Nintendo silences the competition with a killer lineup
Nintendo's rise to the top in the latest round of console wars was nothing sort of shocking. When the brand suffered through the Gamecube era, many people wrote the company off. However, with the launch of the Wii and Nintendo DS, Nintendo flattened the competition in terms of profitability and console sales.
Now, at Nintendo's annual E3 keynote, the company has unveiled an upcoming lineup that's nothing short of stunning. Leading the way is the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS reinvents the handheld. Why has 3D TVs and gaming failed to catch on? "It's the glasses, " complains Reggie Fils-Aime.
There are no glasses to be seen with the 3DS. Gorgeous visuals for a handheld, falling between the PS2 and PS1 in quality (plus 3D added on top), greeted viewers of the keynote. The top screen is 3.5-inch display, while a smaller bottom screen does touch input. There's new sensors including a gyroscope and a side slider to adjust the depth of the 3D effect. The unit supports Wi-Fi (according to Nintendo it communicates "without you evening know it") for internet-enabled gameplay.
Nintendo has assembled an arsenal of A-list launch titles and upcoming games. Leading the way are Kingdom Hearts 3D, Resident Evil Revelations, Assassins creed, Metal Gear Solid. And Nintendo is chipping in Kid Icarus 3D and Nintendogs 3D (which will also feature kittens!).
The handheld even comes with a 3D camera, which uses two lenses on the back of the unit. That means that the device may even see use beyond the regular gaming workload.
Meanwhile, the company plans to continue its campaign of dominance on the Wii by expanding its list of titles. The keynote kicked off with the introduction Zelda Skyward Sword. This title allows you to utilize the nunchuk as a shield and the Wii Motion Plus as a sword for freeform combat. It brings back popular Zelda weapons -- the slingshot and bow -- and introduces new ones, like a whip. It will air early next year.
Also coming up is Goldeneye 007 -- the long awaited successor to the best-selling Nintendo 64 title. The game will feature 16 gaming modes for multiplayer mayhem and eight Bond characters -- just in case you find Daniel Craig annoying and want to get you Connery groove on. The game will launch in November.
Other top titles include Metroid: Other M, starring everyone's favorite Nintendo vixen Samus, and Donkey Kong. The new Metroid launches August 31. The new Donkey Kong title, complete with Diddy and Donkey Kong playable, will launch during the holiday season.
Other announced titles include Wii Party, an NBA JAM exclusive version for Wii, Madden, MLB 2K, mario Volleyball, Hockey, Mario Sports Mix 2011, Just Dance 2, Disney: Epic Mickey and Dragon Quest 9.
Even the old homely DS -- the best selling console of all time -- received some love, with the gorgeously animated Kirby's Epic Yarn. Also upcoming for the DS is Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, the latest in a line of popular mobile RPGs. The title will feature real time combat and dual screen boss battles.
Nintendo boasted some impressive numbers -- 22 million copies of Mario Kart for Wii sold internationally, a vast lead in global console sales, and, according to NPD, the distinction of being the console most desired to be purchased. Also according to the recent NPD study people spend more time playing their Wiis than any other console.
Maintaining a sufficient volume of quality game titles has been Nintendo's weak point in recent years. High profile titles have pleased, but have been far too infrequent. If E3 is any indication, that should soon change. And even with Microsoft's motion sensing Kinect (Project Natal), Xbox 360 Slim, and $149 Xbox 360 Arcade edition -- plus whatever Sony pulls out later today -- it looks to be the star of E3 2010's console war. We're guessing that within a year or so they're going to be trying to cook up 3D handhelds of their own, but for now Nintendo is yet again placing itself on the bleeding edge of gaming.
