
E3 2017 is well and truly underway, with Microsoft, Sony and a range of third-parties having made their pitches to the gaming public. As is now standard Nintendo is saving its show for the opening of the expo, this year in the form of a 25 minute 'Spotlight' followed by more reveals, demonstrations and Invitational events from the Treehouse team.
Nintendo comes into its own event with a bit of pleasing momentum in its favour. Ubisoft dedicated a large part of its conference to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (with some help from Shigeru Miyamoto) and the Switch seems to be the lead platform for Starlink: Battle for Atlas. There are some question marks, too, particularly following the reveal of Monster Hunter: World for PS4, Xbox One and PC; we've only seen a heavily scripted opening sequence, but it looks like a Western-centric entry that adopts the larger (perhaps open) world standards of modern blockbusters. If Nintendo doesn't have an equivalent MH announcement from Capcom (like a localisation of Monster Hunter XX) that will raise questions around the franchise on the big N's systems (more on this below).
With the Nintendo festivities just hours away, in any case, here are five key points we expect to be covered by the Spotlight and early moments of Treehouse reveals.
There's Something about Mario
Super Mario Odyssey won't be carrying the show on its own to the same degree as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2016, but it will be a key part of Nintendo's E3. It's supposed to be a return to the 'sandbox' approach seen in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, and will no doubt be significant in scope. The January trailer (above) looked fantastic, but now we'll see much more.
While the Treehouse will give no doubt give deep dives on gameplay, and it'll be fascinating to see how significant this game will be to Nintendo's Holiday plans. Should a release date be announced today we may see whether a special hardware bundle is planned, perhaps with those red / blue Joy-Con hues. Will the game support amiibo, too, and perhaps have its own range? Nintendo is hard to predict right now with its toys-to-life range, on the one hand showing it little love while announcing new figures out of the blue for some games.
All of that said and done, a full 3D Mario game is always a hugely exciting release on Nintendo hardware. Super Mario Odyssey, after the focused and almost 2.5D approach of Super Mario 3D World, looks like a return to the series' 3D roots; that will certainly get the blood pumping for fans of the franchise.
A Look at 2017's Big Hitters for Nintendo Switch, and Some Surprises
Nintendo, it seems more than likely, will have at least one tasty surprise up its sleeve; that's the norm. We think a Smash Bros. Director's Cut looks more of a longshot due to the focus on Pokken Tournament, but beyond that most bets are off. Hideki Kamiya of PlatinumGames has been doing what he always does and teasing his Twitter followers (he hinted at 'The Wonderful 102', but Kamiya-san enjoys causing mischief on Twitter), and there are all sorts of theories kicking around. Perhaps there'll be an unexpected Animal Crossing game to tie-in with the mobile app? Will we finally see the Metroid game the fans want, and something new from Retro Studios? Lots of valid theories, and it's in not knowing that there's a lot of anticipation (despite the 'leaks' that come with every E3 that are mostly nonsense).
Beyond that, though, there are a number of games for Nintendo to touch upon in its Spotlight before extended showcases by the Treehouse, all due in 2017. Fire Emblem Warriors will no doubt get an airing, with the demonstrations over the next few days likely to focus on revealing key characters. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 also springs to mind, while we shouldn't forget the Invitational events for Pokken Tournament, ARMS (out this week!) and Splatoon 2.
In addition, expect one or two 'out today on the eShop' announcements. Nintendo recently did a hefty bit of network maintenance for the Switch, which could indicate preparations for specific releases or simply work to sure up the servers in anticipation of more traffic. There are various enticing theories - could the Virtual Console / GameCube get a sudden airing, perhaps Super Mario Sunshine to tap into hype around Odyssey? Perhaps more realistically, perhaps we'll get the first content update for Breath of the Wild; we'd love a trailer for the Holiday story addition to this incredible game, too.
Importantly, not everything will happen in the Spotlight; announcements will come in the first hour of the Treehouse stream according to Reggie Fils-Aime, so we'll need to stay tuned.

An 'App-y Future for the Switch
When the Switch launched it was a functional but bare-bones gaming device in terms of its user interface and apps, and three months+ in little has changed. Let's revisit some suggestions we've made before for quick wins that will help Nintendo make extra money and bring the system to life as an entertainment device.
Nintendo stated back in early March that it was in conversation with the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and so on. Now that the system has enjoyed positive early sales we'd hope those partners will jump on board. It shouldn't be too difficult, especially if NVIDIA assists with tools - The Shield TV (also powered by a Tegra X1) has a whole lot of apps, so it's a case of whether Nintendo and third-parties have been making progress. The device would benefit from adding streaming apps, and E3 is a good time to either unveil them or at least provide release windows as an update.
