PaigeFTW: E3 Recap: You Win, Nintendo
Well, here I am with egg on my face after E3. That’s what I get for hating on Nintendo, clearly.
Nevertheless, it was a rather lackluster year overall — it was largely a rehash of last year’s big announcements (now with release windows and less hype). But let’s go through the biggest and most pressing announcements.
- Xbox One X
Project Scorpio has been revealed at last as the world’s new most powerful console, banking hard on 4K visuals and a $499 price tag. It’s certainly a crazy piece of tech, but I feel it’s a little ahead of its time (especially since all of its games are playable on … the regular Xbox One or PC). It hits stores in November.
- Nintendo Dunks
Nintendo proved firmly that its roster of franchises is healthy with Super Mario Odyssey (looking much better than its debut trailer, adding a “magic hat transformation” mechanic that turns Mario into … a dinosaur, among other things), new Kirby and Yoshi titles and, of course … Metroid Prime 4, marking Samus Aran’s long-awaited FPS return. It was a charming and exciting lineup. Also, Nintendo confirmed that Pokemon will indeed be coming to Switch (eventually). OK, fine, I’ll think about buying one…
- Spidey Is The New Bats
Sony’s press conference was mostly last year’s E3 bombshells with newer, cooler trailers (so … a rehash), but one particular standout was Insomniac’s Spider-Man, which features Peter Parker swinging and slinging his way through the city in a way that looks totally awesome. If it lives up to hype, this could be as good (or better than) the Arkham titles.
- Paid Mods? Uhh…
This isn’t flashy news, but it’s worth watching: Bethesda has announced its reviving its failed paid mod program, allowing interested modders to work with publisher resources and get paid for their work. Last time, it imploded immediately, and the backlash is building already. If it works out, it could change the modding game. Stay tuned…