Much of what was shown in September’s Nintendo Direct was on display here, yes, but it’s a solid lineup all the same. Not everything was familiar, though, which was a nice surprise. Out this Friday, we’ve got Metroid Dread, which still looks fantastic; the OLED Switch; and something I wasn’t expecting—Tetris Effect: Connected. This new Tetris supports cross-platform play and features some new gameplay options, including the time-stopping Zone Battle and cooperative Connected Mode. October 26 will see the launch of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version, which uses streaming to sidestep the Switch’s hardware limitations. All you have to do is install the launcher app and you’ll be able to play via your (robust) internet connection. The Nintendo reps also called out the new Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion subscription tier, which will add Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games to your classic games libraries. It’s still unclear when it will be available or how much it will cost, but the tier is still slated for late October. Just Dance 2022 is out on November 4, and then we get Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (remakes of the DS games) on November 19. While this new Pokemon does retain a lot of what was in the original release, it also adds some new stuff like being able to dress up your character and customize the look of your Poké Balls. Finally, the team showed off a bit of Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, which releases on December 3. It presents the same kind of brain-teasing challenges you’re likely familiar with, plus you can compete with family and friends in a four-player free-for-all. In a first for the series, it also will let you save a puzzle playthrough as “ghost data” that other players from around the world can compete with. A few extra items like Mario 64 themed LEGO sets, Animal Crossing Monopoly, and a Hotwheels track of Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road are also due out later this year.
