Feature: My Nintendo Connection Tour 2011 Experience and Impressions, Part Two
Head inside as I continue to relive the awesomeness that was this years Tour
In case you missed it, heres Part One of this feature.
Okay, so now to Skyward Sword. There were three demos, Bird Flying, Dungeon and Boss Battle, and I went for the Bird Flying first because Im mad. I really do like the art style in this game. It looks as mature as it could be while remaining inviting. In Bird Flying, Link was in a competition to capture a statue from the clutches of a golden bird, with the winner getting a gift from young Zelda. It felt like a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) controlling Link in this new, wide open environment without worrying about baddies. Like with Epona in previous Zelda games, Links bird has a dash meter, and you can press the A Button up to three times in succession to get short boosts of speed, before you must wait for the meter to replenish.
You can also swing the Wii Remote side to side to gain altitude and then proceed to swoop down on the golden bird. The MotionPlus works quite well here as you tilt the Remote to change your direction. Although I had fun with this demo, I couldnt help but feel I would get bored with it after a while. The next demo I played was the Dungeon. The main area was a circular room scattered with Deku Babas, Bokoblins, Skulltulas and Keese, for those of you playing at home. When I first used Links sword, I disappointed myself by futilely waggling at enemies. With MotionPlus used, it took a bit of time for me to adjust to the fact that I needed to think before slashing. In fact, it was slightly annoying that Skulltulas in particular had to be killed in a certain way, made even harder when they were swinging on webs, and I easily lost a few hearts from getting too close. I was thinking, "ugh, its just a spider, die already!"
The dungeon also presented an opportunity to try out the flying Beetle item. The MotionPlus really shines here and twisting the Remote works great in directing the Beetle. The Beetle was able to snip webs to make Skulltulas drop down (no thanks) and could also be directed into a crystal to open a locked door, beyond which was a battle with a Stalfos. One thing Id like to point out is about the item switching mechanic. If you havent watched the trailers, you hold the B Button then point (with MotionPlus) at the item you want to equip from a circular menu, as if reaching into your pocket. While its good that you now dont have to disrupt the game by pausing to switch items, for me the circular menu didnt feel as responsive or as natural as I thought it would be. I cant think of a better way to explain it, but I kind of prefer a more "clicky" way of selecting things than having to physically point at them while holding a button. Im saying this with the knowledge that the game didnt appear to let you map items to buttons, which offers the fastest way to change items. However, Id like to give this mechanic another chance and see if I can equip items faster – Nintendo would have included it for a reason.
On to the Stalfos, and again I noticed the role of the MotionPlus as crucial to its defeat. The Stalfos wields a sword in either hand and you quickly realise that you need to swing your sword in the direction that will find the gap in the Stalfos defence. It was quite rewarding seeing the Stalfos being progressively dismembered through successful attacks. The final demo was the boss battle against Ghirahim, you know, that flamboyant dude with the long tongue and one pointed ear? I like this guy. Hes not like "AARRRGGHHH, YOU MUST DIE"; hes collected and to him, Link seems like a mere speed bump in his pursuit of Zelda. He toys with you and at times when you swing your sword at him, he stops the strike casually with just two fingers. I wont bore you with more details of the battle; Im just intrigued to see how Ghirahims character develops in the game, as its quite refreshing to see a new character with such un-Zelda mannerisms as his.
Another game I tried out at Parramatta was of course Mario Kart 7. I love it. I already loved it before I played it. New items? Yay! New characters? Great! Customisable karts? Interesting! Underwater driving? Fun?! Mario Kart means multiplayer and although we didnt get to try that out with the demo units, I just know there are going to be some fantastic online matches once this baby hits the shelves. So, my boring impressions? Well, it isnt really fair to judge the game based on the demo. If I recall correctly, there were only four playable tracks and a very limited selection of karts/wheels, but Im liking what Ive seen so far.
Its no big deal, but seeing the old rocket start make its usual return made me smile. Coming from the previous handheld Mario Kart game, Mario Kart DS, my instinctive reaction when approaching a corner was to continuously shift the Circle Pad left to right to initiate a power slide (which, incidentally, works when youre playing Mario Kart DS on the 3DS). However, you have no control in how quickly you attain the boost (ignoring the sharpness of your turn), so its similar to power sliding with the Manual setting in Mario Kart Wii, which I dont like to use, thank you very much. In terms of items, again, limited offerings here, so the real thrills will come once weve got the final game.
Now what would a Connection Tour be without trivia? As usual, Jamie from Nintendo did a wonderful job as MC for the event, interacting with the crowd, giving out heaps of prizes, and impressing us with his superior Nintendo knowledge. Its always funny when Jamie has to make up a question on the spot (like asking each person in the crowd to guess the number in his head, only to end in someone yelling "I said that!" when he reveals the answer after several minutes), funny when he tasks someone with naming all the playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or when an adorable little kid says a wildly incorrect answer…good times. Prizes included a Zelda-themed lanyard, a Skyward Sword pin, an ocarina, an Ocarina of Time 3D key chain, a pen, t-shirts and probably something else Ive forgotten.
So I also went to the Chatswood event. I briefly played Kid Icarus: Uprising; Im already sold on this game having played it earlier, and you can read my impressions here. I played Star Fox 64 3D too and managed to get a local multiplayer match going in the Battle mode, which is pretty fun. In multiplayer, the 3DSs inner camera live streams your face to the others, on a square that hovers above your Arwing. The point of this is that you see one anothers facial expressions as you shoot each other down. Its a nifty feature, but unless your friend is overly reactive to being shot down, you wouldnt really look at it very much in a hectic match.
Another game I tried out was Just Dance 3 on the Wii. Well, when I say "tried out", I mean joined in. You see, towards the end of the day, more people began gathering around the game, especially because there was one particular (male) staff member who was really into it. So with so many people around, what did we do? We had a mass Just Dance session of course! Now obviously only four people can "play", but that wasnt the point. About 10 to 15 of us gathered round the TV – just imagine, a cramped space with everyone trying to look at the screen at the same time while keeping apart to perform the moves properly. I kept bopping the head of someone in front of me at times, much fun was had.
As closing time approached and the buzz of fans began to settle down, it was only a matter of time before we fired up New Super Mario Bros. Wii and played with Jamie in Coin Battles, for old times sake. Over the three days I attended the Tour, I ended up getting about 130 StreetPass hits, enough to start and finish the Puzzle Swap and almost get through the StreetPass Quest. I also managed to scab all of my remaining Pokédex 3D data. It was indeed a productive event! This years Tour was as awesome as, if not awesomer than, last years one, and I cant stress how much I enjoyed myself. I made new friends, caught up with older ones and road-tested some of the exciting new games heading to the 3DS and the Wii very soon. Everybody is warm and welcoming and youre part of the gang whether youve just entered the world of Nintendo for the first time, or youve grown up with the games. Who knows what next year will bring? One things for sure, I very much look forward to it.
The adventure doesnt end here, dear readers! Head over to my blog where youll find a gallery of heaps more photos (with captions!) as well special 3D photos you can view on your Nintendo 3DS!
