13 games we want announced in 2012

Super Smash Bros. Wii U/ 3DS

A new Super Smash Bros on Nintendo’s next console would be THE killer app for Nintendo fans. Mario and Link battling it out with Bowser and Captain Falcon in high definition sounds like a dream. Every Smash Bros. iteration has added a bunch of new characters to the roster, and we expect no less of the next; as excited as we are to see old favorites like Dr. Mario or Marth return to the fight, we’re even more pumped to learn which surprise appearances and classic faces will be added to the melee.

Depending on the Wii U’s online capabilities, the traditionally local multiplayer series could finally get the online support it deserves. We want to be able to join a game with a bunch of friends without entering friend codes, on a network where the game is actually playable. Couple that with possible interconnectivity between the Wii U and the 3DS version, and we could really have something special. Now, if only there were GameCube controller ports on the Wii U…

Mirror’s Edge 2

DICE made something truly fresh with Mirror’s Edge in 2008. Instead of your average first-person shooter, the developer created a whole new way of experiencing the first-person view: through the eyes of a fearless runner, quickly and deftly exploring a sparsely decorated, futuristic city. That kind of creative output was met with critical acclaim and poor sales, with little mention of the series since. In the years that followed, DICE has been EA’s FPS machine, working hard on Medal of Honor and Battlefield 3, but isn’t it time for a change?

The world wasn’t ready for Mirror’s Edge in 2008, but maybe it’s finally caught up. It seems every few months there’s a new rumor or quote indicating the series isn’t dead, so we’re keeping hope alive to see more of Faith’s adventure. Heck, we don’t even need a full retail game. Why not a beefy downloadable sequel in the style of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, with a shorter story and a set of new, expertly designed parkour levels? If it’s a choice between a third of a game or nothing, we’ll pick the download every time. And surely DICE can find room for that between developing modern warfare titles for EA, right?

Star Fox Wii U

Can you believe there hasn’t been a proper console Star Fox since Star Fox 64? Seriously. Since 64 came out, Nintendo has had the titular vulpine fighting dinosaurs, running around shooting at tanks, and… well, taking part in all sorts of nonsense that doesn’t involve him sitting in a cockpit. We want to do a barrel roll. We want to press Z or R twice. The closest thing we’ve gotten since then was the fantastic DS Star Fox Command, but that was on a handheld – it just wasn’t the same.

It’s time to end that wait and release a full-blown Star Fox for the Wii U, and make it one that keeps us in the cockpit for a majority of the game. Throw a radar and some inventory stuff on the Wii U’s screen, maybe slap in some of the cooler touchscreen elements from Command (drawing courses in space was pretty darn cool), and let us control the game with the analog sticks and some minor motion-control elements. It would be a fantastic Wii U launch title, showing off the graphical capabilities of the system and getting a mascot out on day one, and we’re really hoping it becomes a reality.

A new Pokemon

When we say “a new Pokemon,” we aren’t ready to settle for a spin-off or a side game. We mean we want a new entry in the main series, the traditional RPG about monster collecting, friendship and adventure. It feels like we’ve been waiting for the announcement of a third version of Pokemon Black/White for more than a year, but why stop there and be predictable? Why not wish for an entirely new mainline title made especially for the 3DS?

This imagined sixth generation of Pokemon would be unlike any before it, and not just because of the obvious additions like new monsters and improved graphics. Think of all the features developer Game Freak could use in this next game. StreetPass functionality would be used for item trading, Poke-swapping, and other simple exchanges of information. It’d use the pedometer in ways the addicting Poke Walker only dreamed of. And with Nintendo’s new talk of DLC, here’s a Pokemon title that could finally get true post-game content updates. With possibilities like that, who wants Pokemon Gray when Pokemon 3D is so close?

Lorenzo Veloria

Many years ago, Lorenzo Veloria was a Senior Editor here at GamesRadar+ helping to shape content strategy. Since then, Lorenzo has shifted his attention to Future Plc's broader video game portfolio, working as a Senior Brand Marketing Manager to oversee the development of advertising pitches and marketing strategies for the department. He might not have all that much time to write about games anymore, but he's still focused on making sure the latest and greatest end up in front of your eyes one way or another.