Nintendo Hits A Home Run With Crowd-Pleasing Direct
By: Mithrandiel
Nintendo fans are in a state of sheer excitement and glee following today’s showcase, and for good reason. There are a number of factors that should have made today’s Direct a bit more lackluster than usual, chief among them the fact that there have been tons of high profile releases surrounding the show, and the Nintendo Switch is arguably approaching the end of its life-cycle. In a situation like that, you announce some DLC, shine some light and build some hype for Pikmin 4, and call it a day.
Well, Nintendo definitely decided that the predictable play was not on the table, and as a result we’ve got a few things to be very excited about.
First, let’s talk about the elephant in the room…
That’s right. You’re looking at Mario demonstrating one of his newest power-ups in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Wonder. A beautiful new 2D Mario experience, it offers 4-player couch co-op, adding Daisy to the formal lineup as well!
Fans were thrilled with the level design and beautiful aesthetics of the game, and it looks to be a proper return to form for one of the most iconic and long-running franchises in gaming.
As if a new 2D Mario wasn’t enough cause for celebration, there was a particularly sweet treat for RPG fans with the announcement of the Super Mario RPG remake.
While the uninitiated may be very confused about this, allow me to assure you: Super Mario RPG is arguably one of the best RPGs of all time, as many high-profile lists will attest to. Seeing it brought back to life (and not just for Nintendo online) is a joyous piece of news that delivered on what was formerly nothing more than a wish and a prayer. A classic RPG lover’s pipe dream.
No longer.
Speaking of RPGs getting some love, I have to share my own personal surprise from the show: the remake of Star Ocean: Second Story.
This game stands in my personal top 10, with its space soap-opera narrative, addictive combat system, and robust in-game mechanics. Oh and did I mention it has nearly 80 endings? Yeah, it’s a rock-solid RPG and I’m beyond excited to be able to play it on the go.
These were some of the biggest hitters but they were surrounded by other strong announcements including more info on the upcoming Pokemon Violet and Scarlet DLC, a Detective Pikachu game, more information on Pikmin gameplay, Batman Arkham trilogy coming to Switch, Vampire Survivors coming to Switch with couch co-op, Persona 5 Tactics arriving soon, and more.
In short, Nintendo fans ate well today. In a season of high-profile game releases and competing showcases, Nintendo proved they had a couple of aces up their sleeves and delivered a rousing Direct for the fans. While the lack of high profile new titles further hints at Nintendo eyeing their next console iteration, the excitement from today’s event will easily carry fans to the formal announcement, whenever that comes.
It was a good day for gamers.
