E3 2011: Nintendo’s conference

From an organizational standpoint as well as the metric by which these presentations are often judged (i.e., actual games), Nintendo's presentation was kind of a bit of a shambling wreck. It was all over the place, poorly presented and explained, and left people with a ton of questions. But you know what it had that the other presentations didn't? Heart.

That's right, I said heart. That might seem like a strange thing to say about a sterile press conference, but somehow, despite showing very little that wasn't pulled from some abstract realm, Nintendo managed (at least for me, though judging by the overwhelmingly negative response on the internet) to tug on my emotions, to realize that there's a ton that console video gaming can do, and Nintendo proved, once again, that they're leaders in making the core experience of playing video games a joy in and of itself, rather than a merely a functional means to an end (or in the case of Kinect and Move, a pandering, unoriginal, creatively bankrupt implementation of a better idea).

The conference had, in broad strokes, three "phases." The first phase, the one which sold me instantly, was Nintendo's reverential treatment of their Zelda franchise. Now, Nintendo gets ripped on for their unoriginality in their core franchises, but after extensive, uh, "research," it's pretty clear to me that the recognizable figures in their games are simply conduits for letting them try out new ideas and actually having a market to see those innovations. Watching a montage of Zelda games through the years set to a stirring orchestrated medley of the series' music was a potent reminder of this series' unending wells of quality and innovation. And the new trailer they delivered for Skyward Sword, with its masterful animation, wildly different setting and aesthetic, and amazing-looking combat, has me personally more excited than almost any other game this year. I'm going to call it now – Skyward Sword looks to be the best 3D Zelda game ever made. No joke.

The company also announced a slew of Zelda-related fan service for the series' 25th year, which you can read more about here. There's certain to be more announced as the year goes on, so that's kind of exciting.

The next phase, and the one with the most actual games, was the 3DS portion of the event. The eShop launched two days ago and Nintendo was quick to point out its potential. I'll have a more extensive review of it later, but it's an intuitive and fun system – a million light years better than the Wii's similar offerings. Then, the rest of this phase was the first-party Nintendo show, as they proceeded to show off lengthy trailers for their stable of games coming out this year. Star Fox, Animal Crossing, the first trailer for the astoundingly good looking Super Mario, Paper Mario, Kid Icarus (now with a clearly-Sakurai implemented, and completely bonkers, multiplayer mode), and out of left field, Luigi's Mansion 2. Unfortunately for the Nintendo diehard, that last game was the solitary new game announced at their presser, which is a real shame. The 3DS has some pretty amazing looking games on the horizon, but right now, it's an anemic console with very little to play. The eShop is remedying that for now, but it's a system that's very port and sequel heavy, and very little of that quirky design philosophy from the DS has made its way to the 3DS (right now, anyways). Nothing like an Elite Beat Agents or a Ghost Trick to be found here yet. Moreover, if we're talking sequels, why not pay some service to the one genre that was at its absolute apex on the DS, the RPG/SRPG? Where's Fire Emblem, or Advance Wars, or Battalion Wars, or Dragon Quest, or Etrian Odyssey, or, or, or… I'm sure these things will come, but for now, there's a lot of familiarity. I'm patient, though. (Heck, I haven't even finished Dragon Quest IX yet, and that's one of my favourite games of all time)

The final phase, and the longest, and the strangest, was Nintendo's presentation on the successor to the Wii, the Wii U. Kind of like the 3DS, this name has apparently confused the internet masses – is this a new console? An addition to the existing Wii? Well, Nintendo didn't really do much to answer those questions at first. The first trailer for the console uses, almost in its entirety, existing Wii software to demonstrate its bizarre and exciting controller. As rumoured, it's basically a tablet with video game controls on it. This allows for a ton of opportunities which Nintendo was keen to show off – playing a game either on the TV or the tablet or both; utilizing the touchscreen on the tablet in a similar fashion as the bottom screen of a DS game; making video calls; drawing on it; taking your games anywhere in your house (it's not a portable gaming system, as it still needs to be tethered to the system); and using the tablet as a method of controlling, zooming and enhancing normal TV operation.

The problem with all of this is that it was all presented in a strangely theoretical way, a kind of "what if?" situation rather than something concrete, and this obviously doesn't sit well with the traditional gamer who feels (for stupid reasons, obvs.) "abandoned" by Nintendo. The promise of stunning graphics, the only thing that most of those people care about, wasn't really on display. Only a short video of a bird flying through some trees, in addition to a short, once again theoretical, clip of an HD Zelda game, displayed the graphical capabilities of the system. The rest was left to tech demos that offered only slightly crisper versions of Wii games and Wii aesthetics.

Nintendo focused so much on the controller that people weren't even sure if there was a console at all! There is, obviously, but the fact remains that Nintendo wasn't absolutely crystal clear about what this already-galvanizing system can or will do, and that's caused a bit of a panic, apparently.

It doesn't help that Nintendo has apparently courted the traditional "hardcore" with more gusto than ever before. Although people are opposed to change (as always), the system boasts support from major action franchises that were thought to be 360/PS3 exclusives. But besides Arkham City, all of these are gross dudebro shoot fests that really make me worry that I'm being abandoned. Surely the Nintendo exclusives will remain, but I don't want or need another PS3 or 360, so hopefully that acts simply as hardcore-bait and isn't the focus of the new system.

And… that was it. For people with imagination, the controller really does seem like it could be used in fantastic, inventive ways, with far more precision than the Wii Remote can offer. It really does seem like a gesture towards greater market acceptability. It integrates the craziness of the Wii's control with the hardcore-approved gesture towards traditional control. The problem is that those "hardcore" people just seem to want the same controller forever, even if it doesn't move video games forward in any meaningful ways. Control is the first point of contact for any video game, and improved or innovative controls could fundamentally change the way we think about video games. Unfortunately, there was no concrete proof that the Wii U will do just that, and I think that's where a lot of the negativity comes from.

Look, it was a do or die situation for Nintendo, and they barely passed muster. They really needed something concrete here, but because of falling Wii sales, a lack of compelling software in the coming months, and the slavering need for "new and exciting!" at E3, their hand was forced. I get that. This isn't a system that's going to come out tomorrow – it's going to need time. For now, my interest is piqued, and my mind is running wild with possibilities, but there's no indication where they're going to take this thing.

Disappointing, yes, but heartening. It takes some guts to do a presentation of something so conceptual at this point, and to kind of pull it off. This is mostly a case of a forced deadline denegrating the quality of the presentation – when Nintendo's on their own terms, I'm sure this thing's going to sing. Nintendo's presentation asked its audience to imagine, to believe, to have faith, and that takes guts. It takes heart.