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ANDY McNAMARA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF andy@gameinformer.com MEM

Read my column or

comment on this letter at gameinformer.com/mag or follow @61 АпдуМс

The In-Between

hen judged as the pageant of market- W ing and hype that ultimately is the video

game companies’ goal for ЕЗ, this year's expo was a flop. When examined with a keen eye, however, this ЕЗ was filled with a surpris- ingly large collection of blockbuster games that will populate the coming year and define the end of this generation.

This year's E3 being among the worst isn't exactly a surprise. The industry sits on the cusp of change, riding out the last of this generation's games with a display of graphical prowess and developer know-how that can only be found at the tail end of a console's lifespan. Sadly, great games don't autornatically translate into a great EG, since most of the products at the show had already been shown to the public.

The shadow cast by the impending next gen- eration of consoles seemed to limit what the big three manufacturers were willing to do at the show. Microsoft and Sony logically held their hands close since a launch for their systems isn't likely until holiday 2013. On the other hand, Nintendo seemed lost and confused by its own messaging. What makes the Wii U special? Why do | want to play the biggest third-party games there? Nintendo didn't address any of its biggest challenges, and left many questions simply unanswered.

In particular, | felt the big three didn't focus enough on the true attraction of any hardware platform: the software. Games, and the lure of upcoming worlds to explore, are the true charm of gaming. We want to be dazzled. We want to be transported to new lands and higher chal- lenges. This element of surprise was the most important ingredient missing from E3 2012. Instead, the console manufacturers devoted effort to showing entries in well-known series, touting business partnerships, and pushing their technological initiatives.

Without next-generation software (save a handful of "high-end PC” surprises), the industry had a hard time saying, "Look at us, we make the best games in the world, and here is a giant list of them!" I think that is the message the video game industry needs to be screaming from the top of every mountain.

Thankfully, we organize the madness that is the expo into our E3 Hot 50, the definitive list of what to watch for in the year ahead. While the industry figures out what to do next (or what TV service to add to your console), we will stick to the lifeblood of this industry: the games.

And I'd like to just throw this little tidbit out there for you, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft: The people who scour the websites and watch the live feeds want to hear about games, not what new ancillary service you are going to pro- vide. Not to say we won't watch HBO Go on our Xbox, but that is just a bullet point in our lives as gamers. Games are what we care about, and what companies at E3 should care about.

Cheers,

contents

E3 2012 Hot 50 This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo lacked exciting hardware announcements, but was jam-packed with amazing games. We’ve ranked our favorite 50 games of the show, including new screens

and info for high-profile titles like Splinter Cell Blacklist, Assassin's Creed Ill, and The Last of Us.

regulars

») 6 Feedback

Readers drool over point-and-click adventure games, take issue with our Top 10 space marines list, sound off on next-generation consoles, and seek help for their local co-op needs.

Э 10 Connect

We analyze the big publishers' E3 showings, point out the games that were no-shows, and interview a bevy of important industry figures.

») 102 Reviews

Quantum Conundrum makes players flex their brains to solve fun puzzles, Lollipop Chainsaw has style but lacks solid gameplay, and Diablo III delivers a fantastic lootfest.

9 116 Game Over

Before Epic Game's Rod Fergusson helped create the Gears of War series, he tackled a surpris-

ingly dangerous project with an unassuming title.

contents 3

Castlevania: Lords of Dead Space 3 God of War: Ascension Injustice: Gods Among Us Resident Evil 6 Splinter Cell Blacklist Shadow — Mirror of Fate (p. 50) (p. 70) (p. 92) (p. 64) (p.58) (р. 98)

Our ЕЗ Hot 50 Covers

So many great games were on display at ЕЗ, we figured we should have covers for more than just one. Each is a game that we've never featured on our cover before. Our E3 special edition cov- ers are drawn from the most exciting new games that were on tap at this year's big show in Los Angeles. To read more about our cover games, flip over to the page number listed under each cover image for a dedicated four-page preview, or read through over 60 pages of E3 previews beginning on page 38.

contents

games index

Assassin's Creed Ill Assassin's Creed Ill Liberation . . . Beyond: Two Souls. . Borderlands 2 a Call of Duty: Black Ops 11............ 87

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate . .

Cave, The Civilization V: Gods & Kings . . .

