Okay, folks—no, no new Smash characters were announced. But that doesn’t stop Nintendo from consistently bringing fantastic titles and an abundance of indie darlings over to this summer’s best selling console. Earlier today, Nintendo surprised fans with a Direct Mini showcase, revealing brand new titles and a deeper look at some upcoming games.
The online event kicked off with a big reveal, as Nintendo was the first to announce the next game in the long-running Kingdom Hearts series—Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory—a game that looks to be a dream come true for folks who couldn’t get enough of the series Little Mermaid levels. Melody of Memory is a “musical experience” set in the world of Kingdom Hearts that allows players to take control of the series beloved characters as they traverse through the various worlds and scenes from previous games. Additionally, the game will have a new chapter exploring the oft neglected Kairi’s perspective.
Both the game’s exploration and combat are entirely rhythm based, with special attacks and an online leader board acting as an incentive for good timing. It will also contain multiple modes of play such as Memory Dive—which allows players to revisit memorable scenes from previous games—and Boss Battle. Lastly, the game does have competitive online and local multiplayer—with an exclusive Free-for-all mode allowing up to eight players to battle each other locally on Nintendo Switch. Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on Nov. 13.
The conference then delved into a handful of other rhythm games, such as Just Dance 2021, Fuser and the Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack—all of which are coming later this year.
Another show stealer was Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, a sequel to 2014’s well-receivedPuyo Puyo Tetris. A collaboration of the Puyo Puyo and Tetris series, this title is for all the folks who can’t get enough puzzle games. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 retains all the popular modes from the original game—including both Versus and Party mode—as well as adds new Skill Battles and a colorful, cross-dimensional story in Adventure mode. In addition, the game features an expanded online mode that allows up to four-players to duke it out for worldwide high scores, as well spectate on-going matches. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is slated for a Dec. 8 release on Nintendo Switch.
Fans of competition and big, big vehicles have some things to look forward to as well, with upcoming releases for Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions, World of Tanks Blitz, Jump Force Deluxe Edition and Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions. While Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions, an underdog adventure boxing game featuring characters from the iconic Rocky movies, is not out until Spring 2021, the other three games are all available this month on Switch.
And of course, adventure lovers aren’t going home empty-handed either. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend, and the Minecraft Dungeons: Creeping Winter DLC are all coming to Switch this year.
Itching to see some in-game action? Watch the entire Nintendo Direct Mini right here: