, more third-parties treating the idea of bringing their games to Wii U as some supreme leap of unwarranted faith, etc etc.

So, I didn't need convincing from Nintendo.  But, a lot of people did, and I would have really appreciated it if Nintendo did me the personal favor of winning them over - because first impressions would have been the quick and easy way to do it.  Now, either it never happens for the Wii U, or it potentially takes another half-decade, uphill battle.  And depending on how long that takes, we may already be ramping up for the Wii U 2 (featuring Bono).

So, hey, without even trying I'm a positive Pete 51 weeks out of the year.  Let me be a negative Nick for a few more days and I'm sure Nintendo will announce something to cheer me up via some scribbles on a paper napkin in a New Jersey diner... or something equally inconspicuous.  Meanwhile, CNN still thinks the Wii U is a Wii peripheral.  Lordy, lordy.

3 comments:

coffeewithgames said...

The one area I was hoping Nintendo would convince me they are serious about with the Wii U, is online.
They failed, and they do not have past evidence to show they know what they are doing in that particular area, which is really unfortunate for a company their size and this far into the console race now.

As for Fire Eblem, I actually wonder if it could be a Disaster Day of Crisis, or even Pandora's Tower? Hope not for fans of the series and 3DS owners looking forward to it though.

I agree about Project P-100, not sure why Nintendo didn't show that in the conference, considering it's a NEW IP, and not a port of any sort.

I agree about NintendoLand, it better be the equivalent of Wii Sports and packed in, because I won't pay $60 for it...again, no mention of any online support?

I'm writing up a piece (maybe two or three) on my E3 thoughts and the games, but I agree, I was expecting Nintendo to at least convince onlookers that have doubts about the system, more than they did...which wasn't much at all, if any.

Robknoxious1 said...

"However, Nintendo let me down at this E3. And it's not because the items they showed were not impressive. They were! It's just that I wanted Nintendo to drop the Wii U on the gaming industry like a nuclear bomb of digital awesome."

I think that those four sentences sum up many peoples feelings concerning Nintendo at E3 this year.

Let's face it, people aren't posting on sites like NinTemple or Negative world unless they're Nintendo fans. For people like us it's not a matter of IF we will buy a Wii U but when (except maybe a few handheld-only guys).

As far as people that felt the Wii was too casual and were just playing their PS3/360's the past five years. If they had tuned in to the conference to see if Nintendo's comments of going after the core gamer was sincere - I don't think any, not a single one of them, were convinced once the conference was over.

NinSage said...

"As far as people that felt the Wii was too casual and were just playing their PS3/360's the past five years. If they had tuned in to the conference to see if Nintendo's comments of going after the core gamer was sincere - I don't think any, not a single one of them, were convinced once the conference was over."

Precisely =\