"It's-a-me, Mario!" Nintendo's mascot hits E3 in his convertable
Given that Microsoft has just attempted to transform Xbox 360 into Wii, could it be that Nintendo was about to go the other way? Nah, of course not. In its press briefing this morning (PST), the company unveiled a new range of family-hugging games, having already announced its Wii 'Motion Plus' add-on, which provides, "more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation." (More here.)
And to champion the new 3D movement control device? Wii Sports Resort, a follow-up to the console's most dearly loved title:
Scheduled for release in spring 2009, Wii Sports Resort includes new game experiences such as Sword Play, Power Cruising on a water scooter and Disc Dog, along with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory and Wii Remote Jacket at no additional cost.
From IGN:
The first game shown was a frisbee throwing minigame where players have to try and thrown a plastic disc to a certain spot so that their puppy can catch it.
The second game was a jet skiing minigame. Reggie Fils-Aime demoed the game, using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck as the handles of the jet ski. Accelerating is done by revving the Wii Remote like a throttle.
Sword fighting is another game that uses the Wii Motion Plus controls to simulate 1:1. Players can duel each other using lightsaber looking plastic swords. Nintendo demoed the game by having Nintendo executives try to kill each other on screen.
Having executives try to kill each other on screen is scientifically the best way to show off new games. And jet ski racing? Is this the closest we're going to get to Wave Race Wii?
Click on the links below to see a couple of cute screens:
And now Animal Crossing: City Folk...
Yes, it's the latest title in the life simulation series from Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division. The emphasis with these lovely games has always been on community, though in the past its been confined to each individual gamer's virtual world. But since 2006, the game's director Katsuya Eguchi, has been talking about having friends to visit your town, even sending them emails when you're not there yourself. Hence:
There is also the opportunity to catch a bus into the new urban city area. Though you'll never see other players in the city, you can connect with them in new ways using WiiConnect24, such as bidding on your friends' items at the auction house or visiting the Happy Room Academy headquarters to see the top-rated player house. Another new feature in Animal Crossing: City Folk is the ability to visit friends' towns and chat with one another using the new WiiSpeak microphone. The WiiSpeak microphone is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99 and allows Internet voice chat among Wii Friends - not just from person to person but from room to room.
It's social networking, online chat and candy sweet community building in one package - an inevitable development, perhaps echoing the likes of Club Penguin. Here are some images:
Finally, Nintendo revealed its own take on the growing music entertainment genre. Coming on like an audio version of Mario Paint, Wii Music is a sort of simplified composing package. From the press release:
Wii Music transforms the Wii Remote and Nunchuk™ controllers into more than 60 different instruments, including a violin, steel drums, electric guitar - even a cowbell. Players strum, shake, tap and drum along to the music in a pressure-free musical playground where there are no mistakes. They can improvise on their arrangements by skipping a note - or adding 10. The music always sounds great, but it's up to players to come up with creative arrangements that they can then send to friends and family who have Wii Music. Those Wii Friends can then put their own spin on the arrangement and send it back and forth over WiiConnect24. Wii Music will be available in the United States for the holidays.
Here's a picture of a grown woman pretending to conduct an orchestra:
Meanwhile, on DS, Nintendo unveiled Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Due out this winter it's a new exclusive take on the series. From the press release:
This is a game that will deliver a rich, fast-paced and intense 'Grand Theft Auto' experience that will be truly unique to Nintendo's handheld platform," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Rockstar Leeds, along with the team at Rockstar North, has built upon a decade of progressive design on Grand Theft Auto, and has created something fundamentally fresh and immersive."
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is an entirely original entry into the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series, and brings a new level of interactivity to its sprawling open environments. With the use of the DS touch screen, players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the franchise.
There's an official website here.
Finally, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and Spore Creatures are both coming to the handheld platform. There's lots more info at Nintendo's E3 site.
What do you think? Any surprises?
