Nintendo held their first “Nintendo Direct” livestream of 2022 on Feb. 9. The 40-minute livestream was packed with upcoming game announcements, new downloadable content (DLC), and updates.
Fans of the “Fire Emblem” series will be delighted to hear Nintendo Direct opened with a trailer for “Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.” This game will be set in the same universe as the 2019 installment to the series, “Three Houses.”
Nintendo also revealed a few games that will be getting ported to the Switch in the upcoming months. The 2016 game “No Man’s Sky” will be coming to the Switch this summer. Fans of the “Portal” series can also look forward to both “Portal 1” and “Portal 2” coming to the Switch this year with the “Portal” Companion Collection.
The Direct dove into more detail on two upcoming games, showing off gameplay aspects for “Splatoon 3” and “Kirby and the Forgotten Land.”
“Splatoon” fans got an in-depth look at how the Salmon Run game mode will function in “Splatoon 3,” featuring new weapons, enemies, and quality-of-life updates to the game. “Splatoon 3” will be coming to the Switch sometime in 2022.
However, the newest “Kirby” game is fast-approaching, and Nintendo treated fans with a look into some of the new forms Kirby can take on in “the Forgotten Land,” called Mouthful Mode. These will function differently than the copy abilities “Kirby” fans are familiar with and will be available to Kirby, depending on the object he inhales.
Nintendo also showed off a bit of the story for “Kirby and the Forgotten Land.” The trailer explained Kirby will need to go and rescue Waddle Dees. As he saves more Waddle Dees, Waddle Dee Town will continue to grow, providing more resources to the player as they progress through the game.
Find out all “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” has to offer when it launches on March 25. Pre-orders are available now through the Nintendo eShop.
One of the most surprising aspects of the Nintendo Direct was the announcement of a new iteration of the “Wii Sports,” the best-selling game on the Wii. Fans of “Wii Sports” will see the return of some of the classic “Wii Sports” minigames, including tennis, bowling, and chambara.
Three new sports will be joining the line-up as well – soccer, badminton, and volleyball. For players who buy a physical copy of the game, it will come with a leg strap where you can play the Shootout mode for soccer, with intuitive kicking motions. The leg strap accessory will be available to purchase separately for people who buy a digital download version of “Nintendo Switch Sports.”
“Nintendo Switch Sports” will support local multiplayer for family and friends playing on one Switch and online multiplayer for all sports.
“Nintendo Switch Sports” will be launching on April 29. Nintendo already has two updates planned for the game in the summer and fall. They plan to add compatibility to play full soccer matches with the leg strap accessory in the summer. For now, players can get used to the leg strap accessory with Shootout mode. They are planning a second free update for the fall, which will add golf to the game.
Nintendo also held an online play test for “Nintendo Switch Sports” through Feb. 18 – 20. Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership could get a sneak peek at bowling, chambara, and tennis during set times.
One of the final announcements in the livestream was for the “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass.” This paid DLC will add 48 total new courses to the game by the end of 2023. Eight courses will be released at a time in six different waves.
The DLC will include a mix of remastered courses from past “Mario Kart” games and new courses. Wave one will feature Coconut Mall from the Wii, Choco Mountain from the N64, and Tokyo Blur from the mobile game.
Players with the Nintendo Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack can enjoy the DLC at no additional cost, but it will retail for $24.99 if bought separately. The DLC will release on March 18 and is available now for preorder.