Even with so many announcements at E3 2021, no company grabs the spotlight quite like Nintendo. At the Nintendo E3 2021 Direct event, the company showed off a slew of new games for its record-setting Nintendo Switch console.
See also: Nintendo Switch buying guide: Everything you need to know
If you missed the event, you can re-watch it here. It’s only about 40 minutes long. Right after it ends, a Nintendo Treehouse Live event begins, which gives you three hours of gameplay footage for the games announced in the first part of the livestream.
We’ve saved you some time though, as we have rounded up everything announced at the Nintendo E3 2021 Direct event! Read on to see it all.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
Fans who were hoping for some concrete info on the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild were likely both excited and disappointed by the Nintendo E3 2021 event. While the company did show off a ton of new footage, it also announced a release window for the game: 2022. Obviously, fans were hoping for a 2021 date, but that doesn’t look to be the case.
The new footage, though, gives us a much better idea of what to expect. It looks like Link will be heading up into the clouds for this game, which reminds us of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Maybe not-so-coincidentally, that game is getting an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch this year. Nintendo showed off that game at the E3 event too by giving us a better idea of how the controversial control system for the original Wii version will transfer to the Switch.
Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo will launch a new Game & Watch handheld system. The tiny console will come pre-loaded with The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and the original Game Boy version of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. It will also feature an updated version of the game Vermin with Link as the main character.
Nintendo didn’t reveal the price of the console, but the similar Game & Watch system for Super Mario Bros. cost $50. Nintendo did reveal the launch date, though: November 12, 2021.
Metroid Prime 4 / Metroid Dread
Nintendo teased us a few years ago with the announcement that Metroid Prime 4 was in the works. Unfortunately, the company didn’t have any news to share with us today on that game, other than saying it is still in development.
However, the Nintendo E3 2021 event did have a surprise for us: the announcement of Metroid: Dread, the first 2D platformer game in the Metroid series in 19 years. The game will feature Samus battling it out in Metroidvania style, just like in the days of Super Metroid (with much better graphics, obviously).
Metroid: Dread will launch on October 8, 2021. Nintendo will also have game-related Amiibo for sale around that time.
Mario Party Superstars
Nintendo has been remaking and remastering a lot of its games recently. It’s also been doing compilation re-releases, such as the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. With the just-announced Mario Party Superstars, though, it’s doing a little of everything.
The game will be a “new” Mario Party title but it will incorporate boards and minigames from past entries in the series. It’s kind of like a mix between a remaster and a new game. It will have classic boards from the Nintendo 64 era of the series, but just remade to look a lot nicer.
The bigger news, though, is that this Mario Party game will incorporate online play. This will allow you to play online with your friends or randomly match with other players around the world.
Mario Party Superstars lands on October 29, 2021.
WarioWare: Get It Together
We haven’t heard from Wario in a while, how’s he doing? Well, it turns out, he’s as insane and crotchety as ever. We know this because Nintendo showed off a new game in the WarioWare series called WarioWare: Get It Together.
As with other WarioWare titles, this isn’t so much a single game but a huge collection of insane (and sometimes gross) minigames. Thankfully, it supports two players at the same time, which should allow for some incredible couch co-op sessions.
WarioWare: Get It Together lands on September 10.
Shin Megami Tensei V
There are a lot of great RPGs for the Nintendo Switch, but Nintendo never shies away from launching more JRPGs at the console. Case in point: Shin Megami Tensei V is on the way as an exclusive to the console.
As with other games in the much-loved series, you’ll use turn-based combat to fight enemies and level up your character. It lands on November 12, and pre-orders open on June 21.
Other Nintendo E3 2021 announcements
- Kazuya Mishima from the Tekken series will be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Nintendo confirmed that free DLC will make its way to Mario Golf Super Rush, including new characters and courses.
- Speaking of Mario, the beloved Nintendo character will join up again with the Rabbids in Mario & Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, out in 2022.
- Life is Strange: True Colors will land on the Switch this year, along with the Life is Strange Remastered collection.
- The previously-announced Guardians of the Galaxy game is coming to the Switch.
- Worms Rumble will land on the Switch next week.
- Astria Ascending received a new trailer as well as a launch date of September 30, 2021.
- The previously announced game Two Point Campus will land on the Switch in 2022.
- Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania will land on the Switch (as well as most other consoles) with remastered versions of Super Monkey Ball, SMB 2, and SMB Deluxe.
- The long-running Just Dance series will continue on the Switch with Just Dance 2022 on November 4, 2021.
- Cruis’n Blast will land as a Nintendo Switch exclusive in Fall 2021, with more details coming soon.
- You can already play Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot on your PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One, but you’ll be able to play it on the Switch on September 24.
- Capcom already let us know at its own E3 event, but Nintendo reminded us that Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin lands on the Switch on July 9.
- Beloved PlayStation Portable games in the Danganronpa series come to the Switch as Danganronpa: Decadence, which includes three games from the series.
- The Wii U title Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water gets a port to the Switch later this year with better graphics and some new content.
- The old Advance Wars games are rebuilt from the ground up with Advance Wars 1 & 2: Re-Boot Camp, out on the Switch December 3.
- The two games in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remastered are coming to the Switch on June 25.
- Strange Brigade lands on the Switch very soon…as in today.
- Some existing games are getting new DLC packs, including Doom Eternal and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
That’s everything announced at the Nintendo E3 2021 Direct event! Which game are you most looking forward to?