Zelda U Ideas

So there was an interesting leak about Zelda U on Zelda Europe the other week. And no matter if you believe it or not, it got me thinking. What do I expect from a next gen Zelda game?

Well if you want to get up to date on the leak then you can read it here in german:

http://www.zeldaeurope.de/news.php?newsid=1434

http://touriantourist.blogspot.co.at/

also did an excellent English translation.

Everything in this leak sound good, and more important, believable. Even though a Q4 2016 release sucks, it makes sense. This way Zelda U will be a last swan song for the unappreciated Wii-U and an port for the NX (if the system launches in that time frame) is also possible.

But this leak also got me thinking. It seems that they are still facing the empty world problem from Twilight Princess and (to a degree) Wind Waker and I truly hope the can fix it. A believable open world it something I'm still missing from many games. And I hope they leave some loneliness. I think I said it once in an earlier post. The Gerudo Desert in Twilight Princess is perfect the way it its. The loneliness creates a great sense of immersion for me. The Problem is just that the rest of the world feels the same. But this empty world syndrome is a problem, which can't be really discussed. Either they solve it or they don't.

I want to focus on something different. Earlier this year I read an interesting ''leak'' for Zelda U. It was obviously fake, but it had some nice ideas, which I thought would have some potential, if expanded upon.

The leak was mostly talking about the story. In this iteration Link would be an adventurer and tinkerer that explores a mostly uncharted Hyrule. There wouldn't be a kingdom, only some small self contained village communities. Zelda would appear as leader of a gang of Gerudo mercenaries with Ganondorf as her second in command. The game should revolve around the theme of destiny and what we can do to change it. It was a nice read, but only posted on an anonymous image board and all in all not very believable.

However the part about Link got me intrigued. I'm a huge fan of the item System in a Link between Worlds, and this tinkerer approach could help recreate this in Zelda U. Aonuma said that the intend to start the puzzle solving with the decision of your next objective. How do you get there? How do you solve the challenges the destination confronts you with?

An item system like in a Link between Worlds could immensely help with that. But how would the integrate it? Just another Shop like Ravios?

Well that is when the tinkerer idea comes into play. Link builds his weapons himself this time. Each weapon needs different materials to craft. So in this case you'd have to choose if you build the Hammer, which needs a forge, steel and so on, or the Hookshot, which also needs steel, but also oil and other components. By having some items need the same materials, you'd force the player to choose. This way you couldn't craft all weapons at the beginning, but really had to decide which one fits your playstyle the most. Gathering these materials creates an incentive to venture out int the world and explore.

Upgrading could also be done in a similar way. Across the world, in dungeons, towns and caves Link could find blueprints, which allow him to upgrade the weapons, creating another layer of individuality. Do you want to upgrade your Bow or craft the Boomerang.

I tremendously enjoyed the freedom in a Link between Worlds, but it also was to easy to get all items early. There should have been a little more difficulty to it, thus creating the need to choose your items carefully.

This is what I hope getting from Zelda U.

Apart from that everything the leak from Zelda Europe sounds believable. Zelda U as kind of a best of makes sense, and I hope they utilize the longer development time and create a great open world.

What are your thoughts about the leak or Zelda U in general?

And as always

thanks for reading

source of both pictures: Nintendo

Procedural Generation

Picture Source: Hello Games

If there is one game on other Platforms that I'm genuinely hyped for than it's No Mans Sky. The game from British developer Hello Games, known for their Joe Danger titles, is going to let players explore a gigantic Universe. Over 18 quintillion possible planets, or to put it simply, more than you could explore in a lifetime. How this is possible you ask? Well Procedural Generation makes it possible. So lets talk about this technique and (maybe) how Nintendo could use it in its games.

And one more thing. I'll take a look at the use of Procedural Generation in creating gaming content. Things like Levels, Environment, Characters, etc. and not it's use in creating game logics, mechanics and so on.

