Super WiiHD3D+ Advance

[Crisis]

I thought it looked pretty good! I like the idea of using a tablet as a game controller. The logical next step is to have the next DS iteration literally function as a tablet version of the WiiU, a bit like how Sony are hyping the Vita as a PS3 you can carry around in your pocket.

The question is, how are Sony and Microsoft going to compete, now they've lost the HD and "not a wiimote" angles? Microsoft desperately needs to keep a foothold in the gaming market, given their heavy investment into gaming hardware (Xboxes + Kinect) and Windows Live as a gaming platform, plus their apparent inability to make a dent in the exploding tablet/smartphone industries. I'm guessing that Xbox Live is going to be their strongest asset. Nintendo have never been fully comfortable about relinquishing any control over their online services to gamers (and with good reason - by and large, we're a bunch of assholes), which gives Microsoft a potential opening. All they have to do is launch with some impressive hardware at a reasonable price with a premium online service and they'll probably do OK with the aforementioned asshole market.

Sony's best bet right now seems to be the Vita, which looks incredible, completely unlike the 3DS. I could see them taking advantage of Nintendo's moment of weakness and turning it into a runaway success. Its gaming capabilities seem to be far and away superior to anything else in the portable gaming niche, which is an area that tablets are being pretty sluggish to address. Their home console, though, is most likely going to rely very heavily on software if it's going to sell.

Unless all 3 opt for a tablet controller, which I suppose is a possibility. It's an exciting time to be a nerd!

[Farmer]

...plus their apparent inability to make a dent in the exploding tablet/smartphone industries.

I'm guessing that Xbox Live is going to be their strongest asset.

It's a pity that this hasn't really worked out for them with Windows Phone 7, which is arguably the closest we're going to get to an Xbox handheld for the time being.

The Wiiu is actually looking interesting to me, I like the idea of a full-blown console that can be played in bed and/or without a TV license. My console decision at the moment hinges on the game library, which still doesn't look quite as good as the current-generation flock.

A worry is how much a second controller for this thing is going to cost, considering that a current-gen controller is only about as much as a game. The video in the presentation also showed the screen being used with a stylus, which means we're in resistive touchscreen territory. I've had some piss-poor experience with even high end resistive touchscreens, so I would hope this doesn't spoil touchscreen gameplay.

[Frieza2000]

God I'm glad no one was around to see me completely lose my mind at the mere mention of cross-platform SSB. That would've been embarrassing.

I felt the same way at first, but then I thought, what new characters does that open up that weren't available before? Cloud+Sephroth? Master Chief? Commander Shepard? Weighted Companion Cube? The people I'd be interested in seeing are either already on Nintendo consoles or aren't video game characters.

The question is, how are Sony and Microsoft going to compete, now they've lost the HD and "not a wiimote" angles?

This + Kinect = home virtual reality. If somebody would just market this right and launch with some games that made intelligent use of it I think they'd steal the casual user base.

[Zeta]

A worry is how much a second controller for this thing is going to cost, considering that a current-gen controller is only about as much as a game. The video in the presentation also showed the screen being used with a stylus, which means we're in resistive touchscreen territory. I've had some piss-poor experience with even high end resistive touchscreens, so I would hope this doesn't spoil touchscreen gameplay.

It looks like a lot of the multiplayer is going to be based around one UTablet and then three old Wiimotes, at least.

I kind of really hope the 3DS can be used as a makeshift WiiU tablet, too.

[Neo]

A worry is how much a second controller for this thing is going to cost, considering that a current-gen controller is only about as much as a game. The video in the presentation also showed the screen being used with a stylus, which means we're in resistive touchscreen territory.

Not necessarily. A capacitive touch screen can work with a stylus, but it has to be a specific kind of stylus which can carry static electricity, made specifically for a capacitive screen. Though I'm betting it's a resistive screen given Nintendo's history in the DS console line.

I felt the same way at first, but then I thought, what new characters does that open up that weren't available before? Cloud+Sephroth? Master Chief? Commander Shepard? Weighted Companion Cube? The people I'd be interested in seeing are either already on Nintendo consoles or aren't video game characters.

