Nintendo Direct : 17 / 02 / 21 - 10pm (UK time)

[Eddage]

Good job I've still got a huge backlog as nothing there interests me!

Edited February 17, 2021 by Eddage

[martinist]

Mario Golf! for sure getting that.

Wasn't really impressed with Skyward Sword HD. Was hoping for Wind Waker myself.

[Hero-of-Time]

For years I've had to put up with people saying Skyward Sword won't work with button controls and Nintendo would never make a version like that.

Feels good.

Next up, Star Fox Zero.  

Everyone needs to pick up Miitopia. It's the best 3DS game nobody played and I'm happy to see it get another shot at success.

As a JRPG fan I'm certainly going to be kept busy but seeing as most of them aren't exclusives, I'll probably pick them up on a different platform.

[BowserBasher]

I kinda want to try Fall Guys but I’m wondering if by the time it gets to Switch all the hype of the game has gone  

Disappointed with no real new AC content but I think it was expected. The Mario items do look fun though. 

Mario Golf looks just what I wanted in a MG game. Hopefully the online multiplayer will hold up well and there will be enough people here playing to have some great games.  

Skyward Sword will be a buy for me. I haven’t played it since it was released so will be nice to dip into it again. Glad they have looked at both motion controls and regular and the use of the right stick for directional sword slashes.  

Was hoping that the Splatoon was going to be a more fleshed out single player game but I suppose the game really is a multiplayer one. I never did get around to buying the Expansion thing for 2 so maybe there will be something like that in it. As of now if it’s primarily online again, I’m not sure I’ll be getting it. 

Other than those not much in there for me. I downloaded NMH and NMH2 but haven’t played much of them, but maybe I’ll get back into them and get the new one. 

[Cube]

- Mario Golf looks good. Story mode is great. Hopefully speed mode has split screen.
- Skyward Sword HD with button controls (and hopefully less Fi).
- If Nintendo can give Splatoon 3 a great singleplayer like Octo Expansion it will be amazing.

Far better than expected.

4 minutes ago, BowserBasher said:

 

Was hoping that the Splatoon was going to be a more fleshed out single player game but I suppose the game really is a multiplayer one. I never did get around to buying the Expansion thing for 2 so maybe there will be something like that in it. As of now if it’s primarily online again, I’m not sure I’ll be getting it. 

 

If you want to see how amazing a great Splatoon singleplayer could be, I highly recommend the Octo Expansion.

[drahkon]

13 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Everyone needs to pick up Miitopia.

Is this a singleplayer game?

It kinda looks like you could play this with 3 other people? If that's the case, it would be lovely for my family and me

[BowserBasher]

5 minutes ago, Cube said:

- Mario Golf looks good. Story mode is great. Hopefully speed mode has split screen.
- Skyward Sword HD with button controls (and hopefully less Fi).
- If Nintendo can give Splatoon 3 a great singleplayer like Octo Expansion it will be amazing.

Far better than expected.

If you want to see how amazing a great Splatoon singleplayer could be, I highly recommend the Octo Expansion.

I just said something similar in the Splatoon 3 thread. 
 

I always wanted to get the Octo Expansion for 2 but never pulled the trigger. Hopefully this game will have a decent single player mode or I’ll just have to get the DLC. I just never played the second one enough to warrant a purchase of this just for online.

To add, I really should have bought it a long time ago as I loved the single player parts of the game. It just needed to be a full single player experience. From what I’ve heard the Octo Expansion did that and so far I’ve missed out. 

[Jonnas]

I cri. I cri for the Lloyd that's not coming.

Anyway, what interested me today was:

• Famicom Detective Club - Fun fact, I actually played the second game on a SNES emulator a long time ago (and I definitely recognised characters from that trailer). Gripping story, so I might pick one or both, depending on the price. Happy to see another JAP-only game make it to the west;
• Ninja Gaiden Trilogy - Never got to play it, but this might be it. I have no idea how Sigma is different from the others, but whatever;
• Final Fantasy OctoTactics: Three Houses (working title) - I'll check the demo. As long as battles aren't too slow, I'll give it serious consideration;
• Pyra in Smash - I may cri, but a new character is a new character. I'll give her a whirl for sure.

Gotta be honest, Mario Golf, Monster Hunter, and Splatoon aren't my cup of tea at all. I'll admit Mario Golf looks pretty dang good, but still not for me. Legitimately surprised to not see Kirby anywhere.

But mostly, I'm disappointed at Capcom, for not revealing the Grand Ace Attorney we know they have in their sleeve. What, just because your Monster Hunters are hot shit, you think you can neglect your legal team? Get it together.

