Hello all and welcome to this week's Nintendo recap. Things got rather exciting this week when several influencers within the gaming industry revealed that a September Nintendo Direct would be coming. Things got even more hyped up when rumors flew that the classic Zelda games Wind Waker and Twilight Princess for Switch will be shown during the presentation.
In other news, a brand new Switch controller released that is designed to combat joystick drift and a new Shovel Knight game was announced. Even more came to light this week, so let's not waste any more time and dive right in!
Rumor: Nintendo Direct with Zelda Wind Waker and Twilight Princess is incoming
On Giant Bomb reporter Jeff Gubb's podcast, he stated that one of his trusted sources told him that a September Nintendo Direct was incoming. He and his guest, Mike Minotti of GamesBeat, went on to say that this presentation would show Switch versions of two classic Zelda games — Wind Waker and Twilight Princess — and could include a Metroid Prime remaster as well.
As far as the exact date for this supposed Direct, Grubb stated that it could happen on the week of September 12 or even as soon as next week. This isn't too surprising considering that September has historically been a time that Nintendo does release videos showcasing upcoming games for the holiday season and beyond. It's important to note that Grubb has been wrong in the past, however, he has also revealed things that have proved to be true. We'll just have to wait for Nintendo to make an official announcement.
To further back ideas of a September Nintendo Direct, Shriekbat on Famiboards also noted that four games on Switch are scheduled to go down for maintenance on the 30th. They specifically stated that, "Having a Direct lines up with [the games being scheduled for mainenance] if these are games which can be pre-ordered, downloaded, or preloaded immediately upon the Direct ending." There have been several examples in the past of games going live on the eShop during or after a Nintendo showcase, so it is possible that these changes are in place for an upcoming Direct.
I'll keep my ear to the ground and will report with any news if an official Nintendo Direct is announced.
Grafaiai revealed as new Pokémon for Scarlet and Violet
Throughout the week, The Pokémon Company teased a brand new Pokémon for Scarlet and Violet by posting images on Twitter. At first, we just saw images of trees with trunks that were painted in striped colors. Then on Thursday morning, a new video resembling a wildcam recording showed off the new toxic monkey creature, Grafaiai, in its natural habitat. This brings the total number of new Pokémon for Gen 9 to 13 so far.
According to the Pokémon website, Grafaiai is a territorial Poison/Normal type — the first Pokémon ever with this dual typing. "Grafaiai is nocturnal. Once the sun sets, it licks its hands and fingers to cover them in poison, then uses them to draw patterns on the trees in its territory. The poisonous saliva it uses to paint paralyzes Bug Pokémon, which are drawn to the saliva’s sweet, fragrant scent," the website reads.
Considering its unique dual typing, Grafaiai is only weak to Ground and Psychic types but strong against Ghost, Poison, Bug, Grass, and Fairy types. It will make for an advantageous teammate in battle.
Responses to Grafaiai have been mixed with some saying it's adorable while others say it's ugly. In all fairness, it's a bit of both just like Disney's Stitch, but that's what makes it so charming. Fans were also quick to note that the creature uses its middle fingers to paint and so many fan-made images of the creature flipping people off appeared online within minutes.
Ultimate Nintendo Switch Controller combats joystick drift and comes with dock
There are so many third-party Switch controllers on the market these days and outside of the officially licensed companies like PowerA and Hori, it can be hard to trust them. However, 8BitDo has proven to create some of the best options out there.
This week, 8BitDo announced the Ultimate Nintendo Switch Controller which works via Bluetooth and comes with its own charging dock. It looks very sleek and comes in either black or white. But most importantly, it uses Hall Effect Sensing joysticks, which enables magnetic fields rather than physical contact points to register input. This means that the controller won't develop drift like the official Switch controllers and Joy-Cons do.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Nintendo Switch Controller releases October 28, sells for $70, and is available for preorder now on Amazon or 8BitDo's website.
This traditional-style Nintendo Switch controller works via Bluetooth, comes with a charging dock, and includes Hall Effect sensing joysticks. It works on Switch or PC.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection released for multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch this past Tuesday and has been received very well so far. That's not too surprising considering that it's a collection of 13 classic TMNT games from the 80s and 90s. This includes the SNES game Turtles in Time, which has long been considered the best TMNT game ever made.
Considering that we just had the brand new game, Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, release back on June 16 to rousing success, it's safe to say that people who enjoyed Dotemu's fighting game will be excited to check out these classics on Switch.
| Game | Year / Original platform / Players |
|---|---|
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) | 1989 / NES / 1 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade) | 1989 / Arcade / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game | 1990 / NES / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan | 1990 / Game Boy / 1 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time | 1991 / SNES / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers | 1991 / Game Boy / 1 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project | 1991 / NES / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time | 1992 / SNES / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist | 1992 / Sega Genesis / 1-4 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue | 1993 / Game Boy / 1 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES) | 1993 / SNES / 1-2 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis) | 1993 / Sega Genesis / 1-2 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES) | 1993 / NES / 1-2 |
The Cowabunga Collection sells for $40 and while some of the titles are single-player many of the games allow for up to four players. So you can either play through these adventures solo or grab some buddies and play together.
Shovel Knight Dig announced with Sept. release date
Shovel Knight has long been a popular series on Nintendo since it first debuted on 3DS and Wii U in 2014. Now thanks to an announcement from Yacht Club Games, we know that the next installment titled Shovel Knight Dig is releasing on Sept. 23, 2022.
As is typical with this series, it's a single-player action/adventure game that also includes several platforming elements. In addition to Switch, it's coming to Apple Arcade and PC via Steam. You can grab your copy for just $25.
Masahiro Sakurai gives realistic advice for the gaming industry
Last week, we talked about the new YouTube channel from Kirby and Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakarai. True to his word, he has produced a new video every day with subjects that cover game development and creative processes. His videos have taken a very realistic tone talking about the challenges and hurdles developers face.
In one of his videos this week, Game Development Isn't a Game, he has a very candid and down-to-earth take on working in the competitive video game industry. He explains that many people work on games that they aren't really interested in to make a career because, "A job is still a job — you have to do it and try to do it well." He goes on to explain that he put aside his own gaming preferences when creating the first Kirby game so as to appeal to a wide audience.
In some of his closing statements, his profound guidance for any developer is to make sure that your gaming projects work to entertain your audience: "If you feel like you've lost your way, just remember: entertain players." It's easy to think that game development is easy and just as fun as playing a game but the reality is that it is a difficult industry with lots of challenges. If you really want to understand more about the gaming industry, I suggest you watch his videos.
Switch games to play this week
Last week, Cursed to Golf released on Switch and caught the attention of both critics and players. It only costs $20 and follows a person who must golf their way through purgatory to reach the land of the living. It stands out because the courses look more like platforming stages, providing unique golfing challenges. It's definitely worth checking out.
As we talked about previously, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection has also released this week, bringing with it 13 classic TMNT games from the 80s and 90s. If you're a fan of these arcade-style beat-em-ups then they'll be worth your while.
Great things to come
That's all for this week, but the year is just going to get more exciting from here. Splatoon 3 releases next week and is already looking like it will be a big hit if last week's Splatfest is anything to go by. You can preorder your copy now and the special Splatoon 3 OLED has already reached store shelves — though it's hard to find in stock.
Bayonetta 3 is on the way this October along with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Not to mention Pokemon Scarlet and Violet releasing this November. I'll be here to report on any exciting developments leading up to each launch.
Until next time.
— Rebecca Spear
