The Morning After - E3 Nintendo Direct Verdict

[Fierce_LiNk]

The night has passed and the morning has come. How have your opinions changed once you've managed to get some sleep and take in the information that you've learned?

 

For me, I was pleased with the Nintendo Direct yesterday, but was quite shocked at just how negative some people were on this forum about it. After the disappointment from last year's E3, I thought that this was much more positive and I'm 100% certain to get a WiiU now.

Highlights for me.

 

Donkey Kong - Although I haven't finished the Wii version, this looks brilliant and it'll be a must-have. I spent the majority of that trailer just salivating over everything, what I was seeing, hearing, experiencing. It looks like a joy to play.

 

X - I'm disappointed slightly that we didn't see or find out more about this, but I can't wait for this. So pumped. It's not the sequel to Xenoblade that I thought it was, it'll surely be something different entirely. I don't mind. I just want more Monolith. Can't wait.

 

Mario Kart - MKWii left me very bitter about the series, but 8 looks outstanding. It's beautifully crafted, the level design looks tremendously well done and there looks on first glance to be a greater emphasis on racing, as opposed to weapons or random shit occurring.

 

I do enjoy the format for these NDs and I'm pleased to know that there will be more throughout the year.

 

So, personally, I thought it was a good ND and the more I reflect on it, the more I think Nintendo did a good job with it. My criticism would be that I would have preferred it to be longer, but apparently it's the same length as the other NDs. It could have possibly done with either an extra title being shown, or with the news that Mario Kart was launching earlier.

[Guy]

They showed pretty much everything I expected and I'm likely to buy plenty of the games they're working on at the moment. Although there were no major surprises, it was hardly a disaster. Roll on the rest of 2013 when we can get our hands on some of those new games.

[yesteryeargames]

I watched all 3 shows at e3,

There is no doubt that nintendo games looked the most fun and brought a smile to my face, at the end of the day thats all that matters,

 

Platfomers heaven on nintendo , its like the good old days.

 

Throw in some other games ( starfox metroid f zero ect ) which im sure they are working on in the next couple of years and we are set very wll for a great console, its been out less than a year and people expect all the BIG games to be out so soon its being greedy,

 

quality takes time ! we have plenty to look foward to in 2013,

 

2014 looks epic, and i dont think nintendo have anything to fear from the xbone and the door wedge

[Ronnie]

Same here Flink, I was really happy with the Direct and couldn't quite believe the reaction I was seeing on here. I put it down to short-term disappointment that would soon disappear.

 

Agree with you about how it could have been a bit longer with another game maybe thrown in. The actual format of the Direct seemed a bit low-key and it really made me miss a press conference.

 

Highlights

 

The Wind Waker HD - I was almost convinced from the January renders that they were going to ruin the cel shaded beauty of the game but pleasantly surprised that they haven't at all. A bit too much bloom in places but it looks really lovely. The message in a bottle function is inspired.

 

Mario Kart 8 - Wow, recent Mario Karts have left me feeling a bit meh but this looks incredible

 

Super Mario 3D World - I would have rather a grander Galaxy-like adventure game but this looks loads of fun.

 

Miiverse - Loved the inclusion of proper drawing tools in Miiverse, should make for some beautiful bits of art, although the charm of black/white drawings may have been what made the artwork so great and unique in the first place, we'll see.

 

All in all a great E3, Mario Kart out by xmas would have made it near perfect.

[-Dem0-]

I thought Nintendo had a great showing this E3 and I really enjoyed show, but those Developer Direct videos helped out a lot.

 

My Highlights

 

• SSB4- This was the big one in my books. The debut trailer was excellently made and I'm loving the newest inclusions to the roster. I never really had any doubt but all we can do now is wait and see what new additions have been made to the core game itself.
   
  
• Mario Kart 8- I haven't said much about this simply because I was overjoyed with not just how it looks but also how silky smooth it plays too. After finally hearing what Hideki Konno had to say especially about the Anti-gravity, I'm really looking forward to giving this a go. We could also use Mario Kart TV to promote the N-E Mario Kart League in some way right?
   
  This already looks set to be a MASSIVE improvement over the previous home console MK and if the Wii U can make MK8 look & play this well early on, one can only imagine the insanity that will ensue if and when F-Zero is revealed. I can picture the craziness now!
   
   
  
• Super Mario 3D World- What can I say this is how a 4 player local Mario was meant to be! it was clearly designed with that in mind.
   
  
• Wind Waker HD- Was just pleased to see this in motion and quickly put to bed any doubts I had from the initial images. Day one.
  

[Kav]

The games shown will be good, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed.

 

SM3DW - Multiplayer, without online just alienates a sizeable chunk of the audience, myself included. Also, from what they showed I get the vibe that it lacks the ambition and grandeur of the Galaxy games. It doesn't look like it even tries to push the genre which is what we've come to expect of Mario for so long now!

 

MK8 - Awesomeness... seriously looks amazing, just gutted its out 2014... best have voice-chat online!

 

SSB - This will be sweet! Love that the Blue Bomber is in it! I don't mind waiting for this to be ready. Again, needs voice-chat!

 

DKC:TF - Looks fun and you know it'll be challenging as with the prior in the series. Just feels like a waste of Retro's undeniable talent. On a system where we have NSMBU, NSLU and Rayman do we need another 2D game right now?!

 

X - Easily my most anticipated! Looks all kinds of amazing! Shame it's out 2014... the wait may well kill me!

 

 

This article sums it up pretty well for me...

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-12-nintendo-retreats-into-its-shell-at-e3

[are1981]

I was slightly disappointed the first three to four hours after the E3 Nintendo Direct. I liked most of what was shown, but only loved Mario Kart 8 and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze! Those two had me instantly.

 

Watching the Developer Directs later last night did wonders for me! Super Mario 3D World grew on me, and now I am excited for it. Smash Bros has never really interested me – I own Melee, I played it two-three hours, and I never touched it again – but the new one sparked my interest after watching its Developer Direct!

 

What more? Yes, I'm interested in X, even though I have never liked/'understood' JRPGs.

 

The Wind Waker HD: Looks better than in January, and I look forward to play it again! Ugly 'HD' logo!

 

Today, I feel the Nintendo Direct was good. It could have been 'great', had they included some of the content from the Developer Direct videos.

 

I believe this will spark interest in the general public, and start selling Wii U consoles. I am loving my Wii U right now, and it will only get better!

[Fused King]

Highlights

 

*Super Smash Bros. Villager + Megaman!

Really didn't expect both of these.

Also the cutscenes looked really great and I CANNOT FUCKING WAIT 'till we get to see stuff from the story mode!

 

*Mario Kart 8!

Way more unsafe than I expected, and with Mario Kart TVii included and talks of it being a culmination of all the previous Mario Karts I cannot wait!

 

*Bayonetta looked sexy

 

*X definitely piqued my interest after having ploughed through Xenoblade, but it's a bit sad that we didn't get to see much of the multiplayer stuff.

 

Lowpoints

 

*Retro Studios making another DKC.

Sure, David Wise is co-composing so it will be one hell of a treat, but I hope Retro will get some creative freedom after this.

 

*Wii Fit Girl in Smash Bros??!?

Sakurai, that troll. Though I kind of like the quirkiness now, my initial reaction when hearing Sakurai say that he put her in because no one asked for her was that of dissapointment.

The cheek of it all.

 

*No new inhouse NINTENDO franchise

 

One more thing

*Seeing Link sailing on the sea in the Wind Waker reboot looked really similar to the original to me. Reaaallllyy similar.

It was only when he started going on land that the differences were noticable, but I still think it looks kind of samey.

[Dcubed]

Overall it was very disappointing for me. What they showed might have looked really fun and really good, but (with the exception of Mario Kart 8) their Wii U lineup looks disappointingly safe.

