E3 Press Conferences: Nintendo

So I wasn't here yesterday to work on the articles, and missed the original airing of Nintendo's press conference (which I rarely miss each year). So I caught the end of the conference and looked up a lot of information, so the Nintendo conference won't be as in depth as the Microsoft one, but I will go over what I've researched.

The conference begins with ol' Reggie Fils-Aime coming out with his badass haircut, and hypes up all gaming, including the ideas from Sony and Microsoft, only to say their technology is only a tool. It's kind of odd, considering not only did they start this whole motion control technology craze, but also release ridiculous amounts of hardware (I'm looking at you, Wii Pulse). This year, oddly enough, Nintendo is focused on "the experience."

The first trailer shown is the new Zelda, flashing back to each major console game's Link, before revealing the new title and a bit of gameplay for Zelda: Skyward Sword. The graphics are nice, and Paul has said it looks like a mixture of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. Next, Shigeru Miyamoto comes out and explains a little about the game, before turning the game over to Nintendo's translater and representative.

After he fails a bit, Miyamoto himself comes out (in a fairly magical manner and with a mass applause) and shows off a lot of Zelda. While Miyamoto has trouble at times (at one point blaming it on wireless interference), the game's 1:1 with Wii MotionPlus is impressive, as are some of the items and their usage. Bombs can be set, thrown, or bowled, and the whip looks pretty badass. I've been out of the Zelda scene for a while, but this game certainly looks good enough to pick up. They said it should be coming out in 2011.

Reggie comes back out and talks about universal appeal, and talks about how sports games can bring that out. He mentions NBA Jam, but sadly shows nothing of it. Reggie announces Mario is doing more sports, and a new trailer is shown, starting with Mario and friends playing volleyball. After a few scenes, it shows the crew playing ice and beach hockey. Next appears to be a game of dodgeball, which looks fun, before changing to basketball, looking very much like Mario Hoops. The title is revealed as Mario Sports Mix, and will be out next year.

Reggie begins talking sales, how great the Wii has sold, how the games have sold, all the records broken, etc. He talks about Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, New Super Mario Bros Wii... He introduces a new "bridge" title involving Miis. New game is Wii Party, looking like Mario Party without the Mario. It looks silly; perhaps boring. Could possibly be the next Wii Music, new first party shovelware.

The Nintendo president introduces us to a new trailer for Just Dance 2. I know a lot of people hated the first game, but even if it was dumb I kinda enjoyed it - I know it's not graphically impressive; hell, I know it's not good. But something about making an ass of yourself in front of friends is always entertaining (or rather, watching your friends making asses of themselves), so with new Dance Crew battle modes and the ability for 8 players to dance in their tiny ass living rooms, I can't say I'm excited, but I'm not disappointed or surprised.

The new Golden Sun game is now subtitled Dark Dawn, and a trailer shows off the beautiful 3D graphics of the title. The battle scenes look wonderful. I haven't played much of Golden Sun, though I have wanted to, so I can't say if it's a remake of the original like it was hinted at last year. The game will be out this holiday.

As Reggie mentions another "golden" game, a trailer for a new Goldeneye game begins. Looking like a remake of the N64 classic, it's a pleasant surprise for this November, exclusive to Wii. Multiplayer is back (though looks limited to only 8 playable characters), there's new voice acted scenes, and the gameplay looks downright awesome. It'll be out this November - so let's hope it doesn't disappoint.

Next, Reggie talks about Mickey Mouse, instantly alerting the crowd to Epic Mickey. Warren Specter is introduced to the stage to show off the game. Gameplay elements is shown off, showing Mickey in a world called Wasteland that involves rejected movies, cartoons, and theme park locales and rides. The art style looks interesting in the cutscenes, but is shown as a 3D title outside of the cutscenes. Mickey appears to constantly be "dripping", but is armed with a paintbrush and paint and paint thinner. Mickey can erase items and repaint them to make them look better. He'll be able to tear out sections of rock and walls to find items, and you can even erase enemies to defeat them, or paint them to become friends and allies. There's a lot that can be done. The demo then jumps to a Steamboat Willie scene, which is also very exciting and entertaining. Expect to see a lot of characters that have been forgotten when the game comes out exclusively for Wii.

