New Super Mario Bros. Wii is currently getting rave previews
After a conference that all but alienated core gamers last year, E3 2009 was a much more exciting one for Nintendo’s loyal fans. A series of core-focused announcements - admittedly almost entirely concentrated on established franchises - made for a more interesting conference, though a rather aloof and curiously flat presentation sucked a little bit of the life out of some of the major reveals. Not helped by an oddly muted audience - compare and contrast with the whooping and hollering at Sony’s briefing two hours later - the likes of New Super Mario Bros. Wii were greeted with silent interest rather than wide-eyed excitement, while even Super Mario Galaxy 2 got a polite rather than rapturous reception. It wasn’t until the ‘wow, really?’ surprise of a new Metroid from Team Ninja that the attendees finally started cheering and clapping to any significant degree.
Yet take Cammie, Reggie and Iwata out of the equation, and the line-up of games shown was pretty impressive. Two brand new Mario games on Wii, both of which look great, and both of which will be here before mid-2010 (Miyamoto confirming that Galaxy might be a Christmas 2009 release were it not for NSMB Wii). A thrillingly different take on a popular franchise in Metroid: Other M. What look to be two vastly improved sequels to two of the console’s biggest games in Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus - both offering more to core gamers than their predecessors. And plenty of interesting DS titles - WarioWare DIY could well be the handheld’s LittleBigPlanet, while Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is a welcome return for one of Nintendo’s most unfairly underappreciated franchises. Golden Sun DS was arguably the most warmly-received announcement for the handheld, and we got a brief reminder that we’re getting another portable Zelda by the end of the year. Then there’s Flip Notes Studio - the DSi killer-app you don’t know you want yet. Believe me when I say it’s one of the most significant pieces of software Nintendo announced at the show - the non-game formerly known as Moving Memo is a masterful app which will give creative types hours upon hours of fun.
Endless Ocean 2 - sharks and crocs add a dose of danger
But E3 is about more than just the conferences, and it was interesting to note what Nintendo didn’t show, with plenty of assets on the company’s press site for games which the big N chose not to reveal. On DS alone, we had role-player Glory of Heracles, Picross 3D (née Rittai Picross), The Legendary Starfy and - why didn’t they mention this? - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. The latter’s predecessor might not have been the unbridled success in the US that it was in Europe and Japan, but ignoring Layton completely is still a bit of a baffler. Then on Wii, we have - hurrah! - Endless Ocean 2, Sin and Punishment 2 (sadly pushed back to early 2010, but looking tremendous on the show floor) and a triumvirate of games about which little is known. Monado: The Beginning of the World is an RPG from Baten Kaitos creator Monolith, looking not unlike Final Fantasy XII, while Artoon’s Span Smasher is a platformer-cum-pinball game as you swat a rotund hero about the screen, obliterating barriers for points. Meanwhile Line Attack Heroes is apparently a ‘fast-paced melee action game’ for up to four players. A few shots and a brief press sheet suggests that the games aren’t high on Nintendo’s priority list, and while both could be fun, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see them sneak out at a budget price.
Taking third-party titles out of the equation for the time being - I’ll be analysing the line-up for DS and Wii in more detail very soon - Nintendo has plenty of interesting titles coming out over the next year or so. The non-appearance of Pikmin 3 and franchise favourites like F-Zero and Starfox was a little disappointing - and we’re still waiting for some really groundbreaking new IP that I’m sure Nintendo is more than capable of - but overall, us Wii and DS owners have much to look forward to.
 2008 got off to a solid start for Wii and DS owners, but was ultimately slightly disappointing, particularly for core gamers. 2009 is perhaps looking a little better, with a number of titles aimed at non-casual players already lined up for release, and potentially a few big hits due later in the year. It seems that third-party publishers - much as Nintendo has been recently - are playing their cards close to their chests for the time being, but I’m confident we’ll see some top class third-party games on Wii in particular during 2009.
Here are the rest of my predictions. Please feel free to venture your own suggestions in the comments thread.
Nintendo releases new Starfox and F-Zero games. The latter is widely acclaimed but sells poorly. The former performs better but garners mixed reviews.
Nintendo releases new colours of Wii…in Japan only.
Wii Sports Resort sells pretty well, but a few mainstream features on ‘the hidden cost of Wii’ (including a Watchdog feature) start a flood of negative press, and the game doesn’t come anywhere near the sales of Wii Fit. At least one game is released which requires MotionPlus, to much controversy (and low sales).
360 Slim is announced, and releases just in time for Christmas. Nintendo counters with a price drop, and sales of the two are neck-and-neck during the festive season.
The GameCube Wiimakes all flop badly. Nintendo abandons the idea after the third or fourth release in Europe.
Wii gets a number of decent third-party titles, particularly in the second half of 2009, but only a few sell well. EA’s more casual-focused titles (Sim Animals, EA Sports Active) are among the successes. MadWorld garners mixed reviews, with its few raves countered by disappointment at its relatively shallow, simplistic gameplay. Controversy stirred up by tabloids around its release helps it to solid but unspectacular sales. The same applies to GTA: Chinatown Wars on DS.
