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Nintendo First-Party Thread: The Teams, The Games, The Future

BY2K

Membero Americo
Yeah he said we was working on a new game last year I thought. Anybody else can make a Smash port while Sakuria makes a new game.

Also, Nintendo may not publish Mario X Rabbids like Ninja said. I think it would then belong to Ubisoft

Emily Rogers says the official title of the game is called Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and it's published by Ubisoft, not Nintendo.

https://arcadegirl64.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/quick-thoughts-on-switchs-year-one/

Traditionally, summer has been a slower time for video games, but that’s not the case for Switch. Major titles such as ARMS, Splatoon 2, and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle are scheduled for release between June through late September. And according to Nintendo, Switch’s momentum will continue to build into the holidays with Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
In all honesty I don't see an enhanced Smash 4 Switch port happening at this point.

Like, what reliable rumors are even left for it at this point? Serkan Toto said it was happening, but he also said it would be out for launch, which obviously didn't happen. There's also Laura Kate Dale who's just LOL. Her source said that the last Smash amiibo were being held back for the port, but then look what happened. I think at this point, we're just expecting it because "well, they're doing it for Mario Kart..."

I think we need to rewatch the ending of the last Smash Bros. broadcast from December 2015. With the way Sakurai recounts the total amount of characters, stages, etc in the game, the way he does a big goodbye speech at the end, and how he caps off the whole thing with a bang and literally some fireworks at the end, it all makes it really loud and clear that he's very much finished with the game and that the entire Smash 4 project is over and done with. I just don't see Sakurai doing all of that, only to turn around and say "LOL JK here's some more shit".

I think he's probably just moved on to a new project similar to the likes of Kid Icarus or Meteos. It will probably be quite some time before we get news of a brand new Smash Bros.

Just discourse here.

1. There may not be a new Sakurai involved Smash.Like period.
2. We saw a strategy in Nintendo expanding their big multiplayer games for early releases (Mario Kart, Splatoon, and ?)
3. Mario Kart could have been launch. Would Nintendo release Arms and Smash at the same time? Would it be wise to flood the launch period with Wii U titles or is there some release philosophy at play here. How about ARMS gets the spotlight for being a new IP and releases, then Smash ports its way over for the holiday season.

I'd bet money on Smash being at E3.
 

Fiendcode

Member
In addition to Smash there's also a potential Pokken port on the horizon for Switch. Announcing all 3 early on definitely would've crowded out Arms I think
 
I haven't gotten a Switch, but I'll probably grab one around Christmas. Might as well post some E3 predictions now that the Direct is out of the way.

I think Mario Party 11 has a good shot of being announced with a Spring 2018 release, based on Nd Cube's schedule. They've also announced the last two MP games at E3, though not during the actual conference. I didn't realise until recently how well MP10 did for a Wii U title.

Retro's game is pretty much a lock. I think it'll be a new IP, or at least one they haven't worked on before. I don't think it will make it this year with Odyssey and (for now) Xenoblade on the table. With Federation Force's post-credit cutscene, I think Next Level Games may be handling a more traditional Metroid game. Luigi's Mansion 3 will likely happen before that though.

Pikmin team hasn't done anything since 3 so also hoping for a Pikmin 4 announcement.

If Pokemon Stars is a thing, I'm expecting a reveal within the next few weeks since TPC likes to reveal games on their own terms.

I feel that Sakurai's project may be teased as well. Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing Switch will be no-shows.
 

sinonobu

Banned
so upcoming major titles are...

april - mairo kart 8 deluxe

may - minecraft, ultra street fighter 2

june - arms

july - splatoon 2

august ~ september - mario + rabbids kingdom battle

holiday - xenoblade 2, fire emblem warriors, pokemon stars, smash 4 deluxe, super mario oddyssey
 

Mory Dunz

Member
Emily Rogers says the official title of the game is called Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and it's published by Ubisoft, not Nintendo.

https://arcadegirl64.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/quick-thoughts-on-switchs-year-one/

hm, so she seems condident about about Mario Rabbids being between.June and Sept. That thing is gonna be announced at E3 and come out like a month later. That's cool, though I still have no faith in it being good.

