Here's a Rundown of Everything at Nintendo's 2021 E3 Direct [15/06/2021]

Given that COVID-19 has upended life for everyone, it may not have been a shock that E3 2021 was definitely not the spectacle seen in previous years. We saw multiple repeated announcements, important but otherwise unengaging conferences, spliced with ad after ad after ad.

But I think we can all agree that Tuesday’s E3 Nintendo Direct was highly anticipated by fans and naysayers across the board. Given that it’s coming up on 5 years since the release of the Switch in March 2017, with rumours of a Pro Switch model incoming, speculation was rife.

The Twitter polls were raging, the fandoms were roaring over who might have been the lucky group to have their favourite series ported to the Switch or their long-anticipated sequel given a release date(I was quietly crossing my fingers for a Bayonetta 3 announcement). But could Nintendo live up to the hype, satisfy the masses and help to end E3 on a high note with games for all ages & levels of gaming experience?

The Iron Fist of Darkness Comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

I have got to admit it, starting off with Kazuya Mishima tossing Ganondorf into a fiery pit of lava was a great moment.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a game that brings people together for a lot of laughter, a lot of rage and a massive amount of fun – more so than ever before in this past year, given how we all were forced to stay apart and isolated. Whilst I could have lived without Pyra & Mythra in

Smash, I think the collaboration with Tekken makes perfect sense and I am honestly surprised that we didn’t get this character from Namco’s premier fighting game series in the game sooner, devil wings and all.

I’m going to take so much joy in dumping the Ice-climbers into a volcano.

The Tekken fighter appears to reprise many of his moves from the Tekken series including the Stonehead, the 10 Hit Combo, the Twin Pistons and the Spinning Demon. There was a short sneak peek from SSBU’s game director Masahiro Sakurai: confirming also that yes, Kazuya Mishima will be able to go into full-on devil mode mid-fight. Fingers crossed that we will either get Heihachi as another playable character or as an alternate skin for Kazuya, in addition to Kazuya’s severe trench coat and his basic white fighting gi.

A more detailed dive into Kazuya Mishima’s Smash character arrived on June 28th and the character was added to the game the next day. With Kazuya in hand as the second last character in the Challenger Pack #2, I know that my friends and I will be happily tossing each other off cliffs for a long time to come.

I See Your True Colors Shining Through!

Life Is Strange took fans by storm in 2015 with its mix of teen drama, supernatural abilities and episodic storytelling. Its sequel, prequel and stand-alone spin-off have only caused the series’ following to grow. The next instalment True Colors will be coming to the Switch on September 10th as well as Microsoft Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.

Maybe this time around Chloe and Max will just have a nice, chill time and hangout and nothing bad will happen.

The original Life Is Strange and its prequel, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, will also arrive on the Switch later this year with lighting and character animation updates, environmental upgrades and more, either as a stand-alone Remastered Collection or packaged with True Colors as part of the Ultimate Edition. The upgrades are welcome and to be honest, the Life Is Strange series seems like the perfect kind of story to sink into on a long journey or flight. Now with the series’ first two titles being available on Nintendo’s portable console, we can do just that.

I’m sure this adventure will go smoothly and chaos will not ensue immediately.

The Gardeners of the Galaxy?

On October 26th – your favourite galactic guardians are cruising onto the Switch in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Square Enix & Marvel’s newest video game adaptation of Marvel’s characters looks beautiful and has a lot to live up to, especially given the bug-ridden beginnings of its predecessor, Marvel’s Avengers, from Crystal Dynamics.

The game will only be playable via cloud streaming on Switch but exactly how well this game is going to run on the smaller, portable console is anyone’s guess. However, the fact that from the jump you play as only one of the main members of the motley crew – Peter “Starlord” Quill – and build your relationships with your crew members while interacting with some of Marvel’s lesser-known villains, seems like a better direction for a comic adaptation. I’m remaining cautiously optimistic.

