The Climaxan

Nintendo is dominating the game industry right now. Never did you think you would be able to talk video games with your grandmother, but thanks to Nintendo that is now a reality. Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart Wii, and um Wii Fit (I guess it’s a game) have all been amazing sellers and AAA titles for the Big N. With all these hits already on the market will Nintendo simply rest on it’s laurels, or will they continue to innovate?

In short, Nintendo is resting on it’s laurels and as a huge Nintendo fan this press conference broke my heart. Outside of Animal Crossing it’s hard to get really excited by what Nintendo announced today. Here’s the rundown:

• Nintendo announces Shaun White Snowboarding with support for the Wii Balance Board. It looks terrible.
• Rayman Raving Rabbits is shown? Seriously. This is what you are showing at E3. It can’t get any worse can it.
• Ok good. Animal Crossing: City Folk. I loved the first one and it will be great to have a larger audience exposed to this game. Wii Speak is interesting, but if have Xbox live or even had a Dreamcast mic back in the day then this shouldn’t blow your pants off. Although this peripheral is more like a conference call mic so multiple people can speak at once. I’m just excited to build a new town because I don’t feel like pulling the weeds in my old one.
• They showcase some stuff for the DS, a GTA game, Guitar Hero (which is already out), Spore. I don’t own a DS, but it has some great games on it. Unfortunately these don’t look like some of them.
• A new Wii sports is announced for the Spring that will come with the new 1:1 motionplus add on. Sweet, I can throw a Frisbee with my Wii. Screw my real Frisbee. Sword fighting looks sweet, and Mii Wave race could be fun. The Motionplus add-on adds about a half-inch to the Wiimote, is supposed to create perfect motion response. Something I fully support, as I’m tired of turning left when I’m supposed to turn right in Mario Kart.
• Wii music is introduced by a random guy having a seizure on stage with the Wiimote. Wii Music is a game where you can be a composer, or pretend to learn an instrument. It has some cool features, like a band mode that lets you play with your friends (or grandmother) and the fact that you have to mimic the real instruments you’re playing is intruiging. Seems kind of cool actually. Now onto some games right?
• Nope that was it. No Mario, No Zelda. Nothing for all of us old school Nintendo fans.

Wii music and Wii Sports 2 will sell like gang busters and I’m sure they will be enjoyable. The problem with Nintendo’s conference overall was that there was absolutely nothing in the future for those who don’t own a Wii for the gimmick games. Outside of Animal Crossing, there isn’t much for me to get hyped for. When I buy a Nintendo system, I buy them for their IP’s, the classics, the game franchises I grew up on. The Wii is fantastically innovative and Shigeru Miyamoto is a gaming God, but the direction Nintendo has chosen to go in with their game design for the next year is disconcerting. Hopefully they have more up their sleeves.