I have mixed feelings about the E3 Nintendo conference. Here is my recap of what I am looking forward to (game trailers included):
Nintendo did a great job making me think that the Wii U is going to be really cool. I respect gaming developers creating new and innovative ways to expand a gaming experience. In my opinion, I think that the Wii U is going to be a fun system to play. I really wish I could try it for myself to see if the system runs as smooth as it appears to run in the trailers. The extra screen seems different enough (but not gimmicky) to work for me. However, I didn’t see the announcements for titles I was hoping to see. Where was Zelda or Smash Bros.? Although I didn’t see what I was hoping, Nintendo did reveal a few exciting titles:
Pikmin 3
The Pikmin has always been a big successful franchise. Nintendo opened up the conference really pumping up this game and showing that Pikmin 3 was what they were most excited for. Overall, this is what I was most impressed with. It looks just like the old Pikmin games, but with notable improvements (extended game features, improved graphics, etc.) to make the game better. This will surely be a big hit when it is released.
Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon
Although I love Luigi, I am just not a huge fan of Luigi’s Mansion games. But I will be unbiased in saying that this looks like a good one. I am happy to also see that Nintendo is remembering its older characters and series and not leaving them in the dust. There are plenty of Luigi’s Mansion fans out there that will all be stoked to learn more about this title.
Paper Mario Sticker Star
Again, another classic game that Nintendo has upgraded for the 3DS. Paper Mario has a huge fan base and this addition looks creative, new, and fun.
New Mario Bros. 2
What is a new console without a brand new Mario game? I think the trailer says it all for this one. The graphics on this one look fantastic and the gameplay looks like a classic Mario game with some new twists and power-ups.
ZombiU
I like this game. I think that the Wii was lacking hardcore gamer titles that were exciting and challenging. I was pleased to see that Wii U came out with this title right off the bat to get gamers pumped up. The gameplay looks terrifying and the addition of the Wii U GamePad adds an interesting dimension to gameplay. This is a game where the extra screen on the GamePad could definitely be advantageous.
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Talk about creativity! This game is definitely targeted toward the more casual gamers (and probably younger generation games from what I can tell). But, the game looks cool. The trailer does a good job describing what the game is, so I don’t have much to say about this one.
Other thoughts: I am somewhat skeptical about NintendoLand. I wish that Nintendo was a little more clear on what this will contain. They compared it to ‘being as big to Wii U as Wii Sports was to the Wii. However, I didn’t get that feeling from the Nintendo Conference. I am not going to support or trash the idea yet, mostly because I want to learn more about it.
However, a lot of the titles they revealed were either for both the Wii U and 3DS or just for the 3DS. A lot of the titles (such as Batman and Assassin’s Creed 3) are also available for multiple consoles. I was hoping to see more exclusive Wii U titles.
Gamenomics & Comicology 