Post by Nester the Lark on Dec 13, 2023 11:15:48 GMT -5
With E3 officially at an end, I thought maybe I would post some thoughts on it.
As a gamer and a Nintendo fan, it was always something to look forward to. The actual show didn't always live up to expectations, but it was the surprises that were usually the best part.
However, there were a few years when I came to view a "good" E3 as a bad omen due to tragic events tending to happen to me soon afterwards. (For example, in 2004, I was really excited when Nintendo revealed The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. A week later, my mom passed away.) Thankfully, this did not end up being a lasting trend.
In more recent years, the various press conferences and online presentations were more just something to kill time with while waiting for the Nintendo Direct that always came last. Then there were the 2-3 days of Treehouse Live, which I think I'm going to miss the most. It was awesome to get all those gameplay demos and developer interviews all at once like that. It's a shame that Nintendo doesn't do much with it outside of E3. (Even Kit & Krysta have expressed puzzlement over why Nintendo doesn't use it more as a promotional tool.)
Anyway, here are a few random memories from over the years:
The reveal of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Like many people, I was taken aback at the graphical style, but it only took me about 30 seconds to warm up to, and I actually thought it was a very clever and "Nintendo" idea.
The introduction of Reggie, "kicking ass and taking names," and all the silly memes that followed.
In 2009, Nintendo announced both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. Between those high profile announcements, they randomly revealed the Wii Vitality Sensor, a peripheral that was never shown again, and only briefly mentioned a couple of times after (including its cancellation). What was the thinking behind this?
I remember watching the Hyrule Warriors demo on Treehouse Live, and thinking how relaxed Eiji Aonuma seemed during the interview. Then I realized it was because he was not being interviewed by the press, but by other Nintendo staff. I think that format really helped put game devs at ease.
The surprise announcement of Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong during Treehouse Live. This came out of nowhere. When I heard them announce it and shadow drop it, I was like, "Uh... what?!"
Also, at that same E3, learning that Shulk and Fiora were part of the Xenoblade 2 DLC. I think it was the second day. I didn't see the beginning of the segment, but I tuned in while I was eating breakfast. I noticed they were showing Xenoblade 2, and figured it must've been the next part of the DLC. I only slowly realized as they were showing it that Shulk and Fiora were in it as Blades. I thought, "Xenoblade 1 characters are in Xenoblade 2??" I had not yet bought the DLC, but I got it the next day haha.
Finally, here are some comments I've come across on X/Twitter:
As a gamer and a Nintendo fan, it was always something to look forward to. The actual show didn't always live up to expectations, but it was the surprises that were usually the best part.
However, there were a few years when I came to view a "good" E3 as a bad omen due to tragic events tending to happen to me soon afterwards. (For example, in 2004, I was really excited when Nintendo revealed The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. A week later, my mom passed away.) Thankfully, this did not end up being a lasting trend.
In more recent years, the various press conferences and online presentations were more just something to kill time with while waiting for the Nintendo Direct that always came last. Then there were the 2-3 days of Treehouse Live, which I think I'm going to miss the most. It was awesome to get all those gameplay demos and developer interviews all at once like that. It's a shame that Nintendo doesn't do much with it outside of E3. (Even Kit & Krysta have expressed puzzlement over why Nintendo doesn't use it more as a promotional tool.)
Anyway, here are a few random memories from over the years:
The reveal of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Like many people, I was taken aback at the graphical style, but it only took me about 30 seconds to warm up to, and I actually thought it was a very clever and "Nintendo" idea.
The introduction of Reggie, "kicking ass and taking names," and all the silly memes that followed.
In 2009, Nintendo announced both Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. Between those high profile announcements, they randomly revealed the Wii Vitality Sensor, a peripheral that was never shown again, and only briefly mentioned a couple of times after (including its cancellation). What was the thinking behind this?
I remember watching the Hyrule Warriors demo on Treehouse Live, and thinking how relaxed Eiji Aonuma seemed during the interview. Then I realized it was because he was not being interviewed by the press, but by other Nintendo staff. I think that format really helped put game devs at ease.
The surprise announcement of Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong during Treehouse Live. This came out of nowhere. When I heard them announce it and shadow drop it, I was like, "Uh... what?!"
Also, at that same E3, learning that Shulk and Fiora were part of the Xenoblade 2 DLC. I think it was the second day. I didn't see the beginning of the segment, but I tuned in while I was eating breakfast. I noticed they were showing Xenoblade 2, and figured it must've been the next part of the DLC. I only slowly realized as they were showing it that Shulk and Fiora were in it as Blades. I thought, "Xenoblade 1 characters are in Xenoblade 2??" I had not yet bought the DLC, but I got it the next day haha.
Finally, here are some comments I've come across on X/Twitter: