E3 2013 | Feature: Roundtable Discussion on Nintendo at E3 2013 - Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, Third Parties, Wii U and More

Jorge Ba-oh, Founder/Editor

 
The problem is the element of surprise. Nintendo Direct has been a successful strategy for the House of Mario in a lot of ways: the almost monthly broadcast has given the company a wide communication channel to the fans with some of the biggest releases announced and subsequently hitting retail months after first revealed. Because of these regular Nintendo shows, it's taken the shine off E3 somewhat and sometimes fans may expect just a little too much from Nintendo to have ready to show.
 
This Nintendo Direct perhaps didn't have the more requested franchises and major surprises, but what Nintendo did show was a selection of must-have games for the Wii U for the remainder of the year, in particular the Holiday months, and into the start of 2014. Breaking speed and Earth physics with Mario Kart 8 was the particular highlight of the forty minute showreel, offering a stunning new art style and sense of scale for the popular racing series. There was some doubt, admittedly, that Nintendo could have opted for a straightforward HD, souped up Mario Kart 7, but what was shown was by far another level and a stunning example of what could be done when making the transition to HD. I don't think I've had the same jaw-dropping moment towards Mario Kart 8 in years from Nintendo or other game publishers, with the last true "wow" moment being the initial Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reveal almost a decade ago.
 

Beyond the smell of tarmac came another unexpected surprise - multiplayer in a 3D Mario game was something I'd least expected, but the typical Super Mario Bros visual style was a given. Whilst Super Mario 3D World has been met with a very strong divide between fans, it looks brilliant in motion and four player support will surely be a blast.  Whilst the new 3D Mario title does look great conceptually and make commercial sense given the popularity of the New Super Mario Bros. series, there is a part of me that longs for Super Mario Galaxy 3.
 
Wrapping up the trinity of key Nintendo releases is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Whilst fans and critics are anticipating something brand new from Nintendo - which is in development - there's nothing wrong with a fine-tuned remake of one of the best entries in the series. It looks absolutely stunning in high definition, with perhaps the odd grainy texture in places but breathes new life into the initial design. With some enhancements it'll be a joy to play again later this year and alongside Super Mario 3D World, will be strong system sellers.
 
Second and third party support and indie titles were solid, but nothing particularly new. The Monolithsoft project looks exceptional in motion, likewise Bayonetta 2, and its these sorts of exclusives that the system needs to propel itself into the homes of many more gamers. A long list of current generation multiplatform titles were sadly omitted - including Grand Theft Auto V and even the next FIFA, which certainly doesn't help the Wii U's image in the eyes of the general public.
 
What would have been beneficial is for Nintendo to have even had shown a handful of logos of other popular games in development, somewhere. The very mention of a new Star Fox, Metroid or F-Zero, even just the titles themselves, could have satisfied those hunger pangs for fans demanding a little bit more than just Mario and The Legend of Zelda.

Overall it was a solid presentation which has left a handful of brilliant titles on the way for the next twelve months. Hopefully Nintendo will continue to reveal more Wii U titles for those other big names, and why not throw a new IP or two into the mix? One thing's for sure is that the system's future does seem clearer and healthier than it did in the opening months. Onwards and outwards, Nintendo fans.
 

Adam Riley, Operations Director

That's not to say the games won't be impressive; they will be, given Nintendo's heritage. However, when the Super Smash Bros. trailer started, I have to admit I'd forgotten that the fighter was to be shown and had palpitations at the prospect of new entries in Metroid, Star Fox, Kid Icarus, et al on the way. Obviously, my initial excitement quickly went to 'Oh, right, yeah...' and even the pleasing addition of Mega Man couldn't get the heartbeat racing once more. For Nintendo this was more of the same, and it makes you wonder if the company is trying to play it safe after seeing the 3DS rise from the ashes thanks to a barrage of familiar series hitting the portable over the past year or so.
 
It also has to be wondered if Nintendo is merely satisfied with winning over the Japanese audience. There is no way the Wii U will compete will Sony and Microsoft in the West given the lacklustre Third Party offerings, and news of first EA scaling back development and even Ubisoft reportedly reducing its output.
 
Cubed3 will have the chance to try the games on offer down in London in a couple of weeks, so final judgement will be reserved until then, but the big question people seemed to be asking after the Nintendo Direct was 'When is Wii U set to be released? Christmas 2013? Spring 2014, perhaps?' Basically, in the here and now, there is still a shortage of software to jump on, and with Nintendo pushing even the likes of Wii Party U and Wii Fit U back even further, it's almost like saying 'Hey, even we know that releasing games now is pointless because the user-base is so small!'
 

Interesting - if predictable - times, indeed!
 

