The next Nintendo Direct was announced this morning, and we’ll be getting about 40 minutes of game trailers tomorrow. There tends to be a Nintendo presentation of some sort each September, whether it’s a main Direct, third-party showcase, or focused on a specific game or series.
September is an important time for Directs like this one in order to showcase upcoming games for the rest of the year and beyond. This time, Nintendo stated that the presentation will focus mainly on games releasing this winter, which can mean games launching through February or March of 2022.
Of course, sometimes Nintendo likes to surprise us with announcements for games that will be releasing beyond those dates as well. It can be difficult to predict what they’ll show this time around, but here are some of the announcements we hope to see during the Direct tomorrow.
Huge Nintendo Switch Online Update
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
Rumors have been swirling about a new update to Nintendo Switch Online, and for good reason: typically, Nintendo tends to update their online service with new features around September or October when most people’s memberships are about to expire.
Fans have been begging for an additional classic console to be added to the service since the SNES was added a few years ago. It could truly be a Netflix streaming-like service if Nintendo wanted it to be; they have one of the biggest back catalogs in gaming, yet it’s pretty underutilized right now.
It would be great to see more systems added to NSO, such as Game Boy/Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, or Nintendo 64. We’d love it if these would be added to the current subscription service, but if they introduced a premium model at a higher price, we’d probably still buy into it. We just want Nintendo to give us an easy way to play some of its greatest games.
The Final Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighter
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
The timing seems right. We know that Nintendo plans to announce and release the final DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before the end of 2021, but we don’t know when it will be.
It might be easier to predict when the fighter will be announced than predict who the fighter will actually be. If fans had their choice, the most popular requests seem to be Crash Bandicoot, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, or Master Chief from Halo.
No matter who the final fighter is, it will have to be a complete showstopper, which would make for an incredible Nintendo Direct. It will probably be the last Smash fighter we’ll get for many years, and of course, not everyone will be happy, so the ball is in Nintendo’s court to make this a memorable one.
If this fighter isn’t announced during this Direct, the next chance will probably be in December at the Game Awards. We just don’t want to wait that long. Tell us who it is so we can finally stop speculating!
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Announcement
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
It’s been a while since we’ve heard what Monolift Soft has been up to. Last year, we got Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for the Switch, but the last original Xenoblade game was back in 2017.
What has this developer been working on since then? Xenoblade Chronicles is another series that there have been plenty of rumors about lately. We’re not sure if there’s any weight behind these rumors or if they’re simply just wishes, but we know fans have been loud and clear about wanting the next game in the series.
The series has been gaining popularity with each new entry, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the next game announced during this Nintendo Direct. It would be great to see a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 game announcement, even if it’s just a teaser, to be released sometime in 2022.
Third Party Games We’ve Been Waiting For
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
There are a number of popular third-party games that have been previously announced for the Switch that we are still waiting on release dates for. It would be great to see these in tomorrow’s Direct instead of having to wait for a separate third-party showcase.
Specifically, it’s been ages since we’ve had an update about Hollow Knight: Silksong. This sequel to Hollow Knight was announced way back in 2017, and although many expected it to show up at E3 this year, the development team shared it would be absent and to wait just a little bit longer.
Another indie we’ve been waiting a while to hear more about is Fall Guys. This game was originally announced to be coming to the Switch this past summer, but it had to be delayed in order to add crossplay. This would make a fantastic game to be released immediately after the Direct has aired.
Finally, one other third-party game that was previously announced for Switch that was recently released on other consoles is Life is Strange: True Colors. We already know it’s coming in 2021 before the end of the year, so it would be nice to get a solid release date for players who want to experience the game on the Switch.
A New Kirby Game
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
It seems like nearly every year, a new Kirby game releases, but so far we don’t have any information about any upcoming titles. For the next Kirby game, we want something a little bit different.
How great would it be if Kirby’s next adventure took place in a 3D world? The series is traditionally 2D side-scrolling, so it would be an exciting change of pace if the next game was on a three-dimensional plane instead.
Just like how games like Breath of the Wild and Pokemon Sword and Shield have rethought the conventions of their series on the Switch, a 3D Kirby game could do the same for that franchise. We seem due for a new game anyway, so this type of announcement would be very welcome.
Mario Kart 9 Reveal
Nintendo Direct Announcements We’re Dying to See
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling game on the Switch and continues to top sales charts despite being four years old (and even older if you consider it’s a port of a Wii U game).
For this reason alone, we probably shouldn’t expect a new mainline Mario Kart game any time soon, especially since Home Circuit released last year and the mobile game Tour is still receiving updates, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t wow us if it happened.
Because Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a port, it means that many of us have been playing the same Mario Kart game for over seven years. That’s the longest gap between mainline titles in the series. We are so ready for the next game.
The best-case scenario is if Mario Kart 9 could be like a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate type game that incorporates every single existing track and character in the franchise along with a brand new gimmick and even more new content. If that’s too unrealistic, just give us a game with some new courses to race on. We’ll be grateful for anything new at this point.
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