Round Table: Our Most Anticipated Games from E3

Now that E3 is over, the staff weigh in on which games they’re most excited for.

By Nintendojo Staff. Posted 06/22/2015 07:00 2 Comments     ShareThis

And so another E3 has been added to the history books. This year’s show was certainly an interesting one, though perhaps for the wrong reasons. Nintendo’s showing in particular has proven to be very divisive, with the biggest surprise being a complete lack of any real surprises from the company. That said, the games the Big N did show off at the expo all looked exciting, proving that 2015 will be a strong year for Wii U (even if we don’t know too much about what lies ahead for the console beyond that). Which of this year’s games are the staff most looking forward to? Read on to find out!


Robert Palacios

Star Fox Zero was the hands down superstar of Nintendo’s E3 showing for me. While Yoshi’s Woolly World and Mario Maker looked great and will be quality games, they are franchises that we have seen a lot of over the years. The people are thirsty for Star Fox! Having never owned a Star Fox game (scandalous), I’m really looking forward to what looks like a great entry point to the series. I’ve had several friends report very favorable responses to the build on display at E3 so that’s really encouraging to me. I’m having trouble with all the negativity to the graphics, with people saying they aren’t as good as previous entries, which is simply untrue. I’m afraid that Nintendo might have front loaded E3 with all the Smash DLC and EarthBound Beginnings, giving people a distinct air of disappointment.

Nevertheless, I for one welcome my new Star Fox overlord.


Kyle England

I didn’t get to chime in for our reactions round table, but I wanted to state that my outlook toward Nintendo’s upcoming launches is very positive. I’m choosing to be psyched about games that were announced, and not bitter about unannounced titles.

Anyways, this might seem strange, but the announcement that brought me the most joy was EarthBound Beginnings! I am just so happy that the Mother series is getting another tip of the hat outside of the Smash Bros. games. I have already downloaded Beginnings and plan to play it very soon. I’ve heard it’s tough as nails and very old school, so I’m not sure how much I will enjoy it. Nevertheless, I plan to support the game until we get the inevitable translation of Mother 3. Make it so, Itoi!

I pretty much plan to play almost every upcoming Nintendo game at some point. The only games I think I will pass on are the two new Animal Crossing titles. They don’t spark my interest, and I don’t want to get caught up in collecting yet another Amiibo series. (Although I may try to grab a K.K. Slider Amiibo figure).

My top five upcoming games are probably Star Fox Zero, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash, Yo-Kai Watch, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force.

Yes, it’s sad we aren’t getting a Metroid adventure with Samus. But we are getting a freakin’ Metroid game! And it’s from Next Level Games, creators of the excellent Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon! Plus, I heard that the game will flesh out more of the universe, and will feature story elements that could tie directly into another Metroid Prime adventure. Oh, and the game looks pretty good, too.

After seeing the footage of Yo-Kai Watch on the Treehouse stream, I couldn’t help but be charmed. It’s a lot like Pokémon, but that’s not a bad thing at all. Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash is a great surprise and looks like a load of fun as well. I can’t wait for that Chibi-Robo Amiibo, either.

All in all, it’s a great time to be a Nintendo player.


Andy Hoover

While there might not have been much in the way for paradigm shattering revelations, there were actually plenty of pleasant surprises that have made me much more excited for games than I would have expected.

On Wii U, Star Fox Zero and Super Mario Maker have really impressed me. It looks like Star Fox is really going to do a phenomenal job of taking advantage of Wii U’s unique features, all the while trying to capture the classic look and feel of Star Fox 64, which is definitely my favorite in the series. And Super Mario Maker has a much more robust and creative feature set than I expected, and while I doubt I’ll personally create top tier levels, I can’t wait to have a constant flow of clever levels created by people more talented than me. It’s also nice to finally have a release date for Xenoblade Chronicles X.

I also want to give some kudos to some great looking indie games. Fast Racing Neo looks like it will be the best F-Zero game in years, Freedom Planet looks like it will be the best Sonic game in years, and Typoman was probably my favorite among the Nindie demos.

