Rather than making more individual posts for each game Nintendo showed off today, I decided to add all of the ones I could find, and I’ll add my snap judgement after each. Enjoy all of the eye candy, and let us know what you think!

First up is Super Mario for the 3DS. I’m looking forward to this one, and the return of Tanooki Mario is quite welcome.

Plenty of screens to be had with it as well.

Next up, we have Luigi’s Mansion 2 for 3DS. This one is dear to me, as I am a huge Luigi fan (gotta love the underdog). I may have to buy a 3DS just for this one…

Staying on the Mario side of things, we have Paper Mario for 3DS. The Paper Mario Games have always been a delight, I’m sure this one won’t be an exception.

Moving on, we have Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS. This was shown last year, but now we know more of the story, and there is multiplayer, which makes use of Augmented Reality, which is pretty danged cool.

No wealth of screenshots for this one, but the video kind of speaks for itself.

Finally, we have StarFox 3D. Come on, it’s StarFox in it’s purest, space shooting form. What’s not to love? New additions include making a fool of yourself in multiplayer, using the camera. You can also alternate between button and touch controls, which is pretty nice.

There you have it. Tons of new stuff from Nintendo. While everyone had a pretty good showing, I’m willing to say that Nintendo “won”. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking a break, as I have mushrooms dancing in my head at this point!

Ever since the days of the SNES, the Mario Kart series has been one of Nintendo’s staple franchises. With the advent of the 3DS, that hasn’t changed, but what has, is how you’ll be racing. Not only will you be immersed in glass-free 3D environments, first the first time ever, you and your favorite Mario franchise character will be racing on the track, underwater, and getting some serious airtime!

With the addition of the hanglider, Mario Kart for the 3DS adds another layer of strategy in your racing. As shown in the trailer below, it seems you can take multiple paths, depending on if you prefer to take to the air, or even go underwater! For the first time, entering the water doesn’t necessarily impede your progress! Another new addition is the ability to customize certain aspects of your Kart. Check it out:

Now, it difficult to tell how the game will actually play, but judging by the above video, the actual racing seems more in line with Mario Kart DS as opposed to Mario Kart Wii, which is fine by me. There is some track re-use from MK DS and Wii as well. Mario Kart 3DS is due this Holiday season. Til then, drool over these screen shots.

Last year, Nintendo celebrated Mario’s 25th anniversary with a re-release of Super Mario All-Stars. This year, it’s Zelda’s turn, but Nintendo is taking a bit of a different tack. On the 3DS, Nintendo announced that the classic Game Boy title, Link’s Awakening will be one of the launch titles for the portable’s Virtual Console service. Also announced was an absolutely free to download and play version of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords for DSiWare. This will probably be the first time that particular game has a multiplayer option that is intuirive and doesn’t require insane setups to use, which is nice.

Another great addition to the 25th Anniversary festivities was the announcement of a Orchestrated Music tour feature the music of The Legend of Zelda, similar to Video Games Live. Details regarding this concert series are still forthcoming, but it is very exciting. Also on the music front, Nintendo plans on releasing two music CDs. One, being the CD version of the above concert, and the other being the soundtrack to the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Ah, Skyward Sword. First shown at last year’s E3 conference, speculation was running rampant as to whether this game would be moving to the Wii’s successor, the Wii U. Shigeru Miyamoto, created of the Zelda series reassured the E3 showgoers that the game would be on Wii, and would be here this year. To top it off, they released this beautiful trailer…

Yeah, that’s pretty amazing. I’m hyped up, how about you? I would have loved a compilation disc of the older Zelda titles, but Nintendo is pulling out every other stop, so I can forgive them for omitting that.

The Nintendo E3 Press Conference has just ended, and the news on everyone’s lips is the unveiling of the Wii U console. More specifically, the way the new Wii U controller will change the way we play games. Check out the trailer, and I’ll share some specs afterward.

