January 2018 Nintendo Direct (Mini): Here’s Everything Announced Today For The Switch

On January 10th Nintendo of America’s Twitter was aflame after this ambiguous tweet:

Gamers everywhere wondered what prompted Nintendo to tweet a picture of a flaming Chibi-Robo. Was a new Chibi-Robo game on the horizon? Nope. It turns out Nintendo was just hyping fans for today’s surprise Nintendo Direct Mini. Despite not mentioning Chibi-Robo, Nintendo did announce a slew of new Switch releases.

January Nintendo Direct (Mini) Rundown

Here’s the full rundown for you, reader:

• The World Ends With You Final Remix / 2018

One of Nintendo DS’ greatest titles, The World Ends With You, will be re-released on the Switch sometime this year. In addition to a new, Switch-exclusive scenario, The World Ends With You Final Remix will feature both touch controls resembling those of the original DS release and new Joy-Con controls. No specific release date was given, but The World Ends With You Final Remix will be released in 2018.

• Pokken Tournament DX DLC / January 31st, March 23rd

New Pokémon fighters will soon appear in Pokkén Tournament DX. Battle character Aegislash will be available for download on January 31st along with the support Pokémon set Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. On March 23rd a new battle character, the famous Blastoise, and a new support Pokémon set featuring Mew and Celebi will be available for download. Both sets of Pokémon will be released as part of the Deluxe Battle Pack now available for purchase. While you won’t have access to the new Pokémon until their release dates, you will be given a new set of avatar items upon purchase.

• Kirby Star Allies / March 16th

Nintendo presented a new trailer for the already announced Kirby Switch title featuring two of Kirby’s new abilities: Artist and Spider. Now Kirby can paint Waddle Dee and other enemies into a world of pain using the artist ability, or Kirby can spin a web around foes à la Spiderman. A new co-op mode will also allow players to mix and match abilities.

• Dragon Quest Builders / January 2018

Experience the world of Dragon Quest your way in the Minecraft-flavored Dragon Quest RPG. The cross-platform hit is making its way to the Switch later this month, but a demo is now available for download in the eShop as well.

• Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition / Spring 2018

It’s both the Wii U and 3DS Hyrule Warriors in one. The Switch’s definitive version of Hyrule Warriors will include all the exclusive content featured in both the Wii U and 3DS versions of Hyrule Warriors. New to the definitive edition are Breath of the Wild-themed Link and Zelda costumes, and a same-screen co-op mode.

• Mario Tennis Aces / Spring 2018

The developers of the great Mario Tennis titles, Camelot, are at it again with a Mario Tennis title for the Switch. Mario Tennis Aces will feature the series’ first story mode since GBA title Mario Tennis: Power Tour, complete with boss battles and mission-based gameplay. The story mode looks ‘ace’…

• Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA / Summer 2018

RPG fans rejoice! Ys VIII: Lacrimose of DANA is making its way to the Switch this Summer. Ys VIII features a real-time battle system, a base-building mechanic, anime-style cutscenes, and an epic narrative.

• Super Mario Odyssey Update / February 2018

Luigi’s opening up a new world for Mario to explore in Super Mario Odyssey’s free upcoming update. The update features post-game content where Luigi sources Mario to either find or hide balloons. Finding and hiding balloons brings with it international scoreboards where players around the globe can find other players’ hidden balloons and compare high scores.

Also included in the Super Mario Odyssey update are new costumes for Mario and new filters for snapshot mode. The update will be free.

• SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy / Summer 2018

SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy will feature female characters from SNK’s prolific catalogue of fighting games. Players will be able to customize fighters with different costumes and accessories.

• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle DLC / Spring 2018

A new challenger approaches in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and he is bringing all the jungle heat… and a banana boomerang (?) with him. Yes, Donkey Kong will be available for download this Spring.

• Payday 2 / February 27th

The earlier announced Switch port of Payday 2 will release on February 27th along with a timed-exclusive new character: Joy. Joy brings with her hacking perks sure to make quick work of any security firewalls.

• Fe / February 16th

This platforming adventure allows players to explore a huge 3D world. Heavy emphasis is placed on music as players use it to unlock abilities and battle foes. Fe will be available for purchase on February 16th.

• Celeste / January 25th

Celeste is a 2D action-platformer featuring lovely pixel-based graphics. Play as Madeleine and help her ascend Mount Celeste using an air-dash and other abilities. Celeste lets players fully customize game difficulty allowing for both easy runs and impossibly difficult runs too.

• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze / May 4th

Another Switch port of a Wii U game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze introduces Funky Kong as a new playable character with his own unique abilities.

• Dark Souls Remastered / May 25th

A trailer was shown for Dark Souls Remastered, but it didn’t include any details regarding changes or new gameplay. All that’s known about Dark Souls Remastered is its release date then: May 25th, 2018.

That wraps it up for the January 11th Nintendo Direct Mini. Are you excited about any of the titles showcased? Are there any games you were hoping to see that didn’t make the cut?