Nintendo E3 2021: Everything announced at the E3 Direct

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — (Image credit: Nintendo)

The Nintendo E3 2021 Direct is over, and although it wasn't quite as jam-packed with upcoming Nintendo Switch games, we did get another look at Breath of the Wild 2 - albeit with a 2022 release date. Read on for everything revealed at the Nintendo E3 2021 Direct, from Switch ports for exciting and upcoming titles, to fresh looks at titles like Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Super Smash Bros: Ultimate

Kazuya from Tekken is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and will bring with him a host of unique moves that will be very familiar to the fans of the fighting game series. Nintendo took a moment to run through them all to showcase what to expect when he arrives in-game. More info on Kazuya will come on June 28.

Lots of games are coming to Nintendo Switch

Nintendo has confirmed that plenty of newly announced and highly anticipated titles are also coming to Nintendo Switch. Take a look at the collection below for all the top titles revealed to be getting a Nintendo Switch release:

Super Monkey Ball

AiAi’s back for another adventure! Super Monkey Ball Banana Mani is the remastering of the first three games in the series from developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio: Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe. It’s launching later this year on October 5, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and the Nintendo Switch. The remastered trilogy boasts over 300 levels, 12 mini games, and four-player local co-op on all systems.

Super Mario Party Superstars

The Mario Party series gets its second outing on Switch, and this time it's bringing online play for all modes, complete with matchmaking. Mario Party Superstars is billed as a best-of compilation, bringing together 100 minigames from across the series' history as well as six boards from the original N64 entry. It's headed to Switch on October 29, so make sure you get your party favors in order.

Metroid Dread

For the first time in more than 19 years, a new 2D Metroid game was revealed as Metroid Dread during the Nintendo Direct. The game showcased 2D gameplay that also featured some cinematic elements. The gameplay looked shooty and punchy with a number of enemies populating the levels, and its story takes place after Metroid Fusion and on a brand new planet to explore. The game is slated to launch on October 8 this year and we also got to see 2 new amiibo figures of Samus and E.M.M.I that will be becoming available this year.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

Mario Golf: Super Rush was shown off today, showcasing some new modes we can expect to see when it launches on June 25. For those wanting to relax, Standard Golf will find you just whacking that ball and taking your time, but in Speed Golf things get more lively. You’ll be hitting the ball and chasing after it against other players in a race to be the first to the hole. Battle Golf is another new mode where you’ll be golfing it up over 9 flag marked holes with obstacles to overcome. And then there’s Golf Adventure that looks to take your Mii on an adventure, clubs in hand.

Nintendo also confirmed that there are free updates that are planned to release in the future, with new locations and characters being introduced to Mario Golf: Super Rush.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin has popped up all over E3, and it’s no surprise to see it get its place at the Nintendo Direct. The latest trailer focused more on the gameplay of the title. It showcased a bunch of the monsters you will be able to ride.

It also highlighted the combat system, where you will be ambushed by monsters from time to time. You will team up with the monster you ride in turn based battle to take on any would be attackers, growing your bond. It’s also pointed out that players will be able to find (or steal eggs) and hatch them into new Monsters to ride. You’ll also be able to join up with friends in co-op missions. The game is out July 9, and a demo will land on June 25.

WarioWare Get it Together

The fast-paced mini-game from Wario is making a return with Warioware: Get it Together. The Nintendo Switch exclusive will include a number of wild mini-games to rush through, and it will also feature co-op so that players can work together to complete even more puzzles. What levels are on offer? Well, we saw a teeth cleaning mini-game and one that involved pulling armpit hairs out. One thing’s for sure, there’s certainly a variety of them to go through! Warioware: Get it Together will be available on September 10, and is available to pre-order now.

