Team Talk: What were the highlights from the February 2021 Nintendo Direct?

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It’s taken 530 days, but Nintendo finally got around to giving us another full-fat Direct presentation. Rumours of Zelda re-releases were abound in the past few weeks, and though we did get some news, it’s not what most expected.

While there were notable absences as well, nary a mention of Metroid or a new Mario Kart, there was still plenty to natter about. So, without further ado, over to our crack team. Don’t forget to leave your own musings in the comments.

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​by James Michael Parry

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@James_Parry

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by Team PTC

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@pass_controller

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Liam

I never played Skyward Sword, so an HD announcement for Switch was a welcome surprise. The option to choose your preferred control scheme was also a nice bonus. I’ll be going with motion controls, seeing as the original game was built around them, but it’s good to know I can fall back on a more traditional input method should I get tired of all the Joy-Con waving.
 
Mario Golf: Super Rush was another title that grabbed my attention. I liked the way it’s catering to both golf aficionados and Mario fans in that the regular golf stuff looks like a solid enough simulator, while the speed mode brings the wacky fun factor synonymous with Mario sports titles.
 
Elsewhere, I’m looking forward to seeing more on Star Wars Hunters (because Star Wars) and finally giving Fall Guys a try. Octopath Traveller’s tactical sequel thing also looked quite intriguing, if only for the lovely art style.
 
I wasn’t so bothered about the lack of Breath of the Wild 2 news, but I was disappointed not to see Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports announced for the Switch, but there are still rumours they could happen later this year, so there’s hope yet.

Motion-controlled archery was a Wii era highlight.

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Sam

After enduring such a long wait for a proper Nintendo Direct, the latest showcase was pretty underwhelming. It was longer than the Nintendo Direct Mini presentations we’ve been seeing, sure, but it wasn’t any more exciting.

The highlight for me was No More Heroes 3. We already knew it was coming, so its appearance didn’t really bring the surprise factor that viewers crave, but it looks to be a lot of fun. Added extraterrestrials might just make it the wackiest entry yet, which is really saying something. Here’s hoping that Suda 51 goes all out with his captivating brand of craziness!

Hades getting a physical release is good to see, but I’m holding out hope for PS5 and/or Xbox Series X|S ports instead. Still, if they never materialise this will be my version of choice.

Skyward Sword HD was the only other game of note. Nintendo is charging full price for a remaster again, which we’re all accustomed to by now, but it’ll be nice to revisit the classic Zelda formula. After all, it’s much better than the new one that Nintendo borrowed from Ubisoft...

In the real world, perfectly normal. In a hack and slash game featuring aliens, definitely weird.

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Rob

Ever the Nintend-optimist, I tuned into the long-awaited Direct full of hope, promise and an expectation of ports galore. The former and the middler were sadly lacking, but the latter was out in full force once more.
 
I steered clear of Skyward Sword's original Wii release because of a deep, burning hatred of motion controls, so am relieved to hear that a stick/button control scheme has been implemented for the HD remaster. This will almost certainly lead to me picking the game up, although I am a tad disappointed that, at this stage at least, it appears to share more in common with the Twilight Princess HD remaster over the superlative, dreamy Wind Waker Wii U update.
 
The announcement of Splatoon 3 throws up questions for me, too. Namely, will there actually be anything new in this iteration? I adored the first game, yet have largely been left nonplussed by the second. The trailer began by hinting at some sort of desolate world - could this be part of the single-player campaign? Will we get numerous new multiplayer modes? For me, this is what the series needs to move forward. 
 
Finally, my personal highlight: Mario Golf: Super Rush. Multiplayer options? Check. Colourful, charming course? Check. A full story mode? Check. You had me at golf, Mario. Book your tee-off time for June 25. FORE!

Avert your eyes, Rob!

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James

Other than being beside myself at the lack of a Metroid Prime 4 update, this Direct was fairly as expected, if underwhelming after the comparatively long wait.

A new step onto the golf course with Mario Golf: Super Rush would have been a huge cause for thrills back in the day, but these days there’s a smattering of fairway fare already available to scratch that itch now and again.

The first thing that really moved the excitement needle was the news that Fall Guys is coming to Switch, though that quickly dissipated when I remembered Nintedo’s online approach, and I was vindicated with an Xbox announcement the following day.

Perhaps a few ports? Apex Legends, Plants Vs Zombies: Battle For Neighborville and even Outer Wilds seem like an interesting distraction, but all things I would have already fallen into elsewhere.

What about Splatoon? The sequel (Splatoon 2​) was my first foray into being a squid now (well, then) but, like Rob, the potential of a dash of singleplayer adventure in Splatoon 3 is intriguing, especially after the previous game toyed with solo play a bit in DLC which I never got around to. I’ll take it.

Speaking of ports, could we please have Metroid: Prime Trilogy for Switch, Nintendo?

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What was your Nintendo Direct highlight? Let us know below.