This week we had the first major Nintendo Direct of the year and, well, it was packed with surprises and reveals. It's clear that Nintendo has also successfully plugged most — if not all — leaks, with quite a few of the announcements not appearing beforehand with the usual rumours and speculation; the show was all the more fun for it, too.
With 30 games featured in the western broadcasts, it was almost frantic in terms of announcements (especially in the first 10 minutes), and there was a mix of older franchises being revived alongside current big-hitters. There was also a rather charming segment that reminded us of the Iwata-san era of Directs, in which our hosts loosened up and demonstrated a bit of Nintendo Switch Sports. Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi were conscious of not overstaying their welcome and quick to return to new announcements, serving up a well-judged slice of old-school Nintendo levity that we enjoyed very much.
It was a showcase that also stuck quite rigidly to its focus on the first half of this year, fleshing out the release schedule to a significant degree. As a result games that are due further down the road — the likes of Bayonetta 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 — did not feature at all. On the plus side, the next Direct is sure to be rather exciting as well.
If you need a reminder of all the details, our big ol' summary is below.
The general reaction among our team was varying degrees of 'wow' and 'finally!'. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC is long overdue, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was an open secret but looks exciting, more Fire Emblem Warriors can't hurt, Karby was a thing, Mario Strikers is back; the list goes on and on. There were also a couple of 'out now' reveals (GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon and the Triangle Strategy Prologue Demo) to keep us busy in the meantime. Oh, and EarthBound!
Lots to mull over, then, and now the dust has settled a little we're curious as to what you think. Drop some votes in the polls below and sound off in the comments!
Comments (142)
There was a lot I wasn't super excited about but Xenoblade alone makes it amazing and Mario Strikers and Mario Kart is icing on the cake.
MARIO KART 8 LIVES I CANT BELIEVE IT.
Very good overall as well.
Can’t believe we’re actually getting Portal. I know it’s old, but I’ve never had a system to play it on. Strikers was a nice surprise too.
It did make me want to give the Xenoblade games another chance
I wouldn't call it S tier because it was focused on the first half of the year and the heavy hitters usually come in the second half, but it is absolutely an A tier. However, I do believe this will be an S tier year when we also find out the rest of this year's lineup. As I said in another article:
They had something for everyone here, and this was 95% games coming out by summer, meaning they got a lot more in store for us for the second half of the year.
Casual players? More than double the Mario Kart tracks, included in NSO+, reasonable price otherwise. Baby Mode for Metroid Dread. SWITCH SPORTS with great looking avatars for 2022 (let's be real, Miis look very outdated). NEW Mario Strikers with a huge focus on online play.
Hardcore players? Xenoblade Chronicles 3, evidently the highest budget JRPG Nintendo has ever developed. Looks just unreal. A new Fire Emblem Warriors game that looks miles better than the previous one. 3 absolutely fantastic deep cuts from Square Enix's back catalog, each of them with dozens of hours of content. Two of them remade from the ground up - I have no words!
They even showed the base NSO service some love with Earthbound and Mother. And even more value to NSO expansion pack of course with MK8D course pack.
And this is not even counting most of the 3rd party games they announced. I could see No Man's Sky and Portal being very successful on Switch, NMS in particular honestly looks great for a native Switch game, I thought it was a cloud version at first. Oh, and Klonoa 1&2 remakes? Just lovely stuff.
This was the best Direct in a while. I had more than a few audible gasps during the announcements.
@Mattock1987 You should, they have some of the best story in gaming in my opinion. Xenoblade 2 in particular starts quite slow, but they do ramp up and get very exciting, they are quite in-depth gameplay wise too, especially 2. And ideally you do want to play 1&2 before this one, even though I'm sure it won't be strictly necessary.
I thought that Direct was a perfect year-starter. It had a lot of announcements that I loved and it still feels like they are leaving more for later Directs. Solid 9/10 for me.
It was really excellent. Lots of good stuff
(but not much for me personally).
Definitely one of the strongest directs recently. Quite a few announcements that really spoke to me, such as Mario Strikers and Chrono Cross.
I feel like MK8D DLC is Nintendo's replacement for the Smash DLC packs.
It feels like they are trying to push NSO really, really hard by including DLC in the expansion pass, not to mention, showing off lots of online multiplayer games such as the Wii (Nintendo, but really Wii) Sports game and Splatoon 3's Salmon Run. Admittedly, and regrettably, I feel they are starting to make the pass more worthwhile, but it still has the problem for me of not keeping the content when subscription ends. I might suffer for it, but I am still not coming back to NSO.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 excites me in theory as it seems to have quite a bit of connection to 1, but I still cannot convince myself to play 2; I just cannot gel with the battle system.
Somewhat surprised they didn't smash Breath of the Wild 2 news in our face. I am not personally excited for it, but given the reputation, I was expecting to hear about it. Also, no Pokemon which surprised me.
I was hoping for a new Fire Emblem and kind of got it with Three Hopes? I like it in theory, more than Age of Calamity as I quite enjoyed the world of Three Houses. That said, I did not enjoy the first Fire Emblem Warriors all that much, so cautiously looking forward to it. I am also kind of concerned that the story situation will be similar to Age of Calamity. Those who have played will know what I mean.
Still no F-Zero or Wario Land... get it together Nintendo.
Overall though, pretty good. Even now, remembering smaller announcements like Force Unleashed coming to Switch. And almost forgot Klonoa, which really came out of left field for me.
Xenoblade? Seriously? Well, to each their own.
I think it was the best Direct of recent times. There were at least 10 games that excited me: Triangle Strategy (already pre-ordered), Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Earthbound, Earthbound Beginnings, Chrono Cross, Live a Live, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (I'd prefer a canonical FE, but Three Houses deserves the "musou" treatment), Advance Wars 1+2, Front Mission 1st: Remake and the DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
I was also happy with the return of Mario Strikers and the Sports series.
