Nintendo at E3 2009

Nintendo held their E3 press conference this morning, for which I dragged myself out of bed. While I hold no grudge against the other two-thirds of the "big three," I couldn't be bothered to get up for Microsoft's showing yesterday, and only half-heartedly stuck around for Sony. I'm not a journalist, so here are my completely biased impressions:

(Warning: The following contains extensive spoilers about Nintendo's press conference, obviously. If you want to see it for yourself, don't read ahead.)

The conference started out slow, with the boring Cammie Dunaway taking the stage first. With the direction Nintendo has been taking the past few years, I think we all expected a heavy emphasis on casual, which is exactly how the show began. We got to see Wii Fit Plus, which is basically non-game Wii Fit with a few more features. In the same vein, a lot of time was spent on Wii Sports Resort, which is being used as a vehicle for Wii MotionPlus. Nintendo acted like the device was an announcement, but of course it's been common knowledge for a while. It promises true 1:1 motion sensing for Wii games, which (Reggie assures us!) will faithfully recreate your every mistake and flub in-game! Just like REAL sports!

Of all the casual news, however, the best was definitely the Wii Vitality Sensor. The Vitality Sensor is a pulse oximeter that... well, actually, that's it. Yes, a peripheral that does nothing but take your pulse was actually one of Nintendo's major hardware announcements. While there are some interesting opportunities here (horror and rhythm games?), it may not be practical for anything really cool, given differences in physiology and play style.

On to the good stuff. First of all, NEW GOLDEN SUN?! I don't think anyone was expecting that. Nintendo have been so focused on pleasing casuals at one end of the spectrum, and pacifying hardcores with big-name franchises at the other that this was, to me, mind-blowing. Aside from the sheer surprise of it, I have nothing to say except: thank you, Nintendo.

In second place, OTHER M. A new Metroid isn't too surprising in itself (though it is certainly very pleasing), but everything about this game is unexpected. First off, Retro Studios are out of the picture; this project is a partnership between Nintendo and Team Ninja. A very unusual choice, given that TN are known for Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, and nothing else. Fortunately, former studio head Tomonobu Itagaki is no longer with the team, so at least we won't be seeing J-cup Samus. Which brings up another point: practically no Zero Suit Samus in the trailer. Samus has been getting a much more sexual image lately, contrary to her "empowered woman" roots. So it's awesome to see her in full power suit, throwing out God of War-style action. Another surprise was the inclusion of Adam, Samus' former CO. ("Any objections, lady?")

Lastly, not one but TWO new Mario games coming to Wii. New Super Mario Bros Wii is a side-scroller like its DS counterpart, but allows up to four players on the screen at a time. Even better, it would appear that the original Koopa Kids have finally returned. Hopefully this will be a permanent replacement of the poor substitute that is baby Bowser. It looks to be a fun, classic Mario game with the potential for party game status as well. Secondly, Super Mario Galaxy will be getting a much-needed sequel, which will include much more Yoshi. Nothing innovative, but I don't think the novelty of Galaxy has worn off yet. Expect both games to sell like hotcakes.

That's about it; everything I cared about at E3. No apologies from Reggie regarding the fate of Fatal Frame 4 or Another Code R, nor even a single appearance from Miyamoto. It wasn't a total loss, however, with far less casual news than I expected to hear. Four major titles I'm excited about, with a couple more we already know (Spirit Tracks!) to fill in the gaps, and enough casual content to keep the big N running strong.

Left in the Dust

Barely more than six months ago, Valve released Left 4 Dead, a first-person, zombie-shooting game characterized by the quality the developer is known for. Players choose one of four characters, and make their way to saferooms located throughout the city, aided by the game's AI, known as "the Director." The AI decides the position and number of enemies, weapons and items throughout a level, ensuring a completely different (and never boring) experience each time you play. Perhaps what makes L4D most unique, though, is the depth of the co-op experience. Even playing solo, you rely on your fellow survivors to free you from the grasp of certain zombies, pull you up from a ledge or share their supplies when you're starting to drag.

Though an exhilarating experience, the game's content was scant upon its release: four campaigns, each about an hour long, only two of which were available for play in "versus" mode. However, this didn't stop L4D from receiving praise left and right; bare bones games are a hallmark of Valve, who prefer to gradually add new content throughout a game's lifespan. This kind of multi-course delivery serves to keep players playing, and allows the developers to respond to fan feedback. The formula has proven especially effective for Team Fortress 2, another Valve title released a little over a year before L4D, and still thriving on periodic content updates.

Which is why many gamers are shocked at the recent E3 announcement that a Left 4 Dead 2 is in the works, and due out this year. So far, we've been told that a new cast of survivors (which seems to include Fresh Prince's Uncle Phil) will star, making use of new weapons, items and maps, and even facing new zombies. A generation ago, this might have made sense: a better, shinier sequel featuring everything you couldn't fit into the original.

But the nature of the upgrades, and especially the timing, have everyone scratching their heads. Left 4 Dead is still incomplete, and this is exactly the kind of content that it needs to flesh it out. Further, the highly-successful game is probably still years away from petering out; there is no demand, let alone any need, for a sequel just yet. The most likely explanation would be a financial one, but Valve is alive and thriving, and have never been known to abandon a game with such a large user base.

So why? Why is Valve, a successful and beloved developer, brushing off a flourishing game six months after release to deliver an unwanted sequel? Why isn't this content being put into L4D, where it's desperately needed? E3 is supposed to answer questions and pique our curiosity, not raise suspicions and cause mass confusion. With any luck, fans will receive reassurance following further news on L4D2, and this won't just be one big let-down.