Animal Crossing Release Date Announced | E3 2019 Nintendo Press Conference

Animal Crossing fans rejoice, Nintendo held their own press conference at E3 2019 with announcements of some of the most anticipated games, including a release date for the new Animal Crossing game for the Switch.

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2020

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was originally slated for a 2019 release, but as time went by without any details, it started looking increasingly unlikely to be released on time. Now it’s been confirmed that the game will be delayed, launching instead on 20 March 2020.

The new President of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser, has commented to IGN that the delay was to ensure that the game will ship being the best it can be, and to avoid excessive crunch time stress on their employees.

The gameplay that was shown during the press conference has plenty of highlights though, including the ability to now create custom footpaths and supports both local and online multiplayer. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting March 2020 to roll around, just so I can finally start building up my town.

2. Pokemon Sword and Shield

More details on the newest installment in the Pokemon franchise was announced, focusing on Max Battle Raids. Up to four players can queue up for a Raid, each able to bring one Pokemon into battle.

Only one player will be able to use Dynamax, however, so teams will have to communicate and strategise effectively to make sure they win the battle! Pokemon Sword and Shield is set for release on 15 November 2019.

3. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel

After the overwhelming success of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo has confirmed that a sequel is currently in development. While there wasn’t much shown, we did get a glimpse of the protagonist, Link, travelling with the titular character, Zelda, exploring dungeons and clearing obstacles together.

Might we finally get to play as Zelda? I guess we’ll have to wait for more details to find out!

4. The Witcher 3 on Switch

There have been a few AAA games ported to the Switch, and The Witcher 3 is the latest one to be announced. Gamers now will be able to explore the vast open world game on the go, but performance enthusiasts might want to stick to the PC version instead; The Witcher 3 will run in 540p in handheld mode and 720p when docked.

While a big step down from PC graphics, it’s not an illogical move, with other games like Skyrim also limited by the hardware of the Switch. All DLC and expansion packs are included in the 32GB cartridge however, which is great. The game will launch on the Switch later in 2019.

5. Zelda: Link’s Awakening

The remake of this old 2D Zelda game is getting a new mode, Dungeon Maker, allowing players to create custom dungeons by placing chambers earned in adventure mode. Players can then explore these dungeons and earn rewards for completing it.

Link’s Awakening will launch on 20 September 2019.

6. New SSBU Fighters

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU) was the highest selling Nintendo Switch game in 2018, racking up over 12 million copies sold in the first month of release. Nintendo has been steadily adding new fighters via DLC packs, like Persona’s Joker.

Now there’s been two new characters added, the Hero from Dragon Quest Eleven and Banjo-Kazooie. The new characters will be available to play from Summer 2019 onwards.

7. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3

Not to be outdone by Square Enix, Nintendo has shown off a new trailer for their Marvel Avengers game that will be launched on 19 July 2019.

Featuring villains like Hela, Surtur, Magneto, Thanos and more, this new Nintendo Switch exclusive focuses on the threat posed by Thanos and The Black Order.