Nintendo announcements are always big news and the September Nintendo Direct was no different. Nintendo had lots of news for Switch owners for the rest of 2021 and heading into 2022, with the usual caveat that dates may change.
Monster Hunter Rise is getting an expansion in the form of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This amazing looking addition to the Monster Hunter Rise series introduces new elements such as new stories, locales and monsters, as well as new hunting actions and quest rank. The September Nintendo Direct stated that Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak releases in Summer 2022, which I’m taking to mean northern hemisphere summer, so look forward to this DLC sometime in the middle of next year.
More information was given on Mario Party Superstars. Five boards from the Nintendo 64 will be included in this Switch title, including Woody Woods, Yoshi’s Tropical Island and Horror Land. Players will be able to enjoy mini-game modes in competitive Survival mode or co-op Tag Match at Mt Minigames. Mario Party Superstars releases on 29th October 2021.
GOA’s own Royce Wilson has previously covered Disco Elysium, now it makes its way to the Switch. The tag line of “Become a hero…or an absolute disater of a human being” appeals to me and accurately describes my life at the moment. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut launches digitally on the 12th October 2021 with a physical release in early 2022.
The September Nintendo Direct also announced the next wave of Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity expansion pass – Guardian Of Remembrance. This DLC contains the new Battle-Tested Guardian playable character, more challenges as well as an Apocalyptic difficulty level. Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity Wave 2 Guardian Of Remembrance is available 29th October on the Nintendo eShop.
Final Fantasy fans have something to look forward to on the Switch with the cute racing game Chocobo GP announced. Up to 64 players can compete in an 8×8 elimination tournament. Chocobo GP releases in 2022.
Two upcoming Directs were also announced. A Super Smash Bros: Ulitmate Direct to announce the last fighter for the game is scheduled for the 5th October at 11pm AWST/6th October at 1am AEST. An Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct will also be airing in October (date and time TBA).
A new 3D Kirby game was announced in the September Nintendo Direct. Kirby And The Forgotten Land is a beautiful looking title that Kirby explores to discover its secrets. Kirby And The Forgotten Land releases in mid-2022.
Mario Golf: Super Rush gets a free update. New playable characters Koopa Trooper and Ninji and two new courses will be added to the game for gamers to enjoy. The free update is available now to Mario Golf: Super Rush owners.
Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition makes its way to the Switch. Explore Disney worlds, characters and costumes in this sequel to the 3DS title. As a bonus, all DLC from the original 3DS version is included in Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition, which releases in December 2021.
Triangle Strategy has taken on feedback from its demo and the September Nintendo Direct made mention of some changes coming to the game. Difficulty selection, UI improvements, camera controls and reviewing previous dialogue has all been added to the game for release on 4th March 2022. A physical version with a wealth of collectibles will also be available.
To ramp up for its release on the 8th October, more of Metroid Dread was shown off. Planet ZDR and its various environments were showcased, as well as some story elements. Those that have been following the game’s development would have been following the Metroid Dread Reports, a series of articles devling deeping into Metroid and the series’ history.
The September Nintendo Direct saved two of the biggest announcements towards the end: News about the Super Mario movie and changes to the Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Shigeru Miyamoto was on hand to announce the voices of the new Super Mario movie. Chris Pratt was announced as the voice of Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy voicing Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi and Jack Black lending his talents to Bowser. Other talents joining the project include Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek) Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong) and Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike). In an effort to head off the “Where’s Charles Martinet?” questions, Miyamoto also mentioned that the man who has been voicing Mario and others since the mid-90s will have a surprise cameo.
A change is coming to the Nintendo Switch Online membership. The September Nintendo Direct announced the new membership level of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. This addition sees the long awaited arrival of Nintendo 64 games to the Switch Online service, including local or online multiplayer modes. Gamers can experience titles such as Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Lylat Wars and Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time once more. The Sega Mega Drive will also be part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership level, including titles such as Golden Axe, Exxo The Dolphin and Streets Of Rage. Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive controllers for the Nintendo Switch will also be available for Nintendo Switch Online members to purchase. No word on the price of this new membership level but with its debut coming in late October I would expect that information to be coming soon.
Splatoon fans rejoice! Splatoon 3 is currently in production with a 2022 release date. New maps, new setting and new weapons will make for chaotic fun in Nintendo’s innovative shooter.
Other titles announced at the September Nintendo Direct include:
- Castlevania Advanced Collection (available now)
- Actraiser Renaissance HD (available now)
- Deltarune Chapter 2 free update for Chapter 1 owners (available now)
- Arcade Archives Pac-Man & Arcade Archives Xevious (available now)
- Hot Wheels Unleashed (30th September 2021)
- Tactical card=based RPG Voice Of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars (28th October 2021)
- Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic port (11th November 2021)
- Shin Megami Tensei V (12th November 2021)
- Surviving The Aftermath (late 2021)
- Wreckfest (late 2021)
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human Cloud Verison (4th February 2022)
- Run Factory 5 (25th March 2022)
- Shadowrun Trilogy (2022)
Always one to leave on a bang, the September Nintendo Direct announced the return of Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3. This stunning series from Platinum Games showed off the amazing visuals and some gameplay from this upcoming title. Bayonetta 3 releases in 2022.
What was your favourite part of the September Nintendo Direct? Was it what you were hoping for? Let us know on our Twitter.
