At Nintendo’s E3 showcase earlier this week, The Pokemon Company officially confirmed that a core, mainline Pokemon RPG by Game Freak is in the works for Nintendo Switch, finally answering the calls, cries, and demands of millions of fans worldwide. Apparently, however, the rumor of the now mythical Pokemon Stars, the expanded version of last year’s Pokemon Sun/Moon rumored to be releasing for the Nintendo Switch, refuses to die.

A listing for the game has turned up on Amazon UK– the retailer actually generally has a reasonable track record with its listings, which is why this is being lent any credence. However, Stars would make very little sense now, given that Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are already announced to be coming to the Nintendo 3DS later this year. So what’s going on here?

Is Pokemon Stars real or not, at this point? I have to be honest, I don’t care either way, I just need this saga to be put behind me. If there are any updates, we’ll keep you posted, so stay tuned.

In a lot of ways, Nintendo is set for this year already- the Switch will be getting ARMS, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Super Mario Odyssey, all announced for this year. However, if Nintendo wants to maintain the kind of momentum that the Switch currently has, it needs to announce more games. Games for this year, if it can, sure, but also games coming next year. Nintendo has an enviable catalog of IP- it needs to leverage that to promise fans that new, appealing, attractive, must own games are coming.

So we have Nintendo’s ‘showcase’, another digital stream that they will be holding to announce games at E3 this year. We know that Super Mario Odyssey will be a major focus for Nintendo at the event this year, which is fine- but what else might we expect from the Big N at the biggest game show of the year?

"We know that Super Mario Odyssey will be a major focus for Nintendo at the event this year."

First, let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way- we are almost certainly going to see more of ARMS, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Super Mario Odyssey during the stream. For the latter three of those, we will definitely get new trailers with release dates as well. Also a safe bet for Nintendo during the stream- Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, the weird, bizarre crossover RPG that’s been thoroughly leaked at this point.

It’s once we get into the realm of speculation that things begin to get interesting, though, again, there are some reasonably safe predictions to be made here. Before the Switch event back in January, there were multiple leaks about the system and its lineup from the same sources, which ended up being validated later on. Games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, and Splatoon 2 were all leaked. These same sources also leaked some other games. The two most notable ones here are Pokemon Stars, a Switch port of last year’s exceptional Pokemon Sun/Moon for the Nintendo 3DS (and a game that even Nintendo has been teasing for a while now), and a remaster of Super Smash Bros. for the Switch. Both of these games would be highly notable announcements- the former, because it would be the first console Pokemon game ever, and also the first time we get the series in glorious HD. The latter, because it’s Smash Bros., and it is likely to push the frenzy around the Nintendo Switch into a fever pitch.

It is also a safe bet to assume that we will be seeing more of the unnamed Fire Emblem game for the Nintendo Switch at E3- we will probably get a short cinematic trailer, and maybe a name, but there won’t be much gameplay footage, if any, shown. Similarly, Monster Hunter XX, one of the biggest third party games currently confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, is definitely going to be shown off, which will also mark the confirmation of its worldwide release and localization.

"Monster Hunter XX, one of the biggest third party games currently confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, is definitely going to be shown off, which will also mark the confirmation of its worldwide release and localization."

So far, so good. This is a solid lineup if it pans out as laid out above- but Nintendo will need some bombshells to keep people talking about the Switch. What are they likely to do? I postulate that Nintendo will make two announcements, both long deemed unlikely, neither with necessarily high commercial appeal, but both which will win Nintendo incredible mindshare and talking points (the value of which the company undoubtedly understands now). First, I think Nintendo will finally announce, and release on the same day, Mother 3 in the west via the Switch’s eShop. This will mark the first time that the game, widely considered to be one of the greatest Nintendo games ever made, will have released in the west. Mother 3‘s western release has been widely leaked by the same sources that got a lot of other things about the Switch right- it’s only a matter of time at this point.

Secondly – and there are no leaks for this, but I am willing to go out on a limb and say that this will happen – Nintendo will announce a new Metroid game, likely to be a full fledged 3D Metroid Prime game. There is one very basic reason to think this- Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime was drilled about Nintendo’s mishandling of the Metroid franchise earlier this year, and he very strongly hinted that a new Metroid announcement would be coming at E3. I have to imagine it will be a big budget 3D Metroid game- Nintendo surely understands that safe, 2D installments of its classic franchises hold little market appeal by this point. If so, I expect it to be the kind of full next generation realization of Metroid that Zelda and Mario got with Breath of the Wild and Odyssey.

"Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime was drilled about Nintendo’s mishandling of the Metroid franchise earlier this year, and he very strongly hinted that a new Metroid announcement would be coming at E3."

Between the lineup of games for this year, and future excitement secured for the Switch with some major games revealed for 2018, Nintendo is likely to be in a very comfortable position with the Switch going into the all important Holiday season this year. It is likely that this should give it enough ammunition to hold its own against the Xbox Scorpio and the PS4 for the rest of this year.

But E3 is almost here- we’re going to find out soon enough how Nintendo will play the excellent hand it has been given. We can only hope it does not screw it up.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organization.