Nintendo doesn't need third-parties for everything, of course. It can bring more life to the Switch UI through HOME Themes and adjustments to the core design; perhaps the current minimalist style could be a 'quiet' setting for users to keep if they wish. HOME Themes and some neat Nintendo music for the HOME page, eShop and so on would be lovely small touches. We'd also like the data management options to be less rubbish, but that's not an E3-style topic.
Finally, Nintendo may say more about the free voice / lobbies online app coming to smart devices, especially if that initial version is set to tie-in with Splatoon 2. Though the full online service is now due in 2018, that early app is still expected this Summer.
Third-Party Love for Nintendo's Hybrid System, and a Sizzle-Reel
Nintendo will likely have some third-party demonstrations in the Treehouse, most certainly of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Perhaps deals will also be done to show off titles like Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in the coming week, and Nintendo could certainly rattle through release dates too. Ubisoft held off on dates for a few of its upcoming Switch titles, for instance. Another question mark is Monster Hunter XX and whether it'll come to Switch (and possibly also 3DS) as something like Generations X in the West. With the unveiling of Monster Hunter: World for PS4, Xbox One and PC, it'll be interesting to see whether Capcom is taking the Switch re-release out of Japan.
We covered 'surprises' above, but something that will hopefully feature in the Showcase will be a good old-fashioned Nindie sizzle reel. The eShop has already delivered some gems on Switch, and there seem to be a high number of quality titles planned for this year. A two minute sizzle reel could rattle off a dozen or so release dates and indie announcements without cutting too much into the limited runtime of the Spotlight.
Ultimately, it'll be interesting to see whether third-parties get much of a look in the short Spotlight and the days to follow. Nintendo normally shows something interesting from a 'partner', so we'll see whether that trend continues.

The 3DS and New 2DS XL Show The Portable Has Life in It Yet
Of course, last but not least we have the 3DS. We think Switch will be a core focus, but Nintendo will no doubt dedicate a decent amount of Treehouse time to the portable. Perhaps we'll see some Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon gameplay, while upcoming titles like Ever Oasis and Hey! Pikmin may get a look; don't forget, either, that Fire Emblem Warriors is also coming to New 3DS.
Nintendo will also show off the New 2DS XL, too, which is due for release at the end of July. All set to take the mid-range spot in the 'family' of portables, the big N will look to tie it to upcoming titles as the system to buy this Summer. Don't forget, too, that a new Kirby title is due on 3DS this year (another one!) so that's worth looking out for.
There you have it, some of our thoughts on reveals we might see over the coming days. The Spotlight kicks off proceedings at 9am Pacific / noon Eastern / 5pm UK / 6pm CEST, so we'll have the usual live stream and blog to bring you all the news. See you then!
Comments 43
Please, Animal Crossing for Switch...
I'm not mad about watching Treehouse Live usually, it depends on the game. They've tended not to be great and drag on a bit for some of them. Nintendo saying that there'll be some surprise announcements during them kinda makes me need to keep an eye on them though which is their thinking to keep up glued. I hope it's worth it. Super Mario Odyssey, Monster Hunter XX, Xenoblade 2, Fire Emblem, games like that I want to watch but I don't want to sit through ARMS, Splatoon 1.5 or Pokken Tournament: Cash Grab.
We must also be getting a Monster Hunter SWITCH surely!
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Reggie said the first Hour of treehouse Live will be full of announcements. .
Still a bit concerned that it's only 25 minutes, but knowing that Nintendo can be very concise with their Directs I hope that they manage to fit a lot in!
every possibility is so exciting I really can't wait! in how long does spotlight start? time fuses confuse me
25 minutes and a focus on 2017.
Need that after last night...
All I'm after is a Mario Odyssey release date, and that's all. It's Tokyo EAD, so, I know said game will be good. No gameplay footage required. Anything else after this is a bonus.
I hope the Spotlight will be full of announcements, unlike Sony's conference. Stayed up for the first time after the hype of Ubisoft's conference for that, what a waste of time.
Disappointment
I'm not super excited about this Spotlight. The short 25 minutes with a focus on Mario Odyssey and 2017 games leaves me concerned there won't be any surprises. I certainly don't expect Retro to show anything this year.
25 minutes is not enough especially if nintendo show off anything 3ds related within this time. We need some special surprises please.
So we got 90 min or so of Nintendo reveals, trailers and other stuff. Sounds good to me and you forgot FE switch and the untitled kirby game.
If Wonderful 102 was announced, I'd be as happy as a pig in...
Looking forward to it, have fun everyone!
Zelda DLC, Mario Odyssey, Little Mac for ARMS, Octolings for Splatoon 2, Monster Hunter XX, Pokken Tournament DX, Crashmo World, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, done.
Metroid please! And something by From Software would be incredible. Oh and Rocket League! Any one of those three would be enough for me along with Mario Odyssey.
