by Jason Parker (Ragachak)
This isn’t all of the announcements, but a nice collection of our favorites.
We’ve been waiting with bated breath for a new Nintendo Direct, and while the theme of them seems to be that it can’t please everyone, the variety in this list of Nintendo announcements says that they sure did try. Sadly, we still didn’t get news on a new Animal Crossing, but we did get a wild lineup of games announced, and a few things silently dropped on the doorsteps of our Nintendo Switch. From a Tetris Battle Royale (seriously) to a remake of one of the most exciting Zelda games of all time, here’s everything we have on the latest Nintendo Direct. Tetris 99 is easily in my top three favorite announcements they made, as someone who thinks Battle Royale titles are dumb. But Tetris? Against 99 other players? There is no way that’s not exciting and fun. Marvel Ultimate Alliance: The Black Order also announced some new characters! The Guardians of the Galaxy, Falcon, Scarlet Witch and more join the “Ultimate Alliance” for the first time.
The other incredible, giant announcement for me was the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It’s got such a cute retro look, that reminded myself and Colton of 3D.GameHeroes. We’re also going to see another Super Mario Maker, in Super Mario Maker 2, and if it’s even half as good as the first, we’re in for an incredibly wild ride of stages to build and play through. I know GrandPoohBear has to be out there screaming in excitement . . . and some other emotions that we can’t describe on this channel. So that’s another thing to be excited for. This isn’t even all of it! We’ll include the entire Nintendo Direct below for you to watch. There’s also the new Fire Emblem to be excited for – Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which will bring the exciting turn-based combat and decision making of Fire Emblem to the Switch. Which house will you represent? I don’t have a pick yet, but I cannot wait. Without further ado, let’s get to some announcements!
Dragon Quest Builders 2 – Coming July 12th: Dragon Quest Builders is back, and much like the first one, it’s based on one of the original Dragon Quest trilogy. Up to four players can work together online and build truly magnificent creations, players will be able to travel this world in fun ways, create farms, and only you can defeat the Children of Hargon. The Children of Hargon (from Dragon Quest II) have outlawed all building, cooking, and creation of things. So it’s up to you to put them in their place and rebuild civilization. The player washes up on the island of Awakening with only the mysterious, spirited Malroth with them. What’s the worst that could happen? This will also be arriving on the Playstation 4 at the same time.
Oninaki Coming Summer 2019 from Tokyo RPG Factory – From the team that brought us I Am Setsuna and LOST SPHEAR comes a new experience, based on the Japanese RPGs of old, to create a brand new experience. The player will explore this mysterious world as a Watcher named Kagachi, bound by duty to sever the bonds that tie the Lost to this world. Kagachi’s goal is to see that these souls go to the world of the Beyond and can thus continue their process of reincarnation. I absolutely adored I Am Setsuna, and the aesthetic of Oninaki is solid. I can’t wait for this to come out later in the summer for Switch, PS4, and Steam later in the year.
Dead by Daylight Coming to the Switch in Fall 2019 – The classic survival horror game is coming to the Nintendo Switch, and right in time for Halloween it seems! This brand new edition of Dead by Daylight will come with a ton of content – chapters, killers, survivors, maps and cosmetics. This partnership with Behavior Interactive and Koch Media will bring it to all territories, except China. Dead by Daylight is an incredible killer-and-survivors experience, so it should be a lot of fun to take on the go and play online with your friends.
“Bringing Dead by Daylight to the Nintendo Switch is yet another milestone in the game’s history and a personal dream of mine. Very soon, players will be able to bring their game along and continue serving the Entity on the bus, at work or at home. We are thrilled to be teaming up with Koch Media for the first time. I believe this is the beginning of a very fruitful partnership.” said Stephen Mulrooney, Senior Vice-President, Behaviour Interactive.
Rune Factory 4 Special Confirmed for the Switch: Rune Factory 4 sold over 250,000 copies in America as of the end of 2018, making it one of their most successful titles of all time. With that in mind, XSEED announced that while there is no date set yet, Rune Factory 4 Special is coming to the Nintendo Switch. This will be a fully-remastered version of Rune Factory 4, and is exclusively coming to the Nintendo Switch. Catchs ome fish, grow vegetables, cook up a storm, raise some monsters, and maybe even find love. What an appropriate announcement for Valentine’s Day. We don’t have a date yet, but it is coming.
Bandai Namco Announces ‘Disney Tsum Tsum Festival” for the Switch: The Disney Tsum Tsum toys took the world by storm, and in 2019, those adorable little toys will be available to control in a game from Bandai Namco. A roster of beloved characters, from Mickey/Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen and more can do battle with each other in intense party games. Up to four players can play in house, or online with other Tsum Tsum fans, bringing what could be the biggest party game to date to the Nintendo Switch. The classic mobile Disney Tsum Tsum puzzle game will also be included.
“Extending the beloved Tsum Tsum franchise to Nintendo Switch in DISNEY TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL enables players to interact with their favorite stuffed toys in a brand-new way, wherever, and whenever,” said Kristeen Laut, Brand Manager at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “We hope that the ability to create a party with Nintendo Switch will encourage players to invite friends and family to connect, have fun, and bond over not only their love of Tsum Tsum, but also their love of all things Disney and Pixar together.”
Bloodstained Release Window Announced – Summer 2019: Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night finally has a release window! It’s coming this summer, and we could not be more excited. They also revealed a new trailer (below) that shows off the Inverted Castle in this tribute to the series that Igarashi made famous – Castlevania. The Inverted Castle will gift players the ability to transpose gameplay and explore the castle upside down. Igavania is coming to the Nintendo Switch, and we also learned that there will be secret playable characters, bsides Miriam. If there were ever to be a tribute game to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, this is the one, and it’s one of the games I’m most looking forward to in 2019.