Stuart Lawrence, Review and Feature Writer

 
Then came Super Mario 3D World, which looks like, and is a HD sequel to Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS. To me the game looked plain and generic in terms of Mario games, and if I'm honest, I was expecting something a bit more stand out and spectacular. That's not to say it won't be good, Super Mario 3D Land is considered a brilliant entry in the 3D Mario games line. With bigger levels and four player co-op, it should be an even better game. After that, Iwata showed Mario Kart 8, which I was quite impressed with visually, and in terms of gameplay it looks to combine Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Wii with anti-gravity to the mix and hopefully there's more to reveal before its 2014 release date.
 
There were some other expected announcements, like Wii U Party, Wii Fit U, and the Art Academy Miiverse add on seems like a neat idea I'd like to try, but nothing really grabbed my attention up to this point. The list of third party games didn't really help, since all of the retail games were announced for the system previously, both in and outside of E3, with most of them multiplatform. Some of the indie offerings looked pretty good, with Ballpoint Universe and Oddworld being particularly interesting, but nothing truly special.
 
Although it was to be expected, I was slightly disappointed to see that The Wind Waker HD looked like the GameCube game with bloom lighting added, but with the added features announced in the talk with Aonuma, it should make a brilliant game even better, and it's only the second Wii U title outside of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to be native 1080p, and although they're both remakes, that's something right?
 
The Bayonetta 2 footage looked nice, with the most shocking thing about it being Bayonetta's hair being short, makes for a sexy older woman look in my opinion. Before that, they showed another trailer for the Wonderful 101, which I'm glad to see them try and push before its release in August.
X still looks as good as always, the gorgeous trailer with Mechs flying about only convinced me that I want it more. It was a big surprise to see another Donkey Kong Country Sequel made by Retro. It looks good, and it seems like Retro are becoming the new Rareware in a way. Lastly there was Super Smash Bros, and that was always expected, it looks great on both 3DS and Wii U. I wasn't surprised at all to see Megaman in the game, and what did surprise me (and I'm sure everyone) was the announcement of the Wii fit trainer in the aftermath of the Nintendo Direct, she's definitely going to be someone's main choice.

Overall, it was a solid E3 Direct from Nintendo, with no real surprises. There was a lot missing from the Nintendo DS side, which I thought they could have added, including the name for the Zelda 3DS title, A Link Between Worlds, but I'm sure they have their reasons. So I'm satisfied, not amazed or hyped, but satisfied.
 

Az Elias, Deputy Editor

But the problem was that it was all predictable; there really wasn't anything new in there to truly "wow" me, or sell me on the system this year. The majority of the games that would have me checking my bank balance so I can save up for a Wii U aren't coming until 2014. In particular, Mario Kart 8 is a spring title, which is very surprising. I really expected it to be released before Thanksgiving in the US, when people would be more likely to invest in this kind of crazy multiplayer racer. I don't think Super Mario 3D World is going to shift as many Wii U systems as Mario Kart 8 would in the same period.
 
That said, the multiplayer focus of the new 3D Mario title might have something else to say about that, and I have to say that I'm pleased to see a nod to Super Mario Bros. 2 and playable Princess Peach. Whilst not the open world Mario title I was expecting, Super Mario 3D World's culmination of ideas from previous Mario titles means this will surely turn out to be another great Mario game. Mario Kart 8 looks wonderful in its HD shine, and I just hope we get proper online lobbies and a true Battle Mode akin to Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 this time (I ask for this with every new Mario Kart game!). I wasn't a big fan of the underwater and gliding gimmicks from Mario Kart 7, but I've no doubt Mario Kart 8 will be a fantastic title that every Wii U owner will need. Again, it's just a shame, and rather odd, that it's not releasing this year.
 
One of the main surprises was Retro's secret project turning out to be a new Donkey Kong Country entry. I'm torn with this because Donkey Kong Country Returns was a brilliant game and I've been dying for a return of Dixie Kong for so long, but it's disappointing that this is the top secret game Retro has been working on. A brand new IP, new Metroid, or revival of a forgotten franchise would have been more fitting. There wasn't any Metroid at all. No F-Zero, no Star Fox, no Wave Race. No footage of Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei. No brand new collaborations between Nintendo and third parties to deliver exclusives that can only be found on Wii U. There weren't any new third party exclusives at all.
 

Yes, the trailers Nintendo did show in the presentation were obviously great games that Nintendo fans will be happy to see, but the fact so many of them are so far away, and the lack of brand new games that could have really surprised us, has left me rather underwhelmed. Maybe the positive I can still take from it is that Nintendo Directs are spaced out through the year, so more new games could be revealed over time, but I think this was a missed opportunity by Nintendo to really leave a mark and shock and excite fans with some brand new and unexpected titles.
 

