E3: 2017 - Nintendo - A summary of their announcements

Nintendo have now had their E3 presentation, and it has started to sink in. Nintendo is becoming like that old relative that tells the same stories again and again. They stick to their known franchises, and very rarely experiment with new IP. This is evident this year, as usual.

Metroid

The biggest announcement is clearly the fact that there is are two new Metroid Prime games in the works, and it is logically coming to the switch as Metroid Prime 4 and the DS as Metroid: Samus Returns. No release date for the Switch exclusive Metroid Prime 4, but the DS game will be out on the 15th of September.

Pokemon

Let's continue with the old IPs. Gamefreak will be bringing Pokemon to the switch. It will be in the same style as the portable games, and combining this with the switch may give some interested augmented reality type gameplay that Pokemon Go and the DS titles have had for a while now. It will fly off the shelves, regardless of whether it is good or not. It will probably sell a ton of switches too.

Mario, Yoshi, and Kirby

Wait for October, and Mario will come and clean the pipes of the Nintendo Switch, ensuring that everyone's favourite plumber collects his questionable mushrooms, this time Super Mario Odyssey hints at a bigger world; full of pretty grass, dinosaurs (not Yoshi), and the usual fare. This one will be out this year.

Kirby is depicted this time as a hungry, malevolently pink killing machine who has to eat everything. It looks half smash brothers, half platformer, and honestly, doesn't look like a cup of tea that I would consume.

Yoshi starts his feature trailer by walking around collecting coins and nurturing eggs that seem to defy physics as they follow in tow behind him. There's some 3D platformer mechanics to the 2D platformer, with being able to rotate the camera around to see the other side of the canvas. Doesn't look very imaginative or innovative. Very safe.

Splatoon 2

Lets move that game we gave away with almost every Wii U we sold to the Switch. Yes, lets do this guys. Let's get our Minecraft out there. It is important, to make sure we sell more consoles.

Legend of Zelda

Then there's Legend of Zelda, with new DLC coming to Breath of Wild - this is out much sooner than anything announced above, with a release date of June 30. There will be Master Trials, and a "Hero's Path" mode which basically helps you 100% complete the game by helpfully stating "You've been here, bro, go somewhere else." There'll also be the option to make the game harder.

Later in the year, there will be more stuff for the story released, which will ensure that the "waah, its Christmas and there's no Zelda content?" is silenced.

Fire Emblem

The Fire Emblem series has lived on the DS for a while now, and the recent mobile adapation did okay for itself. Fire Emblem is basically X-COM in an anime world, where you take all sorts of hero-types, and fight against enemies in strategic, RPG battles where death isn't permanent, unlike X-COM. Except, Fire Emblem: Warriors coming to the Swtich is not this.

Instead it will be a hack and slash adventure game set a long time ago, in a kingdom far away. No, this isn't Star Wars. The English voice acting in the trailer sounds absolutely whiney and pathetic. This will likely detract from the story, but it should have god content, decent replayability (most Fire Emblem games do), and will definitely help sell a few Switches.

No new information on the "pure" Fire Emblem title, though. Hopefully that filters through.

Xenoblade Chronicles

Obligatory J-RPG for the console - slashy hacky combat in anime style, out for the murderous otakus at Christmas time.

The not so usual suspects

Rocket League on the switch.

Skyrim on the Switch (we knew about this) - another way for Bethesda to sell Skyrim, again. Please, release it for mobiles next.

The Absent

Nothing on any new Smash Brothers content. Nothing on their plans for mobile devices. No new, groundbreaking third party exclusives for the console.