And there we have it. Early impressions online is that while a majority of online posters love the controller, some are a bit miffed and wanted more 3DS games.
While it’s great to see hardcore games coming to the console, it’s strange that Nintendo didn’t choose today as the opportunity to address what I believe will be many people’s main concerns – just how much will that controller cost and what are the tech specs? And what happened to Animal Crossing 3DS?
A lot more questions left open than answered and plenty to think about. Myself and our tech expert Leo Stiles will sit in a darkened room over the next couple of days and get back to you with our verdicts on Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony’s E3 press conferences this year, in addition to our favourite games from the show.
Until then, we hope you check back and soon and thank you for spending your time on JOE this evening.
p.s Apparently it’s spelt ‘Wii U’, my earlier guess. Forget I said anything.
Sounds like Reggie is winding things down a little earlier than expected.
Battlefield and Madden it would appear. Such a shame that this console isn’t released this year – feels like a missed opportunity.
John Riccitello of EA is on-stage now. What have you got for us John?
A montage also shows Aliens: Colonial Marines, Ninja Gaiden 3 and Metro: Last Light among the aforementioned third-party titles. Graphics look on a par of the PS3 and Xbox 360. Yeah okay, I want one now.
Montage of the third-party suits now, all expressing their amazement for the WiiU. EA, Ubisoft, Namco and Ken Levine of Irrational Games are impressed. Wow, Darksiders 2, Tekken, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed and Ghost Recon Online are coming too. Hardcore games are coming back to a Nintendo home console, it looks like.
Lego City Stories is coming to the console, says Reggie. Coming to both WiiU and Nintendo 3DS – looks like a Lego Grand Theft Auto.
Apparently it’s pronounced ‘WiiU’ and not ‘Wii U’. I’m ashamed of myself, apologies. The new controller will also let you use your Mii during New Super Mario Bros Mii. That’s cool, I guess. The next two games involves shooting through the controller and another which is a chase game entitled ‘Chase Me’.
Lastly, Nintendo have designed a strange space shooter. Not bad, not bad.
Eight different ‘interactive experiences’ for the E3 show floor this week, though Reggie hesitates to mention that they won’t necessarily be in-development games. We’re seeing the first example and phew, the graphics look good. It must be a new console after all.
Super Smash Bros for both 3DS and Wii U – let’s have a trailer please Iwata…
Here’s an interesting question; are we actually looking at a new controller, and not actually a new console? If that’s the case, I can see a lot of angry people – especially if we’re left playing Wii games on this controller.
The control also has a touch-screen, gyroscopic control and a camera too. It looks great and it looks expensive.
Essentially Nintendo have taken the lower-screen functionality of a DS and made it into a controller, while adding a crazy amount of extra features. Very impressive but how much is that damn controller going to cost? A lot of people wondering online about the distinctly not-that-impressive graphics for the games during the montage.
The controller can also be used in conjunction with a variety of devices – in-game to give you a better look of the gameplay on your TV, making video calls and sending projectiles from the controller’s touch-screen towards the screen.
Okay, that’s damn impressive. The controller is basically a tablet that allows you to switch from playing the game on a TV to playing it on the controller.
Oh okay, wow. The Wii U controller is a giant rectangle with a 6” HD screen. Let’s see how it works.
Wii U. The new Nintendo console is called ‘Wii U’. Fair play – they didn’t let that one leak.
Now Reggie’s telling us about the Pokedex 3D app from the 3DS eShop. I downloaded it today and s’alright. Not sure I’d give it this much time for the press conference – a lot of online posters are becoming restless.
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Ace Combat 3D, Tetris, Cave Story 3D, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Resident Evil: Revelations, Driver Renegade, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions, Tekken 3D and Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D all flash by in a montage.
Now Reggie’s going to try get us pumped up about this week’s 3DS eShop update – although he adds that demos won’t be available until later this year.
Finally, Luigi’s Mansion 2. Seeing a lot of positive feedback online for this one and it’s well-deserved. Features “several new mansions” but no word of a release time frame. Next up it’s time to see third-party software.
Next it’s Kid Icarus: Uprising’s turn. Definitely looks like a killer app for the console and now features a multiplayer mode. Probably the most impressive game of the show so far – looks a lot more ‘mature’ than most Nintendo fare, although Pit sounds like a whiny bitch.
Will also feature AR battle cards for the 3DS. Coming out “later this year”.
Super Mario 3D trailer on-screen now. Looks like a grounded version of Super Mario Galaxy and features the return of the raccoon suit. Looks pretty fun although the graphics are a little disappointing if I’m being critical. Released at the end of the year apparently.
Next up Star Fox 64 3DS. A lot of hyping up for the gyroscope controls and live reactions for your combatants in the game’s multiplayer mode. The latter looks like a fun addition. Released this September for the US.
Nintendo COO Reggie Fils-Aime is going into more detail on the aforementioned 3DS titles. Mario Kart will be “tricked-out”. I recognise quite a few of these tracks from the Wii version. Hmm… the “tricked-out” part refers to underwater racing and gliding.
