The recent Nintendo Direct was quite the substantial one, being over 50 minutes long. There were a fair number of games being announced, including a few Nintendo Switch exclusives and ports.
Project Triangle Strategy
One of the highlights from the Nintendo Direct is Project Triangle Strategy by Square Enix. It’s a working title, but it’s a tactical RPG reminiscent of games like XCOM and Fire Emblem. Graphics wise, it has gone for the Octopath Traveler kind of retro style.
The game is set to be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch in 2022. That being said, the company said that a free demo is now available on the eShop.
Splatoon 3
Another title that’s coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2022 is Splatoon 3. Nothing much was revealed about the game, besides the year of release. Though the trailer does reveal a new badlands type of locale, as opposed to the more vibrant Inkopolis in previous games.
The trailer also shows a character customisation menu and a new bow-type weapon. As mentioned, the game will only be out in 2022, so Nintendo will likely have more to reveal in the interim.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Nintendo is also remastering The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Switch. The remaster pushes the game’s framerates up to 60fps, and you can also make use of Joy-Con motion controls to play it.
This will be available on 16 July 2021, but pre-orders for it are already open. A special pair of Joy-Cons featuring prints from the game will also be made available on the same date. Though no pricing has been announced for either.
Neon White
Moving on to things that are not Nintendo Switch exclusives, we have Neon White. Made by Ben Esposito and published by Annapurna Interactive, it tells the story of an assassin from Hell, sent to deal with a demon invasion in Heaven. And you compete with others like you for a chance to stay in Heaven indefinitely.
The gameplay trailer shows a mix of cards and first-person shooter, the cards turn into limited use weapons that you use to dispatch foes. It’s an interesting twist, which makes it fortunate that the game isn’t locked to the Nintendo Switch. It will also be made available on Steam, and has a release window of Winter 2021.
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection
Next in the list of non-exclusives is Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection. It consists of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge. Alongside the games are most of their game modes and DLC constumes.
The collection is slated for a 10 June launch. It will not only be available for the Nintendo Switch, but also PC via Steam, PS4 and Xbox One. You can naturally also play them on the PS5 and Xbox Series X via backwards compatibility.
Samurai Warriors 5
And finally, we have Samurai Warriors 5. Beyond the staple beat ’em up gameplay, this entry looks to be quite different from its predecessors. For one, the art style looks different, and even the character designs, while still recognisable, look very distinct. And rather than rehashing the exact same Warring States plot and getting more historically inaccurate with each instalment, this one looks to be a prequel of sorts, taking place at the very beginning of the Warring States period.
While obviously not mentioned during Nintendo Direct, the game will be available on PC via Steam as well as PS4 and Xbox One, in addition to the Switch. The release date is still a vague Summer 2021, but a more concrete date will be announced on 25 Feburary.
(Source: Nintendo, Koei Tecmo)