The focus on the Wii U is obviously the controller. With it, you can transfer the game you play on your HDTV over to the controller itself, the touchscreen lends itself to amazing gameplay experiences, allows for a sort of augmented reality. Compatibility with accessories from the original Wii means that motion controls are still intact, but the controller also lends itself to a more traditional experience. Another plus in the new console’s favor is some solid 3rd party support right off the bat. You can see that feed here. (Hopefully we can get a better version soon)

While not shown, the Wii U is a console, not just a controller. Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed this on G4TV after the conference. He also confirmed that the system can output in full 1080p resolution. As for the controller itself it features a 6.2 inch LCD touch screen, two analog circles, face buttons, a speaker, a camera, and the now standard accelerometer and gyroscopes. While the console isn’t even due until next year, the wave of excitement the Wii U carries with it keep it at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

UPDATE: Thanks to Kotaku, we now have an image of the console itself!

DC Comics announced this morning (and sent us a press release) letting us know about a new batch of their darker characters getting the #1 treatment come September.

Perhaps the one I’m most excited for is Scott Snyder and Yannick Paquette’s take on Swamp Thing. After yesterdays concern over the Bat universe, Scott took to twitter and had a few enlightening things to say about the whole enterprise, making me much more likely to buy into this whole thing. DC should put more guys like him out in front of this whole thing.

About Batman:

Crazy news day! Just want to say thanks to everyone for the congrats and support on my move to Batman w/the great Greg Capullo…So excited for the story we’re going to tell together. Big and twisted, about Bruce, Gotham, secret history and big deadly threats.

And I know how nervous some of you are about things starting over, but I think all of us in the Bat U can assure you that we’re as big fans of Batman’s history – all the great stories, the rich characters, the moments – as you. None of us is out to change anything or erase anything for the sake of being shocking or new. We all have too much respect for Batman to so that…

So while we can’t comment on specific elements of continuity, I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to the elements in the Bat U you love, we love them too. And so please don’t worry about the shape of the Bat U after September. Going to be a great place 🙂

Again, we love these characters and their rich histories (and rich presents) as much as you. And we’re all working together to give you something exciting & fresh that still respects & honors what came before. If you have a little faith, and we’ll do our best to earn it.

And about Swamp Thing:

Yes, it’s true, I’m writing a new SWAMP THING series in September! This one is something I’ve been working on for a while, a labor of love.

To be clear: Besides Batman, Swamp Thing is my favorite character in comics – I’ve read every iteration, from Wein, Moore, Diggle, Dysart – and I would never ever take on this series lightly. Moore’s Swamp Thing is a masterpiece and I would ONLY take the series on if I had a take that honors everything that came before – keeping it part of the character’s past, not erasing anything – and moving forward in a way I think is compelling, different, and central to the core of the character, too. Something that takes it in a surprising direction, while honoring and acknowledging everything that came before. That said, I could not be prouder of what we have put together for you. The story is close to my heart, explores the mythology of Swamp Thing, reveals new things, big secrets, and Yanick Paquette is a force of nature on this book. Couldn’t be more excited to show you what we’ve cooked up. That is all.

He certainly does have a way of getting me to give him the benefit of the doubt. And I’m going to do just as he prescribes. I’m going to take a little bit of faith, check out the books, and see what I think.

I’m hoping for something good, and at least Scott has always delivered it for me.

Without further ado, here’s the rest of the announcements.

 

DC Embraces Its Dark Side

DC Comics embraces its dark side. On the 40th anniversary of the character’s creation, the New York Times bestselling writer of AMERICAN VAMPIRE, Scott Snyder, teams up with Yannick Paquette (BATMAN, INCORPORATED) to bring horror back to the DC Universe in SWAMP THING #1. For years, one man served against his will as the avatar of nature. And while he may have been freed of the monster, he’s about to learn the monster will never truly let go of him.

The World’s Greatest Supernatural Heroes

John Constantine, Deadman, Shade the Changing Man and Madame Xanadu are Justice League Dark, a band of supernatural heroes united to stop the dark things the rest of the DCU does not see in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1, by Peter Milligan and artist Mikel Janin.

Acclaimed Creators with New Takes on Cult Heroes

Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? Find out in ANIMAL MAN #1, the start of a dramatic new series by acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire and artists Travel Foreman and Dan Green.

Set in the Middle Ages, the Demon leads an unlikely team to defend civilization and preserve the last vestiges of Camelot against the tide of history. Critically-acclaimed writer Paul Cornell and artists Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert combine sorcery, swords and superheroes in DEMON KNIGHTS #1.

