A roundup of Nintendo Direct’s 13 Feb stream

When people say they want a mountain of games, no one expects to take it literally — least of all Nintendo. Then again, we’re pretty happy they did.

This week’s Nintendo Direct was a gold mine for Switch owners: more Smash Bros. news, upcoming game releases, DLC announcements, you name it. After recovering from the pile of stuff they dropped on our heads, here are some highlights we think you’d be interested in.

1. Persona 5’s Joker joins Smash Bros. in April

Let’s be frank: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is an insanely good (read: addictive) game. Adding Persona 5‘s Joker to the playable roster makes it even more so. If you haven’t kept up to speed, we’ve got the Phantom Thief’s calling card for quite a while now, so it’s good to finally get an estimate for his arrival. While Nintendo didn’t give a firm date, we do know it’s sometime before end-April. You’ll find him in Challenge Pack 1 DLC, alongside other miscellaneous stuff like Persona 5 stages and BGM tracks.

2. More Amiibos… because why not?

If you thought Nintendo was done with Smash Bros.’ massive roster, think again. This time they’ve got their sights on Amiibo collectors, bringing the likes of Metal Gear Solid‘s Snake, Pokemon‘s Ivysaur and Squirtle, and  even (gasp!) Castlevania‘s Simon Belmont! RIP wallet, it was nice knowing you.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake

Arguably the most hotly-debated topic from this week’s stream, this 1993 classic returns to the Switch with its very own remake. Plot-wise, Link’s Awakening is a little different from the other games in the series as it doesn’t take place on Hyrule. Rather, our beloved green-clad hero must endeavour to find a way back after getting shipwrecked on Koholint island. Don’t miss the the trailer below!

4. Super Mario Maker 2 releases in June

Yet another of Nintendo’s timeless franchises, Mario also got some time in the spotlight. Super Mario Maker 2 is set to drop for the Switch this coming June, and “fun-loving” level creators will probably have a field day with it. (Thanks, GameSpot.)

5. Fire Emblem: Three Houses releases on 26 July

There’s something for Fire Emblem fans, too! The newest addition to strategy franchise, Three Houses got an extended release trailer as well as a release date of 26 July. On top of that, there’s also going to be a “The Seasons of Warfare Edition” for the collectors, which includes an artbook, a soundtrack CD, a 2020 calendar, and a SteelBook case. Great stuff!

6. And some other bits…

There are two other notable games that will be getting their very own Switch releases, these being Assassin’s Creed III Remastered Edition (21 May) and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Spring 2019). The former includes a copy of the PS Vita-exclusive Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation plus the Tyranny of King Washington DLC (also coming to PC and consoles), while the latter is a Switch-optimized version of Ninja Theory’s award-winning bestseller — it explores mental illness via Norse mythology and is a valuable addition to the Switch library.

You can relive the stream here.

Sorry Animal Crossing fans, you might want to skip this one.