E3 2018: All The Nintendo Switch Games Revealed At Nintendo Direct
Nintendo Direct caps off E3's press conferences every year, and this year the company unveiled a packed presentation full of games that are sure to get many people excited. Of course, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate took much of the attention; every single character that has ever appeared in a Super Smash Bros. game--from the original 12 characters featured in the Nintendo 64 games, all the way up to the latest DLC characters made released for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U--will be included as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
There were other big titles, like mini-game favorite Super Mario Party, the first new game in the series in three years, along with Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Mega Man 11, FIFA 19, and Overcooked 2. There are a lot of ports on the way, too. Dragon Ball FighterZ, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Paladins, and Dark Souls Remastered all made it into this year's Nintendo Direct.
Then there was Fornite: Battle Royale. We knew the game was likely coming to Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo dropped a big surprise today by announcing the game was not only releasing on Switch, but that it would be available right away. While the game suffered some matchmaking issues immediately after launch, Epic says they have been ironed out and you are now able to play successfully. In our experience, it runs decently well, although it's not quite the optimal way to play. If your only concern is being able to do so from bed without pulling out your phone, though, it's just the ticket.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo's popular fighting series makes its highly anticipated Switch debut later this year. Titled Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the game includes every single playable character that has ever appeared in the franchise's history. Along with its immense returning characters like Mario, Bowser, and Link (sporting his Breath of the Wild attire), Super Smash Bros. on Switch introduces a number of newcomers to the roster, including the Inklings from Splatoon and Ridley, and new features including:
- Ridley from the Metroid series also joins the fight
- Returning fighters include Wolf, Ice Climbers, Pokémon Trainer and more
- Elevate the Super Smash Bros. experience to new heights with faster combat, new attacks, new items, and new defensive options
- Hold a 4 player free-for-all, or kick it up to 8-player battles
- All current Super Smash Bros. series amiibo figures are supported
Developer: Bandai Namco | Release Date: TBA 2018
Super Mario Party
The antics continue in the upcoming mini-game collection, Super Mario Party. It's the first new game in the series in three years; the previous installment released in 2015 on Wii U. The game introduces all-new ways to play, including Joy-Con controller enabled minigames, and new modes to enjoy with family and friends. Board game play goes back to the four-player basics as you take turns and race across the board searching for Stars. You can also pair up two Nintendo Switch systems and delight in this dynamic play style, such as in the new Toad’s Rec Room mode. With new modes and new minigames coupled with original board game play, the party starts anywhere, anytime, and with all kinds of players. New modes include:
- Mario Party: Enjoy the original Mario Party board game experience with new element like character dice blocks, a party system, and new boards to explore
- Toad’s Rec Room: A dynamic new play style that pairs up two Nintendo Switch systems for Table top mode
- Go head-to-head in 80 new minigames with many ways to play: Fast and fun skill-based mini-games that use the Joy-Con controllers in all sorts of different ways
Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: October 8
Overcooked 2
Overcooked 2 is serving up more chefs, more kitchens, more recipes, and more co-op madness. You can group up with friends or go it alone to cook up a storm, chopping, steaming and frying your way through levels that keep you on your toes. Online multiplayer can bring four chefs together to save the Onion Kingdom once again. Overcooked 2 features:
- Online Multiplayer
- New themes, chefs, recipes & kitchens
- Chaotic couch co-op (for up to four players)
- Versus mode
- Arcade mode
Developer: Ghost Town Games | Release Date: August 7
Killer Queen Black
The 5v5 objective-based side-scrolling arcade multiplayer game Killer Queen Black is coming to Switch this Winter. Players either gather resources, kill the queen, or capture the snail to win in Killer Queen Black.
Fly solo, or team up with three of your friends as you race to complete one of three possible victory conditions. The game is a new take on the arcade eSport Killer Queen, which has been rebuilt from the ground up and optimized for console. Gameplay is immediately recognizable and familiar, yet it introduces exciting new twists and online play for the home audience. Killer Queen Black is the follow up to Killer Queen that fans have been begging for.
- Online Multiplayer
- Four game modes: Quick Match, Ranked, Custom, and Arena
- Five distinct weapons: Sword, Morning Star, Laser, Lance, and Stinger
Developer: Bumblebear Studios, Liquid Bit | Release Date: Early 2019
Hollow Knight
A Switch port of the independent hit Hollow Knight was announced in Nintendo's E3 presentation last year, but this Metroidvania-style game is out right now on the Eshop. Hollow Knight's distinct art-style is both dark and charming, which brings this side-scrolling adventure to life.
