IN THE NEWS: Nintendo Direct Thoughts

Just weeks after the excellent PlayStation Showcase, it was finally time for Nintendo to provide its own display of upcoming games, downloadable content, and other expansions on Thursday through its Nintendo Direct. If you have not seen it, feel free to click on the video above. As an owner of a Nintendo Switch, I’m always looking to see if there is a game of interest on the horizon. Earlier this month, I bought Shadowverse: Champion’s Battle, which is a very engaging card battle game that also has an anime attached to it. I sometimes find it difficult to find titles to purchase on the platform because usually the superior version of a game is on PC or PS4, and there haven’t been many unique Switch exclusives to consider lately.

Don’t get me wrong. Nintendo’s exclusives consist of some of the best titles in the video game business. Any time Nintendo puts out a Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Donkey Kong, Super Smash Bros., or Mario Kart game, they are lucrative hits. But as someone who has been gaming for decades, I appreciate the Switch’s more unique exclusives such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. For someone like me who has played and seen so much, I find those games to be more refreshing. So was there anything from Nintendo Direct that caught my eye?

The biggest news to me was the implementation of Nintendo 64 games as part of an expanded Nintendo Online experience starting in late October. Nintendo Online currently allows subscribers to play a small library of NES and SNES for free as part of the service. The N64 expansion will be part of a new subscription tier with plans to include titles such as Super Mario 64, Starfox 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Mario Kart 64. More additions are expected in the future. Yet that’s not all. In a move that gamers who grew up in the 8 and 16-bit eras never saw coming, the new Nintendo Online membership option will also include a SEGA Genesis section that will launch with more than 10 games. Sonic 2, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Streets of Rage, and Golden Axe are just a few examples.

You have to give Nintendo a great deal of credit for this intelligent move. The addition of the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games shows that the company has a plan in place of how they want to evolve its online service. I would imagine that many people will upgrade their current memberships and pay more money for the Nintendo 64 collection alone. What will be interesting to see is whether Nintendo will eventually add games from the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and Wii. Nintendo Online has the capability of providing a service that spans several console generations. I am curious to see if it does indeed fulfill that potential.

I am sure that for many gamers, there was a great deal to be excited about when it came to game announcements. The recent Nintendo Direct highlighted upcoming titles such as Bayonetta 3, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Party Superstars, and Metroid Dread. New DLC was announced for Monster Hunter Rise, Animal Crossing, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Dying Light, Dying Light 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Disco Elysium: Final Cut are making their way to the Switch. If you’ve never played any of the four aforementioned games, you should definitely check them out. Dying Light is the best zombie game I’ve ever played. Actraiser Renaissance, an HD remaster of the SNES game where you play a god, released this week. I may have to check that one out because I have pleasant memories of Actraiser during its 16-bit heyday. The lineup was certainly strong. But one game piqued my interest above all: Triangle Strategy.

There had been little to no news about this game since the demo was released back in February. It’s a strategy RPG that fans of Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem will find very enjoyable. I plowed through the demo the first day it was available and remember craving more when I made it to the end. The demo was very effective in familiarizing me with the gameplay, game world, and story. I can not wait to sample the finished product. ArtDink, who developed Octopath Traveler, is also the studio behind Triangle Strategy. If the terrific work the company did with Octopath Traveler is any indication, Triangle Strategy is a game to watch in 2022. This Switch exclusive will be a definite buy for yours truly when it releases in March of next year.

It’s nice to finally give Nintendo some attention on the blog. Even though I predominately play on PC followed by the PS4 Pro, I still dedicate time to the Switch. I’m becoming more familiar with the world of Shadowverse and still working on completing Fire Emblem: Three Houses before the end of the year. I’m currently at 93 hours in Fire Emblem. In fact, I may play some Fire Emblem today. Have a great gaming weekend.

-LandoRigs (TVGA)
admin@videogamersadvocate.com

One Comment on “IN THE NEWS: Nintendo Direct Thoughts”

1. Which upcoming Nintendo Switch games are you most looking forward to?

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