Has a year truly begun until we receive a Nintendo Direct? Well, smash some champagne and let’s christen this bad boy, because a new Nintendo Direct is here to kick off 2022 and give us even more great gaming goodness to look forward to.
Well, we’ve truly been blessed with the most recent Nintendo Direct, as Nintendo decided to kick the year off with a bang and reveal several huge announcements, including the return of many beloved franchises. New sports games are on the way, some Wii classics made a return, beloved RPGs were resurrected, and even some forgotten platformers got some love! So, what are the Nintendo Direct February 2022 highlights?
It’s great news for gamers, but bad news for wallets, as 2022 now looks absolutely stacked with great releases, and some lovely smaller titles to make up the time in-between. As well as new information on Triangle Strategy, Square Enix even announced a new HD-2D remake, Fire Emblem got a brand new entry, and one port we never thought possible is taking Nintendo Switch into the stars.
So, let’s break down all the biggest and best announcements from the Nintendo Direct February 2022!
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – June 24
Fire Emblem and Musou fans rejoice, another entry in the Fire Emblem Warriors series is here, this time a direct continuation of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Battle as one of the heads of the three main houses, Byleth themselves, and many other characters within the universe to restore order to the realm. We don’t have long to wait either as this is poised for a summer release.
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Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp – April 8
We finally got another update on the upcoming tactical remake from WayForward. Now featuring, fully voiced commanders, fast forward gameplay, the ability to rewind turns, and additional modes! Compete for high scores in the war room, create and share custom maps in the design room, and online and local multiplayer is also supported. Pre-orders are available now ahead of the April 8 release date.
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No Man’s Sky – Summer 2022
Well colour us surprised, we thought there was no way No Man’s Sky would ever make it over to Nintendo Switch, but a port is on the away alongside the entire procedurally generated universe. You’ll have to wait and see exactly how well this port holds up, but if the gameplay loop is transported over properly, this could be another great reason to dive into this addictive space exploration sim.
Mario Strikers Battle League Football – June 10th
Mario is back for even more football fun. This time it seems rougher than ever as you need to master tackles, items, and crushing special shots. The main rule is to rule the field, and helping you is gear that changes appearance, speed, strength, and even your pass and shot accuracy. You can launch hyper strikes by grabbing an orb, charging it and letting loose, and any goals scored with this technique will award two goals instead of one!
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You can compete with up to eight players on one Nintendo switch in 4v4. Online play has new has club modes, where you can compete for placement in the rankings. We can’t wait to see Mario back on the pitch later this later.
Splatoon 3 – Salmon Run Next Wave- summer 2022
While we’re still waiting for a release date, a new Splatoon 3 trailer gave us a look at the new and improved Salmon Run mode, including some brand new boss Salmonids and some new techniques to help defeat them. Expect to see the new bosses the Fish Sticks and the Flipper Flopper, all while utilising the Egg Throw move. Salmon Run – Next Wave will be a part of Splatoon 3 when it releases in summer 2022.
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Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition – April 7
The beloved RPG Chrono Cross is getting a remaster. Follow the adventures of Surge as he explores a mysterious new world, and befriend over 40 possible team members. This release has a number of improvements like the ability to turn off enemy encounters, and newly enhanced soundtracks. It even includes the title Radical Dreamers from the Satelliview all in this one package.
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Kirby and the Forgotten Land – March 25
Follow the pink puffball into the unknown with Kirby’s latest 3D platforming adventure. It all takes place in a mysterious world with an unusual mix of nature and civilization, as Kirby sets out to save his friends the Waddle Dees. For the first time, introducing Mouthful Mode, as Kirby can swallow whole objects and take on their abilities, much like Cappy’s abilities in Super Mario Odyssey.
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Inhale a car, a vending machine, or even a cone, to traverse this strange world. Familiar copy abilities can also now be evolved, allowing you to expand Kirby’s attacks, as well as change Kirby’s appearance. Some abilities may have stronger evolved forms, which you need in the fights against Kirby’s toughest enemies yet!
