The gaming industry is routinely filled with dozens of rumors, but few are so consistent as the scheduling for each newNintendoDirect presentation. The Direct format has becomeNintendo’s way of giving fans a comprehensive look at what to expect from the company in the near or distant future, and it’s proven to be especially popular in the time that the Nintendo Switch has released. For the last few years, the beginning of each new year has brought with it speculation on when Nintendo will hold its first Direct, and 2022 is quickly proving to be no exception.
Most Nintendo Directs have a fair amount of hype around them, but the first show of 2022 could prove to be exceptionally important. 2021 was a pretty successful year for the company, as releases likeMetroid Dread,Mario Party Superstars,Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, andShining Pearlgave fans plenty to choose from for the holiday season.2022 is even more packed for Nintendo, however, and there are sure to be some big expectations for the first Direct of the year. In order to capitalize on the hype of fans and maintain anticipation through the year, there are some key things that the first Direct will have to talk about.
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Release Date For Kirby and the Forgotten Land
In the roughly five years that the Nintendo Switch has been on the market, two of Nintendo’s first-party properties have gotten most of the company’s attention.Super MarioandThe Legend of Zeldahave enjoyed great success with their respective titles,Super Mario OdysseyandBreath of the Wild. However, few other first-party properties have been given the same attention. One such property isKirby, and while the pink puffball has had various 2D releases, the franchise hasn’t been given the same treatment as its peers. Luckily for fans, it seems all of that might change with the impending release ofKirby and the Forgotten Land.
Announced during the September 2021 Direct,Kirby and the Forgotten Landappears to use a similar open-world approach toMario OdysseyandBreath of the Wild.It was given a solid reveal trailer that showed gameplay and cinematics, along with a spring 2022 release window. Since that reveal, however, Nintendo hasn’t divulged any more details on the project. Nintendo could use the first Direct of 2022 to provide some kind of update, particularly a more specific release date. Some additional gameplay would also be helpful, but knowing the game will still hit its spring 2022 target could quell anxieties of a potential delay.
Release Date And/Or Official Title For Breath of the Wild 2
Ever since it was released in 2017,Breath of the Wildhas been talked about a thousand times overfor its revolutionary open-world design and gameplay mechanics. Fans of the game have wanted a sequel for years, and Nintendo wasted no time in obliging by announcing a sequel toBreath of the Wildin 2019. There have been a handful of updates since then, and 2022 is finally supposed to be the year that the highly-anticipated game is out in the wild. With that being said, however, there’s still a lot that gamers don’t know aboutBreath of the Wild 2.
The first Nintendo Direct of 2022 has an opportunity to provide major updates on the sequel toBreath of the Wildthat are frankly too good to pass up. The first matter of business isBreath of the Wild2’s actual title, as Nintendo has only referred to it as “the sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” ever since its reveal. Next is the game’s release date, which Nintendo could reveal during the event in order to build hype through the whole year instead of just the summer or fall months. While either announcement may seem like wishful thinking, they could make 2022’s first Direct one of the most memorable in a long time.
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Any Good News On Metroid Prime 4
It’s rare that a first-party Nintendo project will ever have discouraging development issues, butMetroid Prime 4has proven to be a proverbial white whale for fans that have been looking forward to a modern installment in the series. Announced almost five years ago at this point,Metroid Prime4got its last update in the summer of 2021, when Nintendo ensured fans that developerRetro Studios was still hard at work on Samus' next 3D adventure. This came about two years after the game’s initial direction, courtesy of Bandai Namco, was scrapped due to Nintendo’s dissatisfaction, and there hasn’t been so much as a trailer or bit of concept art since.
If the first Nintendo Direct of 2022 is really going to blow fans away, providing some kind of positive update forMetroid Prime 4would eliminate a lot of fears that the game might never come out. Even if it’s a small cinematic teaser with a vague release date of 2023, it would be more thanMetroidfans have gotten since the game was first revealed so long ago.Metroid Dreadhas recently renewed interest in the franchise across much of the gaming community, and afterDread’s recent Game Awards win, doubling down on theMetroidhype with good news onPrime 4could please a lot of fans that have had their patience stretched thin.
Nintendo has yet to make an official announcement on its first Direct of 2022, but it’s hard to deny just how much potential the presentation could have. Along with the games mentioned here, projects likeSplatoon 3,Bayonetta 3, andMario + Rabids: Spark of Hopeare still in the pipeline, with many gamers waiting for their next big updates. While announcements like these are usually reserved for the time around E3, Nintendo could leverage the first Direct of 2022 to spread awareness and build anticipation throughout the whole year.
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