Bin War

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We all know what to expect from Nintendo’s E3 conference by now Cute gizmos. footage of waxen-faced twenty-somethings in rooms filled with white article of furniture EXEC bounce around with cheerful lack of self-esteem in front of the latest bright-eyed ‘Wii . X’ party compilation. And very, very little in the way of merchandise that the people who bought and cherished NESs, SNESs or N64s really care for.

In turn, we’re sure Nintendo now know exactly what to expect from us, the embittered heart of the gambling community Fiery polemics about the Fates of obscure, decades-old franchises. Flared-nostril scorn for anything even tenuously associated with the word ‘casual’. constant quantity moping after the Nintendo of yesteryear, the Nintendo that ’still made’ videogames, the Nintendo that knew who its ‘real friends’ were.

So it must have given Reggie Fils-Aime, NoA president, no small grade of pleasure to stand up this morning in a Los Angeles auditorium and ballad down what has to be the most announcement-packed, hardcore-friendly, ferociously old school Nintendo showcase of the past five years.

Where to begin? With the first gameplay demonstration of the newly titled fable of Zelda: Skyward Sword, perhaps – but as far as the event’s timetablers were concerned, that was just the warm-up. How about the golden-eyed fly Wiimake, complete with signature para-jump intro and four-way splitscreen, or the woolly wonder that is Kirby’s income tax return to the world of 2D platforming? Golden Sun? Metroid? Donkey Kong?

For once in E3 career, link was totally outclassed by his Nintendo peers.

Never has the phrase ‘embarrassment of riches’ seemed more appropriate. There were slower instant – Robert Penn Warren Spector’s lengthy parenthesis on epos Mickey could have shed a few century words, though the game itself looked stellar – and there were missteps, like Miyamoto’s technical troubles with his Zelda demonstration unit, but these were mere chip on the polish.

The debut of Nintendo 3DS, ascent from prohibitionist ice in one corner of the stage, was obviously the crowning precious stone The new handheld’s characteristic were similar to those rumoured shortly before E3: a wider, adjustable ‘glassless 3D’ top display opposite the familiar DSi touchscreen; movement and gyro sensors; a round analog control stick or ’slide pad’. surprise were in store, however: two parallel lid cameras, for three-D photography, and vastly sturdier networking functionality, allowing the device to pull game content from Nintendo’s servers or fellow handhelds while in slumber mode.

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Capcom’s latest promotion may not be as grisly as the headline makes it sound, but it’s certainly unique: To promote the March 13 launch of Resident Evil 5, the company is teaming with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive.

Gamers in the Los Angeles area are invited to drop by the World of Wonder gallery from 11AM to 5PM on launch day where Red Cross workers will be on hand to take your blood. In return, Capcom is offering donors “the chance to get exclusive limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive collectibles, win copies of the game” and “enter a raffle for one of several exclusive red Xbox 360 Resident Evil limited edition consoles.”

If you’d like to participate, Capcom’s recommends reading the Red Cross’ guidelines on who is eligible to donate. Once you’ve established that your blood is viable, visit the Capcom Unity blog for full details and to schedule an appointment.