Overall it was pretty good. I walked away happy to see Fire Emblem even if it's not a real Fire Emblem. Front Mission coming back was a great surprise. Kirby continued to look impressive. Mario Kart massive DLC is great to see at a great price.
So yup good stuff Nintendo.
It was pretty good, a lot of RPG and SRPGs which I like. Mario Kart DLC is bitter sweet because I really want that new entry already since I'm not the biggest fan of 8 for variety of reasons, but 48 extra stages isn't bad at all.
Live a Live remake was the king in this one, that was not something I was expecting to see. It's really bizarre how Squeenix continues to mishandle Final Fantasy all the time but all their smaller side projects are so awesome.
Ports ahoy!
Nothing of any real note besides XC3 and Mario Strikers. Yet another disappointing Direct.
Fire Emblem
Xenoblade 3
Mario Strikers
Live a Live
Chrono Cross
MK8 DLC
Front Mission
All great announcements. Hyped for these in particular.
The only things that did nothing to me were the longest ones - Splatoon and especially Sports. Just don't care at all about them
Solid A.
Lots of surprise announcements, expanded news for existing announcements, and a really nice selection of multiplayer fun for both local and online. Great stuff!
Also, really nice to see re-releases of obscure and/or never-released-outside-Japan titles, because it's very nice to play these games without spending $400 on ebay!
Live A Live was the highlight for me... long have I wanted to play that one. Really took me by surprise.
@Joriss Xenoblade has been shaping up to be a premier Nintendo franchise in the last few years. Inclusion of Pyra/Mythra in Smash pretty much solidified this. Shulk could be a one-off but having two entirely different characters means Nintendo really wants this series to get big.
But where are my GBA games? I want Golden Sun, Nintendo!
It unfortunately had very little for me, but that appears to be gaming in general at the moment. I am most looking forward to Elden Ring so far this year.
@Ooyah Likewise, I almost feel bad for people that had no idea what this game was and couldn't feel the hype. But to me even if I didn't know what the game is, it looks just awesome in this new style. I wouldn't even expect this in my wildest dreams, what a deep cut it was. And fully remade no less, not just a port or ROM.
What are people talking about with the Salmon Run music? I hardly even noticed it. Also, Mario Strikers is ridiculously hype for me
@Mattock1987
Xenoblade 2 has some hiccups to get over including a very jarring tone compared to the first game, a slow introduction to the mechanics at the start of the game and a "gacha" mechanic introduced that was frustrating to say the least.
However, it's still a joy to experience once you've fully invested yourself.
I'm personally a bigger fan of the first game (Definitive Edition now) as its story and characters are much more grounded, yet still with those enjoyable light-hearted moments to enjoy and a battle system that feels good once you've learned the ropes.
Xenoblade 3 to me looks like a return to a tone similar to the first game as opposed to how anime the 2nd game was, which is a plus in my books. I'd definitely play through them all if you have the time.
mario kart 8 release date:
29 may 2014
I was pretty disappointed until the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 trailer dropped. No BOTW2 or Bayonetta 3 and I was really hoping for a true Fire Emblem game from the leaks.
Have to give it an amazing rating. If not this, I don't know what direct I could give that to.
Best announcement was Strikers and I don't care about the Splatoon music?
Chrono Cross was my personal highlight. I'm also very excited for the old Square RPGs that are getting remakes.
Kirby is looking better than ever. Xenoblade 3 is definitely on my radar despite hating the second one.
And honestly, I'm all aboard for Mario Kart DLC. I may actually buy the game this weekend to get started on the packed in courses.
Big first-party reveals that excited a lot of fans, a few surprise ports, a few welcome remakes of inaccessible older Square-Enix titles, DLC support for Mario Kart 8, a trial for Triangle Strategy, and several reminders of many of the excellent games coming out this year... it was a really solid direct. Not the best ever, but definitely one that lived up to expectations.
There were a few gems, but most of the exciting stuff was either remakes, ports or games we already knew about. Xenoblade 3 looks great, and I finally just finished the second game, so I’m ready to go when that releases. Doubling the size of Mario Kart 8 (for essentially free if you’re a subscriber) was the overall winner for me. All in all, I was entertained and there will definitely be things to play this year, but I’m kind of ok if we get a slower year, because I’ve got quite a backlog.
It was just missing Breath of the Wild 2 for me to be a 10/10 Direct
Very excited for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as the series is has pretty much established itself as one of the best jrpg series out there now. The Live A Live remake also pleasantly surprised me because it uses the same engine that Octopath Traveller uses. I am interested in how the No Man's Sky port turns out because if it runs better than I expect I may have to pick it up even though I already have the PS4 version.
@Troll_Decimator Well I envy those who greatly enjoy them games because I gave Xenoblade DE a go and end up trading it back in.
Not gonna lie, this was one of my favorite directs ever. Klonoa alone made it one of my favorite directs ever, but Live A Live, Chrono Cross, the Mario Kart DLC, Mario Strikers, Nintendo Switch Sports, Xenoblade, and the new trailers for Splatoon and Kirby definitely helped out.
As busy a Direct as I can remember. Especially impressive given the ongoing after effects of Covid.
Personal highlights were MK8D DLC, Mario Strikers, Switch sports, Klonoa and a reminder that Advance Wars is still coming soon.
What’s funny is on this very site there was an article a while back about a potential Mario Dynasty game and under it I commented that I would love a Sequel to FE Warriors with three houses characters more than anything and now it’s finally happening and I’m super excited 😆!
Best direct we had yet in terms of volume alone and as a RPG fan this was God tier!!!
