Nintendo has been running a digital event during E3 for the past several years, and it’s made things far more accessible than they once were. It’s also given them more opportunities to do wackier things.
I didn’t know what to make of this, until they started morphing into Star Fox characters.
That’s when I began to smile. Good on you, Nintendo. You identified what pretty much everyone wanted and you delivered. It’s been a while since we had an actual Star Fox game. F-Zero fans, as usual, get shafted once again. They’re probably used to it by now.
Notably, in addition to Wii U gamepad screen support allowing you to view the world from the cockpit and aim StarFox Zero will feature the return of features from the unreleased Star Fox 2: Arwing transformations. In addition to the walking mech from that game, you also have access to the Landmaster as usual, though it does have improved hovering capabilities, as well as a gyrocopter, which has the ability to hover in place as well as send out a small drone to explore areas you normally couldn’t. They also got the majority of the Star Fox 64 voice cast back. The game looks good, and I’m going to find the wait interminable. Star Fox Zero is slated for a Holiday 2015 release.
Next up, Reggie talked about some Special Skylanders amiibos. The next Skylanders games will allow players with the proper amiibos to play through the game with “Turbo Charged” Donkey Kong and “Hammer Slam” Bowser. I’ve never really cared for Skylanders in general, so I have no real way of gauging how happy this will make those that do. Skylanders: SuperChargers is set to release for Wii U on September 20 2015.
Next was the announcement of The Legend of Zelda Tri Force Heroes. It seems to be the successor of the Four Swords games, with an emphasis on teamwork, this time between three players. Over the course of the game, you can acquire materials to make different costumes which change the way you play the game; one makes any bombs you place huge, another gives you inherent access to the great spin attack, still another randomly helps you avoid damage from traps and (presumably) enemies. You are also able to stack up into a three Link totem to solve puzzles and deal with tall enemies. It does feature a single player mode if, like me, you are Mr. Forever Alone. It is set to release sometime this Fall.
Also announced is a 3DS port of the Wii U game Hyrule Warriors called Hyrule Warriors Legends. They are adding characters and stages to the port from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Metioned are Tetra and Boat The King of Red Lions King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. They’ve also tweaked a few features, such as making it possible to switch characters on the fly. It’s set to release during the first quarter of 2016.
Metroid Prime: Federeation Force was also announced. In it, players take on co-op missions as Federation forces. It uses the 3DS gyroscope for aiming. It also contains a competitive mode called Blast Ball, which groups players onto 3 person teams to score goals by shooting a ball into an opponent’s goal. They seem to be really big on Co-op this year, and it’s really dragging things down. It is set to release in 2016.
Next up, they showed off the next installment in the Fire Emblem franchise, Fire Emblem: Fates. Its cinematics look absolutely stunning. The game itself seems to be running off of Fire Emblem: Awakening’s engine, so it can be assumed that the two will have many similar features. This is the first time, however, that the player will play as the main character, rather than the tactician or such. You will have the choice between two story paths as well. If it is anything like its predecessor, it will be an excellent game. It is set to release in 2016.
Also shown off was the Fire Emblem/Shin Megami Tensei crossover, Genei Ibun Roki #FE. It seems to feature a number of fan favorite characters from the Fire Emblem Series, as well as MegaTen characters made specifically for the game. Instead of the usual Gods, Demons, and mythological heroes and beasts, the game features Mirages; beings from another dimension (go ahead, take a wild guess which). There is an entertainment angle to the MegaTen characters, rather than just have them be Japanese High School kids. The game has a tentative 2016 release date.
They also showed a trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X. I never got the chance to play the original Xenoblade Chronicles, so I am probably a bad judge of this game. It looks beautiful, and seems to feature a story that seems oddly similar to something you would imagine would lead into, say, Xenogears, with humans crash-landing on a fairly hostile planet. The mech designs are also fairly reminiscent of that game, in their own way. It is set to release for Wii U on December 4th this year.
Also announced was Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. The game is based around designing homes and rooms for various Animal Crossing characters. It also utilizes the otherwise unexplained amiibo cards to summon characters to your village that otherwise wouldn’t show up normally in the game. This isn’t making much of an impression on me. It is set for a September 25th 2015 release on the 3DS.
Also in Animal Crossing news, they announced a Wii U game called Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival. It seems to be an Animal Crossing flavored Mario Party-style game. Notably, it requires the purchase of an Animal Crossing amiibo to play it, which is the sort of thing I’m personally not thrilled with. It doesn’t strike me as a game I’ll be anticipating. It is set to release Holiday 2015.
They showed off Yoshi’s Wooly World once again. The game and characters look so snuggly it’s almost sickening. It’s still on track to release October 16, 2015. We already know about this game though, which makes me think they’re holding off on announcements till the NX is ready to show.
Also shown off was Level 5’s Yokai Watch. The game is based around summoning remaining of traditional Japanese ghosts, spirits, and monsters (all considered Yokai) to fight other yokai through the use of a wristwatch. It strikes me as something of a Shin Megami Tensei/Pokemon-esque sort of game. It is set for release on the 3DS holiday 2015.
Next came the announcement of Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. It merges the Mario and Luigi series with the Paper Mario series, with the Paper Mario bros. as back-up to their Mario and Luigi series counterparts. Both series have been known for their excellent writing and localizations, so I expect the story to be entertaining at the very least. Several special attacks seem to make use of Paper Mario’s 2 dimensional nature, and the same goes for puzzle solving. It’s set to release for 3DS in Spring 2016.
Next up was the announcement of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U. It’s Mario Tennis, but with the joy of performance enhancing drugs Mega Mushrooms, which cause the characters to not only grow to gigantic proportions, but also seem to give a boost in power. It’s likely what you expect from the Mario Sports series. It’s set to release Holiday 2015.
Next, they gave us another look at Super Mario Maker for the Wii U. They announced this a while ago, but they did show off some of the original Super Mario Bros. level blueprints, with Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka talking about the process they went though to design those levels in the 80’s. It’s pretty interesting for that alone, so I’d argue that it’s worth a look. It’s set to release September 11, 2015, and I’ve got to say that that is a terrible choice of a release date, Nintendo.
Finally, they ended on the announcement of their Let’s Super Mario site. It’s a site designed to celebrate the Mario series’ 30th anniversary. Users can upload videos and join in the celebration.
There were many more games not highlighted during the digital event, but I’d argue that this sums up the event proper nicely. I honestly can’t wait for Star Fox Zero, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and the Fire Emblem games. Yokai Watch has also grabbed my interest. Among those not showcased in the event, however, I was amazed to find EarthBound Beginnings (Wii U, June 14, 2015), a port of the original Mother game unofficially known outside of Japan as EarthBound Zero. I’m surprised that they’re finally releasing this game in the States, as it’s very much a product of its time: a difficult RPG with a high random encounter rate, limited inventory space, and slightly odd level mechanics.
Also of note, there will be a new Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game titled Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon. I’m surprised that this wasn’t in the presentation itself, to be honest. Also of note is another Fatal Frame game, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. Considering Fatal Frame 4 never really made it to North America, it’s worth noting that it has a tentative release date for Fall this year. There are in fact several other games worthy of note on their E3 site, I recommend looking through them.
In summation, I feel Nintendo started the presentation strong with Star Fox. Unfortunately, several of the games seem focused almost entirely on co-op or amiibos, which I feel puts a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm. Furthermore, there were several previously announced games in the presentation, which took up time that could’ve been spent on other new games instead. Overall, while not their best presentation, it certainly wasn’t their worst.
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