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE… and other locations…

Team 17 are at it again with a Switch port of Worms Rumble. The lastest in the franchise sees a 32-player arena filled with tiny worms carrying a whole lot of firepower. It is out on June 23rd with cross-platform support for the consoles it previously launched on and PC.

This is the most JRPG image to ever JRPG.

Ascend to Become as Gods

A team of demi-gods marching across the world of Orchanon, the hand-painted, beautiful setting to tell a tale of duty, chaos and destiny. Sign me up for Astria Ascending.

It was almost criminal how little we got to see of this JRPG in the Direct, but given the unique character designs, the contributions from heavyweights such as Kazushige Nojima (writer on Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake) and the score by Hitoshi Sakimoto (previously Final Fantasy 12 and Vagabond Story), I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for this game when it releases on September 30th.

You’ll Need a Degree For This One

For good or for ill, we’re all returning to Two Point County for its latest offering, Two Point Campus, next year. The follow up to 2018’s Two Point Hospital is giving us the tools to build our own educational heaven or hellscape. There was nothing here that we didn’t see in the first announcement during the Summer Games Fest, making this third rerun a bit meaningless to say the least.

Celebrating 20 Years of Rolling Off of Edges!

My favourite part of Monkey Ball is when AiAi goes, “AAAAH AHAHAH AHAHAHA AHHHHHHH AHHHHH AH” constantly.

It’s officially been 20 years since the first Super Monkey ball title, and now the anniversary collection, Banana Mania containing the remastered Super Monkey Ball 1, 2 and Deluxe (ie the Monkey Ball games we all care about) will be rolling into the eShop on October 5th 2021.

With over 300 unique stages, this series is now available to amuse and frustrate a whole new generation of players. It’s brilliant to see much-loved titles preserved like this and I hope that Nintendo, SEGA and others keep on porting some of their much beloved older catalogues onto newer consoles to preserve them.

Dark secret behind Mario Party. NOBODY WINS.

The Mario Party of the Year Award Goes to…

A collection of 100 minigames from across all the Mario Party games have been crammed into this Mario Party Superstars collection. Thankfully the whole game will be support button controls this time around and the game will include online play from the outset. Unlike 2018’s Super Mario Party which only received online support for the majority (but not all) of its game modes in April 2021, almost 3 years after the game’s release.

Now you can rage quit and smash your controller with friends across the globe from the comfort of your own home, fun for all the family!

Dread It. Run From it. Metroid Has Arrived!

The common refrain for every Nintendo Direct is one of the following: “PERSONA 5 ON THE SWITCH”, “Where is Bayonetta 3?”, “Metroid Prime 4 you cowards!!”

Today wasn’t the day that final demand was answered and yet, on this day, the Metroid fandom won. No seriously, they deserve it and have been waiting for a scrap of news forever and Nintendo said, “Here, have it all!” Not only do we have confirmation that Metroid Prime 4 is still coming (we’ll take what we can get) but we also have an all-new 2D-Metroid title and the first in almost 19 years – Metroid Dread. This is also the answer to – “what if Metroid was a straight-up horror movie?” and I love it.

Still cannot get over how good Samus’ new suit is.

In my experience, the greatest parts of Metroid occur when you are using all your wits and ingenuity to speed through the levels as fast as possible to get to the next stage or to escape a self-destruct sequence. In this upcoming title, threats such as the vicious robot E.M.M.I. will be hunting you down throughout the interconnected map and giving you that extra pressure and motivation to race through the map at light speed.

RUN! RUN! RUN!

While Dread is a name that has being circling forums for the best part of a decade and Metroid fans thought it had been scrapped after missing a scheduled November 2006 release date, it’s still a very welcome addition to the Metroid lineup. On top of that, the game is releasing very soon. October 21st to be exact.

Familiar Franchises Old and New

Nintendo is bringing Just Dance 2022 alongside Cruis’n Blast to the Switch soon with familiar music, new dances and the classic arcade driving madness.

