I hope you like to Smash. (I do).
The E3 2018 Nintendo Direct opened directly into a trailer for a new title. Daemon X Machina is a cel-shaded mech game that scratches many of my specific itches. Ranged and melee combat looked fast and fluid. Gigantic enemies, presumably bosses, were shown with two smaller mechs fighting together, implying the inclusion of co-op play. Daemon X Machina is expected to launch in 2019.
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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 received a trailer for a new piece of DLC, Torna ~ the Golden Country. Owners of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Expansion Pass will have access to Torna on September 14. A physical version of Torna was also shown, which sees to be a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 with a code for the Expansion Pass included. The physical version will be available on September 21.
Pokemon: Let’s Go was shown again, but the only real piece of news was regarding the Poke Ball Plus accessory. Poke Ball Plus owners will get a Mew that can be transferred into the game.
Super Mario Party was the first new Nintendo title shown. Super Mario Party supports play between more than one Switch console, with one minigame’s map being shaped by how two Switches were laid next to each other. A goomba is a playable character for the first time in the Mario Party franchise. As one would expect, Super Mario Party makes use of the Joy Con’s motion capabilities for minigames. Super Mario Party will release on October 5, 2018.
The first entry in the Fire Emblem series for the Switch was revealed next, following over a year of silence after being announced. Fire Emblem: Three Houses received a brief gameplay trailer, with one of the biggest changes being every unit having a small band of troops move and fight alongside them. There seem to be some special troop formations for special attacks, implied by one character leading a charge. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is expected to release in 2019.
Fortnite was announced and released for the Switch, much to the surprise of absolutely no one.
A selection of new independent titles, or “Nindies” if you’re Reggie, were shown next. First (and most exciting to me), was Overcooked 2. Overcooked 2 will have some new features like throwing ingredients between players and online play in addition to the expected new stages and recipes. Overcooked 2 will be released on August 7, 2018.
Killer Queen Black will be coming to the Nintendo Switch this Winter, promising some arcade-style action.
Hollow Knight was also announced for the Switch and was made available immediately! All DLC released to this point is included in the Switch version.
Then began the game and release date montage. Octopath Traveler (7/13) will receive a new demo on the Nintendo eShop on June 14th. Starlink (10/16) was shown, with special emphasis on the Star Fox content exclusive to the Switch. Also shown were Arena of Valor (Fall 2018), Minecraft (6/21), Pixark (Fall 2018), Just Dance 2019 (10/23), Dragonball FighterZ (2018), Captain Toad (7/13), Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (6/29), and Ninjala (Spring 2019).
Hang on…I need a break.
OK! Carcassone (Holiday 2018), Fifa 19 (9/28), Ark (Fall 2018), Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut (Fall 2018), Paladins (Now), Fallout Shelter (Now), Dark Souls Remastered (Summer 2018), SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (9/7), Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (8/28), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (6/29), The World Ends With You: Final Remix (Fall 2018), Mega Man 11 (10/2), and Mario Tennis: Aces (6/22). Whew…
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate made up the rest of the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct. Masashiro Sakurai took the reigns and gave one hell of an info dump.
First up was the roster. Long story short: EVERYONE. Every single character that has ever been playable in a Super Smash Bros. title to this point is playable in Ultimate. Characters that haven’t been seen since Melee, like Ice Climbers, all the way to 3rd-party DLC characters from Smash 4, like Cloud and Bayonetta, are here. The starting roster is limited to the original 12 fighters from Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64, but the unlock process has been reportedly streamlined. Ridley and Daisy were also confirmed as new characters.
Characters have been heavily modified, as well. Final smash moves have been sped up across the board, promising more time spent in active combat. Some final smashes, like Fox and Falco’s Landmaster Tank, have been changed entirely. Characters that are very similar to others, such as Lunica and Dark Pit, have been called “Echo Fighters”, but the new name doesn’t seem to have any real impact. Several previous clones, like Wolf and Ganondorf, did not receive the echo distinction, implying they have been reworked to be more unique.
Inklings, newcomers to Smash Bros., were given an in-depth preview. Inklings can cover their foes in ink, and inked foes take increased damage. Inklings also have to manage. The different weapons of Splatoon 2, like rollers and ink brushes, make appearances in the Inkling’s assorted smash attacks.
New items, like Launch Stars from Super Mario Galaxy were shown, as were some new pokemon. There are now more than 50 assist trophies, AI-controlled characters that fight alongside the character that summoned them. Some assist trophies can even be knocked out of the arena, earning points for the player that removes them from the fight.
New stages were also shown, like Tortimer Island from Animal Crossing and Moray Towers from Splatoon. For the first time, every stage in the game is going to have an “omega” form. Omega forms retain the visual themes and elements of the original stage but are reduced to a uniform size and shape for competitive play.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will release on December 7, 2018 and looks to be the best Smash Bros. game to date. I tried my best to mention the highlights of the new information revealed today. There are numerous other changes that were discussed during the Nintendo Direct, and if you want to see them for yourself please check out the video below.
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