 

What happened to the idea of Asymmetric gaming? Why do all of their upcoming games (except for Wii Party U) not utilise the 2nd screen at a core fundamental gameplay level? If they're not interested in breaking new grounds in game design with having the two screens then why bother having the Gamepad in the first place!?

 

That being said, I do like the look of Super Mario 3D World. I'm glad to see that they're not just making another Galaxy or SM64 style game. That cat suit alone will make for some radically different level designs and new gameplay ideas, let alone the multiplayer and everything else they showed. The lack of true Gamepad integration is hugely disappointing, but the game still looks great regardless

 

Mario Kart 8 looks utterly nuts though! It's definitely the most "next gen" game that they've shown so far and the anti gravity stuff looks crazy - with strong shades of F-zero! Definitely not just a "safe" sequel Just such a damn shame that it's not coming out till Spring next year, they really could've done with getting that out this year

 

DKCTF is also a huge kick in the balls for anyone hoping that Retro was working on something original. Game itself looks great, but the thought of what could've been just sours the whole thing for me

 

That's really it for me. The games they showed all look great, but there are so many missed opportunities here that it just ruins it for me; and the lack of games that really make fundamental use of the Gamepad is really worrysome - It goes against everything that they stood for when they were coming out with the console (as well as the Wii, when that was still a thing). I want to see games that couldn't have been made on any other console and for the most part, I'm not seeing that

Edited June 12, 2013 by Dcubed

[Agent Gibbs]

I feel the actual nintendo direct was a little rushed and lacked focus, like something on each segment was missing...........

and then the developer direct came out and it was quite clear what was missing, they felt like they'd been cut from a 2 hour long direct so they could be stand alone. The developer directs did more for me than the main event.

Overall though i was more than happy with Nintendo's showing, there weren't any megatons, but there was blow after blow of great games we knew about or were entirely new reveals

 

My Highlights

 

Super Mario 3DWorld - the game looks amazing, i remember when 3D land came out every one was buzzing about it and say that it looked like a shrunk version of a console game and suited the handheld perfectly, flash forward to now and we have the console equivalent of the game in stunning HD with a multiplayer aspect not seen since Super Mario Bros 2. We didn't see a lot of it (maybe just one stage) but it looked very entertaining and something i cannot wait to own

 

X - What would happen if Xenoblade and gundam had a sexy sensual encounter and produced a love child? well it looks like this is the answer to that question! it looked glorious!

 

Wind Waker HD - it plays on my nostalgia and it looks good, which wouldn't make it a highlight, however they are altering the triforce quest, that alone is a reason to rejoice

 

Mario kart 8 - my god it looks amazing! i can see that being an absolute blast online

[Serebii]

The E3 direct was awesome. I was blindsighted into having a craptonne of work to do so missed the rest of it live, but got caught up very quickly

 

Super Mario 3D World looks amazing. It's what 3D Mario should be. So many loved the special stages in Super Mario Sunshine, and this is essentially an entire game of that. Multiplayer 3D Mario is a dream people have had since they heard of Super Mario 64 2 and I don't get why people are complaining

 

Mario Kart 8 is a graphical showcase and I love the new mechanic. It's going to make things really interesting and I look forward to it. Disappointed it's so late

 

Wind Waker looks glorious and I love the Miiverse integration in it

 

Bayonetta 2 & X proved that the Wii U is far more capable than the PS3 and 360 graphically, too

 

Smash Bros was brilliant as expected

 

Overall, Nintendo had the best software showcase between the three main console makers. Sony & MS are riding off of other stuff (Sony's conference is only so widely considered because of their DRM stance, which even that is now in question: http://www.edge-online.com/news/e3-2013-drm-free-ps4-is-a-pr-play-expect-similar-policies-across-both-consoles-say-sources/)

 

People wanted Nintendo to bring the big hitters, and they did. Problem is, many erroneously believe that niche titles are big hitters.

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

Watching it with a news hat on made it such a different experience, but I was glad to get home last night and watch through the presentation again and the developer interviews.

