E3 2006 - Nintendo Edition

The Amstor Computer · 11 May, 2006, 01:54:48 AM

The show officially opened today, and more info is leaking out. The basic config for the Wii controller will be the remote plus the analogue attachment, but for the downloadable classic titles you can attach a "Classic Pad" in place of the analogue attachment, which gives you a controller perfectly suited to NES, SNES and N64 titles (plus the Megadrive and TurboGrafx games on their way).

The other add-on, being shown in conjunction with a new Duck Hunt title (WOO-HOO!) is a rather snazzy gun shell. You slot the remote into the barrel, and the analogue attachment into the grip to give you what is essentially a motion-sensitive light gun, albeit with access to the analogue stick and other buttons. Looks very sleek and simple, and as it's really just a piece of plastic it could be packed in for little cost. Photo below.

The final launch colours also seem to have been set, with the system taking after the DS Lite and appearing in white, light blue and a rich, near-black dark blue.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/buttonman/lightgun.jpg">

Tiplodocus · 11 May, 2006, 04:05:41 AM

Cheers for all of your hard work on this thread by the way, Amstor.

I'm looking forward to the Wii.

As soon as I heard about the controller, my first thought was "lightsabre".

And I don't get time for long drawn out gaming sessions these days (unless you count Advance Wars on the train) so Warioware style fun short stuff seems the order of the day.

Plus the missus dioesn't like it much when we sit playing with controllers in our hands but is keen to join in on the dance mat and the bongos. I guess this will also help her pick up and play.

Why-aye? Whee! We; all equally good pronunciations but the simple minded mockers will obviously dive in with "wee".

I remember reading a Ben Elton book once (when he was about half way on his journey to being a reactionary old fart) where a character had to market a car with the globalized name of the "Crapee". I remember thinking this was far fetched at the time but obviously not.

I know you'd have to be several kinds of stupid to dismiss a console because the name sounds a bit funny but equally, you'd have to be weapons-grade dumb not to realise that calling it "Wee" in Britain is just asking for trouble.

But it'll be a Wii under the telly in our big room.

Art · 11 May, 2006, 04:07:32 AM

I've been hearing it's name in a lot of reporting on E3 in the media over here, and it IS kind of hard to take it seriously when it's pronounced outloud.

Radbacker · 11 May, 2006, 07:56:35 AM

yes, we all like making fun of the name over here too but damn if this thing doesn't sound better all the time. I'm a pretty big Ninty fan and will support them no matter what but please please please reconcider the name for its western release, there really wasn't anything wrong with Revolution was there?

That gun sleeve looks ace and I cant wait to play all manner of first person goodness with it. I explained the mic and speaker to a mate last night and he had an absolute geekgasm at the thought of a Lightsabre humming in the hand, it just gets better and better.
Cant wait.

CU Nintenbacker

The Amstor Computer · 11 May, 2006, 07:33:22 PM

Fucking hell... Nintendo are pulling surprises every damn day. Last night's press briefing had them announcing both a new, exclusive title from Grasshopper (the studio behind Killer 7) and...

SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAWL!

Looks like a nice graphical leap beyond Melee, but the new characters are what is attracting the most attention. There have been a few announcements so far, but for now the new characters added to the current roster are:

Metaknight
Pit, from Kid Icarus
Zero Suit Samus (an unsuited version of Samus, equipped with a kind of light sabre)
Wario (complete with outrageous fart attack)
SOLID SNAKE!

The trailer is up on IGN just now & it's bloody fantastic - the appearance of Snake, complete with cardboard box, is hilarious.

It's not going to make launch, unfortunately, but it should be here in early 2007.

Something Fishy · 11 May, 2006, 09:39:58 PM

does look kind of innovative.

will the lack of power and xbox 1 standard visuals hurt it?

I'll probally pick one up once i've tried it to ensure the controller is OK for me (can imagine getting tired quickly using it) but i'm not sure how the massess will feel when it looks inferior to the other two.

The Amstor Computer · 11 May, 2006, 10:51:58 PM

Krust --

I don't think Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is all dungeons. There seems to be quite a bit of footage from a forested area, and lots of sailing (though with a smaller ocean than in Wind Waker)

Fishy --

I don't know quite how the hardcore gaming crowd will react to the slight increase in power, but general feedback from gamers at E3 has been positive. It's worth remembering that Nintendo are also aiming at the casual gamer and the person who's never played before. For these people - more especially the person who has never played - graphics are going to be less of a consideration, especially when stacked against a new & apparently very flexible way of playing.

