The wait is nearly done, as E3 2016 is a scant 24 hours away. One day of waiting for what is essentially an hour’s worth of video footage to “ooh” and “ah” over. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but it’s amazing how a brief press conference or video presentation can create such a glut of questions and reactions the way that those from E3 tend to do. Especially the ones made by Nintendo, which is what you, dear Nintendojo reader, care about more than any other company’s. This year is going to be tricky, though, as Nintendo has made quite the hullabaloo about Zelda Wii U, promising to highlight the game on the show floor above all other software. It’s because of this narrowed focus that some fans might be wondering what to expect, or even whether they should care to tune in at all.
We can’t promise that Nintendo has some secrets up its sleeve to unveil on Tuesday morning, but it would be utterly bewildering if the company came with only a single round in the chamber. Undoubtedly, Zelda Wii U is going to be at the forefront of Nintendo’s presentation. The game is clearly one of the biggest undertakings for the series thus far, and depending on what Nintendo unveils, it might be the most ambitious piece of software it’s ever worked on. That alone should be worth a hefty dose of analysis and debate amongst fans, but surely everyone out there would like to hear about a bit more than their beloved Link and Hyrule, yes?
What that “more” might be, though, isn’t easy to pin down. It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Pokémon Sun and Moon make a splash at E3 this year. Marking the first new installments in the series since 2014, the duo of titles have been a big source of mystery (and even a little frustration) for fans who have been wanting more specifics about the gameplay. Nintendo would be wise to spend some time highlighting these marquee Pokémon games for 3DS during what is still the biggest gaming media event of the year. It also wouldn’t be too farfetched to see Nintendo shine some more light on Pokémon Go, the franchise’s most ambitious mobile title to date.
NX has been confirmed as a no-show for E3 2016, but it’s always possible that Nintendo might have something to say about Wii U and 3DS, nonetheless. The latter is rapidly approaching the twilight years of its existence, and while it’s unlikely Nintendo will announce the handheld’s replacement, don’t be floored if news of price drops and/or new bundles is unveiled. As for Wii U, Nintendo might feel like it’s time to give the failed system a final jolt of life with its own price drop, new bundle, or some other final gasp at air before heading into the depths to make way for NX.
Finally, Nintendo might also wow fans with news of more DLC for some already-released games like Splatoon and Mario Kart 8. Splatoon certainly hasn’t slowed down in releasing new content since it was launched; the burgeoning IP has made a really strong impression on fans and Nintendo doesn’t seem too anxious to allow its momentum to die down anytime soon. As for Mario Kart 8, a recent Tweet by Nintendo of Europe has many people feeling very strongly that the game is primed for at least one new course, if not more. Might other games that have graced Wii U and 3DS be primed for some DLC TLC? One can only hope!
Clearly, it’s going to be a lightweight affair for Nintendo at E3 this year. The company has all but said that the big news is coming later and that it is treating E3 like something of a stop-gap between now and whenever it’s going to be ready to start dropping megaton revelations about NX, mobile, and everything else that’s simmering in the background. Needless to say, however, whatever is shown off on Tuesday will be covered by us here at Nintendojo, so be sure to keep hitting refresh on your web browser to see what Nintendo is showing off! Whether it’s the official title of Zelda Wii U or a new limited edition 3DS, we’ll be here to report it and go in depth.
What are you hoping for from Nintendo tomorrow? Tell us in the comments!
I’m very much intrigued to see what Nintendo does tomorrow. I definitely expect a surprise or two, even though it seems Zelda and Pokemon will be the majority of what we end up seeing. Having just finished up Shovel Knight, I’m really hoping for a sequel, especially since Yacht Club Games has said in the past that they’d like to do an N64 style game, next!
Following Sony’s conference just now, it occurs to me that Donkey Kong, Bowser, Spyro, and Crash will all appear in the same game together. If you would have told me that as a kid, I would have been thrilled. But of course this is the modern gaming industry and that game is Skylanders, not Smash Bros.
Activision continues to take a dump on the franchises I loved as a kid. Here’s hoping Zelda looks fantastic tomorrow.
Wouldn’t mind them releasing Mother 3 on Virtual Console “available immediately.”
I would love a hint at what Retro Studios is working on.