Nintendo Navigates To New Experiences @ E3 2015

Nintendo took to the internet again this E3 as they shared another of their Digital Events where they used their own fun and humour to help tell people of what they had to share. It started out a little strange, a little Muppet themed and then switched gears fast as Nintendo officially announced Star Fox Zero.

Being made in conjunction with Platinum Games, Star Fox Zero is a game that takes many queues from its history, while still attempting to break new ground going forward. Players will be able to use the gamepad screen to aim, while using the TV to view the action from a more cinematic view point. Players will be able to swap from the R-Wing to a chicken walker style ship, in select missions, while in others they will be given access to the Land Master, allowing them to crush all those in their way. As with last years digital event, we also got a little story behind the game and why Mr Miyamoto decided on Fox and his crew and more.

They also showed more of Yoshi’s Woolly World and the newly renamed Super Mario Maker, Yoshi comes out in Australia next week, with Super Mario Maker in September. Super Mario Maker has gone through the biggest change since E3 last year, anyone who watched the Nintendo World Championships will have seen that, but its still Yoshi out of the two that I am more excited for. Xenoblade Chronicles X got a release date for North America, no word on one for us yet. We also got our first look at Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, an all new tennis title for Wii U, from the brief video shown, I was not sure what to expect exactly, but I have had hands on already and its good.

We got another look at the Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensai title, now named Genei Ibun Roku X FE, which takes elements from both series to create a new type of game. The trailer was brief and only a few quick look at some new elements were to be seen. I still don’t really know what the game is about, the lack of subtitles on the trailer did not help either. We also got a look at a brand new Wii U game, Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival, with the new range of Animal Crossing amiibo coming, Think Mario Party, but with Animal Crossing characters, I would have preferred something that uses all amiibo like this rather than only for new amiibo, but I am not the biggest Animal Crossing fan.

Perhaps the biggest surprise came in the form of an announcement between Nintendo & Activision, where it was detailed that Bowser and Donkey Kong would be coming to the Wii and Wii U version of Skylanders Superchargers, with both a character and a vehicle each, but the biggest part of that news was that if you twist the base, then your Skylander figures become amiibo, yep interchangeable figures, who thought that would happen?

Moving onto Nintendo 3DS, we got another look and more details at the new Fire Emblem series coming, the previously leaked Hyrule Warriors game was confirmed and is coming with the subtitle of Legends and the plan is to have the game take all the characters from your Wii U version across to the 3DS version and add some new ones in, Hyrule Warriors Legends will be out early next year. But that was not the only Zelda news for the day, we also got a brand new Legend of Zelda title for 3DS, in the form of Triforce Heroes, a 3 player co-op experience where costumes will change how you play and the abilities you have. Then game requires all three players to work together to defeat bosses, solve puzzles and more, much like Four Swords Adventure did in the past.

We also finally got a new Metroid Prime game, though not like anyone was expecting, Metroid Prime Federation Fighters, looks to have a single player, but they have been showing off more of the multi-player games, specifically in the form of Blast Ball. We got another look at Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer, which will use the all new amiibo cards to give players challenges and items, Mario & Luigi Paper Jam was also announced, this time around the brother are joined by Mario, well, Paper Mario and players will have to control all three at the same time in order to solve the mystery. The final game that was announced was Yokai Watch, where you the player will need to go around town, defeat evil Yokai, capture and level up good ones and help clean up the streets of these little trouble makers.

Finally, we got our first looks at additional amiibo coming down the road, we have 8-bit Mario, in both classic and modern colours, the Animal Crossing characters and some more looks at the Smash Brothers and Chibi-Robo amiibo as well. Some nice designs in there, so they will look nice in any collection.

Nintendo did nothing different from last year, they opened up with a little light-heartedness and then went into the games, I do like seeing the stories from developers that explain why somethings are a set way and wish we saw them during Nintendo Directs, but for all it did, there was no lasting impression left by the Nintendo Digital Event, it was ok, but nothing was a standout.