It’s that magical time of year again where big game studios will gather to show off their upcoming works. However, Nintendo will be streaming it’s content instead via their Nintendo Treehouse stream on June 14th and 15th. You can watch it all here .
More importantly, it’s the time for predictions, so let’s take a look at five things that we think we will see or want to see on Nintendo Treehouse’s live stream.
Zelda Wii U Mechanics
It’s been confirmed that the majority of the first stream will be dedicated to The Legend of Zelda Wii U. The stream will feature live gameplay interspersed with behind the scenes information from game experts and promises to be a very informative day for people wanting details on the long awaited Zelda sequel.
While it’s obvious we’ll receive a lot of details regarding the gameplay, let’s get into specifics. Ideally, we would want to see what will make this installment stand out from the older iterations. In 2013, during a live stream, longtime Legend of Zelda producer, Eiji Aonuma, stated that The Legend of Zelda will take an open world direction. Players will be able to visit dungeons and explore the world however they wish. Even though past versions of The Legend of Zelda featured vast open areas, it’s not really an open world game. There are certain items needed to unlock other temples, and there is an order of tasks that need to be completed.
With that in mind, we can expect new ways weapons and items can be obtained. Perhaps it will be similar to A Link Between Worlds system where you could technically get all the items you need from the get go as long as you have enough rupees. A truly open world Zelda game will be interesting to see. I’m hoping to see a dungeon with some of the new items in action alongside the series’ staples like the hookshot and boomerang.
Pokemon Sun and Moon Game Environment
The first trailer for the new Pokemon Sun and Moon games were very heartwarming. It featured a Japanese child arriving in America for the first time and even though he was in a foreign land, he found a connection between his new peers in the form of the Pokemon video games. It’s a great message that demonstrates the ability of video games to transcend cultural and language barriers. However, it showed precious little gameplay. Other trailers revealed the starters, the new legendary Pokemon, and the name and theme of the new Region: the Alola region, which looks to have a tropical island flair to it.
The very first segment of the June 14th stream will be dedicated to see the Sun and Moon games in action, and we can expect to see how the environment will play into the game and how it’ll effect how you progress through the world. In the last installments, X and Y, the region had French influence. Fashion was a key factor in one of the game’s bigger cities. The more you visited popular locations and changed your style and clothing, the more fashion points you received. The amount of points determined which shops you were able to buy items at. The section of the game took place in a very fashionable urban area with cafes on every corner.
Being on a tropical island setting might play into how you will progress through the game with different weather effecting the types of Pokemon available. This isn’t a new thing and I expect it to continue here, but I want to see how more tropical weather will put a twist on this feature. We’ll also see new Pokemon, of course, and hopefully some of the new cities. It’ll be interesting to see if Sun and Moon will have a big hub city like X and Y did, because these big cities always encompass the unique personality of each game. In contrast to the fashionable french inspired aesthetics, the region of Alola looks to be more laid back and fun. How will Sun and Moon bring out this relaxed attitude across with its gameplay and new types of Pokemon?
Pokemon GO Connecting with Sun and Moon
Pokemon GO is an app that attempts to collapse the virtual world and the real world by using augmented reality technology. Players will be able to find Pokemon in their own real world settings and there’s over a hundred Pokemon to catch. Whenever you’re near a Pokemon, your phone will vibrate. You’ll need to take out your phone to attempt to catch it and add it to your collection. Other features include Pokestops, where you can receive an egg that’ll hatch after you walk a certain distance.
Battling will also factor into the Pokemon GO experience as you will be able to join teams and create Pokemon Gyms in real world locations. Pokemon GO will be free to play, but there is an additional option called Pokemon GO Plus. The Plus version will feature a bracelet that lets players interact with the application without having to look at their phone.
With that said, there will be some more details revealed about the application during the Nintendo Treehouse. I predict that Pokemon GO will have some connectivity with the upcoming 3DS title. Perhaps certain Pokemon will only show up if you have a copy of Sun or Moon, and vice versa. The Pokemon GO bracelet may also be connected to the game, allowing you to interact with your Pokemon while your handheld is in sleep mode. The Pokemon GO has many applications and exciting possibilities and I can’t help but think of the Pokewalker that was released with Heart Gold and Soul Silver. Players were allowed to store a Pokemon on the pedometer and level it up by walking around – or shaking it very hard and experience points earned will be equal to the number of steps taken by the player. The technology was already present several years ago, so it might make a comeback in a cool, sleek device.
New Games for the Wii U and 3DS
The last half of Nintendo Treehouse Day 2 will be dedicated to the upcoming Wii U titles Monster Hunter Generations, Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of a Forgotten Past, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. While all these games look pretty awesome, they are all coming out this year. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is actually due out on the 24th of this month while Monster Hunter Generations is coming out next month and Dragon Quest VII is slated for later this year. This means after watching some coverage and footage of these games you’ll be able to play the games relatively soon.
Even though those are the games slated to be featured on the stream, I predict there will be a surprise announcement for a Wii U game, probably near the tail end of the Nintendo Treehouse. The NX looms on the horizon, but it’s not completely over for the Wii U or the 3DS. We can always hope for some unannounced content completely out of left field.
Nintendo Treehouse NX Surprise
Nintendo has already confirmed that there will be no new information regarding NX during their stream. The official announcement of the NX was slyly made during a Nintendo quarterly report, stating that the system will reportedly be appearing in March 2017, and will not be a replacement for the Wii U and 3DS. Quickly after the news was dropped, Nintendo stated that the NX will not be featured in their E3 show but, instead, the show will focus on the aforementioned games. However, there’s always hope for some new details about the NX, even if they’re scant. Like the previous prediction about the unveiling of a new Wii U or 3DS game happening at the very end of the stream, I think new NX information will also be saved for last.
There is a good chance that Nintendo will stick to their guns and leave the NX announcements for next year. Ever since the rumor was sparked and the announcement officially made, I’ve been hungry for more details and The Nintendo Treehouse will be the prefect time for Nintendo to surprise every one with the inside information on the upcoming system. If they do happen to throw some NX content our way, we can expect details on the NX’s hardware and capabilities, as well as some hints at possible launch titles. We already know that the next Legend of Zelda game will be one of the NX’s launch titles, but what will make the NX version different and special? Nintendo could use The Legend of Zelda Wii U as a catalyst to share some of the new features of the NX as well.
So what are your predictions for Nintendo’s E3? Sound off below.
