Nintendo’s Direct video presentations are a perfect way to show off their upcoming games to fans, reviewers and even developers. It’s my personal favorite way to see a game presented for the first time. The March 8 Nintendo Direct held quite a few surprises, especially with the last teaser revealing that a Super Smash Bros. game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Even though surprises were added in, a few disappointments were included too.
HERE.The Switch is now a year old and although there are some great exclusive titles, many of the games released on this hybrid system are ports. And yet again, this video revealed more ports that frankly fell flat in my opinion. Dark Souls Remastered, Hyrule Warriors, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, and Okami for Switch, and Luigi’s Mansion for 3DS: all remakes that make for one lackluster lineup. Having remakes and ports on the Switch is perfectly understandable, but for me I look at it as a step backwards. Instead of these “remade” editions, I would like to see continuations of the franchises.
Imagine having a completely new Okami game on the Switch, one that embraces a new story yet still touches on the other two titles. New characters that are descendants of the original cast, or even the same characters that have a completely new objective, would be refreshing. I feel the same way about Luigi’s Mansion. I assumed another new story would be coming to the Switch that follows Dark Moon.
Another disappointment I have is the absence of Switch console bundles and Joy-Con color schemes. I am not the only one who is waiting for special editions of the Switch itself or for more Joy-Con colors to line the shelves of stores. It doesn’t seem as if it would make a difference, since a console is as good as the games released on it, but for gamers who love to collect, color and special edition options are just as fun as the games themselves.
After watching the entire direct, I can’t be too opinionated about what was presented, since Octopath Traveler was given some extra time to show off. This is the most exciting game from the presented titles, for me today. I adore JRPGs and have been hoping that more would be coming to the Switch. We’ve finally been given a release date for Octopath Traveler, and July 7 can hardly come soon enough. Square Enix’s developers have truly spent their time creating a visually enchanting game. The charm lies with the blend of HD-2D, pixel art and CG. The muted and brownish color tones gives this game an aura of a time long gone. The announcement of the Special Edition bundle is also great news for JRPG players, since we tend to want to have goodies with the physical games we buy.
The upcoming Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion looks like a fun addition to the already addictive game. Although the whole point of Splatoon is to enjoy playing against friends and foes, the story in this expansion appears to be a fun way to experience the Inkling. . . I mean the Octo . . . life through a specific character. Some of the images in the short music trailer give me the impression that a bit of a science fiction story line will be featured. This could even be the expansion that encourages those who have never played the game before into purchasing it. The new cool maps and rad gear will make this summer a wild one for Splatoon players.
On to the Super Smash Bros. teaser! This teaser trailer was hoped for by thousands, and actually witnessing an official teaser made those thousands extremely happy. Especially considering the promise of it being released later this year. The dark shadows of the characters alluded to Mario (possibly with his new side-kick, Cappy) and Link from Breath of the Wild (you can tell by his glorious hair). The only other info we have to go on is that Inklings will be included in the roster. Every Nintendo player loves the SSB series, so seeing a teaser for it before E3 was a complete treat to see. Hopefully, this will be an entirely NEW title with a real story that links the Nintendo worlds together in some way. Another hope of mine is that previous SSB amiibo will also work in either the same way or a new way with the Switch SSB game. Nintendo will most likely keep all other info safely hidden until this year’s E3, which is taking place in only a few short months.
If you missed the March 8 Nintendo Direct, you can watch it through Nintendo’s YouTube Channel. Don’t forget to let us hear your opinions about the presentation in the comment section below!