Nintendo E3 2018 Preview: What Announcements to Expect

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The Nintendo Switch has been more popular than anyone could have expected, and the Japanese console maker has held up their end of the stick by releasing some instant classics for the system. They'll look to continue their momentum at E3 2018 by announcing what the fans want to hear. The sky is always the limit with the company, and, as such, their fans have high expectations. While not every dream announcement will be made, Nintendo fans will look to see some classic franchises like Ice Climbers make a return, see the next incarnation of Zelda, and see plenty of ports for Nintendo's popular hybrid console.

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It's already known that Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Switch will play a major role at E3, and that the game's big gameplay reveal will happen during the Nintendo Direct. The company also has a plethora of announced, yet currently unseen, games that could steal the show, such as Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3, and a new Fire Emblem game. There might even be another update on the recently revealed Pokémon titles for Switch that are coming later this year.

Several rumors have already been confirmed for Nintendo's conference, although they aren't necessarily spoiling any first-party games. The latest leak showed that Fortnite and several other major releases (like Dragon Ball FighterZ) are coming to the console. However, more interesting is what Nintendo might bring to the table. There are rumblings of a new Star Fox game that takes the series in a racing direction. Animal Crossing: New Leaf was also seemingly one big tease for a proper offering down the line, so it's expected that Nintendo is working on a new entry in their popular series as well.

Nintendo always has the deepest library of properties to draw from and have the chance to steal the show at every single E3. However, the company loves to space their announcements apart throughout the year via multiple Nintendo Directs, so they don't always reveal their full slate at one time. They could always bring out Mario, Zelda, and wow players with a huge announcement like a new Earthbound game, but they simply don't have to rush anything.

Nintendo operates on their own schedule, and the company really is the wild card of this year's E3. Either way, they have a Switch online service and Smash Bros. to sell, so it looks like they have a good reason to bring out some of their big guns. By the end of the stream Nintendo Switch owners should wind up being excited for the console's immediate future.