Nintendo Direct E3 2018 Roundup & Everything From Super Smash Bros: Ultmate

You know why you’re here. No, really, I know. You really couldn’t give less of a damn about any of the other games here, could you?

Nintendo’s Direct last night was short but very very sweet. Let’s get right into it so we can get to the game holy s*** I’m so excited

Daemon x Machina

Mecha action is fun for everyone. That’s what Marvelous Entertainment seems to think as they charged headfirst to be the first game showcased. It’s a cel-shaded action game with some seriously blistering pace. Apart from how cool it looks, not much is known. It comes to the Switch in 2019.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Torna: The Golden Country DLC

One of the Switch’s most well-recieved titles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has gotten its fair share of post-launch content. The upcoming Torna: The Golden Country is the final listed expansion for the game, and will extend the story. It’s coming on September 14th.

Pokemon Let’s Go! Eevee and Let’s Go! Pikachu

Followers of these games will be well aware of the Poke Ball Plus accessory: A device that lets you remove your starting Pikachu or Eevee and take it around with you. There’s now an actual reason to buy it: It’ll come with Mew! The rest of the presentation was stuff we already knew, but fresh footage was shown. The games are still releasing on the 14th of November.

Super Mario Party

At long last, the game that’s broken more friendships than Monopoly comes to the Switch! Super Mario Party promises the same hectic gameplay as its predecessors, and a return to a free-for-all style of gameplay after the…*shudder* co-operation of Mario Party 10. The Switch’s feature set is being pushed to its absolute limits here: Two people can use a single Joy Con, meaning that one Switch by itself is enough for a four-player slugfest. What’s more, two Switches can be linked together for some anti-screencheating team play. Two Switches can also be physically joined together for certain minigames, extending the display in all kinds of directions.

Super Mario Party releases on the 5th of October.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Intelligent System’s iconic franchise makes the jump to the Switch! Fire Emblem: Three Houses looks absolutely gorgeous and promises more of the same tight strategy gaming that the series is known for. This also marks the first Fire Emblem game for a home console since the Wii’s Radiant Dawn in 2007. The game’s received a delay from its original release window of 2018: It’ll now launch sometime in the Spring of 2019.

Fortnite

This was a no-brainer. The most popular game in the world right now on the fastest-selling system in nearly a decade? Consider it done. And done it has been. The game is available for the Switch right now. Cross-play will also be supported…except with PS4 players.

Overcooked 2

The first in the Direct’s indie games showcase, Overcooked 2 is a hectic co-op task balancing game with a chef motif. It comes to the Switch on the 7th of August.

Killer Queen Black

Killer Queen is more than a classic Queen track or the most bulls***-overpowered stand in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s also a local multiplayer action platformer built from humble beginnings as a single arcade cabinet. This is the first time that it’ll be available on a home system, coming to the Switch as Killer Queen Black. It releases in Q1 of 2019.

Hollow Knight

From Australian developer Team Cherry, Hollow Knight is the best Metroidvania game you’ll play this year, or next year, etc. Its PC release has seen four content packs, and all of them will be included in the Switch version of the game. This, and the previous three indie titles, are making the Switch an even better indie platform than it already was. Hollow Knight is available right now.

Octopath Traveller

Square Enix’s upcoming Switch exclusive JRPG, and is still coming on July 13th. A new demo is also available from June 14th. The Switch is in desperate need of variety in its RPG offerings, and Octopath Traveller should scratch all kinds of itches.

Upcoming releases

Before the big one, Nintendo reminded us about what’s coming to the Switch in the near future. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Arena of Valor (Fall 2018)

Ark: Survival Evolved (Fall 2018)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (July 13)

Carcassonne (Holiday 2018)

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (June 29)

Dark Souls: Remastered (Summer 2018)

Dragon Ball Fighter Z (2018)

Fallout Shelter (Now)

FIFA 18 (Now)

FIFA 19 (September 28)

Just Dance 2019 (October 23)

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure (June 26)

Mario Tennis Aces (June 22)

Megaman 11 (October 2)

Minecraft (June 21)

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (August 28)

Ninjala (Spring 2019)

Paladins: Conquerers of the Realm (Now)

Pixark (Fall 2018)

Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion (Summer 2018)

Starlink (October 16)

Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido (Now)

SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (September 7)

Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut (Fall 2018)

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (June 29)

The World Ends With You: Final Remix (Fall 2018)

If you’ve scrolled past everything else to get here, I both understand and am disappointed in you.

