Happy to hear about the Nintendo Direct announcement. Crossing my fingers on another newcomer confirmation for Smash 4, but I am personally doubtful on it.
On the topic of games to be released this year, I am anxious to see more of A Link Between Worlds, which will probably be the last "new" Zelda I ever play though.
The 3DS in general will probably be my last game console. Over the past several years, especially the last several months, I have found increasingly less time for anything pertaining to gaming, even online discussion (which is only relegated to Smash Bros. discussion nowadays).
As I got older and had less time, my game preferences changed, I used to have quite the appetite for "epic" games, but nowadays I like something I can merely pick up and play. However, even among platformers I am burnt out, and content to simply replay though the library I already have.
While its not guaranteed that I will get A Link Between Worlds or Smash 4 (depends on the content and feedback for both of these), these two will probably be the last fully "new" retail games I ever buy solely for myself. However, if a 2D Metroid (or Retro developed Metroid) or new F-Zero were ever made for the 3DS I would be sure to pick them up, though I am doubtful either of those two will happen for the 3DS.
Its more likely that my last games after Smash 4 will be remakes of games that I already hold dear (Majora's Mask, FE6, and a compilation of all three Mother games hopefully).
Smash 4 has already added Mega Man, whom is probably my favorite non-Nintendo game character, and added the Villager, whom while I was not hoping for or anticipating, represents a game to which I had one of the most pleasant game experiences ever (the GCN Animal Crossing).
Ridley of course is the one characters that I am really hoping makes the cut this time around. However, aside for him I am really crossing my fingers for the return of Mewtwo and Roy (I think the former is virtually guaranteed), very minimal cuts, as well as icing on the cake additions such as Toad, Dixie Kong, and Little Mac (very fond of Wario's Woods, DKC2-3, and the Punch-Out series). Smash 4 could very well be a very worthy final "new" game for me, containing nearly all of the video game characters that have some meaning to me.
We only have 1.25 years left until Smash 4 finally releases (its probably going to be November 2014), and for many of us, it will probably be the last time we spend a lot of time being hyped about a video game. Many of us will be going into the next stage of life after Smash 4's release, and will no longer have the time that can be spent talking about or playing games.
I do think though its possible Smash 4 character speculation could continue on into 2015 if Sakurai opens the door for character DLC. If that is the case, my hopes would lie that any character that cut with Brawl that did not return for Smash 4, would make their return as DLC. That would be the my hopes. A Smash 4 game with Brawl's cast, Mewtwo and Roy returning, and Smash 4's roster of newcomers (with Ridley at least being among them) would be the definitive Smash Bros. game to me.
