A possible hint at a new Nintendo Direct has caused quite a stir on social media, following an update to the Nintendo Direct archive online.
Reddit user ShowtimeevonParty discovered and shared the update to Reddit noticing that the archive is usually updated shortly before a new Direct is announced and takes place. It’s worth noting that recently,Nintendohas gone the route of smaller and more focused Directs featuring third party publishers and Nintendo’s first party releases.
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Like many other publishers and developers in the games industry, Nintendo’s release schedule has been greatly effected by the restrictions in place due to Covid-19. Though Nintendo has stated that internal development was running smoothly, an outdated listing on the official website forSuper Mario Maker 2states otherwise. The website indicated thatSuper Mario Maker 2’s 35th anniversary contentwas intended to release in April of this year, rather then the current November date.
The latest partner Direct included many reveals likely intended for an E3 event. Among the new games announced was the reveal ofKingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory, a rhythm-based game following in the footsteps ofTheatrhythm Final Fantasy. The new game caused quite a stir among fans, hoping to see an eventual port of theKingdom Hearts HD collections to the portable console. Unfortunately Square Enix confirmed that there areno current plans to bringKingdom Heartsgames to the Switch.
Meanwhile Nintendo is a few weeks removed from the Super Mario Bros. 35 Anniversary featuring many Mario-related reveals. Chief among them was the announcement ofSuper Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection ofSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, andSuper Mario Galaxy. The announcement of the game came with a caveat as it was also announced both the digital and physical versions ofSuper Mario 3D All-Starswould only be sold for a limited time until March of 2021. While reasons haven’t been given as to why, it has caused quite a stir online,already selling out of pre-orders on Amazon.
The Mario specific Direct could meanbig things for other Nintendo franchisesin the upcoming year. 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of bothThe Legend of ZeldaandMetroidgames on the NES. Both series have had multiple entries spanning Nintendo’s 8 consoles and many portables so a similar collection could be in the cards next year. Some of the Mario announcements came with a limited time offer until March 2021 so that could be an indication of when Nintendo could celebrate its other IP’s.
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