DSi is released late in Europe - around September-October time. It takes a while for sales to take off, though it performs well around Christmas.
Valve announces it is developing a Wii game. It isn’t just a port of Portal, but something else entirely.
EA has quite a few titles lined up for Wii and DS in 2009, and early indications suggest it’s likely to fund significant marketing campaigns to get these games in the public eye. Perhaps its biggest hope is its Wii Fit rival, EA Sports Active, but I think the January release of Sim Animals is equally likely to further swell the already overflowing company coffers.
Available on Wii and DS, it seems perfectly attuned to the casual and younger demographics both consoles are attracting - it’s easily the most accessible - and console-friendly - version of The Sims yet, even if there’s not a single person featured in the game. The MySims titles offered something a little different from the standard Sims template, and while Sim Animals isn’t a traditional Sims title, it still feels like it belongs to that franchise - with the intuitive controls and freeform nature (not to mention cute-funny styling and humour) that are the series hallmarks.
I was one of the first journalists to see Sim Animals up and running in the middle of last year, and while it was at a very rough stage during my visit to Redwood Shores, it already looked hugely appealing. Recent shots suggest it’s had a significant graphical touch-up in the intervening months, and if EA can promote this well enough, it’ll almost certainly be the first big third-party hit of 2009.
The DS does have a few biggies coming next year, but not too many titles you’d really consider triple-A, must-own, magazine cover-worthy games. Unless you’re a regular buyer of Japanese Role-Playing Gamer Monthly, that is. GTA: Chinatown Wars is arguably the biggest third-party title on DS to date, will almost certainly create tabloid controversy around its release date - particularly when the moral majority hear about the drug-dealing minigame - and has every chance of topping the charts in its launch week. It might not have the legs of a Brain Training, or rebound back up the charts like a Professor Layton, but it’ll hopefully prove that the DS isn’t just for old dears and Imagine girlz.
Early impressions suggest Rockstar’s miniature opus has that kind of obsessive attention to detail of its console brethren, while the visual style offers something a little different from the N64-esque 3D or SNES-besting 2D sprite approach of most of the handheld’s games. It’ll have plenty of minigame diversions, sure, but the core of driving and shooting has been left intact. And GTA’s always been as much about the asides, anyway, so the more twenty second time-killers the better, as far as I’m concerned.
What’s perhaps most important about Chinatown Wars is that it represents a major publisher taking a bit of a gamble, and releasing IP solely aimed at adults on what’s traditionally a console for younger gamers and those unwilling to commit mass murder in a videogame - albeit on a comparatively Lilliputian scale. Put simply, the DS needs a GTA to encourage other publishers to commit time and effort into crafting hardcore games for the handheld. While DS’s dominance is already assured, that software attach rate can only rise with software of this quality being pumped out on a more regular basis. And it’s that potential legacy which makes Chinatown Wars such a significant release in 2009.
Given that Punch-Out!! was never about mad fist-flailing, instead relying on precision dodging and counter-punches, it might not necessarily be as good a fit for Wii as everyone seemingly thinks. Yet it’s equally inconceivable that Nintendo would release a boxing game that didn’t rely on motion controls. Which makes this new take on the much-loved pugilistic punch-fest something of an enigma.
It’s clear from the already-released shots of Everlast boxing gloves with slots for nunchuk and remote that Punch-Out!! will feature a control system not too far removed from the flawed implementation of Wii Sports boxing. MotionPlus-enhanced? Twin-remote support? It’s too early to know, but I’d put a strong bet on optional balance board support for bobbing and weaving.
So gameplay remains a slight worry, but the vids so far have tickled many a nostalgia gland - offering a similar approach to the original with plenty of cel-shaded character. Stereotypes abound - French boxers spitting croissants as they hit the canvas? - but that’s all part of the Punch-Out!! charm.
Presumably the stamina bar will prevent rapid-fire rabbit-punchers winning the day every time, and if Nintendo finds the right balance, this could be one of Wii’s biggest hits of 2009. Particularly if those boxing gloves are available at the right price. Us Wii owners do love our peripherals, after all.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Wii Sports is one of the most important videogame releases, not just of this generation, but of all time. It introduced a whole new way to play games, offered a way in to those who’d previously considered games too complex or inacccessible, and is one of the main reasons for the console’s unrivalled success in this generation. While Nintendo has built well on the foundations laid by Wii Sports, it’s arguably the launch title which has had the biggest impact on its host console. For a long time, Wii was a Wii Sports player. No pressure on the sequel, then…
Yet Wii Sports Resort has an ace up its sleeve too, in the form of MotionPlus, the peripheral that, when attached to the Wii remote, will allow it to more effectively recognise movement in 3D space, picking up the most delicate of motions far more accurately than ever before. Sure, it’s bound to lead to more than a few grunts of dissatisfaction at Nintendo bringing out another peripheral, and there will be several complaints that it’s only allowing the remote to do what we were all led to believe in the first place. But if there’s anything Nintendo’s expanded audience wants, it’s more Wii Sports. If it’s not massive, then something has gone seriously awry. It would take a screw-up of epic proportions to stop this being one of the biggest titles of 2009.
