E3 06: Zelda Wii sword fighting, next-gen WarioWare confirmed
This week's issue of Time partially pulls back Nintendo's veil of secrecy; Wii tennis game confirmed.
LOS ANGELES--At its press conference on Tuesday, Nintendo will officially unveil its next-generation console, the Wii. It is expected that executives will demonstrate the console's full set of functionalities, which is known to include the now-famous "nunchaku" motion-sensing controller. The company will also likely reveal the official titles of previously announced first-party games, such as Super Smash Bros. and Metroid Prime 3, as well as possibly revealing some new Wii titles.
Today, though, some of Nintendo's press-conference thunder was stolen when the first copies of Time arrived on newsstands. The May 15 issue of the magazine has a lengthy article on the Wii, titled "A Game for All Ages," by technology correspondent Lev Grossman.
Grossman traveled to Nintendo's headquarters in Kyoto, Japan and was shown the Wii by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. The reporter was especially impressed with the Wii's controller. "It's part laser pointer and part motion sensor, so it knows where you're aiming it, when and how fast you move it, and how far it is from the TV screen," he said. "There's a strong whiff of voodoo about it."
More importantly for Nintendo fans, the Time article revealed several key pieces of information about Wii games. First, Grossman described playing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the Wii. "Now I'm Errol Flynn, sword fighting with the controller, then aiming a bow and arrow, then using it as a fishing rod, reeling in a stubborn virtual fish," he said. While Nintendo confirmed the much-anticipated GameCube title would have some Wii functionality, this is the first official description of what that functionality is.
Time also revealed the existence of not one, but two previously unknown Wii games. First up was the first next-generation installment in the popular WarioWare series. While he didn't give a title for the game, Grossman did describe its gameplay in detail. "In one hot minute, I use the controller to swat a fly, do squat-thrusts as a weight lifter, turn a key in a lock, catch a fish, drive a car, sauté some vegetables, balance a broom on my outstretched hand, color in a circle, and fence with a foil," said Grossman. "And yes, dance the hula."
Besides discussing how the next Madden NFL game will play on the Wii, the reporter also describes playing an unnamed tennis game. "The controller becomes a racket, and I'm smacking forehands and stroking backhands," he said. "The sensors are fine enough that you can scoop under the ball to lob it, or slice it for spin. At the end, I don't so much put the controller down as have it pried from my hands."
Content you might like…
-
Next Wii Zelda 'targeted' for 2010
E3 2009 Q&A: Shigeru Miyamoto reveals his team is hard at work on Link's next console outing, which will have a Twilight Princess-like visual style; Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros Wii, and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks all explained in detail.
- Jun 2, 2009
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
Carmack on ZeniMax, Apple, and new 'triple-A' game
Q&A: id Software's technical guru explains shock buyout by Bethesda parent, talks about new project, and doubts the Mac-maker will enter the console wars; new wave of iPhone games explained in detail. Full Story
- Posted Jun 26, 2009 12:23 pm PT
- 169 Comments
-
Crosshairs Interview: Remedy Ent. on Alan Wake
We chat with lead writer Sam Lake at E3 2009 about Alan Wake. Full Story
- Posted Jun 29, 2009 1:04 am PT
Featured Stories
-
Starcraft II jettisons LAN support
Blizzard confirms anticipated sci-fi RTS will skip local multiplayer due to piracy, quality concerns. Full Story
- Posted Jun 30, 2009 11:45 am PT
- 928 Comments
-
28% of all console gamers now female - Study
Industry-tracking NPD Group reveals women flocking to Wii, hardcore gaming on decline, online gaming stagnate. Full Story
- Posted Jun 29, 2009 4:45 pm PT
- 486 Comments
-
Shippin' Out June 28-July 4: Call of Juarez prequel, Harry Potter
Ubisoft's Western shooter and J.K. Rowling's boy-wizard lead this week's retail charge along with Mega Man Star Force 3, Worms 2: Armageddon, The Punisher: No Mercy, Ice Age film game. Full Story
- Posted Jun 29, 2009 8:22 am PT
- 66 Comments
-
Obsidian, Sega confirm Aliens RPG 'no longer in development'
Developer breaks silence, confirms all work has ceased on sci-fi film-inspired role-playing project; publisher says there are "no plans to move forward" with the game. Full Story
- Posted Jun 26, 2009 4:31 pm PT
- 148 Comments
-
THQ reveals controller-based game for 2010
UFC publisher reveals first peripheral-specific title, claiming it will have a "competitive advantage" by being "different from anything else." Full Story
- Posted Jun 26, 2009 2:17 pm PT
- 143 Comments
Submit News
Related Game
- Nintendo
- Intelligent Sys.
- Party
- Release: Jan 15, 2007 »
- ESRB: Everyone 10+
Related Games
Recent News
-
Alpha Protocol initiated for October 6
Sega and Obsidian Entertainment's wetwork-heavy stealth RPG dated for this fall on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Site Blogs
-
Battlestations: Pacific DLC deploying in July
Battlestations: Pacific won the battle against critics when it debuted on the Xbox 360 and PC in May. And while it has yet to be seen...
271 Comments