It’s still E3, and for all of those not able to attend the convention itself, various publishers and developers are releasing a metric butt tonne of trailers for upcoming games. Here’s a small selection of first party Nintendo 3DS and DS games to come in the following year.
First up is Kid Icarus: Uprising, which is looking damned good. The voice acting is so so, but the promise of multiplayer and a hyperactive fight and flight system is very appealing to me. No release date yet, though.
Nintendo seems determined to bring all their classic franchises to all their consoles, and Animal Crossing is also getting the 3DS treatment, with improved graphics and more decorate items to adorn your house with. My favourite part of the whole trailer was seeing the player avatar swimming and diving in the ocean. It’s a small feature, but a welcome one non the less.
Mario‘s back! But we already knew that was going to happen. Super Mario Bros. 3D looks very good though, and the soundtrack is jazzy and fun to boot. Also, there’s the tanooki suit, which fans of SMB3 have been waiting 21 years for.
One of the big surprises, for me at least, during Nintendo’s press conference was the reveal of Luigi’s Mansion 2 for the 3DS. I personally liked Luigi’s Mansion for the GameCube and I’m glad the series is allowed to continue on a handheld platform.
The continued masturbation of classic franchises continues with Mario Kart 3D, which looks to combine Mario Kart with Diddy Kong Racing with the inclusion of karts with glider wings and underwater propellers. Certainly looks fun though, but here’s hoping there’s more new to this game than just customisation and new kart types.
Star Fox 64 returns on the 3DS looking better than ever. The big feature this time around is online multiplayer using the 3DS camera to show your opponent’s reactions during play. I wonder how many cocks we’ll be seeing online come launch date.
Also coming to the 3DS is Paper Mario 3D, which wasn’t shown during the conference either, but judging by the trailer, the self-referential style of the originals appear to be intact.
Not revealed during Nintendo’s press conference was a new Kirby game for the DS: Kirby Mass Attack. Players control multiple Kirbys in what Nintendo describes as a side-scrolling real-time strategy game. Game looks great, with a bright and colourful art style that fits in with Kirby’s character. I like it!
A trailer for the sixth, yes sixth, Professor Layton game was released online. Surprisingly, Professor Layton and the Last Specter is a prequel, but promises more puzzles and another storyline that bridges the gap between the realistic and the fantastic.
