E3 2015 - Nintendo in 500 Words


Also: Microsoft  / Sony

I can't say that I enjoyed sitting through Nintendo’s Digital Event. Their presentation was charming and well put together, just like their games, but it was in desperate need of a Splatoon-like shot in the arm.

The show kicked off in style with Iwata, Reggie and Miyamoto appearing as muppets. They gradually transformed into the main characters from Star Fox, an inventive way of announcing the latest entry in the well-loved series. Star Fox Zero appeared to make convincing use of the Gamepad and has since been confirmed as being developed by Platinum Games, who have had a very busy E3. I thought it looked dated, sparse and visually unappealing, especially having just watched space combat in No Man's Sky. Still, it never hurts to start things off with a big name.

Real Reggie was up next, talking about new Amiibos and a partnership with Activision via a new Skylanders game. I couldn't care less about Amiibos, but Nintendo are onto a winner here and I can't blame them for wanting to get as much out of these toys as possible. Animal Crossing figures would follow later in the presentation, causing grown men and women to go weak at the knees. Not me though, I hate fun.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes looked nice, and will be joined by Hyrule Warriors on the 3DS.  Metroid Prime Federation Force 2016 infuriated certain man-babies, but don't ask me why. I was just about to wander off and grab a stiff drink when the trailer started for Fire Emblem Fates. It looked great, though it was all CG and did little more than offer a release date of 2016.

I'm even more confused about the Fire Emblem, SMT crossover than I was before its bizarre trailer, but I did enjoy Iwata-muppet staring at some bananas. I am fond of both fruit and the President of Nintendo, so that was nice. Xenoblade Chronicles X got a release date, December 2015, which seems like a long way away.

I realise I'm a horrible person, but I just don't care about Animal Crossing. Nintendo announced a new game in their popular animals-do-things-and-stuff series, AC:  Amiibo Festival, and showed footage from the already revealed Happy Home Designer. Yoshi's Woolly World and Yokai Watch would follow before the whole thing descended into a celebration of thirty years of Mario; Mario and Luigi Paper Jam looked interesting, Tennis Ultra Smash less so. The show closed with an in-depth look at Super Mario Maker and silly videos of happy people doing Mario related things.

I appreciate that this is a transitional E3 for Nintendo, being sandwiched between the announcement of their next platform, NX, and its future reveal. Still, this was a disappointing showing and by far the least memorable of the big three.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TGS 2019 - PC Engine Mini Hands-on

Image
"Push run button" Run button? Does it mean press forward? That must be what it means. Hang on, no there is a Run button - how weird. I'd best press that then. I had never played a PC Engine until three days ago, when I spent some time messing about with the Japanese Mini at Konami's booth at Tokyo Game Show. I am assured that the emulation is excellent, being that it comes from developer M2. I can confirm that the games run smoothly, but I have no frame of reference for comparing them to the originals. The system looks tidy, the controller is solid, and the audio, experienced through headphones, is crisp. Despite there being 57 games available, the interface is uncluttered and the option menus are easy to navigate. Now we've got all that out the way, let's get back to my never having played a PC Engine, TurboGrafx-16 or whatever you prefer to call it. The original console has long been a mystery to me. I have no history with it, and don't recall
Read more

It's 2024 and I'm Buying a Nintendo GameCube

Image
Buying a new-to-you retro console is a lovely thing. A complete and well-appraised library ready to be experienced, an array of affordable games, and a wealth of written features, histories and buyer's guides to delve into. You're getting a new piece of hardware to explore, an unfamiliar startup screen to gawk at, and controllers to get to grips with. A new medium via which you can experience, or relive, a time past. A new box to pour some of your passion into. While the Nintendo GameCube isn't quite brand new to me, I've never owned one myself. However, I'm planning on changing that very soon.  Aside from chasing the new-console high, the decision to buy a GameCube was partially inspired by talk of Eternal Darkness a few weeks ago on The Back Page pod. I'm a sucker for historical-timeline-switching, and being that it's only playable on GameCube, Eternal Darkness is the perfect excuse for a console purchase. I was semi-familiar with it beforehand, but not o
Read more

The Massacre at Guthrie Farm

Image
I just wanted to say hello. I was out on my horse, exploring Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time. I was overwhelmed, unsure of the controls and equally unsure of where to go. I'd just skinned a bison and was combing my horse when I spotted a small farm on the horizon. There will be people there, I thought, and perhaps they'll have some important information for me. At the very least, they'll have something entertaining to say. I slung the bison pelt on the back of my horse, made sure my guns were holstered and headed straight for the farmstead in search of conversation and companionship. I spotted a farmhand working the field a stone's throw from the house. "Howdy partner", I said in my head, in a silly cowboy voice. The middle-aged man took one look at me, shouted something unpleasant, and drew his weapon. What a dick. Turns out Arthur (me) is a wanted man. Earlier that day, I'd unintentionally murdered a travelling salesman. I just wanted
Read more