The latest Nintendo Direct presentation was this week, and it featured a huge amount of information on upcoming Nintendo Switch games. Of these games, a ton are coming by Summer 2022, and there were multiple reveals for completely new games from beloved franchises. These were the biggest announcements from the February 2022 Nintendo Direct.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Fire Emblem Warriors is back with a sequel focused specifically on the smash-hit Fire Emblem: Three Houses game. Featuring the same locations and characters as the tactical role-playing game but with the massive “Warriors” battle style, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes features a different story than the previous game. Will those hundreds of grunts destroyed by the player be subject to permadeath? It releases on June 24.
Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp
The previously announced and delayed Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp was showcased during the presentation, showing how you can reset turns and fast-forward gameplay to make for a quicker experience. Additionally, characters are voiced this time around. You’ll be able to play both games’ classic tactical turn-based action beginning April 8.
No Man’s Sky
More than five years after it hit PS4 and PC, No Man’s Sky is finally coming to Nintendo Switch. Though it appears to have taken a small graphical hit to make the jump, the ludicrously expansive science-fiction adventure will be coming to Nintendo Switch this summer. Given the improvements made over the years, that’s very exciting.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Super Mario Strikers, the Nintendo soccer game originally on GameCube and Wii, is back on Switch with Mario Strikers: Battle League. The five-versus-five game puts a high emphasis on offense, with tackles, items, and special shots to make things quite a bit more frenetic than standard soccer. You’ll also be able to put gear on the characters to adjust stats like speed and pass accuracy, and the Hyper Strike ability can make a big difference in a match. It’s out June 10, and preorders begin today.
Splatoon 3
We got another look at Splatoon 3 during the Nintendo Direct, with the PvE mode Salmon Run: Next Wave on display as Inklings battled a Salmonid boss. There will be several different powerful enemies to defeat in this mode, each with their own attacks to keep you from staying in one place for too long, and if you have played the Salmon Run mode in Splatoon 2, you know how chaotic and difficult it can be after just a few minutes. Splatoon 3 will be out this summer for Nintendo Switch.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition
The underappreciated successor to Chrono Trigger is coming back via an updated version on Nintendo Switch. Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition features over 40 different playable characters. You can even turn off enemy encounters this time around, and the game comes with an enhanced soundtrack as well as the text-based Radical Dreamers game. It’s available April 7.
Portal: Companion Collection
At long last, the acclaimed Portal and Portal 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch, with local, online, and split-screen multiplayer available in the sequel. Portal: Companion Collection will be available for Nintendo Switch later this year, but a specific date was not revealed. We’ll know the truth soon enough.
Nintendo Switch Sports
Inspired by the ridiculously popular Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports comes with the chambara, tennis, and bowling games alongside newcomers soccer, badminton, and volleyball. It also includes a leg strap accessory like Ring Fit Adventure for shootout mode, letting you physically kick to score. Local play is supported on one Switch, and there is also online play across all sports so you can compete against your friends or random players. It’s out April 29, and a free update this fall will add golf.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is already an extremely comprehensive kart racer, but it’s getting even bigger. Nintendo is remastering select courses from across the series’ history as paid DLC. The Booster Course Pass features six waves of eight courses each by the end of 2023–48 in total. N64’s Choco Mountain and the mobile Tokyo Blur will be included in the first wave on March 18, and the pass costs $25. If you have Switch Online plus Expansion Pass, it’s included for free.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The last announcement of the presentation was Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which features a mix of fantasy, science-fiction and very heavy British accents. The trailer was short on details, but it featured some enormous battles, little puffball creatures, and a very evil woman wearing a veil. It also appears that a dragon creature was turned into a mountain at some point. The game releases this September.
