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Nintendo Direct: Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Dread and everything revealed at E3 2021

The Mario company takes center stage with its upcoming Switch games.

Sean Keane Former Senior Writer
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Sean Keane
Oscar Gonzalez
3 min read
A new metroid

A new Metroid?

Screenshot by CNET

Nintendo showed off some major upcoming Switch games during its E3 Direct on Tuesday. One of the biggest surprises was Metroid Dread, a new 2D game in the sci-fi series that comes out in October. There was also a new Mario Party revealed, a Zelda Game & Watch and a fresh helping of footage from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. What didn't make the show was any upgraded version of the Switch hardware.

When and where can I watch the E3 Nintendo Direct?

The show is over, but you can watch a replay on GameSpot's YouTube channel. 

What is a Nintendo Direct? 

When Nintendo wants to show off its upcoming games or hardware, it'll showcase them in a livestreamed Nintendo Direct event. Sometimes it shows off a bunch of titles, whether they're major franchises or indie games, and other times it spends an entire program dedicated to a single game, as it did with Pokemon Sword and Shield

Kazuya is about to Smash

The first announcement from the event: Kazuya Mishima from the Tekken series is the next character coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch. He'll have the same moves from the Tekken series, although with some slight differences to fit in with the Smash gameplay. More info about Kazuya will come in another Nintendo Direct on June 28.

Life Is (doubly) Strange

The beloved Life Is Strange series will head to the Switch with Life Is Strange: True Colors and Life Is Strange Remastered Collection. The former comes out on Sept. 10, and the collection will come out later this year. 

Characters from Life is Strange

Catch up on the Life Is Strange series on the Switch. 

Nintendo

Get rolling with Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

Celebrating the original Super Monkey Ball's 20th anniversary, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania includes the first three games in the series: Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2 and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. The compilation arrives for the Switch on Oct. 5.

Mario Party Superstars takes the party online 

The Mario Party series comes to the Switch on Oct. 29. It has more party maps and will include online multiplayer. 

Another Metroid is coming

The Metroid Prime series has been long dormant, but Nintendo confirmed that it's still "working hard" on Metroid Prime 4 is in the works. It also revealed there's another Metroid game coming, Metroid Dread. The action is 2D like the original game, but it has 3D models. It comes out on Oct. 8. 

WarioWare returns

Wario is back for some mini-game chaos. WarioWare: Get It Together will have a lot of super short mini-games and even two-player multiplayer. It comes out for the Switch on Sept. 10.

Shin Megami Tensei V out in November

The long-running demon-partnering Shin Megami Tensei series will exclusively release for Switch on Nov. 12. Players will have to team up with demons to save the world. 

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Advance Wars was a turn-based strategy game first released in the US on the Game Boy Advance. The series seemed to have been forgotten by Nintendo, but the first two Advance War games -- Advance Wars and Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising -- will return on the Switch as Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, arriving on Dec. 3.

Zelda goes portable... again

Before there was Gameboy, Nintendo had Game & Watch. The small electronic devices had simple games for people to carry with them but the upcoming Zelda Game & Watch is a bit more sophisticated: It'll have the Legends of Zelda, Legends of Zelda 2: Adventures of Link, Link's Awakening and a game called Vermin starring Link. The new Game & Watch celebrate series the 35th anniversary, and it comes out Nov. 12.

So many Zelda games in one tiny package.

So many Zelda games in one tiny package.

Nintendo

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 heads to Switch in 2022

Ending the show was a new gameplay video of the Breath of the Wild sequel. The game will take place in Hyrule but will also incorporate the sky above, comes out sometime in 2022. 

Head back to Hyrule in 2022.

Head back to Hyrule in 2022.

Nintendo
Watch this: Nintendo unveils Legend of Zelda Game & Watch gadget