I'm not saying it'll hurt it. I'm saying it will benefit it greatly.

After having so many droughts last gen, I'm not used to seeing so many games be released

Metroid and Yoshi as follow-ups to home console titles, Kirby, Fire Emblem and Pokemon having teams from handheld-focused devellopers. 

IF they get both Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon on the system in 2018. I'd be amazed.

One of those games (or even both) would be guaranteed Fall-Holiday 2018 titles unless Nintendo reveals anything else. Those two are major franchises and would sell like gangbusters (at least Pokemon will).

Nintendo should have a gameplay prototype already. Normally it's the first they create. Even if that's fully finished, it's still not good enough to show off. Certainly not for a 3D Metroid title in HD. A big first impactfull trailer is key for a reboot of Metroid.

Now that they have HD development under wraps filling in the HD assets could be fast depending on what scale is required. So 2018 could be realistic if Nintendo is really commited to it.

So my joke about Metroid coming in 2018 became true? Crazy

Yeah that's definitely overkill. But if Nintendo feels they need to release these games to combat other 2018 titles coming to PS4/Xbone then so be it.

Miscomunication, certainly.
If they were actually planned for 2018 we would have seen that at Spotlight.
Not only that, if the release was so close, we had seen some gameplay or a trailer.

Pokemon is going to feel rushed if it releases next year. Sun and Moon felt a little bit rushed when it came out. Metroid Prime 4 being a 2018 title doesn't surprise me as Nintendo doesn't usually have titles announced if they are two years away from releasing. Unless you are Zelda. Then you get 5 years announcement ahead of time.

Very good! They manage to get Zelda, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade 2 in 2017. I expect another awesome year!

Very much doubt both of those games will release next year. Hopefully a nintendo direct around octuber will clarify that