This year’s E3 was lackluster, to say the least. Most of the games that were shown were games that were already announced before, either at E3 2016 or during the time leading up to E3 2017. Also, a lot of same games for different platforms or VR version of games were shown, heck even DLC was showcased at E3. People had high hopes from Sony this year after their amazing press conference last year but they fell short instead we saw Nintendo rise up. Nobody really expected Nintendo to have such a catalog of games to announce and the games they showcased were quite honestly, pretty damn good. So let’s talk about how Nintendo “won” E3 in 2017.
Super Mario Odyssey was already announced with a little teaser that we had already seen. We were expecting more information about the game and even gameplay and Nintendo delivered. The gameplay trailer was extremely impressive and showcased the new mechanics and the various levels of the game. Mario riding a scooter in NYC was just the start. He turned into a dinosaur, a man in the real world and also a freaking taxi. Transformers ain’t got nothing on my boy Mario who can turn into every single thing he lays his eyes on. Then they showcased the gameplay on two different levels and my God, it was amazing. The fresh mechanics, the level design, the vibrancy of it all reminded me of how great Super Mario Galaxy was and gave me hope that this game will be of similar caliber.
And then there’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The sequel to one of the best JRPGS than you can play in recent times was showcased with a trailer that shows the main character and the supporting cast along with what looked like a bit of gameplay and the beautiful lands that you will travel across. And to top it all off, the game releases this year so fans don’t really have to wait that long to be able to play this game.
Next up, Yoshi and Kirby. They’re getting their own games for the Switch and both the games look like a lot of fun and seem to be very promising. Yoshi has an extremely cute artstyle and an intriguing game mechanic in which you can change the side from which you’re looking at the level so that you can spot hidden paths and items. Kirby similarly also has its cute charm and fun gameplay for Kirby fans and also new additions to the game. I look forward to gobbling up people with these two characters.
Then came a Fire Emblem story trailer that gave us more information about the setting and story of the game and showcased its visuals and supporting characters who will help us on our journey. Now people were kind of let down by this but this looked good nonetheless.
Fans wanted more Metroid so Nintendo thought, why to give them one game when we can give them TWO WHOLE METROID GAMES. They announced two Metroid games, Samus Returns which is a reimagination of Metroid 2 and is a side-scroller for the 3DS and also Metroid Prime 4. But, we didn’t get any information about the latter besides a logo.
Thought we were done? Have some Pokemon then. Oh, you already have Pokemon for your 3DS, how about the Switch? Yeah, we’re getting a “Core RPG” Pokemon game for the Switch and I am beyond stoked about this and I cannot wait to see how this game turns out.
Nintendo’s ability to take their existing IPs and refreshing them in such fantastic ways where we can see the innovation while also bringing back fan favourites is why I feel they were my favourite press conference at E3 this year.
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