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The year of 2011 seemed to have its up and downs at times for Nintendo. They had their highs points with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS system and the 25th Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise and they also had their lows with some weak launch titles and slow start for the Nintendo 3DS as well. Even though it may not have been a dream year, Nintendo still did fairly well and now let us take a look at different parts of the year in more detail and highlight all of the great games and announcements Nintendo made along the way.
From January to March, Nintendo did not do a whole lot in terms of releasing games, as most of their focus was on the upcoming launch of the Nintendo 3DS. Not to say they did not do absolutely nothing, as there were a couple of good games that were released during this time, such as Mario Sports Mix for the Nintendo Wii and Pokemon Black and White for the Nintendo DS. Mario Sports Mix is another entry in the Mario Sports series, but unlike other Mario Sports games, Mario Sports Mix features four sports you can play with the Nintendo All-Stars (and Miis). I have played some parts of Mario Sports Mix and while it may not be as great as the Mario Kart or the Mario Strikers series, it is still a great sports arcade game that has all of the gameplay features that we come to expect from a Mario Sports game. Pokemon Black & White are the 5th Generation games of the Pokemon series and has all of the gameplay mechanics that were present in the previous generation of games. However, the developers from Game Freak and Nintendo did a nice job in trying to refresh the series by adding new mechanics to this game. One of the biggest improvements was the way the game looked with the new camera and the upgraded graphics and presentation for the different environment and Pokemon in the game. There are also new battle styles such as the Triple and Rotation battles as well as over 150 new Pokemon to make a grand total of 649. Even though I would still prefer the Generation 2 games or their remade 4th Generation versions (Gold, Silver, Soul Silver, Heart Gold), Pokemon Black and White are nice addition to the Pokemon series.
As we move on to April and more of the Summer months, we come upon the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the biggest conference of the year, E3. I will start with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. At E3 2010, the Nintendo 3DS looked very promising as the presentation showed a lot of developers were on board with this new handheld and there appeared to be a lot of good games headed for it. Fast forward to mid-April, that really was not the case and being priced at the time at $250, it seemed like the 3DS may soon fail in the long run. To make things a little worse, there were not a lot of games available at launch and most of the launch titles for the 3DS were not all that great and not what gamers were expecting based off E3 2010. The games were very generic, and I my opinion, just there to show the 3DS effects of the system among other things. As for the other great games for the 3DS that were shown at the previous E3, most of them were still in development or delayed like Kid Icarus: Uprising (which is still being worked on at the time of this article). Most hardcore gamers would have to wait around the time of E3 to get the first great game of the system, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Even though it mostly just a simple port of a Nintendo 64 game, Ocarina of Time 3D is a great remake of one of the best games of all time. The 3D visuals were great to look at and the gameplay was upgraded to have an amazing menu system to make the flow of the game (and the Water Temple) great. In addition to Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo also introduced the eShop at E3 for the Nintendo 3DS, which is basically a virtual console that features mostly handheld games. One of the first games released on the eShop was the Link’s Awakening, which was free during the week of E3 to help promote the 25th Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise. Link’s Awakening, along with Ocarina of Time 3D, were just two of many Zelda games that would be released this year (more as we go along). As for E3 as a whole, most of the conference was centered around 3 things; The 25 Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise, Games and Software for the Nintendo 3DS system, and the new console that everyone will be talking about at next years E3 and for most of 2012, the Wii U. Starting with the games for the 3DS, there were multiple games that were announced. There were some that were schedule to be released this year, such as Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, and there were some that were schedule for 2012, such as Luigi’s Mansion 2 and Kid Icarus: Uprising (Although Kid Icarus was not really schedule at first for 2012 but instead delayed). As for the Wii U, this is a new console that Nintendo was planning and working on for most of the early part of 2011. Although, not much was revealed about the console as Nintendo stated it was still early in development. However, Nintendo did show off some things that are planning with this new console, such as its HD capabilities and a new controller set up where you do not have to have a TV to play a game on. They also showed off some of the game ideas they had in different demos they had at E3. It seemed for the most part, Nintendo’s E3 Conference was more about what they had in store for the future in terms of releases, and what gamers can look forward to for the year of 2012.
