Nintendo Conference Overview

We give our thoughts on Nintendo, the King of Casual Gaming!

I think it goes without saying that Nintendo are after a different market to their fellow publishers. Their E3 showing this year was cautious; they've obviously learned from the criticism of all their boring talk of statistics and success from last year, and now are aiming to please. But please who? Why us, the consumer of course. However, they're not just after gamers, they're after EVERYBODY. Consequently, their press conference was a mixture of wanting to reach out to their core gaming audience who have stuck with them through thick and thin and those who President Iwata puts in the 'maybe' category, the folk who have never played a game before yet might consider it in the future. The so-called 'casual' audience. The 'unskilled' audience. The audience who might enjoy Brain Training DS. Or maybe - just maybe - 'Wii Vitality.'

Nintendo's in a tricky position. It doesn't have the firepower of the Xbox or PS3, so it must look elsewhere to gain ground. So of course, it goes back to the tried-and-true franchises again and again - and Mario's their reliable poster-boy. The announcement of New Super Mario Bros for Wii was exciting, and I'm always a sucker for a good 2D Mario game. It looks fun, it looks accessible, I enjoyed the Smash Bros style frantic nature of it. Regardless, part of me feels sorry for Mr. Miyamoto. Surely he gets tired of re-hashing the same sort of level design, the same concepts, the same shticks? I can't wait to be proven wrong by this one, just give me something more than a propeller suit and a re-hash of the DS game, and I'll be happy. Check out our impressions as we see it in action on the show-floor this week.

Read further details about the New Super Mario Bros. Wii announcement.

And of course there's Wii Fit, the favourite of single mothers and mid-life crisis sufferers everywhere, with its predictable sequel. I don't doubt the statistics of Wii Fit having sold tens of millions around the world, because it makes 'exercise easy'. With tailor-made workouts that target specific body (ie problem) areas and a guilt-inducing Calorie Count, Wii Fit Plus looks like it's going to make exercise a hell of a lot harder. Still, one appreciates the intention; Wii Fit certainly never came close to a proper gym workout. Perhaps Wii Fit Plus will revolutionize the living room exercise regime as we know it, or perhaps it will join it's predecessor - in the closet. With your treadmill.

I had mixed feelings about Reggie's introduction of the much-touted Motion-Plus attachment. After Xbox's persuasive claims that 'technology needs to be invisible to be accessible', adding ANOTHER bit of hardware seemed a bit embarrassing. Regardless, Motion-Plus seems a little more realistic - at least in the immediate future - than Xbox's incredibly ambitious Project Natal. As a sidenote, I had a go with the Motion-Plus attachment today, and although it doesn't revolutionize 'invisible technology', it does feel more precise, and it does feel satisfying.



Many of the third-party titles announced for the DS sparked positive reaction from the crowd, although I'm not sure of the impact these games will have in the grand scheme of things. Another Mario & Luigi title, another Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles title, and a lacklustre translation of a lacklustre book franchise? Not particularly inspiring. Regardless, the announcement for a 2010 release of Golden Sun left people around me gasping with joy. Nintendo know how to cater to their core audience.

Keeping with the DS theme, I felt there was an attempt to justify the very EXISTENCE of the Nintendo DSi at this conference. The DSi hype trailer with interviews from the public was a weak, and I still think an additional camera doesn't justify the price. Furthermore, the 'design your own level' Mario Vs Donkey Kong concept may look fun, but user-generated content is now as common as Watties Sauce on chips (see what I did there? I brought it back to New Zealand). The new Warioware DIY could catch on, however - if you have the time, and the isolation.

Mr Iwata's speech regarding Nintendo's vision was remarkably honest, and one of the highlights of the entire series of press conferences for me. Iwata basically highlighted his struggle to balance the hardcore gamer with the casual. Instead of exuding confidence, Iwata expressed how hard it was, simply, to please everybody. He may be misguided in his attempts to fix this problem (Wii Vitality? I'm not entirely sure how much a simple pulse reading can determine an entire game) but I appreciate his honesty. Yeah, we may still 'have a long way to go', but at least there's no smoke and mirrors in the way.

The final announcements were solidly catered to Nintendo's 'hardcore' fanbase, who were surely appeased. Super Mario Galaxy 2 looks almost identical to the original - and it's been subsequently announced that many of the levels from the original are being re-used - however for those who loved the game (myself included) this is a must-have title.The same goes for the new Metorid game, Metroid: Other M - an exciting evolution of an extremely well-crafted franchise.

Watch the Super Mario Galaxy 2 trailer.
Watch the Metroid: Other M debut trailer.

All in all, it was a conservative effort for Nintendo, but not one without it's charms. Stripped back, and with an open mind, Nintendo's conference was an interesting mix of casual and hardcore. Whatever they do, their products will continue to sell well - the question is, have they ensured future success with this lineup?

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