Procedural Generation means that content can be generated through an algorithm by the computer rather than manually. It requires none (or barely any) human input. This gives the game designer many new possibilities, which he wouldn't have without this tool. It has been used by different games throughout the history. The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall took place in a procedural generated world, roughly the size of the British isles. While Soldier of Fortune used the technology to create diverse and randomized enemies. Procedural Generation is a tool, which can be used to augment the creativity of human designers and allows for things, that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

There are two ways of integrating Procedural Generation into your game. The first is during the actual development of the game. This, for example, makes bigger game worlds possible, without increasing development time.

The other use is while actually playing the game. Randomizing levels, dungeons or encounters with every new start, helps keeping things fresh. This way of incorporating Procedural Generation into your game was used a lot in the 80s.

In the early days Procedural Generation was used to overcome storage problems. There wasn't enough space for huge worlds, but with Procedural Generation Designer managed to overcome this. By storing only the seed data on the disks the could fit in huge worlds, which were generated procedurally by the User PCs.

Seed data refers to the basic set of information which the algorithm in your game then uses to procedurally generate it's content. Most of you probably got in touch with this through Minecraft, where you can enter a seed for your world, from which it is then created.

Minecraft isn't the only game in recent time, which uses Procedural Generation. There are many games that use it in one way or the other. From big budget titles, such as Diablo 3, to smaller indie games, like Spelunky. But instead of storage problems, like in the early days, today there are other reasons for the use of this technique.

It can speed up content creation by a huge margin, enabling new possibilities and chances for designers to work on creative ideas.

On the other hand it can keep games fresh, by randomizing several aspects of them.

Of course it also has drawbacks. With a bad algorithm you may create impossible or unsolvable levels. Think of dungeon without exit or entrance. And it can easily create chaotic levels without any sense.

One of the biggest flaws of Procedural Generation is story telling. If you take a look at the most successful titles, which use the technique, none of them is story driven. Others may say that titles like No Mans Sky and Minecraft offer the player the chance to experience his own story, and I would definitely agree, but a story driven game in the classical sense is still out of reach for Procedural Generation, because randomness is the last thing you want in one of these.

So now lets take a look of how this technique could be used in Nintendo Games.

2D Marios seem like a good place to start. With Procedural Generation Nintendo could create a nearly infinite amount of levels for these games. It is definite a thing they should think about. The question that remains however, is if this levels then can compete. Mario levels often are more than just an assortment of pits and enemies. They are, from a game designers standpoints, masterpieces. Just take a look at Shigeru Miyamoto explaining the first level of the original Super Mario Bros.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/super-mario-game-level-design-drawings-yoshi-koji-kondo-2015-6?r=US&IR=T

Or just take a look at the levels of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Just watch a speed run of one of them. It truly shows the perfect level design, which went into those levels.

Creating such things through Procedural Generation would be really hard, and that is why I think it hasn't been used much in this genre.

Zelda has already used the technique in Four Swords, and maybe they could use it again in Tri Force Heroes. But what about the main line Zelda games? Well it could be used to create the overworld or even the dungeons. While I'm not a fan of dungeons created through Procedural Generation, as they often lack the deepth that can be achieved through human designers, a procedurally generated overworld could be interesting.

It already has been used to an extent in Mario Kart. Excite Bike Stadium is procedurally generated for each race, and I think that is an angle that could definitely be explored more. F-Zero would be a great candidate for procedurally generated courses and it would definitely fit with the futuristic angle of the series. A good mix between courses which are randomized every time and classic ones could be great.

But all in all I don't think Nintendo games would be a good fit for Procedural Generation. Their approach to designing doesn't mash well with this technique. Still it poses a huge potential for the future, and I'm looking forward to new ways of using this technology in game design.

And as always

thanks for reading

RIP Satoru Iwata

Yoshis Wooly World Review

 

Overview:

If there is one developer that live their name, then it's Good Feel. The creators of Kirbys Epic Yarn and the under appreciated Wario: The Shake Dimension are experts in making games that just... feel good. So can their newest project live up to that legacy?

Yoshis Wooly World was announced in early 2013 in a Nintendo Direct. But it took nearly one and a half years till we first got to see it and then another year (for us lucky few in europe) till it arrived on the store shelves.

Story:

Like most Nintendo Games Yoshis Wooly World overs a very simple and light story. The Yoshis are living happily on Craft Island, but one day Kamek suddenly appears. He turns all the Yoshis into Wonder Wool, except two. These two Yoshis now have to rescue their brothers and foil Kameks plans.

Gameplay:

Yoshis Wooly World is a spiritual successor to two games. Yoshis Island and Kirbys Epic Yarn. While the presentation is obviously from the latter, most of the game play is directly taken from the Super Nintendo classic.

Yoshi still has all of his abilities from his debut, but he also didn't really expand on them. He still eats his enemies and turns them into eggs, which serve as ammunition. He also possess his flutter jump ability, which allows him to cover large gaps and distances. Different colored melons let him spit fire, ice or simple seeds at his enemies. Everything is just like over 20 years ago. Yoshi also still has the ability to transform into various things, like Mermaid-Yoshi, Plane-Yoshi, etc. Controlling Yoshi also feels just like in the good old days. The platforming can be very demanding (especially in later worlds) and so precise handling of Yoshi is mandatory.

So then what's different? Well firstly you don't have to carry Baby Mario around any more. So no more crying. Instead Yoshi now has a simple health bar, shown through hearts. At full health the green (or whatever strange color combination you give him) dinosaur can take up to five hits from enemies. Lava and Spikes however, are still a One Hit KO.

And of course there is the obvious thing. Everything looks like it's hand crafted out of different materials. Mainly wool of course, but some enemies and environments also incorporate other things like leather.

In Kirbys Epic Yarn the whole game was fully 2D, while this time everything is 3D, moving in a 2D Plane. Just like Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze for example. Good Feel made sure that every level looks like it's created from hand. As if it could be easily rebuild on in your own room. And the succeed with this pretty well. But what does the wool aspect bring to the gameplay?

Not as much as I would have hoped. You can use Yoshis Tongue to unravel things and his wool eggs to create new platforms. One of the most innovative uses is the stuffing of enemies. Enemies, which are made out of wire, can be stuffed with your yarn, turning them into objects or plattforms. Sadly this get's used only in three levels and doesn't have a lasting impact on the gameplay.

But it can't be denied, that the game looks really great. Just from a gameplay perspective I think there could have been done more with the Wool theme.

The level design, however, fully utilizes the graphics aspect. In the six worlds you'll find plenty of unique and different levels. Nearly every level has it's own gimmick that makes it stand out. Be it a labyrinth inside a pyramid, a raft tour through the jungle or conquering a ghost house full of spooky fabric. No level is the same and nearly every one of them also has it's own soundtrack.

The same variation can be applied to the enemies. They're mostly already known adversaries of Yoshi, but the Yarn look gives all of them a fresh twist.

Also, just like in in Donkey Kong, you have an infinite amount of time to explore the levels, which fully allows you to enjoy the detail put in every stage. And you should always take a second look, if you want to make sure not to miss a thing. Every level is filled to the brim with collectibles, most of the already known from predecessors. Coins have been replaced by gems, but like in the older games 20 of them are unique. Instead of red coins it's Stamp Marks this time around. Collecting them unlocks different Stamps for you to use in Miiverse posts. The flowers also didn't change. Five of them are hidden throughout each level. Finding them unlocks two things. Firstly the chance for a bonus game, if you manage to catch a flower when jumping through the goal ring, and by collecting all flowers in a world you unlock a especially hard level. These levels are designed to test you to your limit, and also contain the same collectibles as the standard ones.

