gamescom 2017 kicks off with new announcements for Splatoon 2, ARMS and more!

The world’s biggest games fair, gamescom, opens its doors today in Cologne, Germany, and fans all over the world can get a deeper insight into some of our biggest games for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS family systems, with a week of live shows in English featuring developers and Nintendo of Europe’s product experts on YouTube and the official gamescom 2017 website.

To kick off the show, esteemed Squid Researcher Hisashi Nogami detailed some fresh content coming soon to Splatoon 2. Manta Maria joins the line-up of Turf War and Ranked Battle stages on Saturday 26th August, while the Bubble Blower special weapon arrives as part of the Forge Splattershot Pro set on Saturday 2nd September. Meanwhile, Salmon Run fans will also be able to Squid Jump into a new stage called Lost Outpost on Wednesday 23rd August!

Meanwhile, a new ARMS character is on the way: street performing pugilist Lola Pop. This candy-coated clown arrives in the next free update alongside three new ARMS and a new stage. Tune in to our YouTube channel at 10:00 BST on Wednesday 23rd August for a closer look at Lola Pop, plus some helpful gameplay tips on fighting with her. See her in action right now below.

Not yet enjoyed the fun and fast-paced action of ARMS? This weekend you can try the game for free* with the ARMS Global Testpunch. To take part, simply download the ARMS Global Testpunch software from Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch, then fire it up and jump into online multiplayer matches with others starting on Friday 25th August at 16:00 BST until Sunday 27th August at 21:00 BST.

On top of all that, an ARMS tournament takes place on Saturday 26th August at gamescom, pitting some of Europe’s best players against each other. Who will punch their way to the top? Find out on Saturday by watching on YouTube or our gamescom 2017 website.

If you're after another dose of combat, look out for a downloadable demo of Pokkén Tournament DX, coming to Nintendo eShop this Thursday.

Don’t forget, Super Mario Odyssey producer Yoshiaki Koizumi will take to the stage on Wednesday 23rd August at 14:00 BST to talk in-depth about Mario’s upcoming adventure, coming to Europe on October 27th. Then on Thursday at 11:00 BST, Metroid: Samus Returns producer Yoshio Sakamoto and MercurySteam creative director José Luis Márquez will present new details on Samus Aran’s upcoming Nintendo 3DS adventure. You can watch both livestreams on YouTube or at the gamescom 2017 website.

Fire Emblem Warriors arrives on Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 3DS on October 20th, alongside the new Chrom and Tiki amiibo. The Nintendo Switch version will also be available as a special Limited Edition, including a three-disc original soundtrack and character art cards**. What’s more, several fan-favourite characters have also been revealed. See them in action in the trailer below.

Meanwhile, new features for the upcoming Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, launching on September 29th, have been revealed. Players will be able to use the system’s Rewind feature to rewind their gameplay a little to attempt tricky segments again, pick up missed items, or simply run through a section again to see if anything was missed. The rewind time depends on the kind of game: you can go back a few minutes in role-playing games such as Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, while action-oriented titles such as Super Mario World offer around 40 seconds, ideal for retrying small segments of gameplay. Get a first look at the new Rewind feature, plus new, optional visual frames that can be wrapped round each game with the new trailer below, and visit our updated Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System website to see all the info.

Lucky enough to be attending gamescom? The following titles are all playable at the Nintendo booth in Hall 9.1:

Nintendo Switch

• Super Mario Odyssey
• Splatoon 2
• ARMS
• Fire Emblem Warriors
• Pokkén Tournament DX
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft)
• EA SPORTS™ FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts)
• LEGO Worlds (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• Sonic Mania (SEGA Europe)
• Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (FDG Entertainment / Game Atelier)
• Yoku’s Island Express (Team17 / Villa Gorilla)
• AWAY: Journey to the Unexpected (Playdius)
• Nine Parchments (Frozenbyte)
• SteamWorld Dig 2 (Image & Form Games)
• Flipping Death (Zoink Games)
• Unbox: Newbie's Adventure (Merge Games / Prospect Games)
• Battle Chasers Nightwar (THQ Nordic / Airship Syndicate)

Nintendo 3DS family systems

• Metroid: Samus Returns
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions
• Monster Hunter Stories™
• Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns

For a complete schedule of live shows happening throughout the week, and more information about all the games playable at this year’s gamescom show, head over to the official gamescom 2017 website or follow us on Twitter.

*Broadband internet connection required. The registration and linkage of Nintendo Account and acceptance of the Nintendo Account Agreement and Privacy Policy are required.

**Please check with your local retailer for information on current availability.