If you’ve been following along with our live blog, you know that the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 finally announced the price, release date, and details for the Nintendo Switch this evening! Though things started off a bit slow with the announcement of some more waggle-tastic games that made the new console seem more like a Wii successor, things quickly picked up once our favorite platforming plumber made a glorious appearance.
From Mario’s new look to a fan-favorite sequel to everything in between, here are all the games Nintendo revealed for the Nintendo Switch.
Super Mario Odyssey
There’s no game that can single handedly sell a console, but Super Mario Odyssey sure does come close to being a system-seller. The Nintendo mascot is back in a brand new 3D adventure that goes to some colorful new locations, as well as the real world. You read that right, it looks like Mario will be interacting with our world in some manner. Trust us, it looks as strange as it sounds. Nintendo also mentioned that Odyssey will feature more sandbox-style levels a-la Super Mario Sunshine. Oh, his iconic red hat is also a character now. Take a gander at the clip above.
You can expect this game to hit the Nintendo Switch later in 2017Â during the holiday season.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Monolith’s Xenoblade Chronicles was easily one of the best games on the Wii. The same can be said about Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U, so forgive me for squealing when Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was announced during this presentation. The title suggests this is a direct sequel to the Wii game, but there haven’t been any specifics shared yet. All we have is the above trailer that features some very Xenoblade-like characters and worlds. Consume the clip from Monolith’s game above.
Hopefully we’ll get to see this game by the end of the year.
Fire Emblem Warriors
The Fire Emblem franchise has been getting a lot of love from Nintendo in recent years, and it doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon. Fire Emblem Warriors was announced during the stream with no gameplay footage and no real concrete details, other than Koei Tecmo is involved in the game. That probably means this will be a hack-and-slash title in the vein of Hyrule Warriors. There’s no release date tied to the project yet, but expect gameplay footage before a launch date. Chances are we’ll learn more during E3 2017.
Splatoon 2
Nintendo’s everyone-friendly shooter is making an appearance on the Switch, as many had already suspected. Splatoon 2, which is set to launch Summer 2017, will feature the same squid-like Inklings with new weapons, new stages, and even new special weapons. One of the new weapons revealed is called the Splat-Duallies, which gives your character dual-pistols that can both wreck your opponent, and propel you in different directions. The game can also be played in several configurations including the Joy-con controllers or the Pro controller. And all the inputs that once required the touchscreen have been mapped to the controller. All-in-all this looks like more of the same–which is pretty damn great.
1-2-Switch
This is the Wii-waggle stuff I was talking about. The first game revealed during the presentation was 1-2-Switch, where you and a friend grab one of the Joy-Con controllers to face each other in what appears to be several mini-games. This is the party game that is set to launch with the console. Nintendo made sure to point out that the games were designed so that players face each other. One of the games shown off was a Western shootout where the Joy-Con mimics a gun. Leave it to Nintendo to try and get people to actually interact when playing games. I’m not so sure hardcore gamers will care about this, but it was designed as a game that could be used as an “ice-breaker” at parties. “Here nerds, you’re too awkward. Show up to parties with this game an you’ll be the cool kid.”
Arms
And, here’s the other motion control game. Arms is a multi-player boxing game that utilizes the Joy-Con controllers by having the player use the detachable controllers as boxing gloves. What makes it so unique is the ability for characters to jump around and punch each other from far distances using stringy arms. It’s rather strange looking, but fun if you’re into motion controls. It’s not clear whether you’ll be able to use this with a standard controller. Here’s hoping you can.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Okay, guys. This is not a drill, a brand-spanking new trailer for Breath of the Wild dropped during the presentation and it’s utterly brilliant. I mean good lord it looks epic. We got to check out some epic new battles and even got a taste of some story elements. And now there’s voice acting in the game! I kid you not. I’m sure purists won’t be too happy about that, but this looks super crisp, and I can’t contain myself, y’all. Most importantly, however, we now know this beauty will be launching alongside the Nintendo Switch on March 3. If you’re still not down to invest the funds on new hardware, Breath of the Wild will be launching the same day on the Wii U.
What do you think about these games? I can’t say this was the strongest presentation ever, but it sure had a lot of good games. The real issue is that most of these are not launch games, and that might be a problem for some. But then again, does the lack of titles matter when Breath of the Wild, one of the most anticipated titles in the past few years, is a launch game? Let us know what you thought about the presentation in the comments section below.
Images: Nintendo