Nintendo Direct 12 November 2015: Wii U, 3DS, Legend of Zelda predictions and where to watch

This evening (12 November) Nintendo will broadcast its first Nintendo Direct since the passing of its company president Satoru Iwata in July. The gaming giant is promising Wii U and 3DS news, but no news regarding mobile gaming or their next device, codenamed NX.

It all begins at 10pm GMT (11pm CET, 5PM EST, 2pm PST) and can be watched either through Nintendo's website or via Twitch. Trailers and such will also be available during and following the show on YouTube. Regional versions of the show will be hosted by respective region presidents – Reggie Fils Aime in North America and Satoru Shibata in Europe.

Watch live video from Nintendo on www.twitch.tv>

Predictions

A tribute to Iwata-san is sure to feature and is something Nintendo will no doubt strike the right tone for. It'll be heartfelt and sad but with a sense of the fun gamers loved Iwata for, which he exuded while hosting Nintendo Direct, and which his Nintendo has given to us in spades for so many years.

As for news and announcements, there are distinct possibilities, but people shouldn't be expecting too much. In 2016 Nintendo will announce what the NX – their next games-dedicated hardware – will be exactly and it will also see the release mobile games made in partnership with DeNA and the new membership scheme My Nintendo.

All this has made the Nintendo of 2015 a company in a state of flux. The Wii U is on the way out after disappointing sales but a wonderful array of games, and the 3DS is nearing the end of its lifespan after (nearly) five years on the market.

Wii U

On the Wii U there is sure to be news regarding the recently-delayed Star Fox Zero, so expect a release date around March or April. Downloadable content for existing games Super Mario Maker and Splatoon should be expected, probably the results of the Smash Ballot, which polled fans until October on which characters they want to see join Super Smash Bros.

Minecraft is basically confirmed to finally appear on the console, thanks to an unearthed PEGI rating. Shigeru Miyamoto revealed earlier this year that Pikmin 4 is in the works so we may well see that, but then comes the big question – what of the new Legend of Zelda?

It was delayed until 2016 and many believe it will be an NX title. I believed it will be too, but will also come to Wii U as promised. I doubt we'll see much during the Direct show, but perhaps the game's full title will be revealed. Speaking of Zelda, an HD remaster of Twilight Princess is also strongly rumoured.

3DS

On 3DS, there's JRPGs Fire Emblem Fates and Bravely Second – which could each get a release date – and Metroid Prime: Federation Force which caused such a stir after its announcement at E3 in the summer but hasn't been seen since. Also there's the Hyrule Warriors Legends, the remake of Koei Tecmo's Wii U game based on The Legend of Zelda.

Something new may well be announced to, and for that I look toward the Pokémon franchise. Next year marks the series' 20<sup>th anniversary and that is sure to be celebrated with more than "just" (not to demean the promising title) mobile game Pokémon Go. Pokémon X and Y were released in 2013, so the timing is right for either Pokémon Z or a remake/reboot based on the original, 20-year-old games.