Nintendo E3 2009 press conference roundup: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Metroid: Other M, Golden Sun DS, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario vs Donkey Kong 2, Mario & Luigi 3, and Wii Vitality Sensor oddity

Nintendo just wrapped up their E3 2009 Press Conference where they delivered a gaggle of new and old games. While a majority of what they showed off had already been announced, there were quite a few surprises as well and some bold new directions for the company.

Here’s a list of the keynotes:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii The DS hit returns to Wii in an all-new side-scrolling Mario platformer that supports up to four-players at once! The camera pans out as players control Mario, Luigi or different colored Toads (yellow and blue) as they cooperate and compete for coins and ranking while making their way through side-scrolling Mario stages that players know and love. Players will even race to touch the flagpole at the end of the stage in classic Mario style, with extra points awarded to those who can touch it within three seconds of the other players. Not much details were revealed but they did show off a new Propeller Suit which allows Mario to shoot high into the air and then float down with a shake of the Wii Remote. The game does support up to four-players locally but I’m not sure if it will be online . . . let’s hope cause if not that just killed it right there in my opinion. Still great to see a new 2D Mario game even if it looks too close to New Super Mario Bros. for comfort if you ask me. Release date is Holiday 2009.

Wii Fit is best-selling game since launch in U.S. and around the world. Making the Wii Fit Balance Board rank up there with standalone console systems as having a huge install base of its own.
Wii Fit Plus formally announced. Six new strength and Yoga exercises. 15 new balance board games like juggling and skateboarding. Including one that is like a Mario platformer that has you running forward and jumping over oncoming logs. You can mix and match activities however you want. You can target areas of the body for strength or toning, etc. It also keeps track of total calories. Release this Fall as both a standalone game or packed with the Balance Board.

Wii Sports Resort starts players off in a Sky Diving mini-game where your Mii will directly match your motions of the Wii Remote as you soar through the sky. Tiling the Wii Remote down will make him gain speed, eventually you’ll meet other Miis in the air in this elaborate intro. New mini-games were shown like archery, where you need to actually make the motion of shooting a bow & arrow at a target while taking in other factors like wind. Another super cool game is Basketball, where you actually must make a real shooting motion to shot the balls into the hoop. Looked super fun.

Games that will support Wii MotionPlus include Wii Sports Resort, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (will include the Wii MotionPlus packed in), Grand Slam Tennis and Virtua Tennis 2009. In addition to other titles like Red Steel 2.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, the anticipated standalone Wii release in the Crystal Chronicles series goes in a much more single-player focused and epic direction. Focusing more on storyline the game looked much more like what you’d expect from Square. Releasing September 29, 2009.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days new trailer shown. Coming in September 2009.

Mario & Luigi 3: Bowser’s Inside Story releases this Fall on DS in North America and Europe. In this third Mario & Luigi RPG game, the Mario Bros. find themselves on the inside of Bowser, literally. Looks like more of the same clever puzzles, hilarious situations and crazy animations that you know and love.

Golden Sun DS announced with slogan “The Sun Rises Again.” New DS RPG is third game in the series and returns with all new 3D graphics. Releases in 2010.

New James Patterson game called Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion is a novel-based adventure title for DS specifically aimed at women. Three playable characters. Interactive novel style with hardcore adventure game puzzles to solve and an in-depth story based on the books. Release date is October 13, 2009.

Cop: The Recruit is new adventure game from Ubisoft that gives players furious and fast-paced open world action/driving. Features top-down driving with third person shooting. Looked fun.
Style Savvy are new fashion games for teens and young girls. You can completely customize and dress up your avatar, customize shops and compete in runway contests. Based on the hit Japanese “Girls Mode” games.

Nintendo DSi sold over 1 million. 400,000 DS Lites sold in the DSi launch month.

Flip Note Studio animation program (which looks very cool and makes use of the DSi camera) is due this summer.

Mario vs Donkey Kong 2: Minis March Again will allow players to design levels from the ground up. Power-ups, enemies, etc. Upload levels for friends. Releasing as DSi download June 8th (this Monday!).

WarioWare DIY (Do It Yourself) announced. Control everything in the game by the player by creating your own microgames. When you have completed your microgame you can share it with others.

Facebook support comes to DSi this Summer allowing you to upload your DSi photos online and share them with FaceBook friends directly via your DSi. (Wow, First Xbox 360, now DSi. Facebook is on a roll!)

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will be playable on the show floor. So expect much more info on it soon.

Nintendo talks gaming in general. Over 295 million Active players in Japan, America and 6 countries in Europe. Another 149 million who might be interested. Those are the people Nintendo is trying to target.. For every two players playing there is 1 who would play says Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. Appealing to these new players could decide the fate of an entire platform.

Wii Vitality Sensor unveiled. Device recognizes your pulse to measure stress levels. A new way to relax with a videogame. The vitality sensor will let you see the information relating to the inner world of your body. Pretty crazy and out of left field. No software was announced though but Nintendo promises it is coming in the future.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 announced! First time Nintendo will release a second core Mario title (and the first true sequel it would seem) on the same platform. Brings Yoshi into the fold. Yoshi can use his tongue to latch onto objects in the air and shoot from object to object. Looks as great and well developed as the original game with outstanding and unique level design. Very nice.

Metroid: Other M announced as new third-person action game collaboration between Nintendo and Team Ninja! The game is a 2.5D action-platformer-brawler that looks mighty impressive and will delve further into the story of Samus than ever before. She even talks! Game may even be Mature-rated.