Super Smash Bros: Ultimate

Nintendo’s banked their entire E3 on this game, and I’d say that they succeeded at winning hearts, minds, and wallets. There’s heaps of things to cover, so let’s get to work smashing (hehe) them out! Firstly, though, Super Smash Bros Ultimate launches on December 7th, 2018!

Mechanical changes

• Ultimate is a much faster game than the last title. This should please the notoriously picky Melee community.
• Damage percentage now has a decimal point, displaying at XX.X%.
• Air Dodge mobility has been improved, emphasizing Recovery. Excessive dodging, however, will increase post-Dodge vulnerability time.
• Short Hop Attacks can now be performed at any time, by pressing your Regular attack button and your Jump button at the same time.
• Perfect Shields (a technique that negates damages to shields) now requires more precise button input.
• Leaders in Time Battles will sometimes flash, making it easier to find out who to gangbash.
• Final Smashes are now much shorter, “getting straight to the point”
• 1v1 fights are now much more intense! Damage dealt is increased, and heavy attacks (like Captain Falcon’s Falcon Punch) now trigger a dramatic slo-mo effect.
• Certain characters with bar/gauge-based abilities will now have said bars displayed on theri portrait at all times, like Cloud’s Limit Gauge or Robin’s magic abilities. Villager’s Pocket ability likewise has a icon for items you’ve pocketed, making it easier to keep track of.
• Characters are more more emotionally expressive, with Donkey Kong featuring prominently in the trailer.
• There are more than 50 Assist Trohies this time around. Most Assist Trophies can now be KO’d, and you can get points for doing so. New (and Old) Assist Trophies include Rodin (Bayonetta), the Squid Sisters (Splatoon), Knuckle Joe (Kirby Super Star), Metroid (come on man do I really have to tell you), Ghosts (Pac Man), Lyn (Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade), Waluigi (Super Mario), Andross (Star Fox), Nintendog (again, do I have to), Riki (Xenoblade Chronicles) and Bomberman (this is getting really awkward now man).
• More Pokemon are being added to the Poke Ball item as well, such as Bewear and Solgaleo.
• New items include Launch Stars from Super Mario Galaxy, Black Holes that keep players stuck in a certain radius, and a Fake Smash Ball that’ll explode when shattered.

Hardware features

• Ultimate will be compatible with Gamecube controllers!
• All Super Smash Bros series amiibo will be compatible, as well as amiibo from fighters’ other series. amiibo data from the previous game can be transferred.

