Cassie’s E3 2018 Wishlist

Can you guys believe E3 is right around the corner? On the day this is published, it will mark nine days until the E3 press conferences begin. Even though it seems like there are more and more leaks before E3 each year, we know Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and EA have plenty of games to announce that will shock and excite gamers around the world.

Rather than give you my E3 predictions, I thought I'd give you my ultimate E3 wishlist.

I did an E3 wishlist last year and the year prior, and a few of my wishlist items were actually announced, even if not at a press conference: A new Red Dead game, The Wolf Among Us: Season 2, and Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season 3. Here's to hoping that some of this year's wishlist items will be announced next week!

N64 and/or GameCube Classic

I know a lot of people would be super stoked on N64 and GameCube Classic Editions akin to the NES and SNES ones that were already released by Nintendo. I still own my N64 and GameCube consoles from childhood, but, to be honest, I just love the convenience of the Classic Edition consoles. Plus, they're cute as heck. If Nintendo announced just one of these at E3 this year, I'd be pretty thrilled.

The Darkness 3

The Darkness is a really underappreciated game series. The series follows Jackie Estacado on his quest to kill the men responsible for his girlfriend's murder. In order to do this, Jackie uses The Darkness, a demonic force that has been with Jackie's family for several generations. The Darkness is what makes the gameplay in this series so much fun; like its name suggests, you can only use The Darkness's powers in the dark, which adds a needed layer of challenge to the gameplay. Without that, Jackie and his demonic friend would be kind of overpowered. The game is very violent, but its art style helps tone that down a bit. The Darkness II was released in 2012, and fans of the series have been waiting for a third game ever since. I would love to see a new Darkness game on current-gen consoles with great lighting and visuals.

thatgamecompany's new game

Sky was announced last September at an Apple keynote event. This will be the first multiplatform game thatgamecompany has made, which is interesting and good for those who don't own a PlayStation. Sky will be coming first to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. I know mobile games aren't taken seriously by a lot of core gamers, but I think Sky is going to be great. All we really know so far is that Sky is a multiplayer game where players "practice compassion" while flying around a desolate kingdom together. I know I'm not a big multiplayer person (see last week's column), but I enjoy truly unique multiplayer experiences. If it's anything like the multiplayer in Journey, sign me up.

Max Payne 4, or Max Payne 3 HD

I have never played the first two Max Payne games (they still sit on my backlog), but I played Max Payne 3 on Xbox 360 and really, really enjoyed it. I love the art style, writing, voice acting ... everything about it. I wouldn’t mind playing it again in true HD on PS4 or Xbox One.  But what I’d really like to see is a new game in the series. Rumors have been flying around for a couple of years about a fourth game in the franchise, but nothing concrete has been announced. It’s been six years since Max Payne 3 came out, so I think it’s time for at least a teaser for a fourth game.

Paper Mario Switch

The Paper Mario series is possibly my favorite Mario series ever. I love pretty much every Mario game I’ve ever played, but the turn-based RPG gameplay along with the art style and music in the Paper Mario series is really special. Sticker Star on the 3DS was great, but I’m itching for a “real” Paper Mario game for the Nintendo Switch. If not a new game, then a Paper Mario Collection would be awesome. Being able to play the original Paper Mario and the sequel, The

Thousand-Year Door, on Switch would be incredible. Reports state that Nintendo recently filed a new trademark for Paper Mario in April, so I have some hope for something new in the series!

Which games are on your E3 wishlist? Tell me on Twitter or Instagram.