Personally, Smash on the go is enough to make me nerdgasm, but there's always ways to increase the roster, just add some new Pokémon, bring back some old guys (Dr. Mario makes his grand return!!) and make Tingle a playable character. Though I'm rooting for more characters from non-Nintendo franchises. (What the fuck happened to Bomberman being in Brawl?)

[Zeta]

I felt the same way at first, but then I thought, what new characters does that open up that weren't available before? Cloud+Sephroth? Master Chief? Commander Shepard? Weighted Companion Cube? The people I'd be interested in seeing are either already on Nintendo consoles or aren't video game characters.

There are still a good number of Nintendo franchises that could have playable characters that don't. Starfy, Custom Robo, Golden Sun, Fossil Fighters, Magical Vacation, Punch-Out, Nintendo Wars and Chibi-Robo being the most obvious. Not to mention adding a second or third character from existing franchises that only have one or two.

Since, according to interviews, Mega Man was the next most requested character after Sonic, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it in. Or even some more Konami-Hudson and SEGA characters, too.

In fact, tinfoil hats on, might that be the reason why Mega Man is absent from Marvel vs Capcom 3?

[Segaholic2]

This thing looks like a gigantic piece of shit.

The giant iPad-esque controller apparently needs to be in the same room as the main WiiU unit, so it's not really portable at all. It looks incredibly awkward and unwieldy to use, unlike the iPad. The whole thing in general seems very reactionary to current market trends, much like the 3DS, and also much like the 3DS the WiiU controller looks rushed, poorly conceived, and poorly executed.

There's not much to say about the console itself since Nintendo remained purposefully vague about most of the actual details.

As far as games go, they didn't show anything noteworthy aside from the requisite Nintendo franchises they trot out for every new hardware iteration that fanboys everywhere collectively shit their pants for. Every single third-party game they showed will be out on 360 and PS3 for at least a year in advance. Good job finally catching up to the current generation, Nintendo.

The most interesting things Nintendo showed are the Four Swords port and the new Kirby Wii game. Not that I'm planning on giving Nintendo any more money for the foreseeable future.

[FlashTHD]

Nintendo Wars

This. If Snake does not return, Sami is the perfect replacement.

[Farmer]

The giant iPad-esque controller apparently needs to be in the same room as the main WiiU unit, so it's not really portable at all.

Gak, that's poor. Where did you find that?

[Zeta]

Maybe I'm just not getting it but why would you want to play a console game several rooms away from where the console is?

[Farmer]

Well, in Nintendo's example of being able to use the console whilst somebody is watching TV, it'd be nice to play it somewhere quieter or less busy. For example, using it in a bedroom whilst the console is in the living room.

[Zeta]

I'm sure I can STILL do that since I live in an apartment, and I suspect most Japanese will be able to do that as well. That's only going to be a problem with you damn rich Americans with your huge mansions.

[K2J]

What is surprising about having to be in proximity to the machine? The Wii remote got pretty good range, I wouldn't be surprised if it was that good.

In other news, the 3DS Virtual Console has an explicit load/save savestate feature, so you can fix mistakes whenever you want!

[Farmer]

In other news, the 3DS Virtual Console has an explicit load/save savestate feature, so you can fix mistakes whenever you want!

Great! If only they'd give the Wii VC that, then it would feel like an actual competent emulator.

Have Nintendo made any public statement about the battery life of the Wiiu handset? It's not doing a lot of processing of its own, but it's got a big screen and has to be in constant high-bandwidth wireless communication with the console.

[gr4yJ4Y]

I wish Nintendo would have waited until it at least had an actual first-party game to show (like it did with Kid Icarus and the 3DS last year). It's really hard to judge a system with only a few game concepts and a bunch of PS3/360 ports (of which it wasn't shown how they'd use the new controller). It does look like Nintendo is finally able to attract a bigger third-party support again at least.

The focus should had been on not just the controller but showing off HD Nintendo games. That's what I'm really looking forward to. And of all the franchises to choose from, why did they pick Zelda for showing off the graphic capabilities? It gives the impression that they're going to do an other Twilight Princess and delay Skyward Sword for U launch.

