E311: What to Expect from Nintendo

E3 2011 starts next week and that means all kinds of announcements, new games, new products, and possibly even some crushed hopes. We’ve put together a few guides for what to expect from the Big 3 console-makers, and even opened up a contest for you to enter to win some prizes.  Up first, we’ll take a look at what Nintendo will be showcasing, as well as what they will probably be showing off… fingers crossed.

For the big N it’s all about 3DS and Project Cafe, but don’t discount some possible surprise Wii and DS announcements, either.

3DS

eShop

Nintendo just announced that their latest firmware update goes live on June 6th, the day before their press conference. What they didn’t announce was any new 3DS downloadable games — it was simply a free 3D Classic version of ExciteBike, a few Virtual Console games, the internet browser, and a Pokedex.  Expect Nintendo to show a bunch of new downloadable games for the 3DS from bigger developers.  Will we see a 3DPlants vs Zombies or Angry Birds?  Zynga games?  We can hope to see new AR Games and maybe even an update to (or a new version of) FindMii, the built-in StreetPass RPG.  Expect a video reel or a splash screen of the confirmed games.

We’ll probably see information on several non-gaming apps, as well.  3D video recording, Netflix, Nintendo’s 3D videos/movies/music videos could all be discussed.

Games

Mario 3DS will be a centerpiece game for the 3DS presentation, but also appearing will be Ocarina of Time 3D,Mario Kart , Star Fox 64 3D, Paper Mario, and Kid Icarus: Uprising.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see some third party support in the form of Metal Gear Solid 3D, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil: Revelations, Cave Story 3D,Bit.TRIP Saga, and Sonic Generations, and Mega Man Legends 3.  There will almost certainly be a few more unannounced first- and third-party games, as Nintendo aims to prove that third-party support is a real thing for the portable.

Not Happening

There will be no word on a price cut or hardware redesign.

DS

Games

Even though the DS is on the way out, the recent price cuts mean that the console will still be selling, and will need new software to keep it going. First, expect very little in the way of new DSiWare — everyone has moved onto the eShop now.  For the cart-based games, a new Kirby could happen, as well as something Pokemonrelated (Rangers?)  We could also see Nintendo repackage a few games in collections.  Zelda 25th Anniversary?  Super Mario All Stars?

Not Happening

The DS isn’t dead.  It still sells extremely well, so Nintendo would be hard-pressed to abandon it.

Wii

Vitality Sensor

Do we expect to see the Vitality Sensor at E3 this year, after skipping last year?  We’ll probably see a mention of it, possibly as a pack-in to a new WiiFit casual/health game, but it won’t be considered a “big deal” anymore by Nintendo… or anyone else.

WiiWare/Virtual Console

Nintendo, for some reason, hasn’t given up completely on WiiWare.  Again, they’ll announce a couple games that are coming, possibly pulling some of the minigames from Wii Sports or Wii Play as separate downloads.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword/ Zelda 25th Anniversary

This is the big showcase game for Nintendo at E3 this year.  They won’t let it slip to Project Cafe a year later, rather hoping to let it be the last great Wii game they push out.  Nintendo may also announce a Zelda collection for the Wii that would include Zelda 1, 2, and Link to the Past as well as a soundtrack.  They may also announce a reissue of Windwaker, without motion controls of course.

Games

WiiPlay Motion releases later this month, so that’s assured.  Pikmin 3 was once in production for the Wii, but that may have moved to the 3DS or Cafe.  Our best bets are with modern remakes of classic games: Duck Hunthas been absent, as has been Ice Climbers.  A new Kirby Wii game is confirmed for Japan, so that may show up in the US as well.  Core JRPG games The Last Story and Pandora’s Tower would be good bets as well to see US releases.  We wouldn’t doubt seeing New Super Mario Bros Wii 2 show up, as Nintendo has a habit of dropping a big multiplayer game each year. Finally, Dragon Quest X is still looming out there. Could this be revealed?

Not Happening

Nintendo will not announce a further price cut for the Wii, and will not push Skyward Sword to Project Cafe

Project Cafe

Hardware

You can read our massive hardware guide for the new console to get a good chunk of the info we have right now.  The touchscreen controller with a camera, the streaming video capabilities, the “slightly-better than PS3″ power.  All of this fits in with Nintendo’s M-O of being cost-effective for the end consumer, while delivering a unique experience not found anywhere else.  Nintendo will wait until the end of their conference to reveal the device, since they still need to sell 3DS, Wii, and DS games and hardware until it released in 2012.  We will probably get an official name, too.

Games

We don’t know of any games that are confirmed, except maybe Mario Kart HD.  The game has appeared in several of the leaked Project Cafe images, and is a great way to showcase the streaming video.  Nintendo will do for the Cafe what they did for the 3DS: they will showcase a teaser trailer of big name developers that are working on the device.  Expect developers from Konami, Activision, EA, Capcom, SquareEnix, and more to show up in the video hyping up the device.  The rumors of GTA V, Call of Duty, Smash Bros, a new Mario game, and more persist throughout the web, so they may pop up as brief mentions.  Mario Kart will be the playable game on the show floor, anyways.

Apps

Nintendo wants to leverage the controller’s functions and apps will be a part of that.  Augmented reality (thanks to the camera), touch-screen apps, and video sharing will be shown, perhaps even usable on the show floor.

Online

Rumors state that Nintendo will make a strong push for better social networking, possibly abandoning friend codes and allowing for a more Xbox Live styled experience.  This will extend to their digital marketplace as well, as evidenced by the 3DS updates next week.

Not Happening

A 2012 release date has been announced, but it won’t get any more clear than that.  A price isn’t coming, either.

Editorial Opinion

This is an absolutely crucial year for Nintendo.  The company has four big platforms that they’ll be pushing, and they need to last until 2012 when the Project Cafe is released.  On top of that, Microsoft and Sony will (next year) begin the reveals of their console successors, so whatever Cafe is it had better be great enough to last through those eventual announcements.  The 3DS needs to be successful this year, so core and casual games will be announced in a fury.  Nintendo needs us to fall back in love with the portable, less it die on the vine early in its life.  And then there’s Zelda.  I’m really hoping Skyward Sword will be an incredible game, since we still know absolutely nothing about it.

We’ll find out on Tuesday, June 7th when the press conference takes place.