Could be an excellent revamp, or it could be another GameCube Double Dash-style disaster. Graphics are on a par with the Wii version at least. Released “this holiday season” – Christmas for us.
Hah, Star Fox’s Peppy just said “Do A Barrell Roll!”. A quick montage of 3DS titles is being shown. Mario 3DS, StarFox 64 3DS, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Super Mario 3DS and hey, Luigi’s Mansion 3DS? There’s our first new game announcement.
Iwata is saying that the console will be “wider, deeper”. Oh you’re so dirty Iwata, give it to me! Ahem… it appears as though Nintendo’s President was teasing us – they will show the console later on in the conference.
Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata is on-stage now and rocking the side-parting. Is it time for a Project Cafe reveal or 3D pie charts? Hmm…
Seen a great sarcastic comment that summed up the last fifteen minutes – ‘Less games, more music!’ That section has ended – is that all we’ll see of Skyward Sword?
Nintendo are going to be offering the Legend of Zelda: 25th Anniversary concerts in each region of the world. Well, that explains the on-stage orchestra. Very surprising start to this conference – now they’re talking about concert albums?
Big applause for the announcement that Gamecube title Legend of Zelda: Four Swords will be released this September as a free DSi title. And we’ve just been told that Skyward Sword will be released ‘this holiday season’. There goes rumours that it was going to be a ‘Project Cafe’ launch title.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening will be available to download today from the 3DS eShop, as the first Game Boy Colour game for the handheld’s virtual console. And now we’re moving onto the Ocarina of Time 3DS, which is released in just 10 days.
Now the orchestra are playing distinctive Zelda sounds from the series, while Miyamoto enacts the motions (getting an item for example). This would be odd for any other company but hey, this is Nintendo.
The video game industry’s Walt Disney, Shigeru Miyamoto takes to the stage. I’d actually listen to him wax lyrical about creating the series for the next 90 minutes but that would be a completely different show.
Excellent footage shown as a full orchestra plays. We can expect Skyward Sword, possibly Ocarina of Time 3DS and maybe even the possibility of ‘Zelda Universe’ – an intriguing title that appeared recent ESRB rating report. Let’s hope it’s something substantial and not just a 3DS eShop app.
Lots of Legend of Zelda retro footage – clearly the series 25th anniversary will open the show.
Phew, no cat videos from me. It’s beginning…
Nintendo’s on-screen trivia is pretty damn obscure and difficult. I suppose it’s a good way to keep people entertained while we’re all waiting for the show to begin. Also the presence of Kid Icarus and Starfox 64 questions should point toward their prominence over the next 90 minutes.
Sounds like there will be a five-minute delay. Let’s run through the possible console monikers before we get going – Nintendo Wii 2, Nintendo Wii HD, Nintendo Current, Nintendo Beem and Nintendo. I’m going to play it safe and bet on Game Informer’s tip – just calling it ‘Nintendo’ sounds fantastic to me.
Six minutes to go, although GameTrailers have warned that plenty of people are still queueing to get into the show – there could be a delay. After Sony’s show was 20 minutes late for their conference, I may have to start preparing a series of YouTube cat videos to keep us all entertained…
All told, let’s hope for some big surprises in the next ten minutes. Aside from Halo 4, which was unfortunately leaked two hours prior to the event, Microsoft didn’t have too many shockers and despite GTA V and God of War 4 rumours from Sony, neither sufficed. With that in mind, let’s all pray for Pikmin 3DS, alright?
Here are all the links you need to watch the press conference by the way, in addition to my up-to-the-minute thoughts, of course: GameTrailers, G4TV , GameSpot , IGN, GamePro.
With just 25 minutes to go, why not take a look at my preview of what we can expect before Nintendo President Satoru Iwata takes to the stage. I was actually fairly accurate with last year’s predictions, although the cloud of mystery that hangs over tonight means it’s a complete wildcard event this year.
In addition to the Project Cafe/Wii 2 console, expect to see the second wave 3DS titles, including the first gameplay footage of the intriuging-sounding Super Mario 3DS. Speaking of intriuging, US publication Game Informer, who broke the news of the new console, are saying that it will simply be called the ‘Nintendo’. We kinda like the sounds of that…
This is the big one, folks. If there’s one thing that Nintendo either fail appallingly at or usurp their industry rivals with ease then it’s their yearly E3 press conference. Tonight is different, however, as Nintendo can simply not afford to have a bad night.
This year Nintendo began their leap to the next generation by replacing the Nintendo DS handheld, their best-selling handheld console of all time, with the decidedly lukewarm 3DS, a console that is still to find its feet, software and sales-wise.
Tonight, we’ll get our first glimpse of the successor to Nintendo’s biggest home console of all time, the Wii. All we know right now is that it’s codename is ‘Project Cafe’ and some outlandish rumours are suggesting that its controller may have a 6” screen. Oh Nintendo, you so crazy.
It all begins at 5pm BST so stick with us on this page as the event unfolds.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
