E3: Nintendo and Square-Enix

Click here to see project releases for upcoming Wii U and 3DS titles.

Tuesday morning, Nintendo held its E3 digital presentation. Things were a bit underwhelming on the Wii U side (as they were likely preparing for the NX), but they went deeper into some of the newer things they were planning to release throughout the next several months. Square-Enix also had their press conference later that afternoon. While they showed more of what we had seen during the Sony and Microsoft conferences, they went deeper into what they have panned for gamers, and they also showed off a few new titles.

Nintendo’s digital presenation, keeping like much of what we seen from the company during past E3s, gave off a vibe that the company was playing it safe in regards to big name titles. The company relied upon it’s past franchises while showing very little that was new. That’s okay though, we learn more from the various Nintendo Directs that the company has periodically than from E3. There was a scant focus on new Wii U games besides a couple of big titles. You would think that the Big N would share some info on the upcoming NX platform, but they mentioned that they will reveal more of it next year. I hope this doesn’t mean we’ll have to wait until E3 2016 to hear about it. Of course that’s not to say it wasn’t fun. There was a nice little puppet show in between segments, featuring puppets designed by the Jim Henson company.

First and foremost, we’re getting a new Starfox. Starfox Zero looks to be a reboot of the series. Players once again take control of Fox McCloud as he and his shipmates battle evil throughout the galaxy. The rail shooter will feature 4 different vehicles, each with their own play style. The title is being co-developed by Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Madworld, Transformers Devastation). The game will naturally use Wii U gamepad integration to show the cockpit while you fly the ship on screen.

In other Wii U related news, The company confirmed that the RPG Xenoblade Chronicles: X will be released this December 4. Bowser and Donkey Kong will show up in the upcoming Skylanders: Superchargers. The two will debut alongside collectible Skylander figurines that will also double as Amiibos. Nintendo also demoed Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, a tennis game featuring Mario characters that will arrive this holiday.

Super Mario Maker was the big hit of the show. The game was given a release date of September 11, 2015. The company also went deeper into the game’s features. The game will allow players to use visual styles and features from Super Mario 1 – 3, and Super Mario World. The game can even interface with certain Amiibo to allow players to change into different characters such as the WiiFit Trainer. The game will release alongside a special 8-bit Mario Amiibo. The company even shared some insight into the level design process for the original Super Mario Bros. They would have to draw the level up on maps before sliding it along to the programmer. It was pretty cool to gain a look at early game development methods, especially when it’s related to one of the most prolific games ever made.

There were several new titles hitting 3DS as well. Mario & Luigi, Paper Jam is a follow up to Nintendo’s Paper mario games. This entry will see Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, and more team up with their 2D paper counterparts. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is a board game which utilizes Amiibo for gameplay. If you’re looking for something new, the Level 5 (Professor Layton, Dragon Quest VIII, Rogue galaxy) developed Pokemon-esque RPG Yo Kai Watch is hitting American shores for the first time this holiday season. If you recall from last year’s E3 presentation, there is a new Legend of Zelda on the way for Wii U. While we didn’t see anymore of the new Wii U title, there are two new Legend of Zelda titles on their way to 3DS: A 3DS version of Hyrule Warriors, titled Hyrule Warriors Legends, and Triforce Heroes are on their way in early 2016 and holiday season 2015 respectively. The former will contain all the DLC characters from the console, as well as some new characters such as Tetra. The latter game is a successor to Four Swords, and will allow up to 3 players to team up to solve puzzles.

If you were hoping on a new Metroid game, well, I got good news and bad news: The good news is that one is on the way for the 3DS next year. The bad news, is that it’s pretty much a Metroid in name only. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a co-op shooter for up to 4 players. Seemingly a successor to Metroid Prime: Hunters, players take control of one of four generic space marines (none of which are Samus Aran) and shoot things up. There will even be competitive multiplayer modes. While this could be a solid DS entry, this clearly isn’t what fans have been waiting for since “The Other M”. If you’re still waiting for a ‘proper’ Metroid game, it looks like you’re better off waiting for the NX at this point.

Fire Emblem fans have plenty to look forward to. On the show floor it was revealed that not only was Fire Emblem If coming over to the US under the name Fire Emblem Fates, but the Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei crossover will be hitting Wii U early next year as well. Why these were revealed at a Nintendo Treehouse and not during the digital event escapes me though.

Nintendo’s future once again lies in it’s flagship franchises. I was little disappointed to see less of a focus on third party offerings. I would have love to see more of Devil’s Third, seeing as how the game is scheduled to be released in Japan and Europe this August. Fatal Frame V was also conformed to be arriving here here later this year. Even so, Nintendo’s first party offerings have always been its strongest suit, and Mario Maker is going to be a must have for many Wii U owners. However, it would seem that Mario Maker will be one of the last big Wii U titles.

Square-Enix
More of what we saw from Square-Enix had been revealed during Sony’s presentation. The company has the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII remake on it’s way to PS4, along with Final Fantasy World, a lighthearted Final Fantasy game. We saw more of both Just Cause 3, Deus Ex: Human Mankind Divided, and the new Hitman. Just Cause 3 will expand upon the series’s signature destruction and chaotic open-world gameplay while Deus Ex will depict a class struggle between cybernetically-enhanced humans and normal humans. Hitman takes place in an open world, players will be given a constant series of contracts to carry out and fulfill. The game will also feature an expanded version of Absolution’s Community Contracts mode.

Square-Enix also remembered that its RPG franchises made them famous long before the Eidos merger. Along with Final Fantasy VII, the company showed a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III. It didn’t reveal much about the game or the story, but it did reveal that Tangled would be one of the newer Disney franchises that would be visited in the series. Still no word on whether or not Sora and company will visit worlds based upon Marvel Comics, Frozen, and Star Wars. Square-Enix is also bringing over it’s mobile game, Kingdom Hearts X under the name Kingdom Hearts Unchained. The game will release on iOS and Android, and tell the story of the Kyblade War mentioned in the KH3 trailer.

Besides Kingdom Hearts 3, Square-Enix surprised gamers with Star Ocean 5, a title that had been hinted at for the past few months. In an even bigger surprised, the company announced that they were working with Platinum Games to create a sequel to the cult classic, Nier. The game won’t be called Nier 2 and will be a PS4 exclusive. The company also formed a new development studio named Tokyo RPG factory, dedicated to creating JRPGS. The company showed concept art for a game called Project Setsuna, which will be the studio’s first project.

Square-Enix had a pretty solid presentation. They have something lined up for everyone throughout the next year or so, and they haven’t strayed far from their RPG roots either. No doubt gamers everywhere are pleased over the Final Fantasy VII remake alone. Hitman, Star Ocean, and Just Cause are also looking to be sure fire hits.

That’s it for E3. I’ll put up some more observations later this weekend along with various news bits that popped up throughout the week.