P.s: I don't I need to say what game I almost cried about and yelled at top of my lungs when they revealed a release date of 2022
The Direct was definitely an interesting one. Obviously, not over the top, but very good.
Said this in the other article. Bur 7/10. Didn't blow me away, was kinda mediocre until xc3. To be honest though, it was a gut punch expecting a new FE game and getting a warriors spin off lol. That's probably why I felt a little sour throughout the direct.
It was pretty decent and quite a few decent games shown, this is nintnedo showing how it's done in terms of showing new games with gameplay and keep good pacing so we don't lose interest, which is something certain other companies should take note of
Live a Live is the game I never knew existed that I now must have, properly wowed by that. I'm not even an RPG fan.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Xenoblade 3, Metroid Dread Update, Mario Strikers, Front Mission games we're my highlights for this Direct
Nintendo Switch Sports looks alright, a little disappointed that we won't get more sports until Fall, but definitely Day 1 buy because of Bowling and Tennis. Soccer looks like Nintendo's take on Rocket League but with Humans/Miis instead of Cars. and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC looks interesting.
Can’t complain
No Man’s Sky announced for the Switch. Meanwhile, Minecraft Dungeons struggles to maintain a steady frame rate.
The irony is not lost on me.
One of the best of all time since I'm a big Mario Kart and Xenoblade fan
Also good to see that I'm not the only one who thought that the music during Splatoon 3 was aweful lol
I've never played the Xenoblade Chronicles series, but have heard good stuff about it.
Mario Strikers might be a day one for us, as it will probably be a super solid local multiplayer game, + it has online, and I'm guessing is coming from Next Level Games.
I was glad to see Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, especially the fact it appears they're porting the Wii version which had the local multiplayer in it.
I'm still not sure about Kirby, as I just have never gotten into that series, despite us owning several Kirby titles in the house.
Switch Sports was kind of, "Meh", to me, but I'm guessing it'll be a decent enough option, especially if the bowling is solid and tennis. Just hope the Joy-Cons work as well as the Wii Remotes did.
Splatoon 3 I'm guessing will be super solid, as they've had basically 5 years to work on this one, or at least flesh out ideas and make it better than the previous two, which were solid.
The Portal bundle I'm kind of interested in, because I've never played and beaten either of the Portal games, but with getting a Steam Deck possibly soon, I might be looking at that route for any of the Portal games.
The Metroid Dread announcement was met with good reception in our house from the Metroid fan. Boss Rush mode seems like a smart idea, and making the game easier, so that maybe more players finish it, I think is a good thing.
Now, we just wait for the Metroid Prime Trilogy HD remaster news, with the Metroid Prime 4 news.
Still waiting on the New Switch/Super Switch/Switch Pro announcement, but realized that Nintendo often reveals or announces new systems after Directs like this.
I'm thinking like E3 last year, then in July they revealed the Switch OLED. Hoping that might be the case here, because if they're really stretching out the OG/OLED Switch until 2024, that's just odd to me as I feel like some of Nintendo's very own first party published games could run/look just a bit better if the system had a slight bump in power.
BUT, I'm kind of glad they didn't announce a New Switch, because that means I can just hold onto my Steam Deck reservation and have another awesome handheld/docked system in the house.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty solid showcase of games. Was there a single FPS game shown though? Oh, the one thing that SUCKED, I literally bought EarthBound on my Wii U 2 weeks ago, using some points I had on the eShop and NOW Nintendo announces EarthBound as part of the NSO..........
Splatoon 3 music really deserved a dedicated question.
I enjoyed it, but it continued the trend across all formats in recent years of being packed full of remasters and re-releases of old games, and I feel like we've got to the point now where we're getting remasters of games that weren't even top tier in their day (like Force Unleashed).
@Samuel-Flutter Agreed. What really grabbed me was the Nintendo stuff looks incredible (more mario kart, Switch Sports, Kirby looks incredible) but the third party stuff they have is awesome as well. Klonoa and Chrono Chross. Wow what a direct.
@Fizza It's more than alive, with 40 million sales, and WAY more coming because of the DLC.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC's reveal and GetsuFumaDen surprise release were my favorite announcements.
I'm up for Mario Strikers. That'll be fun.
Special moves being awarded 2 goals is bs though. I'll be raging if I'm one up, then someone pulls that out in the dying seconds and beats me by one.
I thought it was a good Nintendo Direct. I have no idea why some reviewers are so down on it.
I am excited about:
The only thing that I had ZERO interest in was the Kingdom Hearts cloud version. I will NEVER pay for a cloud version of any game. That is such a very, very bad road that the industry is going down. You are NOT buying a game if you are paying for a cloud version. All you are doing is OVER PAYING to RENT a game until such time that they decide to stop providing it.
Giving a summary of my proper thoughts on the Direct, I think it was solid. You'll never be able to please everyone, but even before my personal favourite announcement, it felt like a fair and varied assortment of things for someone somewhere to get pumped about.
"Triangle Strategy" was a project title that sounds like a project title even today and I can only imagine that they thought it would work just because it worked for Octopath.
That aside, it still looks like good fun, so I suppose that's all that matters in the end.
(1/2)
That was until I realised this is 48 REMADE TRACKS.
That's essentially a whole extra Mario Kart game in itself bundled into the the main game. I understand these are "old" tracks, but people need to remember that Mario Kart 8 REALLY makes all these feel brand new. It quickly rose to my top ranking announcements for this Direct due to the sheer content this introduces.
I have far too much to say about this series, so I'll try to keep this short: Best announcement for the entire Direct for me.
I am in LOVE with how Monolith Soft builds both worlds and their stories. Whether it's a new IP or a continuation into the Xenoblade name, I will be excited for it if Monolith Soft is charging the helm.
