E3 2016 Predictions: Nintendo

E3 2016 is almost upon us, and once again Nintendo is marching to the beat of its own drum. We run down what we think we'll see from the house of Mario.

We shared our predictions for Sony and Microsoft this weekend, but Nintendo is once again a unique case this year. The company has already made a number of announcements about its E3 plans. For starters, Nintendo will be forgoing a press conference for a series of streamed Treehouse Live events. The Legend of Zelda will be Nintendo's only playable game at the show, and the mysterious NX console won't be making an appearance. That said, we do expect Nintendo to sprinkle in some additional reveals and info during its live stream events, as it did last year. Here are our best guesses for what we might see.

Mother 3 Coming To Virtual Console Right Now!
Last year at E3, Nintendo announced and released Earthbound Beginnings, a localized version of the first Earthbound/Mother game, on the Wii U Virtual Console. The NES classic had never been released in North America before then, and the surprise release delighted fans. It seems only logical that Nintendo would try to capture the excitement a second time with a release of Mother 3, the third title in the trilogy that has also never made Stateside. Rumors of a Western localization of Mother 3 surfaced back in April, making it a solid guess for a surprise E3 release.

A Splash Of Color
Nintendo has already announced a few of the games it will be highlighting in its Treehouse Live events, including Monster Hunter Generations, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. With a targeted release date of later this year, we're guessing Paper Mario: Color Splash will also make an appearance – it is, after all, one of the few major titles remaining for the Wii U, and continues to be a popular spinoff franchise among fans.

Time For A New Fire Emblem?
Speaking of Intelligent Systems – the developer behind the Paper Mario series might just have another surprise in store for this year's E3. Intelligent Systems' biggest and most successful franchise by far is Fire Emblem; including remakes, the developer has released 15 games in the series over the years. While the latest entry released just this past March in the U.S., Intelligent Systems wrapped up development of the Japanese version nearly a year ago. Nintendo has called Fire Emblem a "major IP" for the company's platforms, so the odds of Intelligent Systems working on a sequel are high – what better time to announce it then during E3?

Another Amiibo Invasion
Nintendo unveiled a new wave of Amiibos at last year's E3, and we don't expect this year to be any different. After all, why not? The coveted figurines are still super popular and rake in a ton of money for Nintendo. The real question is whether Nintendo will create enough of them to actually meet the demand of fans this time – we're guessing not. The other question: Who is even left to Amiibo-ize at this point? Maybe the new starters of Pokémon Sun and Moon?

We'll Learn About The NX...But Not From Nintendo
Nintendo has explicitly stated that it won't be showing off the NX until later in the year, but the company doesn't operate in a vacuum. While any third-party developers have undoubtedly been sworn to secrecy, with the entire gaming industry descending upon L.A. for a week of revelry, we expect more leaks and rumors to surface about Nintendo's new system. Just be sure to take any potential news with a grain (or handful) of salt.

Coming Up Next: What we expect from Link's next adventure, the latest installments of Pokémon, and more...

Zelda Will Look Great, But Won't Be A Revolution...
At least in terms of playable games, Nintendo is putting all of its focus on The Legend of Zelda at this year's E3. While that shows just how confident Nintendo is in Link's latest adventure, we expect the newest entry won't be a revolution for the series, but rather a continued refinement of what fans already know and love. So far the big news has been the game's large open world, but aside from a few new tricks like vaulting off of Epona and shooting arrows in slow motion, we haven't seen any radical changes yet, and aren't really expecting to.

...And That Won't Matter To Fans
Even if we don't see any major innovations in the new Legend of Zelda, we're guessing longtime fans of series will be too psyched to care. As long as Toon Link doesn't show up, you can expect Nintendo fans to laud Legend of Zelda as the game of the show – and complain about anyone who criticizes the company's lack of other playable titles. But hey, if Legend of Zelda is all you need, then more power to you.

When Pokémon Worlds Collide
In addition to showing off Pokémon Sun and Moon, Nintendo has stated that it will be holding a special Pokémon Go Q&A during its Treehouse Live sessions. While this might just be wishful thinking on our part, we expect (hope) to see some kind of integration between the two games. Perhaps traveling to secluded locations to unlock rare Pokémon in Go will also make them available in your Sun/Moon roster? A Pokémon slaver can dream, at least.

Nintendo Tries Again To Make Players Love Federation Force
The reaction to Nintendo's cartoony take on the beloved Metroid series wasn't pretty, but that hasn't stopped Nintendo from trying to get players interested in the multiplayer-focused 3DS title during subsequent reveals. With an August 19 release date, E3 is the last, best chance for changing players' minds about Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Perhaps Nintendo has some changes/improvements it will show off during one of its livestreams?

Nintendo Still Won't Give You What You Want
The fact that Nintendo pursues its own interests is both a blessing and a curse. Many of the company's systems and games probably wouldn't exist if Nintendo was just chasing what it thinks players want. Coincidentally, that also means that players sometimes don't get what they want, even if it seems crazy for Nintendo not to make it. Our most lamented prediction this year? Don't expect to see the 2D Metroid, console version of Pokémon, or blistering new F-Zero that you've been dreaming of for years.

What do you expect/hope to see from Nintendo? Share your predictions in the comments below, and come back tomorrow for more pre-E3 coverage!