E3 Nintendo - Thoughts, wishes and predictions

I try not to be biased, but when it comes to E3, it's always Nintendo that gets me the most excited. They always seem to have something that gets your jaw dropping and your heart pumping. This year there is one particular piece of software that is certainly a part of this. Guessed it yet? Why yes, it is Zelda. Make no mistake, I'm a big fan of The Legend of Zelda, and you can mainly thank the Nintendo 64 for that. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask would both rank in a top ten video game list of mine - although perhaps I'd rank them at the same spot together, as the really build upon and reflect each other so perfectly. The last Zelda outing was at the Wii's launch with Twilight Princess, but that was originally developed as a Gamecube game. In contrast the new Zelda Wii (officially confirmed to be called Skyward Sword), has been built for the Wii from the ground up. For me this means better motion control implementation, most likely improved graphics, and hopefully, a left-handed Link (yes, I did get pretty annoyed that he was right-handed in Twilight Princess, particularly considering I myself am left-handed). This series has such a reputation and legacy, it would be difficult for anyone to not, at the very least take notice of it during this year's E3. For those of you who rate this series highly, it's almost the real chunk of E3 you're interested in, and rightfully so - after all, software makes the system, and this could be one of the best pieces for the Wii.

 This is all we had - prior E3

However Nintendo have some competition in the industry. With Microsoft and Sony both tearing down the wall separating them and Nintendo from motion control, the forerunner of motion technology needs something to impress the masses with. In lieu of Sony's decision to implement 3D gaming with the PS3, Nintendo has decided to do the same, but through the handheld market. Enter the 3DS. It's debatable how effective 3D will be on the tiny handheld screens, but if anyone is going to make an impact with such seemingly insignificant hardware, it's Nintendo. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the software in action - it's been a while since we've seen a true upgrade to Nintendo's handheld range and I don't think we're going to be let down. Just what kind of software? Well, I'm pretty clueless there. It seems unlikely it will be Mario, or Zelda. Perhaps a new IP? Time will tell. On the note of hardware, wishes of a HD enabled Wii are floating around, but I find it an unlikely prospect. It simply isn't Nintendo's best time to do so, from a business standpoint - they'll wait for the Wii's successor to enter the HD market on an even standing next generation.

What does the 3DS offer for gamers?

However, there is more than just a stellar title and a new handheld to get excited about. For me one of the biggest rumours, is that Retro Studios (pedigree of the Metroid Prime Trilogy) has been working on an entry into the Donkey Kong franchise. The gaming world hasn't really seen a true successor to Donkey Kong 64, and that's why I'd be quite pleased if this were indeed the title that Retro have been working on since completing Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Outside of this, people are hoping for some news on Pikmin 3, as both the Gamecube games were highly successful, and both were brought to the Wii via the new-play control line, so it only seems logical that a sequel will follow. I for one, contrary to many, would like to see the time restriction brought back into the game, as it made the original much more challenging than its successor, commanding planning and time management. Speaking of Metroid, Team Ninja have their spin-off game, Other M, which tries to take elements of Metroid Prime and fuse them with high-action gameplay, akin to that of Ninja Gaiden. I'm quite excited for this as I love it when franchises are taken in new directions - that being said, the verdict is still out on this one, and we'll need to wait for some hands on impressions to be sure it's doing the Metroid name justice. Also of note are Conduit 2 and Epic Mickey, both of which seem to be some good quailty, third party developed titles. The original Conduit was a fun game, but lacked unique art direction and needed a stronger narative. The gameplay itself was actually very intuitive and probably the best of any shooter available on Wii. I dare say it would even rank amongst the top shooter controls across all platforms. Obviously developer High Voltage Software's biggest challenge is to add some scope and character to their established universe in the upcoming sequel. The team hopes to implement Wii Motion Plus, but no details have been released as to how they will go about this. However, it has been confirmed that the title will utilise split-screen multiplayer, something that has slowly begun to die out in recent years, amongst all platforms. Epic Mickey seems to be the kind of game that will either soar or flop, with a great art direction and rich background to source its game play elements from. Hopefully some light will be shed on in, because I personally find its dark nature and take on the Disney mascot to be appealing.

