It's almost E3! Wait, sorry (presses fingers to headset) really? Hm. Okay. It's not E3!
But that doesn't mean we won't still get bombarded with video game announcements for the entire week all the same. Hooray!
Our team got together to make our own predictions, from potential Zelda news to our wildest, most hopeless dreams...
Will there be a Nintendo Direct?
KATE: There has to be, right?
OLLIE: Of course there will be! Haha… right..? RIGHT? Oh God, what if there isn’t.
ALANA: I think everyone will go into meltdown! People are very much expecting something from Nintendo this month. We haven’t had a Direct since February, so it’s about time!
OLLIE: I kinda feel like Nintendo would have said by now if it wasn’t doing a Direct. It would be mighty odd if we just went through June without hearing anything.
GAVIN: That's true — they're very good at telegraphing and managing expectations these days. I imagine we'd know by now if nothing was planned.
TOM: I strongly suspect we’ll get an E3-timed Nintendo Direct – not because of the now-absent E3, as such, but lots of dedicated fans (and the media!) are conditioned for early-mid June to be packed with reveals. Microsoft is carrying on with its event, we have the Geoff-fest as well, and various other publishers and showcases will be fighting for our attention.
In terms of what Nintendo will do, I think they may repeat the 2021 format of a pre-recorded Direct and then some Nintendo Treehouse streams to show off demos. This makes sense not only because of all the upcoming games we know about, but also inevitable new reveals.
KATE: Knowing our luck, they’ll announce it the night before and we’ll have no time to prepare!
ALANA: That’s usually Nintendo’s way! Either a week’s notice or no notice.
Should we expect Breath of the Wild 2 news?
KATE: I’m going to be the optimist here and say… yes. I know it’s easier to say no, because we saw it (a tiny bit) in March and it sounds like they really need more time to work on it, but it’s been a year since the last full Zelda trailer. And mama needs somethin’ to speculate about. Gimme.
ALANA: I can’t say I’ve got the same optimism as you, Kate! Maybe we’ll get a little sneak peek? Maybe? But I think Nintendo will want to wait a bit longer to show some more now that we know this is a spring 2023 release. Though you can’t bet on anything…
OLLIE: Yeah, it’ll definitely be there, I reckon. If you think back, Nintendo showcased the first Breath of the Wild at E3 2016 quite extensively, with the game launching in Spring the next year. So there’s every possibility we’ll see the same thing again with the sequel. I’d bet my Switch on it. NO WAIT.
ALANA: Oh no, don’t go THAT far!
Any remakes you’re dying to see?
ALANA: I’m pretty satisfied for remakes on Switch for a while – next month we’re getting Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and Live A Live – so I’m not burning for anything. Though, this might be cheating, but can we finally get that Metroid Prime remake that’s been rumoured for so long?
KATE: I’m a wee bit burnt out on remakes for the time being, BUT, that said… I wouldn’t say no to Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. And there’s always the very, very slim chance that some day, Nintendo will announce a glossy remake of Viva Piñata. I mean, it belongs on Switch! And surely Rare misses Nintendo…
OLLIE: Definitely with you regarding Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, Kate, as is the entire Switch fan base, I’d imagine. There’s not really anything else I’m particularly interested in seeing.
GAVIN: What's Grezzo up to at the moment? Feels like it's been a while since we've heard from them, and that Link's Awakening remake style could fit any number of top-down classics. One of them might make for some fun pre-BOTW2 filler.
KATE: Ha, I actually checked what Grezzo's up to as well! I think they're doing some RPG. Unless that's a cover story...
Have you heard any rumours you think might be true?
KATE: I keep hearing about GoldenEye, so I think that’s a likely one. To be honest, other than that, I feel like the Nintendo rumour mill is having a bit of a break these days. Production seems to have slowed down a lot during COVID, so I’m interested to see if that’ll change. I mean, I don’t know what a lot of companies are even working on right now.
ALANA: No one say Switch 2… no one say Switch 2… But yeah, I’m with you, Kate. It honestly feels very quiet right now. Which is good! Except, you know, the Metroid Prime remake. Can I put that twice? Is that cheating?
OLLIE: Metroid Prime is a good bet, to be honest. We’ll probably see that toward the end of the year. I’ve not heard anything else, though!
Any surprise “and it’s out now!” drops?
KATE: Oh yeah, Nintendo loves those. No idea what it’ll be, though. Some high-profile indie? *gasp* SILKSONG? Haha just kidding, I haven’t even started Hollow Knight yet, so I need more time.
ALANA: If Silksong shadow drops during “E3” then I might faint. Sports Story might be a more likely cause for a shadow drop – neither of those showed up at the Indie Showcase (the former is absolutely big-showcase material at this rate, anyway). Maybe the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters that launched on Steam could be a surprise drop?
OLLIE: I’ll go really safe with this one and say the next batch of tracks for the Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pack. Wave 2, is it? They’ll show off the tracks and be like “it’s out later today, woooooo”. In terms of full game releases, though, I’m not sure… I doubt Silksong will shadow drop.
