Nintendo Directs are some of the most exciting events for video game announcements each year, sparking wild speculation, rumors, and predictions. With games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the horizon, 2022 is poised to be a busy year for Nintendo.
When announcing the Direct for February 9, 2022, Nintendo said it would highlight “roughly 40 minutes of information mainly focused on Nintendo Switch games launching in the first half of 2022.” When it arrived, we got a mix of new reveals, remasters, and revivals of classic Nintendo concepts.
From Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, this is every significant Nintendo Switch announcement made during the first Nintendo Direct of 2022.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes announced
The first reveal during today’s Nintendo Direct was Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. This intense action game is not only a follow-up to 2017’s Fire Emblem Warriors, but 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses as well. It will be released on June 24.
Mario Strikers: Battle League revives the classic sports spinoff
Mario Strikers: Battle League is a 5v5 soccer game with flashy Mario-inspired mechanics. It’s a successor to a sports spinoff series that has been dormant since the Wii era. Battle League supports online play, and players can form clubs with up to 20 players. It will be released on June 10, and it can be pre-ordered now.
Splatoon 3 debuts Salmon Run: Next Wave
Splatoon 3 made another appearance at today’s Nintendo Direct. It showcased a reworked version Splatoon 2‘s Salmon Run called Salmon Run: Next Wave. Players can now toss eggs to each other and will have to fight giant kaiju. Splatoon 3 will launch this summer, but is still without a release date.
Kirby is a car now
A new trailer for Kirby and the Forgotten Land debuted during the Nintendo Direct. In it, Nintendo debuted that oddly-named “Mouthful Mode.” By using this, Kirby can swallow large objects and gain new powers. Forms seen include Car Mouth, Vending Mouth, Cone Mouth, Scissor-Lift Mouth, Ring Mouth, Light-Bulb Mouth, Arch Mouth, Water-Ballon Mouth. It launches on March 25.
Portal: Companion Collection to puzzle Switch players soon
Ahead of the Steam Deck’s launch, Valve announced that Portal and Portal 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch. Portal: Companion Collection does not have a specific release window outside of “later this year,” but should still offer a nice alternative for those that can’t get their hands on a Steam Deck.
Nintendo returns to casual sports gaming with Nintendo Switch Sports
Nintendo is releasing a successor to the wildly popular Wii Sports with the motion-control-focused Nintendo Switch Sports. It features sports like tennis, bowling, chambara, soccer, volleyball, and badminton. Nintendo Switch Sports includes online play and will be released on April 29. Golf will be added to Nintendo Switch Sports this fall, and an online playtest will be held from February 18-20 for Nintendo Switch Online members.
Mario Kart 8 finally gets paid DLC
After almost five years of no post-launch support, the Booster Course Pass will add over 48 new courses to Mario Kart 8. It will cost $25, with the first courses available on March 18. It will be included in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is finally confirmed
The Nintendo Direct concluded with a new Xenoblade Chronicles game that will connect Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 2. It stars new characters named Noah and Mio as they deal with a war between the nations of Keves and Agnus. Developer MonolithSoft says the game’s main theme is “life.” It’s titled Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and will be released on September 22.
Everything Else:
- Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp launches April 8, 2022 and is available for pre-order.
- No Man’s Sky is coming to Nintendo Switch and will be released this summer.
- Front Mission 1st is getting remade for Nintendo Switch and will be released this summer.
- Front Mission 2 is also getting remade for Nintendo Switch.
- Disney Speedstorm is a new free-to-play racing game from Gameloft launching for Nintendo Switch.
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is getting remastered for Nintendo Switch and launches April 20.
- Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection launches on February 17.
- SD Gundam Battle Alliance is coming to Nintendo Switch.
- Chrono Cross is getting remaster that launches on April 7.
- Sony debuted gameplay for MLB The Show 22 for Nintendo Switch and reiterated that crossplay and cross-progression are supported. It will be released on April 5.
- Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series remasters the first two classic Klonoa games on July 8.
- Live A Live, the game that inspired Octopath Traveler, is finally getting localized with an HD-2D remake on July 22.
- Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival includes Megalovania and will be released later this year. It will have an in-game subscription service as well.
- Triangle Strategy got a new demo that lets you play through the third chapter of the game and carry over progress to the final release
- Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course was confirmed for Switch and launches this June.
- Metroid Dread got a new one-hit Dread mode and a more accessible Rookie Mode today. An April update will add Boss Rush.
- Earthbound and Earthbound Beginnings are coming to Nintendo Switch Online today. Still no Mother 3.
- Zombie Army 4: Dead War comes to Nintendo Switch on April 26.
- GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon will be available later today.
- Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles launches on June 10.
- LEGO Brawls launches on June 22, 2022.
- Two Points Campus launches on May 17.