Darksiders Il... . Dead Space 3... Devil May Cry ... Diablo III Dishonored Elder Scrolls Online, The . Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion . . . Fan GIy Sais ass etre Да маала FIFA 13 Forza Horizon. Gears of War: Judgment .. . God of War: Ascension . Gravity Rush . . Halo4... Heroes of Ruin. Hitman: Absolution. . Injustice: Gods Among Us . . Inversion Last of Us, The. "m Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes . . . . 110 Lego City Undercover. . . ......... s. 91 Lollipop Chainsaw . . Lost Planet 3

Madden NFL 13

Medal of Honor: Warfighter . . . В Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance ..... . 82 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection ...... 114

Metro: Last Light . . . NCAA Football 13... Need For Speed: Most Wanted. . . New Super Mario Bros. 2....... New Super Mario Bros. U. . . NHL 13 .. Paper Mario: Sticker Star. . . Papo & Yo Pikmin 3 . Planetside 2... Pokémon Conquest . Quantum Conundrum. Rayman Legends Resident Evil 6. Resistance: Burning Skies Scribblenauts Unlimited SimCity Е Skylanders Giants ................. South Park: The Stick of Truth ........62 Spec Ops: The Line . . . Spinter Cell Blacklist . . Star Wars: 1313

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends. Tomb Raider Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Unfinished Swan, The Watch Dogs XCOM: Enemy Unknown .

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6

Contact Us

feedback@gameinformer.com

his month in Feedback, readers praise old-school adventure games,

ask for some couch co-op recommendations, disagree with our favorite

space marines (surprise), and share their opinions on next-gen consoles.

Elder Scrolls Goes Online When | saw the cover for issue 230, along with the map of Tamriel stretched across it, | was ecstatic! | hadn’t heard much about The Elder Scrolls Online, but after reading the article, | can’t wait for the release! MMOs got me started as a gamer, and I’m glad they did. The Elder Scrolls Online is going make all those sweet memories come flowing back and | absolutely can’t wait another minute.

Joe Kerska

via email

With the announcement of The Elder Scrolls Online, is it safe to assume that Skyrim is the last single-player Elder Scrolls game, at least for a good long time? The Warcraft real-time strategy series has been pretty much dead since the release of World of Warcraft (fingers still crossed, though). | know they are different developers — and two of the best in the busi- ness — but it seems logical that Bethesda will also focus on its new MMO.

Dan Willett

via email

A number of readers wrote us with fears that the new Elder Scrolls MMO will take away from the development of single-player installments of the series. Fear not: The Elder Scrolls Online is being developed

by Zenimax Online Studios, not Bethesda Game Studios. The two developers are completely separate, so the MMO won't delay or detract from any of Bethesda’s upcoming offerings.

Old-School Adventuring | was reading your article on the resurgence of adventure games (The Genre That Refuses To Die, issue 230), when | stumbled across the Five Must-Play Classics sidebar. Taking your advice, | downloaded Zork and have spent hours with the game since. | find the text-based medium and matter-of-fact presentation endlessly charm- ing, and am particularly amused by some of the humorous responses the game gives to wrong commands. This game has really opened my mind to text-based games, and I'll undoubtedly be spending hours with Zork and other games like it in the future. Nick Wardner Ann Arbor, MI

| loved your recent article on adventure games, especially the Five Must-Play Classics. Of course Myst is great, but the fact that you included my two favorite games, Day of the Tentacle and Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, makes me love you even more. Those were the first games that started my love of video games, and | try to get as many people | know to play them. | would even put floppy disk drives in my new computers so | could play Freddy Pharkas.

Tayci Stallings

via email

The Couple That Slays Together...

When my husband and | first met, we spent a lot of time getting to know each other over Resident Evil 5. Nothing helps build trust and teamwork like slaughtering Majini together. We played through the storyline on several difficulties and continue to occasionally play the Mercenaries maps. We both enjoy playing other multiplayer games online and sometimes play shooters locally as well, but there are few remaining action games that you can play together from the couch. I'm excited to see that Resident Evil 6 will have local multiplayer. Any other recommendations?

Beth McHenry

New York, NY

My girlfriend and | are searching for a good co-op console game (either 360 or PS3) we can enjoy together on the same system. She is very much interested in games like Diablo, Terraria, and Skyrim — mainly RPGs with swords, magic, and lots of customization. | am more of a generic gamer. | spend most of my time on shooters like Call of Duty, Left 4 Dead, or adventure games such as Red Dead Redemption and Skyrim. Would you guys have any recommendations that would be a good fit for us to play together?

