10. Hollow Knight
Best Games at Nintendo E3
The Switch has become a bastion for indie games over the last year, and Hollow Knight stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the finest efforts available on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Taking the reins of the titular knight, players leap, dash and pummel foes across a range of imaginative locations. Still images do not do this game justice; with its silky smooth animations, particle effects that dance lazily across the screen, and characters so full of life, it almost seems cruel to kill them, Hollow Knight looks and feels like indie crack. Meaning that in the best way possible, of course.
If the smattering of footage shown at E3 was enough to wowser your trousers, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can download Hollow Knight now on the eShop and experience the magic firsthand. Don’t let the title fool you, because you will be anything but hollow after just a few minutes with this beauty.
9. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure
Best Games at Nintendo E3
2017’s sleeper hit is getting a fun new expansion starring the king of swing himself, and accompanied by Rabbid Peach, aka our secret, dirty wish for the Smash Bros. roster. With a whole new setting, previously unseen foes and techniques, and a veritable buttload of bananas on offer, it looks set to continue in the Mario + Rabbids tradition of quirky, rewarding gameplay with a steep learning curve.
The decision to shift the limelight from Mario is a risky one, but DK looks to be no slouch with a weapon in-hand, even pulling out the trusty bongos for the ultimate display of percussive punishment. His towering imposter, Rabbid Kong, appears to play a significant role as he attempts to thwart the efforts of our heroes and maintain his daily quota of fruit.
8. Dragon Ball FighterZ
Best Games at Nintendo E3
As the venerable Cheech Marin once said, via a brief cameo in Ghostbusters 2 – better late than never.
Dragon Ball FighterZ didn’t have a lot of time dedicated to it during Nintendo’s presentation, but that doesn’t lessen the tangible thrill that comes with a game making its way to a console that, in our humble estimation, should have housed it from the get-go.
FighterZ is pure DBZ ecstasy, with a blistering pace and graphical style that mirrors the beloved anime more faithfully than any other game that has come before it. The fact that it didn’t initially see a Switch release upon launch is something of a head-scratcher, considering the popularity the system has been enjoying, but we shan’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, we’ll be flinging Destructo Disks every which way in absolute bliss.
…Yeah, that’s right – I went with Krillin’s trademark move. You know it’s amazing, don’t try to deny it.
7. Overcooked 2
Best Games at Nintendo E3
Despite its framerate issues, the original Overcooked was an indie darling that felt right at home on the Switch. Now, we’ll be getting a second helping of the frenetic co-op cooking sim, and you’ll be able to learn just how poor you and your friends are at working in cohesion all over again.
This time, you’ll be able to toss food between one another in the ultimate disregard for hygiene, while working in spaces that may wildly change right in the middle of your meal prep. Overcooked 2 brings multiplayer gaming back into the living room, but there will also be wireless and online options to suit your palate.
It just looks like good, wholesome fun, and we can’t wait to jump into the kitchen for another bout of culinary insanity.
6. Starlink: Battle for Atlas
Best Games at Nintendo E3
This one sneaks in at such a lofty position through a bit of a technicality. Prior to Ubisoft’s presentation, this game was more of a minor curiosity than anything else, but with just one trailer, it skyrocketed to the forefront of interest for many Nintendo fans.
Once Fox McCloud appeared on-screen, complete with the long-lost original theme from Star Fox on the SNES, Starlink on the Switch finally found its audience. The spacefaring action-adventure title may have come far too late to ride the toys-to-life craze, but it seems inventive enough, and the concept of an Arwing figure is too enticing to be ignored.
5. Fortnite
Best Games at Nintendo E3
It has appeared on everything short of the Nokia 3310, so it was only a matter of time until the battle royale sensation landed on Nintendo’s plucky hybrid console. The rumors were true, boys and girls – Fortnite is coming to Switch very, very soon. How soon? Well, how about literally right now?
That’s right, while you were looking into your crystal ball and prognosticating its arrival, Fortnite snuck onto the eShop during the E3 proceedings, meaning that people have been Fortniting right under your nose right at this very second. Tricksy hobbits!!
If you haven’t had the chance to try your luck at the craze that all of the kids are going nuts for, you can pop onto the eShop and download it for free, before inevitably succumbing to the allure of shelling over actual cash for V-Bucks and other such swag. It’s simply human nature.
