Interested in catching all the E3 2019 action? Check out our handy guide, and all of our E3 2019 coverage!
It’s been a busy three days, with each E3 showcase presenting a string of new announcements one after another. Following Square Enix’s jam-packed press conference, crowd favourite Nintendo is bringing the whole event to a resounding close, offering plenty of glimpses into both new and existing titles alike.
Many expected entries got their fair share of the limelight. Pokémon Sword and Shield unveiled a new Water Gym leader, Fire Emblem: Three Houses showed off some new gameplay mechanics, the oft-requested Switch port for Animal Crossing is finally, finally available, and the second DLC character for Super Smash Bros.Ultimate has been confirmed.
Here’s everything that was unveiled at the Nintendo press conference, including a much-welcomed surprise at the end.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel
Oh Nintendo, you absolute devil. How dare you wrap things up with a tease to a Breath of the Wild sequel? In a newly-unveiled teaser reel, both Link and Zelda are seen exploring a cave, before coming across what’s seemingly the corpse of Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle.
It’s all very vague, but the video has done a good job at sparking excitement among fans, though considering the overwhelming success and popularity of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, anything related to it is already bound to incite hype.
We’re stoked for this.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Sometimes, dreams do come true. Come March 2020, the oft-requested Animal Crossing Switch port will go live, as players find their characters in a new deserted island setting, where they would have to build a home and life for them.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
The recent Pokémon Sword and Shield Direct had a torrent of reveals and information about what upcoming game entails, including new Pokémon additions, Legendaries, and the Wild Area and Dynamax mechanics. That’s already a lot to take in, but it seems Nintendo has just a few nuggets of information up their sleeves.
Apart from featuring a new water gym leader by the name of Nessa, the upcoming title will also see recreated gym battles, alongside compatibility with the Poké Ball Plus. Now, if only the final Starter evolutions can be unveiled…
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The newest addition to the Fire Emblem series saw the a new story trailer reveal that seems to promise plenty of emotional moments, character struggles, and of course, tactical battles following a time skip. It looking intense, gorgeous, and sleek, and will be heading to the Switch on July 26, 2019.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate x Dragon Quest XI DLC
Come Summer 2019, the widely-popular heavy hitter brawler will welcome the Dragon Quest XI flavour, as a new string of characters is set to join the roster. Early speculations have cast Dragon Quest as the top choice for the game’s second DLC package, and it seems they have hit close to the truth.
Dragon Quest XI‘s unnamed hero (yes, really – he’s simply referred to ‘hero’ in the trailer) will be the main star for this DLC, which is slated for a Summer 2019 launch.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate x Banjo Kazooie
Another surprise is in store for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players. Apart from ushering in the Dragon Quest XI cast, Nintendo is also set to bring Banjo and Kazooie to the main game in Fall 2019, so do expect the gameplay to get a lil’ more….bananas.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
It’s cuteness at its finest. The remake of the Game Boy classic welcomes Link’s return in a tilt-shift art style, alongside the addition of a new dungeon-building mode. September 20, 2019 is the date to look forward to for a relaxing, domestic time.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: Black Order
Earth’s mightiest heroes are back, but so are the Fantastic Four. The long-awaited sequel is set to feature a slew of superheroes, from the likes of the X-Men and Ghost Rider to even Spiderverse‘s Gwen Stacy and Spidey. With additional characters as part of the DLC content, there’s certainly plenty of heroism to go around when Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: Black Order drops on July 19, 2019.
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition
Geralt is heading over to the Switch! It’s been a topic that has oft-talked about recently, so it’s certainly nice to see confirmation of the news. It’ll be a “complete edition”, which means players can get their hands on the base game, as well as several subsequent expansions, when it drops in 2019.
Luigi Mansion 3
Ghosts, ghosts everywhere. This time, it’s Luigi who’s in the company of spirits, as he goes on a ghost-busting adventure while searching for his friends.
Returning players can look forward to a handful of new content in store, including new suction abilities – slam, suction shot, and burst – from his ghost-busting weapon, and his new partner, Gooigi. As the name suggests, Gooigi takes the form of Luigi in jelly form, such that he’s able to reach unnavigable spots. In co-op play, he’ll be the character controlled by a second player, but be careful to avoid stepping into water, for he’ll dissolve.
