As time draws nigh for E3 2018, we enter this uncertain time where we find ourselves asking: is that confirmed? Nah, it’s gotta be fake, right? Yes, my friends, it’s that time of the year where the gaming community joins the ranks of the rest of the American media circus to decipher what is real and fake news.

Spoiler alert – nothing on this list is confirmed. Being a fan of Nintendo gaming for 30 years and attending E3 for a few of those years, you learn to hone your gut instinct on what Nintendo will release.

A New Legend of Zelda 3DS Title

While fans have developed this Marmite approach to 2017’s Breath of the Wild (love it, hate it, get it), Nintendo reassured fans upon reveal of the Nintendo Switch that, yes, they have released a new home console that is also portable, but this will not prevent the continuation of 3DS title releases.

Gentle reader, don’t be upset when I say this, but I belong to the camp that tends to dislike Breath of the Wild. Don’t misinterpret – there are a lot of great things in the game, but the un-redeeming quality of the game is that Breath of the Wild just doesn’t feel like a true Zelda game. Yes, it’s a grand adventure game, but there were so many pieces of heart missing from the often-delayed final product.

My best guess on this possible new Zelda title will be a continuation in the style of A Link Between Worlds and we’ll go back to the old school overhead game. But my absolute hope is for an exclusive continuation in the Hero of Time saga. Use the sprites from Ocarina of Time 3D and Majora’s Mask 3D and round the story out. There’s still a lot of room in the chaotic timeline lore to play in this specific area.

Metroid Prime 4 Reveal Trailer

Metroid Prime 4’s title card reveal at last year’s E3 came as an absolute shock to Metroid fans and more. To a series that many of us had written off as pretty much dead after Other M and Federation Force, this was a welcome and pleasant surprise. Nintendo even upped the ante by releasing a stellar remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, giving us the smash 3DS hit Metroid: Samus Returns. For many Metroid fans, it is tough to beat Super Metroid, but Samus Returns is right up there.

I fully expect a cinematic trailer that will probably tease some of the features that will be incorporated into the game for the Switch. I can see a survey mode making its way into the game a la LA Noire where you scan the environment with the Switch to unlock clues.

I’m hoping for a summer or fall 2019 release date to be confirmed at E3 2018.

New Super Mario Bros. Switch

I am 100% confident my vision will not happen; however, my precise vision is that we’d get a brand-new side-scrolling Mario game where you can pause the level and adjust or switch to 8-bit or 16-bit graphics mode like in Super Mario Maker.

With the success of Super Mario Odyssey, I find it hard to accept Nintendo would pursue another 3D Mario adventure like Super Mario 3D World so soon.

A side-scrolling Mario title always sells well. If this new addition can’t incorporate Super Mario Maker customizations, then why give us a completely new way to play a side-scrolling Mario game and instead of Toad(s) and/or Peach, give us Wario and Waluigi.

The other side of this coin is Super Mario Maker 2. I don’t think many expected Super Mario Maker to be the smash hit it was, and to see the game ported over to the 3DS was an even bigger surprise. There are a lot of elements from Mario gaming that were left out of the first title, so I could see a sequel game expanding on this. Besides, we’re going to need more games to use our many Amiibo with.

Star Fox Zero Relaunched

Star Fox Zero was met with very little fanfare. Having played what Nintendo was touting as a finished product at E3 in 2015, I was dismayed with what I was given to play as a demo. The controls were clunky, the WiiU gamepad felt awkward for the game, and the graphics looked terrible.

What was released as a finished product fixed a lot of my previously mentioned gripes, however, the game ended up being a major letdown to a series that is usually on the bubble with Nintendo.

Given time to clean up graphics and utilizing the HD Rumble feature from the Switch, an expanded Star Fox Zero game would be a healthy addition to the Switch roster.

Nintendo Library

If you own a Switch, then like the rest of us, your nostalgia sense has been itching to play some classic games that you may have purchased on your WiiU Virtual Console.

I see the Virtual Console coming to the Switch but I also see Nintendo looking at what Microsoft has done with backward compatibility and trying to one-up them. The Nintendo Library would be a paid subscription service, probably between $9.99 – $19.99 per month to give you access to as many licensed games Nintendo can provide all the way from NES to the GameCube, maybe even the Wii.

I know the idea of a monthly subscription service sounds very non-Nintendo like, but remember when DLC was announced for WiiU games? Nintendo fans lost their minds. Nintendo must evolve with the rest of the gaming industry if they want to stay current in the right markets.

Honorable Mentions

N64 Classic Edition / N64 Mini

I fully expect either the N64 Classic or Game Boy Classic to be announced as the Holiday 2018 hard to come by item. I also fully expect Nintendo to underproduce the quantity of these units to meet demand.

Games I’d expect on the system:

• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Super Smash Bros.
• Donkey Kong 64
• Banjo-Kazooie*
• Goldeneye64*
• Harvest Moon 64

* – Yes, I know these titles are Rare titles. However, they were hugely successful hits for the N64, and I can see Rare allowing Banjo-Kazooie and Goldeneye64 to be relived on this mini console.

Game Boy Classic Edition / Game Boy Classic

Much like above, I could see this or the N64 classic happening.

Games I’d expect to see:

• Any Super Mario Land
• Any Super Wario Land
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Any of the original Pokémon

Super Smash Bros. Switch

I’m not expecting much on this, other than more discussion it. I’d be surprised if they even hint at a release date, but my bet is for Holiday 2019.

That’s my take, fans. Take this with a grain of salt, as nothing I’m suggesting is confirmed. Just the wishes of this nerd at heart. Be sure to follow Ready Gamer One and GameLust for our exclusive content from the E3 2018 show floor!