E3 2016 looks to be Nintendo’s quietest showing ever. According to them, there will be no presentation and no playable demos for anything other than the New Legend of Zelda title releasing next year (sigh). But recently, the Big N has announced they will be covering more than just Zelda, which was previously reported as the only title being covered at their showing, albeit only during their Treehouse segment.
Even if there will be no NX news this E3, there are still fans out there who believe that Nintendo has a trick up their sleeve for their show, as rumors about new games have been floating around lately. Here are some of the biggest rumors that those loyal Nintendo fans want to come true so, so bad.
Those Big “New Zelda” Rumors
Since the biggest thing for Nintendo at E3 is the new Legend of Zelda title, it would make sense to first talk about rumors surrounding the massively anticipated title. It has already been confirmed that there will be a 90 minute demo for the game, with much to be revealed such as the overworld, new items and characters, and possibly even a dungeon. This 90 minute demo is expected to be playable by the public as well. Major rumors have been floating around that, if true, could massively change the Zelda formula in more ways than one.
Earlier in the year, rumors that not only will the traditional Link return (obviously), but also, possibly due to the popularity of Linkle in Hyrule Warriors Legends, that the new Zelda could feature a female Link. Whether or not there will be a choice at the beginning of the game where the player can choose what gender they wish Link to be or if it will be similar to Link / Linkle in Hyrule Warriors, is yet to be revealed. Aonuma has been asked about the gender of Link in the new game, but has yet to give a definitive answer, adding more fuel to this rumor.
While adding a female Link would impact the overall Zelda timeline, another rumor could impact fans more so, with the addition of voice acting to the game. While only a rumor that is less than likely to happen, there is still a possibility. The Wii U and NX could obviously support VA, but it could also sacrifice the Zelda feel fans know and love. See: The Zelda CD-I games. That’s enough evidence to prove that voice acting wouldn’t be such a good idea.
Dungeons are possibly the most important part of the Zelda gameplay, which is why fans probably want the rumor of 20 dungeons being present in New Zelda to be true. This rumor details that there will be 12 main story dungeons and 8 dungeons that would be involved during side quests. If this rumor is true, it would mean that New Zelda has the most dungeons in any Zelda title to date. Personally, this rumor gets me to new levels of excited. Let’s just hope there isn’t more than one water temple.
Finally, the most concrete and possible rumor for New Zelda is the reason it was delayed all the way back to 2017: The Nintendo NX. It was originally planned to launch in the later half of 2016, but Nintendo has announced that it will be delayed to coincide with their new console. While not being confirmed by Nintendo themselves, it’s pretty obvious, making the rumor the truest one involving the new Zelda. The exact same thing happened with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. While originally being planned to release earlier on the Gamecube, Twilight Princess was delayed further to get it released on the Wii as well. The game then launched on both systems on the same day, and New Zelda is looking to do that exact same thing, but with other consoles, of course.
Super Mario Galaxy 3: Is It Really Happening?
The last core 3D Mario title was released all the way back in 2013 with Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U. That was 3 years ago. Ever since, we’ve been given Super Mario Maker, a stellar 2D Mario level creator, but not a core Mario game. The team that has developed some of the funnest games on both Wii and Wii U, such as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and most importantly, the original Super Mario Galaxy, has went completely dark. Is it finally time to give Mario a final hurrah on the Wii U with Super Mario Galaxy 3? While this would be a great idea, it’s more likely that SMG3 be released on the NX, and with the confirmation of there being no NX news at E3 this year, the rumor that the third installment in the masterful Mario Galaxy series being announced this year is less than likely to be true.
New Mario Kart 8 DLC!
One of the absolute best Wii U games to release over it’s lifespan (that’s still going strong) was Mario Kart 8. It had added features never before seen in a Mario Kart game and the graphics were top notch. Post launch content was released for the game as well, with new karts and tracks that pulled from a multitude of other Nintendo titles, such as The Legend of Zelda, Excitebike, and F-Zero, among others. Recently though, Nintendo has teased even more DLC coming to the game, with this tweet being the main reason why people are talking about the newest Nintendo E3 rumor. The tag “Great things come to those who wait.” with a MK8 hashtag and a picture of the classic track from Mario Kart 64, Kalimari Desert, is the main reason why this rumor has been gaining traction, along with the fact that it was posted very recently, just a few weeks before E3.
It would make sense too, to give those loyal Wii U fans even more content to play before the console is sent off to be replaced by the NX. This may provide a lot of evidence for some, but with it being posted by Nintendo of Europe, the Nintendo page known for posting these kinds of things, as well as the fact that it has a large chance of being just a throwback post, this rumor probably won’t come true. But it should. It really should.
Smaller Rumors
There are some rumors surrounding E3 that are more on the speculation side than an actual rumor. These speculative rumors still have a possibility of happening, but much less than actual rumors.
A Western Mother 3/Earthbound 3 Release – The Earthbound series has had a bit of a resurgence lately, with Earthbound and Earthbound Beginnings both being released on the Wii U, as well as a joke made during the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event. This year though, fans want to see the long anticipated Mother 3 to be announced and released this year. What makes this possible, other than more attention being directed towards the series, is that this year is Mother 3’s 10th anniversary, making it the perfect time to announce that the game will be coming to North America.
Retro Studios Next Game – Ever since the release of Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Retro Studios has been working on a new Nintendo Title for a long time now. Speculators predict that they are working on a new Metroid game, or even a brand new IP for Nintendo. While it would make more sense for the studio to wait until the NX is announced to reveal their new title, Retro Studios might also release it on Wii U, giving it more of a possibility to be seen at E3 this year.
Pokemon Sun and Moon – With the announcement of Pokemon Sun and Moon having a rather large presence at E3, it’s still a mystery as to what will be announced / shown during the stream. The possibilities include final starter evolutions, story details and new features. Fans will just have to wait to see a larger glimpse into the Alola region, and what it holds in store for long time Pokemon trainers.
The Final Smash Bros. amiibo – Ever since Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta have been released as DLC for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, amiibo fans have been clamoring for an announcement about the release date for the final few amiibo they have yet to add to their collection. It only makes sense to announce the amiibo during E3, since the last time we got Smash amiibo was back in March, and it’s about time for Nintendo to give collectors the final piece of their puzzle.
Brand New, Out of the Blue Announcements – E3 is all about surprises, and Nintendo is great with surprises. Even if there isn’t a Digital Event this year, they can still announce games that are not on anyone’s minds right now during the Treehouse live stream. A new F-Zero? More Smash DLC? Maybe even a dance number by Reggie? Who knows. We’ll just have to wait until the announcements start flowing in. That is, if they do come at all.
I will be covering all of Nintendo at E3 news next week, so be sure to come back during that time to find out a whole bunch about new Zelda and Pokemon Sun and Moon, along with possible new titles. Stay tuned!
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