I, like many people, was extremely disappointed with Nintendo’s E3 media briefing. The company promised a game (that’s right, just one) that would keep hardcore gamers occupied this holiday season. That game? “Animal Crossing: City Folk.” Sorry Reggie, I think I will pass.

Aside from “Animal Crossing,” Nintendo introduced “Wii Sports Resort,” “Wii Music,” “Shaun White Snowboarding” and a bunch of other crap I couldn’t care less about. So where is the hardcore game that I should be excited about? It certainly didn’t show up at the press conference.

Well, it took a few additional days, but Shigeru Miyamoto was kind enough to reveal a game that many Nintendo fans have been clamoring for.

There were many games rumored to be appearing at Nintendo’s E3 press conference. Chief among these were a new “Kid Icarus” game and a new installment in the popular “Punch-Out” series. Unfortunately, neither title made an appearance at the show.

During a post-conference interview with G4TV, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime seemed unable to fathom why hardcore gamers would not be satisfied with the company’s upcoming lineup. He questioned how hardcore gamers could be disappointed with titles such as “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” for the DS and “Animal Crossing: City Folk.”

Well, let me break it down for you Reggie. Despite what you might think, not every gamer owns a DS. Therefore, not everyone can play “GTA: Chinatown Wars.” Also, no self-respecting “hardcore” gamer would be caught dead playing “Animal Crossing.”

What are these people supposed to do? Should they be punished because your company releases a limited number of hardcore titles each year?

When fall rolls around, the only problem that Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 owners will have is deciding how to delegate their money. Sony and Microsoft have a slew of quality exclusives that are guaranteed to please the hardcore crowd. In the second half of this year alone, Sony plans to release “Resistance 2,” “Motorstorm: Pacific Rift,” “LittleBigPlanet,” “Socom: Confrontation” and “Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty.” Microsoft also boasts a strong holiday lineup, which includes “Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts,” “Fable 2,” “Gears of War 2″ and “Left 4 Dead.”

I know you like to do your own thing Nintendo, but perhaps you should take a page from Sony and Microsoft.

Thankfully, Shigeru Miyamoto still gives a crap about the hardcore crowd. During Nintendo’s E3 developer roundtable, the father of Mario and Zelda revealed that he is working on a new installment of a critically-acclaimed Gamecube franchise. I hope you are ready to take command of numerous tiny plant people.

According to Joystiq, Miyamoto said, “We’re making Pikmin.” Short and sweet, but definitely what hardcore Nintendo fans needed to hear.

“Pikmin,” which was released in 2001 for the Gamecube, centered on the plight of Captain Olimar, a pint-sized astronaut stranded on a foreign planet. Players were given a limited amount of time to find the scattered pieces of Olimar’s ship. However, the good captain was not able to carry the parts all by his lonesome. The game required players to enlist the help of small creatures known as Pikmin. These tiny creatures (of varying abilities) not only aided Olimar’s quest to repair his ship, but also helped him defeat the various enemies that inhabited the environment.

The original game was a critical success and Olimar returned to the Pikmin home in 2004.

Miyamoto didn’t reveal anything about the game. He also gave no indication as to how long the game has been in development. Therefore, a new “Pikmin” could come next year or sometime in the next few years. However, hardcore Wii owners needed this announcement.

I admit that I never purchased either of the “Pikmin” titles for the Gamecube. Hell, I might not even buy this new one. However, I applaud Miyamoto for giving hardcore gamers an additional title to look forward to. Now, if we could just get someone to work on a new “Starfox” game.

Source: Joystiq