This year, I think it's pretty safe to say that Nintendo blew most of the other presentations out of the water at E3. From Yoshi's Wooly World, Splatoon, Hyrule Warriors, and so much more, they granted most, if not all of Nintendo fans' wishes.
I was so impressed by the presentation it actually convinced me to get a Wii U, which is something I've been holding out for a while. Sure, there is Mario Kart 8 and the amazing reviews it's getting but other than that I wasn't excited about the Wii U and wasn't about to spend $300 to play one game.
After E3, my mind changed completely and these are some of the games that pulled me into that direction.
Yoshi's Wooly World
Yoshi's Wooly World is close to the top of my list because it's just so charming. The Yoshi characters throughout are lovable and the game-play is great for a simple, non-competitive game. I know that if I want to just game and relax this is one of my go-to games and to me that is a very important quality in a title.
Most Yoshi games are not that difficult, no one's going to argue there, but after playing Yoshi's New Island I feel like this is a good continuation of a fun and visually pleasing Nintendo game.
In Yoshi's Wooly World, you can even bring your friends into the game and play together solving puzzles and reach previously unavailable parts of the levels.
Yoshi's Wooly World is coming to Wii U in 2015.
Super Smash Bros. is another title from Nintendo that looks amazing.
Like most Nintendo fans I've been playing Super Smash Bros. for years and it holds a place in my heart. However, this version of the game is a giant leap in the right direction.
New characters such as Lady Palutena and Pac-Man are confirmed to join the arenas as well as your own Mii. This is the first time you can play as your Mii in a Smash Bros. game and I couldn't be more excited that Nintendo got all the logistics figured out for this feature. They stated in their presentation that they've been wanting to do this for a while now and are proud that they've been able to with the Wii U and 3DS versions.
Also introduced alongside the game was the Amiibo feature, where you can collect special Nintendo figurines and if you choose to bring those characters in game an AI will help you win a fight or just give you extra support during battle.
Super Smash Bros. comes out for 3DS on October 3rd, while the Wii U version will be out during the 2014 holiday season.
Everyone who's online has probably heard the announcement of the new Zelda coming to Wii U, but in case you haven't, THERE'S A NEW ZELDA COMING TO WII U!
The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, from what we've seen so far is amazing and exciting. The open world concept and fantastic art displayed in the game-play trailer makes even the grass look real.
The world being so vast takes away the directed path of past Zelda games and makes it more unique to what each player wants to do and where they want to go. This creates a good kind of break from what we've seen in that past with these games and I couldn't be more excited to see what the finished product looks like.
Ocarina of Time was my favorite Zelda game, and it continues to be to this day, but I'm willing to say that this new title is looking to be a contender for one of my favorites.
The new Zelda title is expected in 2015 for the Wii U.
Speaking of Zelda, Nintendo is releasing a new title called Hyrule Warriors.
What is particularly exciting about this game is that you'll be able to play as a variety of characters from the entire Zelda franchise, even get the chance to play as Zelda herself. Characters that are confirmed include Zelda, Link, Midna, and Impa, although a full list of playable characters has yet to be announced. Players will fight through groups of enemies and battle tougher bosses in this Zelda and Dynasty Warrior collaboration.
This game looks impressive if it lives up to the trailer and sneak peeks we've seen from Nintendo so far. Hyrule Warriors comes out September 26th exclusively for the Wii U.
Splatoon is a refreshing new IP for Nintendo and I'm really excited about this one.
You play as a human that can turn into a squid which provides a nice twist to a first-party shooter. Your squid/human character plays a four-on-four match against enemies that have different colored ink. The goal is to be the team with the most territory covered in your team's colored ink by the end of the round.
It reminds me of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Graffiti Mode, which I loved as a kid. This is also a solution to parents who want a fun game they can play with their kids or even play with their own friends. Either way, this seems to be a great game for all ages and I can't wait to try it.
Splatoon is coming to the Wii U in 2015.
Bayonetta 2, coming from someone who never played the first, looks stunning.
I don't know how I missed the first Bayonetta but I did, and if you did too, you're in luck because Bayonetta 2 comes packaged with Bayonetta. I was really impressed with the characters and design displayed in the trailer and I feel like giving this game a shot.
Everything from the story to the female lead and fight scenes intrigued me enough to want this game. I think it has strong potential to be one of the defining releases on the Wii U.
Bayonetta 2 releases for Wii U in October.
Kirby is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time, so I was excited to hear the announcement of the latest Kirby game, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
Kirby comes back from the Kirby Canvas Curse to absorb enemies and run on rainbow ropes. I love that players use their stylus to create rainbow paths for Kirby, the colors are amazing and it looks like it is up to par with what you'd expect from a game in this franchise.
Since this was just a reveal trailer there is little information about the full game so, we wait! But Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is expected in 2015.
Last but certainly not least is Mario Maker, where you create your own Mario courses from scratch.
I saw this trailer and immediately wanted to play it, which is a good thing for, you know, games. I could see myself spending hours on Mario Maker creating new levels and challenging my friends to see if they could beat my course. It's awesome because you can create courses how you want, meaning at any difficulty you want as well, which is great for families with kids.
The idea is simple but adding the Mario theme might be just what the idea needed to out-sell some of the competition in "create your own level" games such as Minecraft. I don't think this game will beat out Minecraft in the slightest but it does provide another option for people looking for a new type of level builder game.
Mario Maker is expected to hit shelves in 2015 only for the Wii U.
Published: Jun 11, 2014 11:13 am