Yesterday at E3 2014 was quite a day if you're any kind of fan of Nintendo's systems or games. After all, not only did they offer up a 45-minute "Digital Event" (their pre-recorded take of the traditional press conference) that quite literally was crammed full of content, but they followed that up with a number of hours of "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" coverage that shined even more light onto the titles that had been all-too-briefly discussed during the "Digital Event."
Here are a few quick thoughts on all of the above and more (as Nintendo announced a couple of 3DS games during one of the aforementioned "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" broadcasts--which are the hit of this event, in my opinion):
Amiibo, eh?--To be completely honest, I'm not yet sure what I think of Nintendo's NFC-enabled "toys to life" figurines that will be put to use in upcoming games like Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (and possibly already released ones like Mario Kart 8, too). Still, I'm pretty sure I'll pick up at least a couple of them just so I can display them on my desk or something--especially if they release Birdo, Tingle, Pikmin or Ness ones.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker--I love it when Nintendo announces a game I didn't even know I wanted until I see it in action. Of course, it helps when the game in question looks as cute and charming (there's that word again) as this one does. Anyway, I'll definitely pick up Treasure Tracker after I finally acquire a Wii U, whenever that may be.
Fantasy Life--No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. This enchanting-looking 3DS title, made by Level-5 (of Professor Layton fame), will finally see the light of day in North America this October. Even better: it looks as though this is a localization of Japan's Fantasy Life Link, which added in an online multiplayer option. Now if Nintendo of America would just announce a North American release for Dragon Quest VII so I could die happy.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse--Who could've predicted that Nintendo would ever make a sequel to one of the best (as well as one of the most over-looked, at least commercially) DS games around, Kirby's Canvas Curse? Honestly, this will be the first game I buy for my Wii U--assuming I wait until 2015 to buy one, I mean--thanks in large part to its drop-dead-gorgeous claymation art style (which can be seen it in all its glory in the trailer below).
Mario Maker--If you've ever wanted to make your own Super Mario Bros. levels, this 2015 Wii U title is for you. I'm not entirely sure it's for me, though. I mean, I like Mario platformers as much as the next guy or girl, but I can't say I've been chomping at the bit to make my own. As such, whether or not I buy this 2015 release likely will depend on its price. ($9.99? Sure. $39.99? Probably not.)
Xenoblade Chronicles X--This is the final name for the Wii U title previously known as X. And, truthfully, the teaser trailer shown during Nintendo's "Digital Event" was ... dreadful. Thankfully, the actual gameplay footage shown during its "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" session looked worlds better. Definitely another title on my Wii U "wish list"--despite the fact that I've yet to finish its Wii-based predecessor.
Yoshi's Woolly World--First, I was glad to find out this Wii U game hadn't been cancelled (as had widely been feared). Then, I was sad to hear its release had been pushed into 2015. And after seeing some actual gameplay footage of it? I'm feeling both glad and sad, to be honest. I mean, I absolutely love the look of it, and I'm sure it's going to control like a dream, but it also looks a bit too derivative of Kirby's Epic Yarn. Hopefully this game's devs will be able to differentiate this one from that adorable Wii effort enough to make it a worthwhile purchase.
A handful of other 3DS and Wii U titles (mostly the latter) also were highlighted during yesterday's festivities, but I don't have much to say about them--well, other than to say that I like the looks of the Wii U Zelda title, but that in no way assures I'll buy it once it's available. I most likely will be buying Bayonetta 2, though, especially as retail copies (which will hit store shelves in October) will include the first game, too.
Now that I've had my say, what do all of you think about Nintendo's E3 2014 output so far--assuming you have any thoughts on the matter at all?
I loved the whole show. I thought it was not only informative, but also very funny and entertaining. Those Robot Chicken-like video clips with Nintendo characters were hilarious. And that opening with Smash Bros was epic.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the figures because if anyone has a catalog of characters that would work well with them, its Nintendo. And I like how they work with the control pad like they do, without having to buy a separate thing like the Skylanders/Infinity toys. I'm willing to give it a shot because even without using them in games, the figures look awesome.
