Nintendo just passed through Houston with its swanky trailer full of games, and I was lucky enough to get the chance to step inside for a sneak peek at what’s out and what’s new for the gaming powerhouse.
After a few minutes of awkward searching, I found the Airstream — which is covered in Mario, Yoshi and other characters — and made my way inside. Nintendo isn’t known for their lackluster press meets, and they carried on the tradition quite well; the trailer was stuffed with Wiis and three new Midnight Blue DSi XLs, all running different games. After calmly explaining that yes, I did know how to use a Wii, the press agent and I fired up the new Wii Party game.
If you’ve ever played “Mario Party” (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you have) then you know exactly what to expect from “Wii Party.” Instead of Nintendo characters you use a Mii, and there are a few slight differences — when you win a mini-game, you get to roll bonus dice — but overall, it’s exactly what you’d expect. It’s a good time, especially because some of the games use the Wiimote in new ways; one has you hiding the remote somewhere, while another plays a new version of hot potato. You can pick up Wii Party now — it was released Oct. 3.
Kirby fans, rejoice, as your fluffy pink god is coming back for another game. “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” dropped on the Wii Oct. 17, and it’s just as weird as it looks. Don’t worry, though; the game is great. Although the whole yarn thing looks like a gimmick at first, the developers did a great job fully fleshing the mechanics out, and it shows.
Kirby can pull zippers down to open up new parts of the level, swing on buttons to reach high platforms and transform into almost anything — including a fire truck, a tank and a spaceship. There’s also a two-player mode, where the second player takes the place of Kirby’s new teammate Prince Fluff. It’s a solid game, and anyone who is a Kirby fan should take note.
Anybody who follows Disney at all should know that the company is hard at work on “Epic Mickey.” The game is coming along nicely — in fact, it’s shaping up to be one of the best games to come from Disney Interactive in quite some time.
You take the shoes of Mickey Mouse in an entirely new narrative that deals with a lot of skeletons from Disney’s animated closet. The game will be available Nov. 30.
Keep your eyes peeled for more gaming news and reviews coming up soon. If you have any suggestions on upcoming games to review, let me know in the comments.