A completely new collectible are the wonder wools. Like with the flowers, five of them are hidden throughout each level. Collecting all of them rewards you with a new skin for your Yoshi. Gotta catch collect them all.

And lastly there are hearts. For 100% you have to finish every level with 20 hearts remaining. That's easier said then done. Hearts can be refilled by two means. Collecting them after shooting down a winged cloud or by passing a checkpoint. When you die you'll start over with 10 hearts, and if you're a the last checkpoint it's often impossible to reach 20 hearts from there. So this adds another challenge to the levels.

In any case Yoshi has a pretty good difficulty curve. There are hardly and spikes or drops, but the game rises the challenge in a consistent way. Just finishing the levels can be done with a little bit of time and skill, but collecting everything is a completely different story. But if the game still is to challenging you can always switch to mellow mode. Here Yoshi has wings and can infinitely flutter through the levels. You can't finish any bonus tasks this way however.

Another help are different patches. Before each level you can use one of them against a small fee. This patches are unlocked after you beat different bosses and have unique effects. One may spawn lots of fire melons throughout the level, while another allows Yoshi to collect items with his tongue. This allows for many interesting ways to approach difficult levels. Only one patch can be equipped however.

Lastly there are two things to talk about. Multiplayer and Amiibos.

The Multiplayer in Yoshis Wooly World is pretty much the same as in other 2D Platformers from Nintendo. It is really fund, but to effectively work together you need some strong nerves. One Yoshi can eat the other and turn him into an egg. For example, by shooting his partner the team can then access new areas. However, abusing this is easier than using it wisely and often happens on accident... the first few times at least. Still it's a nice little feature, but once again it only works local. If you want to play online Co-op with a friend far away, you're (once again) out of luck. Also some of the harder stages are clearly made with only one player in mind.

Amiibos are also on board. Nintendo even produced special Yarn Amiibos for the game, which are harder to get then job in this economy. By tapping a compatible Amiibo onto the game pad you unlock a unique Yoshi look based on the used Amiibo. And if you use a Yoshi Amiibo, you'll unlock a second Yoshi, who mirrors all of your actions, enabling Co-op for single players. All in all Amiibos are very well used in this game, enhancing and enriching the game play without feeling invasive, like in Splatoon for example.

Presentation:

Presentation wise this game is pure sugar. Everything looks adorable and hand made. Each level is full of details and creativity. It's a great example of Art Style over raw horse power. Yoshis countless animations, be it him getting scared in a ghost house or nearly falling of a ledge, just speak to the player. Sadly the game sometimes stutters or slows down when lot's of action is going on. Also the load times are really high sometimes.

Music Wise Good feel once again drew upon their creativity. Just like in Wario Land: The Shake Dimension nearly every level has it's own soundtrack. Each of them fitting and sometimes even surprising. Hard guitar riffs during an intense lava level are definitely fitting.

All in all the presentation is a really strong point of Yoshis Wooly World, only slightly damped because it's rough around the edges.

Bonusround or the game after the game:

Spoiler Warning:

Finishing all six worlds and beating the final boss, unlocks the Boss tent. There you'll fight against sped up versions of the bosses and unlock three additional Yoshi skins.

There is also the Yoshi Tent and the Amiibo Tent, where you can choose between all your unlocked Yoshi skins.

And finally there is the museum tent. Here you can take a look at all enemies in the game and listen to all the music tracks.

Also there are the six S-levels, which are extremely challenging.

Conclusion:

Many call it the best Yoshi Game since his debut as main star in Yoshis Island, and I can wholeheartedly agree. Controlling Yoshi just feels as precise as it did all these years ago. The levels are overflowing with creativity and the wool centric aspect of the game is incorporated rather well. It could have been more, but still. Tons of collectibles add even more challenge to the levels and are a lot of fun to hunt for. With Mellow mode and the different patches, difficulty can be freely adjusted. All in all Yoshis Wooly World is another great 2D Jump'n'Run for the Wii-U.

