Yesterday at E3 2014 was quite a day if you're any kind of fan of Nintendo's systems or games. After all, not only did they offer up a 45-minute "
Digital Event" (their pre-recorded take of the traditional press conference) that quite literally was crammed full of content, but they followed that up with a number of hours of "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" coverage that shined even more light onto the titles that had been all-too-briefly discussed during the "Digital Event."
Here are a few quick thoughts on all of the above and more (as Nintendo announced a couple of 3DS games during one of the aforementioned "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" broadcasts--which are the hit of this event, in my opinion):
Amiibo, eh?--To be completely honest, I'm not yet sure what I think of Nintendo's NFC-enabled "toys to life" figurines that will be put to use in upcoming games like
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (and possibly already released ones like
Mario Kart 8, too). Still, I'm pretty sure I'll pick up at least a couple of them just so I can display them on my desk or something--especially if they release Birdo, Tingle,
Pikmin or Ness ones.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker--I love it when Nintendo announces a game I didn't even know I wanted until I see it in action. Of course, it helps when the game in question looks as cute and charming (there's that word again) as this one does. Anyway, I'll definitely pick up
Treasure Tracker after I finally acquire a Wii U, whenever that may be.
Fantasy Life--No, your eyes aren't deceiving you.
This enchanting-looking 3DS title, made by Level-5 (of
Professor Layton fame), will finally see the light of day in North America this October. Even better: it looks as though this is a localization of Japan's
Fantasy Life Link, which added in an online multiplayer option. Now if Nintendo of America would just announce a North American release for
Dragon Quest VII so I could die happy.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse--Who could've predicted that Nintendo would ever make a sequel to one of the best (as well as one of the most over-looked, at least commercially) DS games around,
Kirby's Canvas Curse? Honestly, this will be the first game I buy for my Wii U--assuming I wait until 2015 to buy one, I mean--thanks in large part to its drop-dead-gorgeous claymation art style (which can be seen it in all its glory in
the trailer below).
Mario Maker--If you've ever wanted to make your own
Super Mario Bros. levels,
this 2015 Wii U title is for you. I'm not entirely sure it's for me, though. I mean, I like
Mario platformers as much as the next guy or girl, but I can't say I've been chomping at the bit to make my own. As such, whether or not I buy this 2015 release likely will depend on its price. ($9.99? Sure. $39.99? Probably not.)
Xenoblade Chronicles X--This is the final name for the Wii U title previously known as
X. And, truthfully, the teaser trailer shown during Nintendo's "Digital Event" was ... dreadful. Thankfully, the actual gameplay footage shown during its "Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3" session looked worlds better. Definitely another title on my Wii U "wish list"--despite the fact that I've yet to finish its Wii-based predecessor.
Yoshi's Woolly World--First, I was glad to find out this Wii U game hadn't been cancelled (as had widely been feared). Then, I was sad to hear its release had been pushed into 2015. And after seeing some actual gameplay footage of it? I'm feeling both glad and sad, to be honest. I mean, I absolutely love the look of it, and I'm sure it's going to control like a dream, but it also looks a bit too derivative of
Kirby's Epic Yarn. Hopefully this game's devs will be able to differentiate this one from that adorable Wii effort enough to make it a worthwhile purchase.
A handful of other 3DS and Wii U titles (mostly the latter) also were highlighted during yesterday's festivities, but I don't have much to say about them--well, other than to say that I like the looks of the Wii U
Zelda title, but that in no way assures I'll buy it once it's available. I most likely will be buying
Bayonetta 2, though, especially as retail copies (which will hit store shelves in October) will include the first game, too.
Now that I've had my say, what do all of you think about Nintendo's E3 2014 output so far--assuming you have any thoughts on the matter at all?
