E3 Nintendo Direct Drops New Mario Party, Metroid, BOTW 2 Trailer, And More!

By M. Kang

Posted on June 16, 2021

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The E3 Nintendo Direct has always been one of the more hyped up events, not only because it is one of the last major conferences of E3, but also because Nintendo usually has a huge surprise every year.

This year, the E3 Nintendo Direct certainly had many unexpected surprises but several highly anticipated games (for example, a Legend of Zelda 35^th Anniversary Collection) were not mentioned or outright deconfirmed. However, viewers got new entries into several staple Nintendo franchises – Mario Party and Metroid – a new Smash fighter, an amazing new trailer for Breath of the Wild 2, and more.

Here is everything mentioned at the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct:

Kazuya

Smash Ultimate is the biggest gaming crossover of all time and it just got even bigger. Announced right at the start of the presentation, Kazuya Mishima from the Tekken series is set to join Smash. Kazuya is one of the series’ main antagonists, the devil possesses Kazuya, giving him immense strength and power.

Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai made a brief appearance, leading into a showcase of the many moves Kazuya will bring. There were more moves than traditional inputs on the Switch, likely meaning Kazuya uses command inputs like the other fighting game characters in Smash Ultimate.

A Kazuya-specific showcase will air June 28th at 7:00am PT.

Mario Party Superstars

One of the biggest surprises from the Nintendo Direct was a new… er… well newish? Mario Party game! Mario Party Superstars brings back five classic boards from the Nintendo 64 era – including Peach’s Birthday Cake from Mario Party and Space Land from Mario Party 2 – as well as 100 minigames from the series catalogue. Online play is fully supported in all modes.

Mario Party Superstars arrives on Nintendo Switch October 29^th.

Metroid Dread

Metroid Prime 4 was confirmed to still be in the works, but in the meantime, fans of the series get a completely new game: Metroid Dread! This new Metroid game is a new entry in the 2D metroidvania branch of the game. Horror seems to be a major theme as Samus fights new enemy types with new weapons and ways to explore the vast dungeons.

Metroid Dread releases October 8th, 2021.

Shin Megami Tensei 5

Shin Megami Tensei 5 has been highly anticipated, but up until now, there was little in the way of information in terms of story or gameplay. Luckily, at the Nintendo Direct, players were given a look into the latest in the legendary Shin Megami Tensei series.

Living the life of a normal Tokyo high school student, one day the player gets pulled into an alternate universe post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Teaming up with a mysterious figure, the player gains the power to fight the demons in this universe. Much like other Shin Megami Tensei games, players battle the vast landscape of demons using a turn-based system and can even teaming up with some in order to beat the game.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 will be available November 12^th.

Legend of Zelda

This year marks the 35^th Anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series. To mark the occasion, here are a few things Nintendo has planned for this year:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will get its first part of its two part DLC, Pulse of the Ancients, on June 18^th. This DLC includes a Guardian a playable character, new ancient weapons, and Link’s motorbike from Breath of the Wild.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is releasing soon on July 16^th. Although no new information was given, Nintendo used the moment to remind players of its release.

Legend of Zelda Game & Watch brings three games in the Legend of Zelda series – Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, and Link’s Awakening (GBA) – as well as the Game & Watch title with Link as the protagonist to Game & Watch system. It also comes with a playable clock and an interactive timer. The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch will be available November 12^th.

Finally, the update everyone was waiting for: Breath of the Wild 2! The game is steadily in development with the team sharing new footage of the game. While the game is still based in the BOTW Hyrule, this setting of the adventure has now expanded into the skies. There will also be new weapons and rules, all still seemingly built on the original’s physics engine. Breath of the Wild 2 will be available 2022.

Here are all the other announcements made at the Nintendo E3 Direct:

WarioWare: Get It Together! – the acclaimed minigame extravaganza is back with co-op fast-paced action on September 10^th.
Life is Strange: Remastered Collection & Life is Strange: True Colors – the two Square Enix titles make their way to Nintendo Switch later this year and September 10^th, respectively.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania – a collection of Super Monkey Ball games release October 5^th, 2021.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot + A New Power Awakens Set – the Dragon Ball Z sage, from fighting Vegeta to beating Maji Buu, releases September 24^th.
Mario Golf: Super Rush – a final look at the game before it releases June 25^th, Nintendo also let viewers know that free updates are planned which will add additional courses and characters.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin – a further look into the gameplay, which includes resource collecting, hatching monsters, and co-op multiplayers for quests. The game releases July 9^th, with a free demo available June 25^th.
Danganronpa Decadence – collection of three of the Danganronpa games, plus an expansion to the board game Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp – will be available physically, or each game individually digitally, later this year.
FATAL FRAME: Maiden of Black Water – use your camera to dispel ghosts that frequent a mountain top, available later this year.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Rabbid Rosalina joins the team in this intergalactic sequel to the tactics-based collaboration of Mario and Rabbids, coming 2022.
Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp – Reimagined, rebuilt, and updated visual, this classic turn-based game became the precursor for grid-based tactical RPGs comes out on Switch December 3^rd.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Square Enix’s take on the Marvel superhero team comes to Switch October 26^th.
Worms Rumble – the real-time arena based 32-player cross-platform shooter will launch on Switch June 23^rd.
Astria Ascending – this hand-drawn JRPG comes to Switch September 30^th.
Two Point Campus – players can enroll in this college simulator starting next year.
Just Dance 2022 – break out into dance with 40 new songs on November 4^th.
Cruis’n Blast – the hit arcade racer with over 30 race tracks will be a Switch console exclusive this fall.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part I – a new campaign expansive for Doom Eternal will be available later today.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 – the remakes of the skating titles come to Switch June 25^th.
Strange Brigade – this 3rd person puzzle solver + shooter takes players through mysterious Egyptian tombs in order to save the world.