Nintendo's E3 recap, DIRECTLY from us...
Unlike the other two console developers, Nintendos newest baby is already out of the market. However, sales arent exactly where Nintendo want them to be, and they know it. So how do we fix this? GAMES!
Nintendo pulled out some big stuff in their E3 Nintendo Direct, and while we kind of wish we had Reggie on stage talking about how his body is ready, we sure enjoyed the 40-minute presentation. Take a look at what Nintendo shared with us.
Pokemon X and Y gets a release date
Nintendo opened with a trailer for the next Pokemon adventure, Pokemon X and Y, coming October 12th. Highlighting the Kalros region, this trailer was all gameplay, all the time.
A brand new type, Fairy, which will encompass old favorites like Jigglypuff and Mariill and be super-effective against Dragon-types, was announced. Pokemon-amie, essentially Pokemon meets Nintendogs, will allow Pokemon trainers to pet and play with their Pokemon. Fairy type, eh? Interesting...but do fairies beat dragons normally? Is that real?
Super Mario 3D World is the cat's meow
The next 3D Mario game followed, called Super Mario 3D World, is coming December 2013. Highlights include a new bell powerup, transforming Mario into a cat, using the GamePad to produce hidden platforms and coin blocks, and 4-player co-op where players can choose between Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad, a la Super Mario Bros 2 back on the NES.
Super Mario 3D Land was a huge success on the 3DS, and the co-op features of New Super Mario Bros U have been consistently fun, so merging the two seems like a logical choice. If theres a Cat Mario, there better be a scratching post level.
Mario Kart 8 turns up upside down
Mario Kart 8 is the name of the next Nintendo racing game, and the reveal trailer delivered more of the great racing action we love. Gliders from Mario Kart 7 and motorcycles from Mario Kart Wii are making a return, joining a new anti-gravity driving mechanic.
The anti-gravity mechanic looks particularly interesting, if only because we wonder if the motion sick among us will be able to handle it. Also, call us crazy, but that looks an awful lot like Sugar Rush from Wreck-It Ralph in that screenshot. Could Vanillope make an appearance? Well find out Spring 2014.
Wii Party U, Wii Fit U both delayed
The next installment of the Wii Party franchise boasted over 80 minigames, including swimming, bucking broncos, and rhino racing. Originally planned for the summer, the game has been delayed to the end of the year.
Wii Fit U also suffered a delay to next winter, as Iwata cited new ideas the developement team wants to implement. Hey, new is good with us, as long as theyre fun to play.
Art Academy gives Miiverse Picassos a new place to draw
Born from Miiverse drawings, Art Academy is getting a full-fledged Wii U release this summer. Those who fancy a drawing on Miiverse can now expand on those artistic talents and share those pictures with everyone.
This is a great idea, but were kind of disappointed its called Art Academy and not Mario Paint. Also, we plan to draw lots of cats like the one above. Art A-CAT-emy, right? Right? Hello?
Third-Party Partner sizzle reel
Iwata then presented a video filled with upcoming Wii U and 3DS games from third-party partners. There were a lot of games shown, so here goes...deep breath:
Assassins Creed IV, Batman: Arkham Origins (both Wii U and Blackgate on 3DS), Deus Ex: Human Revolution Directors Cut, Disney Infinity, Just Dance 2014, Rayman Legends, Scribblenauts Unmasked, Disney Planes, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Skylanders Swap Force, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Sonic Lost World, and Watch_Dogs. Phew...thats a lot...
eShop library sizzle reel
Iwata followed that up with ANOTHER video chockful of games, this time featuring eShop-specific games. Here we go again!:
Ballpoint Universe, Cloudberry Kingdom, Coaster Crazy Deluxe, Ducktales Remastered, Dungeons and Dragons Chronicles of Mystara, Mutant Mudds Deluxe, Oddworld New N Tasty, Scram Kitty and His Buddy On Rails, Shovel Knight, Spin the Bottle, Bumpies Party, and A World of Keflings with Miis. Oddworld and World of Keflings were nice surprises!
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD writes a message in a (Tingle) bottle
Wind Waker in HD is a beautiful thing. Seeing Link sail across the sea like that, in full graphical splendor, makes our heart warm. We saw plenty of familiar locales, and we cant wait to dive back in.
