Source: iMore
It’s been an exciting week, kicking off with the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase that revealed a slew of games coming to the Nintendo Switch this fall. Some of the titles we’re looking forward to are outlets like NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition and No Man’s Sky.
In other news, there is a rumor that the first Metroid Prime game is getting a remastered version of the Switch this holiday season and the second and third games will follow. Plus: A contributor asked Nintendo leaders about plans for older IPs, like F-Zero, that haven’t been touched on in a while. The answer was limited and encouraging. There’s more to discuss, so let’s dive in!
Nintendo Direct Mini Shows Several Games Coming To Switch This Fall
On Tuesday, we had the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase that ran for 25 minutes and gave us a look at upcoming Switch games. Although this isn’t the big Not-E3 Nintendo Direct many fans were hoping for, there is still some exciting news. You might want to make sure you have room on your best microSD card, because it turns out that plenty of new ports and games are coming to the Switch in October.
The big end was the reveal that three character games are coming to Switch starting with Persona 5 Royal on October 21, 2022. Considering that Atlus has already revealed these games for every other major platform, this isn’t too surprising. Despite this, I’m sure Persona fans are happy not to fall victim to any Twitter fakes regarding the games coming to the Switch.
In other news, NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition, No Man’s Sky, and A Plague Tale: Requiem – Cloud Version will all start switching in October. This fall will be crowded for Nintendo as you see how Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are already scheduled for a November 18th release as well.
It’s worth noting that No Man’s Sky, an open-world space adventure, will get a physical release but there’s also no mention of multiplayer in the official Switch announcement. At least for now, No Man’s Sky on Switch will be a single-player only game at launch.
Mario + Rabbids are taking new rides, but we’re looking forward to it
The Nintendo Direct Mini also showed off the gameplay for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, which we now know will release on October 20, 2022. This launch date was followed up the next day with a select Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope demo that lasted about 15 minutes and provided a closer look at New gameplay, which dispenses with turn-based battles as opposed to real-time combat action that still maintains the same tactical focus.
For anyone who’s been paying attention to Mario + Rabbids, it’s somewhat of a tradition (whether intentional or accidental) that information for the sequel leaks out before the big reveal. This was the case when Nintendo launched the official page right before the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct announced the game for the first time. This week, the release date was revealed on the Ubisoft website the day before the Direct Mini show but was later pulled until after the presentation ended.
Rumor: Metroid Prime port of switch may be coming this holiday season
Source: iMore
Jeff Grob, celebrity gaming journalist for Game Mess Mornings, stated that Metroid Prime Remastered is coming to Switch this holiday season to align with the series’ 20th anniversary (thanks, Nintendo Everything) and that it will only be the first game and not a rumored trilogy. Metroid Prime 2 and 3 are also meant to be primarily done, but Nintendo tends to stick with its final projects and release based on what makes sense in its release calendar.
If true, this is a great move that could help beat Samus fans who have been waiting for Metroid Prime 4 for what feels like an eternity. The game was announced in 2017, but then Nintendo stated in 2019 that it was not satisfied with the development of the game yet. This led to Nintendo canceling the work it had done and returning the project to the developer of the original Metroid Prime trilogy, Retro Studios. Because of the pandemic delays and starting over, we likely won’t get our fourth installment for another year or two.
Contributor buys stock to ask Nintendo about F-Zero and other old game IPs
Source: Nintendo
After the Nintendo Direct Mini, Nintendo held a Q&A with its shareholders and one of the questions raised concerns whether or not the company has plans for new titles or reworks of old games. He is said to have specifically asked about F-Zero, Baten Kaitos, and Wario Land among others (thanks, VGC). The Nintendo chief clarified that the company cannot create sequels “for every series that fans request.” However, he also noted that there was at least one remake in the pipeline and he couldn’t talk about it before moving forward with the meeting.
In terms of recreating old titles, we think of a wide variety of interesting ways to try new and old things. We’ve received a similar question before. At the time, we happened to have a new scheme, so we discussed it, but there are things I can’t say right now.”
Since then, momiji_manjyuu has come forward on Twitter and clarified that they are the contributors who asked this question during the meeting. Twitter users were quick to thank them for asking this question to which @momiji_manjyuu replied, “We’ve conveyed everyone’s thoughts and feelings!”
Despite being a relatively well-known racing series, F-Zero hasn’t had a new game in 18 years. At this point, many players only know Captain Falcon through Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The N64 game, F-Zero X, has arrived in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack over the past few months, but while it’s fun to relive the past, owning a new game will be immeasurably more exciting. The Switch had to reactivate the power to several Nintendo IPs, so who knows. We’ll probably see a remake of the F-Zero sometime soon.
What are you going to play this weekend?
Nintendo is now hosting a huge Big Ol sale where popular games can be found at up to 50% off through July 7. Some of the best deals are Super Mario Odyssey at 40% off, Astral Chain at 30% off, Death’s Door at 35% off, plus much more. Definitely worth a look here if you haven’t already.
As for this week’s new games, the Portal Companion Collection was released on Tuesday, bringing the two classic Valve games to Switch. These games defined a generation and are still fun today. Portal 2 supports two players on one system. If you’re looking for something a little more silly, Fall Guys has finally come to Switch and is free to play. Immerse yourself in exciting mini-games and compete against other players online to see who is the best.
Until next time.
- Rebecca Spear