3DS also has some surprisingly good looking titles. I too am going to proclaim my excitement for Metroid Prime: Federation Force because I am a rational human being capable of critical thought. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam really surprised me because I’ve always liked the series but have never been all that pumped for it before. But what really came out of nowhere for me was Little Battlers Experience, which at first glance looks to be just a kid friendly action game, but the live demos have revealed surprisingly deep combat and customization mechanics. Also, I love robots.

So, while nothing might have left my jaw on the floor, there were plenty of games that made me want to open my wallet.


Jon Stevens

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’ve spent quite a while getting to the end of Fire Emblem Awakening on its hardest setting without losing a single character, and I’m more than ready to start losing all of my spare time to Fire Emblem Fates as well. It’s going to be a long wait until 2016 though– although probably not long enough to start learning Japanese and start playing that version of the game!

Beyond that, I’m probably most looking forward to Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. Both of these feature clever twists, and it will be interesting to see the extent to which this affects the gameplay of each.

Unfortunately (I’m gonna get yelled at for this!), I’m not really looking forward to Star Fox Zero as it’s just not a series that I’ve really played much of– I grew up with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron instead!. Despite that, I’m still glad that its coming to Wii U, and I am curious to see how well the GamePad’s gyro controls work with it.


Shawn Wilkins

Most excited for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. I have multiple hundreds of hours logged into New Leaf and this game manages to remove all of the seemingly stressful parts of the game and makes it purely about designing everything. I am more than on board with that idea.

Speaking of boards, I’m also beyond excited for Amiibo Festival. A lot of Animal Crossing fans have been bashing it for being a board game, but we seldom forget that aside from the very first Animal Crossing game, no console variant has been that good. Add the fact that the Wii U has treacherous load times and a plethora of games that we’re all working through, the last thing I want is a new full fledged game. A board game that has a very clear focus on Amiibo is not only exciting, but it’ll be cool to bring to someone’s house and just play along. It mixes my favorite characters in a pastime that has been so ingrained with relaxation that I’m having troubled finding any fault with it.

Anyway…

Yes, Amiibo Festival has me excited mostly because I get a game that has Amiibo support as the focus. There isn’t a game made and Amiibo are thrown on top of it, but it’s clear, right from the start, that Amiibo are needed, headlining, and carrying this game.


Anthony Vigna

Obviously, I’m going to say Star Fox Zero for Wii U. Is this even a surprise to anyone? As one of the site’s biggest Star Fox junkies, it would be a disservice to not mention it here as my most anticipated game from E3.

Up until this point, Star Fox has suffered from a huge identity crisis. As much as I love Star Fox 64, I have to admit that another game in this style wouldn’t sell in the modern gaming climate. Space shooting games are past their point of popularity and a short campaign would negatively impact the game’s reception due to gamers’ tenancies to criticize game length. I think Nintendo knows this, which is why the series has become very experimental with the on-foot missions in Assault and the tactical gameplay featured in Command.

However, this time around, Nintendo has found a way to change up the Star Fox formula in a way that makes sense. Everything is familiar in Star Fox Zero, as on-rails segments and all-range mode are intact from the N64 game, but now we can use the GamePad to aim from a first-person cockpit angle. The game also borrows vehicle transforming from the canceled Star Fox 2, allowing for different kinds of gameplay options to keep things interesting. While the additions in Assualt and Command had mixed reactions from critics, the new features in Zero seem to feel like a natural evolution for the series by adding on to what made the original games successful. It gives me hope that Zero will be the series revival that fans like me have been waiting for!


Craig Harnett

I really wanted to be writing a post on here where I would say things like, “Yes! I can’t believe they announced xxx” or, “Did you see xxx, it’s everything I wanted and more,” but this was not to be, and I’m left feeling a little deflated to say the least. Much like Kyle, I was unable to jump in on the reactions to the Digital Event, even though I was chomping at the bit to get something down. In hindsight, it’s probably just as well that I didn’t, and that I have had some time to reflect on the news and announcements that were made.

Like many of us, the game I was most eager to see since its announcement at last year’s E3 was Star Fox Zero. Unlike my wish for an all new and exclusive Wii U Mario title, Star Fox Zero was a game that we were definitely going to see, and I was incredibly excited to finally see what was behind that blurry mess that Miyamoto was playing back in 2014. Fast forward a year and having seen what’s on offer, Star Fox Zero is now one of the titles that I am most apprehensive of.