Skyward Sword I'm of two minds about. It didn't look like it actually has new content, and my Wii still works, so why should I get it? On the other hand, I don't need the TV to play it. Who knows, maybe they'll end up revealing an extra feature before the release. One thing's for sure, those Zelda joy-cons are teasing and flirting with me, and I don't feel like saying no.

 

[Emerald Emblem]

8 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Is this a singleplayer game?

It kinda looks like you could play this with 3 other people? If that's the case, it would be lovely for my family and me

It is indeed a single player game, unfortunately for your family game hopes.

[Aperson]

Kind of ambivilent towards this Direct if I'm honest. Nice that Skyward Sword is getting another chance as it has some of the best dungeon design in the entire series imo, even if that's just for the Ancient Cistern and the Sky Keep.

 

Splatoon 3 is cool, but I guess at this point I'm not really feeling hyped for the series anymore for whatever reason... don't know why really. That being said if it's got a more extensive single player I might be in for it. Never really motivated to play the multiplayer long term especially after it was paywalled.

 

Then again I guess I'm at the point where there's like 3 games on Switch I particularly want and those are Hollow Knight Silkesong, Breath of the Wild 2 and Metroid Prime 4 so... yeah...

[Dcubed]

Skyward Sword HD has Amiibo support! (As listed on the eShop page).  Dunno what it does though...

Edited February 17, 2021 by Dcubed

[Mokong]

Loved the Pyra/Mythra Smash reveal.

I had totally given up on the idea of any Xenoblade Chronicles 2 characters making Smash that when this started I was full on hyping for a new game. I was like is this new story DLC or a brand new full game? When I realised it was Smash it was amazing. There was these weird feeling of being upset I was rick-rolled into thinking we were getting a new game but at the same time pumped for Pyra and Mythra to be in Smash

And the way they trolled Rex openly was just funny. "But I wanted to be in Smash" haha

[Aperson]

Both characters have been toned down from their original game appearances by the looks of it. Don't forget "Smash is a game for good boys and girls"

[Julius]

A pretty middle of the road Direct for me, but I'm still glad that they're back. Seeing as we didn't see Star Wars: Republic Commando here, which was found on the eShop, it's possible we get something else in a month or two, but that could totally just be a Partner Showcase, or even elsewhere. 

Loved the Pyra/Mythra Smash reveal, they totally got me. I knew it was Xenoblade-related just from the clouds and the first note, but wow, they really committed to framing it like new DLC was coming with how much of it was running in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Kudos once again to Sakurai and team, I know it's not necessarily what people wanted (and another sword user ), but I thought they handled it really well. 

Fall Guys coming to Switch is great, I think it's seen a bit of a decline since launch, so it'll be good for it to be in a fresh ecosystem with plenty of new players. Doubt I'll be checking out as I played it for a good 10 or 15 hours back when it launched on PS4 last summer, but I imagine it'll be right up the alley of a few folks here! 

Was really interested in the Famicom Detective Club games until I found out that they were £49.99, maybe it's just me, but that seems a bit on the hefty side. Added it to my wish list for now, will probably wait to see how it reviews and hopefully pick it up on sale at some point. 

Funny that the Mana games have been getting more love and attention than legacy Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles, what the hell is that about S-E?! My wait for the Final Fantasy I - VI Collection (or even just individual releases of those games) continues...honestly, at this point, I think they might as well wait to release it next year (alongside a XIII trilogy remaster and probably XVI, if it doesn't make it out in 2021, and heck, if they do that, they could do a great collector's edition with all of the main series single player games. as they'd then all be on modern platforms). Thought Legend of Mana looked fine, interest was piqued, but doubt I'll be picking it up, mainly because of just how packed the summer is based on this Direct (never mind whatever might be coming to other systems). Still, though, do appreciate Square Enix turning up with that and Project Triangle Strategy. I love the HD-2D look of Octopath, and I've got on well with strategy games so far, so I'm looking forward to checking out the demo; fingers crossed that the music is like Octopath's too! 

I was definitely surprised by Miitopia coming over to Switch, but if H-o-T says it's worth checking out, it's probably one I'll be keeping an eye on when reviews drop to see if I should be checking out the Switch or 3DS version. Were those also Miis in Mario Golf Super Rush? Because if so, and Miis are back on the table (I feel Nintendo were pretty smart in distancing them from the Switch's advertising and games in the first few years to help draw the line between it and the Wii U), then I could totally see us getting a Wii Sports Deluxe package at some point, maybe later on in the summer? Might as well throw us Wii Music while you're at it too 

Having not played a Mario Golf game, apart from 5 minutes on a friend's GBA while waiting in a queue somewhere for something a long time ago, Super Rush looks like a hell of a lot of fun, especially Speed Golf! Seems like it's excited a lot of people here, which is always great to see, and definitely has that great summer game vibe to it...hopefully things have improved enough by then so that we can enjoy this with friends and family in-person. I think this might be one of the few titles shown here that I actually end up picking up!

