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bongaboi · 4 years

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Florida: 2019 Orange Bowl Champions

The Orange Bowl between No. 9 Florida and No. 24 Virginia may not have been the most anticipated New Year's Six game when it was announced. However, it turned into an entertaining game of back-and-forth momentum swings with a little Las Vegas drama at the end to boot. Ultimately, the Gators walked away winners with a 36-28 final score. The victory moves Florida to 4-0 in the Orange Bowl all-time and gives it an 11-win season for the first time since 2012.

Monday night was also the Gators' best bowl performance of the decade offensively. They finished 549 yards of offense, the most since the 2010 Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati -- Tim Tebow's final game. Additionally, it gives Florida consecutive BCS/New Year's Six bowl wins for the first time in a decade (2008-09), making coach Dan Mullen the first coach in history to accomplish that task in his first two years at a school.

It also puts the team at 21-5 in two seasons under coach Mullen. Only Urban Meyer had a better record in his initial back-to-back seasons in Gainesville, Florida.

"Just under a year ago, this team was born, and we talked about going from four wins to 10 wins was special, but to go from 10 wins to 11 is going to be a lot harder, and those guys bought into it," Mullen said after the game. "They started working last January, and they worked, they grinded all season long in everything that they did. ... A couple years ago, this senior class, a new coach got brought in and we told them, 'Hey, if you buy into what we're doing, just buy into what we're doing, believe we're going to be successful.' They've done that, they've bought in. Back-to-back 10-win seasons, back-to-back top-10 teams, back-to-back New Year's Six bowl victories. They've bought in, and they've restored that Gator standard, and they get to walk out the door knowing they've restored the Gator standard to what it is, building that foundation of a team."

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask, who was tremendous in place of Feleipe Franks this season, was a little shaky in the game, completing 24 of 39 passes for 305 yards, a touchdown to running back Lamical Perine and an interception; Trask also nearly fumbled the ball, but the play was not overturned on review. Trask's numbers weren't necessarily bad, but a lot of his downfield throws were erratic. It was a good thing for the Gators to have a more reliable weapon in Perine.

"I think this win is huge for this program, not only for the program but also this team and the seniors that bought in when Coach Mullen first got here from Day 1," Trask said. "They worked day in and day out, and as far as my season went, I couldn't be more happy the way that my teammates had my back when I won versus Kentucky, and we just continued to grind every single week and get better each and every single week and here we are winning the Orange Bowl. That's pretty incredible."

While the game was close at times, the only real drama of the night came at the end when the game was pretty much in hand. With under a minute remaining, the Wahoos attempted a trick play by passing to an offensive lineman for a score. The play was called back, though, as an illegal forward pass. Still, Virginia scored two plays later, and while it didn't get the win, it secured the cover.

Here's what else we learned from Monday's Orange Bowl.

1. The Gators decided to run, and Perine was unstoppable: Three of Florida's four touchdowns on the evening came from Perine, a valued senior who totaled 181 yards on 18 touches -- just about 10 yards per touch -- and three touchdowns to receive Most Valuable Player honors. Perine has long been one of the most underrated (and perhaps underutilized) parts of Florida's offense, and he was absolutely untouchable against the Hoos on Monday night running for a career-high 138 yards with 43 more in the passing game. Who knows where Perine will go during the NFL Draft weekend. He may not hear his name called for a while. But he's one of those players who probably meant more to his offense than the stats indicated. He accomplished all of this behind a Gators offensive line that struggled mightily throughout the season, unable to create holes for its rushers. It appeared to step up as well.

2. Florida's defense turned it on for a short while: The first 30 minutes of the Orange Bowl was like a tennis match. Each team was volleying points back and forth waiting to see who would blink first. For a vaunted Florida defense, that didn't seem ideal. However, credit the Gators for drawing up some good halftime adjustments and having a bigger impact in the second half. The pass rush was good most of the night but certainly more effective both on and off the stat sheet in the third and fourth quarters. Florida finished with three sacks, five tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Virginia countered Florida's defensive front in the first half with quick passes and a moving pocket with successful results. UVA QB Bryce Perkins even made a few incredible individual plays in the face of that rush. But when it needed stops and negative plays, Florida came through and built a large enough lead that it was able to hang on to a lead late. However, it did ultimately give up 375 yards of total offense, including Perkins' best passing game.

"I'm looking at what they've got coming back. ... I'm excited. I mean, this is only just the beginning of it, honestly," said graduate transfer Jon Greenard, who showed out in his final game. "Last year was a little taste of it. We keep building. We got 11 wins, which is really difficult. So next year, a couple plays this year and we would've been right where we wanted. Next year, they are just going to capitalize off of that, understand where we were this past year, and national championship in my eyes. So we've got that in our eyes now."

3. Perkins will be missed at Virginia: The Hoos' signal caller will be an interesting late-round/undrafted prospect, but there's no denying what he's meant to this program. It took him all 60 minutes, but he broke the school's record for total offense career with 7,910 yards. The mark was previously held by quarterback Shawn Moore. That's pretty incredible in and of itself, but even more so when you consider all the problems Virginia had up front this season. For Perkins to be able to rack up yards running and throwing, usually in the face of pressure, says a lot about his playmaking ability. He didn't have a perfect night against Florida -- he missed a couple of surefire touchdowns that he'd love to have back -- but he also did things like this on his way to 323 yards passing with four touchdowns and an interception.

4. This is why conference tie-ins should be removed: Virginia played hard, gave Florida a game and has nothing to be ashamed about, but let's be honest: a four-loss team shouldn't be playing in a New Year's Six game. Conference tie-ins don't always produce bad matchups in these major bowl games, but in a year like this one when the ACC was average at best, you get this type of result. It wasn't bad, per se, but it could have been a lot better. So what's the solution? Ditch the tie-ins and use the College Football Playoff Rankings to help determine the games? It's interesting that there's so much disdain for the CFP Selection Committee in terms of their selection criteria for the field of four, because you could actually make an argument their process would be better suited for drumming up interesting matchups in these games without being held back by conference tie-ins.

#2019 #college football #bowl season #florida gators #orange bowl #new year's six