They're going to have to re-brand this in some way if they don't want the general public getting Wii and Wiiu mixed up. Wasn't the point of the weird name - Wii - meant to distinguish Nintendo from others? I understand that they had a lot of success with Wii and they want to ride off that, but I can see a lot of misguided parents going to the stores before Christmas and picking out some U games for their kids who have a regular Wii. When Iwata was talking I was really confused about whether it was a new way to play Wii games or a new system. Luckily that EA guy came out and cleared things up. Maybe they should take the Wii aesthetic and make it some other color.

I wonder if there will be a way to play the Wiiu version of Smash Bros. on the 3DS, like a temporary download version. Its mention reminds me of when Nintendo said that a new Pikmin is in the works. It might be a few years before we actually see anything on this.

The controller itself isn't too bad of an idea. I can see myself playing virtual console games with me around the house. And it sounds like someone will be able to play a Wiiu game while someone else is playing a different game on their Umad Pad, all from the same console. Maybe it will actually turn out to be more useful and less gimicky than what we're used to seeing from Nintendo. Maybe.

[Team Mecha]

There's a whole 'nother E3 to go through before it launches. I don't know why anyone expected them to blow their load at this one.

[Segaholic2]

So all the third-party titles Nintendo showed during their conference weren't running on the WiiU. Owned.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/08/wii-u ... c-footage/

[Green Gibbon!]

I'm an old man who has completely and utterly failed to grasp the appeal of tablets - I desire an iPad about as much as I desire to stuff $500 into a garbage disposal - so this thing just strikes me as baffling. It's incredibly clunky-looking - the only really new (interesting) feature is the touch screen and even that I think has limited uses in the context of actual games. It's just another peripheral, it certainly didn't deserve to take center stage like the Wii remote did a few years back.

What of the unit itself? I keep reading it's "on par with the 360 and PS3" - and five years on you'd expect at least that, it is the bare minimum requirement - but I haven't seen any official specs.

It doesn't really feel like "new" hardware, it strikes me as a stopgap. Even the Wii name is being recycled not even with a distinguishing "2" but with the vague "U" which could just be a new model of the same machine for all the name suggests. I guess Nintendo had to bow to investor pressure and put out something new sooner rather than later (apparently it wasn't the right approach, because according to Reuters, their stock went down as soon as the thing was shown), but everything about this feels really forced to me.

[Crisis]

I'm an old man who has completely and utterly failed to grasp the appeal of tablets - I desire an iPad about as much as I desire to stuff $500 into a garbage disposal - so this thing just strikes me as baffling. It's incredibly clunky-looking - the only really new (interesting) feature is the touch screen and even that I think has limited uses in the context of actual games. It's just another peripheral, it certainly didn't deserve to take center stage like the Wii remote did a few years back.

What of the unit itself? I keep reading it's "on par with the 360 and PS3" - and five years on you'd expect at least that, it is the bare minimum requirement - but I haven't seen any official specs.

It doesn't really feel like "new" hardware, it strikes me as a stopgap. Even the Wii name is being recycled not even with a distinguishing "2" but with the vague "U" which could just be a new model of the same machine for all the name suggests. I guess Nintendo had to bow to investor pressure and put out something new sooner rather than later (apparently it wasn't the right approach, because according to Reuters, their stock went down as soon as the thing was shown), but everything about this feels really forced to me.

I imagine Nintendo haven't released the technical specs because a) they're the first to announce their console in a very unpredictable console cycle and b) it's not particularly relevant. We can make one fairly safe prediction; the specs will be at least as good as the PS3 and 360, but not as good as their successors. But ultimately consoles are becoming defined only by their user interface and software library, and E3 is a press event, so those were what Nintendo wanted to show the world. Although if what you say is true, then I guess that backfired.

As for the appeal of a tablet, it's basically just a computer that's more portable than a laptop. There's really not much more to it than that. It means you can watch movies in the couch or in bed or just about anywhere, without lifting heavy things or straining your eyes. It's half way between a smartphone and a laptop and it's priced appropriately. It's very much a luxury and not a necessity.

