Arms and Splatoon 2 Headline New Nintendo Direct

This afternoon, Nintendo unveiled new details about the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2 and Arms games for the Nintendo Switch, as well as Hey! Pikmin, Ever Oasis and several new Kirby games for the Nintendo 3DS in a new streamlined format for its long-running series of Nintendo Direct presentations. The video also covered numerous third-party games, including Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition and Disgaea 5 Complete for Nintendo Switch, and Culdcept Revolt for Nintendo 3DS.

Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Nintendo Switch

• Arms: One of the biggest features in the upcoming fighting game is the ability to equip two types of customizable Arms per fighter. These Arms range from standard gloved Arms to curved weapons like boomerangs. Each Arm has a special attribute like fire, ice or electricity that activates when delivering a charge punch. As players fight through the game, they will earn in-game currency that can be used to play the Arm Getter, a mode in which they can get new Arms for their fighters. The fast-paced game can be played in 1-v-1 matches or even 2-v-2 for more chaotic battles. During the Nintendo Direct presentation, a new character was also revealed: the super-fast, ramen-armed Min Min. Arms launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 16th. In addition, special Neon Yellow Joy-Con controllers and Joy-Con Straps will be released separately on the same day alongside a Joy-Con AA Battery Pack accessory.
• Splatoon 2: Salmon Run, a new four-player co-op mode, is coming to the Splatoon 2 game. By teaming up with friends, players can take a part-time job battling the new Salmonid species, which the Squid Research Lab reports might even be more lethal than the Octarians! When players fall in co-op mode, teammates can revive them by inking them on the battlefield. Splatoon 2 launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 21st. In addition, three freshly designed individual amiibo figures for the game – a new Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy and Inkling Squid – will launch on the same day and grant special limited gear in game. By tapping these amiibo (as well as previously released Splatoon series amiibo), the figure’s character will appear in the game and befriend players. Befriend an amiibo character and it will remember favorite weapons, gear, outfits and option settings. This comes in handy when waging Turf War at a friend’s house.
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: When the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game launches on April 28th, it will do so with more characters, karts and tracks unlocked from the start than any other game in Mario Kart history. Both traditional racing and the newly redesigned battle modes can be played in Local Wireless mode with up to eight players, and in Online or LAN mode with up to 12 players. For fans who want to show off their driving skills, Nintendo will be hosting two Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online tournaments in game. More details about these tournaments will be revealed in the future.

Nintendo 3DS

• Hey! Pikmin: The first Pikmin game for Nintendo 3DS finds Captain Olimar embarking on an adventure through lush worlds with his trusted Pikmin by his side. In a new type of Pikmin game, players are tasked with throwing all types of different Pikmin using the touch screen to solve puzzles, overcome challenges and defeat enemies through side-scrolling levels. The Hey! Pikmin game launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on July 28th. A new Pikmin amiibo figure will also launch separately on the same day.
• Kirby’s 25th Anniversary: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kirby franchise, three new Kirby games are coming to Nintendo 3DS.
  • Exclusive to Nintendo eShop, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe features four Kirby characters with different powers (Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, Beam Mage or Doctor Healmore) who battle giant enemies together. The free-to-start game launches … today!
  • In Kirby’s Blowout Blast, players move freely through more than 25 action-packed 3D stages, inhaling enemies and powering up along the way. The game launches exclusively in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS this summer.
  • Last but certainly not least, a new multiplayer action game in the Kirby series is coming to Nintendo 3DS this holiday season. More information will be revealed about this game in the future.
• Miitopia: Fans have never played an RPG quite like Miitopia. By casting Mii characters in roles across the world of Miitopia, players set off on an adventure to battle enemies, hunt for treasure and open up new areas of the map. The turn-based battles are straight out of an RPG, but allies have a mind of their own. The relationships they build affect their performance in battle. This Nintendo 3DS RPG launches later this year.
• Ever Oasis: Grow and expand the world’s last oasis in Ever Oasis, a new action-adventure RPG from Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series. The Ever Oasis game launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS on June 23rd. More information about the game will be revealed in the future.