GAVIN: What Ollie said.
KATE: I had entirely forgotten about the Booster Course Pack. Oops.
Will there be a big addition to the NSO library… or even Game Boy games?
OLLIE: Nope! Not much more to say on that. Nintendo seems quite content with dropping new additions at the most random intervals.
KATE: I’ve been a little underwhelmed with the games so far, but I don’t think that’s Nintendo’s fault necessarily… they’ve got the big Zeldas, Banjo-Kazooie, Earthbound and Star Fox 64, but I just can’t get into the ‘90s controls now that I know better. I’d love to see Game Boy games as long as they don’t do that awful AI sprite upscaling. Please.
ALANA: I haven’t upgraded to the Expansion Pack yet, but Game Boy/GBA would probably be the tipping point. This Direct would be the place to announce that, I think. Although, would I be an idiot to say that Chrono Trigger could be announced as an addition to the SNES library? It was on the Wii Virtual Console! C’mon! Everyone wants that, right?
Should we expect more from Kirby’s 30th Anniversary, or is Forgotten Land it for now?
ALANA: I’m mixed on this. I feel like Nintendo is riding a bit of a Kirby high right now, but also, I don’t know what it could do in a Direct. I don’t think it’ll be a brand new game, of course, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards just came to NSO. So, unless Game Boy is added, I’m not sure.
GAVIN: I'm still pottering through Forgotten Land and am happy with just that. Unless they want to put out Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn Deluxe, which would be GOTY material.
KATE: I am not the Kirby expert, but I reckon that’s it for now. Maybe Kirby’s Dream Land on the NSO service to kick off the Game Boy games?
OLLIE: I ruddy hope that’s it. Hahaha. Sorry, Kirby ain’t my bag. I don’t think we’ll see anything else though. Yes, maybe a new addition to NSO, but I’m not confident on that.
How about games we haven’t heard from in a while, like Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4?
KATE: I predict no news on Metroid, and maybe a Bayo update, but I feel like I say that a lot.
ALANA: Bayonetta 3 is meant to be out this year, so I’m pretty hopeful we’ll get something. If Metroid Prime 4 shows up, it’ll be a teaser at most. Sorry.
OLLIE: Oh, you two. Have some faith! It’s been over three years now since development on MP4 restarted. Plus, we recently got that mysterious new Twitter banner on Retro Studios’ account page, right? It could have been nothing, but something’s telling me that this is our year. Metroid Dread really reignited interest in the series and I reckon Nintendo will want to ride the hype train. We’ll see a teaser, at least.
ALANA: Okay, okay, maybe. Dragon Age 4 just got an official title. A sliver of something, maybe.
TOM: Surely a date is on the horizon for Bayonetta 3. In terms of ‘surprises’, it feels like time to get a glimpse of Metroid Prime 4; its development reboot was over 3 years ago, Retro Studios has been busy and recruiting, so a trailer for a TBC arrival date may be a ‘one last thing’.
Will we get a Super Mario Odyssey sequel?
TOM: It seems inevitable that the next Mario is on the way, as it’s been a little while and there’s the movie coming next year. My suspicion is that Donkey Kong will be in it as a playable character of some sort, as a lot of ‘insider’ rumours (namely all those DK game ones) tend to get projects mixed up and we know the big ape is a notable character in the movie.
KATE: Yes please. Mario’s been quiet for ages (because he’s dead maybe).
ALANA: Well that would be nice. But yes, RIP Mario, gone since March 2021.
OLLIE: I’m not convinced it’ll be a sequel to Odyssey, but a new Mario game in general? Yeah, maybe! It’s about time, I think.
KATE: And before anyone asks, no, the Mario + Rabbids game doesn’t count.
ALANA: That has to be there, though. Just not the Mario game.
GAVIN: 10th anniversary of the Year of Luigi next year. Just sayin'.
Do you think the rumours of Zelda: Oracle remakes are true?
KATE: Actually, yeah! I feel like they’re a weird remake (and I’d vastly prefer Minish Cap) but if they give it the Link’s Awakening treatment, I think the Oracle games would probably do really well. I get the impression they’re really underrated and underappreciated, so it would be nice to see them get the credit they deserve.
ALANA: Oooh yes, I really would like to see these. I’m much more of a 2D Zelda fan and I never got to play these as a kid. I’d like to see them in the same style as 2019’s Link’s Awakening, but I wonder if Nintendo would let two remakes in the same style release “almost” back-to-back (I’m ignoring Skyward Sword’s HD remaster here, I know).
KATE: I’m open to a new and interesting remake style, too! I think Nintendo could take it in a really fun direction.
GAVIN: I know I mentioned Grezzo earlier, but this specific rumour... maybe? The problem is it fits too well. It's too logical and by-the-numbers for Nintendo. It feels too obvious.
Any predictions for the return of a dormant franchise, like F-Zero or Pikmin?
GAVIN: We haven't had a Rhythm Heaven since 2016, and it would be a great family-friendly fit for the system. Seems like a no-brainer.
