Nintendo E3 2016 Announcements: Treehouse Live Stream Shows Off ‘The Legend Of Zelda’ For NX And New 3DS ‘Pokémon’ Games
Japanese video games giant Nintendo has continued its unconventional approach to E3 2016 with a Treehouse live stream. Representatives from Nintendo of America’s Treehouse department held a show live from E3 on Tuesday, showing off footage from the next game in The Legend of Zelda series for the upcoming NX, alongside new footage of the previously announced Pokémon Sun and Moon games for Nintendo 3DS.
According to Engadget, Nintendo kicked off its E3 2016 live stream with an introduction from company figurehead Reggie Fils-Aime and the first real glimpse of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as it has now been announced. Nintendo has described the new title in the series as a completely different approach to their classic formula, and from the few initial moments of footage provided by the Japanese gaming giant, it’s pretty easy to see why.
Watch Over An Hour Of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild https://t.co/Msuc0QAAJJ pic.twitter.com/fBwfSWZwIb
— Game Informer (@gameinformer) June 15, 2016
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still being described as following the same nature as previous games in the series, with players assuming the role of Link in the mythical land of Hyrule as he fights to save Princess Zelda. However, there’s something very different about this game, as Nintendo has blown the playing field of Hyrule wide open.
That being said, many within the video games industry are drawing similarities between The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and large-scale RPGs like Skyrim. Games in The Legend of Zelda series have traditionally followed a pretty linear path in terms of adventure. However, with this release Nintendo appear to be completely shaking up that formula. The new title for NX and Wii U will allow players to freely roam the land of Hyrule and with a number of RPG elements thrown in.
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According to Digital Trends, The Legend of Zelda wasn’t Nintendo’s only key franchise placed under the spotlight at E3. Nintendo also used their first day at E3 2016 to show off some footage from the next releases in the Pokémon series, Sun, and Moon for 3DS. In fact, after a small segment of footage of the new Zelda title, Nintendo jumped straight into Pokémon Sun and Moon gameplay, suggesting the franchise’s importance for Nintendo.
The footage provided Nintendo’s first live gameplay of Pokémon Sun and Moon. The titles are set to launch later this year, but Nintendo has until now, remained largely hush in terms of details around the games. However, the demonstration at E3 provided some key details, including starter Pokémon and the game’s region. As well as that, Nintendo used the broadcast as an opportunity to show the new games’ graphical capabilities and the interface that users will see within battle mode in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
Pokémon Sun and Moon Footage shows three new monsters, battles, and more: https://t.co/GFwhjWxoOv pic.twitter.com/RI9kkvK9eX
— Kotaku (@Kotaku) June 14, 2016
Big announcements are, of course, missing from Nintendo’s E3 showing this year. However, the company did manage to squeeze in a release date of October 7 for Paper Mario: Color Splash, whilst also using the broadcast to show off some new amiibo figures that fans will be able to purchase for use with the Wii U and 3DS soon.
Nintendo’s Treehouse live stream from E3 2016 is set to continue later today. Having dedicated yesterday’s broadcast to The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon franchises, Nintendo is set to use today’s broadcast as an opportunity to demonstrate other titles coming to their platforms in 2016, as well as debuting a new RPG release for 3DS. Nintendo has completely shaken up their approach to E3 this year and given the excitement around their announcements, it’s a risk that has definitely paid off.
[Image via Nintendo]
