Another Nintendo Direct has come and gone, although this one had some strange circumstances. It was delayed at the last minute out of respect for a tragic earthquake in Japan. While it was only a week delay, that was still seven more days fans had to speculate. Each new piece of news, no matter how seemingly mundane, was fuel for more theories. So there might be some importance to the fact that Nintendo filed a new trademark for Golden Sun...or not.
Golden Sun was one of the surprise hits of the Game Boy Advance era. It was a JRPG that explained "magic" as psychic powers, and offered very customizable combat. This unique take on classic 2D RPG settings and mechanics made it stand out almost instantly. It gained an equally-acclaimed sequel, then a mildly-received DS game, and now seems to have fallen off the earth. That's what makes this trademark news so intriguing.
The source, a site called Japanese Nintendo, offers nothing else than this picture of the trademark filing. But that didn't stop hopes, and imaginations, from running wild. The timing, right as a new Nintendo Direct was on the way, was too perfect. Is there going to be a new Golden Sun for 3DS or Switch? Or could it be...a Golden Sun character was being added to Super Smash Bros.!?
Now that the Direct is behind us, we know that it's neither of these. For now, it seems, Nintendo's plans for Golden Sun are to remain a mystery.
A thread on the Nintendo Switch subreddit offers a more reasonable perspective on what the trademark means. The top comment, by user Bodakugga, reads "Along with Rhythm Heaven, Wrecking Crew and Mario Super Sluggers. Friendly reminder that having just music or trophies in Smash is enough to justify these renewals."
Indeed, there were no announcements concerning Rhythm Heaven, Wrecking Crew, or Mario Super Sluggers in the Direct. Isaac from Golden Sun has also already been an Assist Trophy in previous Super Smash Bros. games. The likely, and disappointing, answer is that Nintendo is just doing the proper paperwork for Smash.
Next: The Nintendo Switch Online Service Will Launch On September 18th