The latest Nintendo Direct has concluded and there sure were some exciting announcements, particularly for Switch fans. Let’s get to it!
Switch
- Bethesda not only announced a release date for the highly anticipated Switch version of Skyrim, but they announced that Doom and Wolfenstein 2 : The New Colossus will be coming to the platform as well.
- Skyrim releases on November 17th.
- Doom releases in late 2017
- Wolfenstein 2 will release in 2018
- “Arcade Archives” is a new service that will bring classic arcade hits to the Switch starting with the original Mario Brothers on September 27th.
- Fire Emblem Warriors arrives on October 20th.
- Snipperclips Plus : Cut it Out arrives on November 10th as DLC for the original title or a stand alone title.
- Arena of Valor, a MOBA by Tencent, will launch in 2018 but a beta will launch this Winter.
- Dragon Quest Builders is coming in Spring of 2018.
- Kirby Star Allies is coming in Spring of 2018.
- Project Octopath Traveler, a new RPG from Square-Enix’s Bravely Default team, is coming in 2018. A demo is available today.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will receive a special edition retailing for $99.99 and includes several collectibles. A special edition Pro controller will also be released.
- Super Mario Odyssey arrives on October 27th with a special edition Switch bundle retailing for $379.99. It includes red Joy-Cons and an Odyssey themed carrying case.
- SMO will contain a snapshot mode allowing you to take your favorite screenshots throughout the mushroom kingdom.
2DS / 3DS
- Minecraft has been released for the New 2DS / 3DS. You can find it in the Eshop now.
- Three RPGs from legendary developer Atlus will arrive on the DS in early 2018 : The Alliance Alive, Radiant Historia, and Strange Journey Redux.
- A new Mario Party featuring 100 of the most famous mini-games will release on November 10th.
- Two new 2DS XL models were announced, an orange and white model, and a Pokeball model. The orange model will be available October 6th and the Pokeball model on November 3rd.
Amiibo
- Overall, 11 new Amiibo were announced over the course of the show. You can find pictures of each of them with the associated release dates below.
Our Take
This was one of the more exciting Nintendo Direct presentations. By far our favorite part was the announcement of Doom and Wolfenstein 2 for the Switch. Not only is this a sign that 3rd party support is continuing to grow for the Switch, but seeing as both are considered highly mature titles, we take it as a sign that Nintendo’s policies may be evolving as well which is encouraging. Octopath Traveler is a fantastic surprise and it’s great to see Kirby will be arriving early in 2018 as well.
DS support continues to be fantastic and with three Atlus RPGs coming in 2018 it will continue to be played heavily. We would also bet the new Pokeball 2DS XL will sell very well.
Lastly, Amiibo collectors have a lot to look forward to and seeing as most of these upcoming ones are based on Breath of the Wild and Odyssey, we know they will be highly sought after.
We’re still waiting to hear more about the Switch Online service and missing App support as those continue to be huge concerns for us. We also didn’t hear anything about the possible achievement system that is being considered. But otherwise, we’re excited for the games that were shown. Let us know your thoughts on the show!