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sportsleague365 · 4 years

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Though it is a New Year’s Six bowl game, it is tough not to feel as if the 2019 Orange Bowl has been a bit overlooked. Perhaps it is because the No. 9 Florida Gators enter as a 14.5-point favorite. Maybe it is due to the No. 24 Virginia Cavaliers being a fringe top 25 team that many believe was only ranked to give the ACC a “quality” team in its featured bowl game. Truthfully, it’s probably because it is taking place two days after the College Football Playoff semifinals and two days before the highly-anticipated New Year’s Day games. Regardless of the reason, Florida and Virginia have plenty on the line Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. In front of what should be a friendly crowd, the Gators (10-2) are looking to finish with 11 wins for the first time since 2012. In between, they have suffered a pair of four-win seasons and seen two coaching changes over the six years that followed. They have also begun a resurgence under head coach Dan Mullen. The Wahoos do not have the same championship-caliber football pedigree as their opponent but are looking to build one under fourth-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who has improved Virginia by 2+ wins in each of his prior three seasons. A 10th win in 2019 would continue that trend and set the stage for what could be a tremendous 2020. And that’s where these teams have their most significant similarity. Successful 2019s already seem to be in the rear-view mirror. Florida sees the Orange Bowl as an opportunity to prove their positive vibes justified. “Obviously, you always want to finish the season on a win and on a high note,” Mullen said. “… When you head into an offseason, you have the opportunity to get a win over a top-25 team … I think that helps catapult you into the next season on a positive note. We don’t get to play again until September. That’s a long time to sit around.” “I think a win is real important. The number one object is to win the game,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham agreed. “… Number one, it allows us to get the 11th win of the season. It allows us to finish the season off the right way. But also it creates energy and excitement moving forward. … “After the Michigan win, there was a lot of confidence because of what we had done in that bowl game propelling us into the offseason. I think it sets up your offseason the right way. I think it creates energy moving forward. I think it gives a sense of pride in the sense you know you’ve accomplished something, and the ability to win 21 games over the past two years would be something I think is pretty good.” With their only losses to the No. 1 team in the nation (LSU) and the SEC East champions (No. 5 Georgia), the Gators have as good a resume as anyone in the nation not in the CFP. Florida also has the opportunity to finish inside the top 10 in consecutive seasons for the first time in a decade (2008-09). “We had two top-10 years, back to back, and next step is a championship. I feel like a championship is coming soon,” said senior linebacker David Reese III. “[It] just shows you how hard we worked just for one extra win [this year]. Next thing you know, if we get one extra win to next year, we’re contenders in the playoffs.” “Just knowing how much the program has been through the last two, three years, and just with coaching changes, adversity, being 4-7 to now, we’ve got a lot of guys that understand the program coming in,” said senior running back Lamical Perine. “Just knowing what Coach Mullen expects, having two 10-win seasons back to back, that’s a big statement. [There’s] more to come.” The next step for the Gators coming off consecutive New Year’s Six bowls and 20 or 21 wins in two seasons would indeed be the College Football Playoff. LSU this year became the third SEC program to find a spot in the four-team field over the six-year history of the event. Will Florida be the fourth in 2020? “I think it’s headed in the right direction,” said senior wide receiver Josh Hammond of the program as a whole. “You can see the national prominence that the Florida Gators have at the moment, back-to-back New Year’s Six bowls, 10-win season, getting top recruits in the recruiting game. It’s definitely headed in the right direction. I think it’ll be within the playoffs in the next couple years, and as long as they continue to work hard, I think they’ll be fine.” Redshirt senior WR Van Jefferson, who transferred in as one of Mullen’s key pickups ahead of the 2018 season, agrees with his position-mate. “I think it’s [trending] up. I think Coach Mullen came in and did a great job with the program,” he said. “It’s only going to get better. … [The returning players] have a good understanding of what the Gator standard is, so I think the guys leading that team [next year will help it] go up from here.” Those are certainly the aspirations the Gators should have 12 months from now — to be competing for a national championship against the best teams in the nation. Is it possible? That depends on your outlook for Florida football and the rest of the SEC. Florida will bring back a quarterback it has true confidence in for the first time in a decade with redshirt junior Kyle Trask returning for his final season. It will also have one of the top pass-catching weapons in the country with sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts only expected to become even more dominant as he works with Trask. However, the Gators are going to be thin at running back, working with a young group of wide receivers (after the veterans the stirred the drink in 2019 depart) and still hoping that their offensive line — which contributed to many of the offense’s problems this season — develops into a strong unit. Defensively, Florida will see both starting defensive ends, its primary linebacker and at least its No. 1 cornerback in junior CJ Henderson off a unit that was strong all season despite some struggles largely due to injury. Will redshirt sophomore CB Marco Wilson return. Does freshman defensive back Kaiir Elam breakout in the Orange Bowl as so many Gators at his position have in the postseason over the years? There’s still a lot of questions to answer about the defense going into the offseason. The best news for Florida — whether it reaches its championship goal in 2020 or not — is that the tide appears to have turned with this program. It was clearly the best team in the Sunshine State in 2019, has improved (but not yet fully strengthened) its recruiting acumen and is now a true threat to unseat Georgia as the power of the SEC East. Perhaps even more importantly, it has Gators of present, future and past believing in what’s ahead. “There was a period of time a few years ago when it seemed like the program had lost that spark — that edge that separated us,” explained former CB Joe Haden, who starred in the 2009 BCS Championship Game (played at the same stadium as Monday night’s Orange Bowl) in an entry for The Players Tribune. “And that’s why I was so happy when Coach Mullen came back to the program, because he knows the level we should be playing at. And he’s put in the work to get us right back there. “I see it. It’s not something that happens all at once — of course not. This is a process, a step-by-step goal that everybody in the program works toward. And that’s why this game matters so much. This is the step that propels us into next season with the right momentum and mentality. “Right now, no other program in the state can touch us. That’s how it should be. But that’s not enough. We all know that. When the Gators are going, when we’re out there playing at our absolute best, there’s no team in the nation that can touch this program.” #OrangeBowl #DanMullen #DavidReese

#OrangeBowl #DanMullen #DavidReese

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turkeymonkey33-blog · 5 years

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Red Sox, Jacob deGrom, Bryce Harper and other unforgettable MLB moments from 2018

We’re in the final hours of 2018, but the memories aren’t going anywhere. Especially when it comes to baseball, where this year saw the Boston Red Sox win another World Series, the rise of a two-way phenom unlike anything the game has seen in decades, a historic season by a starting pitcher and the newest strategy to take the game by storm.

With 2019 on the horizon, we’re looking back at some of the moments from baseball in 2018 that will be etched in our brains for years to come — whether they’re storylines, amazing plays or record-setting achievements.