For gaming purposes, the exciting part is the idea of having a computer with a screen in your hands as well as the one plugged into the TV. I'm not entirely convinced that tablet technology is up to heavy duty gaming yet, but the implications for future consoles are pretty significant; if they could apply this tech in a more ergonomic fashion to create an entire handheld console that interfaces with the TV console, then there's all sorts of potential directions you can take that technology.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles on Gamecube did something along those lines, where you used the GBA as a controller. The problem was that it was massively expensive to run (everyone needs a GBA and a GBA->GC link cable, the latter of which they would never need again), but if you could get it set up with 4 players (as I did for a glorious 2 months) then it was an absolute blast. I remember thinking at the time that this kind of gameplay was going to catch on in a big way if it was ever made convenient and affordable. World of Warcraft sort of validated that opinion, but the tablet controller idea never went anywhere, until now.

[Zeta]

So all the third-party titles Nintendo showed during their conference weren't running on the WiiU. Owned.

No shit, the system won't launch until Christmas of NEXT YEAR. Nintendo obviously caved to pressure or something by showing the damn thing nearly two years early.

[Isuka]

Hey, the 3DS Super Mario game is looking really fun. The only thing that doesn't quite do it to me is the camera, in some parts it's positioned way too close to Mario and it's hard to see what the hell's up ahead.

As for the Wii U, I agree with Tsui and Matte, the controller looks uncomfortable, bigger than The Duke, it's loaded with way too much stuff so it'll be expensive and potentially fragile, I don't see what's the point of a touchscreen in a fast action game, although being able to use it as a replacement for the TV ain't that bad an idea (but I never heard nor read good things about Nintendo portable screens' visibility), and the console's very name indeed sounds like a new SKU and may confuse people, especially Nintendo's new target audience. But who knows, they might still be able to sell it a good deal cheaper than Microsoft's and Sony's next offering if they go for current hardware (the kind that can run stuff like the Samaritan tech demo) and keep things profitable enough in the short term...

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Holy shit, Luigi's Mansion 2!? I was playing the first just the other day, thinking about how welcome a sequel would be! There had better be Prof. E. Gadd!

[Zeta]

Sakurai on Smash 3D and Smash Bros 4. TLDR Version:

Smash Bros 3D:
* Wants the 3D version to feel distinct.
* Wants the 3D version to be easier.
* Wants the 3D version to have a personalized handicap according to personal play experience.
* Wants the 3D version to feel more like Smash Bros 1.

Smash Bros 4:
* Is probably going to shoot for about 50 playable characters and double Brawl's stage count.

- Sakurai is using his experience working with Kid Icarus 3DS to smooth the development process of 3DS smash. Mentions he would randomly think about Smash during Kid Icarus development

- "While I'm sure some people just want a new DX (Melee) or X (Brawl), that is not the answer I'm looking for"

- There's a lot of implied differences between the 3DS and WiiU versions. The issue of limitations (or lack thereof) come up ("I could make 50 characters, or double the stages, or make everything prettier (graphically), but with the WiiU I don't have to choose just one of those options"), while he runs into that problem with the 3DS, "maybe something fun like the original smash bros." adding something about a handicap.

- 3DS version will be more "personalized" than the WiiU version, as most likely the handheld machine will only be played by one person. This regards "personal data and achievements." He's probably referring to the stat-keeping mode the Smash games have had and how a handheld version would most likely only be tracking a single person's stats.

- Sakurai feels conflicted, saying something to the effect of "On one hand, a player feels a great sense of accomplishment by beating something really difficult. On the other, if it's too hard, they'll feel a sense of frustration by constantly losing to it." (implied differences between versions)

- Iwata goes on to add that a handheld experience is typically a "fun experience in a short amount of time," and that adjustments would have to be made to work around that.

- "So, for the 3DS version, since you must enjoy it alone, it has a system of rewards that you can customize your character with. And then you can bring these characters from the 3DS to the WiiU to fight on. So one "individual" on a handheld will appear in the "stadium" of the home console." Iwata summarizes by saying "The 3DS version is where players will earn individual achievements for themselves, while the WiiU version will be a place to show those achivements off"

- Sometime late in the Melee development cycle, Iwata told Sakurai "you can never have enough Smash Bros!," to which Sakurai replied "YES YOU CAN." Sakurai apparently doesn't remember this.