ALANA: Metroid coming back last year has me doubting my pessimism, but I don’t think we’ll see F-Zero. Pikmin is a possibility, I think. That’s not as dormant, what with the Switch port of 3 and the mobile game?
KATE: I’m not too fussed about F-Zero, but I’d be open to a new Pikmin. I certainly don’t have my hopes up, though. Pikmin’s always been a bit of a low-seller!
OLLIE: F-Zero would be fantastic, of course, but I’ve pretty much abandoned all hope of that IP seeing the light of day again. Pikmin could show up, though. Hasn’t Pikmin 4 been in development for like, 50 years now?
KATE: I think you mean "Pikmin (tentative title)". I checked our database and it says "assuming it's for NX" which gives you an idea of how long it's been...
What do you think the general “theme” of Nintendo’s not-E3 will be?
KATE: Lately I feel like it’s been very JRPG-focused, you know? With Live A Live, Chrono Cross, Earthbound, and Triangle Strategy, it feels like that’s somehow the direction that we’re going in. I’m not a huge JRPG fan, so while I’m intrigued by Live A Live, I’d love to see Nintendo going back into a more… N64-era Zelda direction, I think. Just proper old-school adventure games. And I want to see Capcom embracing their narrative games more, please!!
ALANA: Yeah, as a pretty big JRPG fan, I’m not expecting the same level of RPG-ness as the last couple of Directs have given us. So I think one of Nintendo’s big IPs will be taking the stage for the show. What that will be… I have no idea. I genuinely don’t have a clue as to what Nintendo will be focusing on. Most of its big series’ have had their moment. Mario and Donkey Kong are the two that don’t have a big new game coming. Maybe it’s their time?
OLLIE: It’s hard to predict exactly what kind of theme Nintendo will go for, if any. Games like Live A Live and Earthbound on NSO were such weird surprises, I really don’t know what else Nintendo has up its sleeve! I think a lot of the focus will be on games we already know about: BotW 2, Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3, etc… Other than that, I’m happy to be completely surprised!
What’s your one wild card hope?

KATE: Level-5 apologises for pulling out of the West and makes a Fantasy Life 2. Also, Ghost Trick on Switch. And another Ace Attorney game. Sorry, that’s more than one.
ALANA: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remastered. I’m shooting low, and not expecting much, but how is that game still stuck on GameCube?
KATE: Or GameCube games on NSO… Hmmmmmm…
OLLIE: Don’t give me hope. Please… As for me, I’d quite like a complete remake of Eternal Darkness. Again, another game completely stuck on the GameCube, but I struggle to think of how they can do a simple remaster, given some of the ‘sanity’ effects that occur. A full remake would be much more appreciated!
GAVIN: I just bought a new copy of Xenoblade Chronicles X, which almost guarantees a Switch port announcement. I'd take it.
TOM: Of course, it’s Nintendo, so all of the above will be wrong and they’ll unveil a new wave of Labo instead.
A mixed bag of predictions from the NL team! And we haven't even covered our not-E3 bingo cards, which probably include things like "Geoff Keighley has a new best friend developer" and "Chris Pratt apologises for being unlikeable".
What are your predictions, hopes, fears, and snacks for this exciting week of game announcements and no sleep? Tell us in the comments!
Comments (107)
My prediction is only 3rd party Nintendo stuff. Mario and Rabbids and things like that.
I've honestly not got high expectations for announcements. I fully expect Breath of the Wild 2, but I'm just not really interested in it anymore.
Honestly, I feel like the only reveal that will almost definitely happen that I will care about will be Mario Kart Wave 2 tracks.
I'd really love something from my childhood like Nintendogs, but considering how they just handled Wii Sports, maybe I don't.
Oracle remakes are the only scenario outside of Pokémon and Super Mario 3D All-Stars where Nintendo will release a dual remake, because the two games followed the same development structure as Pokémon, just on a more varied level of design.
With mario strikers, fire emblem warriors three hopes, monster hunter rise dlc, xenoblade chronicles 3, splatoon 3, Pokémon Violet/Scarlet and potentially Mario & Rabbids 2 to come the rest of this year I don't see Nintendo having much else for 2022, so even if they do have a Nintendo direct soon I doubt it will be good, I honestly believe it will just be third party ports of old games and maybe a couple of straight up wii/wii u ports from Nintendo, hopefully I'm wrong.
I reckon we'll see the Timesplitter's remake in the next Direct and the Metroid Prime Remake (done by Forever Entertainment.) And Call of Duty MW. Yeah, lot's of first person shooters.
I'd much rather they re-made GameCube games than put them on the Online thing.
Mario Kart’s 25th anniversary and it’s not getting much fan fair other than some DLC.
I’d love to see a Gameboy classic, to play some of those old games with a proper back lit screen would be nice.
If I'm being honest my expectations are pretty low for the E3 direct, and not just Nintendo.
Everything I want this year I already preordered (Sunbreak and Xenoblade 3).