Oops All Gokus!
Find it in the cereal aisle.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... (We’re charging up to tell you about the next game)

Bandai’s at it again with the anime titles, this time – Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is powering up onto the Switch with the A New Power Awakens DLC coming on September 24th. If you’re here for this, you can play through all 4 of the classic DBZ Sagas – The Saiyan, Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu Sagas, as well as exploring the world of Dragon Ball on the go.

When the game released on the other consoles and PC last year it didn’t light up the reviews world but if classic anime is your thing, Bandai have you well and truly covered.

The Multiplayer Mario Multi-verse

All the Mario & Wario co-op that you could ever want: Mario Golf: Super Rush, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope & WarioWare: Get it Together! are all games coming to the Switch soon.

Continuing the time-honoured tradition of Mario sports games is received a new instalment on the 25th of June with Mario Golf: Super Rush. The game totes multiple modes including a story mode similar to Super Smash Bros Ultimate’s that allows you to level up your own personalised Mii golfer, and a wide selection of series mainstays including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser and Daisy – each with their own special abilities! While the chaos of playing Battle Golf will definitely liven up any gathering with friends and family alike.

The combination of Super Mario, Rayman’s Raving Rabbids and XCOM was a winner that not a lot of people saw coming back in 2017, and now the team behind the first Mario + Rabbids are back in this cosmic jaunt across the galaxy in 2022. Strategically blasting your way across the board to crush your opponents has never looked more fun or cute.

The sparks (Luma/Rabbid hybrids) are truly nightmarish.

Little known fact: WarioWare Inc. are actually the developers behind Fortnite.

And last, but certainly not the least – the many, many, many meme-ridden microgames from famed game developers WarioWare Inc. are back to enjoy with multiple players at once from September 30th!

Monster Hunter as You’ve Never Seen it Before (if you didn’t play the first MonHun Stories game)

After Capcom’s Monday showcase, we saw its main game of the show at Nintendo’s Direct where we got a second look at the new entry in the Monster Hunter series, Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.

We really not going to discuss how the Monsters are now called “Monsties” in this game?

Gameplay footage of the relationship between riders and their Monsties – from egg to full-grown companion - co-op, and the turn-based combat that this title revolves around was also included. If you like Monster Hunter but want time to take a more methodical approach to the combat, this is the title for you as opposed to the free-for-all chaos of Monster Hunter Rise or Monster Hunter: World.

JRPG? Cool Teens? Apocalypses? It Could Only be One Game

Demons, Apocalypses, Alternate Dimensions and a certain flair for the extraordinary were all present and correct for the next game shown.

No one does style, quiet like Atlus does style.

Eight years after Shin Megami Tensei IV stormed onto the Nintendo 3DS and a month after the release of the remastered Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Shin Megami Tensei V is arriving on the Nintendo Switch this November. After the massive success of SMT’s spin-off series Persona, the main series is back with it’s newest offering, a fantastical post-apocalyptic Tokyo with a wide array of demons and beasts to fight and recruit as the main character.

This turn-based JRPG utilises the “press turn” system, by rewarding you with extra actions when you take advantage of the enemy’s weaknesses to stack combos. If our main character’s backstory is as compelling as their costume and stunning hair, SMT5 will easily match the success of Persona 5. We have just 5 months left before the day of reckoning is at hand for our displaced hero.

Decadence and the Depths of True Despair!

A triplicate of games involving detective work, betrayal and an infamously sadistic homicidal bear.

The self-proclaimed headmaster, Monokuma, has sealed all of the students inside his academy and issued one edict: only those who successfully betray their fellow students unto death may leave. Thus begins the nightmare. Using all your luck, observation, and special skills, you must observe and team up with your fellow classmates to identify the true killer in your midst. Win and purge the guilty, fail and everyone dies…so no pressure, right?

