The 2018 E3 Expo begins in exactly 49 days… so let the speculation begin! Today, we’re peering into our crystal ball at what Nintendo might have in store for gaming’s biggest showcase.
Super Smash Bros. Switch
The only game that Nintendo has thus far confirmed for E3 2018 is Super Smash Bros. Switch. Fans will get their first look at the next entry in the fighting franchise during a special “Super Smash Bros. Invitational” tournament, and while that news definitely gave me a few flashbacks to The Wizard, it also seems like the perfect venue for Smash Bros. Switch’s debut.
Of course, that could be because we still don’t know much of anything about the game. Is it a remaster of Super Smash Bros. For Wii U? Is it “Super Smash Bros. 5”? All we know for sure is that the Inklings will be a part of the game’s roster of playable characters (along with Mario and Link). Nintendo pulled that trick once before with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so that could be a hint that we’re looking at another remaster. But I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Super Smash Bros. Switch will be a full sequel with at least one highly-desired new feature.
Super Smash Bros. Switch is scheduled to be released sometime this year, so we won’t have to wait very long to get our hands on the full game.
Pokemon, Fire Emblem, and Yoshi
In an attempt to build some good will for the Switch, Nintendo uncharacteristically tipped their hand last year and announced a wide-ranging slate of software that was scheduled to launch in 2018. It’s hard to guess which one fans are clamoring for the most, but it’s probably Pokemon Switch. And don’t call it a spinoff… Pokemon’s Switch debut is set to be the first “mainline” entry for a home console in the franchise’s history. Of course, the Switch’s hybrid nature means that it’s also still a portable game at heart, and this fact is not lost on developer Game Freak. If Pokemon Switch is going to make its expected 2018 launch date, it needs to appear at this year’s E3 Expo.
Nintendo also penciled in Fire Emblem for a 2018 launch shortly after the Switch launched, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s eventually pushed into next year. Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Echoes, and Fire Emblem Warriors were all released in 2017, and while none of them could be considered a proper sequel, I think Nintendo might be worried about franchise fatigue. That said, I think we’ll still get a peek at the next Fire Emblem game at E3.
Yoshi is also on deck for 2018, and we’ve at least seen a teaser trailer for the dinosaur’s next adventure. It won’t get the same amount of digital ink as Pokemon or Fire Emblem, but Yoshi is a proven player for Nintendo, and they’ll make room for him during the E3 Expo.
Retro Studios
It’s been four years since Retro Studios released their last game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. In that time, Nintendo’s most well-known internal development house has been working on something big… but it’s not Metroid Prime 4 (that’s actually Bandai Namco). So what exactly are they doing down there in Texas? According to their Twitter feed, they’re eating lots of barbecue. Hopefully, they can put down the pork chops long enough to announce their next game at this year’s E3 Expo. It’s a long shot, but I think they will.
Oh, and while I’m here, I might as well go ahead and predict a Metroid Prime 4 reveal too. Because there’s a better-than-even chance that it happens this year.
Nintendo Online Service/Virtual Console/eShop Update
Nintendo previously promised that big changes were coming to the eShop to aid discoverability, and the consolemaker also said that announcements about the Switch’s Online Service and the status of the Virtual Console were in the works. And I say, now’s the time. Or rather, the 2018 E3 Expo is the time. We might not get all the answers we want, but I think Nintendo will begin to talk about changes they want to make to the online storefront and what fans can expect from the upcoming multiplayer network.
Nintendo Might Also Be Planning Something Wild
After the surprising reveal (and subsequent retail success) of Nintendo Labo, we can definitely assume that anything goes inside Nintendo HQ. Even the Switch itself was something of a wild idea before the entire world stood up and shouted, “Yes! I want that!” So what does Nintendo do for an encore?
Honestly… I have no idea. I’ve been a loyal citizen of the “Nintendo World” since I was a toddler, and in the 30 years since, the consolemaker has always managed to surprise me. Forget Super Smash Bros. Forget Pokemon. The only thing I can confidently state about Nintendo’s E3 2018 presentation is that something completely unprecedented will happen. And I don’t think Mr. Miyamoto will prove me wrong. (But on a purely personal note… if Nintendo is going to resurrect one of its forgotten franchises, I hope it’s StarTropics).
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Nintendo has yet to announce a date and time for their “E3 Spotlight” presentation, but it’s typically held in the morning on the first day of the Expo. This year, that date falls on June 12.