Reggie talks about keeping classic franchises fresh. Reggie hints at a new Kirby game, which is totally awesome. After 7 years, Kirby will be able to star in his own game. While Reggie makes some silly ass cloth and yarn annalogies, the trailer is revealed as the title comes up - Kirby Epic Yarn. ...Wait, seriously? This isn't a joke? Yarn? Gameplay shows a yarn outline of Kirby, using yarn to whip at enemies and throw them, or to manipulate the background (which is made up of other clothing related items, like zippers and buttons). Wait, seriously?! Kirby no longer eats things to steal powers?! According to the trailer, which shows NO instance of Kirby doing what Kirby's KNOWN for doing, he instead uses a yarn whip like a pre-school Simon Belmont, and changes into shit without the use of stealing powers LIKE KIRBY DOES IN EVERY OTHER VIDEO GAME EVER. He randomly turns into cars and parachutes now? Why the fuck is he a surfing penguin or a UFO?! A two player co-op mode for this abomination looks possible. I've argued about this game since I saw the trailer, and sure, I can forgive the cutesy yarn art style. Hell, I can even forgive the horrendously shitty music. But the fact that Kirby no longer does what he's known for doing is a fucking joke. Hell, how about we make Mario wheelchair bound, and he has this new power to smell his enemies to death?! Yeah, that's good! Shit, why don't we make a Zelda game, where Link is a merchant, and all you do is sell shit and not rescue Zelda or save Hyrule or anything? That's a pretty new and clever idea! Fuck it, why even keep Donkey Kong a gorilla anymore?! This trailer is, in and of itself, the worst thing I've seen about E3 so far. And yeah, I saw the Just Dance 2 trailer earlier.

Dragon Quest IX is mentioned for its sales numbers in Japan. It's a Nintendo DS exclusive with 120 mini-quests, 300 monsters, over 900 items to customize your characters, and unlimited randomly generated treasure maps, the game can seek out other players to add new stuff to your game. It seems like a lengthy game, and will be out on July 11. Other than this, nothing else is mentioned.

Metroid Other M, out August 31, shows off a new trailer. The game looks very impressive, and looks to have 2D levels, 3D levels, and first person segments. Cool morph ball sections are shown, a Mega Man X style wall jumping sequence is played out, several puzzles and fights look fun, and even some epic boss fights are seen. It's revealed it will be a more emotional game than previous Metroid titles.

Retro Studios, who has worked on Metroid in the past, reveals it's new work, a new Donkey Kong game. Surprisingly, this game doesn't look like a pile of shit! It appears as though the apes known for their shitty Nintendo titles is finally getting a legit adventure game as the original Donkey Kong Country theme is played. After showing off several really cool scenes and gameplay actions, the title is revealed to be Donkey Kong Country Returns, and will be out this holiday.

Satoru Iwata hits the stage to reveal some information on the 3DS. OH SHIT, A KID ICARUS GAME!! KID ICARUS UPRISING!! The game looks pretty amazing, looking like it could be a Gamecube or Wii title on a handheld. The trailer shows off Pit's ability to fly, his third person shooter bow controls, his close quarters dual knife fights, and as the trailer ends with the title, the eggplant wizard is shown, as does eggplant Pit. Kid Icarus Uprising will be a 3DS exclusive.

3DS will have a sleep mode that will still connect with other 3DS systems and WiFi networks. Nintendogs + cats is revealed to be a 3DS title. A list of companies to work on 3DS titles is shown, including EA, Harmonix, Atlus, Activision, Sega, Konami, Sega, Capcom, THQ, Namco Bandai, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and more. Iwata announces that Activision will have DJ Hero 3D, Level 5 will do Professor Layton, Square Enix will have Kingdom Hearts, THQ will have Saints Row, Capcom will have Resident Evil, Ubisoft will have Assassin's Creed, Konami will bring Metal Gear Solid... 3DS looks promising with software.

A trailer is shown with several developer's comments. Reggie returns to show off every game that's been shown, before talking about 3DS and showing off a trailer of Satoru Iwata walking out to play his 3DS. Mario jumps out and slaps a mustache on him before getting sucked up into the game. Shigeru Miyamoto comes out next, seeing a puppy pop out of the screen before also getting sucked up into the game. Arrows, Link's sword and shield, DK barrels, and an Arwing all jump out of the DS next, and Reggie walks out to the handheld, seeing coins and mushrooms pop out. He picks up the console, laughing at the two japanese guys running from Bowser, before Bowser jumps out and breathes fire on a screaming Reggie. Reggie returns to the stage in a burnt up jacket for giggles.

