There is something I feel is very important to say about Nintendo Land. I know a lot of you guys and gals were a bit underwhelmed with the E3 presentation for this game. It seemed like the explanation of how it worked and what it was went on a bit to long and was a bit too detailed. Unfortunately, I think that display killed off a lot of interest that this game deserves to have.
I absolutely promise you that seeing Nintendo Land via video feed and playing it are two completely different experiences. Nintendo Land is, without a doubt, a game that you need to go hands-on with to understand. When I was watching the Luigi's Ghost Mansion portion of Nintendo's press conference, I felt the game looked a little boring and underwhelming. The over-complicated explanation of the gameplay didn't help either.
That all changed the minute I went hands on with the game. I'm telling you, I really did have a blast with the title. The collection of games are going to be fantastic to play with friends and family, with tons of replay value in the majority of the games shown in this collection.
Please, just trust me on this one. Hang tight and reserve final judgment for when you can actually go hands-on with the title. I dare you to try Luigi's Ghost Mansion or Animal Crossing: Sweet Day and not become engaged. As long as you have the right people areound you, you're in for a fantastic experience that you'll find very hard to put down.
The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest is going to seem instantly familiar to those that have played Wii Sports Resort. This game bares a very close resemblance to the swordfighting Mii challenges from Wii Sports Resort. Both games have your character automatically moving forward, both games pit you against enemies that need to be slashed away. The enemies will also try and block your attacks or require you to hit them at a certain angle. If you liked that aspect of Wii Sports Resort, you should get the same enjoyment out of The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest.
The big difference in this game from the Wii Sports Resort outing is the player that plays with the GamePad. Instead of swordfighting with the Wiimote, the GamePad player takes on the role of an archer. If's up to you to pick off enemies that are trying to take out your fellow Link Miis. You can move the GamePad all around to see where enemies might be hiding. Sometimes they hang out in trees, other times they wait on cliffs to divebomb your front line. The role of the archer is an extremely crucial one for your team's success.
Being a game that pays tribute to Zelda, there are also many Zelda-style mechanics in this game. Outside of the swordfighting, you'll happen upon switches that your entire team has to hit at the same time. Until you manage to do that, you won't be able to open a gate and proceed. You'll have to do all this while facing off against familiar Zelda-style enemies.
With the right people, The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest can be a real great time. You just need to make sure you have a decent archer that pays attention. I played with a few people that had no idea what they were doing as archer, which lead to a massive wave of enemies that the front line just couldn't handle. Things can get out of hand quickly if the archer isn't on-top of his game.
While not as addictive or engaging as Luigi's Ghost Mansion or Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, there's certainly plenty of charm in The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest. I think the real key to enjoyment in this title is seeing just how much content there is to offer. The other two games can be replayed countless times and lead to different results each time. The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest will remain mostly the same due to its more standard gameplay approach.
You can laugh at me all you want for saying this. I also think a few of you will see me as a Nintendo apologist for this one. Say what you want, but know that I'm telling you the truth. Nintendo Land gave me my favorite Wii U experience today with Luigi's Ghost Mansion, hands down. I absolutely cannot wait to get more hands-on time with this game. I'm pretty sure you'll feel the same way once you get to test it out yourselves.
Let's not kid ourselves, shall we? Luigi's Ghost Mansion is pretty much Pac-Man Vs. with a fresh coat of paint. As far as I'm concerned, that's just fine with me. Of course, there are a few unique wrinkles added into the gameplay that mesh up with the world of Luigi's Mansion. All of this mixes together for an experience that I'm absolutely dying to play with my friends and family.
I really feel like Nintendo over-explained this one during their press conference, which ended up killing enthusiasm that this game deserves. Here's the long and short of it. The GamePad player is the ghost and they're trying to hunt down Miis. If they touch all 4 Miis without any Miis being revived, it's game over. The Miis are trying to capture the ghost by depleting its lifebar. You do this by shining your flashlight on the ghost. The ghost can see where the Miis are but the Miis can only 'sense' where the ghost is through controller vibration. Throw in a revival mechanic that has you pointing your flashlight at fallen Miis and you've got the gist of Luigi's Ghost Mansion.
Playing this one with a full set of people was a blast. The group of people I played with were all really into the game. Playing as a Mii, we were all shouting out to each other, letting our companions know when we felt the vibration of a ghost. Being chased around the mansion without being able to see the ghost makes for one intense experience, especially when those vibrations start getting quicker and quicker.
Things are even more intense when you're trying to bring back a Mii that got taken out by the ghost. The more flashlights pointing at the fallen Mii, the faster their heart will replenish. Bringing these fallen comrades back into the mix can be the key to beating the ghost. There's no doubt he has a huge advantage in being invisible, but with 4 Miis you should be able to corner him and zap away with your flashlight.
Oh, did I forget to mention that your flashlight has to be recharged eventually? Sometimes batteries will pop up that you can grab to juice back up your flashlight. Of course, going for those batteries can be a risky venture. The ghost player knows you want them, so they might just sneak up on you as you're trying to get some juice back!
I'm not kidding when I say that the gang I played with were screaming out loud with laughter while we played. I heard some rather uproarious gameplay sessions while I was checking the game out. It's very clear that people were digging this experience. Luigi's Ghost Mansion is one game in Nintendo Land that I plan to revisit over and over again.