She doesn't seem as confident about Smash and Pokemon which is interesting.

Lastly:
Releasing Mario + Rabbids before Super Mario Odyssey will make the wait for Odyssey feel much less painful.
in what world
 

ITSMILNER

Member
I really hope PKMN Stars isn't a real thing, I would prefer Gamefreak to work on a new Poke game from the ground up on Switch, the big MMO-esq console Pokemon we have been wanting for years.

With Mario Maker, I'm doubtful it would get a numbered sequel, what could they do to warrant putting a 2 on it? They would need to include all the original games content and there's not much they could add on top is there?
 

Polygonal_Sprite

Gold Member
If the Rabbids crossover is true then I think people should dial back their expectations for exclusive Switch games released this year.

I think in terms of possible games revealed at E3. The most possible games are -

1. Mario / Rabbids.
2. Smash port.
3. Pokémon Stars.
4. Pikmin 4.
5. Luigi's Mansion 3.

Nintendo currently have Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 officially pencilled in for this year. I think out of the possible games listed above Rabbids could slot in after Splatoon 2 in Autumn but I don't see many slots or the need for Nintendo to overfill this Holiday season with Pokémon, Smash or both.

There is also the chance they leave themselves short for 2018. They need to keep momentum going well into next year so saving Smash and Pokémon for next year would be wise imo.
 
Emily Rogers says the official title of the game is called Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and it's published by Ubisoft, not Nintendo.

https://arcadegirl64.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/quick-thoughts-on-switchs-year-one/

I've always believed in the Mario X Rabbids rumor and August-September makes sense for a release. July is Splatoon. August might be Skyrim and Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

I haven't gotten a Switch, but I'll probably grab one around Christmas. Might as well post some E3 predictions now that the Direct is out of the way.

I think Mario Party 11 has a good shot of being announced with a Spring 2018 release, based on Nd Cube's schedule. They've also announced the last two MP games at E3, though not during the actual conference. I didn't realise until recently how well MP10 did for a Wii U title.

Retro's game is pretty much a lock. I think it'll be a new IP, or at least one they haven't worked on before. I don't think it will make it this year with Odyssey and (for now) Xenoblade on the table. With Federation Force's post-credit cutscene, I think Next Level Games may be handling a more traditional Metroid game. Luigi's Mansion 3 will likely happen before that though.

Pikmin team hasn't done anything since 3 so also hoping for a Pikmin 4 announcement.

If Pokemon Stars is a thing, I'm expecting a reveal within the next few weeks since TPC likes to reveal games on their own terms.

I feel that Sakurai's project may be teased as well. Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing Switch will be no-shows.

If Nintendo was confident in Mario Party 11 being what we want then they should show it in their E3 conference/Digital Event.

I have no clue what Retro is doing and I don't think NLG will ever made another Metroid game.
 

DMONKUMA

Junior Member
With the push of UE4 in Japan do you think Nintendo would use the engine for one of their IPs or maybe a new IP? Would be a cool thing to debut at E3.
 
I get the feeling that at this e3, we wont get so many new announcements as much as a blow out on odyssey witha confirmation of the stars and smash ports
 

DMONKUMA

Junior Member
I get the feeling that at this e3, we wont get so many new announcements as much as a blow out on odyssey witha confirmation of the stars and smash ports

Well they don't really need a lot of new announcements just maybe around 2 or 3 impactful ones.
 
Intelligent Systems is probably working on a new Paper Mario game. Color Splash started development as soon as Sticker Star was finished. Same goes for TTYD after the original. They seem to start working on the next entry immediately after the last one gets finished.

That'd be good, as long as it's a TTYD successor, but you know what would be better? A new IP.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
I get the feeling that at this e3, we wont get so many new announcements as much as a blow out on odyssey witha confirmation of the stars and smash ports

I think Odyssey, Smash, Pokemon, and Retro (announced for 2018) is a solid E3. Not a flood of games, but 4 power pieces.
 

