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Over the years one thing has remained a constant for me at E3, Nintendo’s ability to outshine most, if not every competitor. They deliver presentations with perfect pacing, a vast amount of releases spanning over the next few years and one of the most important elements, surprise. Whilst one or two announcements are always leaked Nintendo still manage to keep viewers on their toes.
Let's take a look at why Nintendo has been a highlight at E3 2021…
Super Smash Bros: Ultimate - Kazuya Joins the Battle!
Nintendo’s first surprise of the night came in the form of a new Super Smash Bros Ultimate character, Kazuya from Tekken. Tekken has been a long-standing fighting game, one of the most famous alongside Street Fighter.
Hilariously, we are introduced to Kazuya throwing various Smash characters off the edge of a cliff, which fades into a montage of his move set and gameplay. More will be revealed on June 28th when Sakura himself in his usual set up will showcase the characters moves, gameplay, stage and music.
As a fan of the franchise, I tend to keep up with all the rumours. Kazuya is completely out of the blue. Everyone, due to the recent Crash Bandicoot releases, has been expecting him to be the one joining the battle. Sakura has always kept the community on its toes with who will be next. Kazuya’s addition to the franchise will be an interesting one.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania
AiAi IS ROLLING BACK ONTO OUR SCREENS!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, Sega has announced that come October 5th, 3 Super Monkey Ball games are being remastered into 1 package, not only for the Switch but for every platform. Monkey Ball games mainly involve rolling around navigating through various challenges. However, these 3 in particular contained some ridiculous multiplayer games that you could spend hours upon hours playing. Games like Bowling, Football, Snooker and Golf.
The downside is that, for now, these levels will only be available in local multiplayer and not online. Hopefully, this will change in the future!
Nintendo's Mario Party Superstars
I’ll be honest this one is a double-edged sword for me at Nintendo E3. Ever since Super Mario Party came out for the Nintendo Switch in October 2018 people have been screaming for a DLC. The base game contained a decent amount of mini-games but only 4 maps to play.
Finally, after 3 years we get more but it’s a new game which means another £49.99 for something that really should have been given to us a while back through DLC. Yes, I will still be picking up this title as it looks like an endless amount of fun. The nostalgic N64 era mini-games will be a highlight.
This title also supports Pro controller and button controls, unlike its predecessor. Whether you have purchased Super Mario Party or not, this game will still be a great pick up for families or friends wanting to have a competitive time.
Metroid Dread
After years without any Metroid news, we finally have something to look forward to. Although it’s not the Metroid news we were expecting this new 2D title looks incredible!
In the trailer, we learn that the E.M.M.I have gone rogue and are hunting Samus as she investigates the planet. The question being why have the E.M.M.I turned evil?
It has been 19 years since a 2D Metroid game has been announced through a Nintendo Direct so as you can imagine the community has exploded. Dread contains 2D gameplay with cinematic elements during a boss fight and various sections. During the Treehouse presentation, this game looked fast-paced and punchy. Dread includes all Samus’s usual skillsets and weapons but has new ones to revitalise the platformer.
For fans pre-ordering the special edition of the game will be treated to an array of collector's items. A Samus and E.M.M.I Amiibo has also been released which, upon tapping on the controller, will grant you your first energy tank as well as a Missile+ tank, increasing your ammo capacity by 10. Every day they can be tapped to replenish a certain amount of missiles.
Mario Golf: Super Rush
Back in February, Nintendo announced the first Mario Golf game to come to the switch. At E3, we saw new modes that will come with the game when it launches on June 25th.
Mario Golf has always been perfect for those wanting to chill out with a relaxing game. However, Speed Golf is one of the new modes showcased, quickening up the pace for those wanting to be a bit more active. Battle Mode is another which takes you through 9 holes and its varied obstacles.
Nintendo confirmed new locations and characters will be among some free upgrades over the next year.
