Monday 9 June 2014

What We Hope To See From Nintendo's E3 Livestream

Nintendo Treehouse Live at E3 2014

It's E3 time! Tomorrow Nintendo is holding their live stream event starting at 9AM PST with information on games we've been waiting desperately for and the promise of the announcement of new games to come. The so far unseen Zelda for WiiU is going to be showcased, and a large focus is going to be on Smash Bros. for WiiU and 3DS. It's no secret that Nintendo has been having fiscal problems, part of which they plan to solve by creating a line of figurines that you can link to your games a la Skylander or Disney Infinity, but Nintendo's success has always been in its ability to delight its fans not with gimmicks but with games that are truly fun, epic in scope, and full of character. I may not work for Nintendo, but I am pretty sure we I what Nintendo needs to work on to get back on track:

A New Metroid Game: Whether first person or side-scrolling, Nintendo has been sorely lacking recently in titles starring everyone's famous bounty hunter Samus Aran. Set in the backdrop of space, hunting space pirates and solving the mystery of the jellyfish-like metroids, her adventures are truly worthy of a new installation. Retro Studios proved that Metroid could be pulled off well in first-person, but taking a cue from all the Metroidvania indie projects out there I'd even enjoy a retro side-scrolling Samus adventure. Like Zelda, Metroid is one of Nintendo's darker franchises, and it would be great to see Nintendo flex its creative muscles to bring this fantastic series into a new generation.

A New Starfox Game: If you believe this leaked Document listing Nintendo's titles being showcased at E3, this may soon be a reality! Fox, Falco, Peppy and Slippy have been languishing on Corneria, and it's about time for their return. An HD version of Star Fox on WiiU would probably be one of the most beautiful titles the system would produce, and the 3DS would loan itself well to Star Fox, giving players the option to use traditional or gyro controls and allowing for three-dimensional combat with friends over Wi-Fi. It's time to get mad at Slippy again!

A Brand New Franchise: Pikmin came out in 2004 to great acclaim, and while perhaps Nintendo would be reluctant to put their faith in a new product considering their financial straits, some new blood might just be what Nintendo needs to reinvigorate their image. Nintendo is nothing if not inventive, and probably has all kinds of ideas floating around just waiting to be developed. Be brave, Nintendo!

More Co-Op Games For 3DS: My poor 3DS is just dying for new games that I can play with my friends. Mario Kart 7 has been usurped by Mario Kart 8, and though Smash Bros. is coming out soon, there simply aren't enough co-op options for the delightful handheld. Streetpass and Pokemon are all well and fine, but the handheld has so much potential for real-time fierce multiplayer matches or engaging co-op with each player having their own screen. Consider perhaps a Mario game that has four player co-op like its WiiU's Super Mario 3D world over wi-fi, or (I say again) Star Fox space battles. Help me get my game face on, Nintendo!

A Console With Less Gimmicks: We're not likely to see it this E3, but how amazing would it be to have Nintendo go back to the basics with their consoles, pumping in a little more power and having standard controllers as default (I still think the N64 controller was the best). Perhaps then it would be easier for Nintendo to re-attract the third party games that they desperately need to provide a much-needed source of income. I admire Nintendo's inventiveness and do feel that it has a place, but this really ought to be secondary to creating great software. Also, playing Mario Kart 8 with a wii-mote and nunchuck just doesn't feel natural.

Localize Mother 3: This is reaching a bit. Fans of Earthbound have been dying for Nintendo and HAL Labroatory to release this Japanese-only cult-classic in the North American market. Written by Shigesato Itoi and directed by Nobuyuki Inoue, Mother 3 is the sequel to the wildly popular RPG Earthbound, a game with deceptively light themes that is also emotionally resonant and philosophical. Fans who have played the sequel's online fan translations say that it is even more profound than its predecessor, so shut up and take my money, Nintendo and HAL!

More Donkey Konga: Who doesn't love bongos? Louie Louie by the Kingsmen? I'm shocked that Nintendo hasn't released a bongo peripheral for WiiU yet considering how vastly popular this franchise was. Bang and bong along to you favourite B-list songs from the 90s and general obscurity with Donkey and Diddy Kong. Step 1: Bongos. Step 2: ???. Step 3: Profit!

Agree? Disagree? Anything else you think Nintendo needs to work on? Comment below!

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