Nintendo Direct Hype

It’s been about a week and a half since the most recent broadcast of Nintendo Direct. In the wake of the legendary Reggie Fils-Aime, retiring from his position of President of Nintendo, we can only hope that the promise of these upcoming games keeps the gaming community afloat.

Nintendo announced major released from some of it’s most iconic series. We also got a glimpse of several adventure games of more niche titles (we’re looking at you Box Boy).

While the team at Nintendo left us with some ambiguity around what was coming to Super Smash, they did deliver on the details for many games that we’re excited about. Here’s a look at the announcements that generated the most hype for us!

The Legend Wakes Up
Fred’s Thoughts

I’m a huge fan of the open world Zelda games. Call me old school, but Ocarina of Time is still my favorite in the series. Sometime before 2020, I’ll beat Breath of the Wild and share my thoughts!

With the last preview in their lineup, Nintendo shared a captivating scene of Link battling raging waters as he navigates a small boat in the middle of the ocean. You can feel the drama build, similarly to the original opening scene, as the waters get even more choppy.

Next, you see a very cutesy world that would make Animal Crossing blush. Surprisingly, there are also Goombas running around the level. Perhaps Mario makes a cameo?

Don’t let the graphics and music fool you though. Two and a half decades after it’s initial release on the Gameboy, Link’s Awakening is coming to a current-gen console. It’s only right that the Switch is the hardware to bring back the original portable Link adventure.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U-_XfDGgDw

The World’s Most Popular Level Creator Gets Some Upgrades
Julian’s Thoughts

Super Mario Maker released in 2015 on the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. It was a ground-breaking game which delivered on a simple but aged request. Mario has given us some of the most iconic platforming levels and experiences in video gaming history. 

However, what would happen if Nintendo passed the power of creation into the hands of the millions around the world? 

Since I never owned a Wii U, my experience with this game has been limited to YouTube channels. This included skilled players like CarlSagan42 and Grand POOBear to my personal favorite, the entertaining, DashieGames. These content creators build and play a variety of levels. 

Super Mario Maker has classic platformers, troll levels, and even puzzles that replicate the concept of escape rooms. The unlimited number of options results in high replayability  for the millions of fans of this game.

 Four years later, the wildly popular game is still boasting a booming community. With any popular game, the thirst for more features and options continues to grow until the demand for a sequel must be quenched. This June, a bigger and better Mario Maker has been announced!  To dig into the expected features, check out the Super Mario Maker 2 subreddit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJWzJC8Kfk

A Timeless Classic Gets A New Mechanic
Julian’s Thoughts

Tetris rightly has its spot as an inductee in the Video Game Hall of Fame. Featured in classes for video game design and programming, the classic has been mimicked by a slew of copycats. 

With this type of success comes some drawbacks. Innovation can be difficult. How do you improve on such a simple yet effective concept without ruining the product? Well, Tetris 99 is attempting to take the next step in evolution for the nearly 35-year-old franchise. Utilizing a “me against the world” mechanic, Tetris 99 is a free-to-play 99-player battle Tetris game. You can dump garbage blocks on unsuspecting opponents as you attempt to be the last one standing. 

It was released the same day as Nintendo Direct, so go grab it today! Though I never was a world champion, I plan to give this game a try.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIOMsvoQxgU

Favorite Final Fantasy Festivities
Fred’s Thoughts

Easily my favorite entrants in the series, Final Fantasy 7 & 9 defined my young RPG experiences. When I was first introduced to Cloud, I didn’t realize the depth of gameplay that was about to consume my small, teenage mind. It was amazing to see how the developers could incorporate so much into the game while still ensuring it felt cohesive.

These two Final Fantasy games are being ported over to the Switch, with the newer game being made available on Nintendo Direct day! The only way this could have been better would be if the remastered version of FF7 was actually completed. One can dream.

I never played Final Fantasy Chronicles but the trailer got me slightly curious. The pocket edition of FFXV could easily take over all of my mobile gaming time so I’ll stay away from that one for now. 

We didn’t get much info on the World of Final Fantasy Maxima so hopefully we’ll have more details before the November 6th launch date.

Chocobos are one of my favorite part of FF7 so Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon is high up on my list. It gives me a Mario v Rabids type of vibe and looks like a relaxing RPG for fans of the series.

Overall, a lot of news about a series that I’ve always enjoyed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll have any time to play these between Apex Legends and my unopened Let’s Go Pikachu game!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIXwYlnoHv4

Notable Mentions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OwUB8gf5Ac

What About You?

We covered a lot of the show but not all of the announcements. What games are you looking forward to the most? What title was left off that you may have been expecting? Let us know below and join in the hype!

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