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In addition to a few mini-games and one major franchise cinematic, Nintendo's presentation to me included a couple sequences designed to show off the power of the system and the innovative applications of the controller. The first, simply called "HD Experience," featured a hawk soaring through a traditional Japanese setting including cherry blossom trees and a temple. Graphically the scene was far better than Wii, of course, but I wasn't impressed at all with the quality of the textures or aesthetic design. For something that was supposed to demonstrate the power of the system, this particularly sequence failed to impress. One noteworthy element was that the tablet controller was replicating the visuals on the TV on its smaller screen, and moving the tablet would cause the camera behind the hawk to move, allowing the player to see more of the landscape.

The rough shape of this demo is no cause for concern, however. At the end of my time with the new system, Nintendo played an interactive cinematic that put all my fears to rest. The difference in quality between that sequence and this was light years apart, making me wonder why I watched the hawk video in the first place.

The second major tech demonstration featured live footage of Japan, with a camera moving down a crowded street, hovering above vehicles. Like the hawk demo, the tablet was also featuring the footage shown on the television. But as I moved the new controller, I was able to see more of the city around me, without altering what was being shown on the larger screen. I could move the tablet upward to see the sky, or downward to see the street moving under me. Even more impressive, I could start to rotate the controller or "aim" it behind me to see where I had been. Pressing a button would also flip the portable display behind me, allowing me to see backwards similar to a rearview mirror. The potential for racing games with this sort of technology is truly impressive.

To be honest, I didn't think Nintendo would be daring enough to show off any sort of Zelda HD demo, despite the fact that the franchise is clearly the one that would benefit the most from a vastly more powerful system. This was based off of the Twilight Princess era Zelda characters, not Skyward Sword, so those of you expecting Wii's last major game to jump ship, this demo wasn't proof of that.

I wasn't able to control Link, but the battle between him and Gohma that I saw was breathtaking nonetheless. Between changing the lighting, camera controls and even the tablet's display, this demo above all the others proved how Nintendo franchises might benefit from increased power. This was gorgeous stuff.