And I've gotten plenty of news for both games, I just want them to come out now.
Very doubtful anything that I already know about will interest me to buy it in the upcoming direct:
The only remakes I would potentially want would be Dragon Quest 9, but that isn't Nintendo and I doubt Square Enix would even announce it anytime soon, they fallen pretty far as a company, last year was one of their worst period and they seem to continue sinking. Which is a shame cause my favorite series (DQ) comes from them.
I expect the E3 direct if we get one to just be mostly recaps of things we already know with some new info here and there for the upcoming games this year.
Chris Pratt is more likable than Seth Rogen, that's my only hot take 😂
I've given up trying to predict Nintendo.
Nintendo still has to detail their holiday 2022 lineup and early 2023 lineup outside of Pokemon Scarlet/Violet and Breath of the Wild 2.
I predict they'll stagger announcements so like next week being a Three Hopes trailer with demo and Pokemon Snap for NSO Expansion Pack then Goldeneye 007 for NSO Expansion Pack being indirectly announced at the Xbox Showcase. The following week being a standalone trailer for the wave 2 MK8 Deluxe DLC and then a Xenoblade 3 Direct in late June/early July, etc.
Would love to be wrong though and there does end up being a general Direct within the next 2 weeks.
@ButterCashier Same. I doubt GC will ever come to NSO. Most GC games on NSO would require GC controllers for the analog shoulder buttons. Even Mario Sunshine needed to be modified in order to work with the Switch controls
Plus, we have never had GC Virtual Console games. Ports and remasters are much more likely to happen.
IF we have any Direct I imagine it’ll be focused on Splatoon 3, Mario Strikers and the new Pokemon games…….there’s literally nothing else on the horizon.
Metroid 4 - vapourware.
Silksong - vapourware, simply because if you go back and look how Hollow Knight was previewed we’ve had nothing of the sort with Silksong.
Bayonetta 3 - delayed.
Breath Of The Wild 2 - delayed.
The latest Sony State Of Play disappointed big time and I think it’s just a reflection of things to come in the industry……fewer and fewer big releases and release dates that are, quite literally, years away.
As a long time gamer who grew up in the golden age gaming just seems to be getting less exciting each day.
People constantly hankering after new hardware yet we don’t have enough software for the current consoles.
We just live in a world of remakes, remasters and people constantly demanding the old games. Time to move on.
Maybe Spike Chunsoft will announce Danganronpa Another Episode: Absolute Despair Girls port for Nintendo Switch?... It's a mainline game, and that fact that the game isn't available on Switch is still annoying me(and others too). What's about fighting games... Well, there's nothing, I think. We will get Capcom Fighting Collection and JoJo fighting game later this year and that's all. But if talking about possible(?) dreams... Ultra Street Fighter IV's and Arcana Heart 3 latest revision's ports would be a nice addition to Switch library. Well... That's enough from me, I think.
Dear Kate, this item is pure gold. Thank you!
#Nintendo This is Your Time to Shine!
We Better, at least, see Gameboy/Gameboy Color/Gameboy Advance Games Added to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack! We Better see Big Game Anouncments, DLC For Games, GameCube Games added to Switch Online Expansion Pack, and More Exciting News!
#Nintendo This is Your Chance to Knock the Door off the hinges!
I predict that Geist will get a remake, as well as Viewtiful Joe, F Zero, Excite Truck, Pikmin and while I'm absolutely in a daydream why not throw in Metroid Prime Trilogy.
In reality, I think we'll get lots of nothing with a sprinkle of something.
I'd prefer my daydream scenario but I'm going to stick to my more pessimistic side I think.
Gavin, thank you for your service in ensuring Xenoblade Chronicles X gets ported.
I did my part recently by buying the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on Steam and I'm working my way through all the Yakuza ones too.
ARMS 2, please.
Every few years there's that E3 where you think, "I don't know what I want right now. All my favorite series have had recent drops." Those are usually great E3s because they're full of surprises.
I'm going to guess Nintendo won't have a Direct. Until a week after the day it SHOULD have originally aired to throw people off. And then have the most amazing Direct ever.
...okay that last part probably not.
@Anti-Matter would be great if they made ARMS 2, the first game game released to a small install base so didn't take off like they wanted it to, but releasing a sequel now with an install base over 100 million, would do the franchise justice
Just give us a date for No Man's Sky, and more gameplay of Wreckfest.
I’m expecting new hardware announcement July/august
I've been wondering what Nintendo will do in the absence of E3?
I might jump on the Exp. Pack if GB is added. I would love it if they properly emulate Super GameBoy functionality. Remember, the SGB was capable of dynamic color palettes, enhanced color palettes, enhanced music, enhanced sound effects, even full 16-bit gaming, dynamic borders, and other things. Good examples of titles that used the features I'm referring to: Donkey Kong ('94), Game & Watch Gallery 1/2, Space Invaders.
