November Brings Promise To Nintendo

Today(Sept. 13,2011), well this morning at 12:00 a.m.-ish Nintedo had a Press Conference for the 3DS. Since the release of the 3DS earlier this year, I’ve expressed my dislike for it. I still believe the 3DS its on its last leg, and they need to do anything to get it away from falling into the Nintendo Fail Pile. I still don’t understand why you would put Netflix on a video game system that already has a 2-3 hour battery lifespan on one charge compared to the DSi, which has a 4+ hour battery lifespan charge. And, for the most part all their games are 3D remakes of old games.

But although they failed miserably at first, they have had a 260% increase in sales in the last month, thanks to the price drop. And they have been making more 3D non-remake games, which they should’ve stuck to in the beginning and slowly put 3D remake games out after 6 months. After the price drop, Nintendo issued a statement announcing that the owners of the 3DS will have access to 20 free games, 10 NES and 10 Game Boy Advance, from the e-Shop, but only those who bought the system at full price. So, they have been trying to make it better in the last month and trying to win their fans back. Now, if they can only give people the money the used to buy medicine to cure the motion sickness they got back.

All negativity aside, they have potential for big things. If they play their cards right, they could just win the 3DS/Vita fight with little to no challenge. Cuz, what is the PS Vita? A PSP with a touchscreen and no potential after that. With decent Nintendo veteran games series’ like Star Fox and Zelda, Kirby and Mario, and the Kart/Sport games, combined with the low price, they are off to a refreshed start. Yes, I know. Contradiction. I think the 3DS has potential, but I see it as a failure so far.

Anyway, the press conference. Very promising indeed, with a line up of new games and release dates......or month, news of new colors for the 3DS and a rumor turned reality. With a decent lineup within the next year, the 3DS Well, the 3DS press conference wasn’t just about the 3DS games, they also talked a little about Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Well actually, let’s get into that right away!

November 20, 2011. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. About time! After being teased back at E3 ’09, fans waited for more info. E3 ’10 came and we got a presentation with graphics inspired by impressionist art and Paul Cézanne, or a blend of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker for those who don’t know art. Fast forward to a little after midnight this morning, and we got tons more info about this future best seller. 

The biggest announcement released was that Skyward Sword would have over 50 hours of gameplay, with a second play-through and a boss challenge mode which sounds awesome. Miyamoto also announced hint movies, similar to in Ocarina of Time 3D. With the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series coming up, a limited edition back with a Gold Wii control and Symphony Orchestra CD priced at $70 bundled up. And if you choose not to get the Limited Edition, you still get the Symphony CD with the standard version. And for those feeling left out if you don’t have a Wii, Miyamoto announced the Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Anniversary Edition as a free Download of the DSi and 3DS on September 28, 2011. Everybody wins, by the end of November at least.

On to 3DS news, we have 4 1/2 Mario games launching within the next 6 months. Sometime in 2012, Paper Mario is coming out and is promised to have gimmicks that players haven’t seen before from the Paper Mario series. Diddy Kong Racing Mario Kart 7 rolls out December 4 of this year, with online gaming restricted only to your friend list. Mario Tennis 3D, out in 2012. That is all that is known at the moment. And Super Mario Land 3D, coming November 13/2011. What? Oh yeah, the half. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games for the Wii hits shelves December 8, while the 3DS version comes out sometime in 2012.

As for the 3DS hardware itself, expect a system update sometime in November that will add 3D video capturing capabilities. The update will also add more content to the StreetPass Mii Plaza. We get a Flame Red skew 3DS, and apparently someone a woman at Nintendo thought that a contributiong factor to the 3DS low sales was that the systems available colors were made to cater to only males. So expect a misty pink version to cover the female gamers. Not all girls prefer pink, by the way. And, after the press conference, it was announced that the 3DS Circle Pad Add-On is indeed real. And a decently labeled $20 price tag to go with it.

Like I said, Very promising and might actually give the 3DS its second wind. Well, this is more than I ever wanted to type about the 3DS. So, I think I’m done here! Ugh, fine! Here’s more news.

Other notes from the conference-

Dragon Quest X announced for Wii and Wii U. Expect a mid-2012 release.

Just Dance 3 ships out October 07, 2011.

A Pokepark spinoff by the end of December.

Kirby: Return to Dreamland scheduled for Oct. 24, 2011 , exclusively for the Wii.

