Ready for this year’s E3? We aren’t, but we’re getting there! We thought we’d help you too with a look at the Big Three. Today, we’re talking about Nintendo and their new console plans. 

What we know

Nintendo has confirmed that their new console, codenamed Project Cafe, will release in 2012, and that it will be playable at E3. As with any launch, this will have to take center stage. They’re also supporting the just-released 3DS, and while we’ve seen a lot of games in development, nothing big has a release date after June’s Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The only Wii game of note with a planned release is Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is on track to anchor the company’s holiday plans.

What we think we know

The rumors have been flying like crazy, but it seems this Project Cafe will be a backwards-compatible, high-definition system, and signs point to a controller with a built-in screen. The games we’re expecting this year include Starfox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and we’re hoping for a Super Mario or Mario Kart release. 

What we want to know

All about the Project Cafe! Seriously. We don’t know much about this at all, and the concept Nintendo presents will largely define the company for the next five or six years. It’s planned for 2012, though, and until then, we still need games. Is there anything left in the pipeline for the Wii? Can they get by with U.S. releases of Japanese hits like RPGs like Xenoblade and The Last Story?

We’ll know for sure next week, as we keep you informed from L.A. Let us know what you want to know about!