This year at E3 I am anticipating one particular game the most, but have a few others too so I wanted start with those. No doubt this year will be a little chaotic with companies and studios producing their own streams and announcements. I am undoubtedly of course excited over Nintendo’s Direct, but the Pokémon Direct and what’s happening across the broader gaming landscape is also in my sights.
Bayonetta 3
For Switch I’m hoping for some more details on Bayonetta 3. It’s been announced for a long while now but zero footage has emerged. I really enjoyed the first two and seriously recommend them to any action fans. The solid combat and signature Platinum Studios bombastic stories and themes have me eager for more!
Metroid Prime 4
Metroid Prime 4 may well now stay silent for a long while too what with it changing back to the hands of series veterans, Retro Studios. But how about the rumours that the original Trilogy is being considered for re-release? I’m embarrassingly still hopefully lost halfway through the second game but would happily reinvest on a newer platform since accessing the Wii mode on my Wii U can be frustratingly slow.
Crash and Spyro
That’s not the only remake my fingers are firmly crossed for. The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy received its wonderful remakes on other consoles first prior to its release on Switch.
I’m hoping the Spyro trilogy will follow suit as I greatly regard the series as superior, and from what I have seen, their remakes have received similar faithful treatment. Crash is a chaotic and tense challenge, while Spyro is a little more laid back and involves broader exploration and challenges which I have come to really appreciate in my regular gaming escapes.
Rumors flying around
Other remakes that have had no significant rumour or credible mention that I would love to see would include; Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy(s), Zelda: Skyward Sword and the ports of the Zelda HD remakes to name a few. It would also be nice to see DLC for games like; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Hyrule Warriors, Smash Bros. Ultimate and what’s next for the Nintendo Switch Online service.
Kingdom Hearts News?
There is also one thing I’m hoping for in regards to games from non-Nintendo consoles, DLC details for Kingdom Hearts 3. Kingdom Hearts came out earlier this year and its director has already announced the intention of releasing additional content which may include new story, combat and equipment. I would also appreciate a port of the older games to the Switch, so the series is in my sights!
The Big Wish
Lastly, it’s the big one! Like many of my friends here at LG, I am deeply craving some footage and gameplay of the new Animal Crossing. What I personally have been obsessing the most over for this game, is how it plans to expand the core gameplay experience and the scale of the world during the series’ jump into the Switch’s more powerful hardware.
Games like Mario and Zelda evolved exponentially during their generational jump both visually and technically, while the new core Pokémon games are seemingly playing it safe and sticking to a more modest interior evolution. It’s a tall task for a game that is already very deep and complex throughout its varying mechanisms, but with a powerhouse IP like Animal Crossing, I think anything less will be sadly very disappointing. Especially with new kids on the block – Stardew Valley and My Time At Portia – its time to show the genre once again why Animal Crossing has continued to capture and recapture its broad and loyal audience.