Absolutely in love with the first 3 games plus their extras/expansions. September can't come soon enough. I'm ready to see more already.
(2/2)
A ton of great announcements. Salmon Run returning. New Mario Strikers. Live A Live. 48 Mario Kart tracks. More Kirby details,. But my favorite announcement was the return of Klonoa
Solid 9 out of 10. Absolutely wonderful direct and I enjoyed the presentation even if not everything was for me- but let's be real, who ever likes everything within a single direct not focused on a singular game or series?
the MK8 DLC announcement was a smart way to give the NSO expansion some legitimacy
It was ok, nothing major but a handful of solid games we will probably get eventually. I'd give it 7 overall.
Easily the best direct of the year.
What, we're two months in?
Don't care, best direct of the year.
@MS7000 If you couldn't gel with 2's battle system, I recommend trying Torna at least. It has a completely unique battle system that's much better than 2's IMO.
@Joriss I appreciate the envy
Very good Direct, as always, with many announcements, new (or classic) games and new content. I like the new content for Mario Kart 8, it's really worth it, and it gives an upgrade to the idea of getting the NSO expansion.
Also the new Wii Sports, I mean Switch Sports, now the Miis have a new redesign in this game.
Kirby the new game looks more and more striking and the "Disney Kart" looks very interesting, a continuity to Mickey speedway USA was already expected.
Really many surprises ^^
...
however, and as always, "some" "fans" acting like little children and tantrums, we have the 2 Earthbound, there is already an expansion to MK8, Mario Strikers returns and other classics, and many very interesting games and even so, some people keep doing drama and whining.... are you serious?, please be mature and enjoy the games. ^^
Excuse my complaint, but seriously, many sad things in the world, to sour something good like this Direct that was very good
@Kyranosaurus Just to inflate you a little more again about Fire Emblem, this is pretty much the longest we've waited for a new mainline entry, this can only mean good things about its scope, budget, production values. We haven't heard anything from the Fire Emblem team, so it's guaranteed they are working on a new one. This hypes me beyond belief for the next Fire Emblem.
I'm just glad I'm back with nintendo and this was actually my 1st direct since 2018 Mario strikers was the game of the direct for me it was a nice surprise.
Underwhelmed.
There was a lot in there, including a decent number of surprises, but as always the impact of some of them (XC3, Chrono Cross, Klonoa) were undermined by the Rumour Mill, and many of the others just aren’t really my sorta thing.
Was excited by the Dread logo, just to see it’s new modes that I’ll never use.
Was excited by Kart 8, but “LOTS of old courses” isn’t as cool as the “old AND NEW courses AND NEW CHARACTERS” the Wii U original received. Yeah, I’m just ungrateful.
“Nintendo Switch Sports” is an unnecessarily clumsy title. I appreciate I’m no expert, but are Badminton and Volleyball really distinct enough from Tennis to justify including them over, say, Baseball, Boxing, Frisbee, Archery, Basketball, Cycling or Canoeing? What’s with the new avatars? The Switch has Miis! But the volleyball demo was hilariously lame, so there’s that…
Never clicked with Mario Strikers, though it’s nice to see the series return. Mario Baseball for summer 2023?
Portal was the nicest surprise for me - I’ve got the first on Steam but haven’t got round to playing it yet. Don’t mind double-dipping for the right price.
Overall I think it was a good Direct, it’s just very little of it resonated with me. Portal, Kirby (which I skipped through to avoid spoilers) and maybe Klonoa.
It was pretty great as far as I was concerned! Super excited for Kirby, the Mario Kart DLC, Xenoblade 3, the Triangle Strategy demo, Splatoon and even Fire Emblem Warriors since from the trailer it looks like it's going to follow a fifth 'everyone banding together' route. If the first half of the year is this packed, we're in for an awesome autumn in terms of Nintendo releases!
Excellent direct. Nintendo did a whole bunch of left-field Nintendo things.
Fire Emblem Warriors was a great pick to start the show and should be fun for fans of the series.
The Advance Wars stuff is pretty cool and makes it worth buying for me.
Amazingly, every single one of the third party announcements was at least decent and didn’t last too long. Portal and No Man’s Sky in particular were highlights for me.
Mario Strikers is an excellent revival of a series I didn’t think would be revived. It should have been Punch-Out, but this is fine too.
Chrono Cross and Live a Live on Switch look cool for fans of the series.
Switch Sports is okay and slightly better than 1-2 Switch, but I can’t help but feel that something is missing.
Having an extensive Triangle Strategy demo is a good idea and makes me want to try it out.
EarthBound is one of the last great games to be denied entry to the Nintendo Online platform, so that was pretty nice!
Mario Kart DLC is amazing, and this essentially constitutes a Mario Kart game. I would have liked tracks that take advantage of the antigravity, or just new tracks in general, but it looks like just straight remasters, which is slightly disappointing, but it does add value to the Expansion Pack.
Finally, Xenoblade 3 looks cool and makes me want to give the other games a shot on Switch.
Overall, a great direct. No earth-shattering reveals except for Mario Strikers, but no real duds either.
8.5/10
In the end, I thought it was a solid Direct. I have to admit twice my blood boiled a little, but patience paid off. I don’t think I would have led with FE: Three Houses. My initial reaction was…not another Dynasty Warriors.
The other irritation was when I thought we were getting just 8 DLC tracks for Mario Kart 8. When it was finally unveiled it was 48 tracks, I was pleasantly surprised. I do think this was a message that the next Mario Kart will not come until the next system comes.
Klanoa was nice to see. The games are solid platformers. I look forward to enjoying them again.
