Nintendo Direct March 8 Recap: Super Smash Bros., Splatoon 2 3.0, and More

Nintendo sure knows how to set low expectations. On Wednesday, the company announced what sounded like a modest Nintendo Direct. Oh, they'll talk about some 3DS games, some Switch games, and Mario Tennis! Yes, Mario Tennis! And maybe a surprise or two.

A surprise or two.

Yeah, this Nintendo Direct was full of surprises, but perhaps you might have missed it. If so, let's recap the whole thing.

WarioWare has offered a rich library of micro games across its entire series. Now a chunk of those games are getting bundled into one giant collection. These games will include multiple control schemes that can pop up at any time, so expect to tilt the system or turn it sideways at any given moment. WarioWare Gold is set to hit Nintendo 3DS on August 3.

Heroic armadillo Dillon returns for another adventure on the Nintendo 3DS. This is a follow-up to 2012's Dillon's Rolling Western titled Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers. This adventure focuses more on action and tower defense. The game will feature a lot of enemies, so Dillon can recruit allies in the form of Mii characters. Look for Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers to hit the Nintendo 3DS eShop on May 24.

It seems that developer AlphaDream has needed a break after Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, because the studio has been focused more on remaking its past efforts. Following last year's Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the team is now looking to remake the third chapter in the series. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story was first released on the Nintendo DS in 2009 and it looks like a 3DS remake will be ready for its tenth anniversary.

Like last year's remake, this will have something a little extra in the form of an all-new side story. Bowser Jr.'s Journey will follow the younger Bowser, who was conspicuously absent in the original game. He'll follow his big bad father around and get into his own mischief along the way. Look for Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey to arrive in 2019.

Speaking of old-school classics, let's welcome back Luigi's Mansion. There's still no GameCube Virtual Console to speak of, so the masses haven't had a chance to experience this game since it first launched on Nintendo's old lunch box. Now they'll get to check it out on the Nintendo 3DS, which also played home to the 2013 sequel. This remake will include a few more 3DS-exclusive features, like a mansion map for the bottom screen and a new boss rush mode. Look for this updated Luigi's Mansion to arrive on Nintendo 3DS later in 2018.

Kirby Star Allies has a few new friends to add to its roster. By picking up the Dream Rod, Kirby will be able to call forth a few special allies, including King Dedede and Meta Knight. But that's not all. Kirby will receive additional allies through free DLC set to arrive after the game releases. These are all old allies that Kirby has met over the course of his adventures on the Game Boy and Super Nintendo. So while Kirby Star Allies arrives on March 16, the first of the free updates will arrive on March 28. There's also a free demo up right now for those looking to try it out.

Okami is back! After getting an HD upgrade on current-gen consoles and PC, the Nintendo Switch is next on the docket. And yes, the Switch version will feature touchscreen controls, allowing players to use the Celestial Brush the way it was meant to be used. Joy-Con motion controls will also be an option, for those looking to practice their painting motion. Okami HD is set to release on the Nintendo Switch this summer.

Get ready to chuck as much raw fish as you can, because Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is heading to Nintendo Switch. In a world where sushi has been outlawed (you read that right, just follow along with me), it's up to Musashi to stand up to the Empire and overthrow their vast sushi monopoly. Got that? Then get ready to engage in action-RPG battles that involve the flinging of fish, with up to four characters in your party. Look for Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido to hit both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on June 8.

The floor was given to Square Enix's Masashi Takahashi for some news about Octopath Traveler. Players were treated to two new characters: Merchant Tressa and Apothecary Alfyn. Like the other characters in the game, they have distinct abilities and base jobs. However, those base jobs can be mixed with other jobs to open up entirely new attacks and abilities. Octopath Traveler now has a release date. It's set to arrive on July 13, alongside a special edition that features a number of physical goodies, including a pop-up book. There's a free demo available right now on the Nintendo eShop for those looking to try it out.

Travis Touchdown's adventures have been eccentric, but this one's just downright weird. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes puts Travis inside a full-blown game console world and has him fight his way across multiple genres of games. Each of these game genres will have its own distinct boss at the end. But while each game type is different, Travis will still have his katana in hand ready to slice and dice his way to the end. There's also local co-op, in case a friend wants to lend a hand. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a Switch exclusive and will launch in 2018.