BD1

Banned
I get the feeling that at this e3, we wont get so many new announcements as much as a blow out on odyssey witha confirmation of the stars and smash ports

I generally agree, but also feel they need one big surprise announcement to put it over the top. We are sure to get a lot of Mario, Splatoon and probably Smash. Lifting the curtain on Retro's game, or a new Metroid or something really sexy would be an excellent cherry of top.
 
I have no clue what Retro is doing and I don't think NLG will ever made another Metroid game.

Well I've never played FF outside of that Blast Ball demo so I can't speak about its quality, but I at least don't think that the IP is dead. It seems like Sakamoto wants to move away from that sort of game and if Retro moves onto a new IP, NLG isn't a stretch. It just needs to be stay away from FF's direction.
 

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
I really want to see retro grit their teeth on a new IP, something that will catch everyone's attention
 

Clov

Member
Just discourse here.

1. There may not be a new Sakurai involved Smash.Like period.
2. We saw a strategy in Nintendo expanding their big multiplayer games for early releases (Mario Kart, Splatoon, and ?)
3. Mario Kart could have been launch. Would Nintendo release Arms and Smash at the same time? Would it be wise to flood the launch period with Wii U titles or is there some release philosophy at play here. How about ARMS gets the spotlight for being a new IP and releases, then Smash ports its way over for the holiday season.

I'd bet money on Smash being at E3.

I'm feeling this too. Even if Sakurai is done with Smash for the time being, there's no way that Nintendo would just leave the franchise be. An enhanced port of Smash 4 would be relatively easy to make for the Switch's first year, and it would be a guaranteed high seller. Plus, new characters gives them the chance to sell even more Amiibos. They could even make more DLC for it. It's a big moneymaker for them, and I'd be surprised if it didn't turn up at E3.

With the discussion regarding Next Level's new project, I'm really hoping it's Luigi's Mansion 3. Dark Moon was a lot of fun, and I'd love to see a Luigi's Mansion game on an HD system. While I didn't mind the mission system and thought it worked for Dark Moon, I'd like to see them go back to the more exploration based style of the original if they end up working on that project.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
I'm feeling this too. Even if Sakurai is done with Smash for the time being, there's no way that Nintendo would just leave the franchise be. An enhanced port of Smash 4 would be relatively easy to make for the Switch's first year, and it would be a guaranteed high seller. Plus, new characters gives them the chance to sell even more Amiibos. They could even make more DLC for it. It's a big moneymaker for them, and I'd be surprised if it didn't turn up at E3.

With the discussion regarding Next Level's new project, I'm really hoping it's Luigi's Mansion 3. Dark Moon was a lot of fun, and I'd love to see a Luigi's Mansion game on an HD system. While I didn't mind the mission system and thought it worked for Dark Moon, I'd like to see them go back to the more exploration based style of the original if they end up working on that project.

That's another key factor of Smash port - Nintendo needs to relaunch that huge Amiibo line up.

But back to Nintendo / NLG next work, they haven't done a sequel since Mario Strikers. There's a good chance their next game (2018?) is a random Nintendo IP.
 

Aldric

Member
Just discourse here.

1. There may not be a new Sakurai involved Smash.Like period.
2. We saw a strategy in Nintendo expanding their big multiplayer games for early releases (Mario Kart, Splatoon, and ?)
3. Mario Kart could have been launch. Would Nintendo release Arms and Smash at the same time? Would it be wise to flood the launch period with Wii U titles or is there some release philosophy at play here. How about ARMS gets the spotlight for being a new IP and releases, then Smash ports its way over for the holiday season.

I'd bet money on Smash being at E3.

l don't think they need Smash for the holidays if the Pokemon rumor ends up being true. I'd argue releasing the first HD mainline Pokemon game and a spirital successor to Mario 64 in the same period would be one of the most impactful combos in Nintendo's history. Then they can keep the Smash port for early 2018 to make sure there's no droughts.
 
