My E3 2010 Wrap-Up: Nintendo

E3 2010 (The Electronic Entertainment Expo) the biggest video game conference of the year has come and gone and now what is left is to wait for the announcements made to come to fruition. I'd like to share some of my thoughts about the things I have had the opportunity to witness via the Web and other readings. In the next few articles I will break down my favorite highlights by company.

 Nintendo

Nintendo's press conference never seems to be a let down. This year was no exception. Nintendo came out and once again proved why they can maintain such strong loyalty and enthusiasm over the years.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

  

Nintendo has once again  nailed it with "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" for the Wii. The first Zelda game to come out on the Wii, "Twilight Princess" was an excellent game. Lots of things to find, great story, and of course great gameplay. By the looks of it "Skyward Sword" looks to take what they started in "Twilight Princess" and improve on it dramatically. The game now uses the Wii's Motion-Plus controller and therefore allows for a lot more accurate sword play and adding that extra bit of realism to the game. It also allows the user to not have to constantly be pointing the Wii Remote at the TV. The demo they had was experiencing a few technical difficulties due to some wireless interference, but overall it looked remarkable. In my list of "Wanted" games, this is definitely on that list and i look forward to reading more about it. 

Metroid: Other M

      

  

Any fan of the Metroid series is going to jump all over this title. The previous Metroid game to this, "Prime 3: Corruption" was a primarily first person shooter with very little third person play. This game changes things up. It's more 3rd person shooter with some first person incorporated into the game play. Despite that, the game looks amazing. Fast paced, a little bit of an old-school feel, and like its predecessors, a lot of things to find, and unlock. This is going to be a game that not only has a fantastic story, but will reward people willing to explore. "Metroid: Other M" is poised to be another fantastic franchise title from Nintendo.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo may have not announced a new home console this year, but they did astound the video gaming world with the announcement and demonstration of the Nintendo 3DS. This is the first Handheld 3D gaming system to appear. The best part, NO GLASSES! That's right all 3D will happen on the top screen with a small slider that will allow for adjustment of 3D intensity. This is a major leap forward for portable gaming as it opens up a plethora of new possibilities for handheld entertainment. Nintendo has beefed up this version of their Dual Screen (DS) gaming system. Aside from 3D, it will have a better processor, and a new analog stick just above the standard control pad for new gaming experiences. Additionally Nintendo announced that Hollywood movies will begin to appear on the 3DS. And as you may have guessed, they too will be 3D. The glasses-free implementation will mean much easier travel and portability for movies. This could be a major game changer for Nintendo and their share of the Portable Gaming market if none of the other gaming companies can follow suit. Perhaps Sony has something up their sleeve? Only time will tell. But for now, the 3DS is king in the world of portable 3D Gaming and Entertainment. 

Final Thoughts

While Nintendo may have announced more things than talked about here. These are the things that I was most excited about and think have the greatest potential to help Nintendo maintain a strong part of the video game market. They innovated when the Wii came out, and are again pushing the envelope with the 3DS. Their strong Franchise games like Metroid and Zelda will always do well and have constantly been terrific games. Whoever thought that Nintendo was dying needs to re-think their position. Nintendo has made it clear that they are here to stay for a long time to come.