Red Sox win the World Series, David Price gets redemption

The Boston Red Sox were the undisputed kings of baseball in 2018. After winning a franchise record 108 games during the regular season, the Red Sox were even more convincing in October, going 11-3 against the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers to win the franchise’s fourth World Series championship since 2004.

Along the way the Red Sox provided several moments their fanbase won’t soon forget. Perhaps no series of moments brought more relief and happiness than David Price’s postseason redemption. Price changed the narrative with a string of excellent outings as a starter and a reliever. He notched his first three career playoff victories this October, which included a fantastic seven-inning outing in the World Series clincher.

Price went from being the guy we expected to see fail in October, to being Alex Cora’s go-to man.

The Boston Red Sox dominated the 2018 baseball season. (AP)

Jacob deGrom’s incredible season amid Mets chaos

There wasn’t a single moment with Jacob deGrom. His season was a continuously brilliant display of dominance that ranked among the greatest pitching seasons in recent history. And what made it even more special was the consistently horrific display of incompetence that surrounded him.

DeGrom somehow managed to overcome the Mets miserable season to become the franchise’s fourth NL Cy Young award winner. He led MLB in ERA (1.70), FIP (1.99), xFIP (2.60) and home runs per nine innings (0.4). He also posted MLB single-season records with 24 consecutive quality starts and 29 straight outings of three runs or fewer.

DeGrom was a must-see attraction on a team that otherwise was entirely unwatchable.

The Ohtani Experiment thrills despite some disappointment

No baseball player was more fascinating in 2018 than Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese import who was attempting to be a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels. It was all we heard about early in the baseball season, from his disappointing spring training to his even-more-impressive early regular season.

The most thrilling moment came April 8 when he flirted with a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics. It lasted into the seventh inning, with 12 strikeouts and was a great glimpse of Ohtani’s potential.

So was this: Ohtani changed the narrative of disappointment like only he could. When he started to have elbow troubles and eventually needed Tommy John surgery, Ohtani stopped pitching and just focused on hitting. Such is the advantage of being a two-way player. He finished the season with 22 homers and 61 RBIs, plus a 4-2 record with a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts on the mound — winning the AL Rookie of the Year. Though he’ll be out all of 2019, it looked like just the start of things to come for Ohtani.

Bryce Harper wins Home Run derby in Washington D.C.

If Bryce Harper moves on from the Washington Nationals this winter, this might go down as his signature moment in front of the home fans. Harper won the 2018 Home Run derby in dramatic fashion, besting Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber with a walk-off in the championship round.

Harper, who has preferred not to participate in past derbys, decided to give the home fans a treat. Harper hit 45 home runs total during the event, including an incredible nine during one 47-second stretch.

Story continues

At the time, it felt like an epic goodbye from player to city. If that’s the case, it was quite a sendoff.

The Yankees homer into the history books

We knew the Yankees were going to hit a lot of dingers once they traded for Giancarlo Stanton. We knew they might, in fact, challenge for the all-time record. Actually, they set it.

The Yankees hit 267 homers in 2018, beating the Seattle Mariners’ mark of 264 in 1997. They were led by Stanton’s 38 bombs, but had six players who hit 20+, including Aaron Judge, Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres.

Two of the greatest plays you’ll ever see

We saw two of the best plays in 2018 on back-to-back August days, leaving plenty of people to wonder which was better. One was an outfield throw for the ages — A’s rookie Ramon Laureano making a great catch and following it with a 321-foot throw to complete a double play. It’s the definition of wow.

Then there was David Bote, who achieved every kid’s backyard dream for the Chicago Cubs: The Ultimate Grand Slam. Bote came up in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, the bases loaded and his team down by three. He even had two strikes on him. Then he unleashed what is believed to be only the 15th Ultimate Grand Slam in history.

The rise of ‘bullpenning’

Baseball has shown us in recent years how the roles of relief pitchers have changed. It’s not enough for some teams to have a lock-down closer in the ninth, they want closers in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

In 2018, we also saw the opposite of the closer. We saw the invention of “the opener” — a relief pitcher that started a game. Many people scoffed at the idea when the Tampa Bay Rays first tried it, but by the postseason, we saw the Oakland A’s bullpenning the wild-card game and the Milwaukee Brewers doing it in the NLDS. The idea was that if you don’t have a great starter and have better relievers, why not just get to the good stuff?

