Nintendo Direct

I've been trying to decide for awhile now if there is need for a thread dedicated to Nintendo Directs, or if I should just post this stuff in the yearly release thread when I see it. If you aren't aware, a few years back Nintendo changed how it got its information to its fans by making semi-regular Youtube presentations dedicated to showing off their upcoming games, as well as sometimes announcing new ones.

If you have an opinion on this let me know, but for now I'm going to talk about the latest Direct in this thread and see where it takes me.

09/13/2017

https://youtu.be/ztMGTTAjsAQ

Spoiler for everything shown or talked about:

Ripped straight from their own video summary.

0:16 - Yoshiaki Koizumi introduces Nintendo Direct
0:40 - Pokémon Ultra Sun & Pokémon Ultra Moon
3:42 - Poké Ball Edition New Nintendo 2DS XL
3:58 - Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
4:52 - Kirby: Battle Royale
5:38 - Kirby 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll
5:52 - Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters and Oni Evolution
6:37 - Layton's Mystery Journey
7:11 - Minecraft for Nintendo 3DS Family of Systems
7:49 - Mario Party: The Top 100
8:35 - Metroid: Samus Returns
9:12 - ATLUS RPGs Journey to the West
10:02 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
10:09 - Fire Emblem Warriors for Nintendo 3DS Family of Systems
10:19 - New Nintendo 2DS XL Orange & White Edition
10:46 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2
18:48 - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Special Edition Version & Pro Controller
19:12 - Splatoon 2 Updates
20:10 - Fire Emblem Warriors
21:08 - Snipperclips Plus: Cut it Out, Together!
22:04 - Morphies Law
23:01 - Rocket League
23:49 - Arena of Valor - Nintendo Switch MOBA
24:39 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
25:46 - DOOM & Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
26:22 - Flip Wars
27:08 - Arcade Archives Mario Bros.
27:59 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Champions amiibo
28:24 - NBA 2K18 | WWE 2K18 | FIFA 18 | Pokkén Tournament DX
29:28 - Project Octopath Traveler (Working Title)
34:11 - ARMS Ver. 3 Update
34:56 - Dragon Quest Builders
35:49 - Kirby Star Allies
36:44 - Downloadable Fun in Nintendo eShop
37:29 - Lost Sphere | Sonic Forces | Resident Evil | LA Noire
38:29 - Super Mario Odyssey
45:18 - Super Mario Odyssey Edition Nintendo Switch, Joy-Con, and Carrying Case

The overall highlights were Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and Project Octopath Traveler. Surprise announcements include a collection of Mario Party games, as well as Doom and Wolfenstein coming to Switch. This is notable because Nintendo always has trouble courting third parties for multiplatform games. I also find it somewhat amusing that Tencent is making a MOBA for Switch.

The new Mario looks amazing. I'm still not sold on Xenoblade but the info dump is appreciated. They still swear it's coming out this year and gave a release date for December 1st. I'll probably make a thread for Octopath Traveler.

Stand alone videos.

https://youtu.be/EKWBv-djiKk

https://youtu.be/hXGTJgXPhm0

https://youtu.be/E-lnvBXy68Q

People have been eagerly anticipating a new Direct from Nintendo this month to give clarity on what we can expect later this year, and they finally released one. After Bayonetta 2 got announced at The Game Awards I was expecting a lot of ports to help fill out their catalog, but these weren't the games I was expecting to see ported. :D

The whole thing was only 15 minutes long, but I'll post what I think are the highlights. Keep in mind this was a direct almost exclusively for Switch games.

New Games:

Mario Tennis Aces - New tennis game with a single player mode this time.
Kirby Star Allies - I think this was previously announced. Release date in March.

Wii U Ports:

Hyrule Warriors Definitive Version: Includes all the content from both previous versions of the game.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: Includes a new surfer Kong character to play as.

Other Games:

Dark Souls Remastered: This is also coming out on every other platform, but this was the first I had heard of it.
The World Ends with You -Final Remix-: Includes a bonus chapter as well as what looks like updated HD graphics.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy - Shared release with PS4. A fighting game with only SNK lady characters. Doesn't look great, I think SNK is getting desperate.