The Toad levels were one of my favorite parts of Super Mario 3D World, so I'm thrilled he's getting his own game. It's adorable and sometimes mind-bending.
ReplyDeleteI was unfamiliar with Fantasy Life, but the Treehouse Live demo sold me on it as soon as they said it had fishing.
Mario Maker... that one will boil down to price. If it's on the eShop for $10 or less, I might pick it up for my sister's kids to enjoy. They like making levels in Little Big Planet, so they could get some fun out of it.
I also saw some of the Capom demo for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. That's going to eat up so much of my time. I won't be able to resist.
Sounds like we had a very similar reaction to the goings-on so far, Eric. And, yes, the amiibo figures definitely look awesome, which is why I'm sure I'll buy a few even if I don't end up using them in/with Wii U games :)
ReplyDeleteHey there, Terry! Yeah, I've heard such great things about the Toad levels in SM3DW that I was happy to see Nintendo give them their own title.
ReplyDeleteAs for Fantasy Life, I've been longing for a localization announcement since the JP version was revealed looooooong ago. It just seems like the sort of game I'll absolutely love. Good to hear it's now on your radar, too.
I'm looking forward to the NA release of MH4U, too, of course. Didn't talk about it here because it was announced a while back and wasn't part of Nintendo's own "show."
Anyway, it seems 2015, especially, is going to be a great year all around!
I think Nintendo really hit the right balance this year with the Treehouse broadcasts. It's refreshing to see people enjoying games on a Nintendo platform without prefacing everything with how DOOOOOOOOOOOMED the Wii U is.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, the Treehouse Live broadcasts have been brilliant, IMO. They've really helped sell me on games that didn't completely impress me via trailers. Also, like you said, it's just nice to see people actually playing the games rather than ... pontificating about them, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I like Nintendo's goofy schtick, too, and I also hope they keep it up for at least a while longer.
ReplyDeleteAs for Splatoon, I think it looked good, but it's really not my kind of thing. I think maybe I would enjoy it if I gave it a chance, and if I had friends nearby who could play it with me, but neither of those things is likely to happen so I'll probably pass on it.
I'm still kind of unsure as to whether or not I'd actually like Mario Maker, BTW. If you can play courses that were made by others and then shared on line, I could see that being somewhat appealing, but that's about it.
I guess I've got more to learn about it!
I'm telling you, man, between E3 and all the time I've spent on Miiverse, I'm a lot more confident about my Wii U purchase than I was six months ago. Now the Vita, on the other hand...
ReplyDeleteI am very much looking forward to Fantasy Life, and I prefered the Toad minigames in Mario 3D World to the actual platforming, so that game is a big deal for me.
ReplyDeleteNintendo did good with the Wii U. Some of the 3rd party stuff is really interesting too. Hopefully the console can sell well enough to make this all worthwhile for the company.
I thought the show was incredible. All did well enough but Sony and Nintendo captured my attention and mullah this year. I had debated on getting a Wii U for a while if the exclusives could convince me, and boy did they ever. So in the end I'll splurge for a Wii U, Wii mini for the backlog of VC content, and a 3DS. The new Zelda in particular looks phenomenal, excellent animation and art direction.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Jess! And, really, I'm getting one, it's just going to be a little while yet. Really, I could have bought one earlier this year, but then I decided to put most of my gaming budget toward the GameBoy and 3DS for most of the remainder of this year. (No joke.)
ReplyDeleteYep, Fantasy Life is one of my most anticipated games this year now--along with Theatrhythm FF: Curtain Call and ... I can't remember the rest.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree with you about Nintendo's E3 showing, especially in regards to the Wii U. I wish they'd showed more 3DS games, but what can you do? Hopefully they'll more to show off in the coming months...
