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Guide for the Nintendo Fan at E3
IGN.Cube has details on what its expected Nintendo will be showing off at E3 this year. Whether or not the Revolution gets much airtime is up in the air, but it's anticipated that new DS titles and the system itself are going to recieve the lion's share of attention. From the article: "...we predict that Nintendo will put a noticeable emphasis on its DS lineup and -- save for the new Legend of Zelda -- downplay some GameCube titles. This move seems to make sense as many of the GameCube titles sure to be on display in playable form will either have been previously shown at another event, or will be on the verge of releasing in America. In contrast, we expect several major surprises for the publisher's portable system."
Yes, this, more than the kiddy thing (which I don't really "get" anyway - Nintendo's real fan-base is nostalgic ex-gamers), is what I really don't like about the DS.
I bought my DS about a week after the US launch and, to be honest, I'll wondering why. I mean, Tiger Woods Golf and Madden don't really do anything for me and even if they did, they'd be the kind of game I'd be more likely to play on a "set-top" handheld system than a hand-held anyway.
Mario 64 DS would probably have kept me entertained if it wasn't for the fact that I'd already played the game on the N64. I mean, even if you add in the little bonus games, there just isn't enough new stuff to keep me interested. Wario Ware was a cool concept once, way back when, but these days it's feeling very tired and repetative. The driving games (NSFU2 and Asphalt) are ok, but both of them are pretty shallow by the normal standards of the genre. Plus, of course, the controls in NSFU2 feel really, really horrid.
I've probably put in more time on my PSP in the two weeks that I've had it for than I have on the DS over several months. Lumines and Wipeout are both superb. Metal Gear Acid is... well... quirky and not quite to my tastes, but it's interesting and a decent length. Mercury is also a great concept, although it's badly in need of some kind of free-play mode. The irony is that while Nintendo get the usual props from the slash-horde for innovation, all the really innovative handheld games are on the PSP.
I guess Nintendo could still rescue the DS, which they'll be aiming to do at E3. Ultimately, however, they're going to need to start thinking outside of the tired and predictable "new Mario Kart, new Metroid, new Zelda, nothing else of note" mode that's been setting their direction for far too long now.