Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Nintendo is My Soul Mate

I am the first to admit, I talk a big game when it comes to consoles.  I like the PS3, I love the Xbox.. and my Wii has gathered more dust than I'd like to admit.  But when it came to E3 coverage, Nintendo is the one that got my heart twitterpated and .. yes .. my eyes moist.
 

It's just so beautiful.





 Nintendo opened up their press conference with a presentation for Zelda's 25th anniversary.  They showcased the music from the series which has always been popular and important to setting the mood of the games.  They even announced symphony concerts worldwide that will play Zelda music.  I'm here to tell you that I will be on board if I can get to one of those concerts.  It was a nice presentation, and Zelda definitely deserves Nintendo's love.

The conference went on to spotlight new releases for the 3DS.  I have long been a stalwart against the 3DS - this stemming from my inability to see in 3D and therefore holding a personal vendetta against the technology.  Well... I have to say that this year's E3 might've made me a convert.  With upcoming releases like a new Mario Kart, Luigi's Mansion 2, and, most importantly, Super Mario I just don't know if I can resist that lineup any longer.  There wasn't word if these games would also be released as DSi titles, so I might just have to jump ship and get me one of them fancy-schmancy 3D numbers.

They went on to announce a new and beautiful Kid Icarus title: Uprising - with some Brawl-ish looking multiplayer in addition to the single player storyline.  It's a much anticipated title...but not really from me.  It looks fun and all, don't get me wrong... but I never played the first iterations of Kid Icarus.  Maybe Uprising will be the one that sells me on the series.  Something I am totally behind though?  Pokemon. The new title looks so fun, and the way the Pokedex is handled has been upgraded.  I can never resist a Pokemon title.

Of course, the big announcement for E3 was an new console: The WiiU (We-you).  The focus was on the new controller, and it is a doozy.  The controller is, as said in a developer interview, "the Swiss Army knife of controllers.  It does it all."  The controller boasts a 6.2" screen that has the potential to add to game play like never before.  The game previews showed people using the screen on the controller to look to the left and right of the TV - allowing them to see beyond your screen into more of the virtual space.  It also works as additional screen space for displaying your items and inventory in games like Zelda.  Perhaps most interestingly, they showed how someone else can be using the TV to watch a show or maybe play a different console, and the WiiU can stream your gameplay from the console to the screen on the controller, allowing you to continue your gameplay uninterrupted.

Way to step it up, Nintendo.  As we were watching, Debbie and I were texting back and forth and she said, "They are going classic.  But they just don't ever have any new, exciting games.  It's always remade and revamped classics."  And I think that she has a point.  Other than the impressive line-up of 3rd party developers (unheard of before with Nintendo and a breath of fresh air for the future!), Nintendo did showcase games that they have done time and time again.  Kart, Super Mario, Brawl... But you know what?  These games are like playing my favorite CD on repeat.  They remind me of all the fun that I've had playing these games over the years, and how much fun I will continue to have as they release, revamp, and improve on their series.  Nintendo, you are like coming home.

4 comments:

We Did It said...

Before the press conference I had one thought in anticipation of the now WiiU: "Damn, I wonder what Zelda is going to look like on that machine!" I couldn't be happier that Nintendo recognized that anticipation and put together a rather impressive tech demo featuring Link and Gohma. They played their cards well this year and I am highly optimistic for the future.

ama said...

I'm going to dig me some kid icarus! When I get a nintendo...

"wife!!! Nintendo! Now!"

Megan said...

Aww, man, I totally didn't think about the fact that lazy eye might affect the 3D technology that doesn't use glasses. Have you tried it out to confirm you can't see it?

Linz said...

I played Street Fighter for a while at Gamestop and when I had the 3D activated I could kind of tell that something was supposed to be happening. I guess I have no idea what to look for to know if I'm seeing it in 3D or not (which probably means I'm not lol) but having the 3D on didn't look blurry or ineffective...it just looked different than when I had it turned off.