4. Super Mario Party
Best Games at Nintendo E3
We get it, Mario: you’re wealthy. This much is apparent from his obsession for throwing lavish parties, where hundreds of coins are wagered over games of chance and the party favors consist of literal stars. Many of us grew fatigued from the increasingly monotonous series for a while, and the inexplicable decision in Mario Party 9 to have all players move together as one unit removed much of the freewheeling charm that had made it so successful to begin with.
Now, the soiree is going back to basics in some ways, while branching out in others. The minigames of Super Mario Party look to take advantage of the versatility of the Joy-Cons (think 1-2-Switch), and some even combine multiple Switch consoles for an experience like no other. That’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but just taking a glance at the tank minigame shown in the trailer reveals the mouthwatering potential for innovation.
The roster appears to be one of the biggest to date for a Mario Party game, which means you may finally have a use for that Koopa Troopa amiibo that’s been merrily observing you for the past few months, collecting dust while he waits for an opportunity to resurface.
3. Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu & Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee
Best Games at Nintendo E3
The Treehouse Event following the main show gave us a chance to learn more about these quirky little installments in the mega Pokemon franchise, showing off the colorful visuals of the reimagined Kanto region. The gameplay mechanics were expanded upon, as Bill Trinen and his posse nabbed a few wild Pokemon and smacked around some punk bug catchers foolish enough to challenge their might.
The Poke Ball Plus quickly went from a superfluous novelty to a must-have for all Pokemaniacs, for it will come equipped with the legendary Mew. Never fear, because there will be an edition that comes packaged with the accessory, no doubt causing thousands of overzealous enthusiasts to frantically scramble to update their existing preorders.
We also got to see the two-player mode in action, a nice feature that will help to give these titles a point of difference from the eventual mainline Pokemon RPG due on the Switch sometime in the near future. That, and the ability to pimp out your Eevee to make it look wicked cool. What more do you want?
2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Best Games at Nintendo E3
We’ve known about this one for a while, but it’s nice to finally have a name and a face to put behind Fire Emblem’s return to the home console. Ever since 2013’s Awakening, the franchise has risen from the doldrums to become a golden goose for Nintendo, and the storyline for the newest entry appears to follow the usual tropes, with warring kingdoms and an azure-haired protagonist determined to bring order to the land. No idea what the deal is with the affinity for the blue ‘do in the Fire Emblem world, but tradition is tradition.
It’s hard to discern the major factors that will set Three Houses apart from its predecessors, but the battles shown in the trailer appeared to have a lot of nameless soldiers joining in on the fray. The HUD doesn’t make it immediately apparent what purpose they serve other than pleasant company, but likelihood is that they will strengthen your units during combat in some manner.
This one will be worth keeping an eye on, as we’ll undoubtedly learn more surprises in the coming months. Though the Switch lacks the rapid communication of the 3DS that made StreetPass teams such a prominent feature in Awakening and Fates, we’re hopeful that they’ll find a way to keep the idea intact, because it extended the playability of those titles by months.
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Best Games at Nintendo E3
If you were expecting anything different at #1, you are either delusional, or an exceptional fan of Sushi Striker. Nintendo committed almost an entire half hour to Smash Bros. coverage, with the clear highlight being the revelation that not a single character would be left behind. Fringe DLC characters like Cloud and Bayonetta? They back. Fallen homeys like Snake, Ivysaur and the Ice Climbers? They back. The long-awaited return of Melee’s top tier menace, Pichu the Conqueror? You best believe it back.
We didn’t see a great deal in the way of new stages or characters, but were clued in on the many tweaks to gameplay mechanics, including the return of directional air dodges and increasing lag time following multiple rolls – that one will turn out to be a bigger deal than you might initially think. We also learned more about the incoming Inklings, and the presentation was capped off in style with the long-awaited arrival of Ridley. Some of us nailed that prediction, you know.
It feels as though this is a true celebration of one of Nintendo’s most valuable franchises, and surely, almost everyone will have walked away from this satisfied. Everyone except Waluigi fans, of course. Many tears were shed, perhaps enough for us to – myahh! – swim swim.
Published: Jun 13, 2018 12:34 pm