Many can agree that Nintendo's conference at E3 2008 was lacking, being that their major announcements were Wii Speak, Wii Motion Plus, and Animal Crossing: City Folk. There were neat hardware additions, but in terms of software? Nowhere near had a crowd pleaser compared to Microsoft's and Sony's show casings. a lot of what i like to call, "Nintendo martyrs" argued that the rest of us fail to realize that Nintendo is no longer targeting the core crowd, are implementing a new business strategy, etc, in which resulted what was shown at their press conference. let me make this perfectly clear: when the president makes a public apology, there's been a mistake.
For a few months now, there has been much anticipation for the then upcoming Nintendo Conference which they would be holding on their own. Many speculated a new DS, Kid Icarus, etc. overall; fans had their eyes on Nintendo, hoping that they'll unveil new and exciting projects.
They did not disappoint.
The biggest announcement of Nintendo's conference was the upgrade, Nintendo DSi. Only sacrificing the GBA cartridge slot and size, the new DS brings a lot of welcomed additions. Seemingly gearing it more towards the casual market (in this case, it's a very good thing) DSi features a built in 3-megapixel camera. Along with the digital camera, DSi owners will be able to modify their snapped pictures on the handheld, and also transfer them to the Wii's Photo Channel. In addition, the DSi will include an SD card slot, and will be capable of music playback, and (announcing that the DSi will have a faster Wifi connection) will be shipped with an internet browser. Finally, another big addition to the DSi is that it'll feature downloadable software. Software will cost 200pts, 500pts, and 800 pts. There were also games showcased for the DSi including Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, which will have similar features as the original for the GBA in that it'll be playable on both the DSi and the Wii via wireless connection. The Nintendo DSi is set to be released in Japan on the first of November, there has yet to be a US release date.
Despite all attention on the new DSi, there were also some big announcements for the Wii. Some damn good ones. Turning their attention the problematic storage issue, Nintendo finally announced the ability to download games directly to the systems SD. not the hardrive like many were hoping for (not that it as expected), but it's a start. "Let's play on Wii" was also revealed, enabling players to get their hands on old GC titles that are modified for the Wii. This does, however, bring up concern about hopeful sequels that were assumed to be released on Wii in the future. However, core fans will be happy to hear that in 2009, Punch out!!, a new Sin & Punishment, along with many other titles (Nintendo titles i might add) will be available on Wii. In a montage video, Nintendo showed off announced games, many which look to be quite promising.
Nintendo's conference announced some neat and welcoming additions set to be released in their future. With the new Nintendo DSi, and titles like Punch Out and Sin & Punishment on their way, Nintendo had redeemed them self after their disappointing conference at E3. President Satoru apologized for their showcasing at E3, and we say, "Apology accepted, and thank you".