Aonuma shooting down there being BotW2 news here was hilarious, happy he confirmed we're getting more info on that later this year - says to me that they're aiming for 2021, which I would love! Glad to see Skyward Sword is coming in July, that I'll be picking up for sure having not played it before. Interested to see how well the game translates to being played with a more traditional controller input, but I greatly appreciate the MGS2-style use of the right stick for swiping things down (I know that's not the only game with it, but it's the one that came to mind, so I'm sticking with it ). Quite like the look of those Joy-Cons, too, but mine are working fine for now, so I'll probably give those a pass. A bit gutting having not completed any Zelda games besides BotW that they didn't end up putting any of the earlier games out before this, the Wii U remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess in particular. I got Spirit Tracks when I was younger (still have it, too!) based almost entirely on the art style, as I saw footage of Wind Waker when I was younger, and it continues to elude me. Does force my hand a bit into playing other Zelda games before July, though, so that should be fun! Colour palette looks a little muddy, but it's really crisp, and that frame rate looks good too, so fingers crossed it turns out well. 

Splatoon 3 isn't for me (haven't tried the series, and I'm not really one for live service games anyways), but I'm glad that it's in the works for fans of that franchise. It was due a new entry! 

Didn't seem to be any direct acknowledgement of the 35th Anniversary for Zelda, which was a little weird, so it does make me wonder if they have anything else planned (games or otherwise) for the series this year. And, if we are getting one, the decision to not confirm a Pokémon 25th Anniversary Direct for next Friday here is one of the most Nintendo things ever, but that Pokémon had zero presence here all but confirms it to me; even New Pokémon Snap wasn't here, when other Nintendo published titles releasing before and after were mentioned in rundowns if there wasn't much else to say. So...roll on next Friday, probably  

Overall, I think it was a solid Direct to return with. It didn't blow me away, but there are a couple of things I'm interested in picking up (Mario Golf Super Rush and Skyward Sword), and I'll be checking out the demo for Project Triangle Strategy, with an eye on it moving forwards. 

I would score this one a 7/10. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Julius

[S.C.G]

2 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

For years I've had to put up with people saying Skyward Sword won't work with button controls and Nintendo would never make a version like that.

Feels good.

Yep, this was the highlight for me as well, I've always wanted a version of Skyward Sword which has the option of traditional controls, and sharper visuals... here it is.

I enjoyed playing the game at the time, but the motion controls were never perfect, and the game had such a nice art style that it was a shame to see it in such a low definition.

I'll have the roundup article up in a bit, typical that Nintendo choose Wednesday night, the one time a week that I still tend to actually play games on.

[S.C.G]

Nintendo Direct 17/02/21 Roundup

N-Europe's roundup of the direct.

Full press release and video embed.

[Glen-i]

6 hours ago, Aperson said:

Both characters have been toned down from their original game appearances by the looks of it. Don't forget "Smash is a game for good boys and girls"

Actually, it's based on the redesign Smash Bros gave the Mythra Spirit.

It's a massive improvement, and loads of others agreed. It was so well received that Xenoblade 2 got a patch that allowed you to unlock that costume for Mythra. (And a similar style one for Pyra) And now those designs were the basis for their Smash models.

Which means that yes, @Dcubed, it's another case of "Smash-Game-Smash" except this one happened all in one entry!

Edited February 18, 2021 by Glen-i

[Dufniall]

Okay, just watched it! Too bad Nintendo spoilered Splatoon 3 in their mailing to me but for the rest I went in spoiler-free. And it's a good one!

 

Nice to see a Nintendo character enter Smash, although it is another sword user. The Final Fantasy Tactics x Octopath game looks great as well. Fall Guys is a nice get, and The Outer Wilds is supposed to be amazing although I'll probably pick it up on the PC. Plants vs. Zombies makes me wish they would just make a new tower defence game in the series, I loved them. Nice to have a release date on No More Heroes 3, although I still need to play 1 and 2. Mario Golf obviously, looks good enough. And the glorious return of Miis in both Golf and Miitopia (can't believe they are porting Miitopia of all games).

 

Skyward Sword HD: the graphical style doesn't really hold up does it? If you look at these environments like the grassland, there is no detail in there at all. This should have been a HD collection along with Wind Waker and Twilight Princess for €60 (or even €75). Just wait and see them bringing WW and TP over for €50 as well... Happy anniversary!