In the grand history of baseball, perhaps this will be a short-term trend — maybe the wildcat offense of baseball — but right now, it’s definitely a thing. Teams are always looking for a way to maximize their chances of winning with the talent they have. And that’s what this one is all about.

The other not-so-wonderful trend to hit MLB

Speaking of trends: This one wasn’t great, but many young baseball players were on the “old tweets exposed” list, a 2018 social media phenomenon in which people dug through the old Twitter accounts of athletes and found less-than-suitable tweets from years past.

Josh Hader, the Milwaukee Brewers reliever, was the biggest case in MLB, since it happened while he was pitching in the All-Star Game. But the list of players also included Sean Newcomb and Trea Turner. This isn’t a baseball problem so much as it’s a young-athlete problem, one that probably won’t go anywhere in 2019.

New York Yankees’ Tyler Austin, center, rushes Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Joe Kelly, right, after being hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Red Sox-Yankees brawl in April

The Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry was alive and well in 2018. The tension reached a boiling point early — April 11 to be exact — when an aggressive slide by the Yankees Tyler Austin led to Joe Kelly drilling Austin with a 98 mph fastball.

Punches were thrown. Suspensions were handed out. Above all else, the stage was set for a season-long battle for the AL East crown.

While there were no more physical altercations during the season, the longtime rivals traded wins and even met in the postseason for the first time since 2004. The Red Sox emerged with the division title and the World Series title, which will no doubt fuel the Yankees fire in 2019.

The end of the Chief Wahoo era

One of baseball’s long-standing debates (don’t worry, there are dozens more) ended in 2018, as the Chief Wahoo era came to a close in Cleveland. For years now, people have clashed about whether Chief Wahoo — the red-faced Native American caricature who was a Cleveland Indians logo for 70 years — was a racist symbol.

Major League Baseball announced earlier this year that Wahoo was “no longer appropriate” for the Indians to wear, and thus 2018 would be his final year on the team’s uniforms. It concluded two years of talk on the subject between the team and the league. The Indians had already moved on to using the Block C as their primary logo a few years ago, so the change won’t be too drastic. But they wore a Wahoo patch on their jerseys and often wore Wahoo caps. Now, the Indians have already unveiled their first Wahoo-less uniforms in 70 years.

Danny Farquhar throws first pitch after life-threatening brain aneurysm

In an instant, Chicago White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar went from battling an opposing batter to battling for his life. The veteran right-hander suffered a brain aneurysm during a game on April 21 that many doctors thought would require a “miracle” to survive.

Farquhar and his family got that miracle. The 31-year-old made a remarkable recovery, which allowed him to throw a very emotional first pitch before a White Sox game just six weeks later. The best news is Farquhar was cleared to resume his baseball career in November and is hopeful to pitch in MLB in 2019.

David Wright’s comeback and emotional sendoff

Few games elicited as much emotion as David Wright’s final game at Citi Field on Sept. 29.

The Mets all-time hits leader and long-time captain returned to the starting lineup for the first time in two years after battling back and shoulder injuries. At the same time, he also said goodbye, bringing an end to a career that will go down as one of the most notable in Mets history.

The Mets gave Wright a proper sendoff, allowing him to take the field one final time.

There was no dramatic final hit or diving play. There didn’t have to be. That Wright wore the Mets uniform one last time made it one of the season’s best moments.

– – – – – –

Mike Oz is a writer at Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

More from Yahoo Sports:

• NFL star’s record broken an hour after he sets it • Steelers, fans get first-hand look at heartbreaking play • Redskins player takes pettiness to an all-new level • Black Monday: Tracking NFL’s head coaches fired

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/red-sox-jacob-degrom-bryce-harper-moments-2018-well-never-forget-183359680.html?src=rss

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barbosaasouza · 6 years

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Nintendo Direct March 8 Recap: Super Smash Bros., Splatoon 2 3.0, and More

Nintendo sure knows how to set low expectations. On Wednesday, the company announced what sounded like a modest Nintendo Direct. Oh, they'll talk about some 3DS games, some Switch games, and Mario Tennis! Yes, Mario Tennis! And maybe a surprise or two.

A surprise or two.

