Heading into the final day of E3 2021, there was a common sentiment going around social media: It was up to Nintendo to “save” this year’s show. That was no easy task. E3 has largely been underwhelming this year outside of Microsoft’s mega-showcase. Placing all of one’s hopes and dreams on a company that often delivers uneven digital showcases felt like a recipe for disappointment. No matter how much Nintendo tried to set expectations in advance, fans were already setting themselves up for failure the night before as Mario Kart 9 trended on Twitter.
Against all odds, Nintendo delivered. The company put on its best Direct showcase in years with tons of surprises. Breath of the Wild 2 was the big reveal, but it was far from the most exciting announcement. Metroid Dread was a genuine shock, bringing a new original 2D Metroid to the Switch. We saw new a Wario Ware, Mario Party, Advance Wars, and way more. It was a mile-a-minute show, so here are all the biggest announcements.
Breath of the Wild 2 finally gets new footage
Nintendo finally showed off new footage from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, and it looks stunning. The game is set two years after the events of the first game and appears to feature much more verticality. The game’s world has been expanded to include areas in the sky. We saw clips of Link skydiving through the air and standing on a structure well above Hyrule. The game is launching sometime in 2022.
That wasn’t all for Zelda news. Nintendo is making a special edition Zelda Game & Watch that includes the first two NES Zelda games and Link’s Awakening. it’ll launch on November 12. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is also getting its first wave of DLC on June 18. It adds a Battle Tested Guardian as a playable character.
Metroid Dread is Nintendo’s E3 shocker
Metroid Dread is a new Metroid game coming October 8, making it the first original 2D Metroid game in 19 years. It’s very much in the style of Nintendo 3DS title Metroid: Samus Returns and features a high-tech setting that’s reminiscent of games like Metroid Fusion. The game is getting a new pair of amiibo as well. One features Samus in her new suit and the other is one of the game’s new E.M.M.I enemies.
Wario Ware: Get it Together features two-player co-op
The Wario Ware series is finally returning with Wario Ware: Get It Together! Like previous entries, the game features tons of microgames for players to try. It also features two-player co-op, which is a first for the series. The game comes to Switch on September 10.
Mario Party Superstars collects old games
Mario Party Superstars is a new collection featuring boards and minigames from previous Mario Party games. The game will feature full online play, which was missing from Super Mario Party at launch. It’ll land on Switch on October 29.
Smash Bros. Ultimate gets Kazuya from Tekken
We finally saw the next fighter coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Kazuya from the Tekken series joins the roster, bringing brawling gameplay and dragon powers. Nintendo will go over additional details on the fighter at a later date.
Shin Megami Tensei V’s release date is official
After leaking on Atlus’ website earlier this month, we finally have an official release date for Shin Megami Tensei V. The Switch game will launch on November 12. The game was one of the titles showcased at the Switch’s official reveal stream in 2017, making this a significant development for longtime Nintendo fans.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania remakes the first two games
The Super Monkey Ball series is returning with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania. The game is a remake of the first two titles in the series. It’ll be available on Nintendo Switch, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Advance Wars 1 + 2 remasters the GBA classics
Nintendo is remastering the original Advance Wars games as Advance Wars 1 +2: Re-Boot Camp. The game features totally new visuals and will hit Nintendo Switch on December 3.
Life is Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy come to Switch
Despite the Switch not getting mentioned during Square Enix’s show this week, it turns out two of the publisher’s biggest 2021 releases are coming to the console. Life is Strange: True Colors and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will both launch on the system. Life is Strange: Remastered Collection will also come to Switch sometime next year.
Mario Golf Super Rush will get post-launch content
Nintendo confirmed that the upcoming Mario Golf: Super Rush will get post-launch content, as has been the case with other Mario sports games. A quick glimpse at the DLC confirmed some new courses, including one based on Super Mario Odyssey‘s New Donk City.
Everything else …
- Worms Rumble is coming to Nintendo Switch
- Astria Ascending comes to Switch on September 30
- Two Point Campus is coming to Switch next year
- Just Dance 2022 is coming to Switch, naturally
- Cruisin Blast is a new racing game console exclusive coming this fall
- Dragon Ball Z Kakarot is getting a Switch port with new content on September 24
- Danganronpa Decadence collects the first three games in the series
- Strange Brigade is out on Switch today
- Doom Eternal‘s The Ancient Gods DLC is out on Switch today too
- Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is coming later this year
- Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope made another appearance
