Video gaming giant Nintendo made its timid Android and iOS debut back in 2016 with Miitomo. The social networking app didn’t exactly prove a smash hit for the owners of such wildly successful properties as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or Donkey Kong, but it paved the way for Nintendo’s growing efforts of building a billion-dollar mobile game empire.
Following the subsequent launches of Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp titles for smartphones around the world, a new action RPG called Dragalia Lost is now ready to “begin service” in less than a month. On September 27 in select Asian markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau, as well as the US. The free-to-play game, will be rolling out simultaneously to Android and iOS users via Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Of course, Nintendo could still choose to go in a different direction, having released Super Mario Run for iPhones several months ahead of an Android expansion, and charging a flat $10 fee for unlocking the endless runner title’s full gameplay. But Dragalia Lost doesn’t feature any established characters, aiming to possibly start a franchise of its own rather than joining a legendary series of cross-platform blockbusters. Hence, this is somewhat of a gamble for Nintendo, and the name of the game’s co-developer may not ring any bells for hardcore Western smartphone gamers either.
Founded just seven years ago, Cygames is the company behind such moderately successful mobile titles as Shadowverse and Battle Champs, as well as Granblue Fantasy, which managed to achieve remarkable mainstream popularity… in Japan. More details about Dragalia Lost will be revealed later today, August 29, during a live Nintendo Direct online broadcast starting at 8:30 p.m. PT.