Thomas Viola

via email

If our email is anything to go by, developers ignore the inclusion of couch co-op at their own peril. Every month we get requests for game recommendations supporting local multiplayer. For nonstop killing, check out the Gears of War, Left 4 Dead, and Borderlands series. For peaceful teamwork, check out Minecraft (if you have an HD television, at least) and Portal 2. For RPGs, you might like Crimson Alliance, Fable Ill, Sacred II, or Dungeon Siege III.

Her

3

Space Marine Mess-up? In issue 230, you included Master Chief in your Top Ten Space Marines list. Master Chief cannot be considered a candidate for this list because he is not a Marine. He is actually enlisted in the UNSC Navy not the UNSC Marines, a fact made very clear by his full title, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. He can actually be consid- ered the equivalent of a modern day Navy SEAL in that respect (even more so when you consider that both the Spartan Ils and the Navy SEALs fall under the command of Naval Special Warfare Command). | recommend that the title of the list be changed to Top Nine Space Marines and the Best Space Navy SEAL of All Time. Nathan T. San Pedro, CA

| was reading this month's issue, when | got to the Top Ten Space Marines. First off, | noticed the absence of Isaac Clarke from Dead Space. Then | saw that Master Chief was second to the Doom Guy. Really? Lastly, | was annoyed to see that the COG Gears were as low as they were. The one thing that made it a little better was the inclusion of Stormtroopers; no matter how bad they suck, they really are ciassics. Aside from that, learn your space marines.

Caleb Munden

via email

Our Top Ten Space Marines list once again proved that readers will complain about anything. Our decision-making process for the list was guided more by which charac- ters best capture the essence of the space marine stereotype, rather than their fictional military title. Also, you’re arguing about space marines!

——————

CANDID PHOTOS FROM THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY

Short Answers

to Readers’ Burning Questions "Would John Marston and Kratos make beautiful babies?"

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But no. No, they wouldn't.

"Wood you ever think of sonic to be yelow?"

We don't understand a single word of this sentence.

"Have you guys ever thought about making your own cereal and putting your magazines in the boxes?"

Why do readers keep asking us this?

Worst News Tip of the Month:

"playing video games is goog for your thumbs."

ССС

(Left) Activision's Aaron Grant looks on as Friday Night Lights fan Andrew Reiner meets Game Informer fan Scott Porter. The nerd love was overwhelming. (Right) This year at E3, Ben and Bryan caught up with

a longtime friend of Gl, Gree's Tali Fischer.

continued on page 8

feedback 7

| just wanted to thank you for your article on Quantic Dream's new engine (Manufacturing Emotion, issue 229). The "console war" started for me at the ripe young age of 15, when | was given a choice between two consoles: the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360. This was a very tough decision for me, but | chose the PS3 because I felt like it had more potential. Quantic Dream has reaffirmed my belief. | am very, very excited to see what Quantic Dream has to offer and | will be an avid Sony fan for years to come. Stephanie Winn via email

Quantic Dream has been an important studio in Sony's stable of exclusive develop- ers, and based on its Beyond: Two Souls demo at E3, that won't change anytime soon (see page 74 for more details). Also, the console war started for you with PS3 and Xbox 360? Holy crap, we're old.

W Next-Gen Consoles Debate 28% ш Elder Scrolls Online Cheers and Jeers 2196 W More Mass Effect З Complaints (It's Getting Sad, People) 16% ш DRM Hatred 14% т Continued Darth Clark Rants 12% W ВЕ 6 Ashley/Sherry Birkin Confusion 9%

What’s your favorite video game sound effect and why?

continued from page 7

eft) Also at E3 were

three industry VIPs: Disney's Mariam Sughayer, 47 Communications’ Sibel Sunar, and GDC's Meggan Scavio. (Inset) Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was mighty impressed by Jim Reilly's snazzy suit.(R } Appar- ently they let anyone into E3. Case in point: Harmonix community manager (and GI alum) Annette Gonzalez, and Andy McNamara.

In issue 230, we asked readers if they are ready for a new round of consoles. Most respondents stated they hope next-gen consoles are still a couple of years off, but a few want the future of gaming to arrive as soon as possible. Here are some responses.

