TL; DR
- The latest Nintendo Direct virtual event featured a number of upcoming games for the Switch console.
- It included the reveal of a brand new Kirby Switch game, Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
- There was also news of a release date for the upcoming Mario animated film.
Fans of the Nintendo Switch game console can look forward to a lot in the coming weeks and months. Today the company has taken the time to showcase a number of upcoming Switch games as part of the latest Nintendo Direct virtual event.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s revealed today, including the latest Kirby game and the surprise reveal of the release date of the upcoming Mario animated film.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
The newest Kirby will take place in a full 3D world that feels like some sort of post-apocalyptic environment with abandoned cars, buildings, and overgrowth everywhere. There are also plenty of enemies to deal with! Kirby’s next chapter will appear in spring 2022.
Mario Movie release date and speaker revealed
The Mario animated film, created by Despicable Me and Minions studio Illumination, now has a release date in theaters on December 21, 2022. Cast members have also been announced, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, and Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong.
Bayonetta 3
The latest trailer, showing the gameplay of the long-awaited (and we mean long-awaited; it was announced in 2017), third game of Sega’s Bayonetta action game series, looks great. It is due in 2022.
Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak
This will be a “massive” expansion of Capcom’s hit Monster Hunter Rise game due for release in the summer of 2022.
Splatoon 3
The arcade shooter is coming back for a third part. It should appear in 2022.
Mario party superstars
Nintendo’s next big party game will feature remakes of boards from previous Mario Party games and new events with online support. It comes on October 29th.
Chocobo GP
Featuring characters from the Square Enix Final Fantasy series, this Mario Kart-themed racer is slated for release sometime in 2022.
Animal Crossing New Horizons
A new free expansion for the popular Sim game is coming this fall, and Nintendo will dedicate an entire Direct event to the expansion in October.
Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
Switch players will soon be able to sign up for a new expansion membership plan that will include the ability to play a collection of Nintendo 64 games like Super Mario 64, Starfox, and even many games from the Sega Genesis console system. Prices and a release date for the new membership plan will be announced later. The same members can also purchase Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis controllers for the Switch for $ 49.99 each.
One of the other new Switch games revealed today was a port of BioWare’s classic RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which hits Switch on November 11th. Dying Light Stay Human – Cloud Edition will also be released on February 4th. 2022 and will use cloud streaming technology to make the game playable on the Switch.