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are gearing up to announce something big related to Pokemon tomorrow. A new Pokemon Direct has been announced for tomorrow morning, which The Pokemon Company states will have some ‘big news.’

The Pokemon Direct is scheduled to be eight minutes long, and will be broadcast at 10am Eastern Time. That’s really all we know about it- Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have said nothing else. However, if rumors and speculation are to be believed, then this Direct is where Pokemon Stars, the long awaited and expected Pokemon Sun/Moon expansion, will be revealed. Stars is special and commands so much excitement because it is expected to be a Nintendo Switch game- which will make it the first time a mainline Pokemon game has been playable on the big screen.

Eight minutes is actually about the right length, too- previous Pokemon Directs (which had the announcements for Pokemon X/Y and Sun/Moon respectively) were 6-10 minutes long, as well.

Is this the announcement of Pokemon Stars? Will Stars be a Nintendo Switch game? We find out tomorrow, so stay tuned to GamingBolt for all the latest news and coverage.

Let’s take a look at 15 games rumoured to be appearing at E3 2017, the credible reasons behind the same and whether you should look forward to them or not.

The Evil Within 2

A leaked job listing emerged as early as March 2017 about QA and translation for Psycho Break 2. Target hardware is the Xbox One and PS4. Of course, Psycho Break is the Japanese name for The Evil Within so this pretty much points to The Evil Within 2 being in development. It’s also worth noting that Bethesda VP of PR and marketing Pete Hines talked about RAGE and The Evil Within both doing well enough to warrant sequels. Maybe E3 2017 is the place where one of those comes to light? As it stands, the world could always use more survival horror games with searchlight headed femme fatales and insta-kill mechanics.

Pokemon Stars is expected to be the series’ debut on the Nintendo Switch, slated to release later this year according to rumors. By all indications, it is an expanded release of Pokemon Sun/Moon on the new system- so why is there so much excitement about it? Because Stars, if real, will mark the series’ debut on home consoles (inasmuch as the Nintendo Switch is a home console) and in glorious HD.

Which is why this newest tease by a new line of Pokemon merchandize, just introduced in Japan, is intriguing- the collection is very literally named ‘Look Upon The Stars’, which seems to be as clear an allusion as anything to the long rumored game.

It is important to keep in mind that this does not even remotely pass for an official confirmation. It is also important to note that The Pokemon Company has been known for such playful, cryptic hints before, such as the mysterious gold and silver balls that they decorated their studio with before Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver were announced, or Pokemon producer Junichi Masuada tweeting the picture of a moon without explanation ahead of the official announcement of Pokemon Sun/Moon.

Hopefully, Pokemon Stars is real- we at GamingBolt will keep you apprised on whether or not it is.

[via NeoGAF]

Pokemon for Nintendo Switch is a widely held expectation at this point- when Pokemon Sun/Moon had only just launched for the 3DS, reports of an enhanced version for the Nintendo Switch, Pokemon Stars, broke out. Since then, more and more evidence has pointed to Pokemon Stars for Nintendo Switch existing.

Now, there’s more fuel to add to the fire. Leading retailer of video games GameStop has added a product page for the Nintendo Switch, specifically referencing that Pokemon will be ‘playable at home’ via the new system. This seems to all but confirm that a new Pokemon game is coming to the Switch.

Whether or not that game will be announced this Thursday, though, is what remains to be seen. My assumption is that given that Pokemon Sun/Moon just launched, and that Nintendo probably wants to continue selling those games, Pokemon Stars will not be announced just yet- instead, I foresee an announcement for that game in the series’ traditional March-May announcement window. For now, Pokemon fans can play the excellent Pokemon Sun/Moon exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS.

This has since been taken down by GameStop, but check out the Pokemon reference. Pokemon Stars confirmed? pic.twitter.com/uLXyAHcOy1

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) January 9, 2017

Actually it is still there. https://t.co/HutU2MsMuP. Check it out. If Pokemon Stars actually is announced on Thursday…BOOM.

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) January 9, 2017

Earlier this year, we reported that a Pokemon game would be coming to the Nintendo Switch, which has since then led to persistent speculation that Pokemon Sun/Moon would be the games that would be ported to the Switch. Now, Eurogamer is reporting that that is exactly what will happen, and that a Nintendo Switch version of the games is under development, with a release due in 2017.

The Switch version is going to be called Pokemon Stars, and will actually be a ‘third’ version of the games, an expanded release with more content, in the vein of Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Emerald, and Pokemon Platinum. It will also be the first expanded third version release since 2009, which was when Platinum released.

The Switch version was actually shown a bit in the game’s reveal trailer (you can see Game Freak developers working on HD models), and was apparently in concurrent development alongside the 3DS version until the last few months, when development on the Switch version was put on hold to polish the 3DS version some more. Now development on the Switch game has resumed.

This will make it the first Pokemon game to hit a Nintendo ‘home console’, presuming one wishes to give the Switch that classification. For now, the rumor, while very credible, remains unconfirmed- for now, Pokemon Sun/Moon are out and available exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS (except for in Europe, where they will launch on November 23).