Here’s Everything From this Morning’s Nintendo Direct

Nintendo’s ‘Direct’ featurettes are historically highly anticipated, but people weren’t expecting much this time. Yet, this morning’s installment gave us more than we bargained for. Who knew so much stuff could be packed into a half hour? The presentation began by listing some Nintendo 3DS goss:

• Firstly, we’re introduced to the newest entry in the quite-good Warioware series: Warioware Gold. It’ll feature over 300 minigames, making it the meatiest in the series by far. It’ll be released on August 13.
• Dillon’s Rolling Western was a ‘genre mash’ that proved pretty popular. Naturally, a sequel was announced today: Dillon’s Dead Heat Breakers. It looks to be more of the same great gameplay that the original offered, but with added Mii functionality. A demo will be available May 10, with the full game coming on May 24.
• Last year’s Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga recieved mostly positive reactions (myself included) and did fairly well commercially. Unsurprisingly, Bowser’s Inside Story is the next game in the series to get the remake treatment. Like last time, it’ll feature an add-on game: Bowser Jr’s Journey. It releases next year.
• Detective Pikachu had some new gameplay revealed, alongside his voice. Oh boy, his voice. It had me in stitches for a good minute. The game will launch on March 23, alongside an extra-large amiibo. It’s 5.3 inches compared to the standard 2.7 inches, opening up [another] brave new frontier of Danny Devito references.
• Luigi’s Mansion is getting a remake! The Gamecube launch title recieved a sequel in 2013 for the 3DS, and this remake looks like it’s using the same engine. A new Boss Rush mode will be added, although no details on it were shown. It’ll be out this year.

After the 3DS news and reveals, we get to the real meat of the matter; the supreme sack of supplied succulence; the crown jewel of the crowd: The Switch!

• Kirby Star Allies was the first Switch game shown this morning. It looks like your average comfy Kirby game with more extensive co-op options. Post-launch content will be provided in the form of free updates. The first of these updates will include Rike & Kine & Coo [that’s not bad English, that’s just how they’re referred to!] from Kirby’s Dream Land 2 for the Game Boy, Marx from Kirby Super Star for the SNES, and Gooey from the SNES’ Kirby’s Dream Land 3. Kirby Star Allies launches on March 16, with the first content update coming March 28.
• Okami is getting ported to the Switch. The critical darling makes its way onto the system with touch-screen input for its characteristic brushstroke mechanic. Motion controls will be available too. The port launches later in the year.
• Puzzle game? Puzzle game! Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is an upcoming competitive puzzle game where you match coloured sushi and chuck it at your opponent to deal massive damage. The game will have online and local multiplayer, and will get a 3DS version as well. No word on cross-platform play, though. Sushi Strikers releases on June 28.
• Upcoming JRPG Octopath Traveller got some new and juicy info. Two new characters were introduced: Tressa the Merchant and Alfyn the Apothecary. These characters, and every other character, will have a non-combat “Job” (which is basically a profession that determines what skills they have) and a combat “Job” (what abilities they can use). A special edition will release alongside the standard version, including a pop-up book detailing the backstories of your characters, a replica coin, a soundtrack CD and a neat map of the game world. Octopath Traveller releases on July 13, and a demo is out now.
  
• Dark Souls‘ remastered port got some love. A Solaire amiibo will be available alongside the game, and activating it will let you be “grossly incandescent” and praise the sun in-game. A network test is on the cards as well, allowing players to test the online funtions before the game is released. No date on that was set, though. The game comes out on May 25.
• Mario Tennis Aces was the only title previously confirmed to be in this Direct, and there was no shortage of new information. For starters, more than 15 characters will be playable with up to 4-player capability. That’s on one Switch, by the way, if you’ve got enough controllers. New abilities werre shown off as well; the Zone Shot lets you use motion controls (hopefully you can use the analogue stick if you want to) to directly aim your shots. Zone Speed allows you to slow down time, and Trick Shots let you pull off some pretty gnarly balls. Special Shots are juggernaut attacks (or blocks) that can turn the tide of a match…the key word being “can”. These abilities, however, will be tied to a Energy Guage that smowly refills as you return swings. Your Racket can now break as well, so be careful. Simple Rules mode lets you play without any of this, if you’re that way inclined.Motion Controls aren’t limited to the Zone Shots: Swing Mode lets you use a Joycon like a tennis racket – bringing you back to the good ol’ Wii Sports days. Online tournaments will be available to participate in, with goodies up for grabs. A Story Mode is here, too. Mario Tennis Aces launches on June 22, with a pre-launch online tournament coming at an as-yet-undetermined date.
• Oh boy, it’s another port from the Wii U. Captain Toad will come to the Switch on July 13 with new Super Mario Odysseey-inspired levels, 2-player local multiplayer, and a 3DS version. Both versions of the game launch on July 13.
• Undertale is getting a Switch port “eventually”.
• Crash Bandicoot: The N-Sane Trilogy is coming to the Switch on July 10. In unrelated news, this gives fresh credibility to those Spyro remaster rumours.
• Indie darling Little Nightmares is the next indie title to recieve a Switch port. This ‘Definitive Edition’ will include all post-game content, and a Paku mask which can be obtained through the Pac-Man amiibo. No release date as of yet.
• South Park: The Fractured But Whole was a game that a lot of people really enjoyed, and one that had garnered a lot of hubbub aound its possible Switch port. And it’s comin’. This new port will have all DLC previously released for the game, as well as an upcoming DLC pack. It launches April 24.
• Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is still a thing, and it’s coming out on May 18.
• ARMS may not be getting any new content, but that doesn’ mean it’s been left high and dry. A US and Canada Open tournament will be held from March 31, and the game’s director Kosuke Yibuke will host a discussion on the game’s development at the Game Developer’s Conference on March 21.
• Splatoon 2 is getting some pretty hefty new content. A free patch will come in Late April, bumping the game to its new 3.0 version. Over 100 new cosmetics will be added, and three new stages – Pirahna Pit, Camp Triggerfish, and [bing bing] Wahoo World – are coming to the game’s already sizeable selection. A new top rank will be added as well: Rank X.Splatoon 2 is also getting its first piece of paid DLC! Octo Expansion will include a new single-player campaign that looks much more open-ended and fleshed out than the base game’s. There’s a heavy focus on expansing the lore of the series as well, which is never a bad thing. But the real big deal is PLAYABLE OCTOLINGS. ABOUT FREAKING TIME. The expansion will cost 20 USD, and launches later in the year.
• Finally, Super Smash Bros. was teased and please don’t be a port please be a new game pleeeeeeease

Overall a very pleasing Direct. Every day, however, I lose what little hope I didn’t know I had for a new F-Zero game. Sad face. Sad face, indeed.

You can watch the full presentation below: