E3 2015: Most anticipated from Nintendo

As part of our coverage for E3 2015, Shacknews is taking a look at some of the most anticipated games for this year's show. Today, senior editor Ozzie Mejia is looking at the most awaited games from Nintendo.

Nintendo let the air out of a lot of people's balloons earlier this year when it revealed that not only would The Legend of Zelda on Wii U miss its projected 2015 release, but the game wouldn't even make it to the E3 show floor this year. That's terrible. However, that's not all that Nintendo will be hanging its hat on. Here are some of the games that will be seen this year and what to look forward to.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

If The Legend of Zelda is bowing out for this year, there seems to be a fine substitute in place. I wasn't all that enthralled with Xenoblade Chronicles X, largely because I was unfamiliar with the franchise. Then came the Nintendo Direct from April, taking an eight-minute tour of the planet Mira and the colony of New Los Angeles.

Monolithsoft looks to be constructing a beautiful world. It's a wide open space filled with massive dinosaurs, strange monsters, and giants the size of skyscrapers. Set along a narrative of humanity's last surviving colony, Xenoblade Chronicles X not only looks to be the biggest open-world the Wii U has ever seen, but one that's certainly sizable enough to rival RPG mainstays like Dragon Age and The Witcher. With five continents to explore and a deep story, there's certainly more information to come from this year's E3.

Star Fox

I've accepted that Star Fox will always be considered a B-list franchise in Nintendo's eyes. Honestly, I'm okay with it. But it's still near the top of the list of games I'm dying to see this year at E3. With Link's Wii U arrival delayed until next year, it'll be up to Fox McCloud to shoulder some of the burden. With Shigeru Miyamoto confirming that Star Fox would release before The Legend of Zelda, an E3 debut seems like a no-brainer.

The GameCube's Star Fox: Assault and the DS' Star Fox: Command veered towards the classic on-rails and all-range modes the series is known for, while also introducing some new ideas. Some of those ideas worked (Command's stylus control) and others (the on-foot missions of Assault) did not. So if history is any indication, the new Star Fox will utilize some new ideas, likely with the Wii U GamePad. I'm also curious to see where the game's story goes from here, because judging by some of the endings in Command, not all is well on Team Star Fox.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

Animal Crossing has a knack for turning the mundane into the sublime. So why shouldn't it do the same for home decorating? Very little was revealed about Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the 3DS, but that's what shows like E3 are for. The Nintendo Direct from April is making it sound like a home decorating show (along the vein of Property Brothers and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), with Animal Crossing characters requesting players design their homes.

I'm a sucker for the Animal Crossing formula and narrowing it down further to the home is an interesting idea. I'm hoping E3 will reveal new details, like different home styles and furnishing options. On top of that, I'm looking forward to learning more about the collectible Amiibo cards that are set to be introduced with the game. How will they be used? And more importantly, how easy will they be to find?

Yoshi's Woolly World

This should be the game that's closest to completion. That's obvious, given that Yoshi's Woolly World is set to launch before the end of the month in Europe. So if there's new information to reveal about this one, now would be the time. If nothing else, I'm hopeful to at least see some fully-intact stages.

I love the Yoshi's Island series and have since day one. The reason I tore apart Yoshi's New Island in our review was because of its over-reliance on the formula and its refusal to innovate. The latter isn't too much of a concern with Woolly World, thanks to the yarn visuals. But there's still a danger that this could be just another by-the-numbers Yoshi game. I'm hopeful E3 will put some of those fears to rest.

Mario Maker

As a six-year-old, I used to draw out fantasy Mario levels on a sheet of paper. Twenty-five years later, I can actually live this out, thanks to Mario Maker. With Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. art styles confirmed, it's rocketed near the top of games I'm looking forward to this year.

For E3, I would love to see just how far I can take this. Am I restricted to single levels? Can I make full-blown campaigns? How long or short can I make each level? And the biggest question I have is, just how intuitive are the GamePad controls? That'll be the main question I'll hope to answer by the end of the show.

Dark Horse Pick: Super Mario Galaxy 3

With the Wii U rapidly reaching its twilight, there are few avenues left for Nintendo to explore. Super Mario Galaxy is a series that's just dying for a third installment, given the magic that the publisher was able to work with the Wii. Now imagine what could be done with 1080p visuals at the ready. A whole new galactic adventure is waiting and I don't believe Nintendo is about to let an entire console generation lapse without returning to space.

Nintendo will undoubtedly have new games to announce this year, as well. What are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?