There is a certain level of heart-pounding excitement that begins to build within the chests of every gamer every year, as Father Time pushes the pages of the calendar: from May to June.

That palpable excitement, that insane level of giddy hype and impossible expectations can only mean one thing:

E3 is almost here!!

E3 2016 is just under two weeks away and the anticipation and rumors surrounding what will be shown by the big three console makers is at a fever pitch.

Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will be entering this year’s event with very different objectives in mind.

Will new hardware be announced?

Will there be a focus on VR, or is it a fad that has faded before its left the ground?

Will Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda live up to expectations?

Today NerdBacon starts our series on the hopes and expectations of the three major console manufacturers with a look at Nintendo, and what they hope to achieve as they enter E3 2016.

Please keep in mind that this article is based solely on my opinion and speculation. I don’t have any inside info on what may or may not be presented at their respective conferences and I may be entirely off-base on my predictions, however if I somehow manage score at least a 90% on those predictions, I respectfully request that you honor my mental acumen by sending me a box of cookies.

Last year, I wrote that Nintendo was a company in transition: that the sparse lineup showcased during E3 2015 signaled that the company was in the middle of switching gears to their new platform, code-named NX.

My assumption and prediction was that we would see the NX on store shelves by the end of 2016. My reasoning was due to the fact that beyond the multi-delayed Legend of Zelda game, there was nothing unannounced on the Wii U horizon. Nor were there any rumors of secret projects being ready to be unveiled for the beleaguered device.

Fast forward to 2016 and Nintendo has fully confirmed that not only is NX a no-go for this year, but the Legend of Zelda project will slip into 2017 as well. Not only will the final marque Wii U title not make the holiday season this year; it will also now be a duel-platform release for both the existing Wii U, and the as-of-yet un-revealed NX.

Hope you like Legend of Zelda, because that’s all you’re getting out of Nintendo at E3 2016

This leaves Nintendo in the precarious position of basically throwing in the towel on the 2016 holiday season. Yes, they have a new Paper Mario game that will be hitting Wii U this season; however that brand can’t be considered anything more than a niche series of title’s – not a game on which you would want to rest your company’s Christmas lineup. The silver lining to this tale of doom and gloom lays in Nintendo’s handheld side, and the impending arrival of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon for the Nintendo 3DS.

Pokemon is still a strong seller and one of those rare brands that has a global cultural appeal. (In fact, fans are so passionate that the attempt to re-name series poster-monster Pikachu in the Hong Kong market was met with a protest in front of the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong.) In Pokemon, Nintendo will trust; however, one has to speculate on how great this success will be when one considers the declining sales numbers for Nintendo’s 3DS handheld.

Nintendo also has another potential ace up their sleeve that is lying in wait – Mobile phone games.

Miitomo launched earlier this year to much fanfare and very quickly amassed an impressive 4 million + users.

Not much has been said in regards to future plans for their excursions onto various app stores, however it would not be out of the realm of possibility to see an announcement of a major release prior to the holiday season.

If any company has the potential to marry a simple-yet-addictive game concept, with satisfying and lucrative micro-transactions, it’s Nintendo.

Thou shalt not try to rename thy Pikachu in vain

The right combination of gaming know-how, iconic characters, and that sprinkle of Nintendo charm could prove to be an easy goldmine, and could easily salvage an almost non-existent presence this holiday season.

However, any musings on a Nintendo mobile killer-app can only remain in the realm of speculation. We know that they are plugging away at making a dent in mobile, however there is no guarantee that whatever their solution ends up being, will make it this year.

Even if Nintendo does launch a mobile title this year, there is no guarantee of success. Even the above-mentioned Miitomo suffered a huge and rapid drop-off after a meteoric rise; losing approximately 3 million of its high of 4 million users since its March debut. Not good news for a a social application.

So with little to focus on for this year’s E3, Nintendo will try to salvage and build upon the anticipation for the next entry in the Zelda series. Whether born out of necessity, or a calculated risk, Legend of Zelda for the Wii U will be the only title that Nintendo displays at E3 2016.

Miitomo saw a sharp drop-off in active players during a one-month period.

It’s really an unprecedented move for a console manufacturer to enter a large event like E3 with only one title to show – and that title not even due to release until next year as a flagship title for a system that hasn’t been officially discussed in any capacity.

“Winning” the E3 2016 hype-a-thon is simply not in the equation for Nintendo this year.

This year will be all about staying in the conversation. What they have to do is create the best possible demonstration of a single title in the company’s history. If there is any company that can do it, it’s Nintendo.

Still, their ability to claim that vital piece of mind-share among consumers will be an up-hill battle amidst the potential noise that Sony and Microsoft will create if they decide to announce their rumored console upgrades.

Predictions:

There isn’t too much to predict. Nintendo is showing Zelda,and only Zelda this year.

I predict the game will look as nice as humanly possible on the Wii U hardware. I’ll also go out on a limb and say that the rumors regarding a selectable gender option for Link will prove to be true.

I will also go out on a limb and say that Regie Fils Amiee will at least announce the future Nintendo Direct, in which we will finally get the details for the NX.

Other than that, I don’t foresee any surprises coming from Nintendo this year. Hopefully, Nintendo’s singular focus on the Legend of Zelda will be impressive enough to make Nintendo’s E3 2016 presence worthwhile.

What are your thoughts, hopes, and expectations for Nintendo at E3 2016? What do you hope to see out of the Legend of Zelda? Let us know in the comments section below.

Written by The Watchman

The Watchman is a journeyman gamer who has seen and played a good chunk of gaming history.
He’s also an actor, a reporter, a pro wrestling connoisseur, and some say he’s a cat whisperer.
If you have any questions or just want to drop me a line, hit me up at thewatchman@nerdbacon.com
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