Classic Nintendo Franchises Live on with New Tech at E3

By Nick Mokey June 2, 2009

Classic Nintendo Franchises Live on with New Tech at E3

With the line to try Zelda: Spirit Tracks stretching outside and around Nintendo’s monolithic white E3 booth, it was pretty clear the company had a hit on its hands as soon as it attached the magic Z word. Naturally, we had to give it a shot as well.

Like Phantom Hourglass, which touched down in 2007, Spirit Tracks displays a top-down map on the upper DS LCD and a 3D view below. Controlling Link is still done by drawing a path from him with the stylus, only this time around, he’s got company: a knight that can be led around in the same fashion, helping to battle monsters and clear paths – like walking through fire he’s immune to in order to hit a switch on the other side and turn it off. Later levels use a train on tracks, just like the boat in Phantom Hourglass, which carries Link from place to place at whatever speed you set, shooting cannons to clear enemies (and stray cows) along the way.

The New Super Mario Bros. for Wii hardly deviates from the Mario Bros. you know and love from the 90’s at all, but that can hardly be considered a fault. Playing with four players adds a considerable social element to the game, and the fact that you can vault off one another, free each other from the bubbles that you’re trapped in after respawn, and even carry each other around in Yoshi’s mouth makes it a fun, truly cooperative romp – not just four people playing simultaneously and ignoring one another.

Wii MotionPlus, which has been incubating within Nintendo for over a year, is now only a week from hitting store shelves, and we got an early chance to try it out early, along with Wii Sports Resort. The enhanced positioning technology made a clear difference in archery, where the most minute wavering translated to on-screen jitter, just like in real life. It made a respectable tech demo, but we hardly found it among the most exciting games – bicycling, table table tennis and the samurai sword slashing game looked like a lot more fun.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Nintendo

Managing Editor

As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…

Gaming

As the 3DS eShop closes, devs reflect on a golden age of Nintendo indies

Best Nintendo 3DS games

The 3DS eShop is no longer allowing Nintendo fans to make new game purchases, marking the end of a long era of DS-branded handhelds. Not only that, but it's also sunsetting a vibrant indie community in the process. After helping smaller developers break through with WiiWare and DSiWare, the 3DS eShop was where indies really started to flourish on Nintendo consoles. Multiple games and developers built success stories on the platform, starting series that are still recognized in the eyes of Nintendo fans and stand as some of the 3DS’ most iconic games.

Within a year of the eShop's launch, WayForward's Mighty Switch Force provided one of the system's best 3D experiences, Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudd showed the potential of a platformer where players can hop between the foreground and background, and Hörberg Productions' Gunman Clive provided a short, sweet, and cheap throwback platformer experience with lots of styles. By 2014, Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight had cemented itself as one of the best indie games of all time on the 3DS. Titles like that gave the 3DS a reputation as a haven for smaller developers. a platform where they could break out of a niche and connect with a larger audience.

Gaming

You need to get this oddball Zelda game for free before the 3DS eShop closes

legend of zelda twilight princess nintendo wii grandma grandmother reddit 755 hours

The day of reckoning is fast approaching: The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop isclosing down on March 27. When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to make any digital purchases on those systems. Considering that several games on each platform only ever got digital releases, it’s creating a bit of a preservation nightmare. Hidden gems that never came to another platform, like Affordable Space Adventures, will be totally lost to time.

But it isn’t just obscure indies that are impacted by that change: One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises is about to lose a piece of its storied history. You’ve only got just over a week to grab a certain Legend of Zelda game before it disappears forever -- though it’s probably not one you’re expecting.

Gaming

Grab these Nintendo 3DS games before the eShop closes

wii u 3ds exclusive nintendo games eshop closure ever oasis

While the Nintendo 3DS had a rocky launch, the handheld system recovered gracefully and ended up having one of the best game lineups of any Nintendo system. Many of these 3DS games, like Super Mario 3D Land and Fire Emblem Awakening, were very popular and well-known. Still, the 3DS had a lot of fantastic games that not as many people know about and threaten to be lost to time when the eShop closes down.
The 3DS eShop will shut down soon, preventing people from purchasing new games. As such, we've been reflecting on the system's vast library and all of the fantastic games that 3DS owners will no longer be able to buy digitally. From games that we think will skyrocket even further in price after the store shuts down to some enjoyable hidden gems that didn't get the attention they deserve, you might want to snag these 3DS games before you can't anymore after March 27.
Ever Oasis

Grezzo is one of Nintendo's most underrated developers. It's delivered top-notch The Legend of Zelda remakes like Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Link's Awakening. So what if I told you that it used that experience to make an original IP for 3DS that's one of the best-looking and expansive games on the system? Ever Oasis, a 2017 3DS game, follows a young kid as they help a water spirit named Esna build an oasis and try to save their brother from Chaos.
The result is a mix of 3D The Legend of Zelda and city management games. Players can venture out into surprisingly large open worlds and dungeons to restock and grow the number of "bloom booths." This mix of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and oasis-building will keep players engaged for dozens of hours, and it also stands as one of the deepest and best-looking action-adventure games on the platform.
Ever Oasis didn't get much attention when it launched because the Nintendo Switch had been released a couple of months earlier. Still, it stands as one of the 3DS' best games, so it's a shame that more people don't know about it. It risks being forgotten forever now the 3DS eShop is closing down, so check it out before the closure; it will surpass your expectations.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney