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Nintendo E3 Press Briefing Live Blog
Well, well, well. We're here at the Nokia Theater, waiting for Nintendo to start its E3 presentation. It should be an interesting one, to be sure. We're expecting to learn more about the new 3D handheld and get a little more info about that vitality sensor thing. We're crossing our fingers that there will be enough Zelda news to make people cry. Seriously, people cry at Nintendo's presentations.
Anyway, not much is going on right now. People are finding their seats.
People are still finding their seats. There are lot of seats in this place, after all. The big screens up front are showing trivia questions. I admit that this is not very interesting so far. It should get better.
Sorry, just dozed off for a few seconds. It's dark in here and I'm a bit sleepy.
This should get better.
Hey, it's starting. Reggie is here. What a surprise!
Technology is only a tool, he says. The experience is ultimately what matters.
Zelda!
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward sword. Miyamoto says it's being designed specifically for the Wii (well, yeah), and that it will use Wii MotionPlus. Bill Trinen is going to show off the game. He's a little awkward this morning.
You can raise your shield with the nunchuk and use the remote to swing your sword. Whoa! Miyamoto broke through a wall!
This time around, the sword control more closely mimics the motion of the remote. No tiny waggles for you! You'll have to monitor enemy positions and use vertical and horizontal swipes to break through their defenses. Red Steel 2 was a pretty fun game, right?
Blocking is similarly active, with shield bashes knocking rocks back at Octoroks. This slightly more complex combat could be a nice change for the series. Item selection is done by pressing B and cycling through items in your virtual pocket by moving the remote in a circular pattern.
Hey, there are arrows and bombs in this game. What the?!
The demo is kind of crapping the bed a bit. As Bill says, there are a few wireless devices in this place. Embarrassing, but probably unavoidable.
Link has a little beetle buddy in Skyward Sword who he can release. Players can then take control of the bug and fly around the world, picking up items. That definitely opens up some neat puzzle opportunities.
Link has a whip, too. He can use it to cut the grass (?!?). The weapon isn't very useful against enemies, but switching between weapons is supposed to be quick.
And it's playable on the show floor! Nice!
It doesn't sound like it's coming out this year, which is a bummer. The demo is wrapping up with a montage clip, filled with gameplay. It looks like Twilight Princess with a little bit of Wind Waker mixed in.
Reggie is back. Nintendo makes games that appeal to wide audiences. Did you know that? He's talking about sports games now, dropping names like Pro Evolution Soccer, MLB 2K10, and NBA Jam.
Mario is in a new sports game. He's playing volleyball! And... sand hockey? Bowser's playing dodgeball! What is happening? Basketball! It's Mario Sports Mix, and it's coming out next year. And that's that.
Now Reggie is taking on critics who said Wii sales were slowing and that casual players don't buy games. They are wrong, he says. Games like Mario Kart and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are attracting new players, and Nintendo calls games like those "bridge" games.
Wii Party is the next bridge game, according to Reggie. Another party game? OK then. It looks like Mario Party without Mario. He's busy playing sand hockey, apparently.
It's time to talk about Just Dance now. That game sold a lot of copies for Ubisoft. Just Dance 2 is coming, with more than 40 tracks and the "hottest dance moves." That sounds pretty hot. Up to 8 players can play together. Here's some polite applause for you.
Golden Sun time!
It brings back a lot of GOLDEN memories for fans, according to Reggie. Oh, him.
GoldenEye out of nowhere. It's exclusive to the Wii, with four-player splitscreen and all. Paintball mode, too! Cheers from all around in the crowd. It's coming from Activision this holiday season.
Now we're going to get a look at Epic Mickey from Warren Spector.
Warren is talking about how players can use the game's paint thinner to create or destroy the world, depending on how they see fit. Playstyle matters, he says.
The game looks really sharp. It's nice to see the old-school Mickey, not the lame one from the '70s.
And it's on the show floor, too. Fun!
We've got about 15 minutes left, which is enough time for a few bombshell announcements. Here's hoping...
Now Reggie is talking about Kirby. He hasn't had a starring role in a game for seven years, eh? Hey, this music is adorable! Kirby's Epic Yarn looks like it's stitched together from felt, yarn, and cloth. It's also quite cute.
And it's coming out this fall!
After a quick talk about Dragon Quest IX, coming out in 26 days, Reggie is introducing Metroid: Other M.
And a new Donkey Kong game! Side scroller! And now we don't need that prerendered crap!
We've got vines. We've got bananas. We've got barrels. It looks great! And... it's coming out this holiday. Oh yeah, it's called Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Nintendo 3DS is the name of the new 3D handheld. Reggie is slamming on current 3D tech, particularly the glasses.
We're getting a 3D retrospective, from Viewmasters to red and blue glasses to Avatar. It ends with a woman taking off the glasses. Take that, glasses industry!
And it's rolling onto the stage with a bunch of smoke. This is odd. Now Iwata is on the stage. Is he going to pass this thing around? How can we all see the effect from our seats? I can't squint hard enough!
Look at that analog stick...
Good thing there's only one stick. Wait, Slide Pad. They have their own name for this thing. If it's anything like the NES Max controller, they need to reevaluate things. There's also a gyroscope and motion sensors. And two cameras! You can take photos in 3D. Uh oh.
Nintendo will be partnering with movie studios to release Hollywood films in 3D for the unit. There will be some Disney trailers available to watch in 3D on the show floor. Dreamworks and Warner Bros., too. That's pretty significant, folks. People might not pony up for a 3D display, but this could be an attractive way for studios to push their content out.
Kid Icarus Uprising is coming to the 3DS. That's great news for our fellow Pit lovers. Who could forget that guy? We'll be able to play it on the show floor and experience the game...IN 3D!
Nintendogs and Cats is coming. Iwata says that a ton of devs are working on 3DS games. Expect a new Metal Gear game, Saints Row, Ridge Racer, Batman, Kindgom Hearts, and EA Sports releases.
Now we're seeing clips of how developers reacted to the 3DS. And...THEY ALL LOVE IT!
Oh, a new Resident Evil game is coming to the platform, according to Capcom's Keiji Inafune.
Reggie seems to be winding things down, calling off a list of what we saw. Wait. Where's Cammy? Oh well.
They just showed some really weird commercials with Miyamoto, Iwata, and Reggie experiencing 3D.
Lots of 3DS units are on the stage. Looks like we can check it out real soon.
Hey, kiosks are rising from the floor. All right then.
Whew!
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