E3 is the San Diego Comic-Con of the gaming world. All the big companies - Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and others - unload exciting announcements for upcoming games. With the Switch’s massive popularity, many eyes will be on Nintendo’s presentation at this year’s E3. Arguably, Nintendo won last year’s E3. The company announced Metroid Prime 4, a Pokémon RPG for Switch, a new Yoshi game, among other titles. Nintendo has a lot to do to match last year’s E3 outing.
Unlike Sony, Nintendo hasn’t shared many details on what it will be showing at this year’s E3. In a press release, Nintendo stated that Super Smash Bros. for Switch will be a major focus. Splatoon 2 will be the first thing on the agenda, however, featuring a “World Championship” on June 11th. A Smash Bros. invitational tournament will be held on June 12th. Also on June 12th will be a video presentation. Nintendo says that the presentation will feature “games releasing in 2018, including the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch.” Additionally, the company says that upcoming third party games will be featured throughout the week. Of course, there are rumors floating around. The most substantial is a supposed “leaked” document that appeared on 4chan, showing that Dragon Ball FighterZ and Fortnite would be coming to Switch. (Newsweek also translated a rating from the Korean Game Rating and Administration showing Fortnite, so that adds credibility to the document.)
What does Nintendo need to do to win E3 like last year? To answer that question, one has to go about it in the context of what is more likely to happen. Sure, Nintendo would definitely win by announcing Super Mario Odyssey 2 or the next home console Zelda, but there’s little to no chance of releasing games like those this year. Thus, because the company has said it would only focus on games releasing in 2018, one has to answer the question within the boundaries Nintendo has set for itself. What then, does Nintendo need to announce? Let’s jump in and find out.
Super Mario Sunshine HD and Other GameCube Remasters
Last month, Nintendo unveiled its plans for the Switch’s online subscription service in September. NES games would be featured on the service. However, there were no SNES or N64 games in sight. In fact, Nintendo said that it would not feature the Virtual Console. This of course doesn’t mean that we won’t see other classic Nintendo games on the Switch, but it does look like we’ll only be seeing NES games for the time being. This was also disappointing for those that were hoping to see GameCube games available for digital purchase. More GameCube games appearing on the Switch has been a popular rumor, but nothing has come out of it. At this point, many people have not experienced GameCube games - there have been two whole console generations between then and now. That’s why Nintendo should announce a line of GameCube remasters for the Switch.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was a GameCube exclusive, and Nintendo gave it an HD remaster on the Wii U. Luigi’s Mansion is being ported over to the 3DS. Why not bring back some GameCube classics for the same treatment on Switch? We’re probably not going to see the next main Mario platformer for a little while, so bringing back Super Mario Sunshine would be an excellent move - the game still looks beautiful, so imagine it remastered in HD.) Nintendo should announce two other titles for a 2018 release, perhaps Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Star Fox Adventures. This could be a yearly thing if Nintendo doesn’t end up putting GameCube titles digitally on Switch, and follow up that hypothetical lineup next year with F-Zero GX and Super Smash Bros. Melee remasters. GameCube remasters would be a pleasant surprise, and let’s not forget that Switch-compatible GameCube controllers are almost definitely real.
Banjo-Kazooie Remake for Switch
If you owned the Nintendo 64, you’ve surely played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. These classics have since been reissued on the Virtual Console, and remade/remastered on the small console. (Mario 64 was remade into Super Mario 64 DS, and Ocarina was remastered on the 3DS.) One iconic game that has never seen a reissue on a Nintendo console is Banjo-Kazooie. The title brings back nostalgic memories for many N64 players. From the fun animal duo to the whimsical soundtrack, Banjo-Kazooie is a classic, also appearing in the top 10 highest rated Nintendo 64 games on Metacritic
Unfortunately for Nintendo fans, Microsoft bought Rare, taking Banjo-Kazooie with it. Microsoft hasn’t made a new Banjo game in 10 years, however. If Nintendo can collaborate with Microsoft, everyone would leave satisfied. Now, why would Microsoft allow Banjo-Kazooie on Switch? A lot of Nintendo players may not have an Xbox. Plus, the game appeals to both children and adults. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that younger players are more likely to be Switch owners rather than Xbox. So, if a Banjo remake appeared only on Microsoft’s console, a good chunk of the audience could be lost. The Switch is the perfect home for it. Rather than a simple remaster, a remake along the lines of the recent Shadow of the Colossus would be appreciated by many. This alone would make a strong case for Nintendo winning E3.
Super Smash Bros.: Newcomers, Newcomers, and Newcomers
No matter how you look at it, Super Smash Bros. for Switch is going to be the crowning jewel of Nintendo’s E3 presence. It is releasing this year, so there should be some monumental information at E3. When it comes to Smash Bros., there is something that makes fans across the world get excited: the newcomers. There is a rumor that Ridley and Simon Belmont will be in the game, with the dragon supposedly being confirmed at E3. However, in an interview with IGN, Sakurai stated specific reasons why Ridley wasn’t included as playable in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Though Sakurai could have changed his mind for the new game, the famed dragon won’t be counted here. Which characters then, would make a splash and garner immense attention from the gaming public?
First, bring in Banjo-Kazooie. This would be great promotion for the hypothetical remake/remaster. Plus, the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has stated that he’s open to the duo being included in Smash. Next, Shantae would be an excellent character to announce. Though not as popular as third-party characters like Mega Man or Sonic, Shantae is a fun character with a lot of moveset potential. King K. Rool and Bomberman would be great additions as well. With Rayman Legends and soon Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy appearing on the Switch, Rayman and Crash would also be fantastic inclusions. Finally, Nintendo needs to announce one major, outside the box third-party character, similar to Snake from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Kratos or Lara Croft would be great. However, one character would probably get a standing ovation: Master Chief. The Chief is the perfect unexpected, iconic character for the game. That would truly seal the deal on Nintendo winning E3.
There are more things one can think of when it comes to Nintendo’s announcements; Super Mario Maker for Switch or a Super Mario Odyssey story expansion would also garner some cheers. However, the three core things listed above - Super Mario Sunshine HD and other GameCube remasters, Banjo-Kazooie remake for Switch, and many notable newcomers in Super Smash Bros., are the things that would make Nintendo’s presentation stand out from the rest. Of course, if Fortnite and Dragon Ball FighterZ are actually announced for Switch, that would be exciting for many as well. Likewise, if Sakurai changed his mind about Ridley (although that doesn’t seem likely based on Sakurai’s statements), that would get a round of applause. The build-up to E3 is always filled with rumors, predictions, and articles such as this one. Will Nintendo win E3? We will find out next week.
Nintendo’s E3 Direct presentation will go live on June 12th, at 12pm EST.