In all honesty, | fear the next round of consoles will bring about the next video game industry crash. A new generation of hardware is likely

to challenge console makers to the breaking point in their ability to deliver more powerful hardware at a price point consumers will accept, and software producers to bring games to the market that utilize the power of the new genera- tion (read: higher overhead on every title) without

raising prices.

Benjamin Kuhner

Right now | am excited for news about next-gen consoles, because | know that new consoles can only improve Al and graphics, which will lead to more complex and realistic games. Some people are not ready because they say the new consoles will be too expensive, but if they wait, there will be a price drop and by that time more games will have been released for them.

Spencer Wilson

New consoles?! I've hardly gotten use to the

current ones.

I'm not ready for the next round of con- soles. | only just bought my Xbox 360 six months ago with allowance money that took me forever to save up. Unless the next

Tyler Johnson

Xbox can play 360 games and the PlayStation 4 has the same Vita connection (I'm saving up for a Vita now) as the PS3, | think I'll wait for the next groundbreaking development in gaming before

| add more consoles to my overcrowded enter-

tainment center.

Kaitlyn Petrie

WINNER) 1 Chris Wilhelm There aren't many Star Wars: 1313 screens out there, so just pretend this is a boss fight or something.

Kody Lyle We get the impression that the Luma is the third wheel in this situa- tion 3 Michael Gembicki We give it until Darksiders IV until this series becomes re- enactments of Dio album covers.

Jocelyn Boyle Dovahkiin successfully tests out his new Dragon Woo shout.

Corrections: In issue 231, our Tomb Raider pre- view stated the game is coming to the Wii U. This was an unfortunate template error; Tomb Raider will only be available on PlayStation З and Xbox 360.

Enter the Game Informer Reader Art Contest: All you need to do is draw, paint, scratch, spit, or carve the best dam art you can think

of and send it to us. Please include your name, phone number, and retum address If you're the monthly winner, we'll feature your work in Gl and you'll receive a video game prize from the Game Informer vault. All entries become the property of Game Informer and can't

be returned.

Send to:

Game Informer Reader Art Contest 724 1st St. N., 3rd Floor

Mpls, MN 55401

Left) Tony Hawk and Chris Cole (front) took a break from skating to pose with Activision's Jude Moore and Scott Hawkins, and Sandbox Strategies' Corey Wade. Even skaters dress better than Dan! ( ) Kyle tried desperately to convince Airtight Games' Kim Swift that he was smart enough to solve Quantum Conundrum's puzzles. He failed miser- ably. jht) Telltale's Job Stauffer shared a snack with Ben Reeves after checking out episode two of The Walking Dead. Just once we wish Ben wouldn't resort to cannibalism during E3.

feedback 9

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As thousands of game journalists, developers, and retailers once again descended on Los Angeles for an- other Electronic Entertainment Expo, a sense of uncertainty hung over the

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conference. With retail game sales on a downward Slide and console sales sitting stagnant, many were hoping a next-gen announcement would give the industry a much-needed jolt of electric- ity. Outside of the already announced Wii U, no platform holders were willing to pull the trigger on announcing any next-gen plans, so most publish- ers went about their business ignoring the giant elephant in the room. Though most companies were hesitant, a few brave publishers like Square Enix (the Agni's Philosophy demo), LucasArts (Star Wars: 1313), and Ubisoft (Watch Dogs) unveiled tantalizing projects we believe are destined for next-gen consoles.

Outside of these brief glimpses of the future, everyone stuck to the same sequel-heavy script we've seen for years. The predictable march of the next Halo, God of War, Call of Duty, and Splinter Cell games left many show attendees longing for more risk-taking projects promising innovation, but no one could deny the polish these top games exuded. We may not have a lot of surprises to look forward to for the rest of 2012 and early 2013, but there is no shortage of impressive-looking games on the horizon. Read on to get all the news you need to know about E3: the winners, the losers, and all the announcements that made headlines at this year's show.

is year,

ААТА

XBOX LIVE SCORES MORE ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS APPS

Spotlight: Xbox SmartGlass. Instead of making Xbox 360 owners purchase yet another gadget for their console, SmartGlass is a free software download that works with smartphones and tablets that most people already have (iOS, Android, and Windows).

