Wii U! Mario! 3DS! Zelda?
We’ve already given you our individual thoughts regarding what Sony or Microsoft might unveil this year at E3, but now the attention turns to the mighty Nintendo.
Will their showing be Wii U focused? Maybe they’ll surprise us all and unveil specifications as well as a release date? New version of the 3DS? We’ll find out the answers next week, but right now NGB team members put their necks on the line with their predictions. Read on to see what they think Nintendo will do.
Aaron Sullivan – Nintendo showing a new console without at least a bit of information on the next big Zelda or Mario game is blasphemous. So I think we shall see one of these at some point in the conference. There will also be a bigger push towards showing off third party support and giving more detail on which direction they are taking online gaming for their platform. In my opinion this is Nintendo’s prime concern alongside clearly demonstrating what their console is capable of.
Adam Neaves – Everyone expects (including myself) Nintendo’s E3 showing to be mainly focused around the Nintendo Wii U console and its launch line up. I liked the Wii, but nowhere near enough as my other consoles, but am interested to see what they plan to do with the Wii U. Will they cater just for families and the younger audience, or will they try and draw in the hardcore gamers this time around? I’m not too sure, but I will definitely be giving their conference a watch, and it wouldn’t surprise if the Nintendo Wii U is the most talked about topic once E3 is over.
Adrian Purser – The only company I am expecting to see new hardware from. Whilst I don’t think it’s going to be as powerful as many would like it to be, I am expecting it to at least sit above the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in terms of raw horsepower. In true Nintendo style though, I expect we’ll see little about specs, and more about software – I would be surprised if we don’t see anything from Mario, Link, Samus or Fox with new video-screen capabilities. I dont think a 3DS re-design is on the cards this time around (given there’s new colours launching just this month), but I think some new first party titles could well be announced, along with a Gameboy Advance E-shop.
Aryel Abrahami – Whilst the big kids are fighting in the back yard Nintendo have the front lawn to themselves, this kid plays by a different set of rules and will once again be pushing their unique brand of game experience. With a release date of late 2012 we can expect a big Wii U push, we may even see a name change. We will certainly see many more games, some will be ports with a few cool controller changes and others will be juicy exclusives that will likely define the console’s launch. As for tech specs, we will probably hear a lot of rumours but no official word, Nintendo always like to hide the facts when it comes to their mediocre hardware, instead opting to distract us with their latest ideas.
Asim Tanvir – Nintendo’s showing at this year’s E3 will focus mainly around the Wii U, which makes a lot of sense as it’s launching later this year. I’d like to think they will announce a proper Mario title for launch, but I don’t think it will happen. Instead, Nintendo will unveil a title similar to New Super Mario Bros on the 3DS and Wii. Online will be a big focus too, with the Wii U getting a full-on service like Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network. Zelda might make an appearance too, I know Aaron will probably cream himself if it does. Finally, I think Nintendo will also unveil a brand new version of the 3DS with a second analog stick.
Dave Duncan – I think they’ll announce a new name for the Wii U and hopefully give a lot more insight into the fancy controller. Personally, I would love to see some of the Wii U’s graphical potential, and a new Mario game too.
David Bryant – For Nintendo it has to be the Wii U show and with the promised third party support not yet materialising, I think it will be time for EA to step from the shadows and confirm FIFA (maybe Crysis as well) for their new console. Then it’s got to be all about Mario and Zelda and if we don’t see full gameplay plus proper detail on what the tablet can do it’ll be a PR disaster for Nintendo. Finally, I don’t think this will happen, but I would love for Nintendo to launch a brand new, never before seen IP. Good God, they need it. I’m sure Pokemon Black and White 2 will be there in full force to support the DS and 3DS. A new battle system would certainly spark debate.
Gari Clark – This year’s E3 will be huge for Nintendo. I think there will be a massive focus placed upon the upcoming Wii U with Nintendo revealing specs, price and release date. Software for the Wii U will be another big focus this year and the biggest announcement will be a brand new Mario. Pikmin 3, a new Star Fox title and maybe even a follow-up to Super Smash Bros will make an appearance too. I personally think that there will be a few surprises in relation to the 3DS as well, with more details regarding Pokemon Black and White, plus an announcement regarding a long and definitely overdue follow-up in the form of Donkey Kong on both the 3DS and the Wii U.
Nick Harrington – With the slight confusion surrounding the Wii U and it’s announcement, Nintendo will be making sure no one leaves E3 thinking it’s just a fat, less useful iPad-like peripheral for their current Wii system. It’s been hinted at, but i wouldn’t be surprised to see a rebranding, maybe even something revolutionary like the ‘Wii 2’ or the ‘Super Nintendo 2 Turbo”. Yes, you can have those names for free Nintendo, but I’m keeping the ‘Nintendo Twii’ for myself.
Tom Mills – I’d like them to dismiss allegations that the Wii U isn’t up to scratch by demonstrating it properly and showing what it can really do, using first party titles designed specifically for the hardware. That’s obviously assumming that it’s not actually shit. GIVE ME MARIO IN FULL HD!
That’s our Nintendo predictions, next up (Friday) we talk third parties.