As we moved past E3 and go towards more of the Summer months of July and August to the start of Autumn with the month of September, once again there was not much coming from Nintendo. Not many titles were released for the Wii and most of the focus was on the Nintendo 3DS system and its virtual console. Most of the games that were released at this time were for the 3DS virtual console. Although, there were a couple good retail releases from Nintendo, such as Star Fox 64 3D and Kirby Mass Attack. Star Fox 64 3D is another Nintendo 64 remake that was ported to the Nintendo 3DS that receives great upgrades in the presentation and graphics, as well as some updated gameplay features that take advantage of the 3DS system capabilities, like the Gyro Scope motion control (Although, I don’t think the gameplay benefits much from this). Kirby Mass Attack was one of two Kirby games released this year (3 if you are in Europe). Kirby Mass Attack was released for the Nintendo DS system and like another Kirby game released early for the Nintendo DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, has gameplay that is solely dependant of the touch screen. You take control of 10 Kirbys and what they can do mostly depends how you interact with them on the touch screen. You can have the Kirbys move by simply touch the screen space in front of them or you fling them to get items or attack enemies by performing a flinging motion with the stylus on the touch screen. Kirby Mass Attack, much like Kirby Canvas Curse, is one of the few games that really takes of the Nintendo DS and the systems capabilities.
As we head into October and onto the holiday season and the end of the year, Nintendo really started to hit their mark. So many great games were released during this time for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Wii. The first great game released during this time was Kirby’s Return to Dreamland (Kirby’s Adventure Wii for Europe). Aside from Kirby’s Epic Yarn that was released last year, this was the Kirby game that everyone was waiting for since E3 2006. Even though some things have changed from the time of that E3 trailer released in 2006 to now, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is truly a great game that has everything you could want from a Kirby game. Kirby really does “Return to Dreamland” with this game as all of the traditional Kirby gameplay and platforming returns on a home console for the first time since Kirby and the Crystal Shards for the Nintendo 64. While it may be a little too early to say this, I would go as far as to say that this might be the best Kirby game ever released. Moving on from Kirby, we have Cave Story 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. Cave Story 3D is another remake port for the 3DS that was originally made for PC and later released for both DSi Ware and Wii Ware. Now I am not too big on remakes, but I was really blown away when I first saw the trailer for the Cave Story 3D and how great the game looked and when I later played the game, I can say that I was not disappointed. Cave Story 3D has gameplay that combines gameplay elements from the 2D Metroid series and the Castlevania series and the gameplay is really good as a result. The game is really one of the gem titles for the 3DS and I would view Cave Story 3D as one of the most underrated game released in 2011. Mario also made his presence known during the holiday season with games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Mario Kart 7 is another entry in the Mario Kart series, this time for the Nintendo 3DS. Mario Kart 7 is what you would expect from any Mario Kart game, as the core gameplay has not changed all that much from previous Mario Kart games. Although, that does not mean that Mario Kart 7 does not mix things up a bit. Mario Kart 7 now features Kart Customization and new racing mechanics with the addition of the Glider and the Water Propeller (which do what they sound like they would do). While it may not be regarded as one of the best Mario Kart games ever released, Mario Kart 7 is still an excellent entry in the Mario Kart series. Super Mario 3D Land maybe the best Nintendo 3DS title released this year and with the gameplay being combination of the Mario Galaxy games and the New Super Mario Bros. series, it is not hard to see why. Super Mario 3D Land plays like one of the New Super Mario Bros. games, but on a 3D plane, and it has all of the gameplay features of the 3D games. When I played Super Mario 3D Land, it was like playing a culmination of every Mario game ever made and I view this game as one of the best 3DS titles released thus far.
Before I move onto what most people think was the best game from Nintendo released this year, I going to mention the contribution Nintendo got from Sega during this holiday season, as Sega released two games for both of Nintendo’s main systems. First is Sonic Generations for the Nintendo 3DS. While it may not be as great as the console games, this version of Sonic Generations is still a good game that is a bit different from the console games. As the gameplay for Classic Sonic remains mostly untouched, most of the game is different from the console versions in terms of some of the levels for the game (such as Emerald Coast) and the gameplay for Modern Sonic (which is like playing Sonic Rush). The other Sega game is Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for the Wii. This third entry in the Mario and Sonic series is good and really shows how far this series has come (in terms of gameplay and controls) from the original Mario and Sonic. This game features all of the “realistic games” you would find at the Olympic Games as well as add some dream events, which are like arcade sports with similar elements to a Mario Sports game. As with Cave Story 3D, I view this Mario and Sonic game as another one of the underrated games this year.