Again, look to the DS for an example of what Nintendo are trying to achieve with Wii. It's less powerful than its main rival, but it has games that are impossible on the PSP, games for the hardcore crowd and games for people who never or rarely play. I expect them to try and replicate this on their home console - games like Metroid Prime 3, Red Steel and Twilight Princess for the experienced gamer, stuff like Wii Sports and Wii Music for the people who never or rarely game and games like Excite Truck, SSBB, Final Fantasy, Sonic etc. for everyone in between. It may not satisfy everyone, and I fully expect it to lack in some areas, but I believe it's going to do better than the GameCube, especially in Japan where the momentum from the DS and the appeal of Nintendo's fresher, less gamer-oriented titles should give the system a real push.

BTW, on the controller front - everything I've read so far suggests it weighs about as much as a mobile phone. The movements seen in some promos are also a bit misleading, as the controller apparently reacts just as well to slight adjustments in hand position. It may take a bit more effort to use than a traditional gamepad, but I wouldn't expect you'd get tired after a half-hour session.

BTW - there's a very nifty Metroid Prime vid floating about that shows some of what Retro have planned for the controller. Players can flick the analogue attachment forward to cast a grappling beam, something that's used to great effect when you come up against shield-wielding enemies - cast the beam forward to lock onto their shield, then tug back to pull it from their hands, all the while using the remote in your right hand to keep blasting away. You can also use it to tear doors from their hinges, or manipulate other environmental obstacles. Nifty stuff, and just a taste of what should be possible with the controller.

Tex Hex · 12 May, 2006, 03:22:28 PM

Interseting tidbits...

Microsoft have apparently said that Sonys machine is too expensive and people should buy a 360 OR a Wii. Couple that with confirmation that Rare are developing Diddy Kong Racing for DS...

Something afoot?

-hex

Something Fishy · 12 May, 2006, 06:49:28 PM

Interesting points there amstor.

DS does show that visuals alone don't win as you say.

i certainly want to try one out.

Gothmog · 13 May, 2006, 06:56:57 AM

Microsoft have apparently said that Sonys machine is too expensive and people should buy a 360 OR a Wii. Couple that with confirmation that Rare are developing Diddy Kong Racing for DS...

Something afoot?

Personally I wouldn't read too much into that. Microsoft are going to try and wind up Sony at every opportunity (and vice versa) and rightly or wrongly I'd guess neither of them really consider Nintendo to be their major rival in the market their consoles are aimed at.
Rare have been releasing games for the GBA since they left Nintendo's stable so it's natural they'd carry on with the DS.

The Amstor Computer · 13 May, 2006, 07:22:01 AM

Aye, that's about right. As Microsoft (currently) don't have a handheld on the market, there's little point in preventing Rare from developing for the DS - provided, I suppose, that it doesn't cause any problems with 360 development. I can't imagine a tweaked port of Diddy Kong Racing would take up a great deal of Rare's resources or drag key staff away from Viva Pinata & whatever else Rare have in the pipeline.

The comments about Wii60 are very amusing, though. I suspect Microsoft saw the soft, white pricy underbelly presented at Sony's E3 conference and just took the chance to skewer them. I'm pretty sure they still see Wii as a threat, though, so I wouldn't expect the friendly words to continue if Nintendo's system lives up to its promise.

The Monarch · 13 May, 2006, 07:38:02 PM

solid snake and a nintendog?!? who next sonic the hedgehog?

The Amstor Computer · 13 May, 2006, 08:44:28 PM

Heh :-)

To be honest, I wouldn't bet against it. The relationship between Nintendo and Sega is pretty strong at the moment, and an iconic mascot like Sonic would make a nice addition to the Smash Bros lineup. I wouldn't expect anything much beyond that in terms of third-party characters, though - characters like Snake and Sonic would make nice bonuses, but the game is still at heart a fighting showcase for Nintendo characters.

In other news, rumours about a lightsabre game still keep circulating, and Nintendo's president has been dropping hints about the possibility in newspaper interviews. Fingers crossed!

Wils · 13 May, 2006, 10:21:27 PM

Although over-theatrical, here's Nintendo's E3 film of the Wii's controller in action.

Link: http://www.hiptechblog.com/2006/05/10/video-nintendo-wii-controller-in-action-and-new-classic-controller" target="_blank">Wii all over the place!

Wils · 27 May, 2006, 03:26:40 AM

Nintendo have released some more launch details. I'm particularly liking the intended price.

"Nintendo confirmed that the price of the Wii system will not exceed $250 in America, or ?25,000 in Japan and will be at a similar price in Europe. The company plans to ship six million systems to retailers around the world between its launch in the fourth quarter of 2006 and the end of its fiscal year on 31st March 2007.

The projections are part of a full year financial forecast that sees growth of 18% in sales globally, based on anticipated continuing strong demand for the Nintendo DS portable game system, as well as a successful launch for Wii.

The company also said it expects to sell 17 million Wii games in the period. Exact launch dates, details of the launch library of games, and information on the unique ?virtual console? aspect of Wii will be announced soon."