And Splatoon 3, loved how slow that trailer's first half was haha. I can't wait to play it, and showing it now I think is just a way to show Nintendo have things going on on the long run. Only doubt I have if it will have enough new stuff to justify a follow-up.

Disappointments: No Galaxy 2, no Nintendo Online upgrade, no news about Mario Kart. No Tony Hawk.

[Helmsly]

When the Splatoon 3 trailer first started, i thought it was going to be a spin-off game of some kind and I was actually disappointed when it straight up said Splatoon 3.

Even though I absolutely love the series, I am not sure about having a direct sequel on the same console for a online focused game because I think you end up splintering the player base, unless it merges with Splatoon 2 somehow. That said, by the time the game is released in 2022, Splatoon 2 will be five years old I guess so maybe its fine.

I think it was a really good direct even though there wasn't much there for me. I'll probably get Skyward Sword

22 minutes ago, Vileplume2000 said:

Disappointments: No Galaxy 2, no Nintendo Online upgrade, no news about Mario Kart. 

 

I had forgotten about this and you're right, that is disapointing, I had hoped they'd announce more games from Gameboy or N64 to get added to NSO. And I would have loved some more stuff to be added to Mario Kart

Edited February 18, 2021 by Helmsly

[Julius]

So, as revealed in the Japanese Direct, they're making a Shin-chan game which looks charming as heck, but will probably never make its way over here 

I don't even have that much familiarity with the series, but it looks so warm and cosy that I would definitely be interested if it did come over here.

I'll just cross my fingers and hope I guess...

[drahkon]

6 minutes ago, Julius said:

t looks so warm and cosy

Spoiler

And that's harmless  

[drahkon]

Just read that Miitopia is just a port and costs $50. .

[RedShell]

Well, that was utterly disappointing.  

It started off pretty well with the Smash Bros. segment, which I actually really enjoyed, despite considering the character choice to be yet another wasted slot. Seriously, why are they still adding characters from franchises that already have representation?! 

As for the rest of the Nintendo stuff:

Famicom Detective Club - Definitely very cool that this is happening, but it’s not my cup of tea unfortunately.

Mario Golf - After getting severely burnt with Mario Tennis I have to be super cautious with this one. It certainly looks to be more substantial, but looks can be deceiving. The speed golf/simultaneous multiplayer thing is nice, but nothing new having already played Everybody’s Golf.

Miitopia - Great game. Played it extensively on 3DS though, and I’m not going to buy it again just because its got a new hat.

Animal Crossing Mario Update - The Mario themed items look better than ever, and the added functionality of the warp pipe is amazing! That was actually the best moment of the entire Direct for me, which speaks volumes for how poor this presentation was.  

Hyrule Warriors Expansion - Don’t have the game, so this is meh by default.

Skyward Sword HD - Nope. Played it on Wii, don’t need or want the new hat version.

Splatoon 3 - Not sure what to make of this really, seems like a weird choice of game to do a same platform sequel for, as it’s so focused on multiplayer. I mean it’ll basically make Splatoon 2 completely obsolete. I think it would’ve made much more sense to keep Splatoon 3 for the next system. It also looks pretty rough at this stage and the trailer was bizarre, but lots of time left to work on it I guess.

 

So yeah, here’s hoping Nintendo have something more to my taste in the next Direct, whenever that may be. But with the way things are going, it’s certainly not looking good.  I really did think that once they’d got all the Wii U ports out of the way we’d start to see nothing but original content, but now they’re doing Wii and 3DS ports too! 

So glad I bought a gaming PC... *goes back to enjoying Game Pass*  

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

I just felt that entire thing was not for me at all, don't know if it's me or Nintendo but we just don't seem a good fit for each other any more 🤷‍♂️

I watched it live while playing a bit of Sea of Thieves, I was fairly meh about the whole thing and then when Aounuma popped up I stopped sailing and picked my phone up anticipation that'd I'd really need to watch what was coming next...no, no I didn't 🤦‍♂️ couldn't care less and that remake did not look HD at all. Ah well. Can't fathom the decision to make Splatoon 3 at the moment, why not keep supporting 2 instead of making that an irrelevance! Surely they could be putting time into either a classic franchise or a new IP instead of overdoing Splatoon 🤷‍♂️

I dunno, maybe it's because I didn't really see anything for me but didn't find that Direct enjoyable at all!

[Ashley]

Yeah it's been a while since I've seen Skyward Sword and I couldn't tell if there's not really a graphical upgrade or the Wii version just benefitted from the vaseline lens.

Looking forward to Fall Guys as I've been wanting to play that for a while. Guess I'll have to reactivate my online account in the summer.