I love the Star Fox series and I don’t want to be one of the Star Fox/Nintendo bashers out there; I think we have all seen and heard enough from those of late. I suppose I was just expecting something truly amazing, considering how long the franchise has been away. I wanted something that would really stand out and wow the crowds in much the same way that Mario Kart 8 did on its debut. What I feel we got instead was a very kid friendly, mediocre space shooter with a questionable control method that Iwata has been quick to reassure can be changed.

I hope and pray that any concerns that have come to light during E3 with Star Fox Zero will be quickly rectified in time for its release. I want to be proven wrong when it comes to the reviews and that we do indeed end up with a Star Fox title that we have all been waiting for.

Many of the other major titles announced unfortunately didn’t float my boat either. This is through no fault of Nintendo; it’s just my personal preference when it comes to gaming. Super Mario Maker is something I will probably be keeping my eye on. I don’t generally go for these types of games and prefer to leave the creative side to someone else, but I’m a sucker for a Mario title, whatever its guise.

So when I ask myself what am I really looking forward to from Nintendo after their Digital Event, I suppose my real answer would be Nintendo’s next Digital Event in 2016. What with the likes of the new Zelda, whatever the NX turns out to be, Nintendo’s venture into mobile gaming, and the new rewards program all on the horizon, I sincerely believe Nintendo will once again steal the show.


Robert Marrujo

I walked away from the show legitimately equally excited for three different games: Super Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Woolly World, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Super Mario Maker is pure, unadulterated Mario magic. It’s primarily a level making game, but it’s really so much more than that. It’s a genuine celebration of the series in a quirky way that I can’t explain. There’s so much of the series’ history on full display and it can be totally manipulated by fans for the first time. I’m desperate to start making levels and seeing what other people can come up with. I’m telling you people, I’m remaking Super Mario Bros. in different styles the second I get the game out of its box! Why? Uh… I don’t know, actually. It just sounds really cool!

Yoshi’s Woolly World was already fun at last year’s E3, yet the game has somehow gotten better over the last twelve months’ worth of development. It feels more Yoshi’s Island than any of the last two Yoshi games that have come out, actually, and that’s coming from someone who enjoyed both Yoshi’s Island DS and Yoshi’s New Island. It’s a unique synthesis of Yoshi’s Story and the Yoshi’s Island games, visually, and as much as I loved Kirby’s Epic Yarn, the yarn motif seems to mesh with Yoshi’s universe even better. It also plays so smoothly. The co-op is some of the best I’ve experienced in a Nintendo game. I’m glad it’s limited to two people, because it would get too hectic otherwise. The implementation of the yarn for building platforms and taking out enemies is also brilliantly done. This game is going to please a lot of people.

And yes, believe it or not, Metroid Prime: Federation Force is way better than the trailer makes it seem. Yeah, its ties to Metroid are on the slim side right now, but what I played of Blast Ball, which is Federation Force’s multiplayer mode, was insanely fun. Fighting to push that enormous glowing ball into the opposite team’s goal turns into a brutal game of tug of war that is totally different from any other first-person shooter I’ve played. Nintendo might have another Splatoon on its hands if it stays on track with this one. I can’t attest to the four-player co-op yet, but I’m anxious to get back to playing Blast Ball, so I have high hopes for the rest of Federation Force!


What about you? What E3 game are you most excited to get your hands on and why? Sound off in the comments!

2 Responses to “Round Table: Our Most Anticipated Games from E3”

  • 1558 points
    penduin says...

    Fast Racing Neo is a most welcome surprise. Its clever boost mechanics and variety of vehicles and courses pretty much make it everything I could want from a new F-Zero game.

    As a huge Star Fox 2 fan, Star Fox Zero’s walker transformations and deliberate/interior gyrocopter stuff made me squeal (in a completely manly way, of course).

    (Super) Mario Maker continues to somehow seem even more compelling every time we hear something new about it, though I was sold from the beginning.

  • 1379 points
    xeacons says...

    Is there an echo in here? STAR FOX… Star Fox… star fox… Actually, the one’s I’m most looking forward to had already been announced: Xenoblade, Mario Maker, and Yoshi. Yes, Star Fox was the biggest NEW announcement, but I can’t wait for the next 3DS line up, Tri-force heroes, Metroid Prime, and Chibi-robo.

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