The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 got a 2022 launch window at Nintendo’s E3 2021 Direct. (And a whole bunch of other neat stuff got announced, too.)
At every Nintendo Direct, fans expect the world. Occasionally, Nintendo delivers.
To close out today’s E3 Direct, Nintendo showed gameplay from the upcoming sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game looks similar to the previous entry, but Breath of the Wild 2 will add traversal among floating islands in the sky. And, as we saw in the original reveal from 2019, it looks like the sequel will feature exploration in underground caverns. It also might have a time- or water-manipulation mechanic? And Link can somehow disincorporate through solid surfaces?
We still don’t know much about Breath of the Wild 2, but we at least have a release window. Nintendo is aiming for a 2022 launch.
Additionally, Nintendo announced a new entry in the Metroid series. While there was no news on Metroid Prime 4, we did see a new 2D game titled Metroid Dread. It’s the first new 2D Metroid game since Metroid Fusion in 2002. In the game, Samus will be pursued by robots and monsters, much like she was pursued by SA-X in Fusion. Nintendo showed off more gameplay at the Treehouse presentation that followed the Direct. The game is set to launch on October 8.
A new WarioWare game is also in the works. WarioWare: Get It Together marks the first time the series has appeared on Switch and will launch on September 10, 2021. The game will feature two-player co-op and each of the characters will have special abilities which can be used to complete mini-games in unique ways.
Advance Wars is also set to make its long-awaited return. The legendary turn-based strategy series has been dormant for 13 years, but will debut on the Switch on December 3, 2021. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a 3D remake of the two Game Boy Advance entries, Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising.
Shin Megami Tensei V also has a release date. The JRPG was one of the first Switch games announced back in January 2017, but then Atlus went radio silent for years. A new trailer debuted at today’s Nintendo Direct along with the news that it will launch on November 12 of this year.
Nintendo took the Direct as an opportunity to announce a slew of ports. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part 1 launches on Switch today. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 will hit the Switch on June 25. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, an open-world action game set in the world of the anime, will launch on September 24. And, Danganronpa: Decadence will collect the three mainline murder mystery games, and Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, later this year. The games will also be available individually on the eShop.
The Big N also showed off some of its previously announced games, like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Mario Golf: Super Rush, and Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, shown at the weekend during Ubisoft’s presser. Super Rush is set for release later this month, Skyward Sword is out July 16, and Mario+Rabbids will launch next year. Additionally, Nintendo announced DLC plans for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The action-focused Zelda spin-off debuted last year, and will receive a pair of updates. The first will arrive on June 18 and the second will hit this November.
Oh. And then there’s this little guy:
The Best of the Rest
- A new Game & Watch featuring The Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, Link’s Awakening and Vermin, an old Game & Watch exclusive featuring Link (November 12)
- Kazuya from Tekken is the next DLC fighter to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (More information, June 28)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (October 26)
- Mario Party Superstars (October 29)
- Strange Brigade (Today)
- Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (2021)
- Cruisin’ Blast (Fall 2021)
- Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (July 9)
- Just Dance 2022 (November 4)
- Two Point Campus (2022)
- Worms Rumble (June 23)
- Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (Oct. 5)
- Life is Strange: Remastered Collection (2021)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Sept. 10)
Phew! You can watch the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct in full below.
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