@FragRed Well Reggie has said there will be a number of reveals during the Spotlight and some more during the Treehouse.I'm going to hold him to that.
After the Sony press conference I even have less of a reason to buy a switch, I mean Monster Hunter Worlds looks so sweet! So if this game does not come to switch well to bad, I am very close to buy a ps4 now.
@cfgk24 Knowing Capcom they'll announce Switch MH:XX will come west but after MH:World then they'll cite its low compared sales (3 million switches vs 100 million+ X1/Ps4) as the west not having a big enough hunger for traditional MH games and we'll end up not getting anymore portable releases.
I'm very happy with my Switch, the games I currently owned and the games already announced for the rest of the year so I will be happy no matter what they show. I'm not expecting any huge surprises given Nintendo's recent approach of focusing on the near future so if we do get a nice surprise or too then that'll just be a bonus. No expectations, will be happy to just see a bit more of Super Mario Odyssey and hopefully get a date if we're lucky.
I hope we will see at least one of these:
Virtual console release soon.
New Metroid game for Switch.
App support on switch (Youtube, Twitch, Netflix.
If any of those are announced I'll be quite happy
Another thing I would like, is to have some Resident Evil games on Switch, REmake and RE4 in particular.
Edit: SSB melee on Switch plox
@Anti-Matter It will mostly likely be Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival: Deluxe. What a great game that was!
Mario and Xenoblade 2 release dates .
Some kind of info on Virtual Console. 1 surprise game announcement ( Proper Metroid please!)
Anything else is icing
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
Do you really need to bring your buzz-kill attitude into every single comments section?
People are complaining it's only 25 mins, but the big presentation in January was only an hour which revealed everything the switch could do and tons of games, Mario, Xenoblade, Mario Kart, 1-2 Switch, a trailer for BOTW, splatoon, fifa, sonic mania, puyo puyo tetris, bomberman, arms, and more. If it's even half of that, I'd be happy.
@JaguarWong Well done liar. Less than an hour ago.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/rainway_an_app_targeting_pc_streaming_to_nintendo_switch_lines_up_announcement#comment3994659
You contributed nothing to the story and instead just attacked another member. Take a bow.
Every year I want to know and think they'll show what Retro is working on, and every year I get nanda.
I would like a internet browser and some apps for my Switch .
I'm nowhere as hyped now as I was a week ago. With Pokemon coming to the 3DS and Monster Hunter coming to PS4, I'm not expecting too much that'll particularly excite me.
Things I wanna see most are Monster Hunter XX Western releases for 3DS and Switch, along with more Ultra Sun and Moon info. Plus, some previously unannounced Switch games would be brilliant.
@SegaBlueSky Heck yes, Rocket League! Gimme!
After Monster Hunter Wolrd, why should I care for a re-release on Switch.
The reveal yesterday on Sony conference destroyed the Switch. And Nintendo itself isn't doing any favors with Ultra Sun Ultra Moon skipping the Switch.
I'm a vocal fan of Nintendo, but to me the hype is gone, even as a owner I don't think the console will do well anymore. Unless they do something bigger than show the next Mario.
If a Metroid, a Waluigi or an Ashley game are shown, game over everyone else, Nintendo wins 2017 E3, no exceptions.
Nintendo's maintained a steady presence throughout the whole show so far. They've set real high standards for their own event, so if it's anything less exciting than any of their previous shows, they're in real trouble for the rest of the year.
This is looking like the turning point! Many disappointed with no MHW or MH5 no capcom vs marvel or a solid Pokemon switch game. With no retro reveal I feel that mario may not cut the mustard on his own.
Mother 3 or else
All I can say is I surely hope some of the leaks I've seen by doing Google searches is wrong as they say nothing bout VC or animal crossing but do mention a new Kirby game so hopefully Nintendo blows us out the water and the game supposedly that retro is working on is a pirate game but this info came off of 4chan so who knows sorry if I am not to post some of this stuff.
Can't wait for all of the switch announcements! Also I am still super excited for RPG Maker Fes on the 3DS which comes out in about two weeks!
@96OopAmgems if PlayStation's presentation yesterday got you jacked, you should really just go buy one. That was a pretty mediocre show by their regular standards.
My worst fear is that they will spend too much time on either 3ds stuff or games they've already announced. This MUST be primarily focused on unannounced upcoming Switch stuff to keep momentum going.
I hope we get a release date for FE Warriors, Odyssey, Skyrim and Xenoblade, plus hopefully we'll get news on MH XX, since I wanted to try it out for Switch.
For those saying Mario won't be enough... Mario is a even better seller than Zelda. He's Nintendo's most recognizable brand. Odyssey will be a show stopper on its own, from what we've seen from the trailer.
@Kogorn733 The spotlight will only focus on Switch games. It was already announced.
Metroid......
Mother 3 and Metroid 2D and Netflix style virtual console, amirite?
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