GameTrailers have a luvverly little developer walkthrough video, explaining the one feature of Galaxy that even the most hardened Nintendo Fanboy would admit to being slightly skeptical of: the 3-dimensional, crazy, running around planets… thing.
Give Mario a slap for the video.
At last year’s E3, Nintendo pitched a system to us. A classic Nintendo machine, but with motion-sensing technology. We were promised the ability to swing Link’s sword in real-time, light-gun games would be available to every system, we’d fire Samus’ cannon at our TVs. Nintendo were really trying to convince the gaming “hardcore” that they want this system.
What a difference a year makes…
This year, Nintendo mentioned Zelda and Metroid in passing, as mere afterthoughts. Reggie and Miyamoto were clearly levelling their sights on a different audience this time around – WiiFit and Focus Training are now the dishes of the day. The ‘improvement’ games, as Nintendo put it, are apparently the future. I’m not saying that Mario and Link will be completely abandoned, but now Nintendo has a completely different install base and thus a different audience.
A ridiculous number of Wii owners only play Wii Sports. A large amount of DS owners only have the Brain Training games. It’s these people who Nintendo are now going for. “We’ve got you hooked on the novelty of your first console, now it’s time for us to turn you into gamers” seems to be the Ninty mentality.
So, the new-look E3 is over and video game journalists across the land are fighting through the hangover and sleep-deprived haze to bring us their personal accounts.
Although most are complaining that the new format meant they were unable to get to get to see all the games on offer, there is still a deluge of videos, interviews and other info flying into our grubby, appreciative hands.
Amongst the innumerable sci-fi shooters (Haze, Halo 3, Killzone 2, Crysis, Call of Duty 4; the list goes on), a few titles stood out from the crowd. The Medal of Honour team have steered sharply away from doing yet another on-rails WWII shooter, and look to have come up trumps with a more free-roaming war experience.
Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway could boast the best action, graphics, AI, sound and music of any WWII game ever. Whether this has come at a time when interest in WWII games has already waned, I guess only time will tell.
Little Big Planet seemed to strike a chord with a lot of journalists due to its easy-to-use level designer – content will be created mostly by PS3 owners and shared through the Playstation Network.
My personal favourite upcoming games:
What are you most looking forward to?
