Nintendo Direct Overview September 2022

On the 13th of September 2022, Nintendo had its latest Direct, revealing several games releasing along with all of the new DLC on its way.

We would like to preface this article with a disclaimer, same as Nintendo: Due to COVID-19, all release dates and information presented throughout the Direct - and therefore throughout this overview - are subject to change.

Fire Emblem Engage

The first trailer was for a new Fire Emblem title, Fire Emblem Engage. In this game, the main character awakens after 1000 years of sleep and is known as a Divine Dragon. Traditional Fire Emblem gameplay comes with an expanded free roam system. Not only will players get to meet new characters, but returning heroes like Marth will make an appearance. It will release on the 20th of January 2023 and accompany a “Divine Edition.”

It Takes Two

It Takes Two will be released on Nintendo Switch later this year, and you can play multiplayer locally on one Switch console or across different systems through local or online play. This popular multiplayer story title has previously only been on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse / Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse

Project Zero: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (AKA Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse) revolves around a young abandoned child visiting a hospital to rediscover her memories. It’s coming in early 2023 and this is the first time it has arrived in the West.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Expansion Pass Wave 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass Wave 2 will include a new “mechanical” hero named Ino. Complete her quest, and she will join your party, expanding your class and strategy options. Challenge Battles are also coming in this update, with tough enemies to fight and rewards to earn.

Stronger enemies will give you special outfits and better accessories. Later heroes and additions are also coming in Wave 2, which launches on the 13th of October.

Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star

Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star is a fitness game where you will train alongside the Fist of the North Star cast. It comes with an Excercise Mode and a Battle Mode, and it’s releasing on the Switch in March.

OddBallers

OddBallers offers a hard-hitting party game based on dodgeball. Ridiculous rules and madcap arenas await you and up to six friends in either local or online play. This one hits Switch early next year.

Tunic Coming To Ninendo Switch

Tunic is a beautiful and esoteric adventure game with an adorable fox at its center. Tunic hits Switch on the 27th of September, and you can pre-order it today on the eShop.

Front Mission 1st: Remake and Front Mission 2: Remake

Front Mission 1st: Remake and Front Mission 2: Remake rework the two classic mech-based strategy games for Switch. The second game has never left Japan, so this remake will be the first chance to experience it if you’re in the West. Front Mission 1st: Remake hits the system this November, and the second title is coming next year. A Front Mission 3 remake is also coming to the system.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is being reborn on Nintendo Switch. You probably knew it as Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life when it initially launched for Gamecube and PS2. This time, you’ll be able to explore the valley, befriend locals, tend to your farm, and potentially even meet new partners. Characters will age as the game progresses, too, and your child will pick their career based on your actions while raising them. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life releases next summer. 

Splatoon 3 First Splatfest Announced

Splatoon 3 is getting its first post-launch Splatfest. The theme will be, “What would you bring to a deserted island?” There are three teams, Gear-Grub- Fun, so pick your team and prepare to splat your opponents from the 23rd of September through the 25th of September. More free updates for Splatoon 3 is coming soon as well. Stay tuned for more info.

Octopath Traveler II

Octopath Traveler II is on its way to the Nintendo Switch, and it’s a follow-up to the 2018 RPG that starred eight protagonists going through their own stories. It will follow eight new characters, including a scholar, a merchant, a dancer, a thief, a cleric, a hunter, and an apothecary. This time, it looks like travellers’ paths will intertwine, addressing a common criticism from the first game. Octopath Traveler comes to the Switch on the 24th of February and will also come to PC via Steam.

