OK, I’ve calmed down now and had a bit to process this. My impressions:
It started out pretty good – unfortunately, my Internet died for the entirety of the NSMB run, so I wasn’t able to get to see that. Of course, this means I went into the rest of the presser pretty pissed. It sounds like a nice diversion, but it seems like it would be better-suited to the DS. From what I’ve been able to piece together, it’s Mario’s take on Four Swords.
WiiFit Plus wasn’t too bad. I noticed they dropped a Mario hint here, probably to foreshadow the SMG sequel at the end. The distancing of the balance board from the Wii platform as I whole was a bad move; just last year, you were praising its use as a snowboard and drum kit. Reducing it to be only used for exercise games seems against that message to me.
All right, MotionPlus, the add-on that’s allegedly going to make the Wii function like we all thought it would ever since that fateful TGS presser. Oh wow, this trailer looks trippy; it’ll probably contain all sorts of games Nintendo and its partners are working on!
Oh, it’s just WiiSports Resort. The skydiving activity is puzzling – wouldn’t you want to be the skydiver, instead of just acting like you’re holding him? Maybe it’s the Japanese paranoia of first-person perspectives, I dunno. This whole section of the presser seemed long and drawn-out; this is the game we saw the most of last year, so shouldn’t we be focusing on new things? Just the trailer would’ve probably been enough…
Wait, that was it? That’s all the first party stuff you’re going to show about MotionPlus? I mean, sure, the third party stuff is exciting, but this is your conference. Do something. I think I understand why the WiiSports Resort took up so much of the time – it’s because you wanted to show off MotionPlus, but didn’t have anything new to bring with it!
Let’s see, RPGs. I guess SquareEnix fans are giddy… the M&L trailer looks pretty cool, too, though it’s a bit of an awkward subtitle.
Golden Sun DS... I think this is good news, but the trailer was short, and jittery. I never played the original two, but I think a hand-drawn look would’ve worked better here instead of a textured one, since the DS tends to be pretty bad at them.
This next section is what started my blood boiling. Seriously, who says, “I enjoy mystery novels so much that I’m willing to buy a DS just for this interactive novel”? It made my stomach turn. Cop: The Recruit looks OK, probably put in the middle of the three third party games to encourage people like me to keep watching. Of course, this is instantly negated by a freaking dress-up simulator. Seriously, when we’ve gotten to the point when Barbie-esque games make Nintendo’s prime third-party list, you know things are bad.
Cammie at this point tries to differentiate the DSi and the Lite (the original DS? Pfft). She seems to say that people can choose which of the two is right for them, but insists that this is a matter of customization – a feature, of course, that only the DSi can perform.
The flip-book looks… OK, as a diversion. I’d really like to get my hands on that WarioWare DIY game, though, if only there were some other encouragement to get a DSi. Cammie flubs a bit here – she mentions that the new Mario vs. DK game will be unlike any other, because it includes a level-builder that trades online. Which is false, since the second game did just that, and it looks like this download is just a lite version of it.
Facebook, meh.
Well, they managed to put the company goal rant into the later portions of the show this time, not the start, and coming out of the mouth of someone with an accent to make us even less interested. I understand the want to create games that appeal to both of these very stereotyped groups, but perhaps, Iwata, you have brought your own prejudice to the table? People who haven’t played video games do need an intuitive interface, to be sure, but they also need a good game, not some minigame collections that wear thin. They’re not babies; give them some meat to chew on. (At this point, I was almost sure he was going to announce a new gameplay feature reflecting the infamous “plays itself” patent Miyamoto filed).
OK, so new control! Awesome! And it’s… a Vitality Sensor?! What? So the game can sense when you’re NERVOUS?! What? At least show a game or tech demo or SOMETHING to back that up!
Super Mario Galaxy 2. OK, cool – not as big a deal as a lot of people are saying, though. It looks more like a bunch of extra levels to Galaxy – an expansion pack, with Yoshi. I’ll never understand why people like him so much. Galaxy was a very linear and underwhelming game to me, though it still felt pretty magical. I’m wondering if this game will go beyond that a bit, but probably not… Also, the name sucks, make it something like Super Mario Galaxy: Yoshi’s Tales. Or something.
Hmm, so, we’re at the hour mark. I guess SMG2 was the big game – the conference felt pretty underwhelming. Looks like Reggie’s attempting to dissuade us by saying that the third parties are supposed to stand up and fill the gamer’s market. Uh, Nintendo, you don’t happen to realize why third party games tend to suck on your systems, right? It’s because, if we wanted third party games, we’d go to systems that have decent online play, decent graphics, and suitable controls. Nothing you’re showing – not The Conduit, even – reflects something that is exclusive to Wii.
Oh, wait, there we go. I’ve never been a Metroid fan, but this might be a good entry point. I can say I got excited, definitely, but mostly because I’ve been waiting for a new 2D Metroid game to jump into the franchise.
It was interesting how Cammie started out the conference talking about how videogames compared to other media, because the conference in general didn’t feel like that at all. Over the course of the presser, it looked like they were marketing a toy, not a form of media or artistic expression. Games like Portal push the envelope of what games can be, where Nintendo is still stuck with the interface, not the message. MotionPlus is great, guys, but what good is it if all it’s going to bring is more minigame collections?
TL;DR version. Nintendo’s conference was very polar. Not bipolar, just polar. You should’ve at least scattered the hardcore games around the conference, not placing your two big hitters at the end in a row. The focus on Mario is also a bit disconcerting. Overall, this conference was leagues better than last year’s, but only because of the final 10 minutes. And even then I’m not very impressed with your “innovation”.