In Hollow Knight, you'll explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures, and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style that features:
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Includes all of the new items, areas, characters, and bosses from the currently released free content packs; Hidden Dreams, The Grimm Troupe, and Lifeblood. All players will also get access to the final free content pack, Gods and Glory, due later this year.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities. Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
Developer: Team Cherry | Release Date: Out Now
Sushi Striker: Way of the Sushido
Help Musashi end the Empire's tyrannical monopoly of the world's sushi supply by becoming a Sushi Striker. Devour conveyor-belt sushi, matching plates and sushi types to defeat any enemy or boss who stands between you and victory. Befriend Sushi Sprites and use their powerful skills in battle. Deliciously strategic action-RPG-puzzle battles await.
Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: Out Now
Wasteland 2
Wasteland 2 is the direct sequel to the first ever post-apocalyptic computer RPG, made by the producer of the original Fallout, and it's now being ported to Switch. There are over 80 hours of gameplay, where you're tasked with decking out your Ranger squad with devastating weaponry, test the limits of your strategy skills, and bring justice to the Wasteland. The game offers lots of choice, including:
- One size does not fit all: Don't feel like finding the key for a door? Pick the lock, bash it down with your boot, or just blow it open.
- Decision making with consequences: With both short and long term reactivity, your choices ripple outwards, changing the game's events and forever altering the lives of those in the wasteland.
- Huge and customizable: Hundreds of characters, with thousands of variations on your Rangers' appearance. Over 150 weapons. No two players will have the same experience
Developer: | Release Date: Fall 2018
Paladins
Paladins is a team-based shooter similar to Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch. Gamers play as Champions, powerful heroes who use a mixture of guns and magic to defeat their opponents. Each Champion belongs to one of four classes. Front Line Champions operate as tanks and protect their allies from enemy fire. Damage Champions spearhead offensive assaults with their faster speed and high attack output. Support Champions keep their allies healed up and ready to fight. Flank Champions excel at circumnavigating the battlefield to ambush enemy teams from behind.
Paladins will be free-to-play later this year. Founders get early access, immediately unlock all Champions and their voice packs now and forever, and receive exclusive cosmetics. The game includes:
- Fantastic Champions: Paladins is set in a vibrant fantasy world and features a diverse cast of Champions ranging from sharpshooting humans to mech-riding goblins, mystical elves, and jetpack-clad dragons. Each Champion brings a unique set of abilities to the battlefield and new Champions are regularly added to Paladins, keeping the game exciting.
- Free-to-play: Paladins is completely Free-to-Play. Anything that affects gameplay can be unlocked simply by playing, with cosmetic items available for purchase.
- Deck-building: No matter what your playstyle is, you’ll find it in Paladins. With Paladins' deckbuilding system, you can become an iron sights sniper, a grenade-slinging explosives expert, or a track star with an assault rifle--all as the same Champion. Choose from dozens of cards to customize your abilities and make each Champion your own.
- Customize your champion: Ancient Goddess. Interstellar bounty hunter. Cutthroat pirate. Frost giant. You can be all of these and more in Paladins. Choose from hundreds of skins already available in Paladins or find a new favorite in each update.
- Accessibility: Paladins can be played from either a first-person or third-person perspective. The controls are simple to grasp for newcomers and shooter veterans alike which makes for an easy pick-up-and-play experience.
Developer: inXile Entertainment | Release Date: Fall 2018
Arena of Valor
Hugely popular Chinese MOBA game Arena of Valor is being ported to Nintendo Switch. It first released for mobile platforms in 2015. Developed and published by Tencent Games, it was reported that the game had over 80 million daily active players and 200 million monthly active players, and was both the world's highest grossing game as well as the most downloaded app globally.In September 2017, Nintendo first announced a partnership with Tencent to bring the game to the Nintendo Switch.
Developer: Timi Studio Group | Release Date: Fall 2018
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is an upcoming Switch port of the Wii U puzzler of the same name. In addition to the content from the original release, the Switch port includes new levels themed around Super Mario Odyssey, as well as a two-player co-op mode.
You're able to play with a friend or family member by sharing a pair of Joy-Con controllers. While one player controls Captain Toad, the other can assist with things like turnip cover fire. A Nintendo 3DS version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, which includes stereoscopic 3D visuals and touch-screen controls, also launches on July 13.
Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: July 13
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
One of gaming's most recognizable mascots was remastered last year in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. This June, the remaster bundle--which contains the original Crash Bandicoot, as well as sequels Cortex Strikes Back and Warped--is coming to Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
In Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, you'll spin, jump, wump, and repeat as you take on the challenges and adventures through the three games that started it all. The trilogy includes Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. Relive all your favorite Crash moments in their fully-remastered graphical glory.
Developer: Toys For Bob | Release Date: June 29
Daemon X Machina
Daemon X Machina is an upcoming mech action game. It's a collaboration between developers First Studio and Marvelous Entertainment, with an array of notable Japanese developers. In the game, you take your Arsenal, a fully customizable powered suit, out for an array of missions to fight the enemy at all costs. You can choose and equip your Arsenal with a multitude of weapons, obtain more from downed enemy Arsenals, and swap them on the fly to suit your strategy in the face of ever-changing threats. Daemon X Machina features:
- Kenichiro Tsukuda, well known for his work developing the Armored Core series, leading the team that has developed this brand-new title with the goal of making it "the best mech action game" out there.
- The character designs were created by Yusuke Kozaki, who also worked on the Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates games.
- Mech concept designs were created by Mr. Kawamori, who also worked on the Armored Core series and the Super Dimension Fortress Macross series.
- Arsenals can battle freely in the air and on the ground.
Developer: Marvelous Entertainment, First Studio | Release Date: 2019
Dark Souls Remastered
Nintendo announced the Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered back in January. It said the the Switch version will come with the Artorias of the Abyss DLC and display the game at 1080p resolution with 30 FPS when played in TV mode. It features:
- Dark Souls' deep and dark universe: Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design, full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets, and uncover its deeply rooted lore.
- Each end is a new beginning: Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don’t bet on completing the game only once.
- Gameplay richness and possibilities: Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic, and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience.
- Sense of learning, mastering, and accomplishment: From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining you playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes.
- Multiplayer (up to 6 players with dedicated servers)
Developer: FromSoftware | Release Date: Summer 2018
Dragon Ball FighterZ
The critically-acclaimed Dragon Ball FighterZ is heading to Nintendo Switch. At launch, it'll include all the characters featured in the original release at day one, with DLC characters (already released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC) arriving on the Switch version sometime later. The game is optimized for the Nintendo Switch and includes:
- Simplified controls for single Joy-Con play
- Spectacular fights: Aerial combos, destructible stages, famous scenes from the Dragpon Ball anime, all reproduced in 60FPS
- 3v3 tag/support: Allows players to train and master more than one fighter/style which brings deeper gameplay
- High-end anime graphics: The game uses the power of the Unreal engine.
Developer: Arc System Works | Release Date: Summer 2018
Fallout Shelter
Fallout Shelter is making its way to PS4 and the Nintendo Switch. Originally released on iOS, Android, and later on Xbox One, the game is a free-to-play survival simulator where you manage a Fallout vault:
- Build the perfect vault: Select from a variety of modern-day rooms to turn an excavation beneath 2,000 feet of bedrock into the very picture of Vault Life.
- Get to know your Dwellers and lead them to happiness. Find their ideal jobs and watch them flourish. Provide them with outfits, weapons, and training to improve their abilities.
- Turn worthless junk into useful items with Crafting. Customize the look of any dweller in the Barbershop.
- A well-run Vault requires a variety of Dwellers with a mix of skills. Build a Radio Room to attract new Dwellers. Or, take an active role in their personal lives by playing matchmaker.
- Send Dwellers above ground to explore the blasted surface left behind and seek adventure, handy survival loot, or unspeakable death. Find new armor and weapons, gain experience, and earn Caps. But don’t let them die!
- From time to time, idyllic Vault life may be disrupted by the dangers of post-nuclear life. Prepare your Dwellers to protect against threats from the outside and within.
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios | Release Date: Out Now
FIFA 19
FIFA is consistently one of the biggest releases of the year, and in a year where a World Cup will attract many new fans to the sport, FIFA 19 will likely be no different. The game will boast the UEFA Champions League license after primary rivals PES and Konami lost the rights to all UEFA club competitions earlier this year. The news means FIFA has a near monopoly over the world's major soccer licenses, including the 2018 World Cup, which came to FIFA 18 just recently.
