I wanted to make a separate topic to make this post but alas, vgchartz new user resitrictions prohibit me from doing this, but hell, this seems to be an appropriate topic..
So first of all, what's up to all the old timers out there who might by chance remember me! It's been a good 5 months since I've been around these parts, and the reasons for this are pretty vast, but primrarily are as follows..
- Had spent a crapload of time here and simply needed a long break
- Coming here was becoming less fun and relaxing like it used to be, and began to seem more like a chore
- Was beginning to dread coming more and more as a result of the increasingly hostility towards Nintendo products in particular (sort of relates to the previous point). I could sense I was becoming more defensive, more hostile, and more fanboyish as Nintendo sales plummetted and that just wasn't the way I wanted to be.
- My interest in Nintendo games was at an alltime low, and my secondary console - Xbox 360, wasn't doing much to fill that void either. With virtually no games for me to play at the time, and little on the horizon that excited me, what was the point of talking games?
- It seemed as though my gaming tastes were (and still are) far different from the vast majority of the gaming "forum dwellers" so I was starting to feel like isolated.
- Things were starting to pick up in my life between the tail end of grad school, work, independent projects, etc.
But after a long break, I realized that there was still a certain charm about this site that I sort of missed. I still don't foresee spending nearly as much time at these boards as I used to on average during my 7+ years here, but that doesn't mean I still shouldn't be able to drop by on occassion and have fun talking games like the good ol' days.
So anyway, I thought this post E3 would be a good time to come back and give my 2 cents on these boards for the first time in several months, regarding Nintendo's E3 performance. (Sticking with Wii U stuff only here)
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First of all, WOW... Where to begin? Nintendo has restored a great deal of faith in them as a company and where they are headed with this recent E3, and they didn't even hold a live conference! haha... I might even go as far as to say it was their best showing since the 2006 Wii blowout. They cut a lot of the BS they have been known for in the past 5-6 years and gone back to meat and potatoes; GAMES! And more importantly, NEW GAMES! I will go on a game-by-game basis here and give each game a grade, factoring in hype, how the game looks in terms of quality, pure fun, accesibility to the market, etc..
Yoshi's Woolly World - Ok, getting past the stupid name, this game is actually looking like a lot of fun, particularly when teaming up with another person. While I'm admittedly a sucker for a good 2D platformer, I was less than enthused at the original reveal of this game last year, when it was known as "Yarn Yoshi." It looked slow and sluggish, poorly thrown together, and seemed more similar to Kirby's Epic Yarn than Yoshi's Island. A year later, the game looks prettier, sharper, more fast-paced, more interesting, and more like a true sequel to Yoshi's Island (which is still one of my favorite platformers). Still not at the "OMG must buy!!!1" fanboy level, but it's definitely hit my radar. This is a game I would certainly consider picking up at a budget price.
Grade: B-
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Meh, looks pretty boring to say the least. If puzzles are your thing, seems like you'll be in heaven, but puzzle games generally are not my bag baby, with a very select few exceptions that include Braid and Zack and Wiki... I didn't really care for the Toad mini games in Mario 3D World, so why would I care about this (which is essentially a more fully-fleshed out version of those?) BUT.. if you DO happen to be into the puzzle gaming thing, it could be a solid game for you.
Grade: D+
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse - The fact that it's a brand new game already earns it some points in my book. The fact that it's the spiritual successor to one of my first, and still most enjoyable, DS games, brings it up even higher. The graphic style is something I generally don't harp on, but in this case, it's something that certainly catches my eye. I just love the claymation style, and it makes me wonder why more games don't implement that style. It seems to be an absolute perfect fit for the gamepad, and while I'm still not super crazy about that controller - if that controller is going to be your standard, it's definitely a major plus to make a game that takes full advantage of its functions. Overall, looks like yet another fun 2D platformer, with an interesting twist. Another potential budget purchase for me.
Grade: C+
Hyrule Warriors - The Dynasty Warriors crack-induced hack-n-slash fests have never been my thing. In addition, I've never a super hardcore Zelda fanatic like the majority of my Nintendo fan bretheran. So instantly this game doesn't bring with it much hype for me. However, I do appreciate the fact that in a way, it seems to return to Zelda's more fast-paced arcade style roots, where Link was taking out several enemies within seconds. The fact that you can kick ass with Zelda is also pretty cool. Probably not for me, but I can definitely see this game being a big deal for some, and it does look like a fun way to use the motion sensing functionality of the Wiimote.
Grade: C
Mario Maker - Love the concept of creating your own Mario courses. I also appreciate that they covered both the old-school 8 bit style along with the more flashy NSMB style modern graphics. I only wonder at what point would such a concept become stale and repetitive. A HUGE factor will be whether or not you can share stages online. Regardless, as a classic Mario fan, I'm certainly intrigued..
