Last year was just a taste of things to come.
In a few days, Nintendo will formally pull back the curtain on its plans for Wii U. Though the system was revealed at E3 2011, this is the year that truly matters. This is the year the system launches. That means we'll see final hardware, not just prototypes. That means we'll see games, not demos. That means we'll see real plans and not just sweeping promises.
Or at least that's what happen. Though Nintendo has much to prove at this year's show - and not much time between now and when the system is slated to launch - it's tough to tell exactly what gaming's most enigmatic publisher will actually do. Wii U is by far E3 2012's biggest spectacle. It's the biggest question mark. As we've said time and time again, all eyes will be on Nintendo as it transitions from one of its most successful eras into the unknown.
With all that said, here are some of the games we expect to see at this year's show. These are the stars of Wii U's evolving line-up, one that seems to be growing almost daily.
The Unknown
The strange thing about Wii U is that its biggest games are likely still waiting in the shadows. We know Mario and Pikmin are on the way, and we've seen some promising third party support, but we're still waiting for the real knockout punch.
We're waiting for the Zelda game. The Metroid. The addition of key third party franchises like Resident Evil and Bioshock Infinite. And while adding third party ports wouldn't seem like the biggest deal, it's a critical element to Nintendo establishing itself as being in the same league as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 - while still setting itself apart with its own content. Balancing all of those ideas will be very difficult for Nintendo - and we should have some idea of its success next week.
Rayman Legends
Release Date:TBA
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Platformer
Rayman Legends first surfaced through a leaked concept trailer, one which demonstrated an array of specialized Wii U functionality. One question we have is whether all of those ideas will make it in the final product, but we're also curious to see how Ubisoft follows up last year's platformer, which we rather loved.
It's likely we'll see games like Assassin's Creed or Mario taking a bit of the spotlight this year, but we're particularly interested in seeing what happens with Legends. If Ubisoft has managed to take the creativity of last year's Rayman Origins and fully meshed it with the potential of Wii U, Nintendo fans might have more than one platformer to look forward to at some point in the future. Hopefully at launch.
Pikmin 3
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Strategy
We've been waiting for a new Pikmin game for almost a decade. As much as Nintendo fans seemed to gravitate towards Shigeru Miyamoto's quirky strategy game, the publisher didn't quite seem to agree. Or, at the very least, it was intent on taking its time developing a sequel.
What matters most, however, is that we know the game is on the way, and we know it will be at E3 2012. It will be interesting to see if this is the Pikmin we all know. Though the Wii U controller immediately begs application to existing Pikmin mechanics, it would be fascinating to see Nintendo change direction and do something entirely different.
Regardless, we are eager to see what shows up in just a few days.
Assassin's Creed III
Release Date: October 30, 2012 (360, PC, PS3)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action
The more Ubisoft reveals about Assassin's Creed III, the more it climbs up our most anticipated games of 2012. While the franchise seems like a known quantity, this drastic change in setting and tone has us eager to see more. Even though we want to see more footage - and more importantly play the game - the one thing that has our attention is the Wii U version. Bringing a core action title like this to Nintendo's new console is the perfect testing ground to see if this grand experiment can change the way we play traditional Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games. We'll see if Ubisoft is able to bring Nintendo's vision to life.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii U
Release Date: TBA
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer
We've been a little apprehensive about Nintendo's announced Mario game so far. It's not that the game will be bad - we rather enjoyed its predecessors. But based on the demo we played last year, which Nintendo has confirmed will be the basis for its upcoming game, we didn't see anything new or exciting. We didn't see anything that really grabbed our attention, that proved the idea of the Wii U console. So that is New Super Mario Bros. Wii U's big test - to take a tried-and-true gameplay formula - one that has existed for more than 25 years - and find a way to evolve it to perfectly reinforce Nintendo's innovation in 2012. That's a tall order, but if there's any character that can pull it off, it's Nintendo's plumber.
In just a few days Nintendo will lay out its opening concept for Wii U. The system will no longer be a concept in our minds, one that wasn't entirely realized or brought to life by brief (albeit enticing) demos at E3 2011. Games will be announced. Games will be confirmed. Games will be played. And in about one week, we'll know if Nintendo's next gamble will be something we can believe in. The publisher risks much and has often been rewarded for that risk. We'll see if it can do it one more time.
Source : http://www.ign.com
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