Nintendo did what Nintendo does best and that is using a Direct to announce a bunch of awesome purchases for fans. Owners of both the Switch and the 3DS were shown a lot of love so, if you missed it, here is everything announced in that beautiful thirty-minute video.

Amiibo

Let’s start with the smallest, and possibly the best, little announcement for those fans of the Dark Souls franchise. Solaire of Astora in that renowned ‘Praise the Sun’ pose will be available for purchase as an amiibo. Now as far as what it does, well, it allows your in-game character to enact the pose at the touch of the amiibo. It isn’t much, but I don’t think its supposed to be, its meant for the amiibo collector and fans of the Souls franchise. Also, its awesome. So, my fellow undead, let us rejoice and, well, Praise the Sun.

Now, For the 3DS owners who have more than likely been the saving grace for Nintendo in their tumultuous times with the Wii U.

Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers

This little gem is a cross between action and tower defense as you play as the Red Flash Dillion and partner up with your Mii characters dressed as animals as you engage in strategic battles against transforming monsters. The game looks interesting and fun but if you are skeptical, there will be a demo available on May 10^th with the full release launching on May 24^th

Luigi’s Mansion

Back in 2001, Nintendo launched the Nintendo Gamecube and that new console launched with a unique take on the Mario franchise, Luigi’s Mansion. The title places you in control of Luigi, instead of Mario, and tasks you with traversing a haunted mansion in search of your plumber brother. The game was a classic and adored by fans but hasn’t been on another console, until now. The game did get a sequel on 3DS in 2013 titled Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. This remake will get a new Boss Rush mode and the map can be utilized by the touch screen. No release date given.

WarioWare Gold

It’s been five years, but he has returned. Wario comes to the 3DS with a whopping 300 microgames. 300?! Yes, 300. That’s almost a game per day. You can engage in the weirdness in this giant collection of games on August 3^rd. If you don’t know what makes the quirky WarioWare franchise so beloved, its because you engage in a series of tiny games in quick succession, usually last a coupe of seconds, and you lose a life when you mess up.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story

Releasing in 2019, the 3DS will be getting this role-playing game, as well as a new side story titled: Bowser Jr.’s Journey. This is a remake of the 2009 title and has you attempt to stop a disease known as “The Blorbs”, which causes infected Toads to balloon and roll around, that is spreading in the Mushroom Kingdom. The side story is to show behind the scenes of the main story. The game is said to have new visuals and gameplay elements.

And now, what the world has been waiting for. Let’s discuss those Switch releases.

Dark Souls

The last Direct, the mini Direct, ended with the reveal of the Dark Souls game coming to Switch on May 25^th. Well, on this one we not only got the amiibo but there was also an announcement of a network stress test. Don’t know what that is? Well, think of it like an online demo to make sure the servers will hold up and are functioning properly. No date was given, and more information will be coming soon.

Hyrule Warriors

Hyrule Warriors was launched on Wii U in 2014, becoming one of the best-selling games on the console, and then it received a port on 3DS in 2016 with added features. It was announced that it would be coming to Switch in 2018 but no date was given, and this new version is said to be the definitive version as it has all the content from both versions. Well, yesterday it was announced that we can play this final version on May 18^th.

Little Nightmares

Little Nightmares, the indie puzzle platformer with horror elements will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on May 18^th and will include all of the games downloadable content. You take on the role of Six, a hungry little girl, and guide her as she tries to escape the Maw and maneuver around creatures intent on ending her existence. The game has been universally praised for its atmosphere and graphics and, if you haven’t played it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Also, exclusive to Switch, you get a sweet Pacman inspired raincoat when using the Smash Bros amiibo.

Sushi Striker: Way of the Sushido

Coming to both the Switch and 3DS, Sushi Striker: Way of the Sushido has the player helping Musashi as he tries to end the tyrannical monopoly of the worlds sushi supply. Never step between man, or female, and his, or her, desire to eat raw fish as you can choose the gender of Musashi. The game has you match plates and fish as you eat sushi and eventually you build enough to launch an attack. The game allows you to form bonds with Sushi sprites to tag team your opponent and the game offers one versus one fighting via local play or online. Sushi Striker: Way of the Sushido launches on June 8^th.

Undertale

Highly critically acclaimed indie darling Undertale comes to Switch, well… eventually. The game was announced in comedic fashion and though there is no timetable for when it will grace Nintendo’s portable hybrid, the game has more than proved it is worth the wait. Toby Fox’s masterpiece has the player controlling a child who has fallen into the Underground and is about the journey to find a way back to the surface. Along the way the player encounters various creatures and monsters but instead of murdering them to proceed forward, you can seek to reach a peaceful resolution. Regardless of your choice, your actions affect the story and dialogue. This is a day one purchase for me and I recommend you pick up a copy when it launches and take this wonderful gem with you wherever you go.

Feel free to check our Undertale PC review here.