+ Unique, colorful and charming visuals with lots of detail

+ Good old Yoshi Gameplay

+ Challenging and varied level design

+ Great music

- Nothing really new gameplay wise

- Wool elements could have been used more

8/10

source of all pictures: Nintendo

Nintendo E3 2015

It was a good E3... well not so much for Nintendo fans. I'm not going as far as some others and loose my shit, but the Digital Event was pretty disappointing. Even for someone like me, who already had low expectations. But I was a little right with my predictions. We got a new Metroid, a new Paper Mario and a new Animal Crossing. Just not the way the most of us wanted.

But let's talk about the Digital Event in General. After the strong start with the Smash Bros. Micro Direct and the World Championship, many were pretty hyped for the Digital Event. After the strong showing int 2014 the people were expecting the same for this year. Even after Nintendo announced they would focus on games that launch in 2015 or early 2016 many expected some bombs to be dropped. This however didn't happen. The Digital Event was disappointing. It was not awful or the End of Nintendo, as many are claiming, but it was nothing special. It was not E3 worthy.

Let's talk about the Event in General first, before glossing over the individual games. Because it showed one thing clearly. Nintendo is playing it as safe as it can with 3DS and Wii-U now. Also the don't seem to understand E3 at all. Or at least E3 Press Conferences, which the Digital Event is the replacement of.

First about the playing it safe. All the new announcements we saw for the Wii-U were safe bets. We got a new Animal Crossing Game, even though it's only a Party Amiibo nonsense. But now the Wii-U has an Animal Crossing. It probably will sell well and doesn't need to much effort, because it re-uses the engine of Mario Party 10 by the looks of it. The same can be said for Tri-Force Heroes and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. Altough I'm sure both will be excellent games, they are also very cost efficient to make. Mario and Luigi just re-uses many assets from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. The concept would have been much more interesting on the Wii-U, but of course would have needed much more work.

This is a trend that was clearly visible through the Digital Event. Nintendo is going the way with the least resistance. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but if it's this blatantly obvious, it creates a problem. It creates the image of Nintendo just riding out their consoles on their last breath. This may even be true, but you shouldn't rub it into your consumers face. Consumer confidence and trust is the most important thing in business. It is a thing which is lost easily and hardly regained.

As for Nintendo not understanding E3... E3 is the place for Hype. I know I have spoken pretty critical about the culture of Hype in Video Games, but if there is a place to create Hype with the Hardcore Crowd, then it's E3. And Nintendo had the perfect opportunity to bring both worlds, Hype and Reality, together. Give us a great show during the Digital Event (more games, less Developers talking) and then show us an in depth look at these games (with Developers talking) during the Treehouse Live Stream.

It would have been so easy to make this a great event. Showing Star Fox was a great start. Just don't announce it last year and end the Show with Metroid U (if it's in development, which I truly hope) and bam you have a great Digital Event.

This E3 just once again showed that Nintendo doesn't understand Marketing... or that they don't understand at least half of the time.

But well let's talk about the games that they did show.

Star Fox Zero:

It looks ok. I don't hate the graphical style. It reminds me a lot of The Wonderful 101 and Platinum is also developing this game, so it makes sense. It's pretty clear that it won't be as impressive, as say Bayonetta 2, because the console has to render the image two times. Once on the big screen, for the cinematic view, and once on the Gamepad for cockpit view. But Corneria was really lacking details. I hope they polish the game till release, because, while not looking bad, the worlds seemed rather empty. But apart from that the game looks like a lot of fun, but I'm not certain that this will be the system seller Nintendo is hoping for. However I will surely get it.

Hyrule Warriors Legends:

Well we already knew about it, and I'm not a huge fan of it. I agree with http://touriantourist.blogspot.co.at/ that a full fledged Hyrule Warriors for 3DS would have been better. I'm just not a fan of these remakes only one year after a game has released. Still we get two new characters and all the DLC ones, so the package is really nice for someone, who doesn't own a Wii-U. Still a full fledged Toon Hyrule Warriors with characters from the Handheld Zeldas, would have been better.

