Since its release, the Nintendo Switch has been dominating sales all over the globe. With Thursday morning’s announcements of new titles, ports, and DLC made via Nintendo Direct, it looks like Nintendo may hit its March goal of 14 million Switch units sold. Here is a list of what characters and games will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
First released on the Nintendo DS in July of 2007, The World Ends With You is receiving a port to Nintendo’s new console. The Switch version of the fantasy action role-playing game will allow players to play two different ways. They can either control characters via the touchscreen or use traditional controls, and the game will also give players a new scenario to play as well. Outside of a release date of 2018, information about the game and its new scenario other than it being “sizeable” was not released.
POKKEN TOURNAMENT DX DLC
Two new waves of character DLC for Pokken Tournament DX will be hitting the Nintendo Switch starting on January 31st! The first part of the new battle pack will introduce Aegislash as a new battle character, and will also contain a support set of Mimikyu and Mega Rayquaza. Then on March 23rd the second wave of the battle pack arrives, carrying with it a slew of characters. Which includes a battle character version of Blastoise, with Mew and Celebi arriving in the game as a support set.
Players will also have immediate access to new avatar items if they purchase the battle pack right now.
KIRBY STAR ALLIES
At E3, Nintendo announced Kirby Star Allies and today as part of Nintendo Direct they released a new gameplay trailer. While the trailer showcased new Artist and Spider move-sets, what it really hammered home were two staples Nintendo is known for. Colors and multiplayer. Amidst its unique and bright levels, the game’s multiplayer system was shown off.
The new co-op system allows four players to share their abilities as they travel though the game’s levels. Kirby and his friends make their Nintendo Switch debut on March 16th.
DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS
Among the many things announced in this year’s Nintendo Direct video was news that the demo for Dragon Quest Builders is now available on the Nintendo Switch. It can be found in the Nintendo eShop.
HYRULE WARRIORS: DEFINITIVE EDITION
This new edition of Hyrule Warriors will contain every map, character, and mission from both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions, including the premium DLC. Giving players 29 playable characters to choose from. If you’re a fan of the outfits Link and Zelda wore in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, then good news you can equip them in this game as well. Also included in the game is a two-player split-screen mode that utilizes a split pair of Joy-Con controllers.
The game launches this Spring.
MARIO TENNIS ACES
Nintendo’s famous mascot made his 2018 Nintendo Direct debut wearing full tennis gear. The next installment in the Mario Tennis series includes new gameplay mechanics. Including “new wrinkles” to help determine which shot and stroke will help you defeat your opponent given their position on the court. But the biggest addition to the game is a new story mode that contains new missions, boss battles, and more.
As with Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, Mario Tennis Aces will also be released this Spring.
YS VIII: LACRIMOSA OF DANA
The RPG that was released on PC, Playstation 4, and Vita will arrive on the Nintendo Switch this Summer.
SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY UPDATE/DLC
A new and free update is coming to Super Mario Odyssey. The update includes a new unlockable online game mode called Luigi’s Balloon World which is available after the update is downloaded and the main story is beaten. The game mode consists of a unique version of hide and seek. Giving players 30-seconds to either hide or discover a balloon anywhere on a map.
Also included in the update are new snapshot filters and three new outfits for Mario to wear. Knight armor, a musicians outfit modeled after the ones in New Donk City, and a “Sunshine” outfit that puts Mario in shades and a Super Mario Sunshine styled shirt. The new update will be available in February.
SNK HEROINES TAG TEAM FRENZY
Fans of the SNK fighting games can now play as their favorite female fighters in a new tag game. Controls are made easy as players can activate a variety of moves with just one button. Fighters are also customizable. The game will be released this Summer.
Also announced was the release of Aca NeoGeo 2 Art of Fighting 2 in the eShop.
MARIO + RABBIDS KINGDOM BATTLE DLC
Building off of 2017’s DLC which included features like end-game content and co-op, Nintendo is making Donkey Kong a playable character in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. His inclusion in the game this Spring also comes with a new story.
PAYDAY 2
Not only is Payday 2 from Starbreeze Studios coming over to the Nintendo Switch, it will also come with a new timed exclusive character. A Japanese computer whiz named Joy who wears a mask lined with LED’s and comes with her own weapons and hacker perks. Payday 2 will be released on February 27th for the Nintendo Switch.
Fe and Celeste
Two new indie games are also coming to the Nintendo Switch. The first one that was shown was Fe (pronounced Fay). A platformer from Zoink Games that debuted at E3 last year as part of EA’s originals series. By utilizing the Joy-Con’s motion controls players can unlock new character abilities as they venture deeper and deeper into Fe‘s Nordic world.
Prior to the February 16th release of Fe, Matt Makes Games’ 2D action platformer, Celeste will be available for the Switch on January 25th. The game comes with an assist mode which allows players to adjust difficulty, speed, and invincibility.
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE
The game that was first released on the Wii U back in February of 2014 is getting ported to the Nintendo Switch. This time Funky Kong is getting in on the action as he’ll be a playable character in a new game mode. His abilities include hovering with his surfboard and using it to land on spikes. Funky can also perform infinite rolls and underwater maneuvers.
The game will be released on May 4th, and it also comes with a two-player co-op.
DARK SOULS REMASTERED
Closing out this year’s Nintendo Direct was the announcement of Dark Souls coming to the Switch. Nintendo released a trailer for the upcoming remaster, and while no gameplay info was given, a release date was. May 25th.
What did you think of this year’s Nintendo Direct presentation? What game(s) are you excited for? Comment below!