I agree with Shika and Clov.

On top of their other points, I think what Nintendo have learned is that they didn't get their AAA IPs out fast enough on 3DS and especially Wii U. The Switch is remedying that.

The development cycles aligned well enough that Zelda, Splatoon, 3D Mario, Warriors, and Xenoblade 2 could make the first year.

A ground-up Mario Kart was out of the cards so they opted to go with an enhanced port. This says something about how valuable Mario Kart is.

Smash Bros. is absolutely in that same boat to me. Not to mention, as soon as SSB4 came out, the point of discussion was legitimate wondering how Sakurai could even top it with a ground-up installment. It's truly the culmination of the series up to that point. There's also plenty of incentive in doing an enhanced port.

e.g.
- Fleshed-out single-player modes (Adventure Mode, or even just Smash Run)
- Events for the DLC characters (also more trophies + music for SF and FF)
- Incorporating the 3DS-exclusive content and the Wii U-exclusive content into a single version

And that's before the elephant in the room of new characters, stages, costumes, etc.

If they want to have Smash Bros. out early on in the Switch's lifespan, an enhanced port is pretty much the only way to get that done. I think it's a bit hasty to write it off. If it wasn't going to be revealed at the January event, it wasn't going to be revealed before E3.

l don't think they need Smash for the holidays if the Pokemon rumor ends up being true. I'd argue releasing the first HD mainline Pokemon game and a spirital successor to Mario 64 in the same period would be one of the most impactful combo in Nintendo's history. Then they can keep the Smash port for early 2018 to make sure there's no droughts.

I agree with this completely. I think Nintendo will announce Mario + Rabbids and Pokemon Stars as the remaining AAA holiday games, and any other new announcements (including Smash) will be for 2018. Pokemon feels like the game that would be bigger to have out first. That's the big coup for winning over the 3DS/handheld crowd.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
l don't think they need Smash for the holidays if the Pokemon rumor ends up being true. I'd argue releasing the first HD mainline Pokemon game and a spirital successor to Mario 64 in the same period would be one of the most impactful combos in Nintendo's history. Then they can keep the Smash port for early 2018 to make sure there's no droughts.

But you potentially have Fire Emblem, Xenoblade 2, Retro Studios, and oher games for 2018. The Smash port (like Mario Kart) was conceived to pad this holiday season. Plus the Amiibo line is perfect for the holiday relaunch.
 

thefro

Member
I get the feeling that at this e3, we wont get so many new announcements as much as a blow out on odyssey witha confirmation of the stars and smash ports

They'll show some of their cards for the first half of 2018 and probably tease at least once title beyond that.
 

Zalman

Member
Just collecting some thoughts here.

Pokémon:
Assuming Pokémon is this year, I think the announcement is right around the corner. May is typically a big month for the franchise. And honestly, I think it would benefit Nintendo to get that announcement out before E3 since May isn't the most exciting month in terms of releases. That could give the Switch some buzz in an otherwise quiet month. I don't doubt that the game exists, but whether it launches this year will be interesting to see.

Next Level Games:
I don't know how much of the staff worked on Federation Force, but there were three years between that and Luigi's Mansion 2. Considering they've historically released games on a more frequent basis, I don't think it's impossible that they've had a Switch game in development for some time now. At this point I think Luigi's Mansion is more likely than Strikers simply because of how well 2 sold. It was a big hit on 3DS, and I could easily see them do another one.

Smash Bros.:
The announcement of the newest Smash amiibo caught me off guard, but it tells me that the game will at least have *some* new characters. I don't think they will launch this game without any new amiibo. I think they want to start the hype train again before the announced amiibo release in July, so I could see them announce this game at E3. As it's likely a port with minimal additions, I could also see it come out this year.

Retro:
Best kept secret yet. Nobody knows. But I'm intrigued considering how long it has been since Tropical Freeze. I hope to see this at E3, but if both Pokémon and Smash are this year, I don't believe this one will be released until 2018.