corporate vice president Marc Whitten ated a variety of methods in which levices can interact directly with Xbox including the introduction of Internet r on the console. For videos, consumers start a movie on a tablet and pick up directly ere they left off on TV, and HBO's Game of °S will display a real-time map that tracks the current onscreen characters are in "5 sprawling world. Of course, game is in the mix as well, with Madden ing tablet playcalling, route drawing, £ arget selection, and Halo 4 tying into Waypoint unlocks and multiplayer game invites. For more on SmartGlass see the Gear section on page 34. - Despite all of the SmartGlass talk, Microsoft spent plenty of time on core games. The company kicked things off with an impressive presentation of Halo 4. A live-action trailer showed UNSC Marines aboard the ship Infinity getting pulled toward the mysterious planet

Master Chief is stranded on, and then things —

Microsoft announced over 30 new content-provider part- nerships coming to Xbox Live in 2012. This is a list of all of the announced apps that are headed to the United States. Just as with the MLB.TV app that's currently on Xbox Live,

all three new sports apps are hamstrung by local broadcast blackout restrictions.

SPORTS APPS

Capcom's Resident Evil 6, and Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Il. Impressive trailers pro- vided looks at Gears of War: Judgment, Forza Horizon, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Dance Central 3. Many of the third-party titles in this list also pledged that Xbox 360 would get DLC add-ons before any other platforms for an undetermined window of time.

Kinect got its time on the stage when Electronic Arts presented new voice controls for FIFA 13 and Madden NFL 13, like call- ing out substitutions on the soccer field and audibles at the line of scrimmage. During the Splinter Cell: Blacklist demo, the devs used Kinect to call out to unsuspecting guards to lure them into a trap. The biggest Kinect- focused title, however, was Nike+ Kinect Training. The workouts don’t seem to be all that different from past Kinect fitness games, but it's all built on the polished Nike+ workout- tracking system that originally started in 2006 and now boasts over 6 million online users. The game tracks users' NikeFuel number, incorporates phone data and reminders, and evaluates users every four weeks — doling out separate fitness and athleticism ratings. This data can all be shared with Xbox Live and Nike+ friends of your choosing to help with accountability and encouragement.

Surprisingly, most of the console exclusives came from the Live Arcade arena. Signal Studios, developer of the Toy Soldiers games, showed

- gameplay footage of Ascend: New Gods, an

GENERAL APPS ` Rhapsody

. Ameba TV . Slacker Radio

. BreakMedia . SnagFilms

. GameSpot TV . The AOL On

Indie Flix Network

Machinima . The Weather

_ Nickelodeon Channel

. Paramount The Whistle Movies . Twitch TV

_ Revision3 . Univision

_ ESPN: This new update to the existing app will enable live television content through WatchESPN, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNS, and ESPNU (Launching later this year) .. NBA Game Time with NBA.com League Pass Broadband: Hundreds of live games, highlights,

and updated stats (Fall)

. NHL GameCenter Live: Over 1,000 live games, social interactivity, and highlights (Fall)

2227.

MORE DLC EXCLUSIVITY

e from THQ

| a cna ESSI 1 g

action RPG featuring asynchronous multiplayer. Twisted Pixel (Ms. Splosion Man) teased its next project, Lococycle, by panning around the titular vehicle in a dark garage and talking about "her" Skills in languages, melee combat, and assas- Sination. Microsoft is also working with Hollywood director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) on a futuristic marble puzzle title called Matter, which somehow involves Kinect. Not exactly headline grabbing projects.

Just as last year, Microsoft trails both Sony and Nintendo in orig- inal, first-party content. Micro- Soft came out of the gates strong with Halo 4, but its only FINAL GRADE: other blockbuster 360 exclu-

sive, Gears of War: Judgment, C+

was limited to a brief trailer

rather than a live gameplay demo. In the absence of compelling software, Microsoft spent the rest of its time drumming up support for its multimedia

initiatives. SmartGlass has the potential to be Several years after Microsoft discontinued the Zune media device, it finally groundbreaking, but if game developers and video pulled the plug on the eponymous music and video service. The Zune store providers don’t support it, it will simply become a on Xbox Live is being split into two new services: Xbox Video and Xbox Music. nice way to navigate to Netflix streaming without An app called Xbox Games will also appear on Windows 8 PCs and tablets, having to power up a controller. It'll be interest- allowing players to check out their avatar, achievements, and friends (similar ing to see if Microsoft will help third parties with to current Xbox mobile apps). Despite the name of the app itself, you won't be ZUNE REBRANDED, XBOX development costs to get it off the ground. able to download and play any Xbox 360 games on either of these platforms: SPREADS TO WINDOWS 8

