Nintendo E3 Demos
By Max Roberts
“The Nintendo Experience, only at Best Buy.” For the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year, Nintendo has opted out of having a live press conference. Instead, the company had a Nintendo Direct streamed worldwide this morning showing off their new titles. While many new titles were revealed, such as Super Smash Bros. 4, a few titles were announced as being playable to the public at select Best Buy locations; dubbed the “Nintendo Experience.” The games available to play are Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD.
On Wednesday, June 12, and Saturday, June 15, at select times demos for those four games will be playable for the public. Check here to see if you are close enough to a Best Buy! If you are not, don’t worry, I am going to my local Best Buy to play my heart out of these demos. Along with two other friends, I hope to play all four demos a few times between 4 p.m.-8p.m. EST tomorrow. I will try to snag footage, off screen of the demos, and will write up individual previews for each of the games. Here is a brief synopsis of each of the games, along with photos and links to the proper sites.
The latest entry in the 3D Mario universe comes from the same team that brought you the Galaxy games and Super Mario 3D Land. It is the first 3D console Mario game to feature multiplayer.
Players may choose from Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach to play in this game. Each character has some strength over the others; Toad runs the fastest, Peach can hover, and Luigi can jump the highest. The game also features a new power up; the Cat Suit.
This allows Mario to climb walls and scratch enemies. It will sure be interesting to see this power up, along with four player mayhem in the demo.
This game is, by far, the one I am most anticipated to play. Mario Kart 8 boasts all the customization features that Mario Kart 7 provided, the bike option from Mario Kart Wii, and a brand new hover mode for driving.
This could be the best entry in the franchise to date. Maps seem more dynamic with alternate routes going up and under stages.
The game looks great from the trailer, and I am sure it will look awesome on an HD TV.
The incredibly hard 2D platformer has a new entry coming from acclaimed Retro Studios. Powered by the Wii U and HD graphics, Donkey Kong’s fur is supposed to show tremendous detail.The worlds look beautiful and as difficult as ever.
With the return of co-op, Dixie Kong makes her first appearance, allowing players to hover for a short time while jumping.
Another new feature are the dynamic camera angles for some levels to provide depth and new found beauty a Donkey Kong Country game has never had before. I am sure an example of these angles will be shown in the demo to boasts the game’s ambitions.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Last, but most certainly not least, is my favorite Zelda game entirely redone in full 1080p high definition. The Nintendo Direct discussed new shaders, lighting, and navigation techniques used to improve upon the GameCube classic.
The even integrated Miiverse by replacing the Tingle Tuner with Tingle Bottles. Players can write notes or send pictures in bottles that will wash up on other player’s beaches through the Miiverse system. Expect plenty of “Why can’t Zelda dive?” memes once the game launches in October.
There you have it. The Nintendo Experience all laid out for you. You can expect my full previews of the game’s mentioned before the end of E3 week. To see live updates on my “Nintendo Experience” check out the Go Left Gaming Twitter here. Also remember, if you have a Best Buy close enough, you can play these demos too! If you do, share your thoughts with me here or in each game’s preview under the comments section.