 

Any of those game announcements should be megatons really but because we all, myself included, get carried away with what we want to see,there was a bit of disappointment. This morning though, well, a new Mario game for Christmas? A new DK game for Christmas too? These are reasons why I bought a Wii U and I am really excited by them. And I also know Nintendo has plans for 2014 now as well. I love the DK series, and although at first I was a bit surprised Retro were behind it, full credit to @tapedeck for his post in the tropical freeze thread regarding sales figures for the series, it's a system seller! And games that have turned around the 3DS' fortunes are now coming to Wii U, with brand recognition to boot, which can only be a positive.

 

I think a lot of what we hope for, being Nintendo gamers, could hinge on how well Pikmin 3 does. I would regard that as a niche title, certainly not a system seller, so I think the fate of that title could determine whether Nintendo thinks its worth bringing games like Starfox, F Zero and Metroid on to Wii U, or just sticking to the games they know will sell well.

 

Regardless, I feel very positive about the games I have to look forward to for the rest of this year and into 2014

[gaggle64]

I left mostly satisfied but I did feel it was all rather too safe. Everything they showed looks great and I'm glad there's at least a handful of 3rd party support coming but I do hope to see something more refreshing from the Nintendo stand later this year. Absolutely no denying everything they brought looks like tremendous fun however.

[Hero-of-Time]

A good showing but I feel this sums up my feelings perfectly.

 

 

It did deliver the highlight of all the conferences though. The Megaman reveal was just glorious.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Hero-of-Time

[Retro_Link]

I gradually came round to what I'd seen throughout the day...

 

Mario - it really helped seeing the Developer Diary on this one and seeing how the single player experience would be. It appealed to me more viewing it in this way... it didn't just remind me of a 3D NSMB. Be interesting how the story/cutscenes work depending on how many characters are playing through it!... I'm guessing Peach ISN'T Captured?

The levels are a bit disappointing in that they feel very traditional of what we've been getting lately with NSMB and 3DLand, and I don't like cat Mario. But slightly more positive about this one. NOT A MUST BUY YET.

 

Mario Kart - Looked Incredible in every way. MUST BUY.

 

Donkey Kong - Getting over my Extreme disappointment that this is what Retro have been doing... DKCR was easily in my Top 10 Wii games! It was fantastic! The sequel is likely to me more so... so yes in that regard it's a good announcement and game to have... even if it feels a bit too soon after the first. The animated cutscenes looked glorious like a DKC cartoon done right! WOULD BUY.

 

Wind Waker - I quite liked it... it feels a bit too bloomy. I'm not sure I'd pay full price. WOULD CONSIDER.

 

Bayonetta 2 - Honestly I thought it looked a visual mess! :p NOT FOR ME.

 

X - Looked absolutely stunning! Definitely a next-gen quality title. But not really one that appeals to me, and I don't really game online much so might miss out on a lot of the appeal. WOULD CONSIDER.

 

Smash Bros - Typical Smash atm. The visual side looks more bright and Melee than Brawl which is a win. It simply comes down to the stage design, roster and gameplay now. If these are all more like Brawl... I might pass. If they're more like Melee... then it's a... MUST BUY.

 

 

A bit of a split conference for me then. There are a couple of MUST BUYS that would tempt me into buying a Wii U.

 

Overall though I'm not sure there are enough games yet... it won't be until Mario Kart that I consider the console.

By then hopefully there will be more games coming.

[Zechs Merquise]

I watched it again and I liked it more the second time. The games will undoubtedly be great, I just feel it lacked a certain punch.

 

Super Mario 3D World will be fun and I'm sure it will have it's 'wow' moments, but after the two Galaxy games, it does fall short in my expectations. I am really disappointed that it is tailored to four player local co-op. Mario has always pushed the boundaries of gaming - and I don't feel this will. I have never disliked the NSMB games, they're great and I accepted them even more as I thought they were for the more casual crowd who wanted more simple gameplay. But now Nintendo seem to have almost done a NSMB with the 3D games and I am wary of it, especially as the levels seem to be set out so you can play them with a D-pad!

