Nintendo Direct E3 2021 Roundup

Nintendo really kept us waiting, being one of the last presentations for this year’s E3. While rumours online said that there wouldn’t be any exciting announcements during this fourty minute showcase, I have to say that my personal expectations were met. We were shown some updates on existing and already announced games as well as some completely new announcements.

It wouldn’t be a proper Nintendo Direct without a new character announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The next character joining the game’s massive roster is none other than Tekken‘s own Kazuya Mishima. The footage we saw of him looked great, and of course there will be a new rendition of Sakurai Presents on June 28th.

There’s good news for fans of the Life is Strange-series. Both Life is Strange Remastered and True Colors will be coming to the Nintendo Switch this year. The same goes for the newly announced Guardians of the Galaxy, which will be coming to the console in a cloud-based version. Next up is Worms Rumble, the battle-royale game of the beloved franchise, releasing on June 23rd.

We also got a new trailer for the gorgeous game Astria Ascending – The Fated Eight, developed by Artisan Studios. It is coming to the Nintendo Switch as well as all other platforms on September 30th. Two Point Campus, developed by the people who brought us Two Point Hospital, will also be coming to the console some time next year.

AiAi and friends are back! Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, which includes Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe is releasing October 5th on the Nintendo Switch. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on this collection and dive back into the banana-collecting madness.

There were a couple of new announcements I didn’t expect at all for this year’s presentation. The first one is Mario Party Superstars, a new game in the series with five remastered boards from the Nintendo 64-era as well as 100 minigames from the entire series’ catalogue. Another positive is that there are no motion controls required! On top of that, all of the game modes support online play, either with your friends or via matchmaking. I grew up on the original Mario Party games for the Nintendo 64, so I can’t help but feel incredibly excited about this one.

The second rather unexpected announcement for me was Metroid Dread, the fifth game in the main series that seems to be on the darker side of things. It seems that stress-inducing chase-sequences are included. The game will be releasing on October 8th of this year alongside a set of two new Amiibo – Samus and the new enemy-type E.M.M.I.

It surely wouldn’t be a year of video games without a new game in the Just Dance series. Just Dance 2022, including 40 brand new songs is coming to the Nintendo Switch on November 4th.

Cruis’n Blast, a very colorful racing game with nearly 30 tracks including an over-the-top soundtrack and 23 custom rides. You’ll be able to drive licensed supercars, and things like monster trucks and unicorns releases this fall, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

Next up we have Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, dubbed the most accurate retelling of Goku’s story. The game, including both of the A new Power Awakens DLC-Packs, is coming to Nintendo’s console on September 24th.

Nintendo enjoys reminding us of upcoming games just as much as the next developer, so of course we got some more trailers for Mario Golf: Super Rush as well as Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. Mario Golf is releasing on June 25th with some upcoming free updates already announced. Monster Hunter Stories 2 will release a bit later on July 9th, with a free demo available starting on June 25th.

Another big surprise for me was the announcement of WarioWare: Get It Together, which is releasing on September 10th. I’m a huge fan of the series and haven’t missed a single installment, and the new game already looks like just as much fun as the others. In this new game, you have different playable characters to choose from, all of which approach the several micro-games differently. On top of that, WarioWare: Get It Together includes a co-op mode you can enjoy with a friend.

I still haven’t played a single game in the Shin Megami Tensei series but I know this announcement of Shin Megami Tensei V, has made a lot of fans happy. The game looks really good and I might actually pick it up myself when it releases on the Nintendo Switch on November 12th.

One of my favorite video game series is coming to the Nintendo Switch! I’m talking about Danganronpa Decadence, a collection of all three mainline titles as well as Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp as a standalone title. While I already own and have played all of these games, I might still have to pick up this physical-only collection even if just for the swag. I definitely want the poster or art prints that come with it when it arrives later this year.

A game I’m pretty sure nobody was expecting at all is Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, the sequel to the renowned psychological horror game, which is scheduled to release later this year. I’m personally not a fan of scary games myself, but this might be one of those titles I’ll watch someone play online, with all my lights turned on, of course.

For those who’ve been enjoying the gory and incredibly fun Doom Eternal on the Nintendo Switch, the first DLC The Ancient Gods – Part One is available now. So get back to shootin’ demons to an incredibly fitting soundtrack! If you’re a fan of skating games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 are coming to the Nintendo Switch on June 25th.

The 1-4 player third-person adventure Strange Brigade which has you solving puzzles and fighting all sorts of enemies can be enjoyed on the Nintendo Switch right now. A game you’ll have to wait a little longer for is Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, the sequel to the XCOM-esque Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, is scheduled to come out some time in the next year.

As a big fan of the original games, I cannot wait for Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp on the Switch. This remaster of both games that comes with somewhat of a visual overhaul while still retaining the charisma of the originals is coming December 3rd and I will try my best to stay patient until then.

The first wave of DLC for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Pulse of the Ancients is finally arriving on June 18th, including a new playable character (the Battle-tested guardian) and some new weapons, like Link’s flail or Zelda’s Master Cycle! This was followed by another quick reminder that the port of Skyward Sword is coming in about a month on July 16th.

For the collectors among you, a The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch is releasing on November 12th. It includes the first two mainline titles as well as Link’s Awakening, and of course a clock-feature as well as a special Link-version of the game VERMIN.

Last but most certainly not least, we finally got a new look at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. The trailer shows off some of the new environments, as well as some really cool-looking abilities that will help Link on his journey through Hyrule once more. We even got the info that this game’s aimed release date lies somewhere in the next year. With how gorgeous this looks, I really think I might have to give the first game another go.