E3 came and went this year, bringing with it announcements, trailers and surprises like no other. Of course, while it’s always amazing to see promising AAA titles, or the allure of a minty fresh and creative new indie title, there will be some mishaps along the way, which is how it always goes with the industry as a whole.
That said, it would be wrong to not shine a spotlight on both the good and bad, so here are some of the best and the worst parts of the various E3 presentations this 2019.
For this last piece, we’re looking at Nintendo, who I could say with some confidence absolutely won E3 2019. From incredible first-party titles, to a wide variety of third-party releases, ranging from ports to completely original titles, 2019 and beyond is looking amazing for gaming on the Nintendo Switch. Of course, that’s not to mention a crossover with one of Nintendo’s first-party titles that’s one for the history books, as well as an amazing tease for a sequel to what is considered one of the best games in modern gaming. Were there bad eggs here and there? Yes, of course, and we’ll give that coverage as well.
The Good
Two fanbases for one single game got both of their wishes during E3 2019 Direct, as the Hero character from the Dragon Quest series and the ever-iconic team-up of Banjo and Kazooie from Rare’s Banjo-Kazooie are announced as the next playable characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Banjo and Kazooie’s announcement, in particular, received widespread online recognition, as this is the first time that we get characters fully made by the West get into the prestigious Smash roster. This is as much of a victory for Microsoft as it was for Nintendo, as this collaboration would not have been possible without Phil Spencer stepping in to actually see it through. Big props all around, and the news made for great openers and closers to the Nintendo E3 2019 Direct.
Mario has two games coming out this year on the Switch: Super Mario Maker 2, and Luigi’s Mansion 3, which is also one of the standout titles for Nintendo’s E3 2019 presentation. This solo outing featuring Luigi expands on the previous two titles with new mechanics and features, including a co-op mode for those who are looking to play as a bunch of Luigis and Gooigis.
Travis Touchdown fans rejoice, as Suda51 and Grasshopper Manufacture finally announce a proper third iteration to the series No More Heroes 3. It’s nothing more than a cinematic, of course, but considering the wait for this game to come out it means everything right now for fans of the series. Also, I love that it came out of nowhere, as previous announcements from Suda51 only referred to ports for the spinoff, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes.
It wouldn’t be E3 without PlatinumGames revealing something, and lucky for us they’ve already got this something slated for release. Astral Chain is shaping up to be one of the best action RPGs releasing on the Switch, so if you’re looking for that action fix before the eventual release of Bayonetta 3, you’d better check this one out.
Next year marks another iteration of the Olympic Games, which will be held in Tokyo, so it’s only fitting that SEGA and Nintendo engage once more in a friendly competition of sorts, with Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.The title will include new sports to compete in, which should satiate that need for a competitive sports title on the Switch.
While people were still reeling from Banjo and Kazooie being confirmed for Smash, Nintendo saw it fit to drop another huge bomb: a teaser for a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel. While it’s as cryptic as anyone could expect, it did set up the next chapter nicely, and all bets are off for where this next story could take us to.
The Somewhat Disappointing
I say somewhat as these announcements felt like afterthoughts and filler in comparison to the highlight of titles Nintendo had for their lineup. In particular, I’ve very worried for the upcoming ports of The Witcher 3 and Alien: Isolation, two very graphically demanding titles that require a lot of processing power. It would take a ton of finesse to port these titles to the Switch, and that remains to be seen if the developers are up to the task. Additionally, Phoenix Labs showed off gameplay footage for Dauntless in action on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s looking pretty rough, to say the least.
So, who do you think won E3 2019? Share it with us down below in the comments!
