Im wondering, we're having the 3DS for quite a while yet and I am wondering if we will see some big hitters in 2013. We already know about the announced gems in early 2013 like Luigis Mansion, Monster Hunter Ultimate (YAY!!), Fire Emblem and such. I am just wondering if we will knot only see an announcment but also an actual release of the so often rumoured hard hitting first party titles like:

• Zelda
• Metroid
• 3D Mario
• F Zero?!
• Smash Brothers

Further I am wondering if we will see any substantial third party games in 2013, I mean, something really big, deep and "meaty". I welcome all retro games and indie games on my 3DS eShop but I would also love to see some big franchises be ported for the 3DS, like:

• X-Com
• Civilization
• Project Cars (more or less announced already)
• a GOOD Need for Speed game
• Blur (Studio dead, old game, but still, this would rock!)
• Mortal Kombat
  etc...

Thoughts, predictions, wild speculation anyone?

Zelda-High possibility of an announcement.
Metroid-Possible, but doubt it.
3d Mario-We already have one, so no..
F Zero-Not likely..
Smash Bros-Maybe some trailers, but unlikely it will be released..

project cars will come to wiiu but i highly doubt that there will be a 3ds verion. or do you have any sources on that?

zelda, mario, metroid, smash bros., f-zero... all of that will not come out in 2013. maybe some of them in 2014. but only maybe.

fire emblem, luigis mansion, animal crossing will be the key-franchises for the 3DS in 2013. maybe some more cool e-shop games and some less big franchise like mario baskteball or something like that. but thats it for 2013 i think

I don't think we'll get a Mario game next year,probably a spin-off but that's it.

Still hope we get another Zelda,and a new Star Fox.

Don't you others think as well that things are coming a bit slow? I mean I don't want to be a nervous hater or anything, but to me it really feels like a drag waiting for the worthwile games. At least this gives you the opportunity to "value" more what you have already by giving it several playthroughs...

@6ch6ris6 About project cars, I don't have any solid evidence, I am just part of that crowd funding games and I can remember a discussion on their forums, where they said something like "releasing to all major platforms and high possibility of handhelds/ios as well". So I figured if it's coming to Wii U, maybe we can take it as a small chance coming for the 3DS too. Btw. what I have played so far of that game, it will be the most sophisticated simulation-racer when it comes out. It's utterly stunning. I just wonder how they will work with the limitations of Wii U and 3Ds not having any analogue triggers...

What do you guys think - any chances for some major third party titles? (only wild guessing at this point)

Oh yeah I forgot, what about things like "bravely default" or that "time travelers" game from Japan?
Btw. Im still eagerly waiting for localized version for EU of "Code of Princess".

Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright

I wouldn't doubt a new Zelda and Kirby game. 3D Mario... it's called Super Mario 3D Land. Smash Bros.? Well development just started last year so don't expect anything until maybe 2014 or 2015. Also a retro revival of Donkey Kong Land wouldn't suprise me and also a new mainlione Pokemon game.

I watched both nintendo directs on here for both europe & NA & they said for europe:

Luigi's Mansion - March 2013
Harmo Knight - March 2013
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Fall 2013

Usually what ever europe get's NA get's a month or 2 later & vice versa. & in the nintendo direct nintendo admitted all they had to do for animal crossing new leaf 3ds was just localize it which if I'm interpretting that right mean's they just have to change the language from japanese to english, & etc other languages which shouldn't be to hard i wouldn't think. Not sure though. They probably have a tool on the computer to switch the languages in video games I would think by now. Every game I have from the US has 3 languages english, french, & spanish. The european ds games I have have 10 languages on them so I would think it would take more time to release animal crossing in europe than it would in the US. Who knows.

Happy Gaming! (^_^)

Fire Emblem, Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing and Monster Hunter... those four right there make it an amazing year for the 3DS.
2012 will still be tough to beat though, mostly thanks to Kid Icarus and Virtue's Last Reward.

animal corssing is announced for second quarter of 2013, not fall. but i honestly think ti will come fall, too.

i forgot to say:
2013 will be a great year for the 3DS. animal crossing, castlevania, monster hunter... and a bunch of eshop titles i have to get

Don't forget we're also getting Castlevania for 3DS next year!

Guys, remember FEA, ACNL, and LMDM are just the first half of the year! The next half will probably see another 2-3 absolutely amazing titles.

A new Zelda is very possible. A new Metroid is possible too, but not as much as Zelda. There's already been a 3D Mario for the 3DS named Super Mario 3D Land, and there's NSMB2 for 2D, so there's not going to be anymore Mario games for a good while. F-Zero is unlikely. I expect Super Smash Bros. 4 to be mentioned at E3 2013, but the games won't come until 2014 at the earliest.

Keep in mind that they've only shown 3DS retail and eShop games for the Spring and Summer. That doesn't count Fall and Winter, so they should announce more games around E3 time. I could see something akin to Donkey Kong Land Returns and a new Kirby.

It looks like it has quite the strong lineup coming right out of the gate, but I feel like that is about the only solid games we will have all year...

What's already set for 2013 looks amazing. Fire Emblem: Awakening, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the first half of the next year sounds wonderful enough already for me.

Of course there's still the second half of the year including the holidays, so we can expect more big releases following E3.

Like others, I've heard rumors of a 3DS Zelda, Kirby, and Donkey Kong game in the works.

True! Forgot about that, hope it can be somewhat of "god of war" fused with classic vania!

Thats what I am speculating about, what will be the "holiday season" (i.e. fall 2013) big hitters? Any predictions?
From what you guys said I think metroid and Zelda are likely for fall 2013 to have something big incoming, or of course they just push Animal Crossing to fall.
I also don't think they will have big IPs like Metroid and Zelda close to each other to not cut into each others markets.

What I would think as completely awesome would be a portable Pikmin game.
And we truly need this Retro City indie game!

Yeah exactly my fears. Nothing wrong with what has been announced so far, it's just that I somewhat got used to have like 6-10 games im interested in each year, which - on 3DS - Im far from. Which doesn't mean Im not loving my little clamshell entertainment centre!

It will be a good first 2 quarters and then we will be sitting like we are right now at this time next year, with nothing but style savvy coming out on it....