Now onto the game that many feel is the best game from Nintendo this year, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword for the Wii. This was the game that many Nintendo fans had on their list this year and it is not hard to see why. This 25th Anniversary Zelda game, like most other Zelda games, is a fantastic piece of work and an amazing game. From the art style, music, and story to the gameplay and controls, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword excels in all of these areas and sets the bar in terms of motion control. I will not go into much detail for this game in the off chance that it might spoil the game for someone, but I will say this. While it may be too early to say this, I would say that The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is one of the best Wii Titles available, one of the best Zelda games in the series, and of maybe one of the greatest games ever made. Overall, with all of these great releases and great building foundation for 2012 and the future, I would easily say that Nintendo had a great year, maybe an 8 or a 9 if I gave the year of 2011 a score for Nintendo.
As we head onto 2012, things really look good for Nintendo. While we may see the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS systems slowly fade away during this year, there are still some good games on the horizon for these systems. Nintendo Wii owners still have games like PokePark 2 Wonders Beyond and Mario Party 9 to look forward to and a new style Pokemon RPG game to look forward to for the Nintendo DS. Things also look bright for the Nintendo 3DS, as games like Luigi’s Mansion 2, Paper Mario 3D (Not the official name), Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (3DS Version), and Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D are well on there way for the system. And of course, how could we forget the highly anticipated released of Nintendo’s next home console, the Nintendo Wii U, and the potential that this system has to offer. With all of these things to look forward to and more for the year of 2012, Nintendo fans have reasons to celebrate as the new year of 2012 is just on the horizon.
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The year of 2011 seemed to have its up and downs at times for Nintendo. They had their highs points with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS system and the 25th Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise and they also had their lows with some weak launch titles and slow start for the Nintendo 3DS as well. Even though it may not have been a dream year, Nintendo still did fairly well and now let us take a look at different parts of the year in more detail and highlight all of the great games and announcements Nintendo made along the way.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
From January to March, Nintendo did not do a whole lot in terms of releasing games, as most of their focus was on the upcoming launch of the Nintendo 3DS. Not to say they did not do absolutely nothing, as there were a couple of good games that were released during this time, such as Mario Sports Mix for the Nintendo Wii and Pokemon Black and White for the Nintendo DS. Mario Sports Mix is another entry in the Mario Sports series, but unlike other Mario Sports games, Mario Sports Mix features four sports you can play with the Nintendo All-Stars (and Miis). I have played some parts of Mario Sports Mix and while it may not be as great as the Mario Kart or the Mario Strikers series, it is still a great sports arcade game that has all of the gameplay features that we come to expect from a Mario Sports game. Pokemon Black & White are the 5th Generation games of the Pokemon series and has all of the gameplay mechanics that were present in the previous generation of games. However, the developers from Game Freak and Nintendo did a nice job in trying to refresh the series by adding new mechanics to this game. One of the biggest improvements was the way the game looked with the new camera and the upgraded graphics and presentation for the different environment and Pokemon in the game. There are also new battle styles such as the Triple and Rotation battles as well as over 150 new Pokemon to make a grand total of 649. Even though I would still prefer the Generation 2 games or their remade 4th Generation versions (Gold, Silver, Soul Silver, Heart Gold), Pokemon Black and White are nice addition to the Pokemon series.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
As we move on to April and more of the Summer months, we come upon the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the biggest conference of the year, E3. I will start with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. At E3 2010, the Nintendo 3DS looked very promising as the presentation showed a lot of developers were on board with this new handheld and there appeared to be a lot of good games headed for it. Fast forward to mid-April, that really was not the case and being priced at the time at $250, it seemed like the 3DS may soon fail in the long run. To make things a little worse, there were not a lot of games available at launch and most of the launch titles for the 3DS were not all that great and not what gamers were expecting based off E3 2010. The games were very generic, and I my opinion, just there to show the 3DS effects of the system among other things. As for the other great