While the E3 Nintendo Direct had very little surprises contained within its hour long presentation, the titles that were shown for both 3DS and Wii U were titles that have been anticipated by Nintendo fans since the console's announcement. Titles such as a new Mario World, Mario Kart 8 and two Super Smash Brothers titles for both the 3DS and Wii U provided a strong selection of first part titles for both consoles. Nintendo also showed some solid third part support from developer Platinum Games with two upcoming titles, Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101, along with JRPG X and titles from Ubisoft including anticipated upcoming titles Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed IV and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
The two Nintendo titles that grabbed my attention, and always grab my attention during each new generation, were the two new Smash Brothers titles for both the 3DS and Wii U. The 3DS title slightly cell shaded visuals with stages from hamdheld titles such as Nintendogs and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The Wii U version however, featured visuals more in common with the Wii version and announced thee new characters: Villager from Animal Crossing, Mega Man and Wii Fit Trainer. All of them were unexpected surprises and looked interesting to play as. With every new Smash Brothers, I end up rabidly following every new piece of information I can get my hands on until the game's release. Now with two Smash titles to follow, my mind will be thinking of Final Destination and wave dashing until their 2014 releases. The Smash Brothers series has been the reason I've bought a Nintendo console for two generations and based on the early footage, this trend may end up continuing.Nintendo also showed a short montage of third party titles on the Wii U with short glimpses of titles like Batman: Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs. While it was nice to see some notable titles coming to Wii U, it would have been even better to see some gameplay. It's obvious that in terms of raw power, the Wii U can't stand up against the PS4 and Xbox One, so graphically titles won't look as good. However especially with games like Watch Dogs, I wanted to see how well the game looked and played on the Wii U. I wanted to see the functions of the touch screen and more than anything, I wanted to see how it looked and played compared to their big siblings' console of choice.
Monolith Soft's new title was an open world mech/creature/world traveling JRPG. Featuring lush and huge open worlds with mech based combat, this JRPG simply known as 'X' looks like with will be the big budget JRPG that the console needs. When you factor in the fact that the X logo looks an awful lot like the Xenogears logo,my speculation will continue to run wild until the game's release. I have yet to play Xenoblade Chronicles, but X still looks like an awesome blend of futuristic mech battles and traditional JRPG gameplay. Like with many other titles, 2014 is too far away to wait for.
Platinum Game's offerings look manic, colorful and fantastic. The melee based action in the hack and slash game Bayonetta 2 looks like everything that made the first game so fast paced and over the top with more color, two player co op and a new look for Bayonetta. Gone is her long flowing hair, now replaced with a short pixie cut. Honestly, its nit picky to look at this early, but I must admit that I'm digging her new look. I was also a fan of the previous game's fast paced gameplay reminiscent of the Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden series and if this game can contain the frantic action of before, this will most likely be another excellent game that dodges the sophomore slump.
Platinum's other game, The Wonderful 101 was a title I have been following since it was first announced. Looking like a colorful mix of Viewtiful Joe meets Pikmin, you control a selection of costume based heroes as they battle foes by transforming and combining into massive swords, guns and fists to take down city sized foes. Like Bayonetta 2 and past Platinum titles, the Wonderful 101 looks to be a action packed, colorful game that manages to stand out in the crowd of realistic, subdued colored action titles.
'Colorful' and 'standing out from the crowd' seem to stand out in my mind whenever I mention the Wii U and 3DS. While each console brings with it a new Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, etc. it hardly comes across as a surprise anymore that these characters will make their way on a Nintendo console in some shape or from. Yet despite appearing generation after generation and more or less sticking with the same general gameplay, each new take on these titles offers something that even the most jaded fan can play and enjoy, that Nintendo charm.
I've used this term before to describe Nintendo games and consoles and while it may be a bit too simplified and vaguely fanboyish to be an entirely accurate term, it is impossible to deny the charm the oozes from both first and third party Nintendo based games.
Each of these titles stands out as a colorful and visually appealing game that may not push pixels like its more powerful cousins, but instead relies on their simplicity and fun factor to be fun. Mario Kart doesn't concern itself with 64 player online multiplayer but rather focuses on delivering a fun experience with a small group of friends. Zelda doesn't concern itself with DLC quests or additional digital trinkets to buy, but rather focuses on making a complete game that is ready to play at launch, no missing bits or online codes necessary.
Games on the 3DS and Wii U seem to be the opposite of what most other mainstream games offer on other consoles. Color and variety over realism and the me too mentality. A idea of playing with close friends over playing with strangers online. While a few games actually do feature online modes and DLC, they never seem to be the bullet points on the back of the package, but rather supplements that are entirely optional that serve to compliment the game, not hold it back.
I probably sound like a raging Nintendo fanboy here, and in some ways I can see how, but truth be told, I have always had a strong admiration for Nintendo. They have continuously stuck to their guns and followed the beat of their own drum. While they never achieved the level of success their competitors achieved in terms of sales and popularity, their decisions to focus on a singular idea and stick with it has always led them to success in the end. While I admit playing my 360, PS3 and PC more than my Wii, the titles I did play on there were undoubtedly a different and refreshing experience than I have experienced on another console. While not all of the games had been modern classics, quite a few titles have remained in my mind and still serve to exist as some of the best gaming experiences from the previous generation.
When I look at the Wii U and see its slumping sales, I understand that the lack of hardware, its once again under powered architecture and its severe lack of third party support can cause some frustration for gamers who dropped their hard earned dough on it. However, after this E3 presentation I can say that I am pretty optimistic for the future of the console. Were there any big surprises? Not really, but what was shown was a strong line up that made me eager to eventually own this console. A future of solid first party titles (Zelda, Mario Kart and Smash Brothers) and some cool looking third party games.
Will this be enough to survive against the Xbone and PS4? I can't really say, however I can say that the Wii U seems to once again, a different experience with titles that focus less on pushing technology and more on pushing fun and charming experiences.
Once again, Nintendo isn't competing with anyone but themselves. They are the child in the corner playing with his own cool toys while the other children fight for attention in the center of the room.
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