Nintendo's E3 Live Digital Event

Yesterday evening, at some point between the hours of four and five pm GMT, something changed within me. Or, to be more specific, something was rekindled. I am referring to the time at which Nintendo were conducting their live digital event, an event which made me proud to own a Wii U.  I hoped Nintendo would ease any doubts I have been having as an early buyer of the Wii U, and thankfully they delivered.

Even before the live broadcast, details of three titles currently in development began to emerge. All three were described as utilising the gamepad in new ways. The titles include a Star Fox game too, and even though I'm not a fan of the space mammal I know he is a popular character and sure to get people interested in the Wii U. The other two projects are currently known as Project Giant Robot (a fighting game where you pilot a giant robot), and Project Gaurd (a tower defence game). Little else is known about them yet, apart from that the gamepad will be used as some form of first person viewpoint. For instance, in Star Fox and Project Giant Robot the pad will give the view of a cockpit, whilst the TV screen will show the outside world. I hope that more games will incorporate the pad in such ways as this will prove it to be more than a gimmick.

The digital event itself started with a Super Smash Bros. style mock fight between Global Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata, and Nintendo America President, Reggie Fils-Amie. This fun opener stands in stark contrast with Sony's and Microsoft's very business-like approaches, and highlights Nintendo's continuing focus on fun. They went on to demonstrate Super Smash Bros Wii U, which of course looked awesome due to the new features shown. These include allowing the use of your Mii as a fighter and Nintendo's newest concept, Amiibos. These are basically Nintendo's own version of the popular Skylanders and Disney Infinity games, the concept being that physical figurines can be used as characters in the game's world. Nintendo promises each figurine will be able to develop their own stats and playing style, like a memory card. I love the idea of this, although I'm not sure my wallet will. As someone who has been already taken in by the aforementioned examples, I can see myself having the urge to collect them. Especially if they all look as good as the Mario they showcased:

The Amiibo designs are looking good!

When two whole new Legend of Zelda games were shown my excitement almost killed me. One of them, Hyrule Warriors, I had already heard of and I relish the combination of Zelda with Dynasty Warriors. The footage shown looked epic, displaying not only co-op play but also multiple playable characters from previous games - like Midna, a firm favourite of mine. I especially love the cool looking mega attacks and got a bit too thrilled by Ganon's giggle at the end. The second title (not yet named) is described as an open world Legend of Zelda; something seen only in a limited sense in the series before. The trailer shown was visually stunning, with a beautiful Hyrule vista followed by a lush forest. If the finished product is like this I imagine it as being similar to Skyrim. Something I have always wished to see, clearly shown by how my RPG characters are almost always named Link. No date was given for the second game, but Hyrule Warriors could well be in my hands by September and I can't wait.

There was also some typical cute looking Nintendo games. Games like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. The trailer looked cool, very reminiscent of puzzle games like Fez. Yoshi, too, is getting a new title - Yoshi's Wooley World (A successor of sorts to Kirby's Epic Yarn). Whilst looking fun and unbelievably cute, I doubt I'll be interested as I havent been a fan of previous Yoshi games. Kirby himself is coming back in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. It looks good but, as I have never played a Kirby game before, I can't form a strong opinion. But I like the clay art style so may keep my eye on it.

With so many enemies on screen at once in Hyrule Warrior I'm going to need a co-op buddy!

As many already know Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire are being remade, and initially I was skeptical as to why. It seems, on the other hand, that these are not just straight remakes. The inclusion of mega evolutions in the battles as well as the story suggests more than just superficial tweeking.

Bayonetta 2 looked good, and I like the fact they are including the Bayonetta 1 on the disc too as the first never had a Nintendo release. Looking as mad and quick paced as the original, it is a great example of a more hardcore game coming to the console that many dismiss as being only for families or children. Another hardcore title, The Devil's Third, will be released exclusively on Wii U as well, further disproving that the Wii U is just for casual gamers. From what little footage I have seen showed it to be quite dark and bloody. Finally, Xenoblade Chronicles X continues to uphold the Wii U's serious side. The trailer gave glimpses of an epic and heartbreaking story that makes me want to complete the first game.

One of my personal highlights was Mario Maker, a game where we will be able to create our own Mario levels. It reminded me a bit of Wario Ware D.I.Y. mixed with Little Big Planet. I can see it being fun and addictive, although I'm not sure my imagination is up to the job!

One citisism of Nintendo is their over-reliance on already established characters; looking back at my previous points in this post show this. Yet, the game Splatoon displayed that new concepts are coming as well. This one looks very odd - take the gameplay of Team Fortress, mix in a few painting puzzles from Portal 2 and then add the ability to turn into a squid... Yes, this game looks very odd indeed. It is essentially an online, team-based shooter, however as I am not a big online multiplayer fan I don't know how interested I am in this. If it is released with a split-screen option or single player I will definitely buy as it looks really fun.

In one word...
 hectic.

Nintendo's live digital event left me excited beyond belief, as you may be able to tell. I finished watching feeling nostalgia for the Gamecube era of my life, a time when I was proud to be a gamer, when every new game seemed innovative. I truly believe that Nintendo have proved that the Wii U has some serious potential, but in all honesty I didn't need much persuading.

I'd just like to finish by saying that I hope I haven't missed too much from E3 so far. There are a lot of games being showcased and I am aware of some I have overlooked. Feel free to ask my opinion on any game below in the comments.

What's your opinion on E3 so far? Are you as impressed by Nintendo as myself?


Amiibo image from Videogamer, Hyrule Warrior image from Zelda Universe, Splatoon image from news.geliyoo