The most recent Nintendo Direct brought news of several new titles and ports for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch systems. Games from old systems as well as other platforms will be making their way to Nintendo platforms soon.
NINTENDO 3DS RELEASES
The presentation kicked off by introducing the newest WarioWare title, WarioWare Gold. The title packs plenty of new minigames that utilize the 3DS touch screen, microphone, and gyro controls. The game will feature plenty of familiar characters from the previous WarioWare games and will be available August 3.
Wario is stoked about all the new microgames in WarioWare Gold.
Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers, a blend of action and tower defense games set in a post-apocalyptic world, includes customizable Mii characters. A demo will be available May 10th, and the full game releases May 24.
Porting from the Nintendo DS, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story features a new storyline alongside the classic game. The addition, Bowser Jr.’s Journey, tells a new story covering the behind-the-scenes events of the original game. The game comes out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2019.
Detective Pikachu and Tim are on the case!
More details have been revealed for the Detective Pikachu title, including hints of the plot. Detective Pikachu and a boy named Tim begin investigating the strange, dangerous behavior of Pokemon in their city. The title is available for preorder now, but will launch March 23. An oversized Detective Pikachu Amiibo launches the same day.
The classic Gamecube hit, Luigi’s Mansion, will be porting to Nintendo 3DS sometime this year. The bottom screen will be used for the game’s map, and a new boss rush mode will be added.
NINTENDO SWITCH RELEASES
Kirby Star Allies launches next week on March 16. The Dream Friends mode allows Kirby to befriend characters like King Dedede, Meta Knight, and more from across the whole series. An update with more characters in the “Dream Friends” mode will be available March 28th.
Kirby can befriend old enemies in the Dream Friends game mode.
This summer, Capcom’s Okami HD will feature Switch-exclusive controls for the remastered game. The game’s brush motions will have intuitive inputs either on the handheld Switch’s touch screen, or through motion controls using one of the Joy-Cons.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido will arrive June 8 for both Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch. The game’s battle-puzzle mechanic revolves around sushi conveyor belts and launching matching sushi rolls at the opponent. The game includes multiplayer modes as well as a story mode.
Two more characters, Tressa and Alfyn, were revealed for the upcoming game Octopath Traveler. Characters in Octopath Traveler can combine jobs from the class system to utilize unique abilities in combat. The game’s release date will be July 13. A special edition of the game including a pop-up book and accessories will be available the same day.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has a variety of game elements from action, racing, and puzzles games to chronicle the adventures of its “otaku assassin” protagonist. It also features a coop mode and a story-based adventure mode. The Nintendo Switch exclusive will arrive later this year.
A preparatory networking test for Dark Souls will be available soon for people to test the game. In addition, a Solaire of Astora Amiibo will be coming out with the game, allowing characters to perform the “Praise the Sun” gesture to their hearts’ content.
Praise the Sun.
Mario Tennis Aces received the main spotlight of the day’s Nintendo Direct. The newest game in the sporty franchise features 15 playable characters and multiplayer for up to four players. The game will feature online multiplayer as well as online tournament formats with in-game bonuses.
In addition to the game’s basic shot exchanges, several special abilities can be used in Mario Tennis Aces. The Energy Gauge acts as a resource for players to build and use for unique offensive and defensive effects. Zone shots allow for precision aiming and the potential for a devastating Racket Break on the opponent, while Zone Speed enters a slow-motion mode to allow for quick reactions in clutch situations. Trick shots, while risky, can boost the Energy Gauge and present more opportunities for other maneuvers like Special Shots.
Mario Tennis Aces balances risks and rewards with special shots.
For a more classic Mario Tennis experience, a Simple Rules version allows only the basic shots for less dramatic gameplay. To revisit the feel of Wii Sports, Swing Mode uses the Joy-Con’s motion controls.
A pre-launch tournament will be held online coming soon, with details available on Nintendo’s official website. Mario Tennis Aces will be available June 22.
As far as other major Nintendo titles go, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is an adventure game featuring exploratory elements similar to Mario Odyssey. It will include several levels from Mario Odyssey, and arrives for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS July 13.
Several popular third-party ports will be coming to the Switch, too. Spring brings the arrivals of Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (May 18) and South Park: The Fractured but Whole (April 24) along with their DLC packages. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy debuts on the Switch July 10, and Undertale will come “eventually.”
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition includes Breath of the Wild costumes for Link and Zelda.
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition received a definitive launch date of May 18th. The game will feature all DLC packages from the Wii U version of the game, as well as costumes from Breath of the Wild.
Qualifiers for the ARMS US & Canada Online Open will be coming to Ranked Mode.
Nintendo announced the ARMS US & Canada Online Open, an event that will be streamed online March 31. Fighters have the opportunity to participate in a qualifying event through the Ranked Mode of the game from March 8 through March 18. Winners will receive an exclusive art piece. Rules for the event and qualifiers can be found here.
In addition, another Global Test Punch will be available for ARMS starting March 31. The demo event will last for 3 days.
ARMS producer Kosuke Yabuki will be discussing ARMS at the Game Developers Conference on March 21. The full title for his presentation is “ARMS: Building Mario Kart 8 Insights Into a Showcase Nintendo Switch Fighter.” Splatoon 2 will also be discussed at the Game Developers Conference (“Splatoon and Splatoon 2: How to Invent a Stylish Franchise with Global Appeal).
Splatoon 2’s version 3.0 comes with gear updates and changes to Ranked play.
Splatoon 2 will be receiving an updated version with several major highlights. Version 3.0 will include over 100 new pieces of gear, three new stages (Piranha Pit, Camp Triggerfish, and Wahoo World). A new rank, Rank X, will be added to ranked play, and represents a higher tier of play than the current top, Rank S+.
A cinematic trailer heralded the announcement of the OctoExpansion, Splatoon2′s new DLC. The story mode of the DLC features Agent 8, an octoling, and promises to reveal more about the world and characters of the Splatoon franchise. The DLC will allow players to create an octoling avatar for online play. Available for preorder soon, the DLC will be available Summer 2018 and cost $19.99 USD.
Splatoon 2’s OctoExpansion stars Agent 8 in the story mode.
The Nintendo Direct concluded with “one more announcement,” and by far the most dramatic. A dynamic duel between two Inklings ended with the iconic, fiery Smash symbol, leaving Nintendo and Smash players stoked to hear more. The next Super Smash Bros. will release sometime in 2018.
What did you think of the latest Nintendo Direct? Do you have a favorite port you’re eager to play? What are your thoughts about the Super Smash Bros plug at the end? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments!