Some of the enhancements revealed about Wind Waker include shaders for better visual expressions, faster exploration via boat, and the Tingle Tuner being changed to the Tingle Bottle, which is used to write Miiverse message in a bottle to share with other Miiverse users. We didnt want to leave TINGLE out, guys! Wind Waker HD is set for October 2013.
The Wonderful 101 unites the masses
The focus shifted to The Wonderful 101, where Iwata explained the games battle system. Unite Mode turns the 101 warrios into giant weapons, shaped via swipes on the GamePad. An in-game shop allows for purchasing better abilities and attacks for use later in the game.
Iwata also revealed 5-player co-op, which each player leading their own group of fighters. This will be explained further on a Wonderful 101-specific Nintendo Direct coming soon, but we suspect we can watch it before the game launches September 15th.
A new Donkey Kong Country gives us chills
Retro Studios new game is finally revealed to the world: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. More of the same excellent action from Donkey Kong Country Returns will be making its way to Wii U, along with dynamic camera movement during barrel travel and enhanced HD graphics.
Dixie Kong was revealed to be returning as well, making both Diddy and Dixie partners with the big guy. The game will be launching in November. Sure, its not Metroid, but those DK games were a lot of fun, so were excited to see more.
Bayonetta 2 takes a little off the top
Bayonetta 2 was next on the list, Bayonetta herself sporting a new do. Luckily thats the only drastic change so far, as the action on-screen looked to be as manic and explosive as before.
The brief snippet of gameplay we got to see looked very similar to the original game, but thats not a bad thing. Consider us ready for more hair-stomping action, though were sad the game doesnt launch until 2014.
"X" shows off some mechs, but still has no name
The next game from Monolith still doesnt have an official name, but dammit if it doesnt continue to impress. The new trailer showed transforming mechs that the player will use in-game for battle and travel. TitanFall isnt the only game featuring giant Gundam-like battle mechs; Nintendo has one too.
If Xenoblade Chronicles taught us anything, its that Monolith Soft is good for a quality RPG experience, so were ready for more X as soon as its available. A playable demo soon would be great...seriously...please?
Super Smash Brothers drops a Mega-ton
The final announcement of the broadcast was the main event, the showstopper, the big cheese: the official reveal of Super Smash Brothers for 3DS and Wii U. Brief gameplay from both versions was unveiled, showing off the multiplatform mayhem.
Two new characters will also be Smashing their way to battle: Animal Crossings Villager will be bringing shovel, axes, and a Balloon Fight helmet to battle, and Capcoms Mega Man finally joins the action this time around. Mega Man. MEGA MAN. We still cant calm down.
A bunch of stuff not mentioned on Direct...
Right after the event ended, Nintendo released a TON of new information about other games that werent even mentioned on the broadcast. New trailers for Pikmin 3, New Super Luigi U, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, and more were released into the wild.
Also, two 3DS games announced in previous Nintendo Directs received formal names: the new Zelda 3DS game is called The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and Yoshis Island 3DS is now called Yoshis New Island. Why these werent in the broadcast, were not sure, but whatever, its good info anyway!
The show floor awaits!
No more talk, no more snazzy press conferences and cars on stages, it's time to hit the show floor and see what the industry's best has to offer.
Keep it glued to GamesRadar throughout the week as we bring you the latest news and gameplay impressions from across the E3 2013 show floor. There's a lot to see, but there's a lot of us here. Enjoy E3!
Nintendo might not be hosting a traditional E3 press conference, but it isn't showing up to the convention empty-handed. Instead, it's going to be revealing its wares via a Nintendo Direct, with one hour of focused talk on the future of the Wii U and 3DS. What's going to be there? Well, your guess is as good as ours, but we expect to find out about a Wii U Mario Kart, a new Smash Bros (finally!), and plenty more. Nintendo knows it needs to take out the big guns this year, and we have to think there are a few secrets that are going to blow our minds when the stream starts.
You can watch the UK version of the broadcast right here at 7am PST/3pm GMT on June 11, or head over to Nintendo.com for the US version. Either way though, be sure to check out our Radar Reacts video afterwards, which will be displayed below.
