Nintendo’s first “Nintendo Direct” of the year took place this week. As usual, this 40-minute broadcast was full of news on what’s coming to the Nintendo Switch. In this article, I’ll give my thoughts on most of what Nintendo revealed on Feb. 9.
Nintendo revealed that “No Man’s Sky” is coming to the Switch. This game is a lot of fun, but my desktop PC struggles to run it at times. This game didn’t have a great launch, but several updates were made to the game, and it’s a very enjoyable game now. “No Man’s Sky” will be available on the Switch this summer.
A new Mario Strikers was unveiled, called “Mario Strikers: Battle League.” This is a great time to release a new Mario Strikers, as the last one came out 15 years ago. This seems like a great title, and it’ll even include eight-player co-op. I’ve always loved the Mario sports games, “Mario Super Sluggers” on the Wii is still one of my favorite games today, and I hope that this game can be similar to the fun experience that Super Sluggers was. This title releases in June.
It was also revealed that a sequel to “Wii Sports” is in development, called “Nintendo Switch Sports.” “Wii Sports” was the best-selling Wii game ever, and it appears that Nintendo hopes to replicate that success with this very similar title. However, much of “Wii Sports”’ success is due to the fact that it often came bundled with the Wii console. Additionally, Nintendo has already released games like “1-2-Switch” that may steal sales from “Nintendo Switch Sports”. This game releases in late April, and updates will come later to add golf to the game’s catalog.
“Mother” and “Earthbound” are also being brought to the Switch, but only through Nintendo Switch Online. Even though I don’t have interest in playing these games, I wish Nintendo would make them available for purchase instead of locking them behind a subscription service. I don’t like the way that Nintendo locks desirable content behind periodically billed service, but I’m glad that these games are finally being made available on the Switch nonetheless. These games are available through Nintendo Switch Online now.
It was revealed that 48 additional tracks will be coming to “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” through paid DLC. These courses will be released slowly until winter 2023, and some of these courses will be remastered courses from old consoles while some of them will be original courses. It appears that there is simply no land beyond “Mario Kart 8”. The game came out in 2014, and Nintendo has been using it as their flagship racing game ever since. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is definitely better than “8”, but I would have much preferred a new Mario Kart game to go along with a new system. The first batch of courses will be released in mid-March.
“Portal” and “Portal 2” were announced for the Switch, under the “Companion Collection” moniker. These are two of my favorite games of all-time, so I’m ecstatic that they’re coming to the Switch. “Portal 2″’s split-screen co-op mode should lend itself particularly well to the Switch, which comes with two controllers. These games should also run very well on the Switch, which can’t be said about many other PC game ports. Although pricing wasn’t announced, these games are available for $14.98 on PC. The “Companion Collection” will be released this year.
The new Kirby game, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land”, got a new trailer. It was unveiled that a mode called “Mouthful Mode” will be included. This mode will allow Kirby to absorb objects from the world around the world and use their powers. For example, if Kirby inhales a car, he now has the ability to drive around. This seems like a fun addition to Kirby’s first 3D platformer ever. This game releases in March.
There were also reveals for “Metroid Dread” DLC, “Xenoblade Chronicles Three”, “MLB: The Show” and so much more. I feel confident saying that the first half of 2022 will be successful for Nintendo. Plus, the second half is set to include long-awaited Zelda and Bayonetta games. Nintendo has set themselves up for a good year, and I look forward to the next Direct.
