Nintendo Switch Online – July 2022 Game Updates

Key Points

• Nintendo Switch releases periodical updates to refresh the content and games for its users.
• The goal behind releasing missions and updates is to provide users with better engagement and entertainment.
• Users can earn points by completing missions and spent on new subscriber only icons and the Nintendo Store.

The month of July may have been quiet on the new releases front but that doesn’t mean we still didn’t get some goodies from our old pal Nintendo. There are some new retro games for NES and SNES available, as well as an update to Nintendo Switch Sports, and some new “Missions” and “Rewards for the month of July. So, we are going to recap every Nintendo Switch Online update for July 2022.

July Missions and Rewards

Nintendo released Missions and Rewards for Online subscribers back in April of this year. This can be found in the NSO app on your Nintendo Switch home screen. Once in the app, navigate to Missions & Rewards. Each month is themed around a different set of games and Nintendo adds fresh content every week.

Missions are typically easy to accomplish, for instance, this week my missions are the following:

• Play Software That Supports Online Play
• Play NES
• Backup Save Data
• Use Nintendo Switch Online Once per week

So, pretty easy stuff but new missions are added as you complete them. Completing missions earns you platinum points you can use to buy things in the My Nintendo Store as well as spend on new subscriber-only icons. These icons are from selected Nintendo games that rotate over time. This month’s available characters are from Kirby and the Forgotten Island (newly added), Super Mario Odyssey, and Animal Crossing New Horizons.

New NES and SNES Titles

Missions and rewards are cool, but the ever-expanding library of classic Nintendo titles is what keeps fans coming back. This month Nintendo is releasing 3 games in total, 1 for the NES and two for the SNES. They are:

• Kirby’s Avalanche (SNES)
• Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia (NES)
• Fighter’s History (SNES)

Older fans might recognize these titles but for those who don’t let’s do a quick run-down of what these games are.

Kirby’s Avalanche (SNES)

Kirby’s Avalanche was originally released under the name Kirby Ghost Trap in Europe in February of 1995. It was then released two months later on April 25th, 1995 for the SNES in North America. Oddly, it never had a Japanese release, making it the first Kirby and only game to never come out in Japan.

The game switched out the usual adorable, enemy-devouring platforming for a fast-paced puzzle game in the vein of Tetris. It is actually modified from the HAL laboratories game Super Puyo Puyo which only had a Japanese and Asian release. Players have to shift different colored blobs that lower from the top of the screen in order to make color matches. Once four or more blobs of the same color are aligned they are eliminated, making room for the others.

This game deviated heavily from what Kirby fans were used to but it garnered solid review scores. Players and critics especially liked the super cute dialogue the Kirby characters would have after each puzzle was finished. These cutscenes featured Kirby exchanging insults with the characters he was about to face. So, if you’re in for a cool little puzzler with some cute characters and fun dialogue, Kirby’s Avalanche is the game for you.

Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia (NES)

Never heard of this one? That’s ok, it was released in Japan only on December 5th, 1986. As the name suggests Daiva Story 6 is an entry in a long-running series of games but it is the only entry to be released on NES. The rest of the series was released on PC making this an interesting title for Nintendo to rerelease through NSO.

The game marries two types of gameplay, side-scrolling action, and turn-based strategy. Players are tasked with taking over enemy strongholds by dropping down to planets in a mech suit, which initiates the action portion. As players progress through the levels, they must keep an eye on their shields and the gravity levels of each planet. If gravity levels are low the player can use boosters to navigate during the initial drop. For heavy gravity planets, the player’s movements are limited making them more difficult to traverse. The enemy is defeated when the player reaches the end of the level.

The turn-based strategy portions are not as the TBS genre would eventually become but they are still manageable. Players encounter enemy ships and can engage with them by moving and firing each turn. While it lacks some of the polish and complexity of later TBS games, Daiva Story 6 paved the way for the popularity of that genre. This game is a very cool piece of NES history, and it is worth a play through, especially for fans of turn-based strategy games.

Fighter’s History (SNES)

Fighter’s History is another fun little piece of gaming lore. It was originally released as an arcade game in 1993 but then ported to the SNES in Japan and North America in 1994. The game is a traditional one-v-one fighting game similar to Capcom’s Street Fighter series…very similar. In fact, so similar that Capcom brought a lawsuit against Fighter’s History developer Data East Corp. Because Fighter’s History had a similar six-button control scheme and noticeably similar characters, notably the character Yung Mie’s virtual cloning of Chun Li’s move set. The case was dropped as the court didn’t determine any intellectual property theft, but it did leave a mark.

Fighter’s History received great reviews as an arcade game, but not so in the console space. Many criticized it for being a “bootleg Street Fighter knock-off.” While others complained that the graphics were primitive and ugly. All in all, Fighter’s History is a pretty fun game and a neat part of gaming history, Street Fighter knock-off or not.

Nintendo Switch Sports Update

Before we go there is one final update to cover for the month of July. Nintendo Switch Sports has a gameplay update coming on July 26th. The update will be available at 6 pm PT and claims it will “kick things up a notch” by adding new features and abilities. First, soccer matches will allow you to use your real kicks to imitate actions, giving you more control and an authentic experience. You’ll be able to strap a joy-con controller to your leg so it can recognize your real kicking motion.

Next, Nintendo claims you’ll be able to pull off “fancy new moves in Volleyball.” Those moves are the Slide Attack and Rocket Serve. Nintendo didn’t specify what these moves would be and what they require. However, they did say you’ll be able to “make your spikes more unpredictable” “from the start of the match.”

Finally, Nintendo Switch Sports is adding an S ranking and ∞ ranking to its Online Multiplayer Pro League. You’ll be able to challenge friends using room IDs and compete in random matchmaking. It is not necessary to have Nintendo Switch Online to get this update but if you want to play online multiplayer it is worth grabbing a membership. Memberships range from $3.99 for one month to $19.99 for a year.

Update Rundown

There are quite a few updates for the month of July so let’s run down what’s happening.

• New SNES and NES games
  • Kirby Avalanche (SNES)
  • Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia (NES)
  • Fighter’s History (SNES)
• Updated Missions and Rewards for the month of July
• Update to Nintendo Switch Sports coming July 26^th (NSO not necessary for this update)

So, that’s everything coming out on Nintendo Switch Online for the month of July 2022. Everything listed is available now except the Sports update coming on the 26^th. Stay tuned for more Nintendo coverage.

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