No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again

The No More Heroes franchise was birthed on the Nintendo platform back when the company launched the Wii. This release, however, is a stark departure from the prior two entries and is not considered a sequel, or third part, to series creator Goichi Suda. The game stars series protagonist, Travis, as he enters seven arcade games with the goal of reaching the end and facing off with a boss. The diversity in the games include genres such as Racing, Action, and Puzzles. Two player co-op was shown with the second player controlling Badman. No release date was given besides the tentative release window of 2018.

Okami HD

The beautiful sumi-e-inspired cel-shaded visualized water color-esque game returns, having been released on the Wii back in 2008 and recently re-released for Xbox One and Playstation 4, it will be on Nintendo Switch eShop this summer. The Zelda inspired game will bring the motion controls from the Wii version and when playing in handheld mode, the touch screen can be used to perform the paint gestures. The game places you in the role of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, as she takes on the form of a beautiful white wolf and with the aid of the Issun, your goal is to save the land that is in peril. It’s a wonderful story that’ll have you experiencing a plethora of emotions.

Octopath Traveler

The new Square Enix RPG was once again shown and this time given a release date of July 13^th. A trailer showcasing two new characters was presented. Tressa and Alfyn. With Tressa you can use the skill ‘Purchase’ which allows you to buy unique items from individuals encountered on your journey while Alfyn has the ability called ‘Inquire’, which allows him to uncover more information by connecting more deeply with characters. The Wayfarer’s Edition, the games collector’s edition, was also showcased and includes: the game, detailed cloth map, sound selections CD, a pop-up book of art, and a replica coin that is based on the currency the game’s world uses. A demo was also added to the eShop for those more curious on the game, I recommend you give it a download.

Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy

One year ago the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy was brought to the Playstation 4 and sold better than anyone could have ever expected from these remade Playstation 1 classics that put Naughty Dog on the map back in the 90’s. Since its release, and Activision’s love for money, rumblings have been all over the internet about the remake being ported to other consoles. Well, it seems the internet was correct as it was announced during the Direct that the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on July 10^th.* For those who are unfamiliar with the franchise, the N-Sane Trilogy includes the three games: Crash Bandicoot, Cortez Strikes Back, and Warped. Your goal in these games are to traverse through a series of levels in hopes of stopping Doctor Neo Cortex from achieving global conquest. These games are known for their difficulty and precise controls. These games are a blast and, for the first time, you can take it with you on the go.

 

---

Activision announced that the port will also be coming to Xbox One and PC

---

 

South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Ubisoft’s successful turn based RPG game based on the adult cartoon South Park will becoming to Nintendo Switch on April 24^th. It was also announced all DLC will NOT be included but will be available for purchase. South Park: The Fractured But Whole is a sequel to the extremely popular and successful South Park: The Stick Of Truth and is about Cartman and gang trying to build a successful superhero media franchise, poking fun at all the superhero movies, and what results are antics better played than said. Be warned there are some adult rated content in the game and that it is some of the most fun you’ll have in this extremely comical game that has deep gameplay mechanics.

Feel free to check our review here.

Kirby: Star Allies

It was announced that everyone’s favorite pink glutton will have some free updates to support the game when it launches on March 16^th. Along with King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee, you’ll also have Rick, Kine, And Coo coming in the first update and Marx and Gooey coming at a later date. Remember there is a demo on the eShop and the game supports local co-op. Having played the demo, I can confirm the franchise is still magical and a ton of fun.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

The wonderful Wii U title is the latest from the console to be ported to the more successful Nintendo Switch. It is also a game that deserves to be played as it is a nice, puzzle game that is such a beauty to play and experience. Sometimes Nintendo does new things with established characters and it pays off spectacularly and this is an example of that. You can experience this amazing game on July 13^th with added content such as a levels based on the amazing Super Mario Odyssey and a two player mode where the second player provides cover by shooting projectiles and protecting Toad from the enemies. It was also mentioned that there will be a version released for the financial behemoth known as the 3DS.

Mario Tennis Aces

On June 22^nd you can put on your tennis gear and join Mario and friends in the newest installment of the Mario Tennis franchise. A chunk of time was dedicated to this game showcasing a lot of the gameplay features available and strategies than can be implemented. It was announced there would be chance to play the game before it launches, it supports motion controls, and all forms of gameplay styles the Switch has at its disposal. They also showed that they have big plans for online multiplayer with a detailed tournament mode announced.

Splatoon 2

In a surprising move, Nintendo’s highly successful ink filled team based online multiplayer was revealed to be getting a ton of new content. Everything from the free 3.0 update that adds over 100 new items and gear, as well as new maps, and a new higher competitive rank of ‘X’. It was also revealed that the game would be getting its first paid expansion, at $20, and would include single player story content and the ability to be an Octo in the online multiplayer. This will be available this summer and adds new life to the already lively multiplayer.

And then the final reveal was shown and the world, the internet, rejoiced in exceeding joy as what everyone wanted was showcased.

Super Smash Bros.

The Direct ended with two inklings battling before being interrupted by the iconic Smash Bros logo in flames, confirming Inkling fighters are coming to the franchise. Also in the reveal, it showed Link but this time it was the one from arguably the greatest game ever released: Breath Of The Wild. To make things even better, a date was given. The date everyone wanted…