If you’ve been playing games long enough, you’ll know that Nintendo loves to drip feed each of their systems with a “sequel” to an existing, beloved franchise. But something’s different now. The Wii has released most big name titles within the console’s relatively short 18-month span - Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, WarioWare and hell, even Paper Mario.

It’s no secret Nintendo is primarily aiming for a casual audience these days, but with most Wii games receiving piss poor reviews we’re growing increasingly concerned about the hardcore gamers. History shows that a typical console life span can be 5-7 years, and if that’s the case then we gotta wonder exactly what we should be excited for. According to Nintendo of America’s president, Reggie Fils-Aime, we should be getting a glimpse of the Big N’s big holiday game at this year’s E3  in July. What can this secret game be? We’ve put together a list of the possible candidates for the Wii. Remember, these aren’t actual games… yet. It’s just speculation based on educated guesses. Behold!

Animal Crossing
Probability: 98%

What is it?
Imagine all the weed-picking, message-sending and house-decorating love from the massively popular GameCube and DS versions, all gussied up for the Wii - a console centered on bringing casual players and family members together for digital yard work. Of course, MySims featured a crap ton of customization options, but the appeal of AC has always been simplicity and personal reward for a job well done.

Just imagine how awesome it would be to dig up a ton of new collectibles for museum display, new outfits to design, or what about a social network online to easily send messages to friends? How about having multiple friends visit your town? What about visiting your friends on holidays or birthdays? How about jobs requiring multiple people to complete? One GR staffer predicted a small hard drive would be bundled with the new AC, like how a memory card came with the GameCube version. Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata recently hinted at new storage in a financial report Q&A. We know the Wii is all about playing together, so let’s hope this will become our favorite low-key darling.

Likely?
It’s no secret that Animal Crossing is already in development. Announced for the (then-titled) Nintendo Revolution way back at E3 2005, lead production designer Katsuya Eguchi has already dropped hints at ways to integrate WiiConnect24 (presumably to send messages to your buddies). Not only that, but Nintendo has a way of buttering up gamers for new releases like with Super Smash Bros. featuring an Animal Crossing stage and K.K. Slider performances on Saturday night, just like the original. Also, the recent 2008 Japanese Club Nintendo calendar has an AC theme for the month of December. We strongly suggest AC is on the way this winter. And besides, what other game has been so personally touching in the past few years?