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When it comes to Nintendo‘s Directs, it is often a coin toss over whether it will drop much in the way of major news. The June Nintendo Direct was a bit of a mixed bag after the excitement of E3 but this one definitely did have a lot more meat to chew on.
Probably the biggest news was the Nintendo Switch Online service finally getting an update, and expansion. Starting late October, the subscription service will get an additional membership plan which will allow subscribers to play more classic consoles: Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis. Excitingly you will be able to enjoy the likes of Mario Kart 64 in local and online multiplayer.
The opening line up is pretty impressive and N64 games planned to be released later on the service will include Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Mario Golf, Pokémon Snap, F-Zero X, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Paper Mario, and Banjo-Kazooie.
No prices were officially announced but you will be able to get your mitts on wireless versions of the iconic N64 and Sega Genesis controllers via Nintendo’s official store. Currently we pay $3.99 a month (or $19.99 annually) for the ability to play NES and SNES – and being able to backup our save data.
A new Kirby game was announced – and it is in 3D! Kirby and the Forgotten Land will launch in Spring 2022. You will be able to explore a 3D environment as the ever-hungry, power stealing pink puffball. A big departure after years of 2D and 2.5D platformers. Here is hoping the game is as strong as the Nintendo 3DS outings and not as frustratingly dull as its last mainline Switch game Kirby Star Allies.
The Mario movie got a big update via Shigeru Miyamoto who said that the film will release December 21, 2022, in North America. It seems that Nintendo’s partnership with Despicable Me animation studio Illumination has a lot of money thrown in as the voice talent pool is quite something: Chris Pratt as Mario; Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach; Charlie Day as Luigi; Jack Black as Bowser; Keegan-Michael Key as Toad – and that’s just the main cast! Also cast are Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike). Mario’s longtime videogame voice actor Charles Martinet will also be getting some cameos in the movie.
Bayonetta 3 was confirmed to not be dead! Bayonetta 3 made its first actual appearance since it was announced all the way back in 2017. We got a trailer and the release date of….next year. 2022. Early, mid or late? Who cares – It is still happening.
Nintendo announced two new game focused Directs coming next month. The last Mr. Sakurai Presents for Smash Bros Ultimate on October 5 will finally reveal the remaining new fighter yet to be added to the popular Switch brawler. Animal Crossing: New Horizons will get its own special Direct sometime in October to talk about new content for that saving grace of pandemic lockdowns.
Splatoon 3 got another trailer and some more details. The story mode will be called “Return of the Mammalians” and the game will be set in Splatsville. New turf wars, new weapons, and more info to be announced. It will come in 2022.
The massively successful Switch game Monster Hunter Rise will get a “massive expansion” in summer 2022 with Sunbreak. The paid DLC will include new stories, locales, and monsters.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity‘s second wave of DLC was announced with significantly more story cutscenes and new characters on display. It will be dropping October 29.
Mario Golf: Super Rush gets another free update with new courses and characters including Koopa Troopa and Ninji. Coming today.
Triangle Strategy got an update and a release date. The demo survey feedback was briefly discussed with more to check out on Nintendo.com. It will be coming March 4 2022.
ActRaiser: Renaissance – a “remaster” of the SNES classic god-sim/sidescrolling beat-’em-up was announced and released. As well as giving a visual overhaul to the original, new bosses and stages will also be introduced.
Oh, and Metroid Dread got ANOTHER trailer (there have been…a lot)
Also announced:
- Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. Digital release Oct 12; physical early 2022.
- Chocobo GP – think Mario Kart but with Chocobos and other Final Fantasy characters. 2022
- Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is getting ported to the Switch November 11 (Not as exciting since about a week ago we discovered Aspyr is working on a full remake of the game for the PlayStation 5)
- Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition. A port of the Nintendo 3DS title complete with DLC. Holiday 2021
- Dying Light comes to Switch – the latest game, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, comes as a cloud version on February 4 2022. The first game, Dying Light Platinum Edition, will seemingly get a full (i.e. non-cloud) release on October 19.
- A new card-based RPG from Square Enix was introduced for the first time- Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars. Narrative and gameplay is akin to a tabletop card game. Heavy emphasis on the card game. Launches October 28.
Other games:
- Hot Wheels Unleashed (September 30)
- Surviving the Aftermath (Holiday 2021)
- Wreckfest (Fall 2021)
- Namco/Hamster Arcade Archives: Pac-Man and Arcade Archives Xevious (Out now)
- Rune Factory 5 got a release date: March 22 2022
- Shin Megami Tensei V digital preorders now open
- Shadowrun Trilogy (2022)
- Castlevania Advance Collection was finally confirmed and will launch today
- Deltarune Chapter 2 to release as a free update to the currently available Deltarune Chapter 1 (Out Now)