Instead, the assets released by Nintendo in particular are notable in how "lo-fi" they are: its own screenshots confirm that some of its most simplistic titles are running at basic 720p resolution with no kind of anti-aliasing whatsoever, just like its demos were a year ago. A closer look at the showcase titles Nintendo debuted at its E3 press conference also shows a puzzling lack of consistency in performance that we wouldn't expect to see in a console based on mature tech less than six months out from release, which we can only explain by the idea that the second screen is imposing more of a drain than we might have otherwise thought.
The company's spiritual successor to pack-in title Wii Sports - Nintendo Land - is an interesting example of this inconsistency. In theory this is "home territory" where Nintendo should revel in what it does best. While the concepts and charm are there, the trademark 60Hz update is inconsistent to say the least in certain areas - puzzling for such a visually sparse title.
To illustrate, here's the first analysis video we've put together. Direct feed is the premium from events like E3, but typical internet footage tops out at 30 frames per second, making analysis on smoother games impossible. Thankfully, HD broadcast footage retains full temporal resolution, and owing to the blanket coverage of the invaluable Spike TV, we can see the full fluidity of titles aspiring to 60Hz - and we can bring them to you on this page too.
What we did have, however, was the glorious Pikmin 3 demonstrated by none other than Miyamoto himself. Oozing charm, the game looks beautiful thanks to a combination of stylish, charming artwork, and wonderful animation both in terms of the characters and the surrounding environments. We also had a small glimpse at some of the more modern post-processing effects Nintendo's artists have been experimenting with, and it was pleasing to see how accomplished the final effect was.
Analysis confirms that Pikmin 3 runs at a fairly solid 30 frames per second, with just the occasional, minor drop in frame-rate when effects work pushes the hardware a little more. This does not tally with a report from the showfloor, where an unnamed rep said it will ship at 60Hz. Composition of the framebuffer once again strongly suggests native 720p resolution with no anti-aliasing, though some of the source material might imply that some kind of rough post-process edge-detect might be in play.
Of all of the Nintendo titles on display, it's Pikmin 3 that had the most modern attributes in terms of what was being rendered on-screen, and the adherence to 30 frames per second once again strongly suggests that the core hardware represents no fundamental leap in capabilities over what current-gen consoles offer. While we should fully expect optimisation efforts in the time before release, it's highly unlikely that ballpark performance will change radically.
The new Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition was the obvious focus for Nintendo at the conference. Rocksteady's classic game has been augmented with a number of Wii U-exclusive features, mostly centred on the use of the tablet when playing with Bruce Wayne's "wonderful toys". But it is important for other reasons too - not least because it's the first chance we've had to assess the performance of Unreal Engine 3 on the new hardware. We've excised a range of direct-feed clips from the Nintendo conference, analysed them and come up with some interesting results.
Unreal Engine 3 titles on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 typically cap at 30 frames per second, dropping v-sync when frame-rate dips under the target. Existing versions of Batman: Arkham City follow the same pattern, though curiously its TriOviz 3D mode is completely unlocked, resulting in frame-rates at anything up to around 45FPS on Xbox 360, and a little lower on PlayStation 3. In normal 2D mode, the 30FPS cap is implemented in order to maintain an overall consistency to the whole experience.
On the Wii U, the entire presentation is v-synced from start to finish, and there's a definite feeling that performance suffers a little as a consequence, with some noticeable judder. However, it is worth checking out the full video of the entire walkthrough for additional context, as there is a rich amount of material often playing simultaneously on the second screen.
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