In a 40-minute long presentation, Nintendo dished out its first Direct event of 2022, showcasing a number of new titles and remakes. Unfortunately, longtime fans will have to wait a while longer to hear about Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, or the new Mario Kart 9, which was rumoured to be in development for quite some time. That said, there are some cool ports this time, though the recently leaked Batman: Arkham Collection was not part of the lineup. Nevertheless, here are the major titles revealed at Nintendo Direct February 2022 event. Mario Strikers: Battle League This much-anticipated Mario sports game brings some heat to your average 5v5 football games. Players take control of iconic characters, and use their special abilities and items to change the tides in-game. One could even equip customisable gear that grants better stats such as speed, strength, and accuracy. Up to 8 players (4 on each time) can join a match and compete against each other on one Switch system. It’s been 15 years since the last Strikers game, and this new edition brings online play, power strikes, and more. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC Fans expecting a new Mario Kart title were met with the greatest disappointment when Nintendo announced paid DLCs for the existing version all through to 2023. A total of 48 new courses are expected for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, coming in batches of six from March 18 until the end of 2023. All maps are being remastered and brought over from previous titles in the franchise including the N64 Choco Mountain, Tour Tokyo Blur, and Wii Coconut Mall. This means we could be well into 2024 before we actually get to play Mario Kart 9 - and until then, make do with a $25 DLC. Kirby and the Forgotten Land A Kirby gears up for its newest 3D adventure on March 25, Nintendo has decided to showcase a ‘Mouthful Mode’ to highlight our pink puffball's powers and appetite. Players can swallow a car whole and zoom around the map or turn into a vending machine to shoot juice cans at incoming enemies. There is a lot to pick from depending on what puzzles you’re dealing with, and as you complete missions, the Waddle Dee town continues to grow - providing more resources and fun mini-games. There’s a couch co-op mode as well for when you have a friend over. Nintendo Switch Sports Mimicking classic Wii Sports games, Nintendo’s latest announcement brings bowling, tennis, soccer, chambara, badminton, and volleyball to take advantage of the Switch’s intuitive motion controls. Players can use Joy-Cons to perform actions IRL that is reflected in-game, making for an active gaming experience. The title is set to release on April 29 and has support for online play across all sports. You could also opt for a beta test later this month by visiting sports.nintendo.com. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 The sequel to the sci-fi roleplaying series is getting a sequel on June 24. The trailer does not provide much information besides the fact that it is set in the same timeline as 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Same as before, players can expect a world sprawling with giant war machines and wild monsters. According to Executive Director Tetsuya Takahashi, the game will be enjoyable and accessible to anyone, regardless of whether you’re a fan of the previous games. No Man’s Sky Sean Murray’s ambitious space exploration game is heading over to the Switch, sometime this summer. Upon launch, the title will include all past five years of updates Hello World has rolled out for the PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions. Players will soon be able to embark on interstellar travel across multiple destinations, scavenge for resources, and build bases while chilling on their couch. With cross-play enabled, one could also team up in co-op with one of their friends on a different platform. Portal and Portal 2 An absolute classic in the PC gaming space, both Portal games are expected to launch later this year, bringing the inventive puzzle-exploration experience to the Nintendo Switch. The company promises local, online, and split-screen multiplayer at launch, and is listed at $19.99 (about Rs 1500) according to developer Valve. Metroid Dread update In a now live patch, Nintendo has released a difficulty mode update for Metroid Dread, bringing high stakes to the game. The first new difficulty is called the Dread Mode, adding a one-hit-kill element that turns Samus to a crisp in an instant. This is great for veteran players who have been wanting a challenging experience from the beloved franchise. There’s boss rush mode as well, which is set to release sometime in April.
