18 games in 25 minutes! Nintendo continues to be the kings of announcement efficiency and hype. They continue to showcase games both big and small, old and new. Both platformers and open-world RPGs were on display today along with post-apocalyptic survival games and a rhythm based Zelda game! Just like Nintendo, let's not dawdle with our reactions. Time to jump into my reactions to the Nindies Showcase.
Nintendo opened up strong with the reveal of Cuphead for Switch, coming April 18, 2019! This game won dozens of awards in 2017 when it was first released for Xbox and now it is coming to Switch which is the perfect platform for it. Cuphead is a game that requires patience, precision, and trial and error. It is perfect to take on the go! This is also just another example of Microsoft and Nintendo playing nice together by allowing Cuphead to be released on a competing platform. Until this end of the Direct, this was the biggest announcement.
During the Direct, Nintendo revealed multiple survival games where you have to craft and survive multiple until you don't. First up is Overland: a squad based, post-apocalyptic, turn-based, world survival game (Wow that is a lot of categories in one). You travel from East to West in search of a way to survive; what that is I have no idea. Each level is randomly generated which I like. This means there will be a ton of replay ability. Also you get a dog so if I need to save the dog over other humans in my party traveling with me I will definitely do so. Overland is coming to Switch this fall.
The other major survival game is Dark Wood - available this May. Dark Wood is a procedurally generated survival game where you need to survive each night for as long as you can. Another survival games shown off was Bloodroots - also available this summer. You star as Mr. Wolf in this game as you find weapons and items around you in order to stay alive in a frantically paced action game. This game looks like its a ton of fun and, unlike other survive games, is based more on action than crafting or resource management.
Have you ever wanted to play a 2D action game where you shoot enemies frantically and follow a plot led by a self-aware banana named Pedro? Well now you can in My Friend Pedro when it comes to Switch in June of this year. This game was also the first Switch exclusive announced from this Direct.
The next two games announced were super indie and games that seem like great feats artistically, but ones that I will probably not be playing.
The first is Neo Cab. In this game you are the last human rideshare driver in the world and you are trying to find your friend you lost sometime ago. I don't think a game like this currently exists so it is truly unique in concept. You do not know where they are but you know that, as a rideshare driver, you can meet people and piece together clues about their whereabouts. This looks like a very relationship based game and super-intense emotionally. Neo Cab comes to Switch this summer.
Next is another game that is very original. The Red Lantern is about a girl who feels like a failure in every aspect of her life, so she leaves for Alaska in order to raise dogs and race in the Iditarod. Unfortunately, things go bad and this game quickly becomes a survival games as you try to find your way out of a perilous Alaskan wilderness safely with your dog companions. If you don't like dogs dying then this is not the game for you! In the trailer a bear attacks one of the dogs and it was truly traumatizing!! The Red Lantern releases later this year.
This next game is definitely an original concept I am interested in. Creature in the Well is a pinball action adventure game about a hero who needs to save his fellow townsfolk from a sandstorm that seeks trap them forever. I included the video because it is just something you need to see.
Have you ever wondered how your main protagonist in a game, who murders hundreds of people, sleeps at night? Have you wondered how they cope with their actions? Well now you can!
Katana Zero is about a well-trained assassin who murders people on the daily and makes sure no one leaves a level you play alive. And in between levels you meet with a therapist where you talk about what happened and you take medication in order to help yourself. This game had a really cool pixel art style and is a one hit kill game for you so you need to be perfect to beat different levels. It looks challenging, colorful and is available April 18, 2019...the same day as Cuphead. This game looks like one that fans of Cuphead would also enjoy so it seems like a strange choice to have them both release on the same day.
Nintendo also unveiled a series of multiplayer games, both with online and couch co-op to play with friends.
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he first game is Super Crate Box by Vlambeer Studios, coming next month. This game is a fast-paced multiplayer survival shooter. There's a lot of survival in this Direct now that I think about it...anyway here's the 30 second trailer:
Alongside Super Crate Box was the reveal of two other multiplayer games by the same developer. Nuclear Thrones, available today, is an action rogue-like where you fight either alone or with a friend, for domination of the wasteland.
Vlambeer Arcade, a growing collection of bite-sized games. The first of which is Ultra Bugs, a fast-paced, bullet-hell, high-score centric game. This game will come later this year along with others as they are released.
Swimsanity is an underwater multiplayer shooter which you can play locally or online. You can either take on the story or aim to be on top of the leaderboards with your friends. This game is available this summer! I am always a fan of multiplayer games coming out around this time because it gives me an excuse to have friends over and play them.
Blaster Master Zero II got a surprise release as it comes out today! This game is the sequel to Blaster Master Zero, first released in 2017 which was based on the 1989 classic. This game will continue the story of Jason and Eve after they defended Earth. Now they are exploring planets all over the galaxy. You get to meet fellow pilots, allies, and support units in this game as you explore everywhere you can!
Finally, before the "one last thing", Nintendo revealed multiple open-world RPGs which both looks amazing! Actually, should I say one looks - Rad? Rad is a post-apocalyptic action game from Double Fine and Bandai Namco with both 80s style music and graphics. This game also looks like Ben-10 the game as the basic premise is for you to mutate into different creatures in order to fight different enemies! This games looks...sick! I didn't want to say rad again. I killed that joke. Rad comes out this summer.
Do you look Moose and Gator fights? With swords and shields? Then Pine is the game for you! This game is a primal, open-world, 3rd person action game that adapts to your choices as you travel to six different lands. You can craft, buy and sell items and perform all of the other open world RPG elements you expect. It looks like a great Breath of the Wild clone in many ways and is out in August. I have a feeling this is a game I must have when it comes out.
Today was the release of the trailer for Season 3 of Stranger Things the show so it is only fitting that the game had another trailer today. We didn't really learn anything new from this trailer. It was very similar to the one at the Game Awards. The big announcement was that the game is releasing the same day as the show, July 4th. This means that both the show and the game will have a summer feel to them. After a Christmas theme and a Halloween theme, I am excited to see their approach to an 80s summer setting.
Finally, the "one big thing"!
Cadence of Hyrule! By the makers of Cadence - Crypt of the Necromancer, Brace Yourself Games, this games combines top-down combat from the Legend of Zelda with rhythm-timed combat and randomly generated levels. I am also incredibly hyped for this game!! Nintendo knows the best way to end a Direct is with Zelda announcements! The original, Crypt of the Necromancer is available on the eShop if you want to buy it. Cadence of Hyrule releases this spring! There is also a sale on currently available indie games so now is a good time to get in on many of these.
I think there were a couple major takeaways from this Direct. First is that Nintendo is continually committed to giving Indie developers a space to produce games. Developers are constantly flocking to Switch and I am curious to see if the Switch can continue to keep up this momentum with all the games coming to it everyday. If Nintendo continually has high standards I think they can keep it up but if they start to allow any mobile game to be ported they could be in trouble.
Secondly, there was a massive amount of games from this Direct that featured survival elements and procedurally generated levels. I wonder why that is. Is that because those games are best for the Switch since they have such heavy elements of pick up, play for a bit, and set back down? Or is it just easier for Indie developers to create games like this? I am no expert in this field, I just thought I'd throw out some observations I have about these games today. Overall it looks like a promising field of games and they will all satisfy an audience of different gamers. They will also fill a hole in-between major releases throughout the year.