Nintendo was planning to attend E3 2020 with its big, annual Nintendo Direct presentation that it hosts every summer. However, the coronavirus pandemic caused E3 2020 to be canceled, forcing Nintendo and other game publishers to change their plans dramatically. Many game publishers have opted to host their own digital events separate from E3, and many assumed Nintendo would do the same since its Direct presentations have always been digital anyway. However, Nintendo has so far opted not to have a big Nintendo Direct presentation, instead focusing on individual game announcements and Mini Directs.
Some of the big individual game announcements Nintendo has made have included thePaper Mario: The Origami Kingrevealas well as the recent announcement ofPikmin 3 Deluxe. Nintendo making these announcements outside of a Nintendo Direct may indicate that the company has much bigger plans for its next Direct, or it could be a sign that Nintendo has no plans for any Direct presentations in the near future.
RELATED:Animal Crossing: New Horizons Passes Incredible Sales Milestone
Nintendo hasn’t hosted a proper Nintendo Direct presentation since September of last year, so fans are well overdue for one. And rumors indicate that a Nintendo Direct will actually take place within the next couple of weeks of August. Nintendo has so far not made any announcements, but if it does plan on hosting aNintendo Direct in August 2020, here are some of the biggest potential announcements that could take place.
3DS Ports
Nintendo recently renewed a number of trademarksthat may indicate that it plans on revealing some big 3DS ports for the Nintendo Switch soon. Nintendo filed trademarks forSteel Diver,Nintendogs + Cats,Kid Icarus, andOcarina of Time, all games or series that were represented on the 3DS platform in a big way. Nintendo brought original DS games to the Wii U’s eShop, so maybe it’s planning something similar for the Switch. Alternatively, fans may just be looking a bit too much into the recent Nintendo trademark renewals, so they should keep their expectations in check.
Bayonetta 3
It’s hard to believe it, butBayonetta 3was first announced nearly three years ago at The Game Awards. Since the initial announcement, there has been very little revealed about the next game in the critically-acclaimed action series, though Platinum Games has assured fans that development is going well. If Nintendo were to host a Nintendo Direct in August, it seems chances are pretty high that it would include anupdate onBayonetta 3’s progress, and perhaps even a release window if fans are lucky enough.
Metroid Prime 4
This is a long shot, but there’s a chance that Nintendo could showcaseMetroid Prime 4at its next Nintendo Direct.Metroid Prime 4has had a rough development cycle, originally announced at E3 three years ago, development was abruptly restarted with the reigns handed to Retro Studios. Retro Studios has proven time and again that it is more than capable of producing high-qualityMetroidgames, but the fact that development has restarted means fans may not actually get to see this game for awhile. In fact, it’s quite possible thatMetroid Prime 4won’t be releasing until near the end of the Switch’s lifespan.
New Pokemon Snap
The originalPokemon Snapgame on the Nintendo 64 is a cult classic among fans, with many having fond memories of its relaxing, laid-back gameplay. Fans have been asking Nintendo for a newPokemon Snapgame for years, especially since its recent consoles have had literal cameras built into them, like is the case with the 3DS and Wii U. And now, finally, Nintendo has confirmed thatNew Pokemon Snapis in active development for the Nintendo Switch.New Pokemon Snaplooks like it will have very similar gameplay to the Nintendo 64 original, albeit with plenty of new Pokemon and vastly improved visuals.New Pokemon Snapcurrently has no release date, but it seems like the game would be a great way for Nintendo to bolster the Switch’s holiday lineup of games. Here’s hoping more information comes sooner rather than later.
Nintendo 64 Games
Retro’s Mysterious Project
We know that Retro Studios is actively developingMetroid Prime 4for the Switch, but the studio was likely working on something else before it was assigned to the game. It’s unclear what Retro Studios has been working on in the time between it launchedDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezefor the Switch and was given control ofMetroid Prime 4’s development, but it had to have been working onsomething. Rumors indicate that Retro’s mysterious game may have been a racing game of some kind, with fans speculating that it could be aStar Foxracing game or even anewF-Zerotitle. However, nothing official has been revealed to date, and it’s possible that the game was shelved in favor ofMetroid Prime 4. If not, one has to imagine that it would be about ready for a reveal, so hopefully fans learn more soon.
Super Mario 3D Collection
2020 marks the 35th anniversary of Nintendo’s flagshipSuper Mariofranchise, and rumors indicate that the Big N plans on celebrating in style. Leaks from reliable sources claim that Nintendo is going to release a3DSuper Mariocollection for the Switchthis year, with the collection supposedly consisting ofSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine,Super Mario Galaxy, andSuper Mario Galaxy 2. Needless to say, such a collection would be huge for the Switch, and would be a great way for Nintendo to celebrate some of theSuper Mariofranchise’s most-beloved games.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis one of the most critically-acclaimed video games ever made and has proven to be a massive success for Nintendo. So it’s no surprise thatThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2is one of the console’s most highly-anticipated upcoming games. Nintendo has not revealed much aboutBreath of the Wild 2so far, with its announcement trailer pretty much all fans have to go on. While fans may still have a long wait ahead of them when it comes toBreath of the Wild 2, hopefully Nintendo has a little more to share about the game soon.
Wii U Ports
Nintendo has shown a clear desire to bring many of theWii U’s biggest gamesto the Nintendo Switch, as evidenced by the recentPikmin 3 Deluxeannouncement. However, there are still some big Wii U games that have yet to make the jump, and would be a great way for Nintendo to keeping padding the Switch’s library with quality games.
The most obvious possible Wii U port that comes to mind isSuper Mario 3D World, which has been rumored for quite some time and would go well with Nintendo’sSuper Mario35th anniversary plans. However, there are some other big Wii U titles that still need ports as well, likeXenoblade Chronicles X, for example. Since the Wii U install base was merely a fraction of the Switch’s, it does make quite a bit of sense for Nintendo to bring as many of its Wii U games to the new console as possible, so while more Wii U ports may not be announced at the rumored Nintendo Direct for August 2020, fans can count on at least some of them being announced at some point down the line.
NEXT:Pokemon Gold and Silver Deserve Full Switch Remakes
