For the first time in over a year, Nintendo hosted a full-fledged Direct presentation. The latest presentation was focused mostly on games slated to hit Nintendo’s hybrid gaming console, the Switch, sometime during the first half of 2021, though there were a few announcements for games that will hit later than that.
The nearly hour-long event included a slew of titles slated to hit the Switch before the year is half over, including ports for indie games such as Fall Guys and Outer Wilds and new installments in franchises like No More Heroes and Splatoon. Here are the biggest news announcements and trailers from today’s Nintendo Direct.
Splatoon 3 inks its way onto Nintendo Switch in 2022
The third installment in the Splatoon franchise is slated to launch in 2022. Not much is known about the game, aside from a new desert locale, but game appears to feature the same paint-shooting action from previous entries.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD slashes onto Nintendo Switch July 16th
Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, a re-release of the 2011 Wii exclusive. The game will launch alongside a new pair of Zelda-themed Joy-Cons. Nintendo also said it would share more information about the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild later this year.
Mario Golf Super Rush is the latest installment in the Mario Golf Series and it arrives June 25th
Mario Golf Super Rush is the first Mario Golf title for Nintendo’s hybrid console. The game will feature motion controls, new modes, and a story campaign.
First look at the Super Mario-themed items coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Several Mario-themed items and furniture will be purchasable via the Nook Shop in Animal Crossing: New Horizons beginning March 1st. Nintendo also confirmed that a free update will arrive on February 25th.
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout is getting ported to Nintendo Switch
Mediatonic’s goofy platformer battle royale title Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will receive a Nintendo Switch port. No release date was announced, but the game is targeting a summer launch window.
Pyra and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles are joining the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster
Both characters are set to be playable beginning in March, but Nintendo promises to share more details closer to release. The pair will count as a single character, making them both the fourth DLC character available in the second Fighters Pass for Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is getting an expansion pass
The expansion pass will include two “waves” of content, with the first one launching this June and the other coming sometime in November. It costs $20 and preorders are now available.
Indie darling Outer Wilds is coming to Switch
The 2019 action-adventure game by Mobius Digital will arrive on the Switch sometime this summer, according to Nintendo.
Famicom Detective Club is coming to North America on May 14th
Two old-school murder-mystery games are getting the remake treatment for the Nintendo Switch and will be localized in English. The two detective games originally released on the Famicom Disk System in the late ‘80s and task players with solving mysteries. Both games will receive modern graphics, gameplay, and voice acting, yet retain the same mysteries that were found in the originals.
No More Heroes 3 will launch on August 27th
The third title in the No More Heroes Trilogy will arrive in late August exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
Monster Hunter Rise launches March 26th
The latest trailer for Monster Hunter Rise focuses on new story details and the monsters you’ll encounter in the game. A Monster Hunter-themed Nintendo Switch will also release the same day as the console.
Stubbs the Zombie is getting a remaster for modern consoles
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is a third-person action game where players take control of a zombie and devour brains and wreak havoc in a city. Asypr Media, who previously remastered Star Wars Episode 1: Racer to modern consoles, is developing the game.
Neon White is a first-person action platformer developed by the creator of Donut County
Donut County creator Ben Esposito is working on a new project. Neon White will task players with killing demons in Heaven. Based on the art style and first trailer, the new game is a far cry from Esposito’s previous work.
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville Complete Edition launches March 19th on Switch
Originally released back in 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Complete Edition is a third-person shooter and includes all characters and content from previous versions of the game.
Project Triangle Strategy is a brand new tactical RPG by Square Enix
The game has a similar art design to the 2019 RPG Octopath Traveler. Not much is known of the game yet, but according to today’s direct, the game will launch in 2022.
Star Wars Hunters is a competitive free to play online shooter from the makers of FarmVille
Zynga, the studio best known for developing games like FarmVille and Words with Friends, is making a new Star Wars shooter. The game will be squad-based and is set between the events of Star Wars Episode VI and Episode VII.
Knockout City is a new online-based dodgeball game from the creators of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Knockout City is the latest project from Velan Studios, the same developer that worked on the mixed-reality racer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. The game releases on May 21st on Switch and other platforms.
World’s End Club arrives on Nintendo Switch May 28th
From the creators of Danganropa and Zero Escape, World End’s Club is currently being developed by Too Kyo Games in partnership with Grounding Inc. The first part of the game was previously released on Apple Arcade.
Hades is getting a physical release on March 19th
One of 2020’s most popular games will receive a physical release on the Nintendo Switch on March 19th. In addition to a cartridge, a physical copy will also include a book containing game art and a download code of the soundtrack.
Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a remastered compilation of Team Ninja’s most notable titles
The package will include Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. It launches on the Nintendo Switch on June 10th and it includes all post-launch downloadable content previously released for these games at no additional cost.
