Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase July 2020 Recap

It is the start of another week and another Nintendo Direct presentation. This time, we have a short and sweet Nintendo Direct Mini. This one is the first of its kind, a Partner Showcase, which will be showing off games that were previously announced to be in development. There are only a few announcements but Nintendo has mentioned that there will be more of these presentations in the coming months for things fans are clamoring for. With that explanation out of the way, let’s dive right in shall we?

The first announcement pertained to Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda (what a title.) Cadence of Hyrule will be receiving 3 new DLC packs. DLC Pack 1 will be a character pack, including 5 characters with unique playstyles such as Impa, Shadow Link, and Shadow Zelda.

Pack 2 is known as the Melody Pack, which will add 39 songs to the game, including remixes of background music from the game. DLC Pack 3 is an additional story DLC titled Symphony of the Mask. In this DLC you will play as the Skull Kid (from Majora’s Mask) and play through a new story. Symphony of the Mask will also contain new songs as well.

It was also revealed that depending on Skull Kid’s mask, his abilities change. DLC Pack 1 is available now, while Pack 2 and Pack 3 will release at a later (currently unspecified) date, but before the end of October. A season pass is also now available so you can purchase all the DLC packs at the same time. The season pass contains bonus costumes for Link and Zelda, free with purchase. The last announcement for Cadence of Hyrule was that a version containing all the DLC will be available for purchase on October 23^rd.

Next up is an announcement for a game called Rogue Company. Rogue Company is an online multiplayer third-person shooter. You can play both casual and competitive game modes against other players, as well as playing against AI opponents. Your teammates can revive you if you fall, letting you get right back into the action. The developers of Rogue Company have made Cross-Platform play and Cross-Platform progression available from launch. That means you can play with friends on any console or play on multiple platforms yourself.

The direct mentioned that more info on Rogue Company was released yesterday, but this is all the direct itself contained. Rogue Company will be releasing in 2020 on PlayStation 4, PC, Switch, and Xbox One. It is a quirky, interesting game that makes me think of Watch Dogs for some reason. I’m interested in checking it out.

The next announcement was for WWE 2K Battlegrounds. It will be releasing on Switch on September 18^th, 2020, and contains stylized visuals that make the wrestlers look more cute than realistic. The visuals kind of feel like a cross between Stretch Armstrong (but not stretchy) and the POP Vinyls from Funko, which is an odd combination to me.

What also struck me as odd was that the footage that was pre-recorded showed two white male wrestlers, two black male wrestlers, and a female wrestler playing the game. However, we saw no in-game wrestlers of color or female wrestlers in the gameplay footage. It could be that they just didn’t show them off yet or it could be a sign that the roster should be more diverse.

The last half of the direct contained an announcement that I have been waiting for since the game was first announced back in January of 2017. Shin Megami Tensei V was finally revealed in more detail, along with a reveal for a remastered version of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. I have never actually gotten to play Nocturne myself, so this excited me greatly and I have been a fan of the Shin Megami Tensei series for a very long time.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster will be available in the Spring of 2021, barring any issues due to Covid-19 that is. Shin Megami Tensei V on the other hand, received a new trailer showcasing what I think is a female protagonist. It also revealed a 2021 worldwide simultaneous release for the game, which has me very excited. The visuals look beautiful, the enemy designs are well done, and if the game looks like that trailer at launch, it will definitely be a contender for 2021’s top RPG offerings.

They then wrapped up the show by reiterating that more partner showcases will be coming later on in the year, which I can only hope means that we’ll see Bayonetta 3 before long. It also bears mentioning that at the beginning of the presentation Nintendo mentioned that there could be delays due to Covid-19, so while the release dates are set, they may be subject to change.