The E3 2018 Nintendo Direct lifts the lid on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo came into E3 2018 with a spring in its step. 2017 was a vintage year for the Japanese gaming giant, with the Nintendo Switch performing well, with games like Arms, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild all finding critical acclaim and commercial success.
Expectations were therefore a little lower for this year’s event, but there was still enough to get excited about. A deep deep deep deep deep deep deep-dive on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the focus of this year’s Direct, but there was also information on a bunch of new titles coming to the Switch, including Fire Emblem Three House, and Super Mario Party.
Here’s the full rundown on all the news from the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct.
List of E3 2018 Nintendo Direct announcements
Daemon X Machina
- A mech combat game from Marvellous with an anime art style, and bright shiny laser beams. Zap!
- Coming in 2019.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gets a new expansion called Torna – The Golden Country.
- “It’s just an easy cure for the tedium of being,” apparently.
- Coming in September, 14 2018.
Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee
- A brief roundup of the game’s features, including the Pokéball Plus.
- Mew is exclusive to every Pokéball Plus
- Released on November 16, 2017.
Super Mario Party
- Multiplayer shenanigans returns
- Demo includes portable play with some interesting new ways of interaction between multiple Switch systems.
- Released October 5, 2018, along with the new Nintendo Switch Adjustable Charging Stand.
Fire Emblem Three Houses
- The Fire Emblem series returns with a new mainline entry on Nintendo Switch.
- The series’ traditional gameplay looks intact but is now resplendent in a new 3D engine.
- Released in Spring 2019.
Fortnite Battle Royale
- The reasonable popular Fortnite Battle Royale comes to Nintendo Switch.
- We don’t need to describe what Fortnite is.
- It’s available now. Go play.
Overcooked 2!
- As rumoured, Team17’s multiplayer cooking sequel is Switch bound, and will be released on August 7, 2018.
Killer Queen Black
- The arcade hit comes to Switch later in 2018.
Hollow Night
- Team Cherry’s beloved platformer comes to the Switch eShop today, and includes all previously released DLC
Octopath Traveller
- A reminder of the game’s July 13, 2018 release date.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Masahiro Sakurai introduces the game’s full roster of fighters which includes every character who has ever appeared in a Smash Bros game, including all DLC characters.
- There are new costumes for Mario, Link and Zelda among many others
- Other characters have been tweaked and improved, and there’s a bevy of new Final Smash moves.
- The starting roster is small with constant character unlocks.
- Fighters include Mario, Samus, Kirby, Bowser, Link, Donkey Kong, Fox, Falco, Marth, Zelda, Sheik, Villager, Mewtwoo, Meta Knight, Sonic, Peach, Pikachu, Ice Climbers, Inkling, Captain Falcon, Zero Suit Samus, Wii FIt Trainer, Ness, Pokemon Trainer, Lucas. Ryu, Ganondorf, Ike, Cloud, Snake, Jigglypuff, Pichu, Diddy Kong, Olimar, Lucario, Lucina, Robin, Bayonetta, Greninja, Mr Game and Watch, R.O.B., Pit, Dark Pit, Corrin, Bowser Jr, Toon Link, Young Link, King Dedede, Three Miis, Wario, Little Mac, Pac-Man, Shulk, Wolf, Megaman, and Luigi to name just a few.
- It will support new editions of the GameCube controller, as well as all existing amiibo’s based on characters in the game.
- Released on December 7, 2018.
And also….
- Other games announced in the Nintendo Direct were Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Arena of Valour, Minecraft, Pixark, DragonBall FighterZ, Splatoon 2 DLC, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Crash Bandicoot N’ Sane Trilogy, Ninjala, Carcassonne, FIFA 19, Wasteland 2, ARK Survival Evolved, Dark Souls, SNK Heronies, Monster Hunter Generations, Wolfenstein II, The Worlds Ends with You, Mega Man 11, and the soon to be released Mario Tennis Aces.
Check back throughout the week for more E3 2018 coverage from Thumbsticks.
