Strap In for 35 Minutes of Pure Nintendo Bliss
Update: The Direct has been delayed following the recent earthquake in Hokkaido, with Nintendo stating that it will provide an updated date and time “in the near future.”
Original story: Another week, another Nintendo Direct. From a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-focused Direct, to Nindie highlights and showcases, to even a presentation on the mobile game Draglia Lost, Nintendo has been packing in the announcements as we head into the fall season.
Add one more to the list, as Nintendo has announced that it will be hosting a whopping 35-minute Direct tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, at 3 pm PT to highlight upcoming Switch and 3DS titles.
Tune in 9/6 at 3pm PT for a new Nintendo Direct featuring around 35 minutes of information on upcoming Nintendo #3DS and #NintendoSwitch titles!https://t.co/vZbh2Ng6u1 pic.twitter.com/WVMdZYeGFv
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 5, 2018
As always, it’s time to put our thinking caps on and sleuth out just what exactly Nintendo has in store for us. This time around, however, I’m shaking up the formula a bit, as A) This is like my fifth Nintendo predictions article in about a year, and B) There just isn’t enough time in a day to put into these as there once was. Instead of a shorter list of focused predictions, I’m just going to rattle off a list of my biggest predictions for Nintendo come tomorrow morning (or afternoon, or evening depending on your timezone).
Don’t fret! I’ll still be bringing all the firey predictions you know and love me for… and I’ll still probably swing and miss on about 99% of them. Hey, at least you won’t hear me whining about a Hollow Knight release date anymore.
With that out of the way, let’s jump right in. Here’s a rapid-fire list of eight things I’d like to see at the Direct.
1) No More Heroes 1 & 2 Remastered Announced for Fall 2018
Coming to a Switch near you! With Travis Strikes Again being pushed to January, now is the perfect time for Nintendo and Grasshopper Manufacture to announce an uprezzed collection of the No More Heroes games for players to get their feet wet with before Travis, well… strikes again. Maybe put Grezzo on it, seeing as how Luigi’s Mansion for 3DS is nearly out the door. Let’s make it happen, Nintendo!
2) 3DS Gets New Top-Down Zelda
This might be a little adventurous, given that E3 2018 was a perfect place to make an announcement like this, but Nintendo is unorthodox enough to slip in a last-minute Zelda reveal at the tail end of the year. Since I suspect that Nintendo EPD is already hard at work at a Breath of the Wild successor for Switch, it makes sense that the next Zelda game in the interim would be a top-down game for the 3DS. I’d bet we get it as early as Q2 2019, too.
3) New Information on Fire Emblem: Three Houses
It was only briefly touched upon back in June, but we could see a whole lot more of Fire Emblem: Three Houses during the Direct. I’d also wager we get a firm release date, and one that’s not too far away either. I’m talking February or March 2019, to make a busy Q1 even more packed.
4) Nintendo Details Online Service Ahead of Launch
This one’s a gimme. Online is launching in September, and we still have very little idea as to which legacy games will launch with the service, and whether or not there will be other perks provided alongside Nintendo Online. My take? Nintendo will use the opportunity to announce Netflix, Twitch, and other major streaming services for Switch in order to sweeten the pot a bit.
5) Shin Megami Tensei V Gets New Gameplay Details
What the heck happened to this game? It’s felt like forever since we last had an update from Atlus on the next Shin Megami Tensei game. With the JRPG seemingly launching exclusively on Switch sometime in 2019, now seems like as good an opportunity as ever for Nintendo to get fans psyched for Atlus’ dungeon-crawling, demon-slaying extravaganza.
6) Super Mario Odyssey Finally Receives DLC Worlds
Nintendo has been killing it with the ongoing DLC for its first-party Switch titles, from Breath of the Wild’s expansions to Mario + Rabbids’ meaty new Donkey Kong campaign. But what about Mario Odyssey? Outside of some costumes and a simple yet entertaining Luigi balloon mode, where are the new worlds and moons? Hopefully the Direct has some additional surprises in store for our wedding-crashing plumber (Delfino Plaza is a must).
7) Geno Revealed for Smash Ultimate
Ridley and King K. Rool have already been confirmed, so why not complete the holy trinity? Seriously, who needs Goku (not happening, by the way, when he’s already in rival fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ) when you can have Geno, the greatest little magical puppet of all time? Throw in a Forest Mage stage, complete with its phenomenal music track, and you’ll have my money on day one and every day after that, Sakurai.
8) Metroid Prime 4 Teaser Shown
It was M.I.A. at E3 2018, so chances are already slim for an appearance from Samus’ newest adventure… but that won’t stop me from believing it could happen. Even just a 30-second story teaser with a vague 2019 release window would he enough to get me excited. Fingers crossed, people: the wait is almost over.
How’d I do? Did I overlook anything or make any grievous mistakes? Shoot off in the comments.
Tune in tomorrow at 3 pm PT/6 pm ET/11 pm BST to see what Nintendo has up its sleeves. It’s bound to be quite the show.