Tri-Force Heroes:

Cool game and I'm looking forward to it. Never had the chance to play a lot of four swords during the days, because link cables were a nightmare, but with Online Play this should be a lot of fun. Nothing more to add really, cause I'm pretty happy with this announcement and I'm looking forward to it. Oh and the costume idea is great, but some of them are rather strange.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force:

Well that was a bit of a bummer. At least with no proper Metroid Title going along with it. Honestly it looks like an original IP that just got Metroid tucked onto it, so that it would sell more units. I have no problem with a Metroid spinoff like this, where you don't play Samus, but you can't leave your fans hanging 5 years and then announce this. Along with Metroid Prime 4 this would have been nice, but as it is I can understand the backlash against this game, even if it get's more hate than it deserves. The Gameplay looks nice and all, but nothing all to special. At least this shows that the Metroid Prime brand is still alive, so bring this back into the canon and cross out Other M.

Fire Emblem Fates:

Haven't played any Fire Emblem Games yet, but Awakening is on my To-Do List. This looks like a great sequel. I'm not a fan of the seperate games for separate storylines approach. If the games themselves have enough content I may forgive it though.

Genei Ibun Roku #FE

Batshit Crazy Japanese... that sums this game up pretty nicely. Looking forward to it. I haven't played a Persona game yet, so this will be a first for me. But I like japanese RPGs, so this should be fine. Still all of the non-important characters beeing 2D cutouts, seems like a weird design choice to me.

Xenoblade Chronicles X:

It arrives much later than I have anticipated, but at least still in 2015. The game looks absolutely massive though, so most of the christmas holiday is already booked out I guess.

Animal Crossing:

I'm just glance over these two games, because I'm not and will never be an Animal Crossing fan. But I can understand the disappointment of the fans. After the teases from the developers, everybody was expecting a full Animal Crossing game for Wii-U and instead we get this Amiibo.. thing. It's a huge wasted chance in my opinion. Animal Crossing could have been a big system seller for the Wii-U (at least in Japan) and with this Home designer game they could have pulled of some nice interconnectivity. Design a house on the 3DS and see the same character inhabit this very house on the Wii-U version. Like Metriod Prime: Federation Force it's a nice to have title, but not replacement for a full installment of this series. Oh and also it seems like this bullshit requires Amiibos to actually play the game. So fuck you Nintendo on this one.

Yoshis Wooly World:

Great game. Comes out next week. Expect a review.

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam:

Mario and Luigi are good games. Paper Marios are good games. So both of them together should make for a good game. Presentation wise this games reeks of a lot of re-used assets, but I don't mind if the game itself is new. Again it's not a Wii-U game, but the 3DS needs love too.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash:

I would have preferred a new Mario Strikers, but Tennis is fine too.

Super Mario Maker:

From the first announcement of this, I was hyped for it. And, like many other Nintendo games, this one got better and better with each showing. The Levels at the Nintendo World championship really did show the absolute craziness that is possible with this game. So many Kaizo Mario levels will be made and I'm looking forward to try my luck as level creator.

All in all this Digital Event was pretty weak. It was not terrible, but also not exciting in the slightest. It definitely wasn't worthy for E3. Maybe Nintendo will fix this in the coming months with some good Nintendo Directs, but for now they fucked up.

But at the same time I'm not sure that this already means they have abandoned the Wii-U. In an interview they stated that Zelda U will still release on the console in 2016, and maybe they have more up their sleeve. As for now we still have a pretty good 2015 in front of us, and if they don't announce anything till the end of the year, then we can start to worry.

But what was your take on this Digital Event and E3 in general? Are you looking forward to any specific games?