The jury is still out on Nintendo Switch Sports for me. I loved Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. I’m not sure why only seven sports were announced. I’m hoping this gets more added over time. I’ll get it, but I want a little more from it.
There was just too much to go game by game. I’d say it was a grade A performance. At the end of the day, I don’t think there was a lot for me. Switch is heavy on RPG, and that’s not my style. However, I on now a lot of people like them so I’d think you would’ve had a real good time with this one.
As an aside if they didn’t announce Mother 3 with this one, I don’t know if they ever will.
@Eddyson Yep, MK8 DLC until the end of 2023 was telegraphing MK9 for the 10 year anniversary on Switch 2. Unless we get MK8D Complete first, then MK9 in 2027. I'm kind of giving up on MK at this point, there are other games to play, like all those PS1 ports.😂
It was a Zelda update short of amazing, but incredibly solid. It wasn't just 40 minutes, it was 40 minutes chock full of updates on new games and existing ones. It was hard to keep up with all of the information Nintendo presented. Xenoblade looks incredible, and I can't believe we're getting a reboot of Wii Sports. And more tracks for Mario Kart 8!? What!? It was an excellent Direct.
@BenAV
The cake is a lie.
Seriously though, great direct!
So many good games to look forward to from the direct don’t think I’ll be having any gaming drought for the rest of the year. I voted Fire Emblem Three Hopes but just as excited for Switch Sports, Kirby, and Mario Kart. Some under the radar games like Live A Live, Mario strikers, and Advance wars to try out to!
It was very disappointing Nintendo Direct for me. Almost no interesting games for me from the trailer.
I have absolutely Zero interest with Fire Emblem, Xenoblade 3, Splatoon 3, Mario Strikers (I hate soccer!), Star Wars, Cup head, Earthbound, Triangle Strategy, Advance Wars, Live a Live, Metroid, No Man Sky, Chrono Cross, Front Mission, etc. I will never like games like that.
Nintendo Switch Sports was disappointing for No Boxing on it.
Kirby and Klonoa were not really convincing enough for me. Still need more observation.
The only good thing were Two Point Campus, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC but i am not in hurry to play the DLC at the moment.
It was really bad so I gave 1 from 10. 😒
I have never felt so disappointed like this.
I'm still taking it all in, so much to.digest. 5PM was a bad time for me.
Overall feeling -
Nintendo has run out of Wii U games to port, I think there were 3 PS1 games in there. Plus old games like Portal. Though it's nice to get Japanese only games. I still can't believe the EU never got Chrono Cross, that game was great.
Covid affect on Nintendo - Switch is 5 years old and only now getting Wii Sports, Strikers and MK DLC? Each of those should have been 2 or 3 years ago or near launch titles, not as some of us ate ready for next gen. Which means...
With MK8 DLC going until the end of 2023 we won't see MK9 until 2024 the earliest, and probably not Switch 2 either. Harder to say if we get a Pro to fill the power gap later this year, but Nintendo may be serious about Switch going 10 years.
Where's Chocobo GP? 4 weeks from today, still not dated on the US store or eShop. Direct had MK dlc tracks a week later and free Disney racing this summer. Squenix had link 5 games n there, it couldn't squeeze in 1 more? Really odd.
No BotW2 or Bayonetta 3 was a slight bummer but ND was so full already, and XC3 gets the spotlight.
Heck even Mario v Rabbids 2 was missing and that has to be soon, and its Mario. That's how full the ND, several games were missing and it's still full.
I think I need to watch it again, calmly, not driving my kid everywhere while I cook dinner. Worth another look.
It's funny, I'm generally the person who defends Directs from people who think they were bad, but I personally thought this Direct wasn't that great. There weren't any massive announcements I'm really looking forward too. I'm excited to play Earthbound and Portal for the first time, and I'll probably get Xenoblade Chronicles and Three Houses finally, but there wasn't any completely amazing games in my opinion. Nintendo Switch Sports was probably the best reveal if you ask me. To be fair, Mario Strikers and Mario Kart don't interest me at all, and those were two of the big ones.
Also, I wonder if people enjoyed it because none of it was leaked. It would prove my theory....
@Kyranosaurus I will always defend Xenoblade 2's anime shounen vibe. That was exactly what they were going for because Tetsuya Takahashi had been writing heavy games based around high-minded sci-fi, philosophical and psychological musings with meditations on religion and faith since the original Xenogears in the mid-90s... I don't blame him for wanting to do something different and a bit more straightforward and more hopeful. I actually love the story for Xenoblade 2 and it gets so dark at times...
I cannot wait for Xenoblade 3, I do hope to a degree it does not lose that playfulness Xenoblade 2 had.
Seen better, seen worse.
I wonder if with the reveal of MK8 DLC people will finally stop asking for a Switch Pro. Dispite the fact Nintendo has confirmed it won't be coming any time soon thrice now.
So glad the MK8 DLC was £24 for all 48 tracks.. did anyone else worry it was £25 for each set of 8 at first..
A solid Nintendo Direct I'd give it an 9/10 just for Mario Strikers: Battle League Football. I expected something in Xenoblade series to be announced so Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is not surprising. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes caught me unawares. I'm looking forward to it and hope it won't be as disappointing as Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity.
@rjejr I honestly see this Direct as Nintendo eyeing the prize of the Switch becoming the best selling home console of all time by the end of its lifecycle. Considering by the end of the year, it will probably leapfrog the PS4, and the Original Gameboy family is massive for this company. If they keep stuffing the Switch with quality software, they might not need to release a Switch successor till 2023/2024. The fact Sony put MLB the Show and seeing the Playstation logo on a Nintendo Switch game is still one of the oddest things I've ever seen. But, it also shows just how appealing the Switch is from a publisher standpoint.
