This year Nintendo didn’t even show up to E3 for a live press conference, but boy did they nail it. For E3 2014, Nintendo once again opted to stream a ‘Digital Event’ which people had been incredibly sceptical of. However, the charming combination of Robot Chicken style animation alongside game announcements and an insight into what’s to come over the next 12 months really worked.
http://youtu.be/iE_lpNvordA
We kicked things off with the announcement of no new Mario before following with a Smash Bros style battle between two of the head honchos, Iwata vs. Reggie, over at Nintendo in both real life and Mii form, which was all good fun. After an early hint at a delay in the release of the 3DS version of Super Smash Bros, it’s revealed that the Summer release has been pushed back to October 3rd, with the Wii U release still planned for the holiday period. With hints of plenty of development left to do, I can see both versions being pushed back again, but let’s hope that’s not the case.
Here’s what I wasn’t look forward to, but definitely expecting, Skylander/Disney Infinity style figures planned for release alongside Super Smash Bros. Luckily these ‘Amiibos’ aren’t mandatory, allowing for new elements to the game along with others, such as Mario Kart. These figures will be able to store data and will level up as you play, allowing you to increase your stats and give you a unique amiibo. I’m still incredibly sceptical of this, another way for Nintendo to draw more pennies out of customers, but I’m pleased that they don’t seem to be a huge part of the game.
We then move on to Yoshi’s Woolly World, which it’s worth mentioning won’t be a sequel to Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Nintendo really are giving Media Molecule a run for their money here, with some quite simply stunning graphics and what looks to be an incredibly charming little game. The graphics really do look superb and Nintendo have really pulled this off, look out, Little Big Planet 3! The announcement of Toad getting his own game in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker follows, with little information as of yet.
Holy mother of all things awesome, finally, The Legend of Zelda. What an announcement, huge geekgasm from me from the offset and Nintendo certainly do not disappoint. We were presented with a beautiful open world Zelda, which looks absolutely gorgeous. All of the want in the world for this game. Nintendo are changing up the format for the Wii U, moving away from the small worlds and fixed order of the game, allowing players to full explore a giant open map. The graphics just look phenomenal and there have definitely been quite a few changes in Link, wearing blue rather than green in the trailer. He’s also seen with a truly awesome bow with explosive arrows and battling a pretty badass beasty.We’re given little idea of when to expect The Legend of Zelda, with a release date simple of 2015, but I’m sure it will be well worth waiting for. Finally, a reason to acquire a Wii U…
Next up it’s time for the Pokémon announcement, with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire being released for 3DS on 21st November. Nintendo then throw plenty of Bayonetta 2 footage in our faces, which has now become a Nintendo exclusive, showing off Bayonetta in Link, Peach and Metro skins. This got another excited noise from me, but I’m not sure how much of a hit this will prove to be, especially on the Wii U console.
More Zelda now, with a look at the upcoming Hyrule Warriors game which I’m pretty darn indifferent about to be perfectly honest. I like that there are some interesting playable characters, such as Midna, but I’m again not convinced that this will take off well. However, it’s planned for release late September and may keep Zelda fans preoccupied for a little while. Xenoblade Chronicles is next up, which looks pretty swish, followed by a brief insight into Mario Maker. It’s a cute idea, but one that I can’t see being something to interest me for very long and would get bored with rather quickly.
Finally, an answer to the age old question folk have always been wondering – what if you were able to switch between being a squid and a person? Oh wait, that’s not something that has ever even slightly entered my mind. Well, that’s what Splatoon offers you, with a 4v4 player online paintball shooter. Again, it looks cute and quirky, but probably another one of those Wii U games that never really take off.
We’re offered a final treat of a Smash Bros character reveal, but wait, there’s more! There’s some cheeky footage whacked on the end of Miyamoto playing a game which turned out to be Star Fox, which has now been confirmed for Wii U. Star Fox will utilise the Wii U game pad as your cockpit, which will add an interesting element to the game. Definitely one to watch out for next year, hopefully we’ll have more on that soon.
That as all for Nintendo, with a relatively short conference at just over 45 minutes. However, considering they didn’t even give a live presentation at E3, they really did kill it. The highlight for me, as well as many others, was without a doubt the footage of The Legend of Zelda – oh, and Reggie’s fabulous little lapel pin. Keep posted for plenty more on the upcoming Zelda game as information is released, that’s definitely something I’ll be keeping all of you lovely Geek Priders up to date on. For now, enjoy the full trailer for The Legend of Zelda below and happy E3ing!