Pikmin 4:
This one has been rumored for a while. I believe the main Pikmin team is working on it, but I wonder if they'll show it now that the focus in on the 3DS game. It almost feels there there is *too* much they could show already, and Nintendo has never been a company to blow their entire load at once. If anything is held back, I could see it being this... But I wouldn't be surprised if it appeared at E3 either.
 

ITSMILNER

Member
Smash Bros. is absolutely in that same boat to me. Not to mention, as soon as SSB4 came out, the point of discussion was legitimate wondering how Sakurai could even top it with a ground-up installment. It's truly the culmination of the series up to that point. There's also plenty of incentive in doing an enhanced port.

See, I feel this way about MK8, how could that series be topped? Just adding to the deluxe release with DLC is more appealing than them getting to work on a new MK game
 

Clov

Member
That's another key factor of Smash port - Nintendo needs to relaunch that huge Amiibo line up.

But back to Nintendo / NLG next work, they haven't done a sequel since Mario Strikers. There's a good chance their next game (2018?) is a random Nintendo IP.

Fair point; they could be working on a different IP entirely. If that's the case, it's probably an older IP that hasn't been touched in a while. I wonder what they'd get?

Still, I'd love for them (or some other Nintendo affiliate, even) to tackle another Luigi's Mansion. They're such fun games to play!
 

TheMoon

Member
With the push of UE4 in Japan do you think Nintendo would use the engine for one of their IPs or maybe a new IP? Would be a cool thing to debut at E3.

Why would they need UE4 for anything of their own?!

That'd be good, as long as it's a TTYD successor, but you know what would be better? A new IP.

Everyone hated the last one despite being highly innovative, brilliant, and overall just great.
 

Shikamaru Ninja

任天堂 の 忍者
Smash Bros. is absolutely in that same boat to me. Not to mention, as soon as SSB4 came out, the point of discussion was legitimate wondering how Sakurai could even top it with a ground-up installment. It's truly the culmination of the series up to that point. There's also plenty of incentive in doing an enhanced port.

e.g.
- Fleshed-out single-player modes (Adventure Mode, or even just Smash Run)
- Events for the DLC characters (also more trophies + music for SF and FF)
- Incorporating the 3DS-exclusive content and the Wii U-exclusive content into a single version

And that's before the elephant in the room of new characters, stages, costumes, etc.

If they want to have Smash Bros. out early on in the Switch's lifespan, an enhanced port is pretty much the only way to get that done. I think it's a bit hasty to write it off. If it wasn't going to be revealed at the January event, it wasn't going to be revealed before E3.

Making a Smash Bros. from the ground up makes zero sense for the NSW. It's not like the system operates on another realm of graphic fidelity, so what exactly would there be to redo? Not too mention all the detailed licensing involved with those guest 3rd party characters, and Amiibo royalties.

Add Smash Run / Adventure Mode, maybe 2-4 cut/new characters, release and sell millions of copies and amiibos this Holiday.
 

DMONKUMA

Junior Member
Why would they need UE4 for anything of their own?!

Wasn't there an article recently on some their debe getting used to the engine? Maybe they need it for faster work or possible for series that don't have an established engine they could reused from the Wii U, something like Metroid and such.
 

KingBroly

Banned
Just collecting some thoughts here.

Pokémon:
Assuming Pokémon is this year, I think the announcement is right around the corner. May is typically a big month for the franchise. And honestly, I think it would benefit Nintendo to get that announcement out before E3 since May isn't the most exciting month in terms of releases. That could give the Switch some buzz in an otherwise quiet month. I don't doubt that the game exists, but whether it launches this year will be interesting to see.

Next Level Games:
I don't know how much of the staff worked on Federation Force, but there were three years between that and Luigi's Mansion 2. Considering they've historically released games on a more frequent basis, I don't think it's impossible that they've had a Switch game in development for some time now. At this point I think Luigi's Mansion is more likely than Strikers simply because of how well 2 sold. It was a big hit on 3DS, and I could easily see them do another one.