WarioWare Get it Together
Another first for the Switch as it receives its first WarioWare game. If you haven’t played a WarioWare game before, expect a fast-paced mini-game experience. Whether it's solo or co-op there are endless amounts of wacky activities to keep everyone entertained, from pulling someones armpit hair out to cleaning their teeth.
WarioWare will be available from September 10th.
The Legend of Zelda Section
There is no surprise Zelda made an appearance at a big Nintendo event, especially as it is the 35th anniversary of possibly their biggest franchise. A lot of what was shown has been rumoured or announced already. However, that never stops the butterfly sensation when Link steps onto the screen. Or in this case, flies.
Wave 1 and wave 2 of the recently released Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity DLC came first. Pulse of the Ancients hits the Nintendo eShop on 18th June whilst Guardian of Remembrance comes later in the year, November. Both DLC’s bring new playable characters along with new weapons, difficulty settings, challenges and enemies. The new Hyrule Warriors was a great addition to the Switch and these expansions look like a resplendent addition to what was already a solid game.
A new trailer for the Skyward Sword HD remake was unveiled. There isn’t any new information to relay regarding the upcoming Zelda title.
Moving swiftly on we come to the 35th-anniversary Legend of Zelda Game and Watch. This special edition coloured screen Game and Watch includes 3 Zelda titles: Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link and the Game Boy version of Link’s Awakening. Included with this mini console is the special time option, giving you an additional challenge.
And finally, we come to the main event and potentially the most anticipated game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. This announcement was tantalisingly brief but still gave us enough to be able to dissect everything we need. After seeing Zelda falling into a dark abyss Link, using his paraglider enters the shot, gliding through the clouds above Hyrule.
So much of this trailer looks towards the sky or involves Link on building/platforms in the sky. Either way, BOTW 2 seems to be focused in the sky, why that still remains a mystery. Another reoccurring theme is darkness. The majority of the 1:39 trailer involves darkness surrounding whatever light is emitting from a particular source. Whether it’s Link’s arm or his brand new (what seems to be) flame-thrower, I’m really enjoying the darker take on this new title.
List of Nintendo Games That Haven’t Been Mentioned
As I said at the beginning Nintendo always pack their showcases with as many games as possible. From indies to triple-A titles, it’s impossible to watch an E3 or Nintendo Direct without seeing 1 game you’re not excited about.
In order to give more information on the ‘main’ releases and not make this article too long, I’ve included a list of games shown at Nintendo E3 that I haven’t previously mentioned. Some of these titles I am extremely excited for and some of them have already been showcased in previous events but made a reappearance here. This first list contains games that have been reviewed in our various blogs over E3.
- Life is Strange: Remastered Collection (September 10,2021) - Dan Hilton’s Square Enix blog
- Life is Strange: True Colors (TBC 2021) - Dan Hilton’s Square Enix blog
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (October 26,2021) Dan Hilton’s Square Enix blog
- Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (Demo June 25, release July 9) - Paul Blyth’s Capcom blog
- Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope (TBC 2022) Dan Hilton’s Ubisoft blog
The second list contains games specifically showcased for Nintendo. For any more information on them take a look at the Nintendo E3 showcase.
- Worms Rumble (June 23, 2021)
- Two Point Campus (TBC 2021)
- Just Dance 2022 (October 20, 2021)
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (September 24, 2021)
- Astria Ascending (TBC 2021)
- Shin Megami Tensei 5 (November 12, 2021)
- Danganronpa Decadence (TBC)
- Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (TBC 2021)
- Doom Eternal - The First DLC (Already Released)
- Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 (June 25)
- Advanced Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp (December 3, 2021)
- Strange Brigade (Already Released)
E3 Nintendo Round-Up
E3 2021 on the whole has been somewhat questionable, in my opinion. Nintendo’s presentation is the highlight of the whole event in my opinion with Xbox ever so slightly behind them. However, it really depends on what games or console you enjoy more. The bottom line is E3 needed saving and both succeeded in doing that.