Nintendo has a bit of a track record when it comes to big reveals, and early this morning they’ll be releasing the first official teaser for their upcoming console. So to get ready for that, here’s a look back at some of Nintendo’s biggest unveilings.
The DS Appears
It’s 2004. Nintendo is unveiling the Nintendo DS. The Game Boy era is over. But they don’t know precisely where Nintendo is going with the DS.
And then Reggie pulls out the hits. There’s a new Metroid game. A touch screen. And a cartridge port for all of your old Game Boy Advance games.
And it’s got Wi-Fi.
The DS didn’t end up being that fantastic — at least not until the DS Lite, a smaller unit with a much brighter screen, was released. But what a great reveal.
Iwata Pulls The Wii Out Of His Jacket
It wasn’t widely known what the Wii would be. Back then, the codename was Nintendo Revolution. “Now you say, you want a revolution,” Iwata told a crowd.
“Well, we’ve got one,” the late Nintendo president continued.
And then he pulled the Wii out of his jacket.
Consoles can’t do that. And they still don’t. But the Wii could.
Why Not Both?
Having the 3DS and the Wii U in play at the same time was a bit of a problem. You can’t just port a 3D capable game to whatever console you liked. And Shigeru Miyamoto pointed this out, according to a story Iwata told at E3 2011.
“A few months ago, I explained the concept of Wii U to Mr. Sakurai who was developing Kid Icarus,” Iwata said. The problem was: what platform do you develop for?
Sakura’s suggestion: why not make Smash Bros for both 3DS and the Wii U? And that’s what Iwata promised, saying “the software will work together in some fashion”.
And Then The Princess Appears
Nintendo could already walk away proud at E3 2004 with the Nintendo DS. Hey, we’ve got an awesome handheld console. The specs are great, it’s got a new Metroid, done deal. You don’t need to do much more than that.
But then before everyone bails, Reggie steps up and politely suggests people hang around to check out one more universe.
It’s Twilight Princess. And the whole thing ends with Shigeru Miyamoto on stage with a sword and shield.
A Symphony Of Wii
And then, of course, we have Miyamoto opening the E3 2006 conference dressed in suit and bow tie. Conducting a Zelda orchestra — with the Wii controller.
Which then devolved into some genre of music I’m pretty sure has died, over a montage of Excite Truck and Red Steel.
Robot Nintendo
Nintendo’s actual offering at E3 2014 was pretty ordinary.
The Robot Chicken skits were not.
They were genuinely funny, as well as having a small dig at the cult of Nintendo and some of the company’s own shortcomings. It was a well delivered dose of self-deprecation that put a smile on Nintendo fans suffering from the Wii U’s torrid times.
That’s a small list of some of the ways Nintendo has unveiled their tech over the decades. And in a few hours, we’ll see how the Japanese giant does it in 2016. What are your favourite Nintendo moments over the years?
Comments