Also, don't know if NLife already had an article about this, Shantae titles are on sale until a little later this month. I forget the exact date.
the summer Nintendo Direct will air in june 14th and will feature:
gameplay and release date for Bayonetta 3
campaign details for Splatoon 3
a huge overview trailer for Xenoblade Chonicles 3
a huge overview trailer for Fire Emblem Warriors Tree Hopes
a reveal of the rumored Donkey Kong game
a reveal of the rumored remaster/remake of Metroid Prime 1
teaser of Metroid Prime 4
teaser of Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2
Hollow Knight Silksong release date
Genshin Impact release date
reveal of the rumored timed exclusive Resident Evil for Switch
Treehouse segments:
Bayonetta 3
Splatoon 3
Donkey Kong
Xenoblade Chonicles 3
Metroid Prime 1 remake
Resident Evil
50 minutes in length this Nintendo Direct
@NinChocolate Switch sucessor?
How many times has Goldeneye been rumoured lol , Amazon owns the rights to 007 now aswell
I don't think Nintendo will show any BOTW2 until after Splatoon 3 releases. - my guess. Although, I welcome it.
I've wanted a portable version of Viva Pinata for a long time (and before someone mentions it, the DS version doesn't count; I want the full game), but I just can't imagine it happening.
I expect we'll primarily see footage of upcoming exclusives, with one or two surprises. My hopes, in particular:
I would absolutely love a new Viva Pinata. This means it's guaranteed not to happen.
I think that we should expect something relatively exciting, as they are about to embark on their big tour with the switch and so far it is only featuring 3 titles.
I think I might be anticipating a Mario game, though it might be 2D? I'd like to see DLC for Mario Party. I think Dragon Quest 10 could make an appearance.
I think my one weird wildcard choice would be a collection of Castlevania Lords of Shadow on Switch.
Unfortunately 2022's lineup seems quite packed so I doubt that a big 3D Mario is planned for this year. DK is a bit smaller and could squeeze in, but I think Mario is 2023 (Odyssey 2? Please?). We might get a sneak peek at another 2023 title, but they don't tend to do that with Mario so I don't think we'll be seeing it at this event.
@Giancarlothomaz that’s a pretty big dream list there.Also a very big wish list.
There is no rumored Resident Evil for Switch. It doesn’t exist.
Why would Capcom announce another Resident Evil game when they LITERALLY ANNOUNCED RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE YESTERDAY?
Silksong sounds reasonable though
@Donutsavant I kinda want the Castlevania DS games on Switch
@anoyonmus RE4 remake is for next gen consoles, theres some rumors Capcom is working on a timed exclusive Resident Evil for Switch, well we can dream one day one of my predictions come true.
@Giancarlothomaz You really believe Dusk Golem? Dude has a poor track record and has no reliable sources.
Announcing another RE game would take away the focus of RE4 Remake. Also the success of Resident Evil in recent years is because they did what fans want and release it multiplatform at the same time. That’s what made the recent game’s successful. A timed exclusive resident evil on Switch will probably not be successful and will be a bad move on capcom’s part.
I think there is no resident evil for Switch. Capcom thinks Switch users will only buy Monster Hunter and retro compilations. And that’s exactly what they are doing.
Your other predictions sound more reasonable though. Silksong and Genshin Impact sound reasonable.
Im still hoping we will see those FF remasters make their way to the switch, the first 6 games haven't been on console for a while.
I don't think we'll get any BotW2, they've pretty much given us a release window, there will be a "final" trailer later in the year. I think we'll get Metriod and Bayonetta updates.
And this will be the time we'll get those past Persona releases. Saving P6 in development at the end of their anniversary.
Goldeneye will be this years biggest announcement.
Every time Kirby's celebration comes up, I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that a Kirby Game and Watch is not also brought up. We got two in two years so far, why wouldn't we get a third? And a few early Kirby games would be absolutely perfect on one of those little handhelds.
@Pak-Man I think it was announced before E3, but last year we got Game Builder Garage. I love unexpected titles like that.
Fun article. You know @KateGray is doing her homework b/c she mentioned Pikmin 4 on NX, which was years before she got here.👍
Bayonetta 3 will be out next year if we're lucky but it does seem more like Bayo never considering the fact the game hasn't been mentioned at all this year, well nothing worth speaking of I mean.
For once I can't actually think of something I specifically want, maybe something from Capcom or Sqaure, but for once I think I'm...content, it's a wierd feeling.
It’s pretty funny to read these thoughts, that Nintendo’s silence means an e3 “must” be coming in June. It would not surprise me if Nintendo pushed their direct to July or August to promote those games in the fall. Maybe Nintendo feels the 2020 twitter drops were more effective.
Also, these people forgot that Mario had a game last year: bowsers fury. And a Mario game this year: Mario strikers. And Mario plus rabbids on the horizon. Plenty of Mario already.
