June 15th was the last day of E3 Expo 2021, and was also the most exciting day for many of us Nintendo fans, as they pulled an absolute win with their major Direct. Described as “roughly 40 minutes of info focused exclusively on Nintendo Switch software, mostly releasing in 2021,” many of us weren’t sure what to expect. Sure, rumors and speculation were circling throughout the fandom, but can you ever truly predict what Nintendo has up their sleeves?
Today, I just want to highlight some of the major breaking news we heard about in today’s Nintendo Direct, because as a lifelong fan of theirs, I have some thoughts.
These are just some of the upcoming games that I’m looking most forward to, and all opinions are entirely my own.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania – Available October 5th, 2021 for $39.99, physical copies only
Originally released as a classic arcade game back in 2001, the Super Monkey Ball franchise has been a fan-favorite, especially once it was released shortly after on the GameCube. Since then, several sequels and ports have been released, ranking it among the greatest as far as family game nights go.
Now, Nintendo surprised us all earlier when they released this new title for the Nintendo Switch, including over 300 stages from previous releases and 12 fun-filled minigames for the whole family to enjoy.
WarioWare: Get It Together! – Available September 10th, 2021 for $49.99
There was a little bit of buzzing throughout the internet about the possibility of Nintendo bringing back the WarioWare games. However, with the improvements made to bring it more into modern times, this game is sure to be a huge hit.
Infamous game designer, Wario himself, gets sucked into his own creation’s story mode. Now, players take on the role of Wario, able to take on over 200 minigames, and that’s not all – we have co-op! This new installment is sure to be a hilarious addition to game nights everywhere.
Mario Party Superstars – Available October 29th, 2021 for $59.99
Speaking of game nights, every Nintendo fan surely has memories with family and friends, all huddled together as they try to best each other in a game of Mario Party. I remember playing multiple titles on the GameCube, then on the Wii, and even now on the Nintendo Switch.
Now, Nintendo has taken five classic boards from the Nintendo 64 Mario Party games, 100 minigames from previous generations, and wrapped them all together in one single game that can be played via same-system, local wireless, or online play. Oh, I can just hear the loving screaming and laughter as my competitive family and friends all learn who the true winner is.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version – Available October 26th, 2021, price unlisted
Square Enix’s take on a Guardians of the Galaxy game was unveiled on Sunday during their E3 presentation. While definitely differing in visual style from what we previously know to be the heroes we know and love, it’s actually a hot take that I’m a fan of so far.
Players become Star-Lord in this action-adventure RPG as they explore the galaxy with their allies. Single player and from a third-person perspective, players can expect to make quick decisions that determine the story, while also dealing with the reactions from the likes of Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Drax themselves.
One thing to note: This is the Cloud Version, meaning all content is the same as it would be on any other platform, you’ll just need a constant high-speed internet connection in order to play.
I’m wrapping this up with the highly anticipated (and still untitled) sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We still have very little information regarding this next addition, but since its original announcement two years ago, Nintendo has been pretty tight-lipped, drumming up a well-deserving amount of hype.
Today, we finally got to see another look at it with a new teaser trailer, demonstrating some new in-game mechanics we can be expecting. From floating through hovering islands, soaring through the sky similar to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, new variations of enemies, and a mysterious mechanism on Link’s arm. Most importantly though, Nintendo stated that they are aiming for a release date sometime in 2022. I’m so beyond excited to see more information once released!
Now that isn’t all of the news we received in the Nintendo Direct, as we also received news about Metroid Dread, Life is Strange, Mario Golf: Super Rush, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and so many more.
Overall, Nintendo truly came out swinging on the last day of E3 2021. I kid you not, as soon as the Direct ended, I immediately went to my local GameStop to put in my pre-orders. These upcoming additions to my arsenal of Nintendo Switch games are beyond welcome, especially since we’ve all been anxious to hear what moves Nintendo is making. Now, we all patiently wait for the launch dates to arrive.
What upcoming Nintendo releases are you most looking forward to?
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