Fae Farm Announced

Fae Farm is a new life sim from Pheonix Labs. It’s got strong Hokko Life Vibes, allowing you to create a farm, befriend townsfolk, and battle enemies in action-RPG combat. Fae Farm is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, and it’s launching next spring.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is a new rhythm-action Final Fantasy game with a greatest-hits catalogue of Final Fantasy music, including notable tracks like “One Winged Angel.” The game supports multiplayer, but otherwise, it’s similar to past games. This one’s coming on the 16th of February, and more DLC is coming for SaGa, NieR, Octopath Traveler, Live A Live, and other franchises for 90 extra songs. There will also be a Season Pass with an additional 27 tracks you can’t get otherwise.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope showed off its Exploration Mode. You can free-roam through the game’s worlds, with lots to discover. Collect coins, unlock hidden pathways, and help locals with quests. Your team receives rewards after each battle, and there are Wisps-style Sparks to recruit, all of which have their powers and skills. Players can use them to augment their strategy in combat. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope launches on the 20th of October. There is also a Gold Edition with weapons and other extras.

Rune Factory 3 Special And New Rune Factory Announcement

Rune Factory 3 is coming back in the form of Rune Factory 3 Special. It’s a classic farm sim that lets you do all the usual farm sim stuff; you can fish, chat with locals, and transform into a monster. Next year a new mode will be added for quality time with your spouse in the game. There also seems to be a new Rune Factory title in development.

New Games Coming To Nintendo 64 Online

More N64 games are coming to the Online Expansion Pack. Pilotwings 64, three Mario Party games, Pokémon Stadium and its follow-up, and Excitebike 64 are all coming to the higher tier. GoldenEye 007 is also coming with online play. All these games will be released throughout this year and into 2023.

Complete Tasks In Various Daylife

Various Daylife is an immersive sim RPG from Square Enix, where you can perform more than 1000 types of daily tasks to build character and befriend the locals. It’s coming out later today.

Factorio Comes To Switch

Factorio tasks you with building a new rocket to return to your planet. It’s the classic factory sim, so check out if you’re a huge management sim nerd, as it’s coming to Switch on the 28th of October.

Horror Title Ib Spookes Its Way Onto The Nintendo Switch

Ib is releasing on the Nintendo Switch in the spring of next year. So check it out if you like horror games.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Gets New Characters

Mario Strikers: Battle League is getting a second free update. Pauline is a physical powerhouse, and Diddy Kong is a midfield speedster that Nintendo emphasizes as a technique and accuracy aficionado. More gear and an extra stadium are also coming, and this update will launch later this month.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key

This title is an RPG in set in the Atelier Ryza series. There is a vast world to explore, and you can do everything from soaring through the skies to leaping up waterfalls. New Features are coming to the Switch version as well. This RPG leaps onto the Switch on the 24th of February.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition DLC Wave 3 Teased

We now have details on the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bosser Pass Wave 3 courses: they are Merry Mountain from Mario Kart Tour and Peach Gardens from Mario Kart DS. They will be releasing this holiday.

Nintendo Switch Sports Golf Update Delayed

The next Switch Sports free update will add Golf as a sport. It includes 21 holes from the Wii Sports series, and you can either play them locally or alongside up to seven other players in Survival Golf. This update isn’t coming this fall anymore; instead, it will be released this holiday.

Mario Movie, Pikmin Bloom, and Pikmin 4 News from Miyamoto

The upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated movie is launching next spring, and Super Nintendo World is opening in Hollywood next year as Nintendo’s putting the “finishing touches” on both.

Now for Pikmin 4, a new trailer shows a Bulborb from the game and a typically bucolic setting. It’s coming in 2023, and that’s all you’re getting. We’ll have to wait a bit longer for gameplay, it seems, but we do know the game will let you play from the Pikmin’s perspective, so you can see what it feels like when you hurl them to your doom. This one’s been simplified - Miyamoto calls it “dandori,” or strategic planning and commanding the Pikmin. We’ll likely learn more in the coming months.

Just Dance 2023 Shows Off A Dance

Just Dance 2023 is promising a new era of dance. It lets you play with friends and boasts a fresh look and feel. Personalized recommendations and the Joy-Cons will allow you to dance how you like. This party game is coming to Nintendo Switch on the 22nd of November.

Harvestella Brings More Farming

Next, it’s time to look at Square Enix’s farming RPG Harvestella. The Season of Death is encroaching, threatening to destroy the world, and you must travel to find a way to end it. You’ll learn skills from allies and team up to battle formidable enemies. A Harvestella demo is coming to Switch later today, and it’ll show off the first few days of the game. You can transfer your progress to the full game coming on the 4th of November.

