Wii U Game Expectations for the E3 2015 Nintendo Digital Event

In the lead-up to E3 2015, Nintendo outlined its plans, which included the return of the Nintendo World Championships, live-streamed Treehouse events, and playable demos of Mario Maker at select Best Buy stores. The centerpiece of the company’s presence was its Digital Event, a pre-recorded presentation. The 2014 equivalent had set a high bar, offering first looks at titles like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Splatoon, and The Legend of Zelda for Wii U. This history raised expectations for what Nintendo would reveal for its home console in its 2015 showcase.

Rumored Reveals

Speculation surrounding Nintendo’s E3 plans was widespread, with several key franchises at the center of discussion. A new Metroid title was a prominent rumor. After completing the Metroid Prime Trilogy, developer Retro Studios had successfully revived the Donkey Kong Country series. Many fans hoped the studio would return to the science-fiction series it was famous for. This speculation was fueled by subtle hints, such as Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime wearing a Samus pin at the VGX awards in 2013 and the recent re-release of the Metroid Prime Trilogy on the Wii U eShop. These were seen as potential signs that the series was being primed for a return.

Another franchise rumored for a comeback was Punch-Out!!. The video Nintendo released to announce its E3 2015 schedule contained imagery that many viewers interpreted as a hint toward a new boxing game. The inclusion of Little Mac as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS also suggested that the character and his series were back in the company’s focus. The chances of seeing a new Punch-Out!! in some form seemed quite high.

Talk of a new Paper Mario game for Wii U also circulated for months. Some rumors pointed to an entirely new entry, while others suggested a high-definition remaster of the fan-favorite GameCube title, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. While these specific rumors appeared to lack solid evidence, the absence of a proper Paper Mario installment on the Wii U was notable. Most of Nintendo’s home consoles had featured a title from the series, making a potential E3 announcement a strong possibility for fans.

A remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was another popular theory. Nintendo had already ported previous 3D entries in the series to newer hardware. More importantly, the company had recently announced a significant delay for its flagship title, The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, pushing it out of 2015. This created a major gap in the holiday release schedule. A Twilight Princess remaster was seen as a logical way to fill that void and keep fans of the franchise engaged.

Expected Game Showcases

Beyond the rumors, several games were almost certain to be featured during the Digital Event. Nintendo’s two biggest announced titles for the fall, Mario Maker and Yoshi’s Woolly World, were expected to receive extensive showcases. These presentations would likely serve as a major marketing push, detailing final features and confirming concrete release dates ahead of their launch.

Star Fox for Wii U was another title anticipated to have a major presence. First revealed with a brief tech demo at E3 2014, very little had been seen of the game since. E3 2015 was poised to be its full public debut, where Nintendo was expected to reveal the game’s official title, core gameplay mechanics involving the Wii U GamePad, and a target release window.

Localization news for Xenoblade Chronicles X was also highly anticipated. The massive role-playing game from Monolith Soft had already been released in Japan in April 2015 to critical acclaim. For Western audiences, the E3 presentation was the opportunity to receive a firm release date for North America and Europe. Fans were also eager to see footage of the English localization and learn about any potential content changes for its international release.

DLC and Amiibo

Nintendo’s increasing focus on post-launch content was expected to be a theme of the presentation. The company had already promised extensive support for its new shooter, Splatoon, which had launched just weeks before the event. The Digital Event was a platform to detail the roadmap for free updates, including new maps, weapons, and game modes.

Further expansions for established hits like Mario Kart 8 were also a possibility. For Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo was actively taking suggestions for new fighters through the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot. The E3 event could have been used to reveal upcoming DLC characters, perhaps even one influenced by the fan vote. The presentation was also expected to feature Amiibo, Nintendo’s successful line of interactive figures. New waves of figures and details on how they would unlock content in upcoming games were likely to be announced.

What Was Ruled Out

To manage expectations, Nintendo confirmed several topics that would not be part of its E3 2015 presentation. The company’s next-generation console, codenamed NX, was chief among them. While its existence had been acknowledged, Nintendo stated that no information would be shared until 2016. The new mobile gaming initiative, a result of a partnership with DeNA, was also confirmed to be absent from the E3 proceedings.

Finally, the highly anticipated Wii U installment of The Legend of Zelda was officially off the table for the show. Nintendo had announced the game’s delay from its original 2015 launch window, stating that the development team had discovered new ideas they wanted to explore. As a result, the company decided to hold back on showing the game again until development was further along. The E3 2015 Nintendo Digital Event was scheduled to broadcast at 9:00 a.m. PST on June 16.