The latest Nintendo Direct for 23/09/2021 has just finished airing and it had quite a number of exciting announcements.

Over to the good old Nintendo Press Release for all of the information including those important release dates...

Nintendo Switch owners are in for quite the year ahead! In the latest Nintendo Direct video presentation, Nintendo detailed a wide variety of games coming to the system this year and into 2022 – with some games launching later today! The video outlined something for everyone, including:

• The next games in franchises like Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a new 3D platforming-adventure in the Kirby series.
• Massive expansion DLC for MONSTER HUNTER RISE and free downloadable content for Mario Golf: Super Rush.
• A new membership plan for Nintendo Switch Online that includes access to a growing library of classic Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games, as well as all the current benefits of the service, such as NES and Super NES games, exclusives like Tetris® 99 and PAC-MAN 99, and more.
• Several exciting new games from SQUARE ENIX like Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, Chocobo GP and TRIANGLE STRATEGY.
• Remakes and compilations of nostalgic classics, including the HD remastered Actraiser Renaissance, Shadowrun Trilogy and Castlevania Advance Collection, a compilation featuring classic Castlevania games from the Game Boy Advance and Super NES systems.

“Heading into its sixth year, Nintendo Switch and its wide variety of games continue to offer experiences for various types of players,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communications. “In this latest Nintendo Direct, we are looking ahead to a year packed with new games in well-known franchises, as well as unique and exciting titles from our development and publishing partners.” To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit https://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct/09-23-2021. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include: 

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack: A new membership plan is coming to Nintendo Switch Online in late October with classic Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games. In addition to all the benefits of a Nintendo Switch Online membership such as online play, access to a growing library of NES and Super NES games, and more, members can play select titles like Mario Kart 64 online with up to four players for the first time ever (additional accessories required; sold separately)! The full list of classic games launching for the expanded service, with more Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis titles coming in the future, is as follows:

Launch Lineup of Nintendo 64 Games

• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Mario Kart 64
• Star Fox 64
• Sin and Punishment
• Dr. Mario 64
• Mario Tennis 64
• Operation WinBack
• Yoshi’s Story

Upcoming Nintendo 64 Games (With More To Come!)

• Banjo-Kazooie
• Pokémon Snap
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• Mario Golf
• Paper Mario
• F-Zero X

Launch Lineup of SEGA Genesis Games

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Streets of Rage 2
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Castlevania: Bloodlines
• Contra: Hard Corps
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Golden Axe
• Gunstar Heroes
• M.U.S.H.A.
• Phantasy Star IV
• Ristar
• Shining Force
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Strider

Nintendo Switch Online members will also be able to pre-order two new controllers that resemble the original Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis controllers at a later date. These wireless controllers can be used to play these classic games on Nintendo Switch Online. More details about Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, including release timing and price, will be revealed at a later date.

