Pokemon Switch
There’s plenty of rumors flying around about Pikachu and Eevee editions, Kanto remakes, a connection to Pokemon Go, etc. I try to keep myself in the dark about news and rumors like these, I prefer to play the game with as little info as possible going in, so I’m honestly not sure how legitimate they are. However, I’m certain they’ll be confirmed or denied on the 12th. We heard this game was in development at 2017’s E3, so we’ll be getting a lot of information, some gameplay footage, and maybe even a release date.
Yoshi Switch
A new Yoshi game was announced last year as well, but all we really know so far is that it exists and was, as of then, scheduled for a 2018 release. Assuming the project hasn’t gone off schedule, we’ll be hearing a lot more about this one: certainly a name, a bit of gameplay footage, possibly a demo, and a release date. This will be the first new Yoshi game in 3 years and his introduction to the console, so fans will certainly be excited.
Metroid Prime 4
Rounding out the big 3 that were announced last year, Metroid Prime 4 will get more footage and hopefully a release date. This will be the first Metroid Prime game in over a decade, so both hype and expectations will be sky-high. Nintendo surely knows they have to do this right, and hopefully when this shows up they won’t disappoint.
Mario and Luigi
At the last Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced a remake of a childhood favorite of mine: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story for the 3DS, coming in 2019. A remake of the original Luigi’s Mansion was announced as well, set to release later this year. Because these are ports, Nintendo won’t spend too much time on them. We’ll just get a reminder that they exist, a trailer, and maybe a release date. I’d imagine the Captain Toad port might get a similar treatment, although they may try to hype it up a bit as it’s set to release 31 days after the conference.
Pokemon & Rabbids Sports Collection
Despite the success of Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, I don’t think it’s likely that Nintendo and Ubisoft will do a similar collaboration in the near future. Or far future, for that matter. Really, I’m just putting this here so if there IS another wacky crossover, I can claim I called it.
Splatoon 2
We’ll be seeing bits of Splatoon‘s Octoling Expansion, as it’s set to release this summer. We already know a lot about it: it contains a decently long adventure that has you play as an Octoling, stages from the original game, and a lot of new gear. However, I’d wager Nintendo’s got something bigger up their sleeve, and this expansion could be even bigger than we thought.
The Legend of Zelda
After Switch launch title Breath of the Wild was met with critical acclaim and had 2 successful DLC expansions, it was in Nintendo’s best interests to continue their beloved franchise. While I doubt we’ll be seeing another main-series entry in the near future, we just might hear whispers of something in the works. Nintendo’s certainly working on something, the last game came out fourteen months ago, and even just an announcement that another Switch title is “coming eventually” would build plenty of hype. A spin-off a la Hyrule Warriors or Triforce Heroes also wouldn’t be unexpected or unwelcome.
Just Mario, no Luigi
With Super Mario Odyssey having only come out a few months ago, another main-series Super Mario game isn’t entirely likely. However, Mario does everything, we could be seeing another sports, racing, party, or tactical RPG announced. We already have Mario Kart 8 DX, and Mario Tennis Aces is coming soon, so my money’s on Mario Party 11… hopefully not in a car this time.
Other New Announcements
Now that the free update for Animal Crossing: New Leaf has been out for a while and Pocket Camp has been here since the holidays, Nintendo might have a new Animal Crossing game in the works for the Switch. Another Kirby game isn’t incredibly likely, but could certainly happen. A Fire Emblem game for the Switch would be just as exciting as Animal Crossing to an almost entirely separate group of people… but the 3DS is hanging around until at least 2019, so we can’t rule out the possibility that it would come out there. However, if a new entry is announced (which doesn’t seem unlikely), my money would be on a Switch entry, not a 3DS game. Bayonetta 3, which will almost definitely be a Switch exclusive, could also be announced.
Dead Franchises
Kid Icarus: Uprising port. Please? Mother 3 localization? No? Anything with F-Zero? Sad as it is, we won’t be seeing anything related to Kid Icarus, F-Zero, or Golden Sun. After a less-than-stellar Wii U return, StarFox might be gone as well. Pikmin, perfect as it would be on the Switch, is likely to remain a trilogy, as is Mother. Despite the fanfare (not to mention money) that would accompany any of these franchises making a comeback, we won’t even hear their names. Except…
Super Smash Bros.
Everyone’s favorite fighting game Super Smash Bros. whipped everyone into a frenzy when it was announced at the end of the last Nintendo Direct. Smash will probably be their closer or opener, and we’ll get a bit of gameplay, a list of every returning character (which damn well better be EVERYONE, we bought their Amiibos), and a trailer for whichever newcomer will make the biggest buzz. Crash, perhaps? Simon Belmont? Doom Guy? The game directors teased that Smash Switch would feature lots of new 3rd party characters, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing at least some of them at E3.
