By the end of Nintendo press conferences, I’m usually either really happy with what they showed off or extremely disappointed (I’m looking at you, 2008!). Luckily, this year was pretty damn good and Nintendo came out swinging, so here’s a recap of Nintendo’s E3 2010 press conference.
The Good
Donkey Kong Country & Kirby
Some old-school nintendo characters see the sun again in two new titles and while Retro is making me squeal with excitement for the new DKC, Kirby is also in a new game as yarn. Titled “Kirby’s Epic Yarn”, the art style might throw people off, but it’s side-scrolling Kirby at his best (Well, maybe not his best, but you get what I mean) and both games made a lot of people, including me, very happy.
Epic Mickey is Epic
When I first heard about this title, I was really put off at the whole idea about this lovable character finding himself in a dark and depressing world of black and brown. Luckily, my fears are put to rest with the gameplay shown at this year’s E3 which showed off a number of mechanics of the new game, but the most prominent is Mickey’s ability to change the world by either using paint or thinner. Choice is also a big part of the game as players have to choose between “Heroic” or “Mischievous” actions. I was on the fence about this game when it was first announced, but count me in when this releases.
A Golden Sun on the Horizon
I love me some Golden Sun action, and was pleasantly pleased when a trailer for the new GS was shown at E3 this year, and it got a subtitle too! The official title is now Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, and while not much time was given to it, the trailer shown showed it would be in the same isometric view as the first two and have some turn-based combat. Basically it looks great, now I have to go play the first two, again.
KID F****** ICARUS
Pit returns with this new title announced alongside the 3DS titled, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and it looks great. The action looks great, the gameplay looks fun, the graphics look semi-decent, but who cares, because it’s Kid Icarus, so everyone with nostalgia in their brains will go out and buy this day one.
The Bad
I don’t think there was anything bad about the press conference. Except for the fact I’m poor and won’t be able to buy any of these great new games…
The Meh
Mixing Mario and Sports
I’ve never really been a fan of Mario is sports games (except for Mario’s Tennis on the Virtual Boy), but I don’t hate the idea, I just never got into any of the games. I like my Italian, princess-saving plumbers as a platforming madman. This new title, looks to add more sports to Mario’s list of sports including volleyball, basketball, hockey (eh…) and dodgeball (Ooooo!) Okay, maybe since it has dodgeball…I love me some dodgeball.
The New Zelda
Now, why would I dare put Zelda down here? Because I want the game to be great when it launches. I don’t want to chance-jinx anything, so I won’t say how awesome the Wind Waker mixed with Twilight Princess graphics look, or how fun it looks to swing the Master Sword and shoot slices of lasers at enemies, and I sure as hell won’t say how sweet it is enemies block you from certain angles of attack.
Nintendo 3DS
Again, why another great reveal on the “Meh” list? Because I won’t be able to buy one for a long time. Forget that it does 3D gaming without silly glasses, or that it looks like a normal DS with a nicer screen up top for the 3D part, or that there are two cameras on the back to take 3D pictures with, or that there’s a motion sensor and accelerometer packaged with it. Forget that Nintendo has partnered with a lot of third-party developers including Konami and Ubisoft to bring titles to the 3DS, and forget that 3D movies can play on it without the glasses, and forget that it wasn’t priced.
The Verdict
Nintendo hit a home run at this year’s E3, easily the best out of the Big 3. Old characters making a comeback and new hardware that has me drooling, and I couldn’t get to it all. Well, I could but didn’t want to overflow the post. Anyway, I have to cut this short, I’m scheduled to be selling a kidney in a hour or so to help buy the new 3DS.