October is typically one of the busiest months for the gaming industry, as it’s when the fall gaming rush really gets into its full swing.October 2021is no exception to that rule, as the month is absolutely packed with brand new game releases, special events, and more. Fans of all gaming platforms have a lot to look forward to in October 2021, though gamers on theNintendo Switchhave reasons to be especially excited for October.
Some of the biggestNintendo Switchexclusive games of the year are scheduled to launch in October, and that’s on top of the third-party releases coming to the Switch as well. Beyond that, Nintendo is hosting a couple of special events in October to give fans the latest news on existing Switch titles like the social simAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsand the ambitious crossover fighting gameSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
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Here is everything that Nintendo Switch gamers have to look forward to in October 2021.
Tokyo Game Show 2021
This year’sTokyo Game Showis taking place this weekend, and while Nintendo itself isn’t going to have a big presence, games coming to the Nintendo Switch will certainly be featured at the event. Various third-party publishers have presentations during Tokyo Game Show 2021, so there should be plenty of news coming out about upcoming Switch titles throughout the first weekend of October.
Animal Crossing Direct
At the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo confirmed that it has a bigAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsupdate in store, set to launch at some point in November. Nintendo teased that this bigAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsupdate will see the addition of The Roost cafe to the game along withfan favorite NPC Brewster, who players can find as part of a new extension to the Museum. However, more specific details on this update and Nintendo’s plans for theAnimal Crossingfranchise moving forward have yet to be revealed.
Nintendo will be revealing a lot more about thebigAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsupdateas part of anAnimal Crossing-specific Nintendo Direct event scheduled to take place at some point in October. Nintendo has yet to reveal exactly when this Direct will take place, but it should give fans many more details about the game’s November update. Interestingly, Nintendo is promoting it as anAnimal CrossingDirect and not aNew Horizons-specific Direct, which could suggest that fans will learn about otherAnimal Crossingprojects besides just new content for theNew HorizonsSwitch game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Final DLC Character (October 5)
While Nintendo has yet to reveal when theAnimal CrossingDirect will take place, it has confirmed when theSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateone will happen. On Tuesday, October 5,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatefans can tune in to the final Sakurai Presents event, which will focus on the final DLC character for the game. There are rumors that the finalSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLC fighter isSora fromKingdom Hearts, though fans should keep their expectations in check. Fact of the matter is they won’t know for sure until Nintendo makes the big announcement on October 5.
Those curious about thefinalSuper Smash Bros. UltimateDLC charactercan watch the Sakurai Presents event on Tuesday, October 5 at 7am PT. It’s at that point when game director Masahiro Sakurai will not only reveal the final DLC character, but likely offer a deep dive into their gameplay mechanics and any other content that may be coming to the game with them, like stages, music, etc. Considering the wide range of characters that have been featured inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the final DLC character could be just about anybody, so it will definitely be interesting to see who makes the cut.
Special events that get players hyped for future updates and games are great, but the real meat and potatoes of the industry are new game releases. There are plenty of new video game releases on deck for the Nintendo Switch in October, including a couple of exclusive games. The first one is the highly-anticipatedMetroid Dread, the first 2DMetroidgame in nearly two decades, and one that is expected to bring a conclusion to the storyline that started with the originalMetroidvideo game back in the 1980s.
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Metroid Dreadgameplayhas been hugely impressive so far, showcasing an updated take on the classic 2DMetroidformula. Whether or not it lives up to the hype remains to be seen, but Nintendo Switch gamers don’t have to wait too much longer to find out for themselves.
Mario Party Superstars (October 29)
Later in October, Nintendo Switch fans have another exclusive game to look forward to in the form ofMario Party Superstars. WhereasMetroid Dreadis a serious 2D action game,Mario Party Superstarsis a whimsical party game, serving as a collection of some of the most popular boards and mini-games from throughoutMario Party’s history. Not only doesMario Party Superstarsbring back classic boards and mini-games, but it also features online multiplayer support, so fans of the franchise will always have people to play with, even when they can’t get together with their friends in person.
Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Games
At some point in late October, Nintendo Switch Online is getting a big upgrade in the form of theNintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. This higher-priced tier of Nintendo’s online subscription service will add Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 games, with 14 Genesis titles and nine N64 games part of the lineup.
Sega Genesis Switch Online Expansion Pack Games List
Nintendo 64 Switch Online Expansion Pack Games List
These games will get the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack started, though Nintendo has already confirmed seven other Nintendo 64 games that will come to the service at some point after launch. These titles includeBanjo-Kazooie,F-Zero X,Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards,Mario Golf,Paper Mario,Pokemon Snap, andThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Rumor has it that there are evenmore Nintendo 64 games in store for the Switch Online Expansion Pack, though fans will just have to wait and see on that front.
As it stands, there’s a lot that we don’t know about Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack going into October. Namely, it’s unclear when the service will launch or how much it will cost. More information on that front should come to light in the next couple of weeks.
Third-Party Switch Game Releases in October 2021
While the Nintendo Switch exclusive games launching in October may get the attention of most fans, there are many third-party games coming to Nintendo’s home console/handheld hybrid as well. Some of the more notable ones include theSuper Smash Bros.-likeNickelodeon All-Star Brawlon October 5, the critically-acclaimed RPGDisco Elysiumon October 12, and theGuardians of the Galaxygame on October 26.
From the new games to the special events, there’s plenty for Nintendo fans to look forward to in October, and it should shape up to be a very exciting month for fans of the company and its latest console, to say the least.
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