When thinking about Nintendo this coming E3, many will only have one thing on their mind: the Wii U sure is struggling to sell, isn’t it?
Even though the latest console got a big head start by releasing a full year before its competitors, it has been surpassed in terms of units sold by both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It appears gamers have made it very clear what they are interested in when spending their hard-earned cash: good third-party support and specs.
And while many continue posting their “Nintendo is doomed” comments, those who have been around long enough know that it’ll take more than one poor selling console to take this Japanese company out. Nintendo not only has a treasure-trove of IPs to use, which has resulted in many amazing exclusives for the Wii U, but the 3DS and Amiibo figures continue to sell wildly. Add in their new partnership with DeNa, and you’ve got both Sony and Microsoft remembering that Nintendo is still in the fight.
Looking to convince both their fans and those who jumped ship to other platforms, here are three things we expect Nintendo to show this coming E3…
1. Amiibo Info
Considering how incredible the Amiibo craze has been the last few months, leading to more than 10 million figures sold, we’d be fools not to anticipate an announcement or two. While most would be satisfied with just hearing that production will increase so they can actually get their hands on the figures they want, we have a feeling Nintendo is preparing something more.
The most obvious possibility would be the reveal of more figures based on characters that are currently not part of Amiibo, as well as more details on future titles that support Amiibo. Even better would be the reveal of a game (or new series) based completely around them. Since this has worked brilliantly for Skylanders and Disney Infinity, we’d be surprised if Nintendo wasn’t working on a similar title.
2. Gameplay of Star Fox , Zelda, and Miyamoto’s Other Title
Last year we caught our first glimpse of the next Legend of Zelda, as both Eiji Aonuma and Shigeru Miyamoto led us through a gorgeous demo. We also got to see an action-packed trailer of Link – who everyone thought was a girl for some reason – jumping off his horse to send a cool-looking arrow into the glowing eye of a huge enemy. This time we’ll get more gameplay and details, including an official release date for this very anticipated title.
Receiving much less attention was the next Star Fox, which Miyamoto himself briefly demonstrated during last year’s Nintendo video. We’re pretty sure that he’ll be showing off this new title in more depth this coming June, along with the robot fighting game we have yet to see.
It’s a stretch but we’re counting on a Holiday 2015 release for Star Fox, especially since Zelda will not be coming until 2016.
3. The Big Surprises
This is the part where fans the world over start getting goosebumps. A trailer begins with music and scenery that feels strangely familiar, all before an iconic character appears – sometimes one we haven’t seen in years.
Whether you’re a supporter or not, there’s no denying that some of the most exciting moments in E3 history have been given to us by Nintendo. If you don’t believe us, listen to the reception by the audience when Twilight Princess was first shown.
As mentioned before, it’s hard to guess which games Nintendo will surprise us with considering all the series they have under their belt. The one many are hoping for is a new Metroid game, but the chance of F-Zero or the next 3D Mario game are also a possibility.
Some popular 3DS titles might also hop over to Wii U in order to help sell some units – Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and Kid Icarus being a few examples. The reveal of Pokken Tournament for Wii U is also certainly not out of the question.
4. No New Hardware Announcements + DeNa Game Reveals
Even though Nintendo followers are excited to hear what their favorite game company is cooking up for them, it’s very likely that we won’t hear anything at all. Instead, the BigN will focus on the current systems in hopes that Wii U sales pick up and 3DS sales don’t continue winding down.
We’re also confident that Nintendo will reveal at least one title that, like Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, can only be played on the New 3Ds.
What Reggie and crew will be doing is showing off some of the titles they hope to take over the App Store and Android markets with. These first games will most likely utilize the big IPs like Mario, Pokemon and Zelda, which is pretty exciting if you’re a smartphone gamer.
After testing the freemium waters with Pokemon Shuffle, which has been downloaded more than 4 million times, there’s no telling how many games Nintendo will seek to release in 2015 alone.