Epic Mickey has impressed, but so far only with artwork

However, the Wii isn't the only platform getting attention during Nintendo's E3. Let us not forget the DS, which is still reeling out some quality titles in the highly anticipated Golden Sun DS, Okamiden, Super Scribblenauts and Pokemon Black & White. Obviously the first of these has been a long time coming. I was huge fan of the two original games on GBA, and rate them as two of the best RPGs, on any system.Considering how short (and pointless) the E3 2009 demo was, hopefully this year Camelot will give us a taste of the true meat of the title, and a juicy release date. Okami was a successful title, so successful it made it to both PS2 and then later, the Wii. It seems Capcom have wised up to the fact it appeals to the Zelda audience, and decided to make the sequel for the DS. The paintrbush mechanics should translate well with the DS's interface, and I think it would be a great title for the DS to go out on. Super Scbribblenauts is the sequel to the highly successful and creative title, Scribblenauts. Hopefully this sequel equips the player will more levels of creativity for solving its challenges. It seems that increasing the noun list, and improving the control of hero Maxwell are among the developer's top priorities, so they've definitely listened to the complaints of the critics, which is a great sign from any developer. Obviously Pokemon will be a big thing, as it always is. However for it to be a stand out, we'd have to see some very dynamic changes to the gameplay, which is not something the series is famous for, and I doubt will happen. Some new Pokemon reveals would be nice, apart from that, everyone is just expecting the little gameplay enhances, the come welcomed in every new iteration of the series. See you after E3!

Golden Sun DS - It's finally time for some real answers

E3 Playstation 3 - Thoughts, wishes and predictions

In lieu of the presence of Microsoft's Natal, Sony are pushing forth their Move. Similar to the Wii remote and nunchuck in design, Move is Sony's attempt to get a slice of the motion control cake. However, like Microsoft they are competing for an audience, which Nintendo already has a firm grip on (and probably doesn't feel like giving it up anytime soon). Impressions have been mixed. Some say it's very cool, and should provide owners of PS3s with an experience similar to that of the Wii. I'd say this is true, but one clear flaw exists, and that is the software. Nintendo has been able to churn out some amazing first party software, which utilises the motion controls perfectly, but can Sony manage this as well? They're very much in the same boat as Microsoft, but one would call both companies foolish to attempt this gamble, with out any credible software to back it up.  Just like with Natal, time will tell with this one. Personally, unless there is some absolutely amazing software, I don't think they'll sell. Why would anyone bother with the price tag, when they can purchase a Wii capable of doing the same thing, with an established library ready to go. This will be the real test for both Sony and Microsoft.

Sony's Move controller is very similar in design to the Wii remote and nunchuck

Outside of Move however, Sony are also attempting to span into another market. One that Nintendo is pursuing with its 3DS, the realm of 3D gaming. In fact firmware updates, and 3D games have already been released in Japan. As to whether this is a good move, it remains to be seen. 3D TVs are both expensive, and technologically primitive at this moment in time. This will probably, although not necessarily correlate with some poor initial sales from 3D games. That being said, it's interesting that Sony are placing themselves in such a vulnerable position of potential loss, but it wouldn't be the first time - remember when every said Blu-Ray wouldn't last? Personally I think it's a bold move, and indeed a strong statement to its competitors, first of all a challenge to Nintendo who would have otherwise entered the market uncontested, and a sharp jab into Microsoft, who currently have no revealed any plans to implement 3D into their endeavours. Of course the dynamic is a little different from the Blu-Ray incident - the PS3 functions as a Blu-Ray player, but it can't add 3D to a TV. Or can it? I suppose E3 will tell us.

3D Glasses - hopefully, a thing of the past

Once again like Microsoft, Sony are lining up some big titles for release, and most of them are sequels. It seems Sony are looking to establish their first party franchises, with follow ups in Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2 and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Killzone is obviously quickly becoming a staple series. Now in its third iteration (the original appearing on the PS2), the franchise is moving into 3D, expanding the variety of environments (including jungle and glacial areas), giving the melee system a little bit of a refresher with extra levels of "brutality" and even taking a leaf out of Halo: Reach's book by throwing in some jetpacks. Personally I'm not quite sure how well this will go, but I am adamant that it is important that one of the system's flagship franchises utilise the 3D technology - it could be the difference between whether it picks up or not, and at the very least its much needed support for the new tech. LittleBigPlanet 2 on the other is taking its concept to the next level. The original title was a great tool for creative gamers to show off their imagination and design skills, but the sequel is said to relinquish even more control in its revamped level editor. Such additions include AI behavioural control and even create entire games, rather than just levels. It reminds me of when I used to dabble in fan-made Zelda games. The main problem there was people just weren't gifted enough, or lacked the time to complete all the coding and all the various amount of sprite/graphic related preparation. LittleBigPlanet 2 is obviously a great way for developers to promote fan-made content, and I think all developers should take note of it. It's simple, content editors are fun, and people like to mod. Ghost of Sparta is the latest addition to the God of War franchise, following the release of the God of War III earlier this year. Obviously the developers have a tried and true formula, but the question will be what they introduce that's new, that will set this title apart from its previous iterations.

