Trailer - Kirby's Epic Yarn

I know it's always fashionable to dance on the grave of Nintendo Wii, and this summer has been more irritating than usual, but let's not count Nintendo out yet.  Case in point: here's the latest trailer for Kirby's Epic Yarn, a dazzling 2D platformer with an astonishing visual style.  Everything is rendered in fabric.

It's funny how success breeds success.  Super Mario Bros DS became a blockbuster smash hit, and this inspired Nintendo to finally make Super Mario Bros 5 for the Wii.  Another blockbuster smash.  Now here comes the third wave of old school video games: Kirby and Donkey Kong.  Both will be excellent games.  Kirby is being handled by the studio responsible for 2008's Wario Land: Shake It, so the programmers have some experience with the Wii hardware.

The game industry continues its death spiral, and the vultures are licking their chops in anticipation of Nintendo's inevitable fall.  Then Nintendo drops Mario 5 and all hell breaks loose.  I don't expect the new Kirby do pull in those numbers, but the lesson still remains: people want video games.  Not "art," not "movies," not self-indulgent vanity projects like Metroid: Other M, but genuine, old school video games.

Just look at the numbers for the new Pokemon in Japan.  Damn thing sold two and a half million immediately.  The public is starved for real videogames, and that need is not being met.  Hence, the decline of the game industry.