eGames - Nintendo captivate the crowd once more

Mike Bantick
Friday, 16 November 2007 08:50

Opinion and Analysis

At last years eGames and Entertainment Expo, Nintendo had the crowd eating out of their hands with the imminent release of the Wii console.  How could they possibly top that?

I am constantly amazed at the brand loyalty of video game fans. 

None more so than Nintendo-ites, at last years eGames and Entertainment Expo, there were almost broken bones in the crowd as they clambered for a go, and more news about the release of the little white console that can, the Wii.

With a phenomenal year now behind it, what could Nintendo do to wow the loyalists at this year’s event?

How about demonstrations of their up-coming blockbuster Wii exclusives?

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has just been released in Australia.  Up on stage at the expo, the screen was huge; the sound was deafening and the action hot as Nintendo staff gave us the first grown-up shooter for the Wii that takes major advantage of the Wii-mote controller.

Opening doors, ripping shields off baddies and more are handled not merely by pressing the ‘A’ button, but by physically performing the move in front of the TV.  And the shooting action is intense as well, more so than previous Metroid games.

Next up our first look at Super Mario Galaxy (due out in Australia on November 29th).  Once more a Mario game sets out to redefine video gaming. 

Not content with simply moving into the 3D realm, Mario must now venture into the gravity defying (but still ‘too-darn-cute”) environs of the galaxy, wandering around an array of ‘planetoids’ in his never ending quest to rescue Princess Peach.

From December 13th, Australians can pick up the Wii-Zapper.  The plastic housing that turns the Wii remote and Nunchuck into a light gun for blasting on screen enemies.

During the Nintendo keynote we were taken through Links Crossbow Training game which comes packaged with the Zapper (AU$49.95).  Joyfully the game has a greater level of depth for a packaged game than I first suspected.

Unlike Wii Play, this ‘packaged game’ presents the Twilight Princess world and graphics in a blast-a-thon of Link fun.

So despite the real lack of serious hardware announcements at the show, once again Nintendo fans risked real injury through lack of saliva as the anticipation levels rise for this soon to be available Wii software.