Tomorrow’s Cult Classics

Frankenstein and his network of strange beings work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. It’s the breakout hero of Seven Soldiers as you’ve never seen him before in FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1, the first issue of a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, The Nobody) and artist Alberto Ponticelli.

A cult favorite character returns in a new series written by his classic creative team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Joining them is JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST artist Fernando Dagnino. RESURRECTION MAN #1 is the story of a hero who wakes up with new powers each time he’s killed.

Vampires threaten to bring ruin to the DC Universe in I, VAMPIRE #1 by rising star Josh Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino. Tortured by his centuries-old love for the Queen of the Damnned, Andrew Bennett must save humanity from the violent uprising of his fellow vampires, even if it means exterminating his own kind.

Priscilla Kitaen has just found out she’s a monster. A half-alien hybrid, the woman known as Voodoo must confront the secrets of her past to make sense of the nightmare her life has suddenly become. VOODOO #1 will be written by Ron Marz with art by Sami Basri.

 

Hey! It’s time to Liveblog the Nintendo E3 Presser!

Here’s hoping we get to see some cool stuff!

Sony was gracious enough to let us embed the live stream of their E3 event! Who knows what they’re going to bring to the table? Are they going to supplicate themselves? Will they just say “sorry” and move on? Will they have anything spectacular on the docket? It’s going to start very soon, so let’s get to it and find out!

Along with the announcement of Halo: Anniversary came a teaser from Microsoft and 343i that answered a question many fans already knew the answer to: Halo 4 is on its way!

While no details were released about the game that will be coming in Fall of 2012, a short CG trailer was shown teasing all sorts of different aspects and goodies we may be seeing in the next installment made popular by Bungie (zero-g combat? Jet packs? Weapon attachments?).

Check out the trailer below and share your thoughts and theories in the comments!

Few people around the super-secret base that is Big Shiny Robot HQ know more about Halo than our web-programmer guy, Chris. No doubt his ears and eyes have been peeled for all things Halo at E3 which kicked off today. He’s here with some details that were revealed about the remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved:

The long rumored remake of the original Halo has finally been revealed at E3. We don’t know all the details yet, but we do know enough to get hyped about it!

The remake is called Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversaryand it drops November 15 of this year, which is exactly 10 years from the original’s release date and will cost $39.99. Anniversary features all new art assets, but keeps the underlying physics and mechanics as they were. This is good news and means that the game will play as we remember it, but will look great.

Don’t like the new assets or wish to experience the originals? The game also ships with the classic graphics with a way to switch between them at a press of a button (confirmed by 343i’s David Ellis). I assume (and hope) this means full widescreen finally [Edit: It does]!

Anniversaryis being developed in conjunction by Timeshift developer Saber Interactive and Certain Affinity, with oversight from 343 Industries. 343 is over-seeing everything Halo these days, as the transition from Bungie is nearly complete. You may remember Certain Affinity from the most recent Halo: Reach map pack as well as Halo 2 map packs and former Bungie developers. I am guessing Saber is doing the backend/heavy lifting while Certain Affinity is creating the art assets as well as the new maps.

With this update we also get 7 new Classic multiplayer maps. Those wanting the original multiplayer experience will be saddened as the maps look to be for Halo: Reach. The graphics, player models, and animations all confirm this. The maps shown in the trailer were Hang ’em High, Damnation, and Battle Creek. It is assumed that Anniversary will ship similar to ODST, which had 2 discs. We’ll most likely see 1 disc for the remake and 1 disc with the full Reach multiplayer experience and the new maps. If so, I am glad to see actual remakes instead of blocky-gray Forge maps. While all parties may not agree on this, it really is the best approach so as not to split the player base, and give Reach new life a year after its release date. This will also make for a clean break when Halo 4 (also announced!) comes out in late 2012.

Halo Waypoint has some goodies to checkout:

Halo: Anniversary Trailer

Halo: Anniversary Exclusive (343 discussion)

Halo: Anniversary Gallery

Also watch for a new Sparkast to drop today on Halo Waypoint to discuss both Anniversary and Halo 4!