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series – July 8
Enjoy classic platforming fun as the beloved Klonoa series finally returns on Nintendo Switch later this year. Even including Klonoa 2, there’s plenty of game to enjoy here for fans of the series.
Portal Companion Collection – 2022
A match so perfect we wonder why it hasn’t been done already, the near-perfect puzzle series Portal comes to Nintendo Switch, as both entries in the series are getting ports to the handheld hybrid later this year. Enjoy everything from the original classic release, including local, online, and split-screen multiplayer. Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2022, we hope this means that Half-Life is on the cards as well.
Nintendo Switch Sports – April 29
Well, here’s one we didn’t see coming. Nintendo Switch Sports brings the fun of the Wii originals into the HD world, including classic sports such as bowling, tennis, and chambara so you can compete with your pals in your living room. New sports are also heading to the package, with football, badminton, and volleyball all making their way to this latest release.
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Nintendo also announced that an update later in the year will add golf to the game, so fans needn’t feel teed off. There’s the ability to play locally, or online with friends, as well as online matchmaking so you can play against the world. There will also be an online test from February 19-20 to stress-test servers, so if you want to try this title out you don’t have long to wait.
Triangle Strategy – March 4
Ahead of its imminent release, we’ve been treated to one final trailer for Triangle Strategy, the latest HD-2D release from Square Enix that brings strategic combat and the story of three different nations warring over resources and political power.
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A demo is out now that allows you to experience the opening chapters of the game, and it even carries over your experience and decisions to the main game on release. There’s no excuse not to try this gorgeous title now.
Metroid Dread free update – April
Nintendo is adding two new modes to Metroid Dread, with the brutal new Dread difficulty mode where a single hit means instant death and the rookie mode that helps new players to experience this action-platform classic. A later update in April plans to also add a boss rush mode, so you can take on the game’s brutal bosses to your heart’s content.
Earthbound and Earthbound Beginnings – out now
After what feels like years of fans begging, the critically acclaimed and cult classic series Earthbound is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service. Both the SNES games Earthbound, and Earthbound Beginnings – a western translation of the Japanese title Mother for NES, are being brought to the service, and you don’t have long to wait as they are available right now for eager players to explore.
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC
Why make a sequel to a game that has sold over 40 million copies, when you can just make it even better by adding DLC? Nintendo is extending the life of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe even further with a slew of new remasters of classic tracks, bringing over courses from every previous entry in shiny HD glory. While we don’t know all of the 48 tracks that will be released, Nintendo gave us a glimpse at Coconut Mall, Choco Mountain, and Tokyo Blur.
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Honestly, this feels so much smarter than bringing out a new Mario Kart, and we’re revving our engines at the chance for the title to feel fresh again with so much new content. The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass DLC launches on Match 18 with eight tracks, with the additional courses to release all the way to the end of 2023, so you have months of new content to enjoy. There’s even better news as well, as this DLC is free to any Nintendo Switch players who already subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, much like Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s Happy Home Paradise DLC was previously.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – September 2022
They say to save the best until last, and this Nintendo Direct truly ended with a bang thanks to the official reveal of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. It seems this latest entry in the JRPG series will tie the previous entries world’s together, as the trailer shows a blade that looks much like the Monado, blades and drivers being used, the same cat-like race as Nia from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and huge hulking megastructures made of the bodies of colossal entities much like the original.
We don’t have a lot to go off, but it looks like another exciting entry in the series, and if it helps to bridge the gap between titles then the potential for the story here is huge. We don’t have long to wait either, as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is poised for a September 2022 release date.
Where can I watch the Nintendo Direct February 2022?
Catch up with every single bit of news by watching the whole presentation below. We covered a lot, but there are still some nice surprises nestled in between the big hitters!
Phew! That’s all of the biggest reveals and releases from the Nintendo Direct February 2022. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, but if you’re itching for even more sweet Switch action then be sure to have a look at our guide to the best Switch games. Though we may need to update it with some of these new titles in a couple of months!