Rudy Lavaux, Review & Feature Writer

 
What did they announce that we didn't know about yet though? Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and that's it. And it turns out this is the much anticipated oh so super-secret project Retro has been working on for all this time. I, just like many of you ask myself this: "Is that what, according to them, people asked them to do?" As good as Donkey Kong Country Returns was, and as good as this new game may no doubt be, I don't remember anyone ever asking them to do so. People asked if they'd do one, sure, but I'm sure most fans would have preferred them to work on something else. Past that initial disappointment though, the game looks good. I loved all the new ideas that could be seen in the trailer, the more varied camera angles and, most importantly, the return of Dixie Kong, which remains my favourite Kong ever. So I'm sure I'll love the game eventually.
 
What else? Well that's the thing: That's the only game of the presentation that we didn't know about yet. The new Super Smash Bros, Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8, even though we didn't know the names of them, we knew they were coming and that they would have been shown during the Direct. And frankly speaking, none of the three truly wowed me. I liked Super Mario 3D Land just fine, I think it suited the 3DS well, but for the first 3D HD Mario, I would have much preferred a grand scale open world Mario; something in the vein of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, but just bigger and more beautiful, with more varied aesthetics. However that was not to be, the Nintendo of today seems intent on rehashing on Wii U the same formulas they tried on 3DS to moderate success in the forms of 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. It's fine from a commercial perspective and you can bet I'll still buy them, because they're bound to be good, but they just won't be "exceptional". Mario Kart 8 is likely to be the online Wii U game that I will spend the most time on (save perhaps for some Raid Mode on Resident Evil Revelations) and it impressed me a little more than 3D World, thankfully.
 
The new Super Smash Bros., I liked more than the other two. The new battlefields look great, especially the one from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which I thought was a brilliant idea. On that note, the trailer for Zelda: Wind Waker HD looked cool, especially the original inclusion of Miiverse functionality in the form of messages in bottles.
 

I shouldn't forget to mention Bayonetta 2 though. It looked absolutely amazing in its first video appearance, but again this is a game we already knew was coming. So does The Wonderful 101. Both games I will buy of course. It lacked an announcement of the first game being made available on Wii U though. As much as I want to play the first one, I don't own any piece of hardware that will let me play it. And just like several others on the staff, that new X trailer was what wowed me the most and remains my most anticipated Wii U title, full stop.
 
Third party support seemed so slim though. And most of the games presented aren't out till the end of the year, or simply not until 2014. How can they hope to convince people to get a Wii U and not a PS4 or Xbox One with so few interesting exclusive games to play on Wii U? OK maybe Nintendo doesn't need anything to convince people to stay well away from the Xbox One, but still...
 
What was my biggest surprise was during the E3 Direct? Oddworld: New n' Tasty. I had no idea they were making a new side-scrolling episode and discovered during the showreel that it was coming to Wii U (Oddworld doesn't exactly have a great history with Nintendo consoles). And that's a remake, and not even exclusive to the Wii U either. I also hear Stanger's Wrath HD is also coming to Wii U, which I never played, so that's all good!

 
Where were a new Metroid, a new StarFox or a new F-Zero, or any new game from their wealth of past great franchises? Or heck, a new franchise for Yamauchi's sake? My final words to describe how it felt to me would be these: "Predictable" and "No surprise".
 

Javier Jaminez, Review & Feature Writer

 
Third parties mostly showed a lot of games that look the same as the games they've been making for the last 15 years. Some look nicer than others. Assassin's Creed 4 looks promising, as does Sonic Lost World. There's Batman Arkham Origins and Final Fantasy XV. Of course, there are standout indie titles like Shovel Knight and Oddworld. Just like every year, there were some promising titles and some cash-ins.
 
One trend I'm concerned with is how "cinematic" many games seem to be. Cinematic being code for "almost no gameplay". Ryse is a prime example of this problem, as is, potentially, Final Fantasy XV.
 
On to Nintendo. "Solid" is a word I think describes what Nintendo showed. They didn't deliver the megaton brain'splosion many hoped for, but what they did show was a solid pack of quality built games coming this year and next.

 
Mario Kart 8 looks fantastic. Graphically it's a huge leap over Mario Kart 7. Moreover, track design has gone completely insane, with verticals and loops and upside down tracks. For a series that often borders on stale, Mario Kart 8  looks very promising. Super Smash Bros. blew blew the doors off the hinges with a completely slick Mega Man reveal, including metal blade and leaf shield. Overall the game looks like just as much a jump over Brawl as Mario Kart 8 is over MK 7. Super Mario 3D World isn't quite what I hoped however the team developing it is the same team that did Galaxy, Galaxy 2, and Super Mario 3D Land, I'm sure it'll be good.
 
Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze looks incredible. Wind Waker HD looks like a big improvement over the first reveal. Wonderful 101 continues to look promising. Bayonetta 2 seems improved over Bayonetta 1. X is still amazing and, in my humble opinion, put Final Fantasy XV to shame.

Think about this. By the end of the year Wii U will have New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, Zombi U, Nintendo Land, Lego City Undercover, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Pikmin 3, Wonderful 101, Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Wind Waker HD, Rayman Legends, and more. I've gone through first year systems that had far less than that. I'm looking at you, Nintendo 3DS.
 
On the subject of Nintendo 3DS, it continues to have one of the best years in gaming history. However E3 was not about 3DS. Nintendo focused on 3DS in the last 2 directs, and reserved E3 almost solely for Wii U talk.
 

I think pessimism sometimes gets the better of some people. They get stuck in a downward rut and short of the hand of god in the form of a game like Super Mario Galaxy; nothing will end their bleak outlook. As far as E3 goes, personally, I saw a lot that I liked and a lot that I look forward to playing. That's my take on it.
 

SirLink, Review & Feature Writer

Then, it suddenly dawned on me. Am I really disappointed when Nintendo is offering ten exclusive Wii U games that I can't wait to play with six of them coming out this year? Of course not. Don't even get me started on the notion among many gamers that any previously shown or even confirmed game is irrelevant or the fact that other promising games like Pikmin 3, The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2 and even X commonly get pushed to the side or even completely ignored in favour of Nintendo's big franchises. Ironically, they seem to be the same people who are constantly telling Nintendo to branch out, stop focusing on their big franchises so much or make "new IPs". But enough rambling, let's talk about the games in some more detail, shall we?
 
Super Mario 3D World looks to greatly improve on the fantastic Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS with many little details and great level design. The music - what I'm presuming will be its main theme - is once again extremely catchy and it's impossible for me to resist humming along. Mario Kart 8 brings back the  beloved bikes with surprisingly impressive graphics and interesting looking new tracks. Online races with friends are bound to be an absolute blast once again. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is looking fantastic and proves that its art style is simply timeless. I urge anyone who is even remotely interested in the series and hasn't played it yet to pick it up as it's one of the best Zelda games out there. Pikmin 3 wasn't featured in the Nintendo Direct but it has had plenty of screen time before. That said, there was still a new E3 trailer for it and it looks like the long delay paid off and it definitely has the potential to be the best Pikmin game yet.
 

Bayonetta 2 received its first proper gameplay trailer and it's bursting with intense action, reminding me that I have to pick up the original as soon as possible. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is Retro's follow-up to the fantastic Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii and if it's just as hard as that game, it's almost guaranteed to be one of my favourite platformers on the system. Then there's The Wonderful 101, a game we've seen many times before and in each showing it looked better than the last. Platinum Games know how to make really fun, wacky games so I'm definitely excited for it. Super Smash Bros. looked amazing and while I'm not completely sold on the 3DS version yet, the hype is very strong with this one and I can't wait to see more characters and stages. Now all Nintendo needs to do is announce that Amaterasu from Ōkami is joining the fray... a man can dream, right?
 
I saved the best for last, which is undoubtedly X. Monolith Soft's name alone is enough to get me hyped after Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and Lost Ocean on the Gamecube and Xenoblade on the Wii, but this trailer made the JRPG fan in me cry tears of joy. After the reveal trailer had plenty of awesome looking combat and monsters, this one focused more on the absolutely stunning, vast and open environment. Interestingly enough, they've been avoiding showing the face of the protagonist this whole time. There must be something fishy behind that and I simply can't wait for more details and trailers. Some more of this eclectic music would be nice, too!
 
In the end, Nintendo did exactly what they promised us. If the hype for some titles was actually under control, it would have gone much better. I feel Nintendo and gamers are equally to blame for this, but another cause for it is gamers expecting announcements for new instalments of less popular Nintendo franchises. It's simply not going to happen this early. Looking at the lifespan of the Nintendo 3DS so far makes it pretty clear what Nintendo is trying to do with their current games line-up. Games like Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 are guaranteed to significantly boost Wii U sales and even Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has a lot of potential considering the popularity of its Wii predecessor. Some gamers may not like it but right now this is what the Wii U desperately needs and something franchises like Metroid or Star Fox simply can't achieve.

 
When the dust has settled, I believe much of the current disappointment will be gone and people will enjoy what will undoubtedly be great games, starting with Pikmin 3 in less than two months.