LittleBigPlanet 2 - a new level for fan-made content?

However, there are still quite a few more titles to get excited about in regards to Sony's E3 showing. Infamous 2 has been recently confirmed and Resistance 3 is also rumored to be a possibility. Outside of this is a plethora of third party games including Dead Space 2, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. I've never played Infamous, but I did like the concept of a sandbox-type superhero game, however it apparently had its flaws, so if the developers have focused on fixing those, it could become a must own title. The Resistance games are a great piece of work by Insomniac Games and provided the level of quality and detail present in the first two installments is still found in the 3 iteration, I can't really see myself having a problem with it. Some new gameplay elements should be added to keep it feeling fresh, but there's no need for any drastic changes to the game structure or formula. Dead Space was obviously a hit in the survival horror genre, and it's prequel for Wii, Extraction, also received positive reviews, so its hard not to back the developer to bring out a third title that stays true to the series. The original Force Unleashed, was a fun game, but as a avid Star Wars fan, I found it lacking. Whilst the polish was there, some of the controls felt unnatural, and because of this the gameplay felt disjointed and unflowing. If Lucasarts have managed to fix this gripe in the sequel, it could be the best action based Star Wars game to date - in regard to being a force user, Battlefront II is king of Star Wars action games. Castlevania is a series I enjoy, having played several of the iterations in the series. My favourites are most likely the Sorrow games, which both star Soma Cruz. However they followed the very popular and addictive "Metroid-vania" style, which has been present in the series since Symphony of the Night, way back on the original Playstation. So, I like many, was reluctant to see the series break away from this. However, once Hideo Kojima was revealed to be directing the title, all my fears were nullified. Kojima makes incredible games, and you need look no further than Metal Gear Solid. The fact that Castlevania is one of Konami's biggest franchises almost garauntees Kojima will have plently of resources for which to build this game upon. It will be huge and take the series in a completely different direction, but I have faith this could be the refresher the series needs, and that this game could be the best in the series. However, E3 has begun so these answers will come sooner than later.

 This is Sna- err, Gabriel!

Affiliation with VOOKS

Hello my readers, of whom I hope there are a few!

Just a quick update to say that The Game Over Blog officially has its first affiliate, Vooks.net!

An incredibly active, reliable and all things friendly Australian Nintendo community - I highly recommend any of my readers, whether they be Australian or otherwise, to check out the site and join the forums, because the respectful community and friendly members will accept you with open arms.

I'm a member of the forums, with my usual tag of Lucrei, but there are plenty of other intelligent, humorous and kind members, who you should converse with!

E3 Xbox360 - Thoughts, wishes and predictions + Advertising

So as I sit here, on the eve of my final and only mid-year exam I decide the best course of action is to blog. Blog about what you say? Why E3 of course! It's only a few days away, so the time to use my clairvoyant powers is running out. Of course E3 coverage, even in preview form is by no means easy, so I'll have my work cut out for me. Thank god that exam is tomorrow.

E3 2010, marks the 16th annual E3 since its inception in 1995

Each company, and indeed platform is bringing something exciting to this year's E3, so I think the best course of action would be to categorise, at the very least, to Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, for the sake of you the reader. Funnily enough, I do care about you, even if in a distant and irrelevant way - oh well you can praise me in the form of advertising, bless your souls. In this blog I'll be focusing solely on Microsoft, as the post will get rather lengthy if not split.

