E3 is just around the corner folks and you know what that means. That’s right, wildly inaccurate predictions as to what will appear at the show. The Player 2 crew has once again gotten together and gazed into their crystal balls (there was a 2 for 1 special at Kmart) and have put their E3 predictions on the virtual page for everyone to tease them about in 2 weeks time. It is now the House of Mario’s time in the spotlight.
E3 2016 Predictions – Nintendo
James Swinbanks
Safe Bet
Zelda – Nintendo has been adamant in the lead up to this show that the only thing they were showing at this year’s E3 would be Zelda. Normally that would be cause for excitement, especially with the NX on the horizon. Except Nintendo have decided to only bring the Wii-U version. Ok then…
Fairly Likely
Zelda – Ok look, the Wii-U version will probably look really nice because let’s be honest, every HD Mario I’ve seen on that system looks pretty tops. And maybe it’s nice for Wii U owners to have one last thing to look forward too?
Wishful Thinking
Anything but Zelda – But seriously, where is the NX? I know Nintendo have done their own thing in terms of marketing to an audience for a few years now, but given where they sit in terms of the current console market, I’m a little amazed they are still holding off on the details. Perhaps they don’t have everything finalised yet? Seems crazy, but remember we are talking Nintendo here.
Adam Rorke
Safe Bet
Seriously, Nintendo has nothing to show for the rest of the year, the WiiU has been a bit of a flop. It’s a shame because there are countless games on the console that really shine and I can honestly recommend people actually buy this console because of them. The fact is, the PS Vita has even outsold this, Nintendo knows this and they’ll be trying to wow us with new hardware for sure.
Fairly Likely
If there’s one new game idea coming out that really excites me, it’s the new Augmented Reality (AR) game – Pokémon GO! For those unfamiliar, using your mobile and geo-location, you can capture, train and battle Pokémon with everyone around you! Finally, my dreams of becoming a Pokémon Gym owner will finally come true and I shall truly master them all!
Wishful Thinking
The new Zelda. Yes, we know it’s not coming out until March 2017, but hopefully, that won’t stop them from giving us some new gameplay footage and details to help us through the reality that we’re still over nine months away from ever seeing this title.
Jenn Christodoulou
Safe Bet
Mario. Just….Mario.
Fairly Likely
New console! We thought it was going to happen at Nintendo Direct and it didn’t, but maybe E3 is the time?
Wishful Thinking
Wishing for new information on Pokemon Sun and Moon isn’t exactly crazy, but what I want is a release date and I don’t think we’re going to get that for a bit.
Matt Hewson
Safe Bet
Well, Zelda is just about the safest bet ever. It is pretty much the only thing worth even mentioning as far as Nintendo is concerned for this E3
Fairly Likely
About the only other game that Nintendo have in the pipeline that they might show during E3 is the new Paper Mario. Hopefully, it washes the slightly dull taste of Sticker Star out of our mouths and is more akin to the classic Gamecube and N64 versions.
Wishful Thinking
The NX is shown off and it doesn’t include some stupid gimmick. Don’t get me wrong, both the Wii and the Wii U had some grand ideas but these same ideas meant that the systems were hard to program for and third party support dried up almost instantly upon release. Be inclusive Nintendo, not exclusive.
Stephen del Prado
Safe Bet
The Japanese gaming giant let some people play the upcoming Zelda title on the Wii U and blissfully ignore any questions about the differences between this version and the NX release.
Fairly Likely
Nintendo reveals more details about their move to mobile gaming, with some upcoming titles announced and a Pokemon Go push to coincide with a release date.
Wishful Thinking
In a complete 180, Nintendo shows the NX non-stop, with an open-world Pokemon RPG and a Metroid game that doesn’t look like complete trash the highlights.
Stevie McDonald
Safe Bet
Look, I have to be honest, I have very little to do with Nintendo anymore. There was a time when they were my whole gaming world, but those heady days are long past. Therefore, my safe bet is sequels and lots of them. Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Metroid, you name it, it’s probably gonna get another sequel.