Reggie, being the man that he is, brings out a shitload of hot women with 3DS systems strapped to themselves for live demo testings in the theatre, and Wii consoles rise from the floors to allow testing of the new Zelda game as well. Reggie ends the conference here, but there's still plenty for the attendees to do. Nintendo, surprisingly, didn't show off a bunch of gimmicky new hardware like they normally do (and like Microsoft and Sony did this year... what the fuck?), and instead surprised in a way they should've been doing for years now - by revealing a load of kick ass games that we've been waiting for.


Excitements:
-Kid Icarus Uprising
-Donkey Kong Country Returns
-3DS title lineup
-The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Letdowns:
-Kirby Epic Yarn
-Some major franchises still missing new Wii titles (F-Zero, Star Fox)
-Nothing on Pikmin 3 or Wii Pulse (both teased about last year)
-Kirby Epic Yarn


Sony also did their press conference yesterday, which I did manage to catch. For those of you who didn't, I'll talk about it later tonight, and stay tuned, as the rest of the week we'll try to talk about some of our favorite games shown at E3!

Rants: The Console Wars

So I got into an argument yesterday that I not only should've known better than to get into, but one I didn't WANT to get into and found myself in it anyway. Upon playing the new Super Street Fighter IV, which I really enjoy, a friend played and nearly immediately dismissed it as garbage because M. Bison's moves are not completely identical to how they are in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. It began as defense for the game - convincing to try other characters, counter-arguing with valid points, and so on. The problem is, an argument cannot be handled validly with a drunk man who "knows" a ten year old game is better because of one character's moveset. The defense ended up turning into pointless insults about each other and the games we were each defending - my excuses were that he had to have assists to win his battles because he couldn't do good enough on his own, and his excuses were that my mind couldn't "comprehend" a battle with more than one person at a time. Forget the fact he can't handle TvC while I can, and that I can play Brawl teams tournament style, can play Starcraft with multiple people (which I'll do my thoughts on the Starcraft II beta when I get the chance to play it), and one of my all-time favorite games is Team Fortress 2, which can become sixteen against sixteen.

My point of this article is not to slam my friend, because honestly shit like that didn't need to be said to one another. It is also not to insult Marvel vs. Capcom 2, because the game is a fun game and I have no issues with it personally. I'm merely mentioning this because as I had this argument with this drunken friend, it only reminded me of one thing, one thing that I've hated for years more than anything else, and that I still manage to find myself stuck in constantly: the Console Wars.


I couldn't have said it better myself...
Let's start by saying that I TRY to have a non-biased opinion in the Console Wars. It's really fucking hard when you don't own all three systems, which I hope to remedy someday, but I still try. And there's NEVER a winner until a system or company completely dies off. We'll miss you, Dreamcast...

Let's get down to business though. I'll go over hacks and burns to each console that I hear the most, and not only attempt to counter point it, but further prove that these fanboy debates are completely fucking ignorant, and yet grown men STILL get into them constantly.


XBOX 360

"XBox sucks! They have so many problems, especially the Red Ring of Death!"
Many systems have issues. Sure, the RRoD is among the worst in gaming history, but it's not like this was the first time a system has ever mass malfunctioned. Look at the Playstation 2. I knew people that couldn't have theirs on the floor because they'd overheat, they'd have to elevate one side with a book or something in order for the disc to read, there were countless laser problems and disc tray problems, and then there were memory card problems that would either cause data to erase randomly or wouldn't save data at all. And then when the slim models came out, the additional power box in the first shipments would ignite and catch fire, burning up living rooms across the nation. I've yet to see an Xbox or Red Ring do that.

"I'd never get one, because they don't have (insert random franchise) on it!" or "I hate Xbox, why do they have to get (insert random title) too?! It belongs on PS3!!"
So what if XBox doesn't get Metal Gear Solid 4? There's plenty of other titles it's gotten, and plenty that weren't given to the PS3, like the first Dead Rising (though the rival console IS getting the sequel). The only worse argument is bitching about a title going from exclusive to multi-platform. Really? You're bitching because more people get to enjoy Tekken 6 or Final Fantasy XIII? Why are you fucking complaining? Because they should've shelled out extra money for the same console as you to enjoy it? Grow the fuck up!

"The 360 controller sucks!! The D-pad is atrocious!"
I understand the D-pad on the 360 is not good for fighting games. The PS3 controller is better for fighters, but the 360 controller is FAR better for shooters. Besides, most of you fighting game kids just buy the arcade stick anyway, which NO LONGER USES A D-PAD AND INSTEAD USES A JOYSTICK, WHICH THE 360 CONTROLLER HAS IN A BETTER POSITION THAN THE PS3 CONTROLLER DOES!! Fucking ignorant!