Bayonetta 3 Gives Story Context

We then got a fresh look at Bayonetta 3's gameplay and story. Bayonetta’s been revived after 500 years, and she’s fighting to protect the world from man-made bioweapons. She’s just as stylish as ever, but now, she’ll need to save the world instead of looking out for numero uno. Returning characters include Luka and Jeanne, and new ally Viola is also teaming up with Bayonetta to battle the Homunculi. It’s almost time to check this one out on the 28th of October.

Danganronpa Creators Show Off Master Detective Archive Rain Code

The Danganronpa creators’ next game is up next. It takes place in a corporate city where you’ll play as a Master Detective. The game is Master Detective Chronicles: Rain Code, and you’ll play as Yuma and Shinigami, an investigator and spirit. They must investigate crime scenes and discover the truth behind various crimes. The game also has a rather strange-looking labyrinth to explore, one in which you’ll need to make choices based on what you’ve learned. There’s a pseudo-combat element, too, where you’ll need to “avoid falsehoods.” This one’s coming to Switch next spring. 

Resident Evil Village Cloud Edition Releases As Well As Other Cloud Versions

Resident Evil Village is coming to Switch as a cloud edition, so now you can take on Lady Dimitrescu and her allies on Nintendo’s handheld. The cloud version of this game comes out on the 28th of October, and there’s a free demo to check out right now as well.
The Winters’ Expansion DLC is also coming to the cloud version on the 2nd of December, adding new story elements and more. Resident Evil 7, 2 Remake, and 3 Remake are all making their way to the Switch via cloud this year.

Action Games Coming To Nintendo Switch And A Crisis Core Release Date

Sifu is coming to Switch. Sloclap’s brawler looks surprisingly fully formed on Nintendo’s platform, and it’s the same roguelite battler as on PlayStation and PC. It’s coming to Switch on the 8th of November. Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-Reunion tells the story of Zack Fair, Cloud, and Sephiroth when it lands on Nintendo Switch. It’s got enhanced graphics, an updated combat system, and new music. Follow Zack’s story on the 13th of December.

Treasure is reviving Radiant Silvergun on Nintendo Switch! This classic shoot-’em-up looks just as exciting and frantic as it always has, tasking you with blasting away at enemies for high scores. It’s hitting Switch later today. Endless Dungeon is a roguelike robot dungeon-crawler coming to Switch. It’s set in the same universe as Endless Legend, and it tasks you with exploring a series of dungeons, battling waves of enemies, and unlocking new gear and weapons to take on your foes. It’s coming to Switch next year.

Tales of Symphonia Remastered, the best Tales game, is coming to Switch. It revolves around Lloyd and Colette, who must climb the Tower of Salvation to stop a monstrous invasion. It’s a classic Tales RPG with action-packed combat and plenty of party members to meet. You’ll get to play Tales of Symphonia Remastered on Switch in early 2023.

Kirby’s Return To Dreamland: Deluxe Releasing For Switch

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland: Deluxe is leaping onto the Nintendo Switch. It’s a remastered version of the Wii platformer released in 2011. It supports local play, so you can team up with your buddies to take on its levels. Also, everyone can play as Kirby, so nobody has to be a Waddle Dee. This remaster also comes with a collection of minigames, including a new subgame and returning ones like Samurai Kirby. Like the main game, subgames support up to four players. You can check this one out on Switch on the 24th of February.

Breath Of The Wild 2 New Footage And Title Revealed

Finally, we’re ending on a new trailer for Breath of the Wild 2, and the new trailer makes the game look pretty awesome. It features Link diving from the sky to the ground, climbing a rapidly ascending rock platform and scaling a root-encrusted wall. It’s also got a new name: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This one’s launching on the 12th of May, so we finally got that Breath of the Wild 2 release date. Hooray!

That’s all for today, but it’s plenty to be getting on with, no? I’m still waiting on that Metroid Prime Trilogy Remaster, but there we are.