Nintendo Direct 3-8-2018

Hoo boy, I'm sure not many of us expected a bombshell THIS big! But, uh, it's happening nonetheless. For this month's Nintendo Direct, there's quite a lot to cover!

-= 3DS =-

-= WARIOWARE GOLD =- (August 3)
- A massive collection of 300 microgames, including new additions and remastered classics from all across the series.
- A lot of the returning cast of WarioWare may sport some new looks as well...

-= DILLON'S DEAD-HEAT BREAKERS =- (May 24, eShop)
- This time, Dillon is taking on the Grocks in a post-apocalyptic setting. Besides his traditional spinning strikes, he has some additional gear as well.
- This time, Dillon can recruit gunner assistance from your animalized Miis.
- The demo will be available for download on May 10.

-= MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER'S INSIDE STORY + BOWSER JR.'S JOURNEY =- (2019)
- A remastered remake of Bowser's Inside Story, much like with Superstar Saga! Just like in the original, explore the Mushroom Kingdom as both the Mario Bros. and Bowser. Of course, the Giant Bowser battles are presented in full-3D, just like the Giant Dreamy Luigi battles in Dream Team.
- In addition, Bowser Jr. will get his own parallel adventure in the style of the Minion Quest from the previous remake. It seems that Jr. can partner with Kamek and the Koopalings in battle as well.

-= DETECTIVE PIKACHU =- (March 23)
- The 5.3-inch-tall Detective Pikachu amiibo will be available on launch.

-= LUIGI'S MANSION =- (2018)
- Relive the classic GameCube adventure in this 3DS remake! This time, the graphics are updated in line with Dark Moon, and you can enjoy using the map on the Touch Screen.
- As a bonus, there's a Boss Rush challenge, where Luigi can take on the major bosses in a row once more.


-= SWITCH =-

-= KIRBY STAR ALLIES =- (March 16)
- Kirby can visit special Dream Palaces, where Kirby can rally the help of some Dream Allies, like the hammer-hefting King Dedede, the sword-swooping Meta Knight, and the spear-twirling Bandana Waddle Dee.
- More Dream Allies will be available in later free updates, like Rick & Kine & Coo from Kirby's Dreamland 2, Marx from Kirby Super Star, and Gooey from Kirby's Dreamland 3. The first of these updates will come on March 28.
- Also, you can now download the free demo at the Nintendo eShop.

-= OKAMI HD =- (Summer 2018)
- This classic legend of the mystical land of Nippon returns! Join Amaterasu and Issun as they exorcise the demons that terrorize the land and restore its natural beauty.
- You can utilize the Celestial Brush techniques with touch controls or even Joy-Con motion controls - whatever fits your fancy.

-= SUSHI STRIKER: THE WAY OF SUSHIDO =- (June 8)
- The over-the-top story of sushi-eating battles now comes to 3DS and Switch! After the great Sushi Struggle, our hero Musashi must take on the empire that's trying to force a monopoly on the world's sushi.
- As conveyor belts carry plates of sushi across, gather up matching-color plates as they align. Then, you can throw those plates at your opponent! The more plates you rack up, the bigger your hits!
- Sushi Sprites will offer special moves that can change the tide of battle.
- There's also Local and Online co-op gameplay, where you can clash in your own sushi battles.

-= OCTOPATH TRAVELER =- (July 13)
- Two more of the main travelers were revealed. Tressa, a Merchant, has the ability to Purchase certain items from NPCs. She can find rare items or buy at discount in this way. Alfyn, an Apothecary, is compassionate enough to Inquire special information about NPCs that other travelers couldn't get on their own.
- Alongside their standard Job, the travelers can use an additional Job, adding to their skillset in combat. Olberic can use dark and support skills as a Dancer, Primrose can add on the sword-and-spear style of a Warrior, and so on.
- There will be a special Wayfarer set for Octopath Traveler - including a pop-up book, soundtrack CD, a cloth map of the game world, and a coin based on the setting's currency.

-= TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: NO MORE HEROES =- (2018)
- As we learned before, Travis Touchdown, along with another assassin named Bad Man, has been sucked into the world of the Death Drive mk.II. Here, Travis must take on the various "bugs" that plague the games with an amped-up take on the true-to-tradition No More Heroes combat system.
- There are 7 different genres of games for Travis to explore, including an action game, a racing game, a puzzle game, and others. These genres affect how Travis will explore their worlds. And of course, at the end of each game is a challenging new boss enemy to take out.
- With co-op multiplayer through the two Joy-Cons, a friend can join in the action as Bad Man.
- There's also an Adventure Mode, with a new story to unfold...

-= DARK SOULS REMASTERED =- (May 25)
- A Network Test will be available for download before launch. More details later.
- A new amiibo of Solaire of Astora will release as well. With this, you can imitate his famous "Praise the sun!" gesture.

-= MY NINTENDO =-
- As a reminder, you can use Gold Points in My Nintendo for eShop purchases on digital games and DLC.

-= MARIO TENNIS ACES =- (June 22)
- Mario and friends (and enemies) rally together for a new tennis experience! Many all-stars have gathered, like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Toad, Toadette, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Boo, and Chain Chomp (yeah, wrap your head around THAT one).
- There are several basic shots that every character can pull off - the standard shot, a topspin, a side-curving slice, and a high-arcing lob.
- This time, you can perform a powerful precision-aimed shot called the Zone Shot. When you activate this, you can aim at a specific part of the court and launch a really strong shot there. Your opponent can try to hit it back, but it will do damage to their racket. If a racket takes three Zone Shots worth of damage, it will break. If they don't have any more spare rackets, they lose! Keep in mind that using the Zone Shot costs some Energy Gauge, depending on how long you spend aiming.
- Don't worry, because there's a way to counter a Zone Shot. If you Block with perfect timing, you'll hit the ball back without suffering racket damage. You'll also get an Energy Gauge bonus.
- The Energy Gauge can also be used for defense, too. Activate Zone Speed, and time will slow around yourself, giving you time to catch up to the opponent's shot.
- You can generally refill your Energy Gauge gradually by keeping up a long rally. However, you can fill it faster with a Trick Shot. Jump, slide, or cartwheel at the ball perfectly (at the cost of a bit of Energy Gauge, of course), and you'll get a BIG bonus to your Energy Gauge!
- With a full Energy Gauge, you can pull off a Special Shot! It's essentially a stronger Zone Shot, but it comes out super-fast AND can instantly destroy the opponent's racket on impact if they don't Block properly.
- If you want to play purist-style, there's always Simple Rules mode, where basic shots are the only shots used.
- You can of course play online multiplayer (up to 4 players). This includes special online tournaments, where you can get  more customization items and potentially new characters as participation bonuses.
- With Swing Mode, you can use the Joy-Con's motion controls to move your racket.
- The Adventure Mode missions will offer new twists on the gameplay with each mission.
- There will be a Pre-Launch Online Tournament leading up to the release date. Dates and details will be on the main site later on.

-= CAPTAIN TOAD: TREASURE TRACKER =- (July 13)
- The box garden-style puzzle platformer returns on Nintendo Switch! This time, it will also include levels inspired by kingdoms from Super Mario Odyssey.
- With co-op mode, a friend can assist by shooting vegetables at things in the stages.
- The game will also release on the Nintendo 3DS, with 3D visuals and touch controls.

-= UNDERTALE =- (eventually)

-= CRASH BANDICOOT: N. SANE TRILOGY =- (July 10)
- Previously exclusive to PlayStation 4, this remastered collection of Crash Bandicoot's classic trilogy will now also be available on Nintendo Switch! That's Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped in one cartridge.

-= LITTLE NIGHTMARES: COMPLETE EDITION =- (May 18)
- In the Maw, you must guide Six or The Kid through various surreal zones inhabited by their childhood fears made real. All past DLC for the original game will be available.
- If you use the Pac-Man amiibo, you can unlock the Pakku Mask, which of course resembles Pac-Man himself.

