New 'Fire Emblem' Game And Release Date For New 'Zelda,' Titled 'Tears Of The Kingdom,' Bookend JRPG-heavy Nintendo Direct

September 13th, 2022 - 11:42 AM EDT by Adam Downer

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Marth fire emblem engage link zelda tears of the kingdom.

The long-rumored major September Nintendo Direct finally aired this morning, Queen's death be damned, and the two biggest announcements of the presentation were immediately clear: A new Fire Emblem game is releasing on January 20th of next year, and the long-awaited followup to Breath of the Wild is A) called The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and B) is releasing on May 12th, 2023.


Both trailers teased interesting new mechanics for the upcoming titles. In Fire Emblem: Engage's case, the Toothpaste-haired protagonist appears to have an ability in which he can summon Marth, a classic Fire Emblem character from the series' early days who is almost certainly more well-known as a fighter in Super Smash Brothers.

In Tears of the Kingdom, the brief footage showcased Link doing far more aerial traversal than he did in Breath of the Wild, including using a flying glider, suggesting there could perhaps be some Skyward Sword DNA in the long-awaited sequel.

The announcements bookended a JRPG and farming sim-heavy Nintendo Direct, as newly announced titles included Octopath Traveler II, new farm sim-RPG Fae Farm, farm sim Harvestella, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life remake Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life and Tales of Symphonia Remastered. This left many joking that Nintendo was perhaps trying to impress some life choices upon its audience.


While there were moments the Direct began to feel repetitive, Nintendo did sprinkle in some major announcements for long-awaited titles that are neither JRPGs nor farming sims. These included Pikmin 4, a game Shigeru Miyamoto said was "nearly done" in 2015, which was said to be coming out in 2023. A remaster of Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is also coming in early 2023. A new trailer for Bayonetta 3 showcased the series' returning characters. The Wii game Kirby's Return to Dreamland is getting a "Deluxe" edition that will release on February 4th, 2023.


For the geriatric millennials watching, Nintendo offered a tantalizing tease of Nintendo 64 games getting released on Nintendo Switch Online. These included the first three Mario Party titles, both Pokémon Stadium titles, Pilotwings 64 and shockingly, Goldeneye, which will also have online multiplayer.


The full list of titles announced today can be found on Digital Trends if you're looking for more.

The reaction to today's Direct online appears mostly mixed. While Pikmin 4, Fire Emblem: Engage and Tears of the Kingdom generated significant hype, the heavy prevalence of farming sims and JRPGs left many viewers feeling a bit let down.


Furthermore, Nintendo didn't offer any new information on the Mario movie in development, causing "Mario Movie" to trend on Twitter. However, considering general public opinion on the upcoming title, perhaps this was a good thing.




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