Yeah, this Nintendo Direct was full of surprises, but perhaps you might have missed it. If so, let's recap the whole thing.

WarioWare has offered a rich library of micro games across its entire series. Now a chunk of those games are getting bundled into one giant collection. These games will include multiple control schemes that can pop up at any time, so expect to tilt the system or turn it sideways at any given moment. WarioWare Gold is set to hit Nintendo 3DS on August 3.

Heroic armadillo Dillon returns for another adventure on the Nintendo 3DS. This is a follow-up to 2012's Dillon's Rolling Western titled Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers. This adventure focuses more on action and tower defense. The game will feature a lot of enemies, so Dillon can recruit allies in the form of Mii characters. Look for Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers to hit the Nintendo 3DS eShop on May 24.

It seems that developer AlphaDream has needed a break after Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, because the studio has been focused more on remaking its past efforts. Following last year's Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the team is now looking to remake the third chapter in the series. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story was first released on the Nintendo DS in 2009 and it looks like a 3DS remake will be ready for its tenth anniversary.

Like last year's remake, this will have something a little extra in the form of an all-new side story. Bowser Jr.'s Journey will follow Bowser Jr., who was conspicuously absent in the original game. He'll follow his big bad father around and get into his own mischief along the way. Look for Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey to arrive in 2019.

Speaking of old-school classics, let's welcome back Luigi's Mansion. There's still no GameCube Virtual Console to speak of, so the masses haven't had a chance to experience this game since it first launched on the GameCube. Now they'll get to check it out on the Nintendo 3DS, which also played home to the 2013 sequel. This remake will include a few more 3DS-exclusive features, like a mansion map for the bottom screen and a new boss rush mode. Look for this updated Luigi's Mansion to arrive on Nintendo 3DS later in 2018.

Kirby Star Allies has a few new friends to add to its roster. By picking up the Dream Rod, Kirby will be able to call forth a few special allies, including King Dedede and Meta Knight. But that's not all. Kirby will receive additional allies through free DLC set to arrive after the game releases. These are all old allies that Kirby has met over the course of his adventures on the Game Boy and Super Nintendo. So while Kirby Star Allies arrives on March 16, the first of the free updates will arrive on March 28. There's also a free demo up right now for those looking to try it out.

Okami is back! After getting an HD upgrade on current-gen consoles and PC, the Nintendo Switch is next on the docket. And yes, the Switch version will feature touchscreen controls, allowing players to use the Celestial Brush the way it was meant to be used. Joy-Con motion controls will also be an option, for those looking to practice their painting motion. Okami HD is set to release on the Nintendo Switch this summer.

Get ready to chuck as much raw fish as you can, because Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is heading to Nintendo Switch. In a world where sushi has been outlawed (you read that right, just follow along with me), it's up to Musashi to stand up to the Empire and overthrow their vast sushi monopoly. Got that? Then get ready to engage in action-RPG battles that involve the flinging of fish, with up to four characters in your party. Look for Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido to hit both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on June 8.

The floor was given to Square Enix's Masashi Takahashi for some news about Octopath Traveler. Players were treated to two new characters: Merchant Tressa and Apothecary Alfyn. Like the other characters in the game, they have distinct abilities and base jobs. However, those base jobs can be mixed with other jobs to open up entirely new attacks and abilities. Octopath Traveler now has a release date. It's set to arrive on July 13, alongside a special edition that features a number of physical goodies, including a pop-up book. There's a free demo available right now on the Nintendo eShop for those looking to try it out.

Travis Touchdown's adventures have been eccentric, but this one's just downright weird. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes puts Travis inside a full-blown game console world and has him fight his way across multiple genres of games. Each of these game genres will have its own distinct boss at the end. But while each game type is different, Travis will still have his katana in hand ready to slice and dice his way to the end. There's also local co-op, in case a friend wants to lend a hand. Travis Strikes Back: No More Heroes is a Switch exclusive and will launch in 2018.

By now, most people have tried their hand at Dark Souls. But those who haven't are in for a treat. Bandai Namco looks to be going all-out for Dark Souls Remastered and will launch a Network Test in the very near future. On top of that, there's a new Solaire of Astora Amiibo which performs the Praise the Sun gesture. Both Dark Souls Remastered and the Solaire of Astora Amiibo will release on May 25. The game will go for $39.99, while the Amiibo goes for $15.99 exclusively at GameStop.