 

Super Mario Kart look awesome. Not really much more to say about this. It was one of the best looking games I saw across all platforms - magnificent in fact. However 2014 is too late. They needed this at Christmas.

 

X looked beautiful and was everything I was hoping for and more. Probably the best looking game at E3, great design, wonderful locations and an intriguing world. Really shows off what the hardware is capable of and looks immense in size and scope. A real gem.

 

Bayonetta 2 look incredible too. A real coup for Nintendo to have this as an exclusive - also as it is running at 60fps I was even happier.

 

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze just didn't do it for me. The system already has a whole host of 2D platform games and whilst I think this will play well and Retro will do an amazing job, I have this niggling feeling that Retro should have been put to work on something that pushed the system more and was a graphical show piece.

 

Wind Waker HD is exactly what it says on the tin - so basically it is awesome. Just hope they sort out the triforce hunt! Day one purchase. But it is an incredibly safe bet and I would rather have seen an all new Zelda.

 

Smash Bros. looked brilliant. The graphics were amazing and Mega Man made me jump for joy whilst Wii Fit Trainer made me laugh out loud. Two great reveals both showing a different side of game series we all love! One thing that does worry me about this game is that with it being available on both the 3DS and Wii U it might not be as much of a system seller as we all hoped for.

 

In summation - it was a safe E3. A mixture of the great and the good. But no surprises and the mild disappointment that Retro aren't doing another epic adventure and are constrained to another 2D platformer - despite who great it will no doubt turn out to be.

 

I just felt with the state that the Wii U is in there would be more and Nintendo would be pushing harder. No surprises, no new partnerships with third parties, no third party exclusives, not the best use of Retro and a lot of safe bets. All this compounded by the fact that Mario Kart, Bayonetta, Smash Bros and X are all 2014 titles.

 

It was good - but it wasn't quite what Nintendo needed to rescue the Wii U. It also confirmed to me why Nintendo didn't do a conference - they simply didn't have the firepower.

[Josh64]

It was okay, I just couldn't believe donkey kong was there. I'm so sick of 2D platformers, and it honestly looks hardly any different from the Wii version. It's no wonder people don't think the Wii U is very powerful, barely anything even seems to try in the graphics department. When iwata was boasting about DK's fur, I couldn't help but think that it only looked as good as in Jungle Beat, a GameCube title.

 

Mario Kart, Mario Worlds and Smash Bros all look great, but considering the Wii U situation I was really expecting some big surprises.

[Cube]

I simply wasn't convinced that I need to own a Wii U.

[Ville]

I simply wasn't convinced that I need to own a Wii U.

 

Well, I bought mine for Monster Hunter, but if that didn't exist I wouldn't buy a Wii U until next year either.

[Cube]

I still don't see a reason next year. There are some great games, and I would certainly get them if I already owned the console (or if Nintendo were a third party developer and they were multiplatform), but I'm not convinced enough to buy the console.

[Grazza]

Watching E3 is an emotional roller coaster. We're excited, tired... I was way too harsh on the Nintendo Direct yesterday, as I actually thought it was very good. They only showed one unknown game but, if we give them a break (which I think we should) for having to show/mention four of the others in January, there were actually five big new games:

 

Super Mario 3D World - I think this being different to my expectations really threw me. It was one of the first games shown and (having been distracted for a moment), I genuinely didn't know what I was looking at. Now I've seen the developer video, I think the idea behind the actual game may be a touch of genius.

 

Mario Kart 8 - Looked perfect.

 

Wind Waker HD - Was grinning from ear to ear and genuinely excited at this.

 

X - A real asset to the console, and shaping up as expected.

 

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - I'm not a huge fan of this series, but it looks like a good game.

 

So, overall, I think it was actually very good, with all the games being either "bridge" or "core". There was something for core gamers in every single one, put it that way. Business-wise, it was great and I think it'll make the Wii U sell, although on a personal level I still have reservations that we may never see another Mario, Metroid or Zelda like we used to anticipate.