- Iwata mentions that he likes how in Smash, both high level and beginner level players can feel a sense of accomplishment in comparison to other fighting games. If you don't know what you're doing in other fighting games, you'll typically get destroyed, in Smash you can earn a few more hits. Sakurai adds onto that saying "You'd think it'd be natural to help new players improve, but when the goal of a fighting game is to beat your opponent down, that becomes difficult." Iwata "feels helpless and weak when he loses badly," and lastly Sakurai adds that "the 3DS version will have ways to help beginner players," going on to suggest co-op "There will be a reward system for good players helping bad ones"

- Apparently the balancing and rebalancing of characters was entirely up to Sakurai, but he's going to ask for some help from other members of the team this time around. He still feels the creator of the game will have the clearest vision of how the balance should look like, but definitely welcomes the help. Iwata asks what type of balancing he's referring to, and Sakurai responds talking about balancing animation/frame/hitbox data, while making sure it makes sense in the scope of the game. It has to "look natural and feels good to land the attack"

- There's implied distinction between casual and competitive play made by Sakurai, saying "all these claims of 'this character is too strong' or 'this character is too weak' varies from person to person." When he looked at the sets of data from Wifi games, all characters had relatively the same level of success. "However, according to the competitive scene, that doesn't seem to be the case elsewhere."

- A balance regarding the difficulties of surgical balance changes, and how they don't want characters to "feel the same," adding that specific traits/strengths/weaknesses are intentionally built to differentiate characters. Along with the "oh now that we nerfed this, this other thing is broken," etc. Iwata comments that this type of balancing is ridiculously hard and congratulates Sakurai for pulling it off with every single character by himself.

- Sakurai mentions that while new developers might see this initially as a learning opportunity, it'll eventually turn into a lesson of pain.

- More commentary regarding the extreme level of difficulty regarding balance vs uniqueness in a fighting game cast, with Iwata joking that "I knew I had an eye for talent when I picked you"

- Sakurai comments "the mechanics of a game better fit the system the game is on." The 3DS's small screen, for example, is something they have to work around, making sure the backgrounds and stage structure are clearly visible.

- Iwata comments that some designers enjoy gimmicks like FMVs and cutscenes, because it's where developers get the most free reign to show off their skills.

- Sakurai mentions "I think it'd be best if we can design something that works well and looks good regardless of whether it's on a portable or on an HDTV, but having a different team for each version is also good because we can still make very specialized additions to each." Each individual project will take advantage of each developers "specialty and where they're most likely to apply it."

- Essentially boiling down to "while keeping coherence between the two version is important, they don't want to use that as an excuse to compromise potential features for either version"

- Apparently Sakurai had no direct involvement with either Sonic's or Link's implementation in Brawl.

- He's slightly concerned by the fact that the various branches of Brawl staff worked on different schedules so the development process has gotten rather long. Iwata asks "but now you get to be a lot more hands-on with Smash 4, right?" to which Sakurai answers "Yes, but I'm coming into development right after Kid Icarus finishes, with no rest inbetween. So any help I can get is much appreciated"

- Sakurai says as a game designer and head developer, he really enjoys making something himself and seeing it turn into something good, but if he takes it in the wrong direction he won't reach the people he intends to. With Smash he wants to reach out to as many as he can. Iwata comments "this leaves a lot up to chance when it comes to the finished game," but Sakurai responds "I prefer it to a "stable" series where every sequel is juts the same game with a little bit added on. While it's painful to make something new, it's fun to figure out how." While with Smash, each iteration has a different fun twist, and even someone who doesn't know much about the series can pick apart the differences fairly easily.

- Iwata anguishes over how expensive the project is and that it requires a lot of people.

- Sakurai "Anyway, I look forward to the people you bring to this project, since the success of it is dependent on who you gather for me! Still, even if you don't gather enough people, I wouldn't want to see the project stretched thin, so we could focus on only one system." Iwata: "What? Even after we announced at e3 that we'll be developing for both systems?!" Sakurai: "Well either that or I take a small team and we take five years"

- in the conclusion, Iwata thanks Sakurai, and Sakurai says "thanks, but my time is currently focused on making sure Kid Icarus is perfect for launch!"

[K2J]

Iwata is the master of making Sakurai coming back to a franchise he really shouldn't keep coming back to. I'd love to see what the guy could do with original IP; Meteos was great.

Also, source?

[Zeta]

Also, source?

http://www.project-sora.co.jp/interview2/index.html

I hope having both versions of the game isn't necessary to unlock all the characters. That would blow.