Nintendo Direct 08/03/18 Round Up– Super Smash Bros., Crash Bandicoot, Mario Tennis Aces & Hyrule Warriors Dated and more!

It was another big Nintendo Direct last night for the March 8^th showing with some unexpected announcements, release dates, DLC and more.  With so much to cover, as with the last Nintendo Direct, I’ll be covering all the big news from the show in a round-up style article.

Let’s begin with quite possibly the biggest news from Nintendo Direct and that was the confirmation that Super Smash Bros. will be coming to the Nintendo Switch.  Many of us expected it to release on the hybrid console, but I think it took many of us by surprise that it will be releasing this year.  No solid release date was given, other then 2018, but it’s safe to assume that it will release towards the backend of the year.

The video teased both Inkling Boy and Inkling Girl from Splatoon, Mario and what looks to be Link in his Breath of the Wild attire.  Also at the very end of the video, we saw a silhouette of a whole host of characters looking at the Super Smash Bros. logo which looks to be Samus, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach and more.

 

The other big news came in the form of the announcement regarding the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy coming to Nintendo Switch, so it looks like that PlayStation 4 timed exclusivity deal is coming to an end.  Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy will also be coming to the Xbox One; it will arrive on both consoles from July 10^th 2018.

 

Mario Tennis Aces was announced at the last Nintendo Direct, but we now know that it will release for Nintendo Switch on June 22^nd.  It was also revealed that there will be a Pre-Launch Online Tournament where players can try out the game with a total of four players in doubles matches.  Post-release, tournaments in Mario Tennis Aces will be a regular feature, offering players the chance to earn bonus special outfits and additional characters.

 

Speaking of release dates, we also got the release date for Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition with it releasing on Nintendo Switch on May 15^th.  The Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition will include all content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions, with the additions of Link and Zelda outfits from Breath of the Wild.

 

In what was another surprise for the event was the announcement that South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be coming to the Nintendo Switch on April 24^th.  You will be able to pick-up the standard edition of the game, as well as a version bundled with the games season pass.  The season pass and its DLC will also be available to be purchased or download individually if you choose.

 

Splatoon 2 proved to be a big hit on the Nintendo Switch and it continues to do so with regular content and event support, however now it will also be getting added support via a new singleplayer expansion arriving later this year.  The Octo Expansion will follow the tale of Agent 8, a new character that will be tested as Agent 8 aims to escape a dubious laboratory by taking on its many puzzles and trials.  The Octo Expansion will also introduce playable Octolings.  No release date was given for the singleplayer DLC, but as stated, it will release later this year.

 

 

However, that wasn’t the end of the Splatoon 2 news, as a new update was announced with Ver.3.0.  This update will land during late April and will bring over 100 pieces of new gear, and a new X rank for its online multiplayer aimed at the more skilled, competitive players.  Ver.3.0 will also add three multiplayer maps with the Piranha Pit, Camp Triggerfish and the brand new Wahoo World.

Finally in Splatoon 2 news, it was announced in typical wacky Nintendo fashion, that there will be a virtual concert taking place at the Splatoon 2 European Championship Finals being held this month in Switzerland, featuring stars of the Splatoon series, Pearl and Marina taking to the stage.  By the looks of things, it will be something very similar to what the band Gorillaz does in concert.  The Pearl and Marina concert will be for those in attendance at the event and it will also be streamed by Nintendo for the rest of the world to watch.

The original Luigi’s Mansion was regarded as one of the Nintendo GameCube’s best titles and it will now be re-released for the Nintendo 3DS, so effectively acting as a prequel to the sequel that had already released on the handheld console.  The 3DS version will also come with a new boss battle mode.  I’m a little disappointed that it wasn’t also announced for the Switch, but hopefully Nintendo might be saving it for a new Virtual Console which is still yet to hit the hybrid.

 

One of my favourite games of last year will now be coming to the Nintendo Switch with the Little Nightmares Complete Edition arriving on May 18^th.  The Little Nightmares Complete Edition will come with all previously released DLC including Secrets of the Maw, as well as a Pac-Man themed mask for Six to wear during the campaign.

 

When Suda 51’s Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes was announced last year, we’ve heard little about the game since, however at Nintendo Direct we did get some added details as we learned that it will feature “7 unique game worlds” to play on your lonesome or via co-op with a friend.  No release date was given for Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, but it is still slated to release this year for the Nintendo Switch.

 

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker released for the Nintendo Wii U back in 2014, but it was announced that it will now be coming to both the Nintendo Switch and 3DS.  The Nintendo Switch version will feature Super Mario Odyssey themed levels and will release on June 13^th.  There was no release date given for the 3DS version, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that released towards the back-end of this year.

That pretty much covers all the big news from Nintendo Direct 09/03/18, but here’s a round-up of the best of the rest:

• The Way of Sushido was announced to launch for both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on June 8^th.
• An ARMS US & Canada Online Open Tournament was announced, taking place from March 18^th with the opportunity to attend the online finals on March 31^st. There will also be an ARMS Testpunch event where all Switch owners can try out the game for free for three days starting on March 31^st.
• Nintendo DS classic Mario & Luigi’s: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.‘s Journey will release on the Nintendo 3DS next year with an added new story.
• Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers is coming to the Nintendo Switch on May 24^th with a playable demo becoming available on the Nintendo eShop on May 10^th.
• WarioWare Gold was also announced for the 3DS which will arrive on July 27^th.
• Okami HD which recently arrived on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, will now release on Nintendo Switch this coming Summer.
• Indie darling RPG Undertale is coming to the Nintendo Switch, however no release date was given, but expect it to release this year.
• Octopath Traveller, the JRPG from the Bravely Default team at Square Enix was given a release date and will arrive exclusively for the Nintendo Switch from July 13^th.
• Finally, a Solaire of Astora amiibo was announced to accompany Dark Souls Remastered set to release on the Switch from May 25^th, Praise the Sun! Dark Souls Remastered has also already been confirmed to release on the same date for PS4 and Xbox One.

Well that covers all the big news from the latest Nintendo Direct show, so let us know across our social media channels what you’re looking forward too.  If you wish to watch the whole of the show, you can find the video below.