Nintendo has been killing it with upcoming game news and releases, with games such as the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes as well as the recently dropped “Pokemon Legends: Arceus”.  Though what could Nintendo do next to top this?

On the Ninth of February, 2022, we received a new Nintendo Direct that had kept us in touch with everything Up and Coming for the new year.  During this Direct we had received updates on new releases and updates for games that are scheduled to be released sometime in the future.  In a near hour-long timespan, I was strapped in, waiting for anything that had piqued my interest. I was always a fan of the Nintendo Directs, as they have always delivered quality news for Nintendo.  No leaks, no sort of way it can be ruined for the fans, as every chip would be put up for bets, and all cards were played then and there.  Let’s recap.

The first segment of the Direct had shown us a new Fire Emblem game, titled “Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes”.  This game is a spin-off of the previous Fire Emblem game, “Fire Emblem: Three Houses” It will feature returning characters from the game such as Dimitri, Claude, and the main character, Byleth. It is set to release on June 4th of this year.

After that, we received news on “Advance Wars 1+2: ReBoot Camp.”  This collection of both Advance Wars, and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising boasts updated graphics, voice acting for each character, a new map maker, online content, and a 4 player multiplayer mode for if you were to play with friends.  It has been pushed back from its December 2021 release and will now be available on April 8th, 2022.

Some of the smaller news that has been released includes the Indie Space Exploration game “No Man’s Sky” which is set to have a port onto the Switch, “Splatoon 3: Salmon Run” has been announced, “Front Mission 1” Remakes, “Klonoa 1”, and “Klonoa 2” are set to release on July 8th, “Portal: The Companion Collection”, featuring both “Portal” games are set to release sometime this year, a Disney/Pixar racing game is set in development and “EarthBound” and “EarthBound: Beginnings” has released on the Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES Emulators since the Nintendo Direct Livestream ended.

Onto the big shockers of the stream.  With the development of “Kirby and the Forgotten World,” there has been a massive update on game mechanics, and some people have already begun to love Kirby’s new forms. The game boasts a new “Mouthful Mode” which allows players to control Kirby as he inhales something that is too big for him to swallow.  These items can include a vending machine to blast soda cans at enemies, a scissor lift to reach high places, and the most well-known by the community, “Carby” when Kirby enters “Mouthful Mode” by inhaling a broken down car.  With each ability comes a different form, as Kirby cannot physically swallow what he is inhaling, so his body wraps around each object.  Less known is that the new Kirby game allows the player to upgrade their copy abilities, giving them more power.  Not too much has been said on this game mechanic, but hopefully, we receive more updates in future Directs.

And now a question, what would you get if you combined “Super Mario” with Soccer?  “Mario Strikers: Battle League” is the first game in 15 years from this franchise, boasting new game mechanics as well as online and local multiplayer updates.  The new form of ultimate moves comes in each of the characters’ Hyper Strike Abilities, where if it manages to make it into the goal, you not only score one point, you get 2.  You are also able to change each player’s gear to the specs of your playstyle, with each bit of gear updating stats such as strength, speed, and technique.  With the multiplayer modes, you can play with up to 8 players on one console, and with online multiplayer, you can create soccer clubs with up to 20 people on each club.  There will be a ranking system between clubs, and you climb the rankings by playing games with your club.  The game is set to release on June 10th, 2022, and you can preorder it today.

“Nintendo Switch Sports” takes the classic formula of the prior two Nintendo Sports titles and switches it up for a new experience that they believe everyone can enjoy.  With returning sports such as Tennis, Bowling, and Swordplay (Chambara), as well as new sports such as Badminton, Soccer, and Volleyball, this game has what it takes to become a household staple like the past few iterations. While it sickens me to say that the more popular sports such as Boxing and Baseball are being cut from the lineup, it makes me wonder why they insisted on making 3 different net-based sports.  Tennis has been there from the beginning, but the fact that they added Badminton to their roster.  Who on earth would play badminton over any of the sports I had previously mentioned? While it’s also set that Nintendo’s version of avatars named “Miis” would also possibly be cut from the game, the game has promise to be a much-needed casual game to play.  There is a beta pre-test going on right now, and the game is looking to release on April 29th of this year.

Lastly, some new “Mario Kart” news.  Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is planning on getting some downloadable content in the form of its “Booster Course” Until the end of 2023, over 6 waves of 8 courses each from past Mario Kart titles will be available for purchase.  This also is available if you purchase the Nintendo Switch online plan that also includes the Nintendo64 and Sega Genesis emulators.

So, my opinion on the direct? It has definitely left an impact on the Nintendo community for sure. I enjoyed the direct, as far as I’ve been a Nintendo gamer I would never expect anything like this to happen.  I’d keep an eye out for the new releases because who knows, we could possibly see more updates in the future.