Capsulejay's Tales from the Backlog: E3 2019 Highlights: Nintendo

It's a good thing Nintendo gets the whole day to itself; there was so much going on in their presentation! I attempted to live tweet this show like I did with the others and it was almost impossible to keep up.

Nintendo
This was the conference I was most looking forward to, and I gotta say, it did not disappoint!

Dragon Quest DLC for Smash Bros Ultimate - The protagonists from several past Dragon Quest games will be playable in Smash. I recognized the heroes from DQ 3, 8, and 11 in the preview. Nintendo's mashup fighter certainly isn't lacking for sword-wielding RPG characters in its roster, but it's still nice to see a classic like DQ get recognized. (trailer)
Luigi's Mansion 3 - We already knew this game was coming, so this was more of an update. The kid-friendly survival horror game (yes, you read that right) will take place in a haunted hotel and will offer the option to play through the game in co-op mode. There's also a separate 8-player mode. While the release date is "2019" there has been no confirmation that the game will come out in time for #HorrorGameOct. (trailer)
The Dark Crystal Tactics - This one really came out of left field! It's a tactical RPG based on the Jim Hensen fantasy film and upcoming Netflix series. I would have never seen this coming. (trailer)
Link's Awakening - While this remake of the Gameboy game was revealed previously at a Nintendo Direct, in this presentation we learned that it will include a dungeon editor! Between this and Mario Maker 2, there will be a lot of room for creativity in upcoming Nintendo games. (trailer)
Trials of Mana and Mana Collection - The previously Japan-only sequel to Secret of Mana is getting remade and released internationally. It looks like a really vibrant 3D action RPG. The original version of the game is being released via the Mana Collection. This series has been on my "Gaming Shames" list for a while, so I need to get around to playing at least one of the Mana games. Looks like I have options. (trailer)
The Witcher 3 - I had heard rumors of this game coming to Switch previously and found them very hard to believe. Looks like those rumors were right on the money! While I've already played through the game on PC, it's nice that it'll be available to a whole new audience. Graphically, it's very clear some major sacrifices had to be made to get this game to run on Switch. Hopefully, the core experience of this great RPG is still intact. (trailer)
Fire Emblem Three Houses - We've already seen a lot of this game since it's coming out so soon (and besides, I've already pre-ordered it). This trailer mostly showed cinematics but it also revealed that there will be a time travel mechanic similar to other recent Fire Emblem games. (trailer)
No More Heroes 3 - I've been waiting for a proper part three to this insane action game series since the Wii! In a scene in the trailer, Travis appeared to be flying in some sort of mech. Very interesting. (trailer)
Panzer Dragoon Remake - The Sega Saturn's answer to Star Fox is getting a remake. I absolutely loved the third entry in the series, Panzer Dragoon Orta, on OG Xbox and later went back to the original two games via Saturn emulation. It'll be nice to play an official and enhanced version of the original; it looks great! It was such a pleasant surprise to see this dormant property again! (trailer)
Astral Chain - The more I see of this game, the more I like it. In addition to character-action game combat (like Devil May Cry), it also features explorable environment and motorcycle shooter segments. I also really like the art style. I'm tempted to pre-order this one but may wait for reviews just in case since this is an unproven franchise. (trailer)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 - As I've said before, I'm pretty burnt out on Marvel, but I can totally see the appeal of this game as it gathers up a huge roster of characters from the comics (many of which have never been depicted together in movies) and drops them into a multiplayer beat'em up. It could be a lot of fun with the right group. (trailer)
Cadence of Hyrule - This Zelda cross-over with Crypt of the Necrodancer is coming out on Thursday! I'm hesitant on this one because I really struggled with the Rouge-like aspects of Necrodancer. Since they only showed a brief trailer, I guess we'll have to wait to find out if they changed the mechanics from Necrodancer to make it more forgiving for Zelda fans. (trailer)
Animal Crossing New Horizons - Fans have been waiting a long time for this and unfortunately they're going to have to wait until March 2020 to play it. This entry involves traveling to a deserted island and offers local two-player co-op on the same system. (trailer)
Banjo Kazooie in Smash - Nintendo announced another new Smash character, Banjo Kazooie! I liked the way they faked the audience out by initially showing the dog from Duck Hunt standing in a Banjo-like pose. I'm surprised there's so much demand for this character considering that there haven't been a new Banjo platformer since N64. (trailer)
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild sequel - This was the big surprise at the end of the show, a teaser trailer for the next mainline Zelda game. The trailer prominently featured Princess Zelda in an active role that I'm hoping is hinting that she will be a playable character. The tone of the trailer was dark and mysterious, reminding me of Majora's Mask, which is one of my favorites. It'll likely be several years before this game comes out, but I'm already excited for it. (trailer)