connect 13

E3 2012

` Ñ à d

Sony had no shortage of triple-A exclusives at the show, but it also reminded the audience

of the work it’s doing REMEMBERING with indie developers. THE INDIES

Jack Tretton revealed

that Journey is the number-one selling PSN

title of all time, and touted two more artistic

DLGs exclusive to Sony: Unfinished Swan

and Papo & Yo, both of which impressed us

enough to secure spots on our Top 50 list.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

ЕБНЫН‏ ڪڪ

With no hardware announcements outside of two Assassin's Creed-themed bundles for PS3 and Vita, Sony let its software do the talking at this year's press conference, and was better off for it. While some of the new technol- ogy demos were underwhelming, Sony had more promising exclusives than the other two console makers. The fact that Microsoft also didn't announce a next-gen system means Sony won't have to play catch-up, and its game lineup for the golden years of the PlayStation 3 looks solid.

Papo & Yo

pi:

FINAL GRADE: aC

w ^ Eur "S ; B m f 3 Wonderbook

connect 15

Z ЕЗ 2012

FAILS TO BUILD MOMENTUM FOR THE Wii U AT А

With the Wii U set to release this holiday season, it Despite the baffling focus on Nintendo Land,

à ; а playable demos of Pikmin 3 and New Super

| was imperative that Nintendo came out swinging Mario Bros. U proved that the first-party land- at E3. After all, it was its last chance to make an scape isn't completely barren for the Wii U. i ° ч Nintendo fans have been asking for a new

impression at the annual convention before con Pika i їс уга, and taere dban eral

sumers decide whether or not to put the console and in terms of gameplay. While predictable, on their holiday wish lists. For the Wii U to come № Super Mario Bros. U presented the series

1 ы

A TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVE

anywhere close to reaching the sales numbers of its predecessor, Nintendo has to showcase some serious software. But after the booths were packed up and the journalists headed home, it was clear that Nintendo had dropped the ball.

To give some perspective, the Wii wasn't strictly demonstrated with casual fare during ЕЗ 2006, months before its November release. Sure, Nintendo had the family- friendly Wii Sports phenomenon, but it also had playable demos of Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Family-focused gamers were wowed by the simple motion controls of tennis in Wii Sports, and longtime gamers were excited about new incarnations of their favorite series. This year, most of Nintendo’s software offerings were worse regardless

of your tastes.

From the way it was presented, the publisher clearly expects Nintendo Land to be the Wii U equivalent of Wii Sports. At both the press con- ference and on the show floor, this collection of minigames (which is what they are, regard- less of how Nintendo tries to frame them) was given more time and attention than Pikmin 3 or New Super Mario Bros. U. We hoped that Nintendo wouldn't end its presser with a game this basic, which is why we were excited when Reggie said "One last thing before you leave..." When that "one last thing" turned into another quick look at Nintendo Land, it was made pain- fully apparent that the publisher is going all-in with this one.

iconic gameplay in HD for the first time, and it looks and plays fantastic.

Many third-party offerings for the console are ports of games that have already been released. Nintendo fans will finally have access to block- busters like Mass Effect 3 and the Assassin's Creed series, but it remains to be seen how well these games incorporate the Wii U's hardware. We're hoping for new ways to experience these titles using the GamePad, so it would be disap- pointing to see straightforward ports that offer nothing we haven't seen before. One third-party publisher that is offering some new titles is Ubisoft, which demonstrated the solid Rayman Legends and the unique ZombiU.

Nintendo also showcased slight alterations to the newly named GamePad controller, with the most notable being the two analog sticks (complete with click functionality) that replace last year's circle pads. Nintendo's engineers added plastic grips to the back of the device, which makes it easier to hold sideways. A new TV button lets the GamePad function as a remote control. Near-field communica- tion capabilities will allow games like Rayman Legends to incorporate physical objects into gameplay, a la Skylanders. Perhaps most importantly, Nintendo announced that the console supports two GamePads at the same time (the company had previously said the Wii U would only support one).

