Is E3 Nintendo’s Come Back?
If you were on Twitter this morning and happened to be following the people I stal…follow, you’d have seen everyone foaming at the mouth at the Nintendo. Even if they’re having a rough few years, we still love and want to root for the company responsible for making us video game addicts/journalists/developers.
Believe me, you should have seen my inbox that morning.
They mentioned a few awesome things that certainly got me interested in buying a Wii U:
A new Legend of Zelda title was announced, and judging by the screen caps it’s going to be a beaut. Given the huge success that was the 3DS Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, this one could push a lot of consoles. CynicNerd already wrote a piece on it, which you can see here.
And for the people I know who can’t get enough of collecting Skylanders figurines, Nintendo introduced a brand new initiative with the Amiibo, a figurine of a character that will allow you to play the character across many titles and imbuing your gameplay with their abilities.
The project known as Mario Maker also intrigued me in ways I can only begin to express here. I can embrace my inner game developer, set up an infuriatingly complex Mario level and try to conquer it.
Fans of Starfox are going to be excited as well, as there will be a new title in the series! I never played this one as a kid but people are excited.
Pac-man was announced as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. title coming out on Wii U and 3DS. As well, Kid Icarus characters Lady Palatuna and potentially Dark Pit will also join the fray when the game releases in 2015.New games featuring beloved characters will also be in the pipeline for Nintendo, which I will briefly discuss:
- Yoshi’s Wooly World – This game clearly draws from the aesthetics of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, a game from the Wii that I thoroughly enjoyed, and involves co-op play with Yoshis. Instead of eggs this time around, you’ll be tossing baby chicks.
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong – the legendary rivalry is back, somewhat. Players will manipulate the gamescape to help the team get through levels.
- Mario Party 10 – Newly introduced Bowser Party Mode lets you torment up to four friends as they play through the classic campaigns. Using the Gamepad, you can control the obstacles in the game against your friends.
- Fantasy Life – The game borrows elements from traditional RPGs and games like Animal Crossing where you gather resources, friends, and go on an adventure slaying dragons and building up your character. It looks very cute and looks like a good time.
In other hardware news, Nintendo will be releasing a Gamecube controller bundle for Holiday 2014.
There are several things to look forward to from the company, and it’s nice to see them at E3. I was disappointed not to see them at PAX East, considering what a lost opportunity it was for them to interact with fans of the brand.
We’ll keep an eye on what more Nintendo might have up their sleeves during the conference. Which of these games has you interested? Is there something missing that you hoped they’d announce?
~The Myrrick