And as always

thanks for reading  

source of all pictures: Nintendo

E3 2015 predictions (and wishful thinking)

picture source: Nintendo

The E3 is upon us and we already know almost everything. Fallout 4 got unveiled, Hyrule Warriors 3D, the new Smash Bros. Characters, and lots of other games were we already knew they would appear on the show floor.

Well this won't stop me from speculating about other things however. So here are my E3 predictions. (With a lot wishful thinking)

Later today the Smash Bros. Micro direct will tell us what we already know. Roy and Ryu are two new DLC-Characters for Smash Bros. There will also be a Street Fighter Stage and we probably get a look at the Miiverse Stage. Hopefully Sakurai will also announce some unknown news, like another new character, more stages or the first results of the fighter bailout. But for Smash Bros., that's pretty much it.

But now let's talk about the Digital Event on Thursday. We already know that it will focus on games that launch in 2015 and early 2016 and that it won't feature Zelda U. (Except Nintendo is lying to us, what I don't believe.)

Firstly I think they will tell us a little bit about their future plans with Amiibo and maybe teaser an Amiibo Game in the vein of Skylanders, Disney Infinity and the rest. If it's done well, I wouldn't mind.

DLC will probably also feature in the Digital Event. After the huge success of the Mario Kart DLC, they probably will announce another 2 packs. I personally hope for a Kong Pack with Diddy, Dixy and Cranky Kong as drivers and Tropical Freeze inspired courses. Also they will talk about their plans for Splatoon after the big updade in august and maybe give us a sneak peak into the future of the game. Also maybe Captain Toad DLC, but I think this is unlikely. But I wouldn't say no to a new Book with completely new levels.

Now for the games we already know about. Launch dates for Xenoblade Chronicles X and Fatal Frame 5 are a given. Also probably a launch date of Yoshis Wooly World for our american friends. And maybe we get lucky and get a launch window for Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei.

Then they'll talk about Mario Maker. I also fully expect them to open with this game and the 30^th anniversary of Mario. They'll probably announce new enemies and playable characters. Let's hope they're not gated behind Amiibo use. Apart from that I would love them to announce the Yoshis Island graphics style, but I don't think so.

Star Fox most certainly will be shown. I'm hoping for a local- and online Co-op multiplayer, but it probably will only be local. Also 4 on 4 online battles would be cool, and here the chances for implementation are not unlikely. It would be easy to integrate. Simply put Team Wolf against Team Starfox. Gameplay wise I expect good old Star Fox, with fresh graphics. Map wise I would prefer a mix between on Rail segments and open worlds to freely roam and fight.

Now for the unknown games that are rumored.

Animal Crossing U:

 picture Source: Animal Crossing Plaza

I'm pretty certain that this game will be announced in this E3. There are a lot of hints that point towards it, and Nintendo would be stupid not to launch one of it's biggest franchises on the U. This game could boost Wii-U sales in Japan, seeing how absolutely crazy they are for New Leaf.

Paper Mario U:

picture source: Nintendo

Also a pretty safe guess. I would prefer a new Advance Wars from Intelligent Systems, but I won't complain if this gets announced. As long as it's a successor to the first two Paper Mario titles.

Metroid:

picture source: http://www.infendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/48749-metroid-u.jpg

Retro will be at E3 and if the don't announce a Metroid game, the people will probably riot. Together with the quote from last year that Nintendo is currently working on a 3DS and Wii-U Metroid, I'm pretty sure that we will get a first look at these two games this year. As for what I expect from Metroid: http://dilliansthoughthub.blogspot.co.at/2014/10/the-future-of-metroid.html

New Franchise:

With the resounding success of Splatoon, Nintendo maybe will start supporting more new franchises. I don't think it's very unlikely that we get to see something completely new. This or Metroid will probably be the end of the presentation. And seeing how much fun I already had with Splatoon I'm looking forward to any new franchise Nintend will show us.

So what are your expectations and wishes for E3? Are you looking forward to it?

And as always

thanks for reading