Since I could only pick one in the poll… I was most excited for Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes as well as Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, the Cuphead DLC, SD Gundam, Live A Live and, of course, Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
I did immediately download the Triangle Strategy demo as well as GetsuFumaDen
Portal and Portal 2 on Switch is a mic dropper.
I've been waiting TEN. LONG. YEARS. to see this day. I bought a Vita at launch expecting it to get Portal and Portal 2, but it never did.
I do have a Steamdeck coming, but now I can play 2 of the greatest video games of all time on Switch OLED!
Xenoblade 3, Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes, Mario Strikers, Switch Sports and all the rest was just a cherry on top.
6/10-ish for me. The best looking games were revealed in previous Directs. Have a feeling Arceus may be Switch’s GOTY already based on what I had seen. Hopefully BotW2 is featured in the summer.
@Troll_Decimator Really??? Did you???
@MS7000 good stuff!
Klonoa, Kirby, Mario Kart and Earthbound were my highlights. I'm not super interested in Strikers or Splatoon, but hopefully their announcement makes way for a new 3D Mario in the future.
The Portal announcement was hilarious. Really didn't see that coming.
Also the Assassin's Creed trilogy looks cool, but it seems the physical version only comes with ACII loaded and the rest are download.
I thought it was really good and Nintendo is already looking at a very good year.
For me, Pokémon, Kirby, Strikers, No Man's Sky, Portal, Xenoblade, Mario DLC, Splatoon, Advance Wars and unless plans change Zelda, Mario and Rabbids and Bayonetta.
More than enough to keep me happy and that is only the 1st direct of the year.
Pls reprint Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Standouts for me were:
Klonoa wins. 10/10
Come on, only like 27 people thought Klonoa was the best announcement? (I’ll just assume the rest placed it at number 2 lol.) Now don’t forget to actually buy it this summer! 😃
And bemused and baffled voter here. But really, it was… just really refreshing! In a world of generic orchestrations and rock riffs, it was just so nice to hear something DIFFERENT! 😌 A very nice quirky and modern arcadey vibe.
Really glade to see zombie army 4 coming to switch
The trilogy was really good
And fire emblem warriors was a good surprise special that its out soon as well.
Advance wars hopefully be good I have not played the first one.
Was not to inpressed with dls for Mario kart as this is still a wii u game I was hoping they would do number 9.
Kirby looks good but I all ways like kirby but never get around to get any.
As a hole the direct was prity good
Reading some of the negative comments elsewhere online, some people set themselves up to be disappointed.
Zelda at a February direct when E3 season is 4 months away? What did they expect.
Mario Kart 9, when 8 still sells rediculously strong and has a high attach rate. Nintendo have no need for Mario Kart 9, yet.
Metroid. It's been absent for ages, so why expect that direct will be the one.
If you don't manage your expectations before you go in, you won't get as much out.
It was alot better than I expected. Very surprised.
Best bits:
Mario Strikers
Klonea x2
Kirby and the Forgotten Land looks amazing
Metroid Dread updates look good - I'm still yet to play the game but will get it shortly.
Mario Kart Courses DLC is just what I wanted. 48 courses over 2 years will keep me playing it, brilliant news!! It makes the expansion subscription worth the money now in my view.
So very impressed overall. 9/10
@Troll_Decimator I'm right up there with you. Of course I can't stop my disappointment of simply wishing it was the new one, however I'm well aware and can only anticipate what this means for the actual next entry. I'll hold my hype until we see something, but it's certainly hell of a thing to think about.
@Wexter I don't dislike shonen or vibes similar, and I didn't particularly "dislike" what Xenoblade 2 did either. I know what they were going for. However I just feel as something named Xenoblade 2, and being a fan since the original Wii game, I couldn't help but feel that whiplash in tonal change with the light-hearted moments and general characterisation being far different to the prequel.
I'm not saying it's wrong to try something new either, but it was certainly something that... took me a while to get used to.
But don't get me wrong; I'm not saying "no fun allowed" or anything silly like that.
The original Xenoblade still had it's strong moments of playfulness, hell a lot of it was in the post-battle dialogue and who could forget Heropon Riki's debut???
I suppose all I'm saying it that I hope Xenoblade 3 balances that playfulness a little bit better. The last thing I want is characters that are devoid of humour, but I don't want comedic tropes to overshadow how people see the characters either, because although the gang in Xenoblade 2 are far deeper than people give credit for, the game unfortunately has a built reputation of surface level generic anime tropes to that of the games that came before it. It's hard to describe what I mean without going fully into each example with an essay.
But I do still love XC2 just so we're clear.
B+. Great variety. A bit heavy on RPGs and sports titles, but some solid titles coming out.
A solid 9.5/10
I actually screamed when they revealed klonoa because I always wanted to try it out.
Also live a live I’ve always been a big RPG fan so seeing a game that never got a release in the states get release in the us is always a joy! What stops it from being a full 10/10
Is the fact that genshin impact sadly wasn’t in it but it was still a pretty solid direct! (Also ignore anti matter)
Really, really good. It's a good thing I don't have other expensive hobbies or I'd be broke 😅
Three hopes I really didn't expect so that's the highlight for me.
@Kyranosaurus That's cool! I'm more worried about the idea of Monolith overcorrecting as they have a history of doing it. But, tone-wise, I'm more hoping for Torna The Golden Country. The story is serious and heavy, but there is still that sense of levity to it... even though, let's be honest, no one got a happy ending.
As far as Xenoblade 3 goes, I really believe something special can be done with it. I hope it caps off a "trilogy" and gives nice full closure to the endings of Xenoblade and Xenoblade 2, and answers what happens next. Plus, there is Future Connected and I wonder how that expansion plays into everything. I'm very excited about this game! I just hope they don't go too heavy with it, as based on that trailer, it easily could go that way.
