Yesterday saw another Nintendo Direct airing, which provided a number of interesting announcements as per the norm. There was one surprise ruined by leaks (admittedly from Nintendo themselves), but it was still great to see that game in action. As ever, this article gives a look at what I found interesting from the event in question. Starting with something I’m not even invested in. I just found the reveal fun.
And it came as the last announcement. An urban ruin of an environment with the Platinum logo placed as adverts on the skyscrapers – so you know what to expect. But, what exactly is this game? For the first minute, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a new IP, given that we see the army futilely fighting off demon spawn. Then, in she came, with a witty one-liner and a wink at the camera. Bayonetta, you may be unfashionably late, but I’m sure the fans loved seeing you back in action.
A surprise, but a welcome one, was the fact Switch owners are getting Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not the remake, but it’s still a nice thing for Switch owners to get. The remake would probably be too demanding for the Switch to properly run, so this is the next best thing.
Speaking of surprises, Wreckfest is coming to the Switch, randomly appearing in the sizzle reel of three games. What? I know I already have it on Xbox, but it’s a great game for the Switch to get. An absolute great racer. Why not give it more attention? Yeah, the other consoles have had it for two years and the PC even longer, but what other racing games are similar to Wreckfest on the Switch?
There was a number of DLC announcements scattered throughout, such as Mario Golf getting new characters and courses, the second part of Age of Calamity’s expansion pass, and the Sunbreak expansion of Monster Hunter Rise. I’m certainly interested enough in all three to give them a try.
Then we had the announcements of DLC information events, with the last fighter of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate set to be revealed on the 5th October, along with an Animal Crossing Direct for some time in October. The Roost is coming to New Horizons, but a Direct for just that? There’s obviously more, I’m hoping. A big update for the end of this year that brings a lot to the game. As for Smash, I really don’t know who the last fighter could be, but I hope they offer something unique to the game.
New offerings for Nintendo Switch Online are here, with N64 games being included as part of a new tier. The usual big ones such as Zelda and Mario are here, but then there’s Kirby, F-Zero, and Pokémon Snap set to be coming as well. And for those who aren’t a part of the Xbox ecosystem, they finally have the chance to relive the original Banjo-Kazooie.
More information is set to be coming next month for these additions, such as pricing and release schedule. There’s Mega Drive games as a part of this new tier, as well, but I suspect the major draw of this new tier is those N64 games. Switch compatible controllers were also announced for both of the consoles. I’m happy with this considering it means more F-Zero on the Switch. I’m hoping for other releases after this initial lot that have been shown, and a big hope of mine is finally getting Gamecube games next year. Make it happen, Nintendo.
Splatoon 3 did indeed see more showcased here, with the multiplayer action showing off a few new things we had yet to see, but then the trailer cuts to the story stuff. And I have to say, this is looking a lot more interesting than any campaigns we’ve had before. There’s just something more natural about the places we see. And… Return of the Mammalians? What kind of new lore are we getting to uncover with this? Are we going to uncover the origins of Judd – the referee cat? It’ll be a great adventure.
But nothing spells great adventure more than a new Kirby game. This had been leaked just hours before the Direct, but I wasn’t prepared for just how great it looks. The first proper 3D outing for the ball of maximum pink in forever, it looks so nice. All of Kirby’s abilities are still here, which means flying around these 3D environments and seeing how the copy abilities transfer to such open movement. And speaking of the environment…
The locations we see Kirby in are very human-like. As in, this is very much a world we as humans could comfortably live, with skyscrapers, shopping malls, an amusement park, and more. In fact, for the first part of the trailer, you’d never know it was a Kirby game as it showcased just these locations with nothing familiar to the series at all to be seen. Even the sound felt more ominous than anything you’d hear in a Kirby game. Which makes it all the sweeter when the familiar ball appears on the beach to look at these forgotten lands he now finds himself.
Overall, the Direct was a fun one to watch. Even with the games I haven’t mentioned such as Triangle Strategy that I have little interest in. They never felt like they were taking up too much time. Everything felt paced right. As for the Mario movie cast reveal near the end, there’s some big names filling the shoes of these big characters. As funny as it is to imagine the likes of Chris Pratt and Jack Black voicing Mario and Bowser, that is indeed what’s happening. I just can’t wait to see what these actors are bringing to characters we all love.
Images Taken From:
Wreckfest Nintendo.co.uk Gallery
Introducing Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Nintendo.co.uk News Article
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo.co.uk Overview Page