So what do we know about Wii Sports Resort so far? In truth, very little. We’ve seen three minigames, only two of which seem to use MotionPlus in any real meaningful way. The dog frisbee game will no doubt be skipped by most of the game’s male players, while it’s fair to say that Nintendo’s ever-growing female audience won’t necessarily be quite so taken with the Wave Race-esque jetskiing. More universally appealing is the sword fighting, with Miis swinging rubber weapons atop a high platform overlooking a pool of water - get knocked back once too often and you’re in for a dunking.
With a rumoured ten games featured this time, it should offer more variety and longevity than Wii Sports, while still providing the thrill of the new in terms of its control. One potential sticking point is that - like its predecessor - it’s likely to be a more multiplayer focused title. In which case, shouldn’t Nintendo be bundling at least TWO MotionPlus add-ons with the game? Particularly if the rumoured retail price of £15 for the peripheral turns out to be accurate - we can’t see too many people wanting to shell out for four of these. It’ll be interesting to see just how Nintendo handles this - will the games require MotionPlus or simply be improved by the more flexible controls? Will all the minigames feature MotionPlus enhancements, or just a few? Nintendo has a tricky balancing act here - it needs to really sell MotionPlus as a key component to the game (and, indeed, something which future Wii titles will benefit from) while making sure that Wiimote-only players don’t feel left out. If it can somehow get that right, then Wii Sports Resort will be an unqualified success. As it is, it’ll be a big hit, but will that necessarily make for a good game?
Earlier I discussed several reasons why existing DS owners should consider upgrading to next year’s model, but perhaps the most compelling of them all is the new DSiWare service.
Initially it’ll be the preserve of the real hardcore - those early adopters who’ve picked up a DSi just so their games look even better on those marginally larger screens and who know their way around wi-fi. (As an aside, it seriously concerns me just how many of these casual Wii owners take their console online - worryingly low, I fear.) But there should be plenty on offer which will tempt technophobes into braving online waters. There’s a new camera-based Wario Ware which uses your own shadow to manipulate the on-screen(s) action - after each set playing back the footage of you acting like a buffoon. There are two new Art Style titles - block-puzzling Aquario, and intriguing brain-cruncher Decode.
Perhaps most promisingly of all, there’s the entirely free Ugoku Memo Chou, which has already picked up quite the following in Japan, as it allows you to quickly create simple yet effective flip-book animations from your touchscreen scribbling. Already there are a few videos circling the darker recesses of the internet of fantastic anime-inspired nonsense, but the above example is a good demonstration of what the software is capable of. It could be one of the most essential pieces of software this year, and will (and likely already has) sell a good few DSi consoles on its own.
As long as enough gamers make use of the service, DSiWare could be one of the handheld’s biggest assets in 2009. Now let’s hope for a Spring release for the DSi so we don’t have to hang on to experience these quirky and unique titles which are currently wowing Japanese players.
Still no inkling as to when it might come out over here (with DS Lite still selling so well, it’s conceivable Nintendo could wait until around Christmas time) but DSi will almost certainly reach the west in 2009, and will perhaps surprise a few people when it does.
Initial reaction to the console was that it wasn’t really worth bothering with, most gamers seeming happy with their Lites, but once word gets out about the handheld’s new features, plenty will upgrade its status instantly to ‘must-have’.
Early evidence, for example, suggests the Photo Channel is a thing of wonder - allowing you to tweak your shots in numerous amusing (and frequently clever) ways simply by tapping and dragging with the stylus. Is a permanently grumpy relative spoiling your Christmas pics? Simply force a smile onto their sulky face. Mirror effects, morphs, colour bleeds, random doodlings and much more are possible and - more importantly - accessible. Amateur Photoshoppers will be in heaven.
The new channel setup when you boot the DSi up reeks of quality, too, making DS feel even less like a toy and, potentially crucially, less like just a games console. It’s not a portable Zelda/Mario/Brain Training player, but a must-have gadget. Sure, its sound player might be limited and its camera low-res, but Nintendo wasn’t going for a high-end all-singing all-dancing multimedia gadget so much as something which looks pretty damn cool that you can have a lot of fun with.
As if all that wasn’t enough, its matt finish means your console won’t look all horrible and smudgy under a certain light. And then there’s DSiWare to look forward to (more on that later). While it’s easy to see western audiences being slightly wary of upgrading compared with the gadget-obsessed Japanese, Nintendo’s current marketing clout is such that DSi will almost certainly be a massive hit when it, er, hits in 2009.
 
 
 
 
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