Sidenote I really hope they haven't forgotten about Xenoblade X! I really want a Xenoblade X2 and get answers about the whole Black Knight thing that was teased in the ending, Elma's co-pilot and WTF happened regarding Lao. So much potential that I hope they go back there at some point.
I started and ended with games I don't personally care for but overall I thought it was great!
Mario Strikers was a surprise I didn't realise I wanted! Kirby just goes from strength to strength. Splatoon 3 is shaping up nicely. I'm hoping the Klonoa remakes are as good as I remember playing them on my friends Playstation many years ago. Live A Live has me curious. Cuphead yes please! Lego Brawls I'm interested in seeing more. Portal I'm excited to replay! No man's Sky I was impressed by! Earthbound is awesome!
I'm still torn on MK8D DLC. It's all old tracks and I already spent like £70 on the WiiU for it and the DLC...do I really want to spend that again for it on Switch with old track remasters?
I'm kind of glad it's over, but i do miss that feeling of "will this be a trailer or Smash announcement?"!
I loved it. No interest in the RPGs, was disturbed by but enjoyed the new Kirby footage. The surprises for me were Portal 1/2, No Man's Sky, Mario Strikers, and MK8D DLC. I've already played both Portal games to bits on Steam and if I get No Man's Sky it'll be on Steam too, but it was cool to see them both running on the Switch (No Man's Sky looked to be performing impressively). Mario Strikers made my jaw drop, more on my friend's behalf than mine but looking into it I may very well get it if I can find people to play with. MK8D DLC was the biggest thing for me, was not expecting it at ALL and I've already preordered. MK is one of my favorite games.
Mentioned it already, but I'm sUper excited for the next Kirby game. I love the series so much, and already loving 3D platforms it's almost certainly a day 1 purchase for me, as long as reviews show that they've done a good job matching the Kirby mechanics to 3D space. I don't have any serious concerns though.
Oh, the Switch Sports surprised me too. I doubt I'll get it but it's really cool to see them finally making it.
I was mightily impressed. So much content that they didn't even have to mention BOTW2! And the MK8 tracks being free for N64 subscribers is a classy kind of bone to throw to those of us who felt gouged by the initial value proposition - especially those of us who don't have Animal Crossing.
I was most impressed by the coup of No Man's Sky and Portal. But since I already have those on PC, I'm mostly psyched about Chrono Cross! PS1 classics on my Switch, yes please! Especially ones like these which never came out in my region.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Mario Kart DLC, Portal Collection, Klonoa Collection, Live a Live, voice acting and map editor confirmed for Advance Wars. Really good direct. The best one in the past two years.
If I went back In time and told you we were getting portal on the switch, a new mario striker's, wii sports making a comeback,earthbound on top of mario kart 8 tracks, and xenoblade 3, you wouldn't believe me....and thats a darn good thing.
@Troll_Decimator Mii's wouldn't appear that outdated if they incorporated the Miitopia customization improvements! I was hoping that's what Nintendo would do, but nope.
But overall I like the look of Nintendo Switch Sports, even though the Wii fan in me wishes they named it Mii Sports. Wii is one of my favorite words ever, and Mii is just an inverted W. Still marvel at the ingenuity
I loved the Direct! So many fun announcements, and big surprises! I was never expecting No Man's Sky, Portal, Live A Live, Chronograph Cross, Klonoa, etc etc. Kirby's mouthful mode was hilarious, and Xenoblade 3 rounding out the Direct was mesmerizing! This year truly will be an amazing year for Nintendo, comparable to 2017
Amazing Direct, easy 5/5 in my eyes.
Xenoblade 3 was the highlight. So many other titles too, new FE Warriors, TONS of MK8 content etc.
That was one of the best Directs I've ever watched. Lots of content and a good amount of game diversity to appeal to more people. The pacing was rapid and fairly concise as well. Nice surprise at the end with Mario Kart.
I certainly was not expecting Live a Live, and the fan patch has been on my backlog for years, so that was my big twist of the Direct
I've been gushing in all the individual articles so I won't rehash here. My question is: Why didn't the poll record my response?! Should be a 1% next to Taiko no Tatusjin now....
Earthbound + more Kirby details were a highlight. Would have liked more Zelda and Metroid but at least the Dread updates were something
This direct was like an 8 out of 10 until switch sports. Then they spent like ten minutes on the game. That put it down to a 7. And Xeon blade put it to a 6. I get xenoblade has its fans but it is a 1 to 2 mil seller. Why would that be the big reveal at the end of the direct.even the Mario kart dlc would have been a better finish.
I'm old enough to remember that this time a year was reserved for smaller under-the-radar indie announcements leading into summer. All of the banger news was saved for the Fall season.
For a ho-hum month like February this seemed huge. It told me the rest of the year will be even hugerier.
Really enjoyed it.
would probably say live a live was the most exiting announcement though i also did love seeing the long rumoured klonoa collection being announced along with kirby as a car.
Xenoblade 3 also looking great (though hoping it doesnt have the issues 2 did in handheld mode)
Not sure what to think of it since I don't care about Xenoblade, Fire Emblem, the Warriors series in general or Splatoon (correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the music that played on the trailer from the first game or is it a new composition? I honestly only focused on the first notes and identified it as something I heard in Smash).
The highlights for me were Mario Strikers, Kirby, Metroid Dread updates, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, the Earthbounds on NSO, Advance Wars, Nintendo Switch Sports, Chrono Cross (would have like Trigger as well, but this is a game I haven't played yet), Portal (another game I haven't played) and Klonoa.
Well, Square-Enix will be getting my money for every one of these 2D-HD games releasing...
