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.