Smash Bros.:
The announcement of the newest Smash amiibo caught me off guard, but it tells me that the game will at least have *some* new characters. I don't think they will launch this game without any new amiibo. I think they want to start the hype train again before the announced amiibo release in July, so I could see them announce this game at E3. As it's likely a port with minimal additions, I could also see it come out this year.

Retro:
Best kept secret yet. Nobody knows. But I'm intrigued considering how long it has been since Tropical Freeze. I hope to see this at E3, but if both Pokémon and Smash are this year, I don't believe this one will be released until 2018.

Pikmin 4:
This one has been rumored for a while. I believe the main Pikmin team is working on it, but I wonder if they'll show it now that the focus in on the 3DS game. It almost feels there there is *too* much they could show already, and Nintendo has never been a company to blow their entire load at once. If anything is held back, I could see it being this... But I wouldn't be surprised if it appeared at E3 either.

Put NLG back on Super Mario Strikers, IMO

and if there's another Pikmin game besides Hey! Pikmin, then Nintendo is once again mis-allocating resources.
 

Neoxon

Junior Member
If the Rabbids crossover is true then I think people should dial back their expectations for exclusive Switch games released this year.

I think in terms of possible games revealed at E3. The most possible games are -

1. Mario / Rabbids.
2. Smash port.
3. Pokémon Stars.
4. Pikmin 4.
5. Luigi's Mansion 3.

Nintendo currently have Fire Emblem Warriors, Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 officially pencilled in for this year. I think out of the possible games listed above Rabbids could slot in after Splatoon 2 in Autumn but I don't see many slots or the need for Nintendo to overfill this Holiday season with Pokémon, Smash or both.

There is also the chance they leave themselves short for 2018. They need to keep momentum going well into next year so saving Smash and Pokémon for next year would be wise imo.
As mentioned before, I don't think TPC would wait until E3 to reveal Stars (if it's real) & risk not dominating the headlines. We'll know about Stars by the end of May if it's an actual thing.
 
See, I feel this way about MK8, how could that series be topped? Just adding to the deluxe release with DLC is more appealing than them getting to work on a new MK game

I'd like to see a new MK with the fidelity and graphical/animation quality of the PS4 Ratchet and Clank release. I loved MK8, but as is the case with many of the more recent Nintendo releases, I was left wondering about what could have been.
 
Why would they need UE4 for anything of their own?!



Everyone hated the last one despite being highly innovative, brilliant, and overall just great.

While I acknowledge its flaws, and did find myself wishing it was more like TTDY in those aspects most often mentioned, I greatly enjoyed Color Splash, and found it hard to put down until I'd done everything there was to do!
 
I'd like to see a new MK with the fidelity and graphical/animation quality of the PS4 Ratchet and Clank release. I loved MK8, but as is the case with many of the more recent Nintendo releases, I was left wondering about what could have been.
Nah. It's great as it is and one of the best looking games. What they should do for the next Mario Kart is focus on a single player experience.
 

jmizzal

Member
Emily Rogers says the official title of the game is called Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and it's published by Ubisoft, not Nintendo.

https://arcadegirl64.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/quick-thoughts-on-switchs-year-one/

So looks like Rabbids Mario game will get announced in short notice, maybe E3 announcement and then Sept or Aug release

I really want to see retro grit their teeth on a new IP, something that will catch everyone's attention

I hope its a western type game similar to how they turn Metroid to match modern FPS style back with Prime, Switch is gonna get flooded with Japanese type games from 3rd parties, and Nintendo flavor games, it will be nice to have a big Western game on the system.
 

Aldric

Member
Put NLG back on Super Mario Strikers, IMO

and if there's another Pikmin game besides Hey! Pikmin, then Nintendo is once again mis-allocating resources.

l don't see why you'd want NLG to make yet another semi niche Mario sports game instead of the sequel to a game that sold more copies than every Zelda since Twilight Princess. Luigi's Mansion is now arguably one of their major franchises, it'd be idiotic not to capitalize on it.
 
l don't see why you'd want NLG to make yet another semi niche Mario sports game instead of the sequel to a game that sold more copies than every Zelda since Twilight Princess. Luigi's Mansion is now arguably one of their major franchises, it'd be idiotic not to capitalize on it.
I think Luigis Mansion 3 is next because of the sales of LM2. It works and it makes good money. No need to gamble right now is my thinking. A Strikers or Punch Out could be next.

