Nintendo had the Tuesday spot in this year’s first ever virtual E3 conference. After showings from Ubisoft, Xbox, Square Enix, Capcom, and others, many pondered if the Nintendo Direct was going to end E3 on a high or low note. With just under two dozen games covered during the Direct, social media has lit up with both positive and negative comments.
The stream opened with Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi introducing themselves as guides for the Nintedo Direct.
We’ve been able to offer a wide variety of games on the [Switch] system, not just from Nintendo, but also from our many development and publishing partners. I hope that each of you watching this Nintendo Direct will be able to find a game that suits your personal tastes.
Shinya Takahasi
After they snapped their fingers to the tune of the Switch “click”, we got sucked into a dark, dreary trailer. We hear footsteps…and see an unconscious Ganondorf. Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing when selecting the opening as many fans have been waiting at the edge of their seats for a Zelda announcement. However, it was a Smash character reveal. This wasn’t necessarily a disappointment, as the character was revealed to be Kazuya from the Tekken franchise.
The list of trailers rolled on and on, introducing or expanding on future games: Life is Strange, Just Dance 2022, Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Worms Rumble, Astria Ascending, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, Mario Party Super Stars, Cruis’n Blast, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Mario Golf: Super Rush, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, WarioWare: Get it Together, Shin Megami Tensei V, Danganronpa Decadence, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part 1, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, Strange Brigade, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. As you can see from the expansive list, Nintendo flooded viewers with first and third-party titles of various genres. It rang true to Takahashi’s introduction.
Nintendo ended with Zelda news. Fans received information on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity DLC, Skyward Sword HD, the 35th anniversary Game and Watch system, and finally, a teaser trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
I believe Nintendo left little room for disappointment. No, there weren’t any Nintendo Switch Pro news, and we didn’t hear about other first-party IPs like Donkey Kong and Kirby or additional Animal Crossings: New Horizon content, but they showcased an impressive selection for mainly 2021 titles to make up for a slow 2020. The presentation was solid and well-paced. I’ll even go as far as saying that alongside Xbox, Nintendo provided the most content to get hyped for in the entire E3 conference. So, my answer is no, I was not disappointed by Nintendo’s Direct.
I’ll quickly address the negativity I’ve already witnessed on social media platforms. I’ve seen people post that it was the “worst” Nintendo Direct ever–that they were “disgusted”. Firstly, extreme negative comments come from those that don’t have the linguistic ability to communicate their emotions. Secondly, I found that the majority of people that trashed Nintendo had no true explanation as to why it was that bad. It is one thing to be disappointed because you didn’t get to see your game get announced, but it’s another to criticize a gaming publisher for giving viewers almost two dozen games worth of content in one sitting!
People can walk away from this conference with their own opinions; however, they must keep in mind that these are game developers and publishers producing content for the public to enjoy. They are not subject to any individual’s expectations. Even when viewing the Nintendo Direct from an objective perspective, I still believe they were successful.
Please share with us about your thoughts on the Nintendo Direct. Were you thrilled or disappointed? Join the conversation at our dedicated E3 Discord channel for Boss Rush games.
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