Year after year, core Nintendo fans seem impossible to please at E3, but this year, the company eschewed its usual, oft-confusing reveals of party and fitness titles to focus instead on announcements of major installments in core franchises.
Crowning the event was the announcement of
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, launching "next year." By comparison, the company spent only a little time showing off Mii-equipped
Wii Party, launching this holiday, to the enthusiast press.
Ubisoft's casual
Just Dance 2 was confirmed to be launching this fall, but it was only briefly discussed on the way to a pair of surprises: the first showing of
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for DS, confirmed for this holiday, and the announcement of a long-anticipated follow-up to beloved Nintendo 64 shooter
GoldenEye.
Activision's
GoldenEye: 007 will feature 16 game modes and film hero Daniel Craig in the title role, and will launch this holiday.
Disney's Warren Spector emerged to show off
Epic Mickey, its upcoming action game set in an alternate world of beloved Disney characters, based on a paint-based mechanic with player-driven problem-solving. Spector said the title represents a "a balance of heritage and innovation" for both Disney's and Nintendo's enduring brands.
There have been no new installments in the
Kirby franchise in years, but Nintendo and creator Masahiro Sakurai revealed a new spin on the property today with
Kirby's Epic Yarn, a game that plays with the stitching and weaving properties of yarn to create a sidescrolling platformer. It's slated for release in the fall.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, which has sold 4.2 million copies to date in Japan, will be coming to North America on July 11. Team Ninja's
Metroid: Other M, which promises to push the series down new "emotional corridors," will hit shelves on August 31.
Retro Studios, known for its
Metroid Prime trilogy, has created a new
Donkey Kong Country title,
Donkey Kong Country Returns, which revives the classic Super Nintendo sidescrolling platformer this holiday.
