While E3 has technically just begun, the last press conference of the Expo usually belongs to everyone’s favorite family-friendly franchise, Nintendo. And while Nintendo has gladly integrated more mature and indie titles into its ranks thanks to the Nintendo Switch, there’s only one game I’m looking forward to seeing this year: Animal Crossing. With no news available for the title since its announcement last September, and mobile title Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp slowly mutating into the worst of what free-to-play mobile games have to offer, fans are ravenous for the next mainline title for the Animal Crossing series.
But until then, we’ll have to take a look at what else Nintendo has on their plates. Beginning with an adorable intro with Nintendo of America’s newest president Doug Bowser, Nintendo hits us fast and hard with trailers and doesn’t let up for a second.
Dragon Quest XI will be collaborating with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, allowing you to play as past Dragon Quest protagonists. Banjo Kazooie also makes it in as a fighter for SSB: Ultimate, but won’t be available until Fall of this year. A new trailer for Dragon Quest XI was shown, showcasing rideable animals and the ability to move through time to past Dragon Quest locations. Trials of Mana was shown to be coming to the West for the first time, as well as the first three games in the series being made available for the Switch immediately.
The Hero from the #DragonQuest series will be joining Super #SmashBrosUltimate! Purchase the Fighters Pass now and prepare to take to the battlefield with your hero this summer.https://t.co/hJmYO8YgVN pic.twitter.com/1YzOEgEZmA
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 11, 2019
Things get more emotionally complicated for Fire Emblem: The Three Houses as a new trailer was shown, suggesting both the past and the future will play a pivotal role in the game. A short teaser trailer revealing No More Heroes 3 was also released. A longer trailer for the remake of Link’s Awakening showcased customizable Chamber Dungeons as well as more gameplay.
More information was revealed regarding Pokemon Sword and Shield, both regarding the use of the Pokemon Plus Ball as a tool for playing with individual Pokemon with the possibility of gaining rewards from it, and an exclusive demo being released for the play floor where the Water-type gym and its leader Nessa, would be available for play-through.
One of the biggest surprises in the Direct is that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a direct sequel in development. A suspense-laden trailer was shown, with Zelda and Link traversing a dark, ancient ruin complete with an oppressive, undulating dark force that causes quite the stir in Hyrule.
Now, what everyone (and myself) has been waiting for: Animal Crossing. I’ll let you know now, the title has been delayed until March 20th, 2020. But from what little I’ve seen in the trailer, and what may be released during the Nintendo Treehouse presentation, it’ll be well worth the wait. With Tom Nook diversifying his portfolio and creating Nook Inc., your character will be headed to a truly deserted island, which means crafting is now left to you instead of Cyrus. Also new to the series, it looks like a long pole will be needed to traverse certain bodies of water, and trowels can be used to make paths. Animal villagers are also present in the trailer but there’s no information available yet as to how they make it to the island.
It also looks like the number of friends you can invite to your island has increased exponentially, with several characters gathering at the islands shore. And of course, no Animal Crossing title is complete without you owing Tom Nook money. Some things never change. Now with a release date confirmed and my interest piqued, my only question is whether I buy a Nintendo Switch now, or wait for the possibility of a bundle when Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases next year.
