What We'd Like to See at E3 From Nintendo

At the Wii U's reveal two E3s ago, Nintendo introduced a system that would have a large amount of third-party support (for a Nintendo console). Though things didn't quite pan out the way the company planned, that's just made every release for Nintendo's systems that much more important.

The Wii U may not have an overabundance of games, but the ones that do come out tend to be unique, fun experiences. And the 3DS is still the reigning champion of handheld gaming. The highly anticipated Mario Kart 8 launched last week, Super Smash Bros. is on the near horizon, and Nintendo has already announced that its NFC figurine program will make an appearance at this year's E3. But what surprises does the company have in store? GameSpot's editors discuss what they most want to see on the Wii U and 3DS at this year's gaming convention.

Something Old, Something New - Carolyn Petit

Oh, Nintendo. I hope you know what you're doing. I want all three console makers to have strong showings at E3 because I love getting to play great games on every platform, but it's Nintendo whose games can still tap in to my childlike love for gaming. With the Wii U's sales having been so disappointing, and with the company opting for a Nintendo Direct in lieu of a proper press conference, I worry that a strong E3 for Nintendo is too much to hope for. But hope I do.

Rumors abound that Nintendo is going to reveal some sort of new technology that may not even be purely gaming-focused, but I want Nintendo to show us why those of us who bought a Wii U should still be excited, and maybe why those who haven't yet bought a Wii U will want to buy one in the future. For me, that means a few different things.

First and foremost, it means that Nintendo needs to trot out really exciting new entries in its legendary franchises. And when I say exciting, I mean daring games, games that take chances rather than play it safe. Give us a new Legend of Zelda game that breaks out of the mold that every console Zelda of the past few generations has adhered to, perhaps looking to the challenge and mystery of the original NES game, and to the Dark Souls games, for inspiration.

Give us a new Mario game that is as bold and brilliant a reinvention of the platforming genre as Super Mario Galaxy was. And Metroid. Give us Metroid! Please! A Metroid that's scary and that makes you feel as alone and uncertain as the alien landscapes of the original game did so long ago, a game that looked and sounded and played like nothing else at the time.

But do more than this. Show us that your days of creating amazing new franchises aren't behind you, that it's not just going to be Zelda and Mario and Metroid forever. Reveal a new franchise that you're pouring as much time and money and creativity into as you've ever poured into a Mario or Zelda game. Show us that you can still be the company that you used to be, when you didn't just rely on amazing established properties but constantly innovated and created amazing new properties, too.

That's all I want, Nintendo. I don't think it's too much to ask.

The Future Retro - Thomas Mc Shea

I have placed my unquestioned faith into the hands of Retro Studios. Only one of their five games thus far--Metroid Prime: Corruption--was less than a masterpiece, so the prospect of seeing what their ingenious minds concoct next has caused me to babble with senseless delirium. E3 would be a major success in my eyes if we got even a whisper of what they have in store for us, no matter what project they deem worthy of their talents. I don't care if it's another Donkey Kong Country, a return to the Metroid adventures that started their fame, or a new enterprise that no one could have expected. I want to see Retro's effort flaunted.

But if I'm being greedy (which I am), then my wishes don't stop with just one game. As is a requisite when talking about Nintendo, I do want an older franchise to be brought to the present. And my dream rebirth would be F-Zero. Oh, I know how dangerous investing money in a game that has a limited market would be, but business issues don't matter at all to me. We haven't seen this futuristic racer since the awe-inspiring F-Zero GX more than a decade ago—actually 11 years!--and the time is ripe for next-generation, zero gravity racing. Please, Nintendo, make it so.

Fuzzy Pickles! - Justin Haywald

We might have to wait for the next Nintendo console for my wish to come true, but I'm waiting for Nintendo to finally announce Virtual Console integration between 3DS and Wii U. The fact that you have to buy an NES game like Super Mario Bros. 3 separately for each system (and that there's no cross-save) feels ridiculous, especially looking at the close integration between the PS4, PS3, and Vita.

And of course I want to finally see the next version of Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Nintendo's other storied franchises. But there are two revivals I'd like more than any other: Majora's Mask on 3DS and the official release of Earthbound sequel Mother 3. The Skull Kid mask in A Link Between Worlds is only the latest tease from Nintendo that a potential remake of the game (a la Ocarina of Time) is in development. One of the leads on the Mother 3 fan translation even offered his version up for free if it meant the game could come to the West. Earthbound came out on Virtual Console last year, so maybe anything's possible?

You've read our thoughts, but what games do you want to see from Nintendo? Let us know in the comments below!

And for even more E3 discussion, check out our full pre-E3 series:

• What We'd Like To See at E3 From Sony
• What We'd Like to See at E3 From Microsoft
• What We'd Like to See at E3 on PC

And

• E3 Press Conferences, What Does Sony Need to Do?
• E3 Press Conferences, What Does Microsoft Need to Do?
• E3 Press Conferences, What Does Nintendo Need to Do?

See more coverage of E3 2014 →