Twenty-ten! The future is finally here, and what a future it is. Flying cars, jetpacks, sensible environmental policy. Yes, we truly live in an age of enlightenment and ridiculously rapid technological advancements. Hooray future!
Those of us actually living in the present, however, still have the same boring tedium to deal with day in and day out. Luckily, Nintendo and a plethora of related companies are busily churning out entertainment to keep us properly sedated and unaware of the upcoming robot uprising.
Nintendo has an absolutely stellar 2010 planned, even if a little less than half of it is actually “officially confirmed”. Let’s go through all the stuff we know about, and some of the stuff Nintendo is trying (and often failing) hard to keep under wraps.
First, let’s talk about the Wii.
Wii HD
The rumblings have been going strong for some time now that Nintendo will release some sort of next-generation Wii unit that is HD capable. Reggie denies that this is the case, and claims that the current Wii console still “has a very long life in front of it.” While that may be true, there is a subtle distinction there that doesn’t necessarily rule out a second HD-capable variation of the Wii running alongside the SD model for an indefinite period of time. I think this is something that has some legs, and we may hear more about it around E3 time.
Netflix for Wii
This one is definitely no rumor, as Netflix and Nintendo revealed earlier this week that Netflix streaming on the Wii will be available this spring. You can already order your free streaming disc on the Netflix website, which will be shipped to you once the service is available. This is fantastic news, especially for me, as we’ve been limited to only streaming Netflix on our computers. To have it available on the television will be a great supplemental feature. While it may not sell Wii owners many new Netflix subscriptions, it will definitely give current subscribers more options, and that’s never a bad thing. Especially when there is no extra cost involved.
No more friend codes
This one is solidly in the RUMOR category, no doubt about it. Ever since Nintendo revealed game-specific friend codes on the Wii, Nintendo gamers craving a more robust online experience sighed in remorse. It’s been a constant battle that has made online play an atrocious mess for over three years now, at least for the few games that actually support it. A comment made in an IGN podcast suggest that Nintendo is seriously looking at the possibility of ditching game-specific codes in favor of just having the Wii system friend code serve as the sole delivery mechanism for online friend connections. Once again, this is pure RUMOR, but it would definitely be something nice to see implemented, even if it is a feature that is woefully late to the party.
Wii Vitality Sensor
We’re still not 100% sure what this thing is going to be doing, but Nintendo apparently plans to show us something that will be VS-capable in July. What that will be and how it will work remains a mystery. I’m placing my bets on it being nothing more than a gimmicky device that will have no solid application in any games I care about. Just my two cents on that.
Wii games
2009 was a fairly paltry year for the Wii, offering a small handful of exceptional games (Muramasa: the Demon Blade and New Super Mario Bros. Wii sticking out most prominently in my mind) amidst a tanker filled to the brim with mediocre content. There is some hope that 2010 will fare better, especially considering what Nintendo themselves have in store for us. Metroid: Other M, a game being developed in conjunction with renowned Ninja Gaiden developer Team Ninja. Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to one of the most brilliant Mario games since Super Mario 64. And a true Wii iteration of Legend of Zelda. It’s insane to think that we actually might see all of the “big three” in one year: Mario, Samus, and Link, but I’m absolutely hopeful for the occasion.
The the potential third-party offerings don’t appear too terrible, either. Red Steel 2 with Wii MotionPlus support. Arc Rise Fantasia, a beautiful-looking new RPG series. Tales of Graces, a new flagship Tales game from Namco Bandai. Trauma Team. No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, hopefully an evolved version of the excellent Wii original. Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. 2010 is looking like it could be a good year for Wii owners.
Now, let’s move on to the powerful handheld that prints money: the Nintendo DS.
DS successor, with motion sensitivity
Alongside the Wii HD rumors comes word from an apparently mistranslated (or maybe not!) report that development on the next DS system is underway, and that it will feature motion control support and a more powerful processor. I think with the DS continuing to print money just as fast as it has, and with Nintendo just getting started pushing the DSi and the DS XL, it’s a bit too soon to start talking about the next next DS. I don’t think we’ll hear more about it at E3 this year, though I’m assuming they will start talking about it before the end of the year. It’s certainly an interesting report, and I’m assuming because of the back-and-forth between the news agency and Nintendo that every bit of it is likely true. We’ll see later this year if Nintendo feels pressured to unveil anything more.
DS games
In my opinion, there isn’t as much on the DS to look forward to in 2010 as there is on the Wii. However, I probably haven’t been paying as close attention recently. That said, Nintendo will hopefully be showing us more than just a teaser of Golden Sun DS this year. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to Okamiden, Dragon Quest XI: Protectors of the Starry Sky, and Infinite Space. I’m sure there’s other titles that I should be paying better attention to, and you’re certainly free to mention them in the comments so I can add them to my radar list.
All in all, 2010 looks to be an interesting year for Nintendo, and Nintendo fans! Lots to look forward to, but also lots that could go wrong. I think this is Nintendo’s last year to really keep a hold on any third-party support that they may have retained so far. If they can’t get anything more than Nintendo properties to sell on the Wii, we could see a successor sooner than we ever thought possible. It’s also likely the last hurrah for the Nintendo faithful still clinging to the Wii as their sole console. If this year ends up as laughably anemic as the last, more of them will likely jump ship to the 360 or PS3 (those that haven’t already, of course).
No matter what happens, you can count on one thing: It’s Dangerous to Go Alone will be there, watching, waiting, and mocking every failed move.
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