PLAYSTATION 3

"The PS3 doesn't have ANY good games on it!!"
News flash, this just in: Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance, Killzone 2, Uncharted, and LittleBigPlanet, to name some off the top of my head, are no longer considered "good games."

"The PS3 only steals technology from (insert source)!"
This is NOTHING new. Nintendo created the N64 controller with analog stick, and then later added the Rumble Pak. Sony "stole" both ideas with the Dualshock controller, adding both features. Nintendo created a first party wireless controller using radio waves instead of infa-red, the Wavebird. Sony uses Bluetooth as its first party version of the same controller. Fuck, even shoulder buttons were used by Nintendo first. Now, the Playstation Move controller, looking like a near DIRECT version of the Wii remote, which Sony also took ideas from with the Sixaxis controller, using the tilting technology of the Wii remote. While this is nothing new, this same approach can be said of Microsoft, as the 360 controller has shoulder buttons, rumble, analog sticks, wireless capability, and will be using Project Natal for motion gaming, though the concept is much different from Nintendo and Sony.

"There's no backwards compatibility in the newer models!"
Nothing before the Playstation 2 had backwards compatibility. Stop being spoiled. While it's a luxury, it's not a necessity, and you can get a PS2 for cheap if you really need to play your PS2 and PS1 games again, even though we both know that you won't touch them again.



WII

"The Wii is for babies!"
Say that while playing MadWorld, Resident Evil 4 and Umbrella Chronicles, No More Heroes and its sequel, Dead Rising, Dead Space Extraction, and Mortal Kombat. Those are just a few M-rated titles, that's not including other gems like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, the Metroid Prime Trilogy, Muramasa, Punch-Out, Okami, and Zelda's Twilight Princess, and that's just the beginning.

"The graphics are awful!!"
Good games aren't based on graphics alone. PaRappa the Rapper and Rhythm Heaven are a few examples. Sure, it may not look as nice as the 360 or PS3, but find a game on either system that can rival Super Mario Galaxy or Super Smash Bros Brawl in fun, nostalgic, replayable, and easily remembered and I will likely call you a liar. There are plenty of great games on all three systems, no matter how they look.

"The motion control is stupid!"
Can't really complain too much about that since the PS Move looks almost identical to a Wii Remote with a light bulb on top, and Natal will move to full body motion play. The PS3 also already had the Wii's tilting controls. It's something you're gonna have to live with, buddy.



Now, I didn't even GET into PC gamers and their elite abilities to shun the console crowd, because at times they can be even worse than console fanboys, but this is just an example of what I constantly hear, and what I get sick of not only explaining and defending, but of getting caught up in the whole mess to begin with. And it's been around for generations: PS2 vs. Cube vs. Xbox. PS1 vs. N64 vs. Saturn. SNES vs. Genesis. We've been hearing it for two decades, and sadly it's something we'll NEVER hear the end of...

War... War never changes...

Mega Man 10

Mega Man 10

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom/Inti Creates

Consoles: XBox 360, Playstation 3, Wii

Very few need an introduction to Mega Man. Back in 1987, would anyone have guessed that not only would they continue to be made today, but that with the exception of two titles they'd all stay in their 8-bit retro glory? Would anyone have guessed that countless sequel series and spin-off series would have been created, or that several animated shows would be created? Mega Man's fan base is incredible, from the fan artists to the musicians, the latter of which is mind-boggling in itself - songs from the series have been sung or rapped over by the likes of Brentalfloss, The Adventures of Duane and BrandO, and a slew of remix artists on Overclocked Remix, not to mention some that solely devote their talents to the Mega Man series, such as The Megas and Mega Ran. We'll learn about a lot of, if not all of, these guys in later editions of The Pause Screen.

It was a shock to see the classic Mega Man series return in its original 8-bit format in 2008 with Mega Man 9. The music was fantastic, as most all music in the series is, the bosses were memorable, including the first female Robot Master Splash Woman, and the difficulty most of us haven't seen in games since the 8-bit era has returned. It did so well, Capcom decided to jump to a sequel in less than two years.


Oh, look, a Mega Man Soccer sequel!

That brings us to Mega Man 10. Released in March for the Wii and April for the Playstation 3 and XBox 360, the game returns in its 8-bit format once more. The game is classic Mega Man look, style, gameplay, and difficulty, with several new additions to change play up a bit in the slightest ways.

