Nintendo’s Direct presentations quickly became many fans’ favorite way to get updates on their favorite video game franchises, and the publisher finally gave fans the first one of 2022. Despite the addictive nature of tuning in to these streams, they have notoriously garnered polarizing reactions online for various reasons.
However, there are usually some game announcements to come from each that stoke the excitement of certain circles of Nintendo’s fan base. Being the gaming publisher’s mascot, Mario unsurprisingly had a big presence, as well as revitalizations of classic IPs that surprised many. Reddit fans discussed their biggest highlights and takeaways from the February Direct to look forward to the first half of the year.
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Originally debuting on the Nintendo GameCube in 2005, Super Mario Strikers easily became one of the best Mario sports games available. It took soccer and stylized it in classic Mario fashion, condensing it into a dystopian-like and fast-paced combat sports game involving power-ups and items. It spawned one sequel for the Nintendo Wii in the form of Mario Strikers Charged, but the series became dormant since. The Switch, however, has been gradually reintroducing the mascot character’s sports games which finally resulted in Mario Strikers: Battle League.
Redditor cesclaveria praised the reveal, saying “both Mario Strikers have been some of the best experiences I’ve ever had in gaming,” and that “in my opinion the most ‘chaotic fun’ of all Mario [spinoffs].” The trailer for Battle League retains the bombastic action of its predecessors while introducing new abilities, items, and even some light RPG mechanics in character customization. Fans won’t have to wait long, as it launches on June 10th.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
The Xenoblade series back on the Wii became one of the most underrated JRPGs of its time but has since blossomed thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s runaway success. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and a remaster of the original were released on the Switch in 2017 and 2020 respectively to great critical reception, and are both some of the best modern JRPGs to play today. In the semi-regular stinger reveals that Nintendo does at the end of Directs, Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was officially announced.
Redditor jatwns cited the game as one of the ones to impress them on Nintendo’s upcoming slate, saying “One of the best directs of the Switch era for me, 2022 is absolutely stacked for gaming.” The game will have two main protagonists and its setting takes place after the events of the original and 2, in the middle of a war between two mechanically-advanced nations. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 also revealed a surprisingly fast release date, as it’s set to launch this September.
EarthBound & EarthBound: Beginnings
It seemed that Nintendo was ardent on neglecting the EarthBound/Mother franchise, but this Nintendo Direct pleasantly shocked fans of the cult-classic JRPG series. The last time international fans of the series got anything directly related to it was the Wii U Virtual Console re-release of the original game, and now EarthBound and EarthBound: Beginnings are being added to Nintendo Switch Online.
Redditor jimx117 said “I’m just stoked to be able to finally play Earthbound & EB 0 on the Switch! Took [Nintendo] long enough…” The EarthBound games were praised for their balance of whimsical nature with intimate — and even dark — themes while subverting genre conventions, as game designer Toby Fox was inspired by when making the acclaimed indie RPG Undertale.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition
For clued-in players up-to-date on the gaming industry’s news developments, this announcement may not have been surprising, but it’s certainly welcome. The loose sequel to Chrono Trigger, one of the greatest 16-bit JRPGs, was formally revealed to be getting a remaster as Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
A now-deleted Redditor’s account was thrilled at this resuscitated JRPG classic, saying “They could have started and finished with that preview and I’d still be this ecstatic!.” Though some fans were critical of the game for being jarringly different compared to Trigger, Chrono Cross was critically acclaimed nonetheless for its inventive story, vibrant world, and turn-based gameplay mechanics. The remaster releases on April 7th across all the aforementioned platforms.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC
While some fans might have expected the long-awaited announcement of Mario Kart 9, the reveal of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC turned out to be a great compromise for many. Mario Kart 8 was originally released on the Nintendo Wii U, but its Switch remastered port has increased its life span exponentially. The DLC pass promises 48 remastered courses from past games through the end of 2023 at an impressive price of ~$25.
Fans were understandably cynical upon the reveal in real-time given Nintendo’s track record, but these finer details made the package worthwhile. Redditor defenstratethis was both satisfied with the announcement and bewildered, saying “$25 for 48 courses seems pretty damn good?.” Mario Kart is one of the best non-platforming Mario games, and while waiting for the next entry continues, this DLC pass is a surprisingly good deal to prolong a great game.
Nintendo Switch Sports
When the Nintendo Wii launched, it became a gaming phenomenon in large part due to its use of motion controls. Wii Sports came bundled with the consoles brand new and became a juggernaut in and of itself. It was a sports simulation game that came packed with a variety of sports to play from bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing, and golf. Wii Sports was perfect for casual audiences like families, and it’s finally getting a sequel in Nintendo Switch Sports.
This sequel releases on April 29th and now comes with soccer, volleyball, badminton, and chambara on top of the returning sports tennis and bowling. Though, golf will be returning through a free update later on. Redditor TheodoeBhabrot said that Nintendo Switch Sports “is unironically my most anticipated game since they announced the console.” It may have initially been intended as a showcase game to demonstrate the Wii’s features out of the box, but it turned into a beloved fan-favorite game on its own addictive merits.
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