@Zeldawakening august has the Gamescom show there so I don’t think Nintendo would do a direct around Gamescom. July could be likely but I doubt it but who knows and Nintendo usually has a direct in September so I think there will be a direct of some kind in June or July or probably no direct at all
@ImagineerNik Nintendo didn't butcher wii sports
Given that Nintendo is coming out swinging their saving a lot of their best in this direct
@Yosher the last part will be a amazing direct the first one to.start the year was lit
I'll stick to my prediction of no real news for Zelda BOTW 2 or Metroid Prime 4 because they will launch with the Switch 2. While Nintendo say spring 2023 for Zelda, I expect that a delay will be announced early 2023, and if that's with the Switch 2 announcement, everyone will be happy. In the interim will be Wind Waker and Twilight Princess remake, and Metroid Prime Trilogy. I'm really hopeful for Goldeneye while F-Zero X should be remade. Note: I was right that Switch Pro rumours were actually iterations, a Lite would appear, and nailed all the improvements that would be eventually seen in the OLED iteration.
@Ayasplat I wouldn't say lit, but certainly good!
@UltimateOtaku91
We need more cartoonish boxing games on modern consoles as I still found discrimination in favoring the sports. Boxing or Kickboxing was like the sports peoples never want to talk about nor even give some respect.
Also, a lot of peoples still keep portraying Boxing or Kickboxing as very serious sports, never ever in the slighest to think about cute and whimsical things from Boxing or Kickboxing. Make it colorful, Chibi form, whimsical gameplay, Super Moves meter like Street Fighter, 60 fps and then we got the best cartoonish Boxing / Kickboxing games.
I'd like to see Rare Replay, Metroid Prime Trilogy, and Wave Race on Switch. I've given up on F-Zero...
@Yosher Nintendo is having a great 2022 overall
@Would_you_kindly you just can’t stop the hype train! Lol.
@Ayasplat I didn't say they did "butcher Wii Sports"
I pre-ordered Bayonetta 3 in 2018, so... maybe some news on that in 2022
I think Wave 2 of MK8D Booster Pass and Game Boy for NSO/EP are the most likely announcements.
Whatever the case, one thing is for sure in the next Direct:
At least a few full minutes of redundant information that is dedicated to games already released lol.
The ESA say E3 was cancelled but we've had Sony's State of Play, Microsoft are up in a week or so and Geoff Keighley and co are doing things too. Even Netflix and Games Workshop have some gaming content on the go.
During that time we also have the new Fortnite season, WWDC for Apple (which might have some gaming content) so there is planet going off.
This is a bit of an odd form factor for an E3 discussion. I know Alex is the YouTube guy but like, I'd listen to this in video format. Don't be camera shy!
Sincerely,
A guy who doesn't like to read
They need a big presentation. I understand that we are getting things like Xenoblade and Bayonetta and yet another round of Pokémon which have their audience (a huge audience even in the case of Pokémon, but there’s just too many of them to be newsworthy). What’s missing is Mario, Zelda, something crazy, special hardware, the big picture. E3 was always important to create excitement for the next year and beyond, to keep people confident that Nintendo is working on the next big thing all the time.
It’s been five years. FIVE YEARS. Please for the love of The Baby give me news on Prime 4.
Yes I know there was a development reboot. But that was over 3 years ago! That’s how long games usually take to develop. Maybe it had a rough development, i don’t know, but if We don’t get some news this year I’ll be shocked.
Then again this is Nintendo so we’ll probably just get Mario Tennis Aces 2: Revenge of Dry Baby Bowser
Wanted to throw this in here: I feel like I’m in the vast minority of people who feel this year is a bit dry. Objectively it isn’t but for me personally, all the games I was excited for came in the first half and all I’m excited for now is pokemon. Please give me prime even if it’s 2023 pleaseee
There will be content on games we already know about and definitive release dates for most. That'll dominate any June direct. There will probably be at most 3 big or biggish, new game announcements if I am being optimistic. Probably 2. Maybe remakes as well (Timesplitters? Prime Trilogy?).
At this stage, stuff about Bayo 3 & Pikmin 4 will "feel" like new content. But I am not counting them as the new in my prediction
"I’m not too fussed about F-Zero"
Oh Kate...
@burgerkingsauce
Can a minority be vast?
Lol, Nintendolife thinks Nintendo will do E3 stuff even if there isn't a E3. But it's much more likely that they will do NOTHING!
@Giancarlothomaz was thinking just a final revision
Well, this sounds like a pretty down to earth "it could happen" predictions post. I'm pretty sure you guys will at least have some of these right! 😁
None of those games interest me in the least, not even the wacky viva piñata which I have on ds. I’d rather see them release Tomodachi Life for switch, and of course Style Savvy. These are games that are not only a lot of fun, but appeal to a wide range of gamers plus they sold like crazy on the 3ds.
I'm not sure what I want from Nintendo. They've made a lot of my favorite games, but those games are all at least a decade old at this point, mostly with sequels that just didn't measure up to the same standard. Considering that, I guess I'd like to see them put one of their best teams on something completely new. And since the timing for a Xenoblade X port isn't quite right, I'll hope for Kid Icarus: Uprising instead. Another third party/indie collaboration would also be cool.