Grade: B-
Xenoblade Chronicles X - The trailer looks pretty epic, and the graphics, while not quite "next gen" quality, definitely hold up, particularly when you consider we are most likely looking at another open-world type RPG, much like the original Xenoblade. Overall, this looks like another solid RPG from Monolith, and a strong followup to Xenoblade. The battle system looks fun and intense just like the previous game, and the story engaging. It fills a huge gap in the Wii U's library, and that alone earns it some points.
Grade: B+
Splatoon - Wow, this game looks like a complete blast to play (no pun intended). A compete out-of-nowhere surprise debut and quite frankly a breath of fresh air. It has everything I was looking for in a new Wii U title; new IP, fast-paced action that appears easy to learn but tricky to master, solid online AND local multiplayer, and a fun new concept. When watching footage of this game, I thought to myself "how has noone thought of the painball-esque FPS before?" I love the diversity it seems to allow as far as play style. You can be super tactical, stealthy, guns blazing to the enemies base, or you can just run around home base like and idiot and cover your turf with as much paint as possible. Look for this game to make some waves. I will certainly be picking it up, as I know many I can play this game with who I believe will enjoy it as much as I will.
Grade: A+
Devils Third - Much like Xenoblade, this is a title that act as a much needed gap filler in the Wii U's library. In this case, the "mature" action/shooter, complete with badass anti heros and scantily clad women. Beyond the glitz and glamor of this game, it actually looks like fun, particularly on the multiplayer front, in which there seems to be a lot of diversity (chasing chickens around??). The meleee weapons look pretty badass, and I definitely got some Red Steel vibes with that aspect of the game, which believe it or not, I don't necessarily consider a bad thing, as least if it's Red Steel 2 we're talking.. I just hope this game has it where it counts and doesn't completely rely on the blood and gore shock factor. I also get the suspicion that this will be the typical brief single player campaign "hardcore" game..
Grade: B-
Bayonetta 2 - I always like seeing the games come out that defy the "Nintendo is teh KIDDIE!!!1" stereotype, but this game doesn't do much for me. Again, appreciate the action arcade style, and I like how Nintendo decided to wisen up and include the first Bayonetta (since a great deal of purchasers likely won't have played the first), and the graphics looks pretty sharp.. But yeah, not exactly my cup of tea.
Grade: C
Mario Party 10 - What can you say? It's another Mario Party. The controlling bowser thing looks like a fun new concept, and I actually kind of like how they stuck with the new Mario Party 9 - style of having all players in one vehicle, while the player in the front collects all that is in their path. But I REALLY wish Nintendo would just make the damn thing online already. I mean, I assume it isn't online, or they would have mentioned it in the trailer. Big point deductions there. But still, as long as you've got real life friends, this franchise is always a blast to play, and this one should be no different. I'm also curious to see what fun concepts they can come up with using the Gamepad.
Grade: C+
Amiibos - Really don't like this sort of thing, and frankly I don't see the need to buy little action figures just to get more fullfillment out of my games. I REALLY hope Nintendo doesn't push this concept too seriously, because it is really not something I support. While the idea of having saved data on these things is kind of neat, why not just use cards or something?
Grade: F
Zelda Wii U - Tough to grade because we really don't know much about it, and have seen even less. Judging from the Aounuma discussion though, it sounds like a pretty epic experience. Overall I have mixed feelings thus far. I LOVE the open world aspects he alluded to, but I'm not so keen on the semi-Wind Waker cell shaded style. I'm also not sure what to think about the weird sci-fi weapons and the fact that Link doesn't have a sword. Like I said though, I am admittedly NOT a hardcore Zelda fan so I don't have strong opinions one way or another.
Grade: B
Smash Bros - Looking better than ever. The diversity of stages and characters is just overwhelming. Love how they have seemingly gone back to a more sharp and fast-paced Melee style of fighting as oposed to the more floaty Brawl physics. The addition of Pac Man and Little Mic are pretty amusing. Not sure how I feel about the Miis. I do think it could be fun to play as your own mii, and the fact that there are three different "types" is pretty cool, but at the same time it just seems bizzare to use miis in Smash. But anyway, it's a brand new Smash in HD, with online that should be 100x better than Brawl.. How can you go wrong?
Grade: A-
In addition we have less tangible stuff like the Star Fox announcement and Project Robot, but there simply isn't enough known about these to comment on at this time. The simple fact that we are getting a new Star Fox however, with motion controls, is enough to excite the average Nintendo buff..
Overall, Nintendo brought it this year, in a big way. Just when many thought they were down and out (myself included), they came to E3 kicking ass and taking names.. Pummeling the viewer with a barrage of solid looking games, while Sony and Microsoft tended to have a lot of the status quo, "more of the same" bland looking hardcore stuff. Don't get me wrong, they had a few gems from what I saw too (which admittedly wasn't much), but to me, Nintendo was just in a whole other league this year.
