Nintendo Direct…Finally
Nintendo took to Twitter this morning to announce the much anticipated Nintendo Direct.
Tune in 2/13 at 2pm PT for a Nintendo Direct featuring around 35 minutes of information on upcoming #NintendoSwitch titles, including new details on #FireEmblem Three Houses!https://t.co/d1Xx3bUMG0 pic.twitter.com/dExyWiigBr
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 12, 2019
The first two takeaways from the tweet are Fire Emblem: Three Houses and no 2DS/3DS titles. Having Fire Emblem at the forefront shows that Nintendo wants this game to sell and they do not want it flying under the radar of Switch owners. With games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Octopath Traveler both moving over a million copies each Fire Emblem should do at least that. Each year Nintendo seems to have a niche title that drops and this year we may see two with Daemon X Machina and Fire Emblem: Three houses. Due to the popularity of the FE on 3DS and mobile, it may sell more like two to three million units. I think its a smart move on Nintendo’s part to highlight this game specifically because it’s not as well known as Animal Crossing or Pokemon which are both due out this year. There is also a good chance that we will see this game release Q2 or early Q3.
Goodbye Old Friend
The next thing I find interesting is no mention of 3DS. Last years March Direct was loaded with 3DS titles and this Direct says “35 minutes of upcoming Switch titles.” It is pure speculation, but I believe the system is done and we will see a successor in a smaller portable only Switch this holiday. All the major titles coming this year have thrived in the portable market so I could see the smaller less expensive Switch doing very well with the portable gaming crowd. We know Nintendo doesn’t shy away from modifying its systems to reach multiple price points. The 3DS/2DS line carried Nintendo through the lackluster sales of the WiiU and it did it with systems ranging from $79.99-$199.99. If Nintendo can get a Switch to that price point you will see multiple Switch households becoming more of a regular thing. My biggest hope with the system is something that is a little more kid-proof than the current model, something that can a fall or ten. 
The Details
The big question is will we see more Animal Crossing? Last March’s Direct was the reveal of Smash Bros Ultimate giving us a pretty good idea of what to expect for the year. I don’t think this will be anything different. The year is already laid out fairly well so we should be seeing more details about the announced games and I think we will have a strong representation of third-party titles. I wouldn’t expect too many ports this year because of first and third party games making their way to Switch in 2019. Luigi’s Mansion 3 will more than likely have a release date same with AC, but I am not too certain we will see much from the 8th gen Pokemon game in this Direct. Gamefreak may have some representation in this Direct with Town. I am hoping for another Mario Sports title because I am ready to golf in the Mushroom Kingdom in HD. With the delay of Metroid Prime 4, I am hopeful for the announcement of the Prime Trilogy. Bayonetta 3 could use an update and what has Retro been working on?
Continued Support
Last March we saw the Octoling expansion, so which games will get DLC announced tomorrow?
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best selling game on the system making it an obvious choice for DLC but seeing Mario Kart 9 next year is also a possibility.
- Mario Tennis Aces support has continued since it’s launch but is the player base there to support DLC?
- Super Mario Odyssey the second best selling game on Switch that has received multiple outfits but no substantial DLC. I would love to see Sunshine or Mario 64 as DLC for Odyssey.
- Splatoon 2 is still selling well and I wonder if Nintendo would be amiss to stop the DLC? There is the chance that they are working on a third game, but I wouldn’t be shocked if we saw more Splatoon 2 DLC at some point.
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate has unannounced DLC that we could see more info on.
What are your hopes for tomorrows Direct? Let me know in the comments below.