Mario Tennis Aces may not have been the feature attraction by the end of this Nintendo Direct, but there was still plenty to talk about here. Players can expect to see 15 playable characters, along with some new features like the Special Energy gauge and Special Shots. A single-player story and online multiplayer will also be available, with the latter including online tournaments that reward special outfits and new characters. A pre-launch tournament will test player mettle before Mario Tennis Aces officially releases on June 22. No word on when the tournament will take place, but stay tuned.

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As is frequently proving to be the case with Wii U games, they were pretty great titles that released to an audience of few. So now's a chance to give another Wii U game a new lease on life, as Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is set to release on both the Switch and 3DS. The Switch version will include a co-op mode that has a second player flinging turnips at enemies and obstacles, along with an entirely new stage set in New Donk City from Super Mario Odyssey. The 3DS version will feature 3DS visuals and touchscreen controls. Both versions are set to be released on July 13.

Do you like Earthbound? Well, Nintendo didn't announce one of those. What was announced was the next best thing. The fantastic Earthbound-like Undertale was announced for Nintendo Switch. When's it coming? That's not so clear. Undertale only confirmed its existence on the Switch, but the release window was only set to "eventually." So don't expect this anytime soon.

It's always wild to see Nintendo make nice with old rival mascots. Over a decade after Sonic the Hedgehog first graced a Nintendo platform, now it's time for Crash Bandicoot to do the same. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is now set to hit Nintendo Switch with all three Crash games intact. Look for this collection to arrive on July 10.

Acclaimed indie puzzle platformer Little Nightmares is making its way to Nintendo Switch. For those who missed the original, they'll get to catch up with the full game plus all of the post-release content. That means playing both the Six story and the Kid story. Switch owners will even get a special outfit with the Pac-Man Amiibo. (Now aren't you glad you saved that thing?) Little Nightmares: Complete Edition will arrive on May 18.

Two days after hearing about the new Casa Bonita DLC, it looks like South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be coming to Nintendo Switch. The game's first two DLC packs will also be available for purchase on day one, as will the Season Pass. South Park: The Fractured But Whole hits Nintendo Switch on April 24.

The Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition was first announced during the previous Nintendo Direct Mini, but now it has a release date. The game is set to release on May 18, with all of the content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions. Remember that new Breath of the Wild outfits will also be included.

Serious Arms fans will be excited to hear that there's a new tournament seeking out the best players in the world. Players can seek to qualify during a ten-day period starting today. Simply jump into Ranked Match and play at least 50 matches from now through March 18. The top eight players will proceed to the Online Finals on March 31, which will be streamed live.

As for those who haven't discovered Arms yet, I'd like to confirm that, yes, you are late to the party. By quite a bit. But still, there's another Arms Global Testpunch set to begin on March 31, which will run for three days.

The Splatoon 2 3.0 update is set to be a big one. It'll feature over 100 new outfits and a handful of new stages. Those stages are:

Piranha Pit

Camp Triggerfish

Wahoo World

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The best of the best will also be able to rank up all the way to Rank X. Not many details were offered about that one, but expect more information soon.

But the most exciting announcement was the one regarding Splatoon 2's first paid DLC. It centers around an entirely new single-player campaign called the Octo Expansion. Players will take the role of Agent 8, who looks like an Octoling but has lost her memory. She'll look to get to the bottom of a sinister cloning plot across eight different testing facilities. A full-blown story filled with lore is being promised, as is the ability to play as an Octoling in multiplayer upon completing this expansion. The Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion is set to release during the summer for $19.99.

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So it looked like that was going to be it. The Nintendo Direct looked like it was going to conclude with a Splatoon sizzle reel.

Then this happened.

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Yes, Super Smash Bros. is coming to Nintendo Switch. But in what form exactly? Is this an all-new game? Is this an updated Wii U version with new characters? Does "2018" mean it's coming in 2018 or does it mean we're getting new information in 2018? There are a lot of unknowns and variables, but right now, all we know is, there is a Super Smash Bros. game headed to the Nintendo Switch. And for now, that's more than enough to get excited about.

What excited you the most about today's Nintendo Direct? Be sure to join the conversation and let us know in the comments.

Nintendo Direct March 8 Recap: Super Smash Bros., Splatoon 2 3.0, and More published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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