Microsoft's little black box of joy - Project Natal, alongside an Xbox360

To begin with Microsoft are obviously going to be pushing one huge thing this year - Project Natal. This is the company's first move into mainstream motion controls for their flagship console the Xbox360, alongside Nintendo's Wii and Sony Playstation's Move. Even if I weren't a Wii enthusiast, I'm pretty skeptical about Microsoft and indeed Sony's counterpart project, which from a business standpoint, seems to be a risky gamble. It's obvious that there are a number of people who enjoy the casual, motion controller approach - but what can both of these companies offer than Nintendo haven't already? In this blogger's opinion, bar some fancier graphics - nothing. With no real ammo to draw people to this new technology, let alone buy another console, Microsoft and indeed Sony will need to reveal some impressive software to win some of the casual scene away from Nintendo. Certainly from my personal perspective, the most impressive part of Natal's design is the absence of a controller - which I believe could go either way. Depending on the degree limitations this causes, which one can almost be certain it will impose some, we will either see something revolutionary (in terms of motion control) or something really not worth the time.

Woman interacting with Milo software (virtual boy simulation), sans controller

However, there is plenty outside of the Project Natal camp, for 360 owners to be excited about. For starters, flagship exclusive titles in Halo: Reach and Gears of War 3. Both of these series, (particularly the former, being the 5th iteration of its series) do not require introduction. Interestingly enough, players around the globe have already been exposed to Reach, vial the multiplayer BETA and questions have arisen as to just what Microsoft can actually show off from this title. The folks over at IGN.com have two suggestions, namely a first-look at the campaign, which revolves around the epic and climactic destruction of the planet Reach (being a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved) or to just quell some of the public's Halo thirst, give the journos a go at ODST's Firefight mode, allegedly similar to CoD: World at War's Nazi Zombies and Gears of War 2's Horde mode. Personally I've grown distant from the Halo franchise (the last title I played being Halo 2), so it's difficult me for me to comment on just what I believe will be unveiled. I'd probably back the revealing of the campaign's nature and scope, as this would surely increase hype and therefore advertisement. In the Gears of War camp, the release of the third and final title, will complete the triology and the story set up in the first two titles. Naturally any fan of the series and story will be ready to gobble this up. Having only played a marginal amount of the first Gears of War, and finding it not particularly engaging, my comments on this title will be even more slim. That being said, to spawn two sequels is by no means an easy feat, so obviously the developer's have improved the game design dramatically, or I just don't get the franchise - I am human after all.

Scope? Well if this artwork is anything to go by, then yes, scope... copious amounts of scope

It's also rumoured that Rare will be releasing details on a new game. What exactly? It's hard to say. Out of their existing and successful IPs, only Conker hasn't received treatment in a while, but this blogger believes Rare won't tamper with the classics and instead be revealing a brand new IP (something I can honestly say I'd be excited about), and if not, nothing at all. Alongside this is Fable III, which has been reported to have Natal enhanced features, although Project Natal is not required to play the game. Fable is a unique and engaging series which I think could benefit from a subtle use of Natal, but nothing too over the top, which is what it sounds like the developers are aiming for. However at the same time it's essential it isn't just some tacky add on and actually add some quality to the title, if minimal.

Rare would do well to leave Conker, and other old IPs, well alone

Alongside these big first and second party releases, Microsoft will also have the pleasure of hosting some fantastic third party titles. Chief among interest are Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Fallout New Vegas and id software's latest, Rage. The latter in particular being a point of interest, as id have not solely produced a game since Doom 3. However it seems they're moving away from tradiotional old school shooter cliche's and moving towards the commonplace open enviroments, which I for one, think it is a bad move. Do you see anyone else offering that old school experience? No. It's a niche, and id should stick with it. Still the game looks polished and has some impressive graphics, so at the end of the day, it's pretty hard to complain at this stage.

At the very least, it's pretty! (Cheers IGN)

Overall Microsoft seem in good stead for this years E3. They have a huge title in Halo: Reach, which is heavily supported with Gears of War 3 and a nice collection of third party titles to show off, collectively with other companies (read: Sony). There is a looming potential of a new Rare IP, which I think is something anyone into gaming would appreciate, particularly if the developer can reignite some of that spark that helped it produce some of the best offering's on the Nintendo 64 in the 90's. However a lot seems to hinge on Project Natal. Is it the correct move business wise, and is there even software able to win over some of the Nintendo entrenched audience? E3 awaits.

On a final note, in relation to my previous mentioning of advertising being the best form of praise, if anyone wants to request a nice Game Over Blog banner they'd like for forum usage, just drop me a comment with the character you'd like to feature. Here are some examples of what they look like (of course I'm willing to spice them up if you wish, but I do like them to match the current site layout - however size is always negotiable):