Fairly Likely
Hopefully a Splatoon sequel. As Nintendo’s newest franchise, it’s the sequel I (and my kids) are most interested in.
Wishful Thinking
A Metroid sequel that isn’t an empty soulless addition to the early games.
Paul James
Safe Bet
The Legend of Zelda – There couldn’t be a more sure thing in the world than Zelda being at E3. In fact, Nintendo has cleared the decks of all else to let the game shine… sure they’ve not got much else to show given that nearly every other game they have in development is for the NX, which won’t be sighted at the event – but regardless…ZELDA! Nintendo could show a hundred other excellent games this year, but Zelda is the only one most would care about, so it’s a good thing we’ll be seeing a lot of the game this year.
Fairly Likely
Nothing else seems likely with Nintendo these days, there’s this cloud of doubt that surrounds everything they do, but it’s reasonable to assume that in some way, shape or form we’ll see more of Paper Mario: Colour Splash. The game was revealed earlier this year courtesy of a Nintendo Direct, and is projected to release this year on Wii U – surely we’ll see something about it, in and around all of the juicy Zelda content.
Wishful Thinking
I’m not even going to kid myself. The odds of seeing something new and flashy at this year’s Nintendo E3 showing are slim to none. With the NX remaining behind the curtain for a bit longer yet, the odds of seeing a new game that will debut on the system (outside of Zelda) is near enough to impossible – though in my dreams I can imagine the moment that a new 3D platforming Mario game is debuted or Metroid… hell… even a new Earthbound – Just give us something Nintendo! Ah well, maybe next year.
Sarah Ellen
Safe Bet/Fairly Likely
I am just calling it as we have been told – we have been told about Zelda. Nintendo has said clearly that E3 will be about Zelda and Zelda only. Let us have Zelda, universe. Many of us bought the Wii U purely for the promise of Zelda. I suffered through Skyward Sword just to have some Zelda. I squee’d my way into Wind Waker HD because it is a Nintendo console so it deserved Zelda. We are getting Zelda and yes it is going to be crummy in comparison to the NX version (that we apparently won’t hear about at E3 because Nintendo love being adorable precious cutthroat snowflakes) but it will be Zelda. And we will all love it and cry tears of joy because we are humans with deep strong feelings.
(In other news, yes it appears that the Wii U has essentially cuddled every Zelda game in its darling gamepad screen so that means yes of course I have to keep the console for ever.)
Wishful Thinking
Mother 3 – Do you remember the cheers for Earthbound Beginnings? Were you one of those fans who actually bought the Wii U purely so you could download the Virtual Console version of Earthbound? Well, I did. So wouldn’t it be nice to finish the trilogy transition to America and Europe? We already have the amiibo, Nintendo – poor Lucas needs some friends.
Matthew Ballinger
Safe Bet
Pokémon Sun & Moon! We should see a closer look with a new trailer featuring new monsters, fingers crossed for the evolutions for the starter-mons. A bunch of mobile games that are actually games and not “social experiences”. We should see this new console that has been rumored for the past few months, last I heard it has a 7-inch screen, VR and cooks a hell of a steak.
Fairly Likely
More on the new Legend of Zelda game, either slated for Wii U or Codename: NX. It’s been way too long and Nintendo have a bad habit of acting like an only child who never learned how to share with a big fun looking ball that everyone wants to play with but the kid decides they aren’t ready to play ball so they go home with their ball and everyone else gets sad.
Wishful Thinking
With the new console coming and Nintendo being so unpredictable with hardware reveals –waggle sticks anyone? – I want to see them actually bring VR to market and with all big three console platforms supporting the trend and bringing it to the mainstream I know just how Nintendo can get the upper hand: THE MOTHERFLIPPIN’ POWERGLOVE!