@rjejr Pikmin 4 was never a thing though, it’s just a rumour that some journalists took as canon and said it was in development / completed.
My only question, is where on earth is Advance Wars??
@ChaoticIgnorance and this would be the first one I actually play lol! Also imagine a cute kirby pink back
I'd love to see another Rhythm Heaven game.
Really hoping that if they do show breath of the wild 2, they've taken criticism from that first trailer. The world looks just as empty as the first one. And the graphics still look worse than ps2 games but it's nintendo so I guess that's the best we can ask from a company that's 15 years behind everyone else
@Orokosaki "Pikmin 4 was never a thing though, it’s just a rumour that some journalists took as canon and said it was in development / completed."
You must be very very new here. If this was a rumour, when the guy who was actively making the game said it was nearly complete, then every game announcement ever is just a rumour b/c it was said by the person making it and reported on by journalists.
So if that's your definition of rumour - a person said they were making a game and it was reported on the internet - then I guess you are correct, and every game is only a rumour. 🤷♂️
Pikmin 4 timeline:
Sept 2015 "close to completion"
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/09/pikmin_4_is_very_close_to_completion_though_its_platform_is_unclear
June 2016 at E3 "still in development"
https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/07/miyamoto-pikmin-4-fell-down-list-of-priorities-but-is-still-in-development
June 2017 at E3 "it's progressing"
https://www.polygon.com/e3/2017/6/14/15804766/pikmin-4-update
And for those arguing Hey! Pikmin on 3DS was actually the game Miyamoto was talking about in 2015 and 2016, Hey! Pikmin released in July 2017 and in June 2017 he said Pikmin 4 was still progressing so he must have meant it wasn't Hey! Pikmin, which was announced in September 2016.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/09/a_new_pikmin_game_is_coming_to_3ds
If TW still worked here I'd be giving him heck about "not fretting" right now.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/fret_not_pikmin_4_is_still_progressing
100% would be down for Oracle remakes, even if they just recycle the LA remake assets and engine. I never got to play the originals, and feel they may be a bit dated for me at this point, so would love to see it
@rjejr well it’s not been released and not so much as a screenshot been seen so the moral of the story is don’t believe everything you read…..and no, I’m not new here. I’m 47 and been gaming for around 40 of those years.
Miyamoto was obviously referring to the 3DS game or Pikmin Bloom as no developer would sit on a game this long if it was ready ( unless of course it was complete garbage ).
Realistically:
MK8 Booster courses - the next wave is just about due (could even be an “available now” deal).
Pushmo - a notable third tier Nintendo franchise not yet on Switch. IS hasn’t released anything since Origami King (though they’re presumably working on something FE that we won’t see until the window for Three Hopes has gone), Pushmo is something they could knock out pretty easily.
Either the Oracles games or WW HD - either would be warmly welcomed.
Nintendogs & Cats & Ferrets - we’ve seen a few other classic Wii and DS era franchises on Switch now & I think logically this one could come next. It was a mega hit on DS.
Something from Good Feel - again the timing seems right. I’m going to guess something that’s not a 2d platformer but still using their trademark visual style. If they do a 2d platformer I’m going for a new Wario Land (but not in a “crafted” visual style).
I'm with the people that think there'll be a general direct this month. I also expect to see a longer trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 and if there's a treehouse, I would expect a longer gameplay walkthrough there, similar to what we got during E3 2016. I want to see a Splatoon 3 campaign trailer. Bayonetta 3 with a new trailer and release date for October most likely. If they save the Three Hopes demo for then, we could get an overview trailer as well. There will probably be something Zelda for this year to keep up with the yearly release trend. I would prefer a 2D remake, though I would be excited for a WW and TP HD collection as well. I can see the rumoured Metroid Prime remake or Prime Trilogy re-release being announced for October or December. If not, probably it could be saved for September for an early 2023 release. I would love to see a Metroid Prime 4 teaser trailer with a short clip of a couple of seconds of gameplay, but it might be too early.
There should be some third-party stuff there. My bet is Klonoa, Dragon Quest 3 HD2D, Mario + Rabbids. I wonder what weird collaboration or project might be here. I think there might still be a surprise new game for the end of the year from Nintendo. Maybe DK as people have been saying. I would love to see something else, however. Not sure what it could be.
@FreasurePlanten man some people think that a switch timed exclusive resident evil still exists. Even though there is no proof of it and the fact that RE4 Remake got announced.
@anoyonmus I'm thinking of something smaller, like a new indie game that they decide to highlight there (maybe time for a re-reveal of Silksong) or a port that has some exclusive Switch content like a Mario skin or so.