Triangle Strategy = Definitely
Live A Live = Yep
Dragon Quest III = For sure (if it ever gets a release date...)
@ch37
Me: "Oh gosh... this looks cool but I am not sure I need yet another JRPG at this time..."
~sees that a portion of the game is old west themed~
Me: "Whelp, looks like Square is getting more of my money come July."
Live A Live reveal has to be the biggest thing, even if the game is a little obscure. It was kind of a prototype for Chrono Trigger and what Octopath wanted to be. A truly unique game in its genre. If Toby Fox had a hand in this (Megalovania is directly inspired by Megalomania from Live A Live), that man is a hero.
I wager no other JRPG in this direct will be even half as good or unique.
Even with the abscence of important games like Bayonetta 3 and BoTW sequel, Nintendo still delivered one of the best Directs in history. Who knows what the next Direct will have, but the fact there were a lot of titles for the first half surprised me so much!
On the other hand, Pokémon was absent. Maybe there will be some updates for Pokémon Day?
Loved the direct, really excited for Kirby and Splatoon 3 most of all. Honestly I didn't even really notice the music in the Splatoon 3 trailer the first time I watched it (was watching on mobile, so my sound was probably kinda low), I had to watch it again to figure out what people were talking about. I love how it starts normal and just devolves into chaos, fits Salmon Run pretty well I think. Not sure what to think about Switch Sports yet, I don't think I'll get it, but I'll keep an eye on it. Happy to see the return of the Mario Strikers games, but I probably won't have the time to play it this year. Happy to see Earthbound + Earthbound Beginnings on NSO, but I'm still wanting Mother 3... I guess it's something. Triangle Strategy looks interesting, I'll try the demo. Front Mission also looks interesting, but I'm thinking it may come to PC, so I'll get it there. Live A Live doesn't look like a game I'd enjoy, so going to pass on it. Advance Wars looks great, not sure if I'm going to get it yet or not though, I have the originals. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 I'm interested in, but I've had a hard time getting into the series in the past, I think I'm going to give 2 another shot before considering picking up 3. Metroid Dread updates are welcome, I'm interested to see how Dread Mode might influence speedrunning. I never got to play any of the Klonoa games and they look right up my alley, so I'm definitely keeping an eye on those. Fire Emblem Warriors I will see what people say about it, getting tired of Dynasty Warriors type games, so probably going to be a pass. I don't really care about Chrono Cross, MLB, No Man's Sky or any of the others.
I didn't watch but Xenoblade 3 makes it amazing.
I'm surprised there isn't more enthusiasm, relatively, for Sports. It's been a long time coming. Definitely my favorite announcement, with Chrono Cross a close second.
I think it's great Live A Live is finally coming to the west.
No Zelda Silksong Bayonetta 3 or Pokémon Home info so as usual not surprised hence why I always keep my expectations in check. I am looking forward to Kirby and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 though, Klonoa was a nice surprise too so it wasn't to bad I suppose.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is my most anticipated game! I am so happy it’s coming soon!
Kirby was the most exciting part to me. Looks really fun. Even though I am obsessed with most Mario games, I have zero interest in Mario Strikers. Fun to see games like Chrono Cross and wii sports come to Switch. As for MK8 DLC I never actually bought MK8 but was going to buy Chocobo GP in March, so now I'm torn.
Overall, good direct with lots of surprises, although not many games for me personally.
I admit to not actually noticing the Splatoon 3 music, so I can't answer that question.
I would've liked it better without nintendo switch sports, that game actively crushed my dreams of having wuhu island explorable in HD on the switch. The reveal for Nintendo switch sports is probably the most disappointing thing for me in gaming in recent memory
@Ulysses Frankly they would look very outdated even if they did, just look at how much more modern the new avatars look, all the new shader effects on hair etc. The Miis look plastic like Playmobil.
I'm glad others thought the music was off in the Splatoon trailer. I thought I was just losing it.
No less than an A. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Nintendo Switch Sports, Mario Strikers: Battle League, Mario Kart 8 DLX DLC that effectively doubles the track count and then Kirby is looking like the best 3D platforming game on the Switch from Nintendo. The line-up for the Direct was so good I didn't even think of BOTW2 and Bayonetta 3 being no shows until I read comments after.
My biggest disappointment in the Direct goes to Splatoon 3, only because it killed some of the vibe after the reveal of the new Strikers game. Unless they add computers so that the multiplayer modes can be enjoyed without needing others, I don't know if Splatoon as a series will ever hook me. I didn't play Splatoon 2 that long before going back to ARMS, Mario Kart and BOTW.
Awesome direct far as I'm concerned, best one of 2022 so far.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Mario Kart Deluxe Bumper DLC were the highlights. There are so many up there that I will probably instabuy or I am at least very interested in. I like the fact I was surprised a fair few times this time.
It was a fantastic Direct. So many surprises (and I probably won’t have time for most games)
Most of the games I thought were going to be announced didn’t get a mention at all.
The next Direct , for 2nd half of the year will be huge
Portal and Klonoa made it a great direct for me.
Two games on the Direct list I've been waiting for since the last direct.
Two I've not heard of, but might give them a go.
But no surprise, new AAA game, unless you include Fire Emblem 3 wishes, and I'm not sure I do.
That Splatoon 3 music sure was chaotic!
Crying with joy !
Chrono Cross, Live A Live, Triangle Strategy epic trailer, Three Hopes, Xenoblade 3.........
Kirby sticking a car into that big gob of his was a highlight for me.
It was a pretty good Direct. I mean, there was Xenoblade chronicles 3, the Portal's coming to Switch, Klonoa 2 coming to Switch, a nice looking remake to Live a live. But no Bayonetta 3, wich is laughable. I think Tencent just killed Platinum games, as expected.
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