E3 2017 In Retrospect: Nintendo

Time to Switch things up!

I laughed far too much at my own, bad pun.

Anyways, despite not owning a Nintendo console since the GameCube, and not having a handheld of theirs since I sold my The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds 3DS XL, I felt it necessary to watch the Nintendo show today.

I have to say that even though most of what Nintendo has to offer really isn’t my thing, I’m pretty impressed.

Listening To Demand

One of the complaints that I’ve had about Nintendo over the years is that they’ve ignored one of their biggest IPs for so long: Metroid.

Nintendo announced not only Metroid Prime 4, but also showed off gameplay footage of Metroid: Samus Returns. Metroid: Samus Returns looks to be a good addition to the franchise, if the shown footage is anything to be taken seriously. The gameplay and appearance of it seem faithful to the titles of old, with ties back to Metroid 2: Return of Samus. As for Metroid Prime 4, it remains to be seen whether or not it is worth getting excited over. Why? Because all they showed was a title for the game. No projected release date or no concept art. At least we know that Nintendo is working on it though.

Nintendo also announced that Rocket League will be making a debut on the Nintendo Switch this year, sometime during the holiday season, in addition to supporting cross-network play and featuring Nintendo specific customization options.

Yoshi and Kirby are also making debuts on the Switch sometime next year, and they both look downright adorable. Kirby is going to see action as a co-op focused title, and it’s going to bring along with it all the cool morphable abilities; including sporting Link’s hat when wielding a sword. Yoshi looks to be going the 2.5D route for gameplay, just as many Nintendo titles have chosen to adopt, but with a neat mechanic: being able to flip the level around to access other areas.

Amiibo And DLC

Not only have many of the Switch’s games been confirmed to support Amiibo figurines, but even some of the already released games will be gaining new support for yet to be released figures. One such game is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which will be receiving support for new figures that will be featured the upcoming DLC, The Champions’ Ballad, which is going to release sometime this holiday season.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are new Metroid Amiibo coming to stores. To be completely honest, I really just want one of the squishy Metroids…

Low Points

While I know that Skyrim is a huge win to have on a Nintendo console, and being able to play it on the go, I’m just getting tired of seeing it. It’s a little odd as well, seeing Nintendo stuff in Skyrim too, but I understand that some people really love that stuff. I know that it’ll end up selling like crazy, especially on the Switch, so I’ll just resign to letting folks have their fun.

I might still complain a little. Actually, I’m going to complain until Skyrim stops getting paraded around as a fixture of the modern generation of games.

The only other low point I noticed was the segment covering Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, which just seems like Mario combined with those annoying Rabbids things; all of which is jammed into the gameplay of XCOM. It’s just strange seeing a Nintendo licensed game paired so closely with the creatively bereft Ubisoft. Their lack of creativity seems obvious in their attempt to arm Mario with a hand cannon and the blatant ripoff of XCOM’s combat.

I also never thought I’d see a Mario game where you find him taking cover from gunfire either.

Super Mario Odyssey Come On Strong

Before today, I assumed that Super Mario Odyssey would be about Mario being injected into a real-ish world, exploring a modern city environment. The concept itself seemed odd to me, but upon seeing some of the different places that Mario would visit, I have to admit that Super Mario Odyssey grew on me a bit.

What sells me on the game however, isn’t the setting, but the neat mechanic that Nintendo has introduced. Mario’s hat has the ability to capture enemies, allowing the player to access new areas, take on higher challenges, and be a general nuisance to Mario’s enemies.

Oh, and it’s coming out this October on the 27th.

Miscellany

Nintendo’s Spotlight today made a great case for the Nintendo Switch, and even showed off some of the benefits of owning a 3DS. With Nintendo FINALLY making a new set of true Metroid games, and also bringing a core Pokemon game to the Switch. Of course, it’s a little irritating to see them only mention Metroid Prime 4 and the Pokemon game for the Switch, with nary a detail about when they are expected to release or what they’re going to be about.

What’s important to remember however, is that this is by no means the end of Nintendo’s announcements. They’re traditionally non-traditional in their methods of informing folks about their games. Patience is key.

Didn’t see the spotlight? Look no further than Nintendo’s official stream!

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