Character changes

• Ultimate will feature every single character that’s ever been in a Smash game. Yes, that means Snake! Ridley from Metroid is the game’s first newcomer (despite being “TOO BIG FOR SMASH”), but director Masuhiro Sakurai says we shouldn’t expect much in the way of new fighters just yet. That said, Inkling boys and girls from Splatoon will be coming to the game as well.
• Echo Characters are a new category of characters, for those who directly copy the movesets of other characters (known in the community as ‘Clones’). Princess Daisy is the first newcomer Echo character.
• Mario retains his moveset, but Cappy from Super Mario Odyssee joins him as a cosmetic.
• Link wears his outfit from Breath of the Wild, which we saw in Ultimate‘s reveal trailer. His bombs are now remote-detonated, making them harder to spam. His traditional costume is also an option.
• Ike is getting two varieties. The first is his look and voice from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, the other being from Radiant Dawn. These versions are cosmetic only.
• Pikachu now comes in its Female variety! Female Pikachu have a curve at the end of their tail, making it resemble a love heart. Hats and costumes from Sun and Moon are also making their debut.
• Fox and Falco’s designs now resemble those from Star Fox Zero, and their Final Smashes have been revamped. The Landmaster tanks are gone, replaced with an Arwing strafing run.
• Ryu now automatically faces enemies in 1v1 matches.
• Samus’ charge beam can now be charged in mid-air. Cancelling is possible, but risky.
• Marth (my main) is now fully voiced in English, and his Dancing Blade attack is now easier and faster to use. This goes for Lucina and Roy – Marth’s Echo characters – as well.
• King Dedede’s Final Smash has been changed to a cage fight, where he’ll pummel a foe with missiles and his rocket hammer.
• Zelda’s design now resembles the variety from A Link Between Worlds, as her Breath of the Wild counterpart is less into fighting and more into research. Like the poindexter she is. Her Final Smash now seals an opponent into the Triforce of Wisdom for a quick KO.
• Sonic’s Final Smash is now even faster. Gotta go fast!
• Pac Man’s Final Smash is faster as well.
• Pokemon Trainer’s pocket monsters no longer carry a penalty for staying in the fight for too long, as they did in Brawl. You can also play as a female trainer.
• Villager now comes in eight costume varieties, four for each gender.
• Bowser’s Giga Bowser Final Smash is now “as big as Bowser from the Yoshi’s Island games”.
• Mr. Game and Watch has had his opacity rediced, making him more closely resemble the displays of the original handheld systems.
• Wolf O’Donnel’s movesets have been upgraded, though details remain slim.
• Kirby’s Stone ability now includes a Breath of the Wild-inspired design.
• Shulk’s Monado Arts ability is now selected on a wheel, rather than a toggle-based system.
• Ganondorf’s design now resembles his look from Ocarina of Time.
• Mii Fighter’s movesets have been improved, and can now choose between 12 voice options.
• Pit’s new Final Smash has him rolling over fighters in the Lightning Chariot from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Zero Suit Samus’ Final Smash now has her donning her power suit to fire a laser from the roof of her ship.
• Olimar’s helmet now temporarily cracks when he takes damage.
• Bayonetta now has two costumes, from Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2. Each features differing attack SFX.
• Wario’s Final Smash no longer applies to standard attacks, being transferred to one big attack.
• Donkey Kong’s Final Smash now has him laying punches into a single foe, like in Jungle Beat.
• Little Mac’s new Final Smash is essentially identical to Donkey Kong’s.
• Ness and Lucas now call upon their friends to aid their Final Smashes. Ness summons Paula and Poo, and Lucas can rely on Kumatora and Boney. Their Final Smashes are still identical.
• Wii Fit Trainer’s face is now more detailed. That’ll make her armpit-loving fans happy…I guess?
• Mega Man’s Final Smash now includes Proto Man (basically every Mega Man game) and Bass (Mega Man 7).
• Palutena now has a set special attack for each of her moves, and her Down Special now both counters and deflects.
• R.O.B. now has a gauge on his stem, detailing how much fuel his Hover ability has left.
• Inklings’ attacks feature a variety of weapons from Splatoon. They can Ink characters, making them take more damage. Their attacks rely on a constant supply of Ink, however, and you must keep them filled by pressing your Special button while Shielding. There are eight outfit varieties, each with their own Ink colour.

Maps

• Every stage now has an Omega Form and Battlefield variety, making them resemble Final Destination and Battlefield respectively in terms of platform geography.
• New stages include Prism Tower from Pokemon Sun and Moon and Great Plateau Tower from Breath of the Wild.
• Shadow Moses Island, Spear Pillar, Lylat Cruise, Frigate Orpheon, Green Hill Zone, New Pork City,  from Brawl make a return.
• Mario Galaxy, Midgar, Spirit Train, Wrecking Crew, and Tortimer Island from the last Smash game are comng back.
• Big Blue, Green Greens, Kongo Falls, Princess Peach’s Castle, Great Bay, Yoshi’s Story and Rainbow Cruise from Melee are returning.
• Wily Castle now features all hazards from both versions of Super Smash Bros for Wii U & 3DS.