E3 2018: 5 Ups & 3 Downs From Nintendo's Direct

1. The Disappointing Lack Of Surprises

Like most of the E3 shows this year, Nintendo's Direct was pretty lacking in shocking surprises and reveals. We of course all knew Smash was coming, while several announcements were leaked long ahead of time - Fortnite, Overcooked 2 and Killer Queen Black - and a lot of games fans hoped to appear were totally absent.

It would've been incredible to see just one or two of these franchises: F-Zero, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, WarioWare or Wave Race. What about that Star Fox Grand Prix game that was recently leaked? And sadly, still no Mother 3 for the west.

Outside of new games, general service and hardware announcements were also pretty lacking, what with the N64 Classic being heavily rumoured to appear, not to mention more classic Wii. U titles being ported to the Switch, and perhaps some more information about the platform's upcoming online service.

Instead, the down-the-line nature of the Direct just made it feel a little listless and forgettable, that Smash reveal aside, of course.

Still, it's impossible to deny that Nintendo made some exciting announcements and reveals during their Direct, so here's what they got right...