• Kirby and the Forgotten Land: The next Kirby adventure on the Nintendo Switch system is going 3D! In this new 3D platforming game, players can freely navigate areas using familiar Kirby copy abilities. What lies in store for Kirby as he explores a mysterious setting filled with abandoned structures from a past civilization? Find out when Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches for Nintendo Switch in spring 2022.
• Bayonetta 3: A new trailer for this stylish, action-filled sequel showed off gameplay for the first time, revealing a new look for Bayonetta and new mechanics, including the ability for Bayonetta to directly control demons. Bayonetta 3 will launch for Nintendo Switch in 2022. More information about the game will be released at a later date.
• MONSTER HUNTER RISE: SUNBREAK: Capcom is currently working on a massive, paid DLC expansion for the hit Nintendo Switch game MONSTER HUNTER RISE. The expansion will include newly added stories, locales and monsters, as well as newly added hunting actions and quest rank. MONSTER HUNTER RISE: SUNBREAK is scheduled to be released in summer 2022. More information about this massive expansion will be revealed in the future. In the meantime, soar into MONSTER HUNTER RISE during the game’s first sale – happening now through 11:59 p.m. PT on Oct. 3.
• Splatoon 3: The next game in this INK-redible series features new and returning stages in 4-v-4 battles, as well as new weapons never before seen in the Splatoon games. In the game’s single-player campaign, mammals might be returning … but what does this mean? Find out more when additional details about Splatoon 3, which is scheduled to release in 2022, are revealed in the future.
• Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars: A spellbinding experience from the creative minds of YOKO TARO and Yosuke Saito is about to unfold. In Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars from SQUARE ENIX, players will square off in experiences that reveal themselves through cards, including turn-based battles, where their skills – and a little bit of luck – will determine the victor. This fresh take on tabletop RPGs launches for Nintendo Switch on Oct. 28. Players can try out the free demo and pre-order Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars later today!
• Chocobo GP: Get ready for a new racing experience! Race as familiar FINAL FANTASY characters like Chocobo and Gilgamesh using special character abilities and Magicites to speed past the competition. Engine customization options will also be available, as well as local* and online** multiplayer. Up to 64 players can compete in a bracket-style tournament to determine the racing champion! Chocobo GP launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch in 2022.
• TRIANGLE STRATEGY: In February, SQUARE ENIX sent out a survey for the demo version of TRIANGLE STRATEGY. Since then, the developers have been updating the game, with a focus on adjustments to the difficulty, as well as improvements to on-screen visuals, camera controls and the ability to view past conversations. The stunning HD-2D strategy RPG TRIANGLE STRATEGY launches for Nintendo Switch on March 4, 2022.
• Actraiser Renaissance: The classic Super NES game Actraiser returns on the Nintendo Switch system, now remastered in HD! In Actraiser Renaissance, strike down monsters in the side-scrolling action phase, Realm Acts, and cultivate lands in the world-building creation phase, Realm Management. Enjoy the much-loved original score and a rearranged soundtrack featuring new music. New stages and boss battles also await. Actraiser Renaissance launches for Nintendo Switch … later today!
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Cloud Version: In Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Cloud Version, master both parkour and tactical combat to survive in this brutal open-world action RPG. Explore alone or with up to three others in online co-op.** Unravel the dark secrets of those in power during the day, then plunder the lairs of the infected at night. Choose sides and decide the fate of the City. Dying Light 2 Stay Human – Cloud Version launches for Nintendo Switch on Feb. 4, 2022. A free demo for the game will also be available on the same day. But that’s not all: The prequel, Dying Light: Platinum Edition, is also coming to Nintendo Switch on Oct. 19. Pre-orders for the prequel start today!
• DELTARUNE Chapter 2: The new expansion to DELTARUNE Chapter 1 has arrived! Enter DELTARUNE Chapter 2 and once again experience a hilarious and emotional story in the mysterious Dark World. Players will dodge everything, from balls of yarn to ambulances and missiles, in creative attacks that appeal to beginners and not-so-beginners alike. DELTARUNE Chapter 2 will be available as a free update for owners of DELTARUNE Chapter 1 later today!
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update: A new free update is coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons this November! More details will be revealed in an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct airing in October. Follow Isabelle on Twitter for more information!
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Expansion Pass DLC: On Oct. 29, the second wave of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Expansion Pass content arrives with a newly playable character duo, additional stages and emotional new story sequences. Defend Hyrule as the quirky duo character, Purah & Robbie, and their array of ancient technology. See how places like the Coliseum and Kakariko Village looked 100 years in the past in new story stages. Learn more about the Champions and the mysterious Guardian in emotional new story sequences as the fight for Hyrule’s future continues! Players who purchase the Expansion Pass will also gain access to Wave 1 of the DLC, which is already available.
