Predictions for Nintendo Direct 11.12.2015

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The upcoming Nintendo Direct, which is streaming today at 2 PM PT, will be the last of the year, and it will focus on upcoming Wii U and 3DS games in 2016. There is only a handful of games we know about, such as the 3DS titles Metroid: Federation Force and Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam as well as the delayed Wii U games Star Fox Zero and The Legend of Zelda Wii U. It is safe to say that whatever is planned today will be mostly new to Nintendo fans. This is reassuring after Nintendo’s E3 showing, which was sparse with anything we had not already heard of, but the company has repeatedly stated that they have plenty more planned; they just wanted to show off games that would be available in the near future. Perhaps now is the time to see what they have in store for the coming year. For the moment, let us speculate on what Nintendo could possibly be presenting.

The Legend of Zelda Wii U

Directly after delaying Zelda’s next console outing into what is likely to be next year, Nintendo broke our hearts a second time by not showing it at E3. On top of holding out on playing it, fans had to wait longer to even get a glimpse of it. Close to nothing about The Legend of Zelda Wii U has been revealed since a small preview at the Game Awards earlier this year. Maybe today, we will learn why the delay was so necessary and what Aonuma means about breaking past Zelda conventions and having a different kind of open world. We can only hope for answers, but it would be a little cruel of Nintendo to pass up another chance to give us more to go on.

Super Smash Bros. DLC

Nintendo closed the character poll for Super Smash Bros. about a month ago, but the results are still a mystery. Maybe we will finally get a peek at who was the most popular pick. Beyond that, the developers have probably already planned other fighters regardless of the poll results. There was no limit on what characters could be entered into the poll, so it is anyone guess on who “won”. Additionally, we can expect to hear about them and more stages and costumes.

Tri Force Heroes DLC

Data in Tri Force Heroes has shown that there are areas open for DLC. It is entirely possible that we will hear about it during the Direct. The DLC would likely add stages to choose from. The story itself could stand to be expanded on, too. There seem to be holes in the overall narrative that were never filled.

Fire Emblem

Fire Emblem Fates has been out in Japan since June, but western audiences have yet to receive an exact release date. That could change soon. There is also the question of Genei Ibun Roku #FE, the Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem crossover for the Wii U. It has not yet been given an official title in the west, and it does not have a clear release window for next year.

Hyrule Warriors Legends

In a way, anyone who has played Hyrule Warriors on the Wii U already knows all there is to the 3DS port. It is the same game with downplayed graphics and an extra story scenario taking place after the main campaign. Hyrule Warrior Legends does offer many new characters to an already impressive roster; these characters will be transferrable to the Wii U version. Tetra, the King of Hyrule, Toon Link, and Skull Kid have been revealed, but more have been promised. For those who poured hours of playtime into Hyrule Warriors, it is these characters are the main hook to keep going in Legends. It seems that almost everyone of note is already included in the game, so what remains will be a nice surprise. We will probably get a release date, too.

Metroid: Federation Force

Federation Force is not the Metroid game that anyone was expecting. Naturally, many fans are skeptical, and Nintendo has to explain the appeal of a Metroid with Samus as the lead protagonist, a first for the series. Nothing is known about the game’s story, but Samus will apparently have role to play. Whatever the case, is the quality of the gameplay that matters most, and Nintendo needs to show that Federation Force has what it takes in order to bring Metroid series back into the spotlight after Other M. A release window should be provided, too.

Twilight Princess HD

The rumors of Twilight Princess getting the HD treatment have been plentiful as of late. Data mining in the eShop has pulled up an icon for the game. It could be meant for a download of the Wii version, but recently a render of Link from Twilight Princess has popped up in a Nintendo financial briefing about marketing. Nintendo could have chosen from a number of images, but they used this. Before writing off the possibility of yet another remake, remember that Nintendo has already experimented with both Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword in HD before deciding on The Wind Waker HD, and they even said they were open to more remakes in the future. The Wind Waker HD was given to us as what is essentially a placeholder for Zelda fans would wanted to experience the series on the Wii U, and with the delay of Zelda Wii U, Twilight Princess HD could be given to tide us over for a little while longer.

Pikmin 4

Shigeru Miyamoto has previously stated that Pikmin 4 is well into development, and that is all that is known about it. This could mean that it is due out for the Wii U rather than the NX, seeing how it was apparently already close to completion around the time of E3, making it all the more plausible that we will see it in today’s direct.

amiibo

Whether it be new Amiibo or restocks, Nintendo will definitely have something for their popular line of toys-to-life figures. Despite the popularity, Nintendo has been utilizing them as often or as usefully as they could be, and they really need to push their relevance and compatibility for upcoming releases in 2016.

That is all I have for speculations today, but if you have an ideas of what you want to see in the Nintendo Direct, please tell us in the comment section below.

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About Author

Garrett's first Zelda game was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which he first played at the ripe age of four. Since then, he has made it his mission to save Hyrule and other lands until the end of time.

  • JaidynReiman

    I don’t think we’ll get news on Triforce Heroes DLC yet. A bit too soon for that. Maybe we can get Amiibo support confirmed, though. We’ll probably get a Direct in January anyway.