The game starts with Roll passing out, and revealing a robot-only virus called Roboenza has swept over robots the world over. Shortly after, the robots become violent, and even Dr. Wily crashes his UFO near Dr. Light's labs, where he reveals he can create a cure. Mega Man is sent in to rectify the problem, but is stopped by Proto Man, claiming he'll need his bro's help, too.

Upon starting the game, you can choose to play between Mega Man or Proto Man. Mega Man can run, jump, and shoot, and can take considerable damage. Proto Man can not only run, jump, and shoot, but he can also dash, charge his shots, and can pull his shield out while he's jumping if he's not firing his arm cannon, however he takes damage like a bitch and dies much easier. Bass can also be downloaded, but we'll get to that later.


From left to right: Top: Pump Man, Chill Man, Solar Man, Strike Man
Bottom: Sheep Man, Nitro Man, Commando Man, Blade Man

The eight Robot Masters this time around are Blade Man, Solar Man, Sheep Man, Commando Man, Pump Man, Strike Man, Nitro Man, and Chill Man. Some of the designs here are pretty cool, while Commando Man and Pump Man in my opinion are two of the worst looking Robot Masters to date. I won't say that most of them are as memorable as most of Mega Man 9's villains, but Nitro Man and Sheep Man are definitely winners in my book.

Blade Man can cling to walls and shoot three blades at a time, Solar Man can create an artificial sun above his head and bounce it around the stage, and Sheep Man can turn himself into a cloud and use static electricity. Commando Man can shake the ground and use controllable missiles that have a big explosion area, while Pump Man can create 8 water spheres around him to protect him, as well as shoot them spiraling outward. Strike Man can turn himself into a bouncing baseball, and can pitch balls around the room, Nitro Man can not only send out sharp razor wheels, but can ALSO TURN HIMSELF INTO A MOTORCYCLE, WHICH IS BADASS, and lastly, Chill Man can shoot ice spikes to walls and floors, and can freeze Mega Man.


Nitro Man looks so badass in motorcycle form!

The game has an easy mode, which covers most pitfalls with platforms, lessens the number of enemies, and makes the Robot Masters much easier to fight against. Newcomers to the series might wanna try this, but long time veterans to Mega Man would likely rather get frustrated with normal difficulty instead. After completing the game, you unlock Hard Mode, in case you thought Normal was too easy.

The game is fairly difficult, and seems like a contrast to Mega Man 9. Mega Man 9 seemed to have easier levels and Robot Masters that seemed to be harder - for example, Magma Man was much harder without Tornado Blow to lessen the flame atop his head. Mega Man 10, though, seems to have levels that are a bit harder than the boss fights, especially when it comes to disappearing platforms, a certain "see-saw" platform first seen in Blade Man's stage that you must use to progress, the waterfalls in Pump Man's stage, almost everything about Chill Man's stage... Meanwhile, with the correct power, Solar Man can be killed in three hits. Many of the Robot Masters can be taken out with incredible ease if you just know where to be or when to jump, as many of them, including Blade Man, Strike Man, Sheep Man, and a couple others have boringly repetitive patterns that are incredibly easy to read.


This part isn't so bad, if there weren't enemies trying to knock you down...

This isn't to say the game is bad or easy. On the contrary, the game is still a lot of fun in that Mega Man throw-your-controller-across-the-room-after-dying-in-the-same-spot-forty-times-in-a-row way we've been enjoying since '87. And if that wasn't enough, they've added downloadable content, as well.

They've brought back an endless stage like in Mega Man 9, as well as additional bonus stages that bring back three little known classic bosses known as the Mega Man Hunters - Enker, Punk, and Ballade. Lastly, there's Bass, as I mentioned earlier. He dashes similar to Proto Man, and instead of charging, he can fire rapid fire blasts in 7 different directions, but sacrifices being able to move while doing so. Also, instead of having the Rush Coil and Rush Jet (or in Proto's case, Proto Coil and Proto Jet), Bass can call upon Treble, where upon touching his canine companion Bass grows three-pronged metallic wings to fly around with, and can fire forward, diagonally upward and diagonally downward at once. Definitely one of the coolest powers in the game, and as if all of that wasn't enough, upon downloading Bass, his portrait is added to the title screen alongside Mega's and Proto's.


Battuh SWING!

VERDICT: Buy it. Especially if you're a fan of classic games, platformers, excellent music, difficult lasting gameplay, and most importantly Mega Man. If you're new to the series, try out the demo, and try Easy Mode, as they make the game playable for newcomers.