Shin Megami Tensei 5

The newest trailer for Shin Megami Tensei 5 gave us a long-awaited release date – November 12 – and a closer look at the Switch-exclusive JRPG. In many ways, SMT5 is channeling the freshly re-released Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. Between its apocalyptic vision of Tokyo, half-demon protagonist, tried-and-true battle system, and demon negotiations, the next game in the series looks mighty familiar in a comfy way. That said, new footage of combat and demon fusion confirms that these systems have gotten more than a snazzy visual upgrade and also added in some new moves and strategic wrinkles.

Danganronpa Decadence

Murder-mystery series Danganronpa is coming to Nintendo Switch, and in addition to the anniversary editions of the first three games in the series, the Danganronpa Decadence bundle is bringing Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, an all-new and expanded take on the board game from Dangannronpa V3: Killing Harmony. All four games will also be available individually on the Nintendo eShop later this year, so if you've already played parts of the series on other platforms, you can pick up where you left off. If you're totally new to Danganronpa, don't sleep on its unique blend of death games, detective work, and visual novel storytelling.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water

A Switch remaster of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will let old and new players alike try the series' 'kill ghosts with photographs' premise, when this previously Wii U title arrives later in 2021. The idea is simple and genius for a horror game - you can 'attack' ghosts by capturing them on film, which means you have to confront and look at the scary things you're usually trying to avoid. It's also a series steeped in that classic early 2000s Japanese horror film atmosphere and style of old mythology and modern urban life slashing.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

A new trailer for the Nintendo Switch exclusive Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope arrived during the Direct. It gave us a better look at the game's combat, which is ditching the grid-system of the original game. Characters will still have areas of operation in which they can attack and use abilities, but the grid itself is gone. Ubisoft is hoping this will give players more freedom to experiment in battle. The game is arriving sometime in 2022.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Advance Wars with a single package that remakes the campaigns from both Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising. You'll play through each of their complete campaigns in a brand new 3D perspective, with overhead tactics and cut-in battle scenes that look like playing war on a grand yet tiny scale, and it's all headed to Nintendo Switch on December 3.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity DLC

The upcoming roadmap for the recently released Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has been revealed, with the first Wave - named Pulse of the Ancients - arriving on the Nintendo eShop on June 18, just a few days away. It will offer a new playable character (Battle-Tested Guardian), new weapons types, an Apocalyptic difficulty setting, new Royal Ancient Lab challenges, and more challenging enemies. The second wave - Guardian of Remembrance - is coming in November. That will offer new character vignettes, newly added stages, an expanded roster, and new battle skills for existing characters. Plus, there's a purchase bonus available now, which includes the Prototype Ancient Gear costume for Link, and the Prototype Ancient Sword also for Link.

Skyward Sword HD

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword — (Image credit: Nintendo)

The upcoming Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD remake received a new trailer at today's Nintendo E3 2021 event, ahead of its July 16 release. The trailer showcased the game's motion controls, and highlighted the fact it's the earliest game in the series, including the explanation of the original of the Master Sword.

Legend of Zelda: Game and Watch

Nintendo has revealed it's launching a second special edition, color screen Game and Watch to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda Series. This Legend of Zelda: Game and Watch will be released on November 12, and include three Zelda titles: the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, and the Game Boy version of Link's Awakening. There will also be a special version of the classic Game and Watch title Vermin, with Link as the playable character. For the Watch element, there will be a playable clock based on The Legend of Zelda games, and a special timer option to discover too.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

Ending out the showcase was Nintendo's arguably most-anticipated game yet - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Although the segment was tantalizingly brief, we did get a look at the game in action, including new abilities, enemies, and the larger world. The developer said that the setting for this new adventure has expanded to the skies above Hyrule, making the map far more vertical than the original game. Interestingly, Link's arm seems to be transforming with various abilities - including a new feature that has Link teleporting through stone structures. Sadly, the game is scheduled for 2022, so not quite the Christmas release date any of us were hoping for.

For more on the upcoming E3 season, check out our roundup of E3 2021 dates.

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.