On the heels of Nintendo launching it’s newest system, the Nintendo Switch, the company came to E3 promising to show off more games and updates to the console. Sony and Microsoft both had presentations that lasted over an hour. Nintendo, consistent with its characterization of aiming for more casual gamers, kept theirs short and sweet. Also unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo’s presentation was done over video, instead of live on stage.
Reggie Fils-Amie hosted the presentation for Nintendo, and opened up by introducing Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a fantasy role-playing game not unlike the Final Fantasy games.
Kirby (presumably a working title), also a Nintendo classic character, came next. Kirby is a little pink puffball that swallows his opponents, and this new game is a platformer similar in style of Kirby 64. The trailer revealed this game supports multiplayer.
Shinya Takahashi, General Manager of EPD at Nintendo talked about the Nintendo Switch following the Kirby announcement. He and Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of Pokémon, recapped the news from Pokémon Direct about the new Pokkén Tournament DX for the Switch. In surprising news, Ishihara also announced that a new Pokémon RPG game is being developed for the Switch.
Next was a teaser for Metroid Prime 4, which only showed a title screen.
A more comprehensive look came with the next game, Yoshi (most likely not the actual title). Yoshi, the little green dinosaur that helps Mario in the Super Mario series, comes back with a game that supports 2 players. The game has the pop-up book feel that the Yoshi’s Island series captured in previous games. It is set to launch in 2018.
Koei Tecmo games showed off a new Fire Emblem game for Nintendo. Fire Emblem Warriors continues the Fire Emblem series. The trailer showed familiar heroes like Marth as well as some characters new to the franchise.
Though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has already come out, Nintendo showed off two new DLC packs for the game, called The Master’s Trials and The Champion’s Ballad, each featuring new content for the game. It also teased that some items from The Legend of Zelda series, like the Master Sword, would find it’s way over to Bethesda’s action RPG Skyrim.
Following the Zelda announcements, Mario + Rabbids, Kingdom Battle came next. This crossover between the Mario Series and Ubisoft’s Raving Rabbids series now has a firm release date, August 29.
Rocket League, the popular game that has 4 players play a soccer-like game with cars, is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Potential Nintendo-related DLC, like little Mario caps you can put on your car, was also teased in the presentation .
And for the grand finale, Nintendo revealed more about Super Mario Odyssey. Mario has long since been the face of Nintendo, and Super Mario Odyssey is the new 3D platformer for the system. Mario is back with a magic hat that allows him to possess his opponents, from people to cars to a Tyrannosaurs Rex. Super Mario Odyssey is similar to the previous Super Mario Galaxy titles in playstyle. Nintendo ended their E3 presentation with the release date for the game: August 27th.