I just got back from E3 today (technically yesterday, got back late). Spent most of the time in the Nintendo exhibit today. Lots of cool stuff. First off, everyone who's saying they suddenly need to go out and get a 3DS, you are correct. It's amazing. The 64 come backs (Ocarina of Time, Star Fox, etc.) are all spectacular. Okay, remember how the DS 64 ports (Super Mario 64, Diddy Kong Racing) had really stupid superficial implementations of touch controls that did nothing more than force you unnecessarily and annoyingly to use the touch screen for something? Nintendo seems to have learned its lesson and found really practical meaningful ways to use the touch screen. For instance, the extra inventory slot along the right edge of the touch screen for Ocarina of Time makes it require a lot less hassling with inventory (there is also a permanent Ocarina touch button on the bottom screen separate from your inventory slots). So that was great. Luigi's Mansion 2 alone may have convinced me to get a 3DS though. Really great fun and it's a lot like the original for being on a handheld. They found a way to use the gyroscopic sensor so you tilt to aim the vacuum as you go, which is not as clunky as you'd think once you start trying it. And the 3D looks absolutely amazing on everything. OH, and there is going to be a new Paper Mario on it, and the trailer makes it look like they're getting back to the original rpg concept from 64 and Thousand Year Door, but I'm pretty confident from what I saw that it's new and not a 64 port. In summary, the 3DS stuff blew me away. I think the folks making the games are really figuring out how to use all of the new technology that's been hitting the new consoles effectively. The Wii U was...difficult to evaluate. It really is as big as they say (I'm sure you guys know this by now). It is a lot like a Galaxy Samsung tablet, not as big as an iPad, but big. It is pretty thin, except there is a wedge that comes out the back near the top that has a place for secondary shoulder buttons (finally) and props it up on a slight tilt when laid on a table. Not terribly hefty, and it's supposed to be held with two hands anyway. Touch screen was really pretty with great looking graphics for a device of its size. It has all of the same buttons as a DS, except the extra pair of shoulder buttons. HDMI port, SD slot, and that's about all I could see. The batteries ARE rechargeable. Now this is the part that I'm not so sure about, so someone correct me if they know better. As far as I could tell, this thing is not a console by itself. All of the stations where the demos were being played had Wiis at them and several of the games use Wiimotes in addition to the Wii U unit. Yes, some of the games are for five players with one on the Wii U and four on Wiimotes. I think its actually an addition to the Wii. But I feel very wrong about that. In the very least, the Wii will not be out of the picture after these things hit shelves. They did tell us that some games have the ability to use the TV screen with the Wii U, but had the OPTION to take the game and put it on the Wii U screen as a stand-alone unit, so it could be a hybrid portable/console game. Like if you're at home, you can put the game on the HDTV, but if you leave, you can take the Wii U with you and play it on the screen on the unit itself. The graphics do look pretty fantastic. They do appear to go beyond the PS3/360 in some respects, but I still doubt they'll best whatever Sony and Microsoft are cooking up. What makes it so difficult to evaluate is the fact that I don't know if the whole remote + TV interaction thing is going to be of any real use. It will ultimately be up to developers to come up with creative and effective ways to use the Wii U in their games without allowing it to just get in the way. I played a Ghost Recon demo where the game was on the TV, but the Wii U screen showed the view from my little drone overhead. I could have it autoscan and locate enemies, which would then be shown highlighted from my view (on the TV screen), or I could use the touch screen on it to control the drone and look around for myself. Really cool idea, but I don't know if I could ever get used to looking back and forth between the screens and devices. It's clunky and slow until you get used to it. I heard some people saying there was a game where the Wii U would use its motion sensors and cameras and stuff in another shooter so when you were sniping, the remote would become your scope, and you'd hold up the remote in front of the TV and you'd be looking down your scope at whatever you were actually looking at on the TV. I could see it working because the motion sensors in them are pretty accurate and smooth, but, again, is that actually going to be more fun or worth it instead of just doing it the old-fashioned way? Only time will tell.
