2nd
My E3 2009 thoughts (for Nintendo)
Nintendo did a great job today, especially compared to last year’s E3. I still have nightmares about that Wii Music performance. But worry not, because today’s E3 was worth watching and being excited for. Let me just show you some games and give my thoughts.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
This one looks really cool. I loved the first New Super Mario Bros, and the numbers show that a lot of other people also loved it. The idea of bringing back classic 2D Mario gameplay was ingenious. This one clearly has four-player co-op this time around, making it kind of like a party-game, but for all the right reasons. It’s not a Mario Party-like party game. It’s great. One player is Mario, another is Luigi, and the two remainders are different-colored Toads. I can’t wait to play it with my friends. There are clearly some new items, like a propellor suit and a penguin suit (awesome!), as well as the traditional items like Fire Flower and the like. I still have my fingers crossed for the return of the Tanooki suit. Yoshi will be in the game too, which has me excited. And rumor has it that the Koopa kids are returning at last. That is the definition of classic.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
The third in the now-trilogy Mario & Luigi. This one involves the dynamic duo being… um… inside Bowser. It feels weird to be typing that. It looks like there’s also gameplay outside him too, so there should be a balance there. I should get my hands on this since I’m still not that familiar with Mario’s RPGs. Gameplay looks like what you’d expect from the series’s past.
Endless Ocean 2
I’m surprised there’s a sequel to this game. I expected it to just be one title. I hear good things about this game, but I’ve never played it. Looks okay.
Wii Fit Plus
Another one. Okay, well this one is basically similar to the original. I have the original and that was okay. The best thing I got out of it was the Balance Board that came with it, and this one doesn’t come with a Balance Board…
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Alright, time for something awesome. First of all, listen to the music. That is so cool! As for the game… It’s a Zelda title. It’s the sequel to Phantom Hourglass, which I think was exceptional. Looks like Link is going back to being on land, and he’s the conductor of a train instead of the navigator of a tugboat. You’ll get to use a cannon while on the train, and there even seems to be a boss battle where you destroy the creature while you’re driving the train. Pretty cool. You also seem to be able to control a phantom guard from Phantom Hourglass, which helps in several puzzles in the game. Link has a brand new whip for an item, never in a Zelda game before. Whether it’s whipping an evildoer in the face or swinging across a gap Indiana Jones style, I think it’s pretty awesome. Overall, looks really cool. I’ll buy it just because I’m a Zelda geek and that’s what Zelda geeks do.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
It’s Professor Layton again! People say good things, and as long as it’s entertaining people and helping the Wii’s library, I’m happy.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Wow, this looks great! Obviously a continuation of the critically acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy, this looks like a worthy buy of anyone who enjoyed the first one. First of all, you can ride Yoshi. That alone should justify the $50. This will be the first 3D Mario to fully utilize Yoshi. Sure, Super Mario Sunshine allowed you to ride him, but that was just in the main place you start out in. I want to ride him in levels, and with different colors and power-ups! Also, the diversity of levels is great. You get the ghost house, grassy utopian shapes, snowy area, candy-colored places, and so forth. It reminds me of Super Mario World because it’s a very colorful game. I’m totally picking this one up when it comes out.
Metroid: Other M
Wow… They really saved one of the best games for last. This looks incredible. Nintendo’s teaming up with Team Ninja to make a dark, edgy Metroid unlike any we’ve played before. It will introduce more of Samus’s story too. In this trailer you can definitely see her kicking ass. We see Ridley in the trailer. Maybe Kraid is in the game too. I’ll definitely find out when I buy this game.
-Derek
