On Thursday 23 September 2021, Nintendo released their announcement video: Nintendo Direct. I was waiting for it since the beginning of the month. Rumors didn't stop because Nintendo always had one in September. I'm glad I got to see the announcements only a day after they got released...
Below are my thoughts ordered roughly by importance:
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
Nintendo 64 & SEGA Genesis will come to Switch Online this year. Well, technically they'll come in a separate Nintendo Switch Online plan called Expansion Pack. The release date is stated to be late October 2021, and the prices haven't been announced yet.
Like with the existing NES/SNES games selections already available on the service, the games will have features like save states, and online multiplayer. N64 will allow up to 4 people to play online together. I think this is cool~
The video has shown us lists the games that will be there at launch for both consoles. A friend told me they want the list so here is it:
Nintendo 64 Selection:
- Super Mario 64
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Mario Kart 64
- Star Fox 64
- Sin and Punishment
- Dr. Mario 64
- Mario Tennis 64
- WinBack
- Yoshi’s Story
They also listed some of the games they plan to release after launch, and I find this list more engaging:
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Pokémon Snap
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Mario Golf
- Paper Mario
- F-Zero X
You can check the list above, as well as SEGA Genesis Selection in this link.
I'm not fan of the Genesis collection, but that's only because I already have all the games I would want, (minus Sonic) in SEGA Genesis Classics collection. I feel scammed. (Unjustifiably so~)
Nintendo will also release Controllers for both systems, like they did with SNES & NES. The price is expensive IMO.
I have to say, I love the announcement, but without a price point, I can't be too excited for this. If it was double the price of the current Switch Online service I would be very disappointed!!
Triangle Strategy
The Demo Survey was used to fine-tune the game. Adjustable difficulty is always welcome in my book. The trailer says they updated the game visuals too. The ability to view previous dialogue text is something I wish more games did, despite thinking that I shouldn't get too used to it.
The best thing however is the improved loading times. I wish they publish another demo (like they did Bravely Default II) so we can see all the improvements in action. You can check all the improvements in this article by the developers.
Triangle Strategy is one of the games I'm most excited for! You can read my review of the game here on Hive.
The game's release date will be March 04, 2022 & Pre-orders are now open!
Metroid Dread
"This announcement has its own section of the list because of the narrator's voice only!" Will you believe me if I said that?
...While I don't think I'm getting this game. (Not at launch at the very least,) I'm glad that Metroid series is returning, and this game's trailers are doing a good job conveying the theme of this entry: "Dread." They did a good job choosing this narrator.
As for the game itself, I think Metroid Dread is doing an amazing job of reviving the AAA presence of the metroidvania genre. (For a long time it's been on Indie-space only.)
Chocobo GP
Square Enix seem to have done their best making a Final Fantasy themed Kart Racer. Characters are taken from various Final Fantasy games, (Vivi is here,) and the stages are inspired by the series too. Oh, and you can use Magic!!
Chocobo GP seems to have so much potential and it does look like it'll be hard for Square Enix to mess it up!! I enjoyed this trailer and will probably enjoy the game too if I got to it one day.
Other Announcements To Mention
Legend of Zelda: Age of Calamity showcased their DLC, and I really love the atmosphere of this Breath of the Wild Prequel. Trailer really made me want to play a Legend of Zelda game.
Castlevania Advanced Collection! I love the many quality-of-life features like the rewind, and different versions of each game.
Splatoon 3 announcement is interesting. It's presented as if a human researcher researching humanoid Squid presents what he discovered about them from the upcoming title. I loved the presentation. I'm not interested in the game itself.
The Kirby game looks very fun! I'm not familar with the franchise but it felt like Mario Odyssey with Kirby's character and abilities instead of Mario.
They announced something about a Mario Movie? To be honest, I'm not very excited for it... But wow, announcing the exact release day more than a year earlier? It's a bold statement.
They teased an announcement of Animal Crossing. Not sure what that'll be about, but it keeps hype alive. It's a good thing, right?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate got a teaser for its Final Character announcement. I haven't played the game's yet, and I'm sad that the next announcement will be the last. I wonder how players who followed the game since launch are feeling...?
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak DLC
The Direct opened with this announcement. A teaser for Monster Hunter Rise expansion pack which is set to release next year.
I think this is a good timing for such an announcement. The game is going great. It's one of the best looking games ever on Nintendo Switch, and it sold quite well.
Letting players who are still hyped about the game about the upcoming DLC will make them look forward to it more. If they announced it after everyone moved on from this game, I don't think it'll be as effective.
Speaking of Monster Hunter Rise, I still have to finish the Demo and write my thoughts on it.
What do you think?
This Nintendo Direct strikes a unique balance. I'm not too excited about the announcements, but I'm not disappointed either. It has enough hype to make me look forward to the next few months of gaming. Good stuff are coming~
- All images are taken from the Direct or press releases of the mentioned games. [1] [2] [3]
- This article is crossposted here on Hive and on Read.cash.
- You can also check/compare my previous Nintendo Direct thoughts from early 2021.