E3 2006: Matt's Thoughts on Nintendo's Conference
The Big N's pre-E3 show is over. What does Matt think of Nintendo's show?
by Matt Casamassina
May 9, 2006 - I don't know. I may have a bit more insight than some of the editors who saw the Nintendo conference because I've had the chance to play a number of Wii games. Bearing that in mind, I wasn't completely enthralled with Nintendo's E3 media briefing. I thought the company played it a little too safe, honestly. It showed off a handful of new games, yes, but I didn't walk away from the conference feeling much more educated about the console than when I went in.
It didn't announce a firm release date or a price point and frankly, I think that is a huge missed opportunity. The conference showed us that Nintendo Wii games lack the graphic prowess of competing games on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, but in addition to a unique new controller, the console presumably has a major advantage: it's bound to be cheaper than any other. And yet, Nintendo decided not to state the official price of Wii, which in my mind is just ridiculous. Further, it wouldn't even commit to a release date, which is every bit as disappointing, so far as I'm concerned.
Meanwhile, it left so many other important questions unanswered. Where was Smash Bros. for Wii, a title Nintendo has said would launch with the console? Clearly it's not happening and yet the Big N never even mentioned it. Where was this previously announced controller shell? Where were real details of the virtual console and Wii's online interface? The Big N ignored these integral issues and instead talked big about hardware and software innovations far less substantial, in my opinion. If company president Satoru Iwata could dedicate a segment of his time to explaining why fast load times in games are a necessity, why couldn't he show us the interface powering the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection? I can tell you right now that every Wii fan is more interested in learning about the system's online functionality than they are discovering that it stays on even when gamers go to bed.
Having played Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, I'm really intrigued to see where Retro Studios takes the game. There's so much potential and I felt that a legitimate demo could have really showed off the functionality of the Wii-mote to local media and games industry types. Unfortunately, that demo never came. Worse, the Big N announced a potentially amazing new Mario Wii game in Mario Galaxy, but it never bothered to demo the mechanics of the title to attendees. Seriously, this is not the Nintendo I know. The old Nintendo would have never passed up an opportunity to blow out the latest update to its acclaimed and beloved Mario franchise. Huh?
Nintendo's new Wii Sports games took center stage instead of Samus and Mario, and I was not impressed. Don't get me wrong. I admire what Nintendo is aiming for with these overly simplistic titles. It is clearly trying to appeal Wii to people who don't normally play games. The Wii Sports projects have a very accessible, cute look to them. However, they're also really freakin' ugly. Wii is perhaps twice as powerful as GameCube, but apparently Nintendo hasn't gotten the memo yet because it seems to have designed many of its games for hardware roughly 10 times less powerful. It's one thing to go for a classic style, but the graphic make-up of these entries seems to be the result of a generally lazy, carefree approach.
I really hope this is not a sign of the Nintendo offerings to come because if so it could have just as easily re-released the N64 with a Wii-remote for $79 and really targeted the mainstream.
I have to say, though, for as stupid as the Wii Sports games look, they are at least fun. And meanwhile, Metroid Prime 3 could be super-awesome. Zelda is sure to be the greatest Link adventure of all time. And Mario Galaxy, to me, looks totally and completely amazing, which is why I'm so peeved that Nintendo didn't show it off in detail. And speaking of that, we saw titles like Pilot Wings pop up on the screen and then disappear in a flash, never to be seen or referenced again during the media briefing. Project H.A.M.M.E.R? Looks very promising. I wanted to see more, but I never did. Disaster: Day of Crisis looked very sweet, but again, I left he briefing wondering what to really expect from the game.
By the way, if you watched the conference from the comfort of your home and not live from the Kodak Theatre, you might consider yourself lucky. Nintendo's standard resolution games were blown up and pixilated on giant projector screens, and as a result they looked visually worse than they actually are, which is very unfortunate. I saw a lot of people around me scoffing at some of the graphics in, say, Metroid Prime 3, and I kept fighting the urge to turn to them and argue, "No, no, seriously, don't worry. I've played it and it looks much better than it does on this giant screen." Overblown and pixilated, the Wii Sports titles looked like DS demos. Youch.
Lots of complaints, I know, but the weird part is that I'm still really excited. I'm positively itching to get my feet on the show floor and go more in-depth with games like Metroid, Zelda and (drool) Mario Galaxy. I'm praying that Nintendo serves up a tasty demo of Mario's latest platformer because I know a game like this could really prove the controller. And meanwhile, I really want to check out some of these lesser-known games. Project H.A.M.M.E.R, for instance. I have no idea where it came from, but I'll be damned if it doesn't look cool.
I have to say that as odd as some of the Big N's presentation-related decisions were, I still think it had a solid show. But as Reggie, Iwata and Miyamoto continuously stress, seeing is not believing; with Wii, playing is believing. And I have a whole lot more playing to do.
Aber besser so als es würde nichts Ordentliches zu kaufen geben. 
