Live from E3: The Nintendo press conference

We’ve got one hour to go until Nintendo’s press conference! We’ll be liveblogging the last big conference before the show floor actually opens today.

Check back at 2.00 am AEST, or head here after you wake up for all the noteworthy Nintendo news.

Pikmin 3

• Opening video is Mr. Miyamoto…and some Pikmin!
• Nintendo’s got some AR of their own going on!
• Bill Trinen, from Treehouse is here!
• A real-time action management game where you’re going to command hundreds of your Pikmin. Wii U resolution allows you see the individual movements of each of the Pikmin.
• Gameplay demo showing off new Rock Pikmin. They break hard objects, and using Motion Plus, you can aim at targets to be broken.
• Shaking the nunchuck will charge attacks.
• The Wii U gamepad shows off a map at all times. It’s going to help you manage your strategies.
• The Wii U gamepad can be used exclusively to control the game, rather than using your Wii remote and nunchuck. [2.09 am AEST]

Introduction

• It’s Reggie!
• “We started with a game today…because it’s all about the games.”
• 23 games will be shown off today. [2.11 am]
• The Wii U is a home entertainment hub, says Reggie. It’s got Hulu, YouTube, Amazon Video…
• Not focusing on home entertainment option at E3, but literally focusing on games. Entertainment options will be explained in the coming months.

Wii U

• The Wii U gamepad offers what Nintendo calls, “asymmetric gameplay.” [2.15 am]
• The Wii U will support two gamepads.
• Gamepad has an included stylus, left and right analog sticks (that can be depressed), triggers, and shoulder buttons. [2.19 am]

Miiverse

• “The first thing you’ll see when you turn on your system. Call it the mainstream,” says Reggie.
• Offers a friend list, plus people you’ve interacted with online. The Miis cluster around different tiles, and communicate much like the 3DS Streetpass system. [2.19 am]
• “While this may not be available on launch day…” Ooh, bad start, Reggie.

New Super Mario Bros. U

• Miiverse will show you friend communications inside the levels themselves.
• Flying Squirrel suit! It’s awesome.
• The game can be transferred from your TV to the Wii U gamepad.
• Boost mode: four people can use Wii controllers to play, and someone else can use the gamepad to assist the other players.

Batman Arkham City Armored Edition

• Unique edition of the Batman game we’ve already played.
• Sefton Hill of Rocksteady is here via video!
• WB Games Montreal is responsible for the Wii U version of Arkham City.
• BAT mode: Batman’s got a new armoured suit, and the Wii U gamepad allows you to use the kinetic energy he stores up while fighting.
• The Wii U gamepad also allows you to control batarangs, etc.

Scribblenauts Unlimited

• Wii U gamepad helps you create objects, like “Auto mutt,” as seen in the E3 trailer. [2.31 am]

Other Wii U games

• Video vignette included titles such as Tank! Tank! Tank!, Mass Effect 3, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Trine 2: Director’s Cut, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge and Aliens: Colonial Marines [2.34 am]

Wii Fit U

• Another peripheral?
• Wii U gamepad will control mini game bits and pieces in various activities.
• New peripheral tracks calories burnt and allows you to upload them into Wii U via the IR sensor of the gamepad. [2.36 am]

SiNG

• Working title for Nintendo’s new party music game.
• Wii U gamepad works like a karaoke screen.
• Microphone peripheral will allow one person to sing.
• Video shows everyone else kinda just jamming with the one player. Bit strange, to be honest. [2.39 am]

Nintendo 3DS – New Super Mario Bros. 2

• Focusing on three new titles: New Super Mario Bros. 2.
• “Clearly different from the new Wii U Mario game that Reggie announced early.”
• “This Mario is all about the gold. Even Mario himself.” Okay.
• Available in August in the United States.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)

• Strategic new element: stickers!
• “Choose a boot stick to stomp on an enemy…or a hammer sticker to whack away.” Bad choice of words?
• Arrives physically and digitally this holiday season.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

• More plumbers!
• He now has to travel through multiple mansions, each with its own puzzles and challenges.
• New ghosts will be included in the title as well.
• Also available for Christmas. [2.44 am]

Nintendo 3DS third party games

• 3DS third party lineup includes: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Lego City: Undercover

• Lego City: Undercover is more Telltale Lego goodness, with heaps of voice work and classic Lego game elements.
• Quite cheeky and tongue-in-cheek. It looks very fun! [2.48 am]
• Available on both Wii U and 3DS.

Ubisoft Wii U games

• Yves Guillemot from Ubisoft is here!
• Just Dance 4: Wii U gamepad will allow someone to choose the choreography that four other dancers will perform.
• ACIII, Rabbids Land, Your Shape Evolved 2013, Rayman: Legends, Sports Connection and Avengers: Battle for Earth are also on Wii U.

 Zombi U

• “One bite and you’re dead.”
• Ubisoft says the Wi U gamepad is your survival kit.
• Gamepad controls all actions, with a scanner, access to inventory, and of course controls to move and shoot zombies. [2.55 am]
• Reggie got silly with a cool little AR function in the game too.

NintendoLand

• “When the Wii first arrived, it took Wii Sports for you to understand it.” NintendoLand will do the same thing for Wii U, says Reggie.
• NintendoLand gathers popular franchises from the company and arranges them as a theme park.
• Your Mii interacts with NintendoLand.
• Brings together 12 different attractions. 5 are playable at E3. [3.00 am]
• The Luigi’s Mansion area in NintendoLand looks a bit like Pacman VS – the gamepad player is a ghost, and the Wii controller people are Miis who try to track the ghost down. [3.06 am]

The premise of Wii U is simple: “Together. Better”. Great wrap up, Reggie!

That’s it for the last big press conference of E3! Now, to the booths! Thanks for joining us.