Luigi’s Mansion 2, for the 3DS smh, out sometime in 2012

A new Fire Emblem announced for the 3DS in Spring ’12.

Kid Icarus: Uprising has been pushed back to an unknown date in 2012 for the USA, and Japan in January 2012.

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D coming “this winter.”

A new Tekken game, no extra info known.

A new Resident Evil for 3DS.

....and the weirdest game I’ve ever seen. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Think Elite Beat Agents with Final Fantasy characters.

The Super Smash Bros 4 Hopeful 10

Still have no high hopes for the Wii U.

With the Wii U coming out next year, or next, the top series’ in Nintendo will be having new installments. Unfortunately, Luigi’s Mansion 2 got dropped to 3DS. But, that seems like a misplay. Nonetheless, Kid Icarus, Pikmin 3, and a new Legend of Zelda are a few of the staples with new games coming out for the Wii U. On the 3rd party side we have Ninja Gaiden 3, a new Assassin’s Creed game, Darksiders 2, and Batman: Arkham City. But, the game I am looking forward to the most- Super Smash Bros 4!

Best. N64. Game. Ever!

Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo64 was an instant classic. A fighting game that brought 12 of your favorite heroes from your favorite game to your TV screen for an all out fight. It was Nintendo’s answer to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. A game that made you the most popular kid on the block, if you were the only one who owned it. The First 12; Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, Ness, Kirby, Fox McCloud, Pikachu, and Jigglypuff; stood the test of time and made it into the next game in the series, Super Smash Bros Melee.

You don't get to #1 without stepping on a few Ice Climbers along the way.

Super Smash Bros Melee was the highest selling game for the Gamecube all the way until the Gamecube stopped being produced, with 7 million units sold. With new game mechanics and new characters, Melee did everything but solve world hunger. The First 12 were joined by Zelda/Sheik, Peach, Bowser, the Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Marth, Roy, Pichu, Ganondorf, Mr. Game & Watch, Falco, Young Link, and Mewtwo; raising the roster count to 25, albeit some were clones. The idiots fine people at Gamecritics.com and Edge said what I can summarize to ”It’s the first game with prettier graphics.” Sales say otherwise. Moving on!

You see that? Link wants the top spot, Mario.

In Spring 2008, the 3rd and at the time final installment, Super Smash Bros was released to very positive reception. Except for an unnamed critic Matt Casamassina at IGN and some “critic” at Gamespy called it “an enhanced version of Melee and the graphics were that of Gamecube quality.” Nintendo ranked it the 5th best game of the 2000s released on a Nintendo console. 35 Brawlers rounded out the roster this time around with fighters like Mewtwo, Roy, Pichu, Dr. Mario, and Young Link dropped and replaced by Diddy Kong, King Dedede, Ike, Lucas, Olimar, Meta Knight, Pit, Pokemon Trainer Red, Wario, Lucario, Wolf, R.O.B., Toon Link, Snake, and Sonic. With a robust roster and even newer game mechanics, the inclusion of a story mode, Subspace Emissary, and Final Smashes, it looked like the series was just starting to take off.

Everyone runs to E3 to hear the news of Super Smash Bros 4. What is Zelda doing running away?

For 3 years, we were lead to believe that Brawl would be the last installment in the series. At E3, news broke ground that Nintendo was planning Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and the 3DS lame. Fans rejoiced at the news and quickly ran to their Wiis to practice for the new gaming challenge. But with no news about the game to ride on, except that we have to wait until after Kid Icarus: Uprising was done and out of the way. But we can speculate new characters, new fight stages, and new mechanics. And, we can say goodbye to new favorites to make way for new fighters. Chances are Sonic, R.O.B., Snake, and King Dedede are few that won’t be making the cut. Now, you know this was coming. Here’s my list of 10 hopeful candidates for Super Smash Bros 4!

Mostly this but with some changes.

Oh, at the end of the list I have a little tidbit of news that I received that I personally do not like. Anyway, enjoy!

10. Plusle and Minun

Kinda like Event 48 in Melee.

Originally meant to be in Brawl, and then scrapped for no known reason, Plusle and Minun would have covered the slot left empty by Pichu. They would have added a new electric character and would be a team fighter so the Ice Climbers wouldn’t feel left out.

9. Toad

Peach, he's coming for you!

