During Nintendo’s E3 press conferece, they finally gave us a formal introduction to the Wii Motion Plus attachment. When connected, it increases accuracy of the Wiimote and adds a new dimension of special sensitivity to gameplay. This was demonstrated with the game bundled with the hardware, Wii Sports Resort. The presentation included a few demos of the type of action we can expect using this peripheral such as shooting hoops in a three point contest, archery, and other activities like frisbee and skydiving.
Wii Fit Plus expands on the original and adds more balance and strength training games. It also has the option of 20, 30, or 40 minute workouts as well as training to specifically target areas such as arms, abs, or stress level. It will be available this fall bundled with the balance pad or separately.
One of Nintendo’s longest running IPs, Metroid, is getting some help from none other than Tecmo’s Team Ninja. Metroid: Other M will combine FPS style with an expanded 3rd person view and involve a deeper story than previous Metroid installments. As the past three Metroids have been well done and redefined the game and world it lives in, this partnership with Team Ninja can only serve to make a great franchise even greater.
Mario is back and this time he has brought friends. Nintendo has brought the classic Mario Bros game mechanic and added multiplayer ability. In doing so, they have refreshed a game that gamers of all ages can enjoy (again or for the first time) and adds a sense of cooperation…or competition…to the experience. Mario has also returned to the 3-D world of Mario Galaxy in the sequel to the popular original. It offers more innovative world-hopping action and highly entertaining gameplay.
The game that was not shown may have the most excitement. A new Zelda game was only briefly mentioned in a separate meeting and no details were given, save the possibility of it being accessible with the Wiimotion attachment only. Zelda games are notoriously delayed in their release, mostly due to Miyamoto’s commitment to excellence. As with every Zelda game, any details will be eagerly devoured by fans everywhere.