By Luca Newton
Nintendo's E3 is so close, you can almost taste it.. So, the day before, I've decided to finally release my predictions, but with a twist..
E3 has been... underwhelming to say the least. There has been a few good games but every company with the exception of Xbox have failed miserably. Nintendo's presentation is finally happening tomorrow, and I have a good feeling that they will actually deliver. There's the ingredients for success. At the last minute, I will go over 5 things I'm very confident we will see in tomorrow's presentation.. These will all be first party titles, for reference.
Before I get into this, Breath of the Wild 2 feels like it's guaranteed already, so we all know that. It won't be in this 5 so I can go over 5 other things that aren't as guaranteed to be in.
#1 - Only One Smash Reveal, And It's Crash..
Yeah, yeah.. it's obvious. Why am I including this when we all know there'll be a Smash reveal. Everyone and their mothers have been guessing at Crash every slot, but I am here to tell you THIS is his time, at E3. And he will come alone, with no second reveal.
Why am I so confident in Crash? Well, there's just no way that Crash WON'T get into Smash in my opinion. Crash is incredibly iconic and popular, he has had a few games recently, bringing him back into the spotlight. Crash is one of the biggest possible reveals, and E3 is a big event. Nintendo skipped The Game Awards 2019 because Byleth wasn't big enough for that, they will not have a small reveal for E3. For a successful reveal for E3, you have to appeal to everyone. Crash absolutely appeals to everyone. Both Japan and the US and Europe love Crash Bandicoot. He sells well in all those countries and is beloved and iconic in all those countries. Just like Steve, he is worldwide. So he's big, he's iconic, he appeals to everyone.. I just can't see him not getting in, and I am absolutely certain this is his time..
Also, I highly doubt we'll see more than one reveal this Direct. I mean, remember that the second Fighter's Pass has only 2 remaining characters. I don't see why they'd just blow their load like that. I'm sure they want to drum up hype for the final character in the game, and make it a special thing, to end the game on a high note - so I can say with confidence, Crash will be revealed, and with nobody else.
..or it could be Jonesy Fortnite
#2 - A First Look At Monolith's New IP
I am actually shocked at how little I've seen the first trailer for Monolith's new IP, that was shared concept art in 2017, is not talked about seriously as a genuine and huge possibility that I personally think that it is. With certainty, I believe that the trailer for the new IP will open this year's E3. Typically, these E3 Directs open with a new IP if there is one on display, since I think Nintendo want to highlight it, but know it's definitely not a closer to a presentation of this calibre.
Monolith's new IP will be huge.. or you could say, monolithic. I think absolutely it will blow us all away - or at least the Monolith fans. I say this because from the concept art and info, we can decipher that the scale of the game is looking to be very ambitious, and it's also got Western influences prominently within its DNA, meaning the action RPG it's claimed to be, could appeal to a larger audience due to being more geared at less of a niche audience. I have absolute faith Monolith will knock this one out of the park, and open Nintendo's E3 2021 with a huge open world action RPG we will all be vastly excited about.
#3 - WarioWare Is All But Guaranteed
This one is probably cheating, but before a week ago, I did think WarioWare was possibility. However, now I believe it will certainly be there, without any doubt in my mind. Firstly, it just makes sense on its own. WarioWare is a popular series people want more of, and the way the series functions, it always takes advantage of the hardware it's on. Imagine all the interesting and new microgames you can make using stuff like the HD Rumble or AR sensor? They would not miss an opportunity like that.
Then there's the fact that Nintendo themselves legitimately released a survey asking customers whether they'd buy a new WarioWare for $50. This outright confirms it's happening, and no better place than E3 to drop the reveal. It is also a smaller scale game for Nintendo, and so I think in the middle of this year's Direct, we will get a glimpse of the brand new entry in the WarioWare series.
#4 - The Return Of The Kong
The rumours I mentioned in one of my first blogs still has my faith in it. I do believe Nintendo EPD's new Donkey Kong game; whatever it ends up being, will be revealed in the Direct. I think there's too much of a perfect storm, it just feels like it's actually time to see more DK, and with the rumour EPD are working on one, it gets me fascinated. I do buy into those rumours, just due to the people who additionally corroborated the leak. I don't know at what time this game will be revealed within the Direct - it kinda depends on its scale. If it's a 2D platformer, I think it'll be something in the middle of the presentation. If it's 3D, I could even see it being the final thing they show. However, I do believe that game will be 2D. I've already commented on my thoughts on the leak and what I want to see, and I fully expect a 2022 release window.
#5 - Something Big For Holiday 2021
This is a very general prediction, but it's not necessarily a guarantee. I mean, they do have Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl this holiday, that can carry their holiday for sure, but Nintendo has never let Pokemon carry their holiday. In 2019, they had Luigi's Mansion 3. This year, they will have something. It just comes down to what game.
I instantly discount BOTW2, I am certain that will be a 2022 game, and not the holiday game this year. It's still a possibility but very slim to me. Other potential holiday 2021 titles could include finally Super Mario Odyssey 2 (that would not go with DK though, so one or the other), or more likely, Mario Kart 9. I don't know why, but Mario Kart seems like the series you can announce at E3, and release only like 4 months later and still sell like crazy. I absolutely can see them finishing their E3 with Mario Kart with this bombshell that it's coming THIS YEAR.
Anyways, those are my first party predictions I am most confident in. I tried not to go too safe, but it's hard to not be safe if you're actually trying to get stuff right. Could I see all 5 in one Direct? Maybe. On a god day for Nintendo, maybe. But while I do think all 5 together is possible, individually they're more likely. What do you think we'll see tomorrow?
Thanks for reading.
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