The unfortunate shield of Peach, Toad deserves a chance at revenge. Why not give it him the opportunity to? Toad has been in all of the Mario Sport/Party/Kart games, its about time he got a spot in the roster to show his moves.

8. Bowser Jr.

Aww, isn't he too cute to take seriously?

Little Bowser Jr. has been shown to be mischevious and capable of holding his own, what better game to let players see what he truly is capable of than Super Smash Bros 4? A tiny, fast version of Bowser sounds fun to me.

7. Scizor

The  Metal Ninja.

Scizor has the looks, the power, and the speed of a Smash Bros fighter. As a Pokemon that popped out of a Pokeball(duh!) in Melee, he packed quite a whallop. But seeing as the new Pokemon fighter is usually a Pokemon from that current generation, chances are Zoroark would be in this spot.

6. Samurai Goroh

"What do you mean I am an Assist Trophy?"

An Assist Trophy? Really? Brawl had Goroh as an Assist Trophy instead of a playable fighter. Instead of adding him to the roster and making F-Zero have 2 representatives, they kept it at 1. While Pokemon had 4, Mario series had 5, and the Zelda series had 4 as well. 5 if you count Zelda and Sheik separately. Speaking of the Zelda Series...

5. Skull Kid

Had Navi for breakfast.

You cannot sit there and say you were not upset when Skull Kid wasn’t announced as a Brawler. A new villian for the Zelda series and possibly set as a midweight agile class fighter, he would sure become a quick fan favorite.

4. Mewtwo

Mewtwo>Lucario, naturally.

Pushed aside because he was outdated, Mewtwo would come back with revenge in his eyes. If they were to keep Lucario in the game, keep a type of story mode in the game, and throw in Mewtwo as an unlockable character you could have an epic Story Mode battle. Better yet, have him as the main antagonist. Hello, revenge. Oh, and give him his giant spoon(Look up Pokemon Adventures and look for it)!!!!!

3. Daisy

More worthy of being in the Smash Series than other princesses.

You know? Daisy! The costume Peach has where she gets the yellow dress and the brown hair. She was also in many Mario Sports/Party/Kart games. Her appearance in Super Mario Strikers Charged proves that she can hang with the big boys, and dish it back.

2.  Krystal

Panther vs. Fox- Who gets Krystal? Spoiler- Fox wins.

The only female on the Star Fox team, also fully capable of ground combat. Armed with a staff that shoots fire and ice projectiles, creates force fields, and flight boosts thist makes her for a worthy opponent.

And, #1 Knuckles the Echidna

Did you know: Knuckles was supposed to be a Rastafarian. True fact.

Angel Island’s residential badass, Knuckles the Echidna is a great candidate for Super Smash Bros 4. Powerful, agile, and downright tough. With the ability to do spin attacks, doing multi combos with Knuckles will be something short of awesome. 

There’s my list of my Top 10 candidates for Super Smash Bros 4. Hope you liked it. If not, oh well. It’s my list. Here are some others I would like to see in SSB4.

Birdo

Waluigi

Gary Oak(Blastoise, Magmar, Electivire)

Sylux from Metroid Prime Hunters

Zoroak from Pokemon Black & White

Little Mac(Punch-Out)

Boshi(Super Mario RPG: 7 Star)

Black Shadow(F-Zero)

Dixie Kong

Daroach(Kirby: Squeak Squad)

Galacta Knight(Kirby Superstar Ultra)

Panther Caroso(Star Fox)

Bomberman

Shadow the Hedgehog

Toon Zelda/Sheik

Meowth

Young Link

Roy(Fire Emblem Series)

Pichu

Oh yeah, that little tidbit of news. So, once again Nintendo leaves me shanking and scratching my head for the 3rd time this month. ***SPOILER ALERT OF SORTS*** Masahiro Sakurai, the lead developer for Super Smash 4, wants to include characters from Capcom. Yes, that Capcom. The Capcom that made Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and Megaman.

Having nothing to do with Mario since 1981.

 Who honestly wants to see Chun Li vs. Mario? Or Chris Redfield vs. Bowser? Zombies vs. Kirby? Just no. The only exception to this is Megaman. Megaman would be a perfect addition to the series, serving as a mini Samus of sorts. Keep Capcom with Marvel, that’s where they belong.

Megaman: The Exception.