Late last night Nintendo hosted its very first Direct stream of 2022. While many were expecting updates on existing games, Nintendo actually hosted 40 minutes of some rather fantastic announcements and reveals. We are talking about games we had no idea were in the works.
We also saw some surprising announcements on a handful of classic games like Portal: Companion Edition and Chrono Cross. Nintendo says that most of the games showcased during the stream are scheduled to release in the first half of 2022. Chrono Cross, for example, is launching on 7 April.
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Nintendo also announced some exciting new projects like a new Nintendo Switch Sports game. Those of you who remember playing Wii Sports back in the day will feel right at home here. It not only packs some familiar sports from the original Wii game but also includes volleyball and soccer.
Two of the biggest announcements came in the form of new DLC for Mario Kart 8 and a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 announcement. The DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is called the “Booster Course Pass”. It includes 8 new courses planned to release across six waves. That is 48 new courses coming to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
All 48 courses are set to arrive by the end of 2023 so Nintendo plans on trickling in the content over the next few months. Most of the courses have also been designed after original classics from past Mario Kart games on the DS, Wii, N64 and more. All courses can be played locally or online.
The first batch of eight courses is set to arrive on 18 March. You can purchase the full Booster Course Pass for $24,99. However, those of you with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack can grab this DLC at no extra charge.
As for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, very little is known about the game at this stage. The trailer does showcase new characters and a whole new in-game engine. The game still seems to boast its famous open-world gameplay too. Nintendo says Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is planned to launch in September 2022.
Watch the entire Nintendo Direct stream below:
Source: YouTube