games for the 3DS that were shown at the previous E3, most of them were still in development or delayed like Kid Icarus: Uprising (which is still being worked on at the time of this article). Most hardcore gamers would have to wait around the time of E3 to get the first great game of the system, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Even though it mostly just a simple port of a Nintendo 64 game, Ocarina of Time 3D is a great remake of one of the best games of all time. The 3D visuals were great to look at and the gameplay was upgraded to have an amazing menu system to make the flow of the game (and the Water Temple) great. In addition to Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo also introduced the eShop at E3 for the Nintendo 3DS, which is basically a virtual console that features mostly handheld games. One of the first games released on the eShop was the Link’s Awakening, which was free during the week of E3 to help promote the 25th Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise. Link’s Awakening, along with Ocarina of Time 3D, were just two of many Zelda games that would be released this year (more as we go along). As for E3 as a whole, most of the conference was centered around 3 things; The 25 Anniversary of the Zelda Franchise, Games and Software for the Nintendo 3DS system, and the new console that everyone will be talking about at next years E3 and for most of 2012, the Wii U. Starting with the games for the 3DS, there were multiple games that were announced. There were some that were schedule to be released this year, such as Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, and there were some that were schedule for 2012, such as Luigi’s Mansion 2 and Kid Icarus: Uprising (Although Kid Icarus was not really schedule at first for 2012 but instead delayed). As for the Wii U, this is a new console that Nintendo was planning and working on for most of the early part of 2011. Although, not much was revealed about the console as Nintendo stated it was still early in development. However, Nintendo did show off some things that are planning with this new console, such as its HD capabilities and a new controller set up where you do not have to have a TV to play a game on. They also showed off some of the game ideas they had in different demos they had at E3. It seemed for the most part, Nintendo’s E3 Conference was more about what they had in store for the future in terms of releases, and what gamers can look forward to for the year of 2012.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
As we moved past E3 and go towards more of the Summer months of July and August to the start of Autumn with the month of September, once again there was not much coming from Nintendo. Not many titles were released for the Wii and most of the focus was on the Nintendo 3DS system and its virtual console. Most of the games that were released at this time were for the 3DS virtual console. Although, there were a couple good retail releases from Nintendo, such as Star Fox 64 3D and Kirby Mass Attack. Star Fox 64 3D is another Nintendo 64 remake that was ported to the Nintendo 3DS that receives great upgrades in the presentation and graphics, as well as some updated gameplay features that take advantage of the 3DS system capabilities, like the Gyro Scope motion control (Although, I don’t think the gameplay benefits much from this). Kirby Mass Attack was one of two Kirby games released this year (3 if you are in Europe). Kirby Mass Attack was released for the Nintendo DS system and like another Kirby game released early for the Nintendo DS, Kirby Canvas Curse, has gameplay that is solely dependant of the touch screen. You take control of 10 Kirbys and what they can do mostly depends how you interact with them on the touch screen. You can have the Kirbys move by simply touch the screen space in front of them or you fling them to get items or attack enemies by performing a flinging motion with the stylus on the touch screen. Kirby Mass Attack, much like Kirby Canvas Curse, is one of the few games that really takes of the Nintendo DS and the systems capabilities.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
As we head into October and onto the holiday season and the end of the year, Nintendo really started to hit their mark. So many great games were released during this time for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Wii. The first great game released during this time was Kirby’s Return to Dreamland (Kirby’s Adventure Wii for Europe). Aside from Kirby’s Epic Yarn that was released last year, this was the Kirby game that everyone was waiting for since E3 2006. Even though some things have changed from the time of that E3 trailer released in 2006 to now, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is truly a great game that has everything you could want from a Kirby game. Kirby really does “Return to Dreamland” with this game as all of the traditional Kirby gameplay and platforming returns on a home console for the first time since Kirby and the Crystal Shards for the Nintendo 64. While it may be a little too early to say this, I would go as far as to say that this might be the best Kirby game ever released. Moving on from Kirby, we have Cave Story 3D for the Nintendo 3DS. Cave Story 3D is another remake port for the 3DS that was originally made for PC and later released for both DSi Ware and Wii Ware. Now I am