Here we go again Nintendo
The next few months of Nintendo Switch versions look a lot like the first few years of the 2000s. This afternoon, Nintendo took a look at the biggest games hitting the platform this spring and summer, and while there are a handful of new titles in it (Monster Hunter Rise, yes, very exciting, very good), there is also a lot of “hey, I remember playing it on PS1.”
For example, 1999s Legend of Mana is back, with sweet art. Capcom gives us an “Arcade Stadium” available for purchase today, which includes Forgotten Worlds, Bionic command, Ghouls n Ghosts, and so on. And just to jump a little bit forward, we get a reissue of Skyward Sword … and maybe this time they corrected the control scheme so that you are not constantly frustrated by the wrong control of the movement you want out of it?
In any case, we can divide today’s revelations into two categories, ‘New games’ and ‘Games you’ve already played.’ I have selected three of my favorites from each that I think are worthy of your attention.
NEW GAMES
Of everything that will appear on Switch in the next few months, Monster Hunter: Rise is probably the most anticipated. This range is very large in Japan, and Monster Hunter World landed largely in the US and brought many more fans into the franchise. Here is a writing about what is delicious Monster Hunter, but the short version is that it’s like a series of giant boss fights, interspersed with cute little dress up dolls. In today’s live we have some new maps (desert and volcano environments), a bunch of new monsters, and a little more look at the new “rampage” mode in Stand up. It looks like it’s gonna be a tower defense setup, with online multiplayer teams trying to stop monsters from loading through gated arenas. Thumbs up about it.
I was also intrigued by Project Triangle Strategy, and not just because Square Enix really outdid themselves in the awful nomination section. The game appears in 2022, but they have already made a demo available to play, which is nuts; it looks like a very nice tactical RPG – essentially an evolution of Final Fantasy Tactics, you play on a low roster with team members taking turns choosing their positions. You know, like chess, but more intricate. Go get the demo today; I would be absolutely shocked if it is not fantastic.
The other upcoming game that caught my attention was Splatoon 3, about which we know virtually nothing. Looks like you’re going to get a ‘Little Buddy’ – a small adaptable lizard – that’s enough to get me excited. Nintendo has teased new weapons and areas, as you would expect. This is another one coming in 2022, so there is no need to get excited about it yet.
GAMES YOU HAVE ALREADY PLAYED
The infrequent new titles in this Direct are a bit overshadowed by all the games you’ve already played. Or, if you want to look at it more generously, games that you have not wanted to achieve in the last two decades.
I think the game that most people will be excited to see is Val guys. Available on various other platforms, it’s finally coming to Switch this summer. I’m not a big person Val guys fan; it’s a little too random for me, with a skill ceiling that I just find frustrating. But that’s not really the point of the game for most players! For the past year, it’s been an invaluable time addiction for friends who can not get together in person, and I hope it can continue to meet the need now that it’s on an additional platform. No word on whether it offers cross-play, so Switch players can play with their friends on a computer. (I’m skeptical that such a feature would be available during the Switch launch, but you never know.)
I’m also tickled to see new content coming Animal crossing: new horizons. This time, they are throwing new Mario-themed content into the game, starting on March 1st. Most of them are just very cute, but the real game changer is the introduction of warp pipes. They are functional! Soon you will be able to curl up on your island without having to drag your beautiful hole over half a dozen bridges. I look forward to seeing the cute innovations that will make this possible. (If you’re looking for inspiration, follow my favorite Animal Crossing streamer, Mike Cheb.)
Hades also come to Switch but not only Hades Nintendo has boasted that it has a ‘physical release’, which is coincidental, because that’s what the game has been offering me since it’s launched. The game will appear on March 19 with a lovely art book with beautiful prints of the beautiful Prince of the Underworld and all his family members. It’s nothing you could make yourself with a high-gloss paper and a color printer, but it’s a nice little fetish object to hold on to.
And then there is still Skyward Sword. When this game appeared ten years ago, they really wanted to prove that the motion controllers were an important component of the game, so you had to swing the controller to use the sword and cross the air with the joycon to lift your shield . It worked … okay. Not good. When I was playing, the game always misinterpreted my input, so Link looked a little drunk and swung his arms around in weird ways that didn’t quite make sense. With this reissue, they added the option to switch from motion control to button-based control, which … thank GOD.
There will be a bunch of other games falling over the next few weeks – almost all the reissues of back catalog titles – and I’ll get more headlines and recommendations about it as we get closer to the street date.
For the first time, I remember the time I looked around the Oculus store, looked at the games that were available to play in VR, and rolled my eyes (which made me very dizzy in the headset) when I see that Mist is available for $ 30. I feel like I bought that game again once a decade before some of you were born; and although I’m glad to see vintage games coming to Switch, I feel a little “not again” every time I open my wallet for a game I already own on another platform.