Taking the adventure online, meanwhile, will spawn multiple Luigis, so an enjoyable gameplay experience should be laying in wait when the game releases sometime in 2019.
Trials of Mana
24 years – that’s the time taken to bring Seiken Densetsu 3 over to the West. For the first time, Trials of Mana will usher in the action RPG as part of a new Collection of Mana compilation, which also includes the original iteration of Final Fantasy Adventure (the first of the series) and the Super Nintendo version of Secret of Mana (the second). The collection is due to arrive in early 2020 while Trials of Mana is already available for play now.
Resident Evil 5 and 6
Everyone loves zombies, and the Resident Evil franchise had a lot of them. A lot. The fifth and sixth installment of Capcom’s popular undead shooter will make their way to the Switch this Fall, so players can look forward to some zombie-shooting goodness pretty soon.
The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics
A prequel of Jim Henson’s fantasy film The Dark Crystal is set to arrive on Netflix in August, and now, a tactical RPG has joined the fray. Titled The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics, the story seems to take place in a pre-canon setting, where the Skesis serve as the game’s antagonists. It’s planned for launch in 2019 – probably somewhere near to the date of the pilot episode on Netflix.
No More Heroes III
Heroes are too mainstream, and that’s why we need more charismatic, homicidal nerds like Travis Touchdown. No More Heroes III is slated for a Switch release in 2020, where more hacking, slashing, and mecha action will be expected.
Cadence of Hyrule
Combine the world of Zelda and Crypt of the Necrodancer, and you get Cadence of Hyrule. The rhythm-based title works on the same basis as Crypt of the Necrodancer, where moving and acting to the beat of the game’s soundtrack is the key to success. It’s a spin-off that no-one quite expected, but it seems to have already charmed its way to the hearts of fans, and we’ll see just how big of a hit the game is when it releases on June 13, 2019.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
Announced earlier at the Square Enix press conference, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition will introduce some new elements to enhance the overall gameplay experience, and is primed to release on the Switch in Fall 2019.
Daemon x Machina
Colourful explosions reign in this one. Daemon x Machina is shaping up to be a pretty sleek title, promising plenty of battle thrills against an army of robots, and a wide weapon selection to fit different playstyles. Hop into your mech suits and gear up, for the game will be arriving September 13, 2019.
Astral Chain
There’s nothing much to say, except that everything is gorgeous and breathtaking. The main draw of Astral Chain, however, is the ability to control two characters at once, which is a refreshing change from the usual play style. Additionally, players will also be able to choose between several character types to play, so it’d be interesting to see how the game will fare among the community when it goes live on August 30, 2019.
Empire of Sin
Birthed from the marriage of noir elements and turn-based combat, Empire of Sin sports an extremely apt retro atmosphere, with rain-slicked streets, fedoras, and tommy guns. It’s all rather sleek-looking, and is due to arrive in Spring 2020 on PC, Mac, Xbox One, and PS4.
Contra: Rogue Ops
“Battle aliens, kill everything, save the world.” Yup, that’s the Contra series in the nutshell, and Switch owners can now experience that same insanity with Contra: Rogue Ops – currently scheduled for a September 24, 2019 launch.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Ready, set, go! Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 pits Mario, Sonic, and their pals in a competition for Olympic glory, with karate, skateboarding, surfing, and sports climbing making their debuts in the game. Primed for launch in November 2019, it looks set to be a hell lot of sporting and unwinding fun – oh, and did we mention that Yoshi skates?
In addition to the above announcements, Nintendo also unveiled the entire software line-up for the Switch, including the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, Doom Eternal, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Super Mario Maker 2, and more.
Nintendo never fails to meet up to expectations, and the team’s showcase this year served as a good wrap-up to three days of gaming goodness. It might not have such a long reel as compared to many publishers, but short and sweet has always been Nintendo’s style. With a host of new game offerings to look forward to, fans will be most certainly stoked, so it’d do good for them to keep a lookout for more Nintendo Directs in the future.
Geek Culture, out.
Interested in catching all the E3 2019 action? Check out our handy guide, and all of our E3 2019 coverage!
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Trinity Sun
