Home Industry E3 2019 Day 3 Reactions – Nintendo
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The third and final day of presentations at E3 2019 and the only presentation to occur was Nintendo's. Now that some time has passed and we have gathered our thoughts, some of us from Critical Coins will share our impressions of the press conference we watched.
Nintendo is always known for keeping very tight-lipped when it comes to announcements. Typically, we don't learn about games until they are much closer to release, and if we do learn about a game far in advance, don't expect to be updated until its closer to being finalized. This year's E3 was no different, with a lot of the information that was learned focused on the details of previously announced titles, rather than new announcements. This isn't to say there were none, Trials of Mana was something that wasn't shown before—nor the Panzer Dragoon remake, but none of those was the focus or selling point.
Instead, Nintendo took this opportunity to explain more about games we were all expecting. First and foremost there was Luigi's Mansion 3, a square to a franchise I continue to be ecstatic to see still being supported, primarily due to it having a somewhat long slumber from the GameCube to the 3DS. Thankfully, the series has persisted, and I am happy to see Luigi's Mansion 3 taking some of the best elements of the two titles (Ex. one large mansion but broken up in a way that feels like levels) and blend them into what looks to be one of titles I am looking forward to the most this October; and yes, I know they didn't give a specific date, but if this doesn't release in October I would be completely surprised! The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening continues to grow on me the more I see it and makes me more hopeful that more Gameboy and Gameboy Color titles continue to work their way to modern consoles—there are plenty of gems on those systems that deserve a second chance.
Later in the presentation, it switched focused on a game that has quickly grown on me the more that is shown, Astral Chain. If there was any game during that whole E3 that I was on the fence on, and changed my opinion over what I saw, it was Astral Chain. Something about its initial announcement looked interesting, but it didn't grab me. Now? Consider myself caught. The mixture of different sequences in the game, the unique combat functions, and just overall tone has me looking at this title as a Day 1 purchase rather than waiting for a sale.
At this point, Nintendo has shown a large variety of titles, most of which are releasing in the next couple of months. This presentation made me realize the sheer volume of games coming out by Nintendo or at the very least is exclusive to the Switch in the next few months, its a lot, and there no way I can buy (let alone play) them all. I want to play Dragon Quest XI – S, Luigi's Mansion 3, Deamon X Machina, Astral Chain, Fire Emblem: Three Kingdoms, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3—but they all release within the next three months. Perhaps its a bit selfish of me, but I stand by that developers and publishers shouldn't fight each other if they don't have to, and having these titles a little bit further apart throughout the year wouldn't have been the worst thing so hey could all shine on their own. Hopefully, they all find the support they need, as I know, I won't be able to until later.
Overall, this is why I liked Nintendo's Direct more than most of the presentations. The information was sufficient and had something important to deliver: new gameplay elements, a release date, or just a completely new announcement. Nothing was without contest or gameplay, and sadly that is something worth noting in this day and age of game reveals. And the best part of it still? After the main presentation, you could watch the following days for even more information, something other companies should take note of.
Livnat
I loved Nintendo's presentation overall! It had the right touch of humor, was cute, fun, and I just loved every moment of it. How could you not like Bowser meeting Bowser? It perfectly encapsulated the tone of the presentation and why I enjoyed it so much. However, there was one moment that felt…weird, which was during the Luigi's Mansion 3 trailer. That narrator sure liked to emphasize a few too many moments, giving a lot of innuendo vibes, making it all just a bit awkward.
Thankfully the rest of the presentation seemed fine! There were a lot of cool titles coming to the Switch, which sadly I can't play because I don't own one, but looked good none the less. Luckily it seems like Trials of Mana, which was announced during the Nintendo Direct, will also be coming to Steam which I am super excited for. Unfortunately, I was also hoping the Mana Collection had a port too, but I will take what I can get!
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