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After massive earthquake shook Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido, Nintendo delayed the latest Nintendo Direct until further notice. It didn’t take them too long to reschedule: The company bounced back on Sept. 13 with a pre-Tokyo Game Show presentation full of reveals.
While we had a few ideas on what we might get out of this latest batch of updates, there were still plenty of surprise announcements for both Switch and 3DS. Super Mario Bros., Luigi’s Mansion 3, the latest in the long-running Katamari series, with a handful of other games and peripheral news piling up out of the event. Also, Nintendo revealed a back catalogue of classic Final Fantasy titles — not just FF 12 but also 7, 9 and 10. There was also news on new hardware and updates to fan favorite games that should please anyone out there who’s invested in the immediate future of Nintendo.
And then there was that painful Animal Crossing tease. But it was only a tease.
For the full breakdown, and all the details on games new and updated, check out our full list of news stories below.
While this Nintendo Direct was initially delayed because of the earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan, it will now go live today, September 13. We're expecting lots of announcements, trailers, and news about Nintendo Switch Online, the paid online service, and you can tune into it live by watching the stream below. The stream will begin on this page at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET / 11 PM BST.
There aren't many specifics on today's Nintendo Direct, but the company has said it will focus on games for Switch and 3DS. Viewers can expect details on Nintendo Switch Online, too. The service launches next week, on September 18.
Nintendo has already shared many details about the paid service, including its pricing tiers. We still don't know the full lineup of games available in Switch Online's NES library, just that subscribers will have access to 20 classic NES titles and online play when the service launches, with more to be added "regularly."
As far as what games will take centerstage in the broadcast, we'll likely get more details on those games missing from Nintendo's E3 2018 presentation, like the Yoshi game for Switch. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are also hotly anticipated releases coming soon, so the company could tease more info about what to expect from these games when they release on November 16 and December 7, respectively.
Nintendo devoted a portion of its latest Direct presentation to sharing more information on its upcoming paid online service for Switch. The service will begin rolling out for players next week, on September 18 (September 19 in Europe and Japan), and now we know a few more details about its classic games library and other perks.
As previously revealed, while online services have been free on Switch since the console launched in March 2017, you'll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play games such as Splatoon 2 and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate against other players online going forward. Many of these games will receive additional features via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. Splatoon 2 players, for instance, are able to access SplatNet 2 on the app--a service that allows them to view stats, the stage rotation schedule, and order gear to pick up in the game.
In addition to online play, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription grants you access to a library of classic NES games. Nintendo says this lineup will be expanded with new titles on a regular basis, but at launch, it will feature 20 classic games, each of which features some form of added online play. The company revealed the first half of the launch lineup back in May, and now we know the full list of games that will be available on day one:
Soccer
Tennis
Donkey Kong
Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
Dr. Mario
The Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Bros. 3
Double Dragon
River City Ransom
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Tecmo Bowl
Gradius
Pro Wrestling
Excitebike
Yoshi
Ice Hockey
Baseball
In addition to those games, Nintendo will introduce more titles to the library each month. In October, Solomen's Key, NES Open, and Super Dodge Ball will be added; November will bring Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack, and TwinBee; and December's batch includes Wario's Woods, Ninja Gaiden, and Adventures of Lolo. You can find more details about the NES library on Nintendo's website.
Switch Online subscribers will also receive other benefits, such as cloud saves. This won't work with all titles--the upcoming Pokemon RPGs, Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee are among the games that won't support the feature--but it will be available for most Switch titles. Subscribers will also receive "special offers" on the Eshop, although Nintendo says it will share more details about that in the future.
Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions can be purchased in one-month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three-month (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12-month (US $20 / £18 / AU $30) increments. Nintendo is also offering an annual Family Plan for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55, which allows up to eight Nintendo Account holders in the same family group to take advantage of the service, even across different Switch consoles. You'll be able to try the service for free for seven days when it launches.
September 2018 Nintendo Direct News
