3) All-New 3D Mario
It’s only been a little over a year since the last Mario game, but we still clamor for the next platformer with our favorite Italian plumber. The Mario Maker title releases later this year, but we’re curious if Nintendo will announce a new Mario platformer at E3. The last two installments in the Mario series, Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World, combined the best aspects of 2D and 3D Mario games. As great as those gams were, we want Nintendo to announce an open-world Mario game similar to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
Super Mario Sunshine was Mario’s last open world platformer, and that game released for the GameCube back in 2002. The Super Mario Galaxy series followed up Sunshine, but those games took Mario in a more linear direction. We want the return of a massive hub, exploration, and hidden secrets scattered around a dynamic and engaging world. Given the lofty ambitions of the upcoming The Legend of Zelda, it’s apparent that the Wii U could handle another open-world game for Nintendo’s iconic mascot.
To sweeten the deal, Nintendo could implement the incredible multiplayer found in Super Mario 3D World. The scope of the game could pose problems to some aspects of the multiplayer design, but Super Mario 3D World managed to implement effective four-player gameplay with dynamic levels. An online cooperative mode would also be very welcome, as recent Mario platformers lacked any online features aside from Miiverse posts and ghosts characters. It’s time to bring Mario online, and what better way to do it than with the return to an open-world?