@FreasurePlanten well some 3rd party games have to be there
But yeah I think Silksong will be there
@Franklin i just meant like minority whatever sorry
@Orokosaki "Miyamoto was obviously referring to the 3DS game"
Did you read the link which points out that unless Miyamoto is clueless and doesn't even realize the game he has been working on for years is being released a month later then Hey! Pikmin can not be and is not Pikmin 4?
https://www.polygon.com/e3/2017/6/14/15804766/pikmin-4-update
It wasn't just Miyamoto, it was "Nintendo" as well. Though whoever Nintendo "is" the article doesn't say, which is a bit annoying. 😝
Nintendo followed up with a statement to the site saying: "We can confirm that Pikmin 4 is in development but that is all we can confirm at present."
And when I said "new here" I was referring to Nintendo Life, where you can see we have been discussing Pikimn 4 for years. You may be 47 and have been gaming for 40 years but if you've only been gaming on PC and reading IGN there may be no reason for you to know the Pikmin 4 story b/c I doubt anyone has been covering it as much as Nintendo Life has.
I'm 56 and have probably been gaming for 50 years now, we had Pong, but I don't think I've ever read about Pikmin 4 anywhere else except through an NL link. So anybody who is "new" to NL the past 2 or 3 years wouldn't' have any reason to know about Pikmin 4, hasn't been much news recently.

Oh, and my thoughts on why the nearly complete game never finished, or finished but not published, I have a few theories.
1. It was developed for 2 screen Wii U in such a way, works in the timeline, they didn't know how to make it work on 1 screen Switch, so Nintendo HQ decided to hold off on it until Switch DS, maybe someday.
2. It was too similar to Pikmin 3 to be worth publishing when they can just sell Pikmin 3 DX.
3. It was too dissimilar to Pikmin 3 that Nintendo HQ didn't like it so they scrubbed it. It happens. You probably know about Scalebound, we saw a lot of that, it was still cancelled and never released.
So 1 of more of those, but it wasn't Hey! Pikmin and development did start. Myamoto was probably stretching the truth a bit when he said "nearly complete". No harm in the fib if he thought it would release.
Kinda Off-Topic but not really because the Mario movie is mentioned in the article but it’s not the main focus: How are people more surprised by Chris Pratt playing Mario than Jack Black playing Bowser?
@Kiyata
Both of those would be my wild card hope. Of course, also Ghost Trick any Touch Detective.
@anoyonmus he was right on Resident Evil Village e Monster Hunter Rise
@NinChocolate Switch Pro?
@Giancarlothomaz he said Alex Wesker is the main villain in Village. He also said Claire is one of the daughters.
Also someone else leaked MH Rise. Also we would have heard about Switch exclusive RE by now.
Removed - trolling
@EthanHobbes idk man Jack black seems perfect for a comedic bowser. Also I love your pfp and name Calvin and Hobbes is the GOAT
@burgerkingsauce
I can kinda see it but not really. The idea of Bowser speaking makes me scared.
Removed - flaming/arguing
@Giancarlothomaz Sony pretty much has exclusive marketing for Resident Evil. So I doubt there is an RE Switch game.
We would have heard about it by now too
@Giancarlothomaz not sure about a processor upgrade. I’m thinking improved or even smaller lite model with docking but no joy-con
@westman98 No need for insults, my friend. Just a difference in opinion it seems
@rjejr Wow, someone tried to argue with you over Pikmin 4? That's like trying to prove to the freighter captain the Earth is flat.
@Grumblevolcano I hate how you're even more cynical then me, and are still usually right
@NinChocolate so a Switch Lite OLED?
See the trick is to expect the worst. I'm operating under the assumption that June will pass us by in absolute silence. That way, if something is announced, I'll be pleasantly surprised no matter what they have to say.
@westman98 Not sure what medical advice has to do with an opinion that many others share thank you for trying anyway
Hopefully Nintendo will address these issues with the sequel
@NEStalgia Call me Flat Earther Boaty McBoatface. 😂
I have no idea what that means.🤷
@Grumblevolcano isn't cynical, just very realistically calendar conscious, my go to for the past decade for all possible release date questions and information. And no one is as cynical as you, not even me, and I'm mister, the glass isn't half empty, It's shattered on the floor in a million pieces. You're mister, there is no glass and liquids don't exist they're a lie perpetrated by the gov't.😉
@rjejr liquids are just cold gases. Don't let them convince you they're real!
@NEStalgia I just think of them as fast moving solids.
"@KateGray Lately I feel like it’s been very JRPG-focused, you know? With Live A Live, Chrono Cross, Earthbound, and Triangle Strategy, it feels like that’s somehow the direction that we’re going in."
Xenoblade 3: "Am I a joke to you?"
It's a wild ride, this passage of exclusion.
@weisske
Most people have functioning eyesight or occipital lobe (or glasses/contact lenses to correct for bad vision), so no, "BOTW looks worse than a PS2 game" is not an opinion many people share.
My personal experience that the average gaming punter looking for the next "shiny" game has about a 4-week recall at best before hype fatigue kicks in.
So internet dynamics being what it is and putting on my Speculation Pants™, then at least one "surprise" announcement will be a firm release date for Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, possibly early to mid-July, if not late June, since it's been just over 8 weeks since the "accidental release" gameplay video was boosted from Twitter by all and sundry.
Or not...
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