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It’s been one amazing E3 so far. Microsoft
brought their A-game by announcing backwards compatibility for the Xbox One,
Sony finally showed us
The Last Guardian,
Bethesda showed us what the
Fallout looks like and
Ubisoft announced (amongst other things) my personal game of E3 so far,
South Park: The Fractured but Whole.
Next up was Nintendo’s turn to step up to the plate. As you probably know by now, Nintendo again opted for a live streamed Nintendo Direct in lieu of the traditional stage show. Even though we were sceptical when Nintendo first announced that they will go this route for E3, they have shown that they are extremely capable of orchestrating the event.
Just like Sony’s E3 conference, Nintendo started their E3 showcase off by dropping (arguably) their biggest bomb. No, not NX or a new
The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U. In fact, these were nowhere to be found during the Direct. Instead, they launched the event by announcing that a new Star Fox game, dubbed
Star Fox Zero, is coming to the Wii U at the end of the year. Even though the title was mentioned at last year’s E3, it was still in early development. This time however, we got to see some gameplay. What makes this title so exciting is the fact that this is the first original Star Fox game since 2006's
Star Fox Command for Nintendo DS.
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Next up was a rather surprising announcement that Nintendo will be teaming up with their toys-to-life arch nemesis,
Skylanders, by launching two special Amiibo characters (Bowser and Donkey Kong) that will not only function as regular Amiibo, but also as Skylanders Superchargers. These will release alongside the game in September and will only work on the Wii U version of the game.
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Even though fans were out of luck regarding
The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U, they were treated to
The Legend of Zelda Triforce Heroes for 3DS. The game focusses heavily on multi-player and co-op, and a totem-mechanic stacks characters on top of each other to accomplish tasks. We know it sounds weird, but it seems like it works surprisingly well. Look at the video below:
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Even though the NX wasn’t mentioned during the Direct, it was undeniably present. Throughout the Direct, it was evident the Nintendo’s flagship Wii U was going to be replaced soon. Most of the focus was on the 3DS with
Metroid Prime Federation Force,
Fire Emblem Fates,
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer,
Yo-Kai Watch, and
Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam all getting trailers
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Sadly, the only screen-time the Wii U received was in the form of
Yoshi’s Wooly World,
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash,
Mario Maker and
Xenoblade Chronicles X – all excellent looking games, but nothing that really surprises.
Yoshi’s Wooly World really showcased the charm of a typical Nintendo title, but was already announced at last year’s E3.
Mario Tennis was a smash on the N64, but this time around Nintendo didn’t make a fuss about it.
Mario Maker on the other hand is almost becoming synonymous with Nintendo at E3, and it is hardly a surprise seeing it here. Regardless, Nintendo also announced an awesome 8-bit Mario Amiibo that will be released alongside the game that transforms the player into an extra-large Mario in-game.
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Overall, a decent showcase from the big N even though the event didn’t bring any surprises. It is a weird time for Nintendo. With most of their big titles coming out at the end of the year, and the announcement of their NX platform roughly a year from now, it seems like their main focus is on the 3DS. Considering that the platform is currently outselling the Wii U at a significant margin, it is hardly surprising. It’s just sad seeing an awesome platform being neglected.
