After a year off, E3 is finally upon us yet again! Well, sort of. It’s different this year — all virtual and whatnot — but hey, I’ll take a virtual E3 over no E3 at all any day! Some of the biggest gaming news of the year comes out around this time, and for a lot of folks, the big announcements make E3 feel like a fun holiday bash. This year, Nintendo will hold a Nintendo Direct presentation on June 15 where the company will talk about… stuff!
Given that it’s E3 season, the speculation is through the roof. What’s Nintendo going to talk about? Switch games, apparently! What about the Switch Pro? Who knows! There will probably be some Zelda talk, but that’s kind of to be expected. When it comes down to it, Nintendo has a bonkers catalogue of franchises to pull from.
Here are five (and a half) Nintendo announcements I want to see at E3 2021, even if some of these are a long shot.
A New Wario Land Game on Switch
Wario might be the most versatile Nintendo character ever, both in terms of his personality and series of games. He’s kind of a bad guy, but also not really. Wario is a crafty antihero that’s fueled by greed but has this very minuscule moral compass… sometimes. In any case, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten a Wario Land game, and it’s about time that changed.
The last Wario Land came out all the way back in 2008 on the Wii. That title, Wario Land: Shake It!, was a fun-as-heck action-platformer that had killer anime graphics and a blend of brawling and platforming. Since then, Wario’s been dressing like a biker, picking fights with other Nintendo characters, and making micro-games — which is cool, but still!
Know what? At this rate I think some of us would even take a remake of Wario Land: Shake It! Or maybe a compilation with the original Wario Land games.
On a related note, remember the time Owlboy creator Simon S. Andersen hinted at wanting to make a Wario Land game? Hmm…
Yoshi’s Crafted World DLC
Part of me feels like there’s no way a game like Yoshi’s Crafted World would ever get DLC. Then another, more hopeful side of me thinks that maybe it could happen — or, you know, it should happen.
Yoshi’s Crafted World walks a fine line between great-for-all-ages and deceptively challenging. Getting through the levels can be pretty simple, though there are some tricky parts occasionally. Overall, the game is definitely very much about providing you with a cool visual experience thanks to its arts-and-crafts look. That said, beyond its inviting exterior you’ll find some fun optional objectives and cleverly remixed stages.
Yoshi games aren’t an annual thing, and it should probably stay that way so we don’t get burnt out on the series. Still, I wouldn’t mind visiting some new stages set in Yoshi’s Crafted World.
A New 3D Donkey Kong Game
I think it’s time we started acknowledging Donkey Kong 64 as a cult classic. For as much hate as it gets, it still has a decent enough fan base of loyal followers, including yours truly. Like, okay, sure, DK64 is flawed — maybe even massively flawed — but I truly believe in that game and its brand of obsessive collect-a-thon platforming. I consider it a treasure, and I think it should be protected at all costs.
Beyond that, DK64 should get a modern-day sequel. How about it, Retro Studios? You up for the challenge of following up one of the most misunderstood games in Nintendo’s massive library? Oh, and if not, I think DK fans will gladly take a new side-scrolling platformer in the style of Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze — that would be cool, too!
EarthBound Collection or Mother 3
Hey, we can dream, can’t we? A collection with the entire EarthBound series (or Mother, as it’s known in Japan) would be mind-blowing. Known for their offbeat characters, wacky themes, and unconventional approach (as well as a disastrous marketing campaign), the Mother games are niche-yet-beloved RPGs. The game most folks are familiar in the West is EarthBound, as that one was released on the SNES in 1994 and, subsequently, on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2013.
The first game in the series, Mother, was also released on the Wii U Virtual Console after being unavailable in North America for about a decade. It was re-titled EarthBound Beginnings, and it gave fans of EarthBound a chance to go deeper into the series’ history.
Sadly, we never got a Mother 3 localization. A darn shame, too, considering that game received a Wii U Virtual Console release in Japan. As such, Mother 3 might be the most wishlisted Nintendo game ever.
If this happened — and that’s a huge if — it would likely be one of those limited time deals like Super Mario 3D All-Stars. And while that would be somewhat of a bummer, it’s better than nothing. Also, if that did happen, you can bet I would do whatever it takes to secure a copy of the EarthBound Trilogy Collection.
More Retro Platforms Added to the Nintendo Switch Online Service
It’s great having access to an ever-growing library of NES and SNES games on Switch. Being able to play Super Mario Bros. 3 or Yoshi’s Island pretty much on demand is great. Of course, it would be nice to have that option with, say, Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance games.
Maybe Nintendo is saving those platforms for the Switch’s successor, but it definitely feels like it’s time for some new stuff to hit Nintendo Switch Online. And while those lesser-known NES games we get are nice (sometimes), there are just so many awesome games on other Nintendo platforms that it’s starting to feel like a missed opportunity. Maybe we’ll get an update on the future of Nintendo Switch Online at this year’s E3!
As a Bonus: More Reggie!
Oh, and I’m not counting this as an official entry on this list, but if I’m being honest, I really wish Nintendo would announce that Reggie Fils-Aime is back at Nintendo. That would be, like, the announcement. But yeah, it probably won’t happen.
