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blog post: Nintendo Day 1 Wrap Up, Impressions

posted on July 16, 2008 @ 08:53 am

I didn't get a chance to watch the press conference, so this is based on other videos I've seen that have come out of E3. I'll try and hit on things Nintendo talked about in their press con though.

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WiiMotion Plus announced, will be sold separately as well as packed in with the sequel to Wii Sports called Wii Sports Resort coming Spring 2009. Basically, this is Nintendo telling the world that they know the Wiimote wasn't as sensitive as it should have been when the system was released, and now they're fixing it... but instead making you pay for the fix. Nothing was said about future iterations of the Wiimote including this functionality. Nothing stating that this will make current games work better. They're touting "1:1" precision.

Animal Crossing: City Folk for Wii announced, will be released in 2008. Videos of the game make it look like just about an exact clone of Animal Crossing for the GCN adding the ability to go to a city. Graphics, dialog and activitites shown offered nothing of note new. Additionally, AC:CF will make use of yet another addon for the Wii called WiiSpeak (MSRP $29.99) which is a conference microphone that mounts on the sensor bar. No word on if it will work with all games, or if it just works for games that have its functionality coded in. Still, I can't deny the alure of buying another AC game and paying off Tom Nook for a giant house to arrange furniture in. I'm interested to see how the online component will work with the new microphone. With the advent of Virtual Console, I doubt they'll have any unlockable NES roms like the original, but you never know.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars announced for the DS. Little information as given except it has new characters, game engine, and sandbox gameplay. I'd probably like this if it was done in the vein of the older top-down GTAs. I'll have to see some more info on this one, but it could be fun.

Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades announced for the DS, coming this Fall already. No details really available other than the possibility of some sort of microphone use. Way to keep the cash train rolling, Activition. You JUST released Guitar Hero: On Tour last month.

Wii Music announced for Wii coming this holiday. Allows people to "improvise" music, not having to follow any sort of scrolling note charts that have made Rock Band and Guitar Hero successful, basically they said its not a rhythm game, its the ultimate air-instrument simulator. 50+ instruments will be 'available for play' in game... it will make use of WiiMote, Nunchuck, and Balance Board. The game will also record video of your on-screen play sessions. Wii Music is not a game, you can't mess up, its just a toy. Reminds me a lot of Electroplankton, but without the LSD and more waggling.

What was missing?
- The rumored Kid Icarus game was not talked about (not that I really want one)
- The one accessory that would be useful for the wii, an additional storage option for people who are into the Wii Ware and Virtual Console stuff. Hey Nintendo, did you forget that you can't actually play games off of the SD cards?
- Speaking of WiiWare, there was no talk at all of it... no first party WiiWare developed titles, no big third party titles, nothing.
- Even though Nintendo time and time again states they want to appeal to the 'core gamer', they offered absolutely nothing to show that.
- Where's Kirby?

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