Nintendo gifted us with another wave of announcements yesterday with their latest Nintendo Direct event. We got news around some of the biggest upcoming Nintendo games, software add-ons, and some exciting new indie titles to fall in love with.
Nintendo knows how to keep themselves busy; that’s for sure. With some of their biggest games this year coming out over the next few months (Luigi’s Mansion, Link’s Awakening, and Pokemon Sword and Shield to name a few), as well as the launch of their new Nintendo Switch Lite console, it’s a wonder they had the time to host this Nintendo Direct at all. But, host it they did. And we’ve gathered together some of the biggest and best announcements to get excited over.
Overwatch is Coming to Switch
The wildly popular online shooter Overwatch is making its way onto the Nintendo Switch on October 15th. The game grew in popularity thanks to its diverse host of characters and its battle royale shoot outs. The bundle on offer seems like a great deal as well. It comes with 15 character skins as well as a 3-month membership to Nintendo Switch Online, which you’ll need to play the game.
GameFreak’s Little Town Hero RPG Launch
From the studio that blessed us with the Pokemon games comes an entirely new RPG game called Little Town Hero. Only referred to as “Town” until now, we got a release date of October 16th from the Nintendo Direct event, so it will be here before Sword and Shield will. The trailer showed us some gameplay elements and story points, and it looks like an exciting little game. You’re tasked with defending your small town from the monsters that have suddenly descended upon it.
Bonus: all the music has been composed by the guy who created indie cult classic Undertale, Toby Fox.
Banjo-Kazooie Comes to Super Smash Bros.
After announcing it at E3 2019, Super Smash Bros. fans have been dying to have the chance to play as Banjo-Kazooie, the fan-favorite bear-bird team-up. Well, the wait is officially over as they are now available to play as a single character through the Fighter Pass DLC. They’ve also included a list of songs in the DLC including a remix by series composer Grant Kirkhope.
Terry Bogard Heading to Super Smash Bros.
In other Super Smash Bros. news, Nintendo also announced the next challenger to join the ranks in the form of Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury. He will be the fourth of five characters to be introduced through the Fighter Pass DLC alongside The Joker from Persona, Hero from Dragon Quest, and of course, Banjo-Kazooie. Nintendo also said that they would be introducing more characters further down the line, outside of this DLC.
SNES Titles Heading to Switch
One of the most exciting announcements from this most recent Nintendo Direct was that SNES games would finally be playable on the Switch. You’ll be able to play them through the Switch Online service, and they released a bunch of nostalgic titles including Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The list is already impressive, with Nintendo promising more titles will be added over time.
And, just as it did for the NES game releases, they are also releasing a SNES controller to use with your Switch. It will be available for Switch Online members only and will cost $29.99, although we don’t have a release date for it yet.
Pokemon Sword and Shield News
With another Nintendo appearance comes another batch of updates for Pokemon Sword and Shield. This time, we were introduced to two new Pokemon in the form of Polteageist, which is literally a Pokemon made out of tea, and Cramorant which appears to based on the Cormorant fishing birds of Japan.
We’re also introduced to Pokemon Camps where you can enjoy a relaxing evening camping with your Pokemon while exploring the region of Galar. Here you can interact with your Pokemon, as well as other players, and cook up delicious bowls of curry. Curry is actually a big feature for the game with over 100 variations available, each one having different effects. Gotta cook ‘em all.
Finally, we’re shown just how much character customization is available. You can now change your outfits, including accessories like gloves and hats, as well as switching up hairstyles or adding a touch of makeup. If I wasn’t over the top excited for this game before, I am now.
Pre-Order Pokemon Sword and Shield here.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 News
Everyone’s second-favorite plumber (sorry, not sorry) will have some interesting floors to explore in Luigi’s Mansion 3. According to the update, we’ll be treated with a disco floor, a pirate-themed restaurant, and a pyramid hidden inside the hotel.
We also got the news that a new multiplayer mode which allows between 2-8 players on one Nintendo Switch system to battle against each other. Whether it’s defeating the most ghosts, collecting the most coins while powering floaties, or breaking the most targets – the multiplayer options look like a lot of fun.
Pre-Order Luigi’s Mansion 3 here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons News
We were treated to a new trailer for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, hosted by Tom Nook himself. It gave us a more in-depth glimpse of the new game, showing us how to gather items and craft them into something useful. I’ll admit, the gameplay reminded me of a mixture between Stardew Valley and Don’t Starve (minus the monsters), and I am all for it.
It looks like they are really giving the player agency in this game to mold the island to their own preferences. You pitch your tent where you want, and you can adjust the landscape to meet your design needs. This looks set to be another excellent game for Animal Crossing fans to enjoy.
Pre-Order Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s here.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Release
Originally released back in 2012 for the Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles is getting an update for the Nintendo Switch. The new edition will be released in 2020, although we don’t have a definitive date just yet. The game follows the story of Shulk, who many will recognize from Super Smash Bros, as he seeks revenge after the destruction of his home. We don’t have many details on this remake just yet, but the trailer does look pretty epic.
Everything Else We Learned
While these might be the biggest announcements of the night, they weren’t the only ones. We also got some juicy game release and DLC news. Here’s everything else we learned:
Deadly Premonition 2 will release in 2020, bringing a sequel to the original, which also launched on the Switch after the event.
We’re getting more Assassin’s Creed games in the form of Assassin’s Creed: Rebel Collection which launches on December 6th, and includes both Black Flag and Rogue games in one.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition launched on Switch, so now you can play this epic RPG on the go.
The Nintendo 64 version of Doom, called Doom 64 will be coming to the Switch on November 22nd.
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II will come to the Switch on September 24th to tie you over until Fallen Order hits the shelves.
A free-to-play version of Kirby, Super Kirby Clash will allow up to four players to battle through over 100 different quests.
A remake of Seiken Densetsu 3 called Trials of Mana will release on the Switch on April 24th, 2020.
Return of the Obra Dinn from the creators of Papers, Please comes to the Switch this fall.
A new team shooter, Rogue Company, will be released in 2020.
We got another Daemon X Machina demo to play through.
And finally, Tetris 99 a new mode called “Invictus” for the most hardened of Tetris players to face.
Final Word
Personally, these Nintendo Direct events are one of the reasons I love this company. They keep us in the loop, we get regular updates and announcements, and it gets me more and more excited for every new release. This latest round-up has got me twiddling my thumbs waiting for release dates so I can cook curry, settle on a deserted island, and indulge in some nostalgia gaming.