It’s a busy, busy week for all geeks with WWDC and E3 going on at the same time! For me, being the iPhone fan that I am, I have been most looking forward to the reveal of iOS 5 and I must say, for the first time in a long time I am very pleased with all the improvements Apple is bringing to the table with their mobile operating system.

During the Apple keynote at WWDC 2011 Steve Jobs and company took to the stage to reveal iOS 5 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. While according to them this new iteration contains over 200 new features, the major ones were highlighted which you can find below. iOS 5 will be coming this Fall and will be supported on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS (surprisingly!), iPad, iPad 2, 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touch.

What’s New In iOS 5 (Highlights):

Notifications – Thank God Almighty! If there was one thing that has always been severely lacking on the iPhone it’s the notification system. It’s too intrusive, doesn’t queue your notifications, and just plain isn’t intuitive. Now, taking a note from Android you can swipe down on the status bar to see a full listing of notifications and can even access them from your lock screen! This was the feature I was most hoping for for iOS 5 and Apple certainly delivered. In my opinion this has been one of the most lacking features on iOS to date and now it had made a giant step forward.

Twitter – There have been some rumors over the last week that there will be “deep intigration” of Twitter into this new iOS. There is definitely some system integration here, but perhaps a little less than what many were expecting. You’ll now be able to do things like upload photos to Twitter straight from you camera roll as opposed to using a third-party app.

iOS Messaging Service (iMessage) – Think Blackberry Messenger (BBM) for iOS. This native messaging service will allow all iOS users to message, share photos, etc. regardless of what iOS device they have. Now you will be able to use your iPhone to message your buddy who is chilling in front of his TV surfing the web on his iPad – all on an integrated messaging service. Will work over Wi-Fi and 3G.

Camera – Remember that really lame commercial for the Windows phone with the skydivers taking pictures as they plummet from the plane? They were toting that the Windows phone could access its camera than “let’s just say . . .” the iPhone. Which was true to a point. To get to the camera on the iPhone you have to unlock the device, navigate to the camera app, and then take a picture. Sure, it was “slower” than some phone’s quick access to the camera, but it wasn’t terribly intrusive. But there are those moments when you need to be Johnny On the Spot with picture taking and iOS 5 will now help out with that. When the phone is locked, double tapping the Home Button will now bring up the camera ready to go – without ever having to unlock the phone. It’s fast, improved, and now also features some limited editing like red-eye reduction! I don’t think many saw an update coming for the iPhone’s camera, but it is certainly a welcome one!

Over the Air Updates – No longer will you have to plug in the phone to update your iOS device! Updates will now be pushed to your phone, right over the air like magic! Clearly, Apple has hired a Wizard of some sorts . . . or have finally caught up to some of the more nuanced features of competitor phones!

This is a very limited list of what iOS 5 is bringing to the table this Fall when it launched – essentially my favorite things revealed about the update. Also included in iOS 5 will be:

-Newsstand – Now you will be able to access all of your online magazine and newspaper subscriptions from one place.

-Safari – Introduced Safari Reader which will bring web content to once easy to view page which will then allow you to e-mail it or Tweet about it. Also features tabbed browsing on the iPad.

-Reminders – All of those Task Apps in the app store may now have some competition in the way of a native reminder system right in iOS that syncs with your iCal.

-Mail – The Mail app will now feature full text searches, support Rich Text Formatting, and a new “split” keyboard for easier landscape typing.

-Game Center – Will now support full gamer profiles with photos, achievement comparison with friends, and turn-based game support (think Words with Friends) built right into iOS.

Of course, iOS 5 will be greatly integrated with iCloud, Apple’s new cloud-based service (which was just announced to be completely replacing MobileMe!)! Check back to BSR later today for a full rundown of iCloud, the services it will offer!

UPDATE 1:45pm MT:

Some additional “minor” iOS 5 features that were mentioned include:

-Ability to set seperate tones for Voicemail, Mail, and Calendar Alerts
-New music app for iPad
-Option to speak text selections
-Built-in dictionary
-Built in Emoji emoticons
-Alternate Route capabilities in Google Maps

Also, Apple.com has posted official video of the iOS 5 features, you can check it out here!

(Sources: Engadget, tipb, TUAW)