The single player experience is certainly what I'd most want to see included, and the same goes for Smash.
Even Mario Kart DS has a nice single player experience.
 

SirShandy

Member
Looking only at 1st and 2nd party output over the last few years, I think you can form a few solid predictions of what to expect at Nintendo's E3 2017:

The Expected-

- We'll obviously get a deeper dive into Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade 2 and get a clearer idea of whether the latter will actually be releasing in 2017. If it is, I'd expect a December release.

- I think we'll also get a good look at Splatoon 2's story mode.

- We'll also likely get details on Zelda's Summer DLC.

- Kirby's holiday action title for 3DS will probably be revealed as well.

The Much Rumored -

- Of these two rumored titles, the Smash Bros port and Pokemon Stars, I think we'll get at least one for release in the late fall period. The Pokemon games are usually revealed 6 to 10 months before release, and typically not at E3, so if the Stars rumor is true, it will be interesting to see how it is revealed. If the Smash Bros port is revealed, and it has any new characters, I feel one is very likely to be an Inkling. Also, if Splatoon 2 is going to be releasing along side the online service app, I could possibly see a Smash Bros port launching when the online service becomes paid in the fall.

Animal Crossing Possibilities -

- Looking at EPD Group 2, the team that covers the Splatoon and Animal Crossing franchises, they have not released a mainline Animal Crossing title since 2012 (2013 in the US). It did receive a fairly large update in 2016, but it was free, and large parts of it were outsourced to other development teams. I wonder whether development for a new Animal Crossing had begun on the Wii U and was pushed to the side to wait for new hardware to come along. Meanwhile Happy Home designer was made as a stopgap title for the 3DS in 2015. The Animal Crossing Plaza on the Wii U was kind of a weird thing that didn't amount to much.

On top of this, the Animal Crossing mobile title reveal may have been delayed to tie it with the reveal of a new main version for the Switch. It's possible that the two titles may connect in some way. If Animal Crossing for Switch is revealed at E3, I'd expect it to be a Spring-Summer 2018 title. The main sticking point is how big EPD Group 2 is, and how much of the team they have working on Splatoon 2 and its future DLC.

Likely Reveals -

- There are two EPD teams which will very likely have at least one title to show off at E3, EPD Group 4 and Group 7.

- EPD Group 4 is in charge of the Pikmin and 2D Mario titles. Their last releases were Super Mario Maker in Fall 2015, and Pikmin 3 in Summer 2013. Pikmin 4 has been mentioned by Miyamoto several times, but with conflicting information - how the title is almost completed, but at the same time, how it has also fallen down the list of priorities. Seeing as it's likely this team will have at least one title ready in 2018, a reveal of either the Pikmin game, or perhaps a new 2D mario, will likely be shown at E3.

-EPD Group 7's last projects were Miitomo in 2016, which was co-developed, and the last Rhythm Heaven in 2015. I'd expect a new title to be shown at E3, whether a sequel to a well known franchise ( WarioWare would fit well on the Switch), or a brand new IP. Though I'm not sure how involved this team is in all the Miitomo updates.

The Greatest Mystery-

Finally, it would appear that Retro Studios should be ready to reveal something. I don't know what it could be. There were rumors that it was a new IP, but I guess we'll find out eventually. The main interesting piece of information about Retro Studios is that it took four years between their major releases of Donkey Kong Country Returns in 2010, and Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze in 2014, yet they also assisted on Mario Kart 7 and the 3DS port of DKC Returns during that time. To my knowledge, they have not done any assist work since the release of Tropical Freeze, and have devoted all their resources to their next title, or possibly, titles. We also know they love barbecue.
 
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