-= SOUTH PARK: THE FRACTURED BUT WHOLE =- (April 24)
- Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and many others are engaged in superhero sagas all across South Park.
- You can get all past DLC individually or altogether in a Season Pass.

-= HYRULE WARRIORS: DEFINITIVE EDITION =- (May 18)

-= ARMS =-
- The ARMS US & Canada Online Open will be on from March 8 -March 18 through your Ranked Battles. The top-ranked participants will then join an online tournament on March 31. The winner will receive a custom art piece from the official ARMS illustrator. The tournament will be livestreamed from Nintendo of America.
- Starting March 31, the ARMS Global Testpunch will start up again for 3 days - perfect for anyone who's still curious about getting into ARMS.

-= SPLATOON 2 =-
- Update ver.3.0 is coming in late April. Over 100 gear pieces will be in this update, along with more stages - Piranha Pit, Camp Triggerfish, and the new theme park stage Wahoo World. Also, Ranked Matches will incorporate a rank above S+ - Rank X!
- At a certain point in the game, you can find Callie in Octo Canyon. She may tell you some things about the unknown Agent 4...
- Also, a major new DLC campaign is coming: Octo Expansion. You'll play as an amnesiac Octoling who joins Cap'n Cuttlefish as Agent 8. She'll travel the seedy subway underground, tackling many new single-player challenges as she makes her way to Inkopolis. If you clear this, you can change your Inkling to an Octoling in online play. Other characters, like Pearl and Marina, also make an appearance in this campaign.
- Given the 8 in 2018, this year will be considered the Year of the Octoling.
- Octo Expansion will be available this summer, at $19.99.

-= SUPER SMASH BROS. =- (2018)
- The trailer pretty much confirms that the Inklings will be joining the cast as playable fighters. The Splattershot and Splat Bomb at least were featured in the cinematic.
- Several characters were seen standing in front of the fiery Super Smash Bros. logo. We get a close-up (though still shadowed) look at Mario and Link (who seems to have his Breath of the Wild look).


Okay! To recap, the schedule markers from this Direct are:

- Now: Kirby Star Allies demo (Switch eShop)
- March 8-18: ARMS US & Canada Online Open preliminaries
- March 16: Kirby Star Allies (Switch)
- March 23: Detective Pikachu (3DS), large Detective Pikachu (amiibo)
- March 28: Kirby Star Allies update (Switch)
- March 31: ARMS US & Canada Online Open finals
- March 31-April 2: ARMS Global Testpunch
- April 24: South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Switch)
- late April: Splatoon 2 ver.3.0 (Switch)
- May 18: Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (Switch), Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Switch)
- May 24: Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers (3DS eShop)
- May 25: Dark Souls Remastered (Switch), Solaire of Astora (amiibo)
- June 8: Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido (3DS and Switch)
- June 22: Mario Tennis Aces (Switch)
- July 10: Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy (Switch)
- July 13: Octopath Traveler (Switch), Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (3DS and Switch)
- August 3: WarioWare Gold (3DS)
- Summer 2018: Okami HD (Switch), Splatoon 2 DLC: Octo Expansion (Switch)
- ??? 2018: Luigi's Mansion (3DS), Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (Switch), Super Smash Bros. (Switch)
- ??? 2019: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (3DS)
- Eventually: Undertale (Switch)

Me personally? I'm excited for Okami HD, Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Travis Strikes Again, and Smash...and possibly interested in WarioWare Gold and Switch Undertale. Regardless, overall there's a lot of excitement in the air here.

The ability to recruit past allies (including Marx) in Star Allies? An official ARMS tournament? Receiving Little Nightmares, The Fractured But Whole, N. Sane Trilogy, Okami HD, and Undertale? A DLC campaign for Splatoon 2? And of course Smash? All exciting~!

Anyway, lemme know your thoughts on this Direct below. (But please don't clog it with complaints about no Pokémon Switch...)