Ah, Nintendo Directs. These rare moments in the year where we often get to see a sneak peek into what is next for Nintendo, where we therefore start speculating on what games are going to be shown there, where rumors and leakers tend to show up seeking for everyone’s attention by posting rather elusive hints or leaks regarding the Direct’s content, and then after the Direct aired, you end up being disappointed because you really thought trusting some unfounded random dude would make you even more hopeful for the Direct, and when there is a new one, the cycle repeats itself all over again.
So naturally, when E3 is around the corner, it’s obvious that on one hand, leakers and so-called industry insiders will once again take an opportunity to bet their reputation on big rumors alike, while publishers and developers will heat up the global anticipation from gaming communities by giving more or less directly appetizers of what to expect from E3, wherever it’s Walmart leaking everything weeks prior to E3, or either Microsoft with their Inside Ibox or recently Sony with its State of Play ( although Sony won’t be attending E3 this year ) that decides to give to the fans an appetizer of what to expect from them during E3. And Nintendo clearly might be no exception too. And while Nintendo is often regarded as the E3 attendant who is looked forward by the most in the gaming industry and gaming communities alike, this makes the iconic house of Mario someone to look even more forward to.
But what are the chances of having one more Direct before Nintendo decides to set sail for the biggest annual gaming convention of the year that is E3 ?
Here’s a breakthrough of all the possible forms of Directs Nintendo can eventually decide to release in the following weeks :
General Nintendo Direct ?
While we did end up having a Nintendo Direct fairly recently ( the last one was in February ) and that the chances of having another mainline Direct right before E3 would be rather pretty slim given the fact that the longest wait for a Direct separating the recent one was 5 months ( Between the September Direct from last year and the February Direct from this year ) and that Nintendo has never released a new Direct less than two months after airing the previous one, keep in mind that there are still many things we need to know regarding the 2019 line-up planning of the Nintendo Switch ( the release date of Super Mario Maker 2 in June, possible news of the Town game announced for 2019, a proper reveal of Shin Megami Tensei V, when will The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening or even Cadence of Hyrule - Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda release, when comes out Luigi Mansion 3, Dragon Quest XI S, and eventually Animal Crossing. ( even though it is more likely they keep their big titles for E3 ).
The reason for this choice of Direct to come up is because of an intriguing post made recently by a leaker who accurately leaked the air date of the recent Pokémon Direct and the arrival of Link’s Awakening on Switch. among other stuff. What’s interesting is that he apparently has contacts with someone directly affiliated to Nintendo of America, adding a bit more credibility to his leaks, although this could also just mean nothing.
First of all, the leaker who calls himself as Sabi, hinted five days ago that Nintendo presumably planned some big things for next month, which is this April.
You'll all really love what Nintendo has in store for next month.
But it was only recently that he started to have words that some sort of spring Direct was planned to air soon according to a source who correctly leaked the Sword and Shield starters on Pokémon Day.
However, the same guy stipulates that this yet has to mean that there’s is indeed going to be a Direct in the near future, as he is unsure for now of the credibility of the source.
Even though we might not end up having one more mainline Direct before E3, there’s still more Direct possibilities out there that are more likely to eventually happen :
Smash Bros Direct ?
Probably a likely bet, given the fact that the Joker DLC is set to be officially released by the end of April and that we still don’t know when the major 3.0 update of Super Smash Bros Ultimate will go live. Since fighter reveal announcements have never been made outside of dedicated Directs, it wouldn’t come out as a surprise if Nintendo decides to release another Direct in order to give more details on Joker DLC and future update plans for the game. However, it is very unlikely that Nintendo will decide to reveal all the DLC characters afterwards at the same time. But since Nintendo has announced their plans to release all upcoming DLCs by February 2020 and given the fact that it has been 4 months now since Joker’s reveal, we should likely expect an announcement for the next DLC fighter following Joker’s proper reveal.
Mini Direct focused on one game ?
Chances of having a mini Direct format instead are higher than the mainline Direct format since Nintendo has yet to talk more into detail about some of their many heavy hitters this year like Super Mario Maker 2. Given the fact that the game releases the same month as E3 and while unlikely that they will decide to reveal everything from the game in a roughly 35-minute long presentation, releasing a dedicated mini Direct that focuses on a proper gameplay reveal and new gameplay elements highlights would make much more sense as it would give gamers a first look at the highly anticipated sequel to the hit Wii U game.
Animal Crossing Direct ?
Now, this might turn out to be the most unlikeliest bet of them all, but recently, the official Twitter account of Nintendo of America posted an image of Tom Nook with a bag of money symbolizing the end of the fiscal year between the 11th April and 15th April with Tax Day happening over the United States in mid-April.
The tweet was accompanied by a rather elusive message “ Tom Nook is here to help you file your tax returns… and he already has an idea for what to do with your refund! “. And the tweet also comes up with the hashtag #NintendoSwitch and also with a link to Nintendo’s website over the Switch section...
What’s interesting to notice is that the end of the fiscal year isn’t the only thing that is happening during this period... as since it is the end of the fiscal year, this means that Reggie Fils-Aimé will officially lend the head of Nintendo of America to Doug Bowser as he sets to retire. While it’s been a long time that Reggie hasn’t presented in a Nintendo Direct, it wouldn’t be out of reach if for his last ever Direct over at Nintendo, he decides to end his career on a satisfying note by giving a first proper look at the hugely awaited mainline Animal Crossing Switch game... The 11th of April turns out to happen on a Thursday, and since most Directs usually airs on Thursdays...
Obviously, with all the rumors that are already starting to swirl up as we are approaching towards E3, you should take most rumors out there with a huge grain of salt, because while it’s nice to dream a bit, we need to remain realistic over a bit. This way, you could easily avoid being disappointed or eventually end up being surprised, who knows really what could end up happening in the future.
Say, do you think we might get at least one more Direct before E3 happens, GAF ? What is the likeliest prediction in your opinion that has the most chances of happening, and since we are starting to approach dangerously of E3... what are actually hoping to see from Nintendo this year ?