By now, most people have tried their hand at Dark Souls. But those who haven't are in for a treat. Bandai Namco looks to be going all-out for Dark Souls Remastered and will launch a Network Test in the very near future. On top of that, there's a new Solaire of Astora Amiibo which performs the Praise the Sun gesture. Both Dark Souls Remastered and the Solaire of Astora Amiibo will release on May 25. The game will go for $39.99, while the Amiibo goes for $15.99 exclusively at GameStop.

Mario Tennis Aces may not have been the feature attraction by the end of this Nintendo Direct, but there was still plenty to talk about here. Players can expect to see 15 playable characters, along with some new features like the Special Energy gauge and Special Shots. A single-player story and online multiplayer will also be available, with the latter including online tournaments that reward special outfits and new characters. A pre-launch tournament will test player mettle before Mario Tennis Aces officially releases on June 22. No word on when the tournament will take place, but stay tuned.

As is frequently proving to be the case with Wii U games, they were pretty great titles that released to an audience of few. So now's a chance to give another Wii U game a new lease on life, as Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is set to release on both the Switch and 3DS. The Switch version will include a co-op mode that has a second player flinging turnips at enemies and obstacles, along with an entirely new stage set in New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey. The 3DS version will feature 3DS visuals and touchscreen controls. Both versions are set to be released on July 13.

Do you like Earthbound? Well, Nintendo didn't announce one of those. What was announced was the next best thing. The fantastic Earthbound-like Undertale was announced for Nintendo Switch. When's it coming? That's not so clear. Undertale only confirmed its existence on the Switch, but the release window was only set to "eventually." So don't expect this anytime soon.

It's always wild to see Nintendo make nice with old rival mascots. Over a decade after Sonic the Hedgehog first graced a Nintendo platform, now it's time for Crash Bandicoot to do the same. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is now set to hit Nintendo Switch with all three Crash games intact. Look for this collection to arrive on July 10.

Acclaimed indie puzzle platformer Little Nightmares is making its way to Nintendo Switch. For those who missed the original, they'll get to catch up with the full game plus all of the post-release content. That means playing both the Six story and the Kid story. Switch owners will even get a special outfit with the Pac-Man Amiibo. (Now aren't you glad you saved that thing?) Little Nightmares: Complete Edition will arrive on May 18.

Two days after hearing about the new Casa Bonita DLC, it looks like South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be coming to Nintendo Switch. The game's first two DLC packs will also be available for purchase on day one, as will the Season Pass. South Park: The Fractured But Whole hits Nintendo Switch on April 24.

The Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition was first announced during the previous Nintendo Direct Mini, but now it has a release date. The game is set to release on May 18, with all of the content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions. Remember that new Breath of the Wild outfits will also be included.

Serious Arms fans will be excited to hear that there's a new tournament seeking out the best players in the world. Players can seek to qualify during a ten-day period starting today. Simply jump into Ranked Match and play at least 50 matches from now through March 18. The top eight players will proceed to the Online Finals on March 31, which will be streamed live.

As for those who haven't discovered Arms yet, I'd like to confirm that, yes, you are late to the party. By quite a bit. But still, there's another Arms Global Testpunch set to begin on March 31, which will run for three days.

The Splatoon 2 3.0 update is set to be a big one. It'll feature over 100 new outfits and a handful of new stages. Those stages are:

• Piranha Pit
• Camp Triggerfish
• Wahoo World

The best of the best will also be able to rank up all the way to Rank X. Not many details were offered about that one, but expect more information soon.

But the most exciting announcement was the one regarding Splatoon 2's first paid DLC. It centers around an entirely new single-player campaign called the Octo Expansion. Players will take the role of Agent 8, who looks like an Octoling but has lost her memory. She'll look to get to the bottom of a sinister cloning plot across eight different testing facilities. A full-blown story filled with lore is being promised, as is the ability to play as an Octoling in multiplayer upon completing this expansion. The Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion is set to release during the summer for $19.99.

So it looked like that was going to be the end. The Nintendo Direct looked like it was going to conclude with a Splatoon sizzle reel.

Then this happened.

Yes, Super Smash Bros. is coming to Nintendo Switch. But in what form exactly? Is this an all-new game? Is this an updated Wii U version with new characters? Does "2018" mean it's coming in 2018 or does it mean we're getting new information in 2018? There are a lot of unknowns and variables, but right now, all we know is, there is a Super Smash Bros. game headed to the Nintendo Switch. And for now, that's more than enough to get excited about.

What excited you the most about today's Nintendo Direct? Be sure to join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?