Introducing the prestigious UEFA Champions League, offering authentic in match atmospheres, featuring gameplay updates including elevated on-pitch personality and a striking overhaul, and providing new and unrivaled ways to play. Champions Rise in FIFA 19.
- Play the pinnacle of club football across a variety of modes in FIFA 19 with official match presentation, breadth in tournament experiences, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Super Cup, and an all-new commentary team in Derek Rae and Lee Dixon.
- The UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Super Cup come to life across experiences in FIFA 19. From live content updates in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team, to authentic Career Mode integration, to an all-new standalone UEFA Champions League Mode, you can experience the greatest club football competition in the world no matter where you play in FIFA 19.
- In-Match experience: Featuring distinctive team and player personalities, introducing official broadcast presentation for the some of the world’s biggest leagues, and elevating your ability to finish with the all-new striking overhaul
- Experience FIFA wherever, whenever, and however you want. Connect to your television and play Single or Multiplayer, or take the same modes on-the-go.
- Split Joy-Con support: Built exclusively for Nintendo Switch, Split Joy-Con controls enable you to compete with your friends anytime and anywhere. Without any additional hardware, players can separate the Joy-Con controllers and enjoy multiplayer game modes at home, or on the go. Joy-Con support on FIFA 19 includes:
- Online Friendlies: Enjoy new ways to play on Nintendo Switch including Online Friendlies. Invite anyone from your friend’s list and track your rivalry through a five-match season, both in FIFA and FIFA Ultimate Team.
- FIFA 19 Ultimate Team: Build your dream squad from thousands of players and compete in the most popular mode in FIFA, featuring content from UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
Developer: EA | Release Date: September 28
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the latest entry in Nintendo's critically-acclaimed strategy series. It retains many of the core mechanics the series is known for. Though, it does offer some changes. Battle screens are filled with armies, and you directly command one character, but they're leading a small battalion of other soldiers who join in on the attack. In addition, you can explore what looks to be a fully realized 3D world.
Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: Spring 2019
Fortnite: Battle Royale
The immensely popular Fortnite: Battle Royale has finally made its way onto Nintendo Switch. And in a rather surprising reveal, it's out now.
Developer: Epic Games | Release Date: Out Now
Just Dance 2019
Just Dance returns this year sporting a new lineup of songs and dance routines. Like previous installments, players must mimic the on-screen dancer's choreography using either motion controllers or the game's associated mobile app.
Developer: Ubisoft | Release Date: TBA
Mario Tennis Aces
Mario Tennis Aces marks the first Mario sports game to arrive on Switch, and longtime Mario Tennis developer Camelot is introducing a number of new mechanics for this installment, including the time-slowing Zone Speed and the ultra-powerful Zone Shots. The game also features a handful of new characters to choose from and the series' first proper story mode since GBA's Mario Tennis: Power Tour.
Developer: Nintendo | Release Date: June 22
Mega Man 11
Like the classic Mega Man games from the NES era, Mega Man 11 puts you in the metallic boots of a boy robot who takes on stages and their upgrade-gifting bosses in any order. Unlike those classics, it sports a sharp cartoonish art style and new abilities like bullet time and a super-powered Mega Buster.
Developer: Capcom | Release Date: October 2
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
An expanded version of the 3DS game Monster Hunter Generations, Generations Ultimate on Switch features an assortment of additional content on top of the base game, including two new Hunting Styles, another Elder Dragon, a new endgame boss, and the even more challenging G Rank quests. Veteran players can also transfer their save data from Generations to Ultimate and continue the hunt on Nintendo's hybrid console.
Developer: Capcom | Release Date: August 28
Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler is a unique and beautiful-looking RPG that uses what the developers call HD-2D graphics, which combines Super NES-style 16-bit graphics with polygonal environments and HD effects. There are eight different playable characters, each with their own unique playstyle and starting area. Combat is turn-based, during which characters build up Boost Points to help them perform special abilities.
Developer: Square Enix | Release Date: July 13
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy
This new brawler from NIS is heavy on fan service, but should also please fans of the classic SNK fighting series. Battles will focus entirely on the female fighters from SNK's various fighting game series.
Developer: NIS/SNK | Release Date: TBA 2018
The World Ends With You: Final Remix
The hi-res version of Square Enix's The World Ends With You is coming to Switch, along with a "sizable" new story scenario. It was announced during January's Nintendo Direct Mini, and is due sometime in 2018.
Developer: Square Enix | Release Date: TBA 2018
