In what might be the only tradition I have here at SlickGaming, we are one week away from the 2014 Electronics Entertainment Expo, which means it’s time for some dream predictions! I’ve come to realize that while these are mostly in good fun, they are all actually things I really would like to see come out of the show. Interestingly enough, some of these predictions have come true (more or less): Nintendo has actually made significant progress in the online gaming department, and the PS4 and, more recently, the Kinect-Free Xbox One do indeed retail for under $400! Two out of twenty isn’t that bad, right?

Without delay, here are my predictions for this year’s show!

10. Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi 2 announced, features Disney characters

You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be excited for this game! Luke Skywalker fighting it out with Princess Leia while Chewbacca and Mickey Mouse scream for blood in the background. It doesn’t get much better than that, folks. And with the advent of the new Star Wars trilogy coming to a movie theater near you in the not-too-distant future, it would be a remarkable tie-in!

9. Telltale Games decides it’s making too many Mature games

After making the wildly popular Walking Dead and mildly popular Wolf Among Us games, and the upcoming Borderlands and Game of Thrones still in the works, masters of storytelling Telltales Games reveal they’re going in a different direction. Replacing all the blood, hardship, and intense themes with caring, kindness, and a little bit of magic, the studio announced it has already begun working on a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic game, due out this year. Targeted at younger audiences and older fans alike, the game will finally allow us to experience the wonder that is My Little Pony on our home consoles!

8. More Super Smash Bros. characters revealed

Crossovers aplenty with Nintendo’s newest entry in the mascot driven fighter! Following in the footsteps of Mega Man, Level-5’s own Hershel Layton joins the fray and brings his legendary powers of deduction and penchant for all things gentlemanly to the fight. Series sidekick Luck Triton will also be in the game, acting as a new assist trophy for all fighters to use. A Layton themed level will also be revealed, complete with that infectious puzzle solving melody playing in the background.

7. Absolutely no mention of the Oculus Rift or 3D gaming in general

Oculus Rift, along with all the other 3D headsets out in development, doesn’t even get hinted at during this year’s show. Not because the technology is boring (far from it, actually!), but because the tech and the games aren’t coming out yet. Instead of teasing us with a glimpse of the future, Oculus and the development companies behind it decide to quietly avoid the show until they are truly ready to show us the awesomeness that is 3D gaming!

6. Tiger Electronics is back, jumps back into handheld gaming market

Technology is much better and far cheaper in 2014 than it was in the late 80s and early 90s, so Hasbro and Tiger Electronics are getting right back into the handheld video game market by releasing all new electronic, portable versions of today’s greatest hits. Set for release this holiday season, games in the first wave include Titanfall, Halo 5: Guardians, and Mario Kart 8. Priced modestly at $24.99 a piece, the company hopes to take gaming to the next level!

5. Advance Wars returns to the Wii U and 3DS

Bypassing the revival of much more popular series (including Star Fox, F-Zero, and RPG sensation Earthbound), Nintendo stuns E3 attendees by revealing a brand new game in the Advance Wars line. Rather than making two games for the Wii U and 3DS respectively, each system and game must be used in conjunction in order to play. Gamers will witness the battle on the Wii U and GamePad, receive important updates about units on the 3DS, and even get notifications via SpotPass when battles commence. It all takes place in real time, with every enemy CO being another actual player, essentially making it an always-on online multiplayer. It’s Nintendo’s boldest move in years, and it’s shaping up to be a killer new way to play!

4. Sony announces dozens of amazing games for the PS Vita; makes the console finally worthwhile

In a move that should have happened years ago, Sony finally delivers to PS Vita owners what they’ve craved since the handheld console first released: A reason to be proud to own a PS Vita. Wonderful sounding new games are announced for the system, both new franchises and new games in already solid franchises: brand new entries in the Crash Bandicoot, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, God of War, Twisted Metal, and inFamous series’ lead the way, with plenty of newcomers building up hype as well. No price point slashing needed, these are the games that are going to make the PS Vita rival the 3DS!

3. Nintendo licenses out more of its characters and franchises

With the release of Tecmo Koei’s Hyrule Warriors slated for later this year and Namco Bandia’s involvement on the hotly anticipated new Super Smash Bros games, Nintendo has decided to branch out and license it’s most popular characters and IPs to other companies (with their watchful eye acting as supervisor, of course). A brand new F-Zero is being developed by the same team behind the Sonic Racing series, Square Enix is handling development of the newest EarthBound AND Super Mario RPG 2 games, and Retro Studios is finally shown to be working on a proper Metroid sequel. Crossovers are shown off too, with a sequel to Pokemon Conquest in the works, as well as more info about Fire Emblem x Shin Megami Tensei and the newly announced Metal Gear Solid: Mario is Missing!

2. Mega Man 3: The Power Warriors announced

Completely making up for any wrong doings still felt in the hearts of Blue Bombers fans the world over when they killed off Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3in the same year, Capcom beings to rectify the issue by announcing a sequel to the Mega Man arcade game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. Featuring playable versions of Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass, Duo, Roll, and Dr. Light, the game features over 30 Robot Masters to duke it out with in 4-player online co-op. A surprise is hinted at the end of the showcase, displaying the original six Robot Masters as possibly playable secret characters, enticing gamers even more!

1. Power Stone 3

We’ve been waiting for years. Waiting for so long that many of us have forgotten that Power Stone and Power Stone 2 on the Sega Dreamcast were some of the most amazing games of the generation. We were all tricked into believing that Capcom was working on a proper sequel when they re-released the games on the PSP, but no sign of Power Stone 3. All that is about to change, as Capcom has FINALLY given the world Power Stone 3. 4-player online battles, ever changing environments, a multitude of weapons to unleash, old and new characters to master, a revamped fighting system, beautiful and colorful artwork, and a Fall 2014 release date helped to make Power Stone 3 the Game of Show for this year’s E3!

Laters,
Jsick