• The Final DLC Fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is... going to be revealed soon! Masahiro Sakurai, the director of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, will host a final “Mr. Sakurai Presents” video on Oct. 5 revealing the final DLC fighter. This will be the last presentation about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC, so make sure to tune in!
• Mario Party Superstars: It’s almost time for Mario Party Superstars, which launches for Nintendo Switch on Oct. 29! In addition to the main Mario Party mode, which will see the return of several classic boards from the Nintendo 64 era, including Woody Woods, Yoshi’s Tropical Island and Horror Land, Mario Party Superstars will also feature the minigame mode Mt. Minigames, which includes the competitive Survival course and the cooperative multiplayer course Tag Match, among other courses.
• Mario Golf: Super Rush DLC: FORE! More free content is coming to Mario Golf: Super Rush. Later today, two new playable characters will be added to the game: Koopa Troopa and Ninji! In addition to these characters, two new courses will be added – the snowy Blustery Basin and the desert-set Spiky Palms – as well as the ability to change the difficulty level of the CPU opponents. Download all this new content in Mario Golf: Super Rush starting later today!
• Disco Elysium – The Final Cut: In this groundbreaking role-playing adventure, interrogate people and uncover clues with the help of 24 inner skills. The player’s behaviors and available choices will change depending on how they develop these skills, directly impacting how the story progresses. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut launches digitally on Nintendo Switch on Oct. 12. The physical version of the game launches in early 2022. Pre-orders for the digital version start today!
• STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic: A beloved Star Wars game is coming to Nintendo Switch! Blast off to captivating planets and join forces with Jedi, droids and outcasts in this blend of action, role-playing and adventure. STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic launches for Nintendo Switch on Nov. 11. Pre-orders for the game start later today!
• Castlevania Advance Collection: Castlevania Advance Collection brings together four classic Castlevania games – Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Dracula X – with deathly beautiful graphics and hauntingly epic music. Rewind, Quick Save and Button Mapping features will also ramp up the fight against evil. All regional versions of each game, as well as a gallery mode with never-before-seen artwork, are included. Castlevania Advance Collection launches for Nintendo Switch … later today!
• Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition: Players are invited to live in a magical world with Mickey Mouse and dozens of Disney characters! Spend time with Disney friends, craft whimsical costumes and furniture, and explore delightful Disney-themed worlds. All downloadable content from the original Nintendo 3DS version will also be included when Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition launches for Nintendo Switch this holiday season.
• Shadowrun Trilogy: Cyberpunk meets fantasy in this three-game collection of cult classic RPGs. As a Shadowrunner mercenary, players will explore a dystopian future where magic has reawakened and fantasy creatures have come back to life. Immersive branching narratives, skill-based character growth and gripping turn-based tactical combat await in Shadowrun Trilogy, launching for Nintendo Switch in 2022.
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Players excited to dive into this next title in the acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series can pre-order the game starting today! Shin Megami Tensei V launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on Nov. 12.
• Rune Factory 5: In Rune Factory 5, players can grow crops, tame monsters and team up with townsfolk to explore a massive world. But when they aren’t off on adventures, they can also find friendship and love among a colorful cast of characters. Rune Factory 5 launches for Nintendo Switch on Mar. 22, 2022.
• Arcade Archives PAC-MAN / Arcade Archives XEVIOUS: Two classic NAMCO games are coming to Nintendo Switch as part of the Arcade Archives series. Play arcade hits PAC-MAN and XEVIOUS at home or on the go when they both launch for Nintendo Switch … later today!

The Nintendo Direct presentation also featured a montage of upcoming Nintendo Switch games, including HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED, a high-speed racer launching on Sept. 30 that lets players collect the best vehicles in the Hot Wheels universe, build spectacular tracks and dive into high-octane races; Surviving the Aftermath, a procedurally generated world-building game set in a post-apocalyptic future, launching this winter; and Wreckfest, a demolition derby-themed racing game with soft-body damage modeling, sophisticated driving dynamics and in-depth vehicle upgrading, launching for the Nintendo Switch system this fall.

And if you'd like to see the Nintendo Direct in case you haven't seen it or want to check through it all again, here's the video link below...

So what did you think of this latest Nintendo Direct? Did it meet with your expectations? Or could it have done with having another "And one more thing..." announcement?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or join in with the discussion on our forum.