not too big on remakes, but I was really blown away when I first saw the trailer for the Cave Story 3D and how great the game looked and when I later played the game, I can say that I was not disappointed. Cave Story 3D has gameplay that combines gameplay elements from the 2D Metroid series and the Castlevania series and the gameplay is really good as a result. The game is really one of the gem titles for the 3DS and I would view Cave Story 3D as one of the most underrated game released in 2011. Mario also made his presence known during the holiday season with games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. Mario Kart 7 is another entry in the Mario Kart series, this time for the Nintendo 3DS. Mario Kart 7 is what you would expect from any Mario Kart game, as the core gameplay has not changed all that much from previous Mario Kart games. Although, that does not mean that Mario Kart 7 does not mix things up a bit. Mario Kart 7 now features Kart Customization and new racing mechanics with the addition of the Glider and the Water Propeller (which do what they sound like they would do). While it may not be regarded as one of the best Mario Kart games ever released, Mario Kart 7 is still an excellent entry in the Mario Kart series. Super Mario 3D Land maybe the best Nintendo 3DS title released this year and with the gameplay being combination of the Mario Galaxy games and the New Super Mario Bros. series, it is not hard to see why. Super Mario 3D Land plays like one of the New Super Mario Bros. games, but on a 3D plane, and it has all of the gameplay features of the 3D games. When I played Super Mario 3D Land, it was like playing a culmination of every Mario game ever made and I view this game as one of the best 3DS titles released thus far.
- Spoiler:
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Before I move onto what most people think was the best game from Nintendo released this year, I going to mention the contribution Nintendo got from Sega during this holiday season, as Sega released two games for both of Nintendo’s main systems. First is Sonic Generations for the Nintendo 3DS. While it may not be as great as the console games, this version of Sonic Generations is still a good game that is a bit different from the console games. As the gameplay for Classic Sonic remains mostly untouched, most of the game is different from the console versions in terms of some of the levels for the game (such as Emerald Coast) and the gameplay for Modern Sonic (which is like playing Sonic Rush). The other Sega game is Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for the Wii. This third entry in the Mario and Sonic series is good and really shows how far this series has come (in terms of gameplay and controls) from the original Mario and Sonic. This game features all of the “realistic games” you would find at the Olympic Games as well as add some dream events, which are like arcade sports with similar elements to a Mario Sports game. As with Cave Story 3D, I view this Mario and Sonic game as another one of the underrated games this year.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Now onto the game that many feel is the best game from Nintendo this year, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword for the Wii. This was the game that many Nintendo fans had on their list this year and it is not hard to see why. This 25th Anniversary Zelda game, like most other Zelda games, is a fantastic piece of work and an amazing game. From the art style, music, and story to the gameplay and controls, The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword excels in all of these areas and sets the bar in terms of motion control. I will not go into much detail for this game in the off chance that it might spoil the game for someone, but I will say this. While it may be too early to say this, I would say that The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is one of the best Wii Titles available, one of the best Zelda games in the series, and of maybe one of the greatest games ever made. Overall, with all of these great releases and great building foundation for 2012 and the future, I would easily say that Nintendo had a great year, maybe an 8 or a 9 if I gave the year of 2011 a score for Nintendo.
- Spoiler:
- [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
As we head onto 2012, things really look good for Nintendo. While we may see the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS systems slowly fade away during this year, there are still some good games on the horizon for these systems. Nintendo Wii owners still have games like PokePark 2 Wonders Beyond and Mario Party 9 to look forward to and a new style Pokemon RPG game to look forward to for the Nintendo DS. Things also look bright for the Nintendo 3DS, as games like Luigi’s Mansion 2, Paper Mario 3D (Not the official name), Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (3DS Version), and Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D are well on there way for the system. And of course, how could we forget the highly anticipated released of Nintendo’s next home console, the Nintendo Wii U, and the potential that this system has to offer. With all of these things to look forward to and more for the year of 2012, Nintendo fans have reasons to celebrate as the new year of 2012 is just on the horizon.
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