Other News From The June 21 Nintendo Direct – News

Other announcements from today’s Nintendo Direct:

• The second paid DLC for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope as well as a demo for last year’s release are now available.
• 4J Studios – the studio behind console ports of Minecraft – have announced a new original title called Manic Mechanics, a four player (local and online) co-op game set in a mechanic shop; it releases on July 13.
• Splatoon 3’s next Splatfest will pit the ice cream flavours of vanilla, strawberry, and mint chip: the event runs from July 14 – 16.
• The ungodly popular roguelike/bullet hell hybrid Vampire Survivors will finally blast its way home on August 17.
• A new trailer for Fae Farm (September 8) aired alongside announcement of digital preorder bonuses in the form of a “Cozy Cabin Variety Pack”.
• The popular tactical board game Gloomhaven – which also has a beloved PC version – will come to Switch on September 18: packages with additional DLC are now available.
• The fifth wave of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass was announced for a generic “summer release” and detailed an original course (“Squeaky Clean Sprint”) and three additional characters: Petey Piranha, Wiggler, and Kamek.
• XSEED unveiled Silent Hope, an action RPG launching on October 3 whose chief conceit is that a king has stolen the words from the entire world.
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 confirmed its green flag on October 19, while the Just Dance 2024 trailer reconfirmed that game’s October 24 launch.
• The “Metal Gear Solid Master Collection 1” – a compilation of Metal Gear Solids 1, 2, and 3, plus the MSX Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake – was announced for Switch with an October 24 launch date; MGS1 – 3 will also be sold separately. The reveal also confirmed that Metal Gear for the NES and the “sequel” (not developed with any input from Hideo Kojima) Snake’s Revenge will be in at least the Switch version.
• Headbangers: Rhythm Royale – a massively multiplayer rhythm game – announced an October 31 launch.
• After leaking from the sieve that is Square Enix, Star Ocean: The Second Story R – a remake of the second title in Square’s sci-fi RPG series – was officially confirmed for a November 3 launch.
• An expanded trailer for Persona 5 Tactica (November 17) showed new aspects of the game’s combat system, including Persona fusion and a triange-focused version of the original RPG’s “All Out Attack” function.
• The newest Dragon Quest Monsters title will be localized with the subtitle “The Dark Prince” on December 1.
• Sonic Superstars was reconfirmed for fall alongside reconfirmation of only local co-op in the four player platformer.
• Batman: Arkham Trilogy will compile Batman Arkhams Asylum (2009), City (2011*) and Knight (2015) on Switch this fall.
• Tears of the Kingdom will add a pair of new Amiibo – Zelda and Ganondorf – this holiday.
• Free to play life sim Palia was announced for a 2023 release.
• Also given a “2023” window was MythForce, a drop in/out co-op roguelike from Knights of the Old Republic II botchers Aspyr Media.
• Penny’s Big Breakaway – an original 3D platformer developed by the team behind Sonic Mania and published by Take Two indie label Private Division – was the sole item dated for 2024.

*Radio Free Nintendo host and former NWR Director Jon Lindemann was credited in the 2012 “Armored Edition” of Batman: Arkham City for Wii U