I get that no one enjoys high-school but this is some next level bad teaching techniques.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Danganronpa series, all three main games have been gathered into one compact Decadence Collection, including bonus scenes, artwork and other extras, as well as the board game from the third game being expanded into an additional game – Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp – and tossed in for good measure.

This release is a massive relief to western fans of the series, given the fractured western rollout of the games on iOS and the anime courtesy of Funimaton and NIS America in recent times.

The box art for these games always freaked me out as a child.

I Spy With My Evil Eye…

Fatal Frame is a name that I haven’t heard for eons, but Nintendo & Koei Tecmo have remastered and ported the Wii U classic, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, onto the Switch to join the plethora of other horror titles available on the platform. No weapons, no avoiding the spectres, just you and your Camera Obscura are the only defence against the violent spirits of Mt Hikami.

If you’re an Outlast or survival horror fan, this title will be right up your alley. The series returns and also makes its way to PC, PlayStation and Xbox later this year.

I’m just never glad this series got ridiculous or too over the top or anything.

DOOM TO ALL THOSE WHO OPPOSE ME!

What fazes the man razing the Nine Circles of Hell? Not even the most ancient of deities can hold back his rage, as the Doomslayer will strive to prove in Doom Eternal’s first expansion – The Ancient Gods Part I, which is available on the Switch right now.

Both Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal feel great to play on controllers thanks to the aim-assist putting in some serious work and, hopefully, this expansion follows suit while providing the same smooth experience that pressures players to put their best foot forward and go for the gold. Even so, I would probably recommend that you play this title in docked-mode so that you don’t end up smashing your entire console with too vigorous of a swing or out of sheer fury.

Everything Old is New Again

The lovingly crafted remake of the GBA classics, Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp as well as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 are also coming to the Switch on December 3rd and June 25th respectively!

Pulse of The Ancients Beat Again

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity’s expansion pass is now finally starting to pay off, as per from June 18th Wave 1 or Pulse of the Ancients became available, adding new challenges and difficult enemies, an “Apocalyptic” game difficulty, a new playable character in the Battle Tested Guardian and brand-new weapon types for both Zelda and Link. Zelda will now be able to wield the Master Cycle to devastating effect and Link can mow down the enemy with his lethal Sheikah flail.

Wave 2 – Guardian of Remembrance will be out as of November 2021 with new character vignettes, newly added stages, more battle skills for existing characters and an expanded roster.

Reaching Back Up to The Sky

For the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda the origin story of the series, Skyward Sword, is coming to the Switch on July 16th!

Editor’s Note: PLEASE DO WIND WAKER NEXT. NINTENDO. K THX BYE!

The game will feature both button controls and motion controls but given the way that Mario 3D All-Stars was handled, I highly doubt that any other quality of life upgrades have been implemented. There is also a Zelda and Loftwing Amiibo releasing on the same day, which will allow you to fast travel from any location.

While my heart will always belong to Majora’s Mask, getting to finally experience the beginning of Link and Zelda’s tale on a console that is HD and not the Wii U is a brilliant alternative!

This looks so cool… Alexa play Free Fallin’.

Into Wild Great Unknown

AT LONG LAST.

Breath of the Wild was the game that convinced me to buy a Nintendo Switch at the launch of the console in 2017. Now four years later I see new tricks and techniques, quite literally every week, that absolutely blow my mind. For its length and breadth and scale, Breath of the Wild remains one of my favourite landscapes to just explore and wonder at the world inside my game cartridge.

Zelda fans have been eagerly awaiting this moment since the announcement of the sequel’s development at E3 2019. And now, just over two years later, Eiji Aonuma has gifted us with another glimpse back into Hyrule.

There’s so much to unpack here; From Link missing an arm, to him appearing to have the ability to rewind time in some sections. That’s all before we even look at the portions of the world floating in the sky! I think I speak for all of us when I say despite how brief this trailer was, the new mechanics, the different areas of Hyrule’s vast map, the mystery surrounding the floating castle and undead Ganon are sights that everyone is eager to see with their own eyes.