E3 is that special time of the year when publishers either grant our wishes like benevolent gods or crush our dreams like Gordon Ramsay (sometimes both). Mountain Dew and Doritos sales go through the roof, Twitch chats spew forth the collective sarcastic bile of the gaming masses and the dying embers of the fires of the consoles wars will be whipped once more into a roaring inferno. It’s just a good time all round. We’ve had our ears to the ground and have been frequently visiting the rumour mill to see what information has leaked and what gamers want to see from the major pressers. Got a rumour/hope/dream/tea leaf divination you want to share? You know what to do.
Nintendo hasn’t hosted a traditional press conference since 2013, instead opting to present their new games on their terms and in their [tree]house with their ‘Direct’ broadcasts. This hasn’t stopped their Nintendo Direct presentations from being highly anticipated each and every year. 2018 is no exception; the hotly anticipated Switch version of Super Smash Bros. is on the cards, and the smell of competition is in the air! Can Nintendo keep up with the Switch’s roaring success?
What we want to see
American game retailer GameStop recently received a list of upcoming Switch SKUs (If you don’t know what an SKU is, here’s an explanation) which reveals the console’s immediate lineup…as well as fifteen untitled ones. Now, SKUs could be literally anything from games to warranties, but fifteen is a lot! They could be anything!
Pokémon’s debut on the Switch is on my wish list, with no information coming since its “yeah it’s a thing” announcement last year. The Pokémon Company’s CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara was blindsided by the Switch’s runaway success, which would explain the game’s muted announcement – what would have been a safe spin-off game could have been repurposed into a core series title. Rumours have swirled about the place, including a (fake) design document for its starter Pokémon.
But let’s get one thing perfectly straight, Nintendo. I have been waiting for a new F-Zero game since 2003. You gave us a Mario Kart 8 track based on its iconic Mute City, but that wasn’t enough. I’m not getting any younger. I know Star Fox Zero was ‘eh’, but these are lessons that can be learned! I’m begging you. Please. I’ll even be happy with a spin-off title. A mobile game. Anything!
…hey, what’s this monkey’s paw doing here?
Everything rides on this little beauty staying at full steam
What we think we’ll see
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s Switch and 3DS ports and Mario Tennis Aces are expected to release not long after E3, so expect some lip service in the name of hype. Metroid Prime 4, currently in development at Bandai Namco Singapore, should be expected. It was announced last year, and a year is a long time in game development. Something has to exist by now, so why not show it?
Fire Emblem, Bayonetta 3, Yoshi, and Pokémon on the Switch are three more games that we know next to nothing about, and have had plenty of time to get development rolling. Info on some or all of them should be expected.
Recently filed trademarks for a Nintendo 64 Classic, in the vein of the wildly successful NES and SNES classic consoles, point in the direction of Nintendo making lightning strike thrice this year. It’ll definitely have Mario Kart 64 and almost every Mario Party game, making it the darling of just about every house party from here on in. You won’t get one in time, though. None of us will.
Lastly, ports of Wii U games have been the backbone of the Switch’s release schedule since the beginning, and juggernaut titles like Super Mario Maker have yet to find their way there.
What we know we’ll see
Funnily enough, Nintendo’s made it abundantly clear what’s going to be shown this year. A statement from them outlines their plans: Smash is front and centre, with an invitational tournament not unlike the one for the Wii U version back in 2014. Splatoon 2 will likewise be getting a tourney, airing just before the Smash one. Smash will also feature in the three-hour Nintendo Treehouse stream, which is essentially where all the gameplay gets shown off.
What do you think Nintendo will show at E3 2018? Anything you think we’ve missed or that you agree with? Let us know in the comments below.
