Nintendo’s games of this generation are very, very different than the ones released back in the day – specifically the first Mario and Zelda.
Whereas you could essentially start playing the meat of the games within a couple of minutes, that’s not the case with some current releases. Kotaku, for instance, pointed out that it takes over an hour to reach the first dungeon in Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Fans may also say that some of Nintendo’s recent games have been “playing it safe”. As an example, all four New Super Mario Bros. games seem to be comparable in a number of aspects.
Shigeru Miyamoto was quizzed about some of these topics at E3 2012 last week.
Players Battle to Unite the Region of Ransei in a New Game Featuring Warlords, Warriors, Characters Inspired by Japanese History and Nearly 200 Pokémon
REDMOND, Wash., June 14, 2012 – New and experienced fans of the Pokémon video game series are invited to embark on an entirely new role-playing adventure. Pokémon Conquest launches for the Nintendo DS family of hand-held systems on June 18. The game is also playable on Nintendo 3DS in 2D mode, and challenges players to enter into battles across a variety of environments in the mythical region of Ransei. For the first time in the Pokémon franchise, players take on the role of Warlords who are linked with Pokémon, and must recruit allies to unite the kingdoms of Ransei and unleash the Legendary Pokémon. Developed by TECMO KOEI GAMES Co., Ltd., the game features nearly 200 Pokémon to battle and recruit, including many from the fan-favorite Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games.
In Pokémon Conquest, the region of Ransei is divided into 17 distinct kingdoms – one for each of the 17 types of Pokémon. Players will be able to choose from 36 playable Warlords, each with its own unique storyline, and engage in a series of turn-based battles in which they can control Pokémon and Warriors. Battles can grow to include as many as 12 Pokémon in a six-on-six skirmish. Many battlefield victories will let players recruit more Warlords and Warriors and gain access to additional allies. Along the way, they will also encounter fascinating Warlords and Warriors inspired by the Japanese feudal era.
Ubisoft has once again been asked about the Wii U version of Ghost Recon Online.
Not much has changed since last week, though. The publisher isn’t saying much about the Wii U version, and it’s unclear when it’ll be released.
A Ubisoft spokesperson said:
“Our focus has been entirely on delivering a great launch on PC. Achieving that has been an all-hands-on-deck effort for the team this year. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do on other platforms like Wii U once we’re on solid ground with the PC launch. We’ll have more to share later.”
Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida considers the Wii U – as well as its predecessor – to be “in a generation of its own.”
Yoshida told Eurogamer that he believes the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 existed in one generation, while the Wii lived on in another. That’s because the PS3 and 360 are comparable in a number of areas while Nintendo’s console “carved out a large niche to itself.”
Sony’s Worldwide Studios boss closed by saying that the “Wii U is the next generation of Wii” and “it’s its own generation”.
“Personally, I have always thought Wii was in a generation of its own.
“I always thought PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are in the same generation, but Wii was not the same. To me, the industry was growing really fast when those three platforms came up because the focus is so different. The PS3 and the 360 were the closest in terms of high definition and networked services. But Wii carved out a large niche to itself. To me, it was like two generations going at the same time.”
“Wii U is the next generation of Wii. That I understand. To me, it’s its own generation.”
Yoshida was later asked if Wii U is a competitor to the PlayStation 3 successor, knowing it’ll have at least a year’s head start.
His response:
“That’s a trick question! We are not talking about future PlayStation platforms at this E3. But everything competes for consumers’ time and money and attention.
“When you talk about the gaming industry today, it’s a lot bigger than five years ago – there are a lot more people playing games, on a smartphone, on Facebook, in addition to PC and consoles. It’s already multi-platform, way beyond the three – Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo.
“So we are competing with everyone for consumers’ attention, not just Nintendo and Microsoft.”
Even though these screenshots are small, they’re all we have for now. North American 3DS owners can get a better look at the game later today through the eShop demo.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has teased that a bunch of unannounced third-party Wii U games are in development. Even though a considerable amount of titles were playable at E3 2012, UK boss David Yarnton told VideoGamer that the company is aware of “others in development as well.”
He said:
“I think a lot of third-party companies are developing for Wii U and a lot of it hasn’t been announced. There’s something like 23 games on show at E3, but we know there are others in development as well.”
When specifically asked if Call of Duty: Black Ops II is in development for Wii U, Yarnton said:
“We can’t comment on speculation. There are lots of things everybody wishes for.”
Lastly, Yarnton hinted that third-parties have played a role in adding to the variety of gameplay styles/experiences for the Wii U GamePad:
“That’s one of the things we found with third-party coming in. The developers have opened up some opportunities for us to develop new ways to play and add some new complexities to the game. So you can be playing one game in a certain manner and another in a different way, while still using the [GamePad]. This is what we’re talking about when we talk about asymmetrical gaming. It’s not only multiple views by having the [GamePad], but multiple ways of playing as well.”
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has divulged lots of new Wii U tidbits in an interview.
He discussed how Nintendo came close to ditching the second screen idea for Wii U, how he’s not concerned about third-parties using similar ideas, the improved situation for third-parties, and more. Iwata even commented directly on the possibility that Wii U could find itself in the same situation as Wii once Sony/Microsoft release their own new hardware.
Head past the break for Iwata’s comments.
