Nintendo previewed a number of new games coming to the Switch system, with plenty of content arriving immediately and even more between now and early 2020. The September 4, 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation provided a look at both Nintendo’s first-party titles and some significant third-party entries.
The presentation opened with the confirmation that Overwatch will be coming to the Switch, a long-running rumor finally proving true. Blizzard’s smash hit team shooter will arrive on October 15, 2019.
New details were unveiled for Luigi’s Mansion 3, which will take the titular character into a haunted hotel. A new party mode, Scream Park, was also unveiled. It allows two to eight players to face off in teams of Luigis versus Gooigis. The game arrives in time for Halloween, on October 31, 2019.
A free-to-start Kirby title, Super Kirby Clash, was also announced. Players can control different Kirbys to take on more than 100 quests as a team, and multiplayer can be done both locally and online. The game launched following the presentation’s conclusion.
Trials of Mana’s high-definition remake was also previewed, looking into how the story is changed by what characters are chosen to play with, and how class changes can impact the story. The remake of the third game in the long-running Mana franchise arrives on April 24, 2020.
Pokémon developer Game Freak has a new project coming out, Little Town Story. The game boasts a unique battle system that relies on strategic thinking, and the entire story takes place within a single town. The music in the game was composed by award-winning Undertale developer, Toby Fox. The game arrives on October 16, 2019, and the game can be pre-purchased now.
New content was confirmed for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, starting with the Banjo & Kazooie Challenger Pack, which was made available immediately following the Direct. Fatal Fury’s Terry Bogard was then confirmed as the fourth Challenge Pack DLC character, and is due to arrive in November. Though only five Challenge Packs were originally announced, Nintendo confirmed that there will be more characters in development following those five.
Pokémon Sword and Shield got a significant update, providing new details on the kind of customization options that players can look forward to with their characters. The trailer also detailed the new “Pokémon Camp” feature, which will allow players to spend time with their Pokémon, as well as with their friends’ creatures, out in the Galar Region. The Camp mode also allows for players to cook different kinds of curry, with new recipes being added to their “Currydex” upon completion. The games arrive on November 15, 2019.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons also got a big update, with a fresh look at the game’s new crafting mode being a big focus. The trailer also looked at how multiple players can all live on the same island in order to build it up as a team. The game arrives in March 2020.
Perhaps the biggest announcement of the day was the fact that Super Nintendo titles will now be available to play via the Nintendo Switch Online service. The Super Nintendo service will allow subscribers to Switch Online to play classic titles for free on their Switch, with more games being added on a regular basis. At launch on September 5, 2019, 20 games will be available to play, including Super Mario World, Star Fox, Breath of Fire, Super Mario Kart, and Kirby’s Dream Course, among others.
Other games looked at included Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (a port of the WiiU title), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Return of the Obra Dinn, Tetris 99, Rogue Company, Doom 64, and many more. The full Nintendo Direct presentation can be seen below.