Hey there, Xinen! Thanks for the comment :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great that this event prompted you to pick up a Wii U.
And, yes, I also thought Zelda, Bayonetta 1/2 and Captain Toad looked phenomenal. Hyrule Warriors, too! I have a feeling that game will do quite well in the US, if not as well in its home country. Just the kind of thing we eat up :)
Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about that, Jess. Thanks for the reminder! Such a weird idea from Nintendo (to get rid of the machine's online functionality, especially).
ReplyDeleteThat Wii Mini, GEEZ. I thought Nintendo just really hated Canadians until they released it in every other territory.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Yes, I can see that. Not sure what they were thinking with that one...
ReplyDeleteI found the presentation much more engaging than the other 2 (I found myself skipping forward a lot for the others).
ReplyDeleteThe Nintendo event had lots of humour between game info - well done on their part (especially the beginning Iwata vs Reggie fight hehe).
Amiibo - very weird name but the figures look really good! I may not "collect them all" but may pick up Luigi and Waluigi :)
Bayonetta 2 - woo! Love that the first one will come packaged with it. Will be interesting to see how #1 plays (compared to the PS3 version). I also love the different Nintendo costumes they gave Bayonetta - made me laugh!
Xenoblade Chronicles X - woohoo!!! I thought it looked fantastic though also thinking it probably still needs "polish" and still likely to be beta stuff. I hope more info comes out soon. Can't wait :)
Hyrule Warriors - I was a bit on the fence with this, but after seeing what they've done and having Midna in it, it's convinved me ;) and it looks hella fun!
As an aside, during the STEAM press reveal someone asked about SMTxFE and they were told its still in production!! So hopefully they will reveal proper details soon.
Legend of Zelda - my prediction came true! It will be open world :) I'm glad about that. I may actually consider getting the game. It looks fantastic. I find it amusing that people are groaning about the artstyle LOL (typical Zelda fans, never satisfied haha). Though I was hoping for more stuff revealed, the teaser was too little for such a major event! I guess they may do a big direct focused on Zelda soon.
Captain Toad - you haven't played Mario 3D World? There were like 4 or 5 Capt Toad worlds spread throughout the game. It's kinda cool that idea has been put into a separate game. The puzzle element is quite good.
Hey there, Igor!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I thought the recorded event was great, although the Treehouse Live stuff has been even better, IMO. Here's hoping Nintendo does something similar, if not better, next year.
I agree with pretty much everything else you had to say here, too. One thing I'll add, since I barely touched on Hyrule Warriors in my post, is that seeing this game's gameplay during today's Treehouse Live broadcast actually made me want to buy it, which is kind of insane. I probably won't actually go ahead with it, though, as already there are too many Wii U games on my wish list, and even more are sure to be added to it in the coming months. Still, I'm glad it's being made and I hope it becomes a big success for them.
Oh, and to answer your question about Super Mario 3D World: of course I haven't played it yet -- I don't own a Wii U! I will soon enough, though, and that'll be one of my first pick-ups (along with Mario Kart 8), for sure.
It's about damn time you get a Wii U :p
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, but I've been too busy spending money to support my 3DS and GameBoy obsessions! The Wii U's time will come, don't you worry :)
ReplyDeleteRemember that whole Game Boy Advance collecting kick I was on a while back? That burned out in a hurry. I still adore the system, but I haven't been playing my Advance much since my surgery in March. I'm fickle like that.
ReplyDeleteWell, don't feel too bad. My obsessions usually don't last too long either. This GB one, though, is hanging on for dear life!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up. Didn't know it was offline only. I just wanted to get some (many) of the VC titles already on their like a few of the TGFX/PC Engine/ALL titles haha. I thought the Wii has some but only a limited selection so far. Maybe I'm wrong again.
ReplyDeleteThere were quite a few VC games released for the Wii, actually, and quite a few for the Wii U, too, but far from all that could be, sadly.
ReplyDelete