The final E3 2013 ball to drop is Nintendo’s E3 Direct presentation that promises the first Wii U trailers for a new Super Smash Bros. and Mario 3 game.
Now that Sony and Microsoft’s big E3 media briefings are over and done with, Nintendo will take the virtual stage Tuesday morning to update the future of their Wii U and 3DS gaming platforms. The two aforementioned games are each potential Wii U system sellers this upcoming holiday season, assuming they are ready for release this holiday. Given Nintendo’s track record I’d put the odds at around 40/60.
Other big Nintendo franchises are also expected to debut during the Nintendo Direct E3 version. Falling into the potential to appear category are 3DS and Wii U versions of Mario Party, the new Wii U version of Mario Kart, Zelda: The Windwaker for Wii U, and two Zelda 3DS titles.
I would also expect updates on previously announced Wii U games Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101, as well as Pokemon X and Y for 3DS.
Apart from the new Mario and Smash Bros. game announcements, where Nintendo can really make a splash is teasing an all-new Zelda for Wii U and bringing back a newly imagined version of an old classic like Perfect Dark into the modern era of gaming. I would personally like to see Nintendo take a dive into the “Toys for Life” category as well as come up with a Mario-themed online game, say Mario Universe, that brings the pudgy plumber into the modern era of socially connected gaming.
The Nintendo Direct E3 2013 editing that partially replaces the traditional media briefing begins at 10/9c and can be watched here via free live online streaming on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or Internet connected device. I will be going hands-on with some of the newly announced games a few hours later at Nintendo’s Software Showcase and will be reporting back with my impressions before the week is out.