Fans of the social aspects of gaming can use the GamePad's screen to write messages and draw pictures to share in the new Miiverse. Acting as the console’s home screen, the Mii- verse displays a collection of online Mii char- acters crowded around what they're currently playing. Gamers can communicate via text and drawings, and share screenshots of their recent

gaming experiences.

eS The name Miiverse doesn't

just apply to this hub area;

When the Wii launched with the Classic players can also access it Controller, it was primarily intended for in-game at certain points. As

use with Virtual Console games. For the Wii U, Nintendo has introduced a control alternative that should perform as well for modern games as it does for NES and over again, a Miiverse

an example, Nintendo men- tioned a hypothetical jump

in a Mario game that proved particularly hard. If you fell over

and SNES classics. The Pro controller prompt would ask you how resembles the Xbox 360 controller in many ways, outside of it made you feel. Once you the more traditional d-pad and a position swap between the entered your thoughts, it could

right analog stick and face buttons.

potentially appear (along with (continued on page 18)

CRITICAL JUNCTURE

Several kiosks at Nintendo's booth were dedicated to Wii U Panorama View. This demo began with the ability to select between several real-world videos. One is set in Kyoto, Japan, another is shot from a double decker tour of London, and the one we selected took place dur- ing Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Footage on both the TV and my Wii U PANORAMA GamePad showed dancers and floats parade down a crowded street, VIEW

and moving my controller changed the perspective. It isn't a game, but

seeing the real-world footage was interesting. When aksed whether this would be a full retail release or a downloadable app, Nintendo reps stated no concrete plans are in place.

THE Wii U

LINEUP SO FAR

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Assassin's Creed III

Avengers: Battle For Earth

Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition

Ben 10: Omniverse Darksiders II

Dirt

FIFA 13

Game & Wario Ghost Recon Online Injustice: Gods Among Us

Just Dance 4

Lego City Undercover Madden NFL 13

Mass Effect 3 NBA 2K13

New Super Mario Bros. U

Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

Nintendo Land Pikmin 3

Project P-100 Rabbids Land Rayman Legends

Scribblenauts Unlimited

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Sports Connection Skylanders Giants Tank! Tank! Tank!

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Transformers Prime: The Game

Wii Fit U Wii U Panorama View ZombiU

connect 17

Zu E AW AW d

The Wii U was clearly Nintendo's focus at the show, but a few play- able 3DS units (tethered to mod- els) made their way around the Show floor as well. Only a hand- ful of games had a presence at THE 3DS? ЕЗ, including the predictably solid

New Super Mario Bros. 2 (with newly announced co-op play) and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate (above). During an after-hours software showcase, Nintendo presented a hands-off demo of Paper Mario: Sticker Star that impressed those in attendance. Many expected Nintendo to announce a redesign and show- case more new games, but they never materialized.

Two weeks after the show, Nintendo pulled the veil off its new super-sized handheld, the 3DS XL. Why didn't Nintendo showcase this new handheld during its press conference? Only the company knows, but it's a welcome announcement nonetheless. With a 90-percent larger viewing area, longer battery life, and a 4GB memory card, this is the new Cadillac of Nintendo handhelds. Many expected the larger unit to include a second ana- log stick, but the absence of one likely signals the end of publisher and developer support for the Circle Pad Pro. The 3DS XL goes on sale August 19 for $199, and comes in blue/black and red/black color schemes.

In other belated 3DS news, Nintendo also announced that Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is coming to the handheld in November, and the company plans to release a new downloadable puzzle every day. In 2013, players can look forward to 3DS versions of Fire Emblem: Awakening and Animal Crossing.

NINTENDO DS XL

WHAT ABOUT

2 2 1 1 2

М

(continued from page 16)

other players' comments) at that spot if another player is having the same problem. Nintendo says it plans to have a system in place to avoid spoilers, and that messages would need to be approved by moderators before they go live on the system. This means that posts may take approximately 30 minutes to appear, which is a relative eternity in Internet time. Miiverse mes- sages will eventually be accessible via phones and web browsers, but this feature may not be available at launch.

Nintendo pushed Miiverse as evidence that the company is getting serious about online features, but some big questions were left unan- swered. The much-maligned friend code system was never mentioned, but after the press con- ference Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said they are coming back in a more streamlined form. Other important features were similarly ignored, such as the ability to maintain a friends list, create parties, and easily invite other play- ers to a game. One thing that the publisher did briefly touch on was media apps, confirming that Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Amazon Instant Video would be available on the console.