E3 2014: Nintendo

Nintendo has had a bit of a rough couple years. While the 3DS went through a renaissance period in 2013, the Wii U continued to put up lackluster sales numbers. But E3 is the time when a company can turn their fortunes around, and it looks as though Nintendo is bringing in their all-stars to boost the Wii U into relevancy. Here are some of my personal highlights:

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

While Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime may not actually be a unique fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, you can still put him in the game yourself thanks to the all-new Mii Fighter. Choosing one of three classes – Brawler, Swordfighter, and Gunner – and four of 12 special moves per class, you can bring yourself, a friend, or even the Regginator into the fight against Nintendo’s biggest all-stars. Also joining the fight is Lady Palutena from Kid Icarus, as well as amiibo, Nintendo’s new NFC toy collection coming to Wii U. When the game finally hits during the holiday season, there will by many ways to play.

Yoshi’s Woolly World

Yoshi’s Woolly World may look a lot like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, but there is one distinction that is key between the two: Mario’s dinosaur pal actually uses the yarn as a gameplay mechanic. Yoshi can swallow yarn that might block his path and turn it into a weapon to defeat his enemies with. He can also transform his legs into a little propeller to fly short distances, since he is made of yarn himself. Yoshi can even swallow the second player in the newly announced cooperative mode and use them as a weapon against his enemies. The game certainly has the charm factor going for it, and looks like it might be a worthwhile investment when it releases in 2015.

Hyrule Warriors

When Hyrule Warriors was first announced during a Nintendo Direct in December of last year, it was a surprising collaboration, but one that made sense. Now that Nintendo has revealed more about this Legend of Zelda/Dynasty Warriors mash-up, I find myself extremely excited to get my hands on it. On top of adding Princess Zelda and Midna as playable characters, the Hyrule Warriors preview featured an interesting local multiplayer set-up where one player uses the GamePad screen while the other player uses the TV. This, coupled with everything else we’ve seen and heard thus far, makes me anxious to play the game when it releases in North America on September 26.

Splatoon

When you think “online multiplayer third-person shooter”, Nintendo is probably the last company that comes to mind. But after seeing Splatoon, the ink-splattered technicolor squidstravaganza they showed at the end of their presser, their take on the unlikely genre is something only Nintendo could pull off. This venture an odd one, to be sure, but seeing the game in action instantly showcases the charm and unique premise of the game. In teams of four, eight players battle to see who can cover the arena in more ink for their team. Once a player lays down ink, they can then turn into a squid and glide through their own ink to get into enemy territory. The team who covers more of the map in ink by the end of the match wins. Everything about this game screams Nintendo, and it’ll be really hard to wait until 2015 for this one.

The Big Takeaway

Nintendo is sitting in dead last in terms of sales for the Wii U, but the future looks very bright. They’re bringing a lot of great games to the system by the end of next year, like Mario Maker, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and The Legend of Zelda. Whether or not that is soon enough to save the system remains to be seen, but after seeing Nintendo’s lineup for the next 18 months, I think sales of the Wii U have nowhere to go but up

So what did you guys think of Nintendo’s presentation? Comment here or over on my Facebook page to let me know how you’re feeling about what was shown!