 

Oh, to give you an idea of how tired I was, here's an example: When Iwata said "One more thing..." I thought "What's this? Animal Crossing? No... Mario? ...Zelda? Is this some sort of RPG where all the Nintendo characters come together?" It wasn't until it said "Metroid" that I realised what it was. Doh!

[Goron_3]

The only disappointments for me were

-We aren't getting a next gen Mario game (yet), although I love the look of 3D World and I can't wait to play it in multiplayer.

-Retro are working on Donkey Kong. That won't sell systems, like at all. Hopefully they will take Metroid on afterwards.

 

Mario Kart looked great but I hope they fix the racing in it. Mario Kart 7 bores me to death as the racing is so basic, even on the twisty tracks where you actually need some skill. I loved Double Dash, SMK, Super Curcuit and MKDS for rewarding player skill with tight track design but more importantly, amazing KART control. More please.

 

Also, have Nintendo given up on the gamepad!? All the hype around it and the increased costs it brings and for what?

[nekunando]

I certainly felt deflated yesterday.. not just for the Nintendo Direct but for gaming in general. There hasn't been an awful lot recently to provide me with the feeling of genuine excitement. I miss the days where it feels like anything is possible. We're all older now, some of us smarter, and we can see why companies, such as Nintendo, make the decisions they do.. though making a special announcement of the Wii Fit Trainer in Super Smash Bros is something that's probably difficult for anyone gto get their head around

 

As others have said, yesterday's Nintendo Direct felt disappointingly safe.. but somewhat understandably so. Taking a step back, though, and there's certainly some reason to be joyful. The severe lack of third party support and scaling back from Ubisoft paints a very dark picture, but knowing that I'll have fun with Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and Mario Kart 8 over the coming months is comforting, especially when you add upcoming 3DS titles to the mix. It's certainly a more appealing list to me than what will be available on other systems, anyway..

[Zechs Merquise]

To be fair to Nintendo though, very little has set me on fire at E3 other than the actual battle over used games, DRM and console pricing.

 

I watched all three main presentations. I thought MS had the edge over Sony in terms over actual first and third party exclusives. But Sony clearly destroyed MS on what is really going to matter to the consumer - price and consumer friendliness.

 

There were flashes of interest here and there - Destiny looked brilliant, Titanfall looked intriguing and Watchdogs looked good.

 

But overall I never got any of the 'butterflies' and excitement I have got from past E3s. I see a bloated industry fixated on production values and not innovation. Developers who care more about making sure the buttons on soldiers' coats are all perfectly formed polygonal representations of buttons rather than optimising the game so it runs at 1080p and at 60fps. Publishers who think the size of the explosions mean more than the gameplay mechanics.

 

Then Nintendo - the one company that always used to bring that innovation and new gameplay all of a sudden just don't. Skyward Sword had us playing an adventure totally differently with perfect sword controls, Metroid Other M fused 2D and 3D gameplay perfectly into a bold and exciting game which took queues from both the SNES and GC era games and Mario Galaxy redefined gaming and was a critical high point of the whole generation. But now they are on the back foot and playing it safe. Sad times.

[Rummy]

Mostly dissappointed myself.

 

X wasn't quite what I was expecting but I've got high hopes for it

MK looked better than what I expected - could be a real treat if they do a good online system(leaderboards, tournaments, friends ghosts? who knows)

Bayonetta looked rather decent, I'd consider it if it later on if it's fallen in price/a bargain

SSB4 was, of course, the ultimate highlight. Villager is a brilliant addition and he seems to have an interesting moveset. Megaman looks good as well, I like his 'melee' being his gun and keeping that aspect of him - it's good they've listened to fans and put him in. Even WiiFit girl looks great even though this is the first I've ever known of her.

W101 is something I'll be keeping a close eye on.

 

Most else disappointed me/I couldn't care for. 3D World seems quite underwhelming and safe - why not make a REAL new super mario world?? Even Wind Waker HD looked to me like it had lost something in its minor graphical changes.