Dave ponders exactly what Mr. Miyamoto's puppy was up to with that cute little pug ...

by NOA_Dave

It never fails. It doesn’t matter how much of this stuff I know ahead of time, it doesn’t matter what games and products are being talked about, I always get an incredible adrenaline rush at these events. There is nothing like sitting in a hall with 400 of the most ardent gamers and Nintendo fans from all over the world seeing the company they love reveal what they are going to be getting their hands on in the coming year.

The briefing was supposed to start at 9 AM and there were already plenty of folks milling around the registration tables before 8 AM. By 8:45, two whole floors of the terrace of the Hollywood Highlands Shopping Center were totally packed. The air was thick with anticipation…(OK, maybe it was just the LA smog ... I just can’t resist taking a shot at LA when I get the chance). As soon as the doors opened just after 9 you would have thought there were $100 bills on every seat the way people stormed into the place.

And then began the waiting. Fortunately most of us had our Nintendo DS systems so what must have been the largest PictoChat session ever started up. There were pictures, taunts, and site promos flying all over the place. And still we waited. It turns out that there were so many people that the LA Fire Marshal wouldn’t let us start until everybody cleared the aisle ways and created room for people to move along the perimeter of the hall. Nearly 45 minutes after the presentation was supposed to start we got under way.

The rest felt like a blur. Various sections of the audience hooted and hollered for their favorite titles. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance got many props. There was much laughter of the truly joyful variety when DDR Mario Mix popped up on screen. I really have no idea what Mr. Miyamoto’s puppy, Mario, was doing to Tina Wood’s pug up on the screen. Maybe its best not to discuss that. David Hollands flat-out rocked. I knew Electroplankton was unique but when I heard it used by a skilled musician -- it went from a charming distraction to a serious artistic tool. We’ll be seeing more of that kind of thing I’m sure.

I'm betting that everybody in the room could visualize carrying around a Game Boy Micro in their pocket. I got to play with one during the morning rehearsal for the briefing and you will not believe how bright and crisp the screen on that thing is. It is so lightweight I had to ask if it actually had a battery in it. What a phenomenal little device and a wonderful surprise for everyone.

The Revolution was also amazing. It is even sleeker and cooler looking in person than in the photos. Definitely the slickest console Nintendo has ever produced. And that list of titles Mr. Iwata alluded to ... Online Smash Bros.? At launch? C’mon, who of you is going to be able to get to sleep tonight with that idea kicking around in your head?

Here was the most surprising thing about the whole presentation though. I was in the crowd last year when the new Zelda was revealed and you would not have believed how loud it was with everyone shouting their approval. This year’s equivalent was the announcement that Nintendo’s library of games, stretching back to the days of the NES, would be available for download via WiFi for the Nintendo Revolution. You can talk about horsepower. You can talk about chipsets and double concave gestures or whatever all you want. There is absolutely no one … no one … who can compete with that.

Mr. Iwata has it absolutely right. We will all get to feel like a kid again.