Our E3 2017 Nintendo Predictions

May 05, 2017

By: Max Cannon

Though PlayStation and Xbox have stuck to the standard E3 press conference (coming out on stage, releasing trailers, betas, etc,) Nintendo has shifted away from a traditional E3 experience in the last handful of years. Though some of Nintendo's presentations have been less than exciting, the early success of the Switch is bound to encourage Nintendo to bring out the big guns during E3 2017. Here are our E3 2017 predictions for Nintendo.

Nintendo's final traditional press conference during E3 2012.Courtesy of Gameological

1. Virtual Console Launches

It's the biggest hole in the Nintendo Switch that will hopefully be plugged soon. Past Nintendo systems have let gamers download legacy titles that were available on earlier Nintendo consoles through a service called their Virtual Console. This is definitely planned for a Switch release at some point in the year; Nintendo has stated that their new online service will include a temporary download to an NES or SNES title that lasts about a month.

Rumors have suggested that Nintendo will include Gamecube games in the lineup this time around. And the Switch's Joy Con's definitely share some similarities to the Wiimotes, maybe some Nintendo Wii titles will be thrown onto the Switch as well. I'd suspect we'll get everything possible on this system to make up for the missteps of the Wii U. Virtual Console is definitely coming sometime this year, what better time to make the announcement than E3?

The Virtual Console platforms available on the original Wii.Courtesy of Rare Fanbase

2. A New Game from Retro Studios

There is often a gap in quality between exclusive Nintendo games actually made by Nintendo and exclusive Nintendo games made by an outside studio, while several developers have been brought on board (Capcom, Platinum Games, etc) no one has a pedigree quite as impressive as Retro Studios'. Having worked on the beloved Metroid Prime Trilogy on both the Gamecube and the Wii, Retro's most recent pair of Donkey Kong Country Returns had its latest release in 2014 on the Wii U. We haven't heard a peep from the Texas-based development team in 3 years.

My guess is that they're hard at work on a new game to come to Switch as this is their widest gap between releases ever. Of course, I'm hopeful for a return to the awesome platforming of Donkey Kong Country but I suspect we're going to be getting another look behind Samus's visor and getting another entry in the Metroid series. Reggie Fils-Aimé, head of Nintendo America, has referenced the franchises return several times and the lackluster Metroid Prime Federation Force didn't satiate anyone's appetite. It's time for a return to Metroid and more importantly, it's time to show off what Retro Studios has been cooking up.

Please, Nintendo. Let Samus come home.Courtesy of Nintendo

3. Another Wii U Port

The Wii U wasn't disliked because of its weak library. Splatoon, Super Smash Bros, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD are all some awesome games. However, poor timing, graphical power, and marketing kept many gamers away from the console. Like the fantastic Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, some rereleases would fare better on the Switch than on their big brother, the Wii U. It's inevitable that we'll get our Switchs running Super Smash Bros at some point, but rather than a new game, I anticipate we'll see a sort of Super Smash Bros Deluxe to hit the platform. And Splatoon 2 already includes most of the content from the original game.

But why stop there? Maybe we'll see ports outside of the Wii U, the Switch's handheld capabilities would make it a great place to play a Pokémon game, and there have been rumors that we'll see a re-release of last year's Pokémon Sun/Moon in the form of Pokémon Stars. Fingers crossed that it comes to the Switch.