September’s Nintendo Direct streamed to an audience of tens of thousands at 11pm UK time. In an on-brand move for Nintendo the online presentation was announced just over a day before it happened; the gaming company — justifiably, it turns out — expected its fans to rock up to the direct regardless of how much notice they were given.
The biggest reveals
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
The third, and from the looks of things the biggest, Monster Hunter Rise DLC kicked off the direct. Entitled Sunbreak, the franchise seems to be taking a gothic turn, with a crumbling castle housing a dark, moon-lit dragon that swoops down to attack the series’ most iconic monster, the rathalos. The add-on is set to release in the summer of 2022.
Kirby: The Forgotten Land
The next major reveal was the announcement of a new Kirby game. One of the few Nintendo all-stars that has received relatively frequent additions to his franchise, this new game, Kirby: The Forgotten Land appears to be mixing up the formula, with a Mario: Odyssey style 3D open world. Classic transformations make a return during the trailer, but much of this new game, set to release Spring 2022, seems, well, new. A nice surprise for Kirby fans.
Splatoon 3
The penultimate presentation of the night, Splatoon 3 was revealed in February with a look at character customisation and the style of the world. Now we have been given much more insight into the story, combat, and new mechanics/weapons, with a rather goofy but charming presentation by a ‘squid researcher.’ No specifics have been given as to a release, other than a window of next year.
Bayonetta 3
First announced way back in 2017, sporting nothing but a title screen, the Nintendo Direct wrapped up with the first in-depth look at the third entry in the Bayonetta series. Generic military men ineffectively faced off against a celestial behemoth until the titular protagonist charged in with the statement “it seems I’m unfashionably late”, an understatement directed towards those who have been waiting for a new installment for 16 years.
Content Updates
Super Smash Bros: Ultimate and Animal Crossing will be given their own directs on 5 October and an unspecified date in November respectively. The final DLC fighter is a hotly anticipated reveal.
Other content updates for Mario Golf and Hyrule Warriors will be released by the end of October.
Nintendo Switch Online
A new payment plan for their online subscription will include games from the N64 and Sega Genesis, including Contra and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is yet unknown how much more this plan will cost, nor the exact date in October it will become available.
Third Party Ports
Finally, several third party games will be leaping over to the Nintendo Switch, including Disco Elysium and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
September’s Direct will have satisfied many Nintendo fans, although with titles such as the new Breath of the Wild, Prime 4 and Pikmin 4 still lacking in detail, the next one will more than likely draw in just as big an audience.
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