No mention of their new Yoshi game, which leads me to believe they are setting it up to be their "big" game this year and will show it more at E3. The two ports above also had 3DS versions. I fully expect Switch versions of Smash Brothers and Mario Maker to also be announced this (or next I guess) year. I hope for a port of 3D world but am less sure they will do it.


https://youtu.be/a_u7g5BlfiY

New Direct today talking about both 3DS and Switch games. Sticking to the pattern and just going to mention highlights, rather than every game announcement.

The big thing they did was finally announce Smash Bros for Switch. It was just a teaser though; we don't even know if it's a new game or the more probable port of the previous version. The fact that they did not outright tell us that it was the Wii U version makes me believe they are withholding information in order to make this their big E3 game this year. At the very least we can expect them to hold a tournament for it.

This was another direct mostly about ports and remakes.

Luigi's Mansion remake for 3DS
Captain Toad ported to both Switch and 3DS
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story ported to 3DS, with an additional story mode included

To my surprise, Captain Toad (and possibly Smash) are the only Wii U ports. I expected more. They did announce Switch versions of games that came out on other platforms last year though, including South Park and Crash Bandicoot of all things. Crash Bandicoot used to be a Sony mascot, but I guess is technically owned by Activision. I still remember those commercials with a guy dressed up like Crash Bandicoot standing outside a Nintendo office building and shouting at how much Mario sucks.

Only a few new games, with the most notable being Warioware on the 3DS. Splatoon is also getting a single player campaign expansion. They also gave more details (including a few release dates) on previously announced games: Mario Tennis, Travis Strikes Again, Kirby Star Allies, Octopath Traveler, Hyrule Warriors, etc.



03/08/2018 - Full Video

https://youtu.be/NsFna-Z1MjU

A good Smash Bros and Mario Kart for the Switch MIGHT get me to buy one.
I'm more pumped about the "Mario Kart coming to iPhone" announcement, really. Going to play the CRAP out of that on my train commute.

Did you ever get a Wii U? The Switch already has a Mario Kart game ported from the Wii U with additional content. There is a fair chance that Smash is getting the same treatment. If you do end up getting one you should probably look into Splatoon as well as the various Mario sports titles. They seem to have crossover fanbases, leading me to believe they scratch similar itches.


Cross your fingers on the iPhone version. Nintendo games on phones have been hit or miss so far. Pretty competent overall but each one has ultimately disappointed its series biggest fans. While not overtly stated they sort of feel like "yeah this is alright, but if you want the real good stuff come over here".

I think I mentioned in the Upcoming Games yearly thread that the expected January Direct never came, and that part of the probable reason why was because Metroid Prime 4 has been delayed. This made me wonder if they had anything else big this year to fall back on, and it turns out they do!

The two biggest news items are:

Mario Maker 2
Link's Awakening Remake

Mario Maker comes out this year, no word on Link's Awakening yet. One thing I found very interesting about the latter is the unexpected art style. They didn't remake it in the style of any other Zelda game, but instead gave it a toy-like quality. It's very cute. Oh I should point out if you aren't aware that Link's Awakening is the Game Boy/Color Zelda game. It's a beloved if less famous entry in the series. It's also kind of weird.

Other New Game Announcements:

Astral Chain - A new game from Platinum. This one is pretty interesting. The animations scream Platinum games, but the art style doesn't look like anything else they've done (that I am aware of). It's this kind of grimy anime cyberpunk thing. You seem to play some kind of future police officer with a digital monster companion. Switch exclusive I think.

Oninaki - A new game from the team at Square responsible for I am Setsuna. While their other games were meant to evoke nostalgia from past styles of jrpg, this looks like an action rpg. The setup is that it is a game about grief, and in this world you are forbidden from grieving the dead, as it prevents reincarnation. The gameplay hook is that you gather the souls of spirits and transform them into different weapons. Note that the trailer below is not the same one they showed in the Direct. (Japanese vs English) Also, not exclusive I don't think.

Tetris 99 - A free title for anyone who subscribes to their online service. It's basically a multiplayer match of Tetris with 99 other people. It's like, Battle Royale Tetris.

Other Nintendo Stuff:

Fire Emblem Three Houses - Information blowout. It looks better than it did last time they showed it.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 - A trailer showing more gameplay from a previously announced title.
Yoshi's Crafted World - A cute trailer for a previously announced title.
Toad's Treasure Tracker - Free update adding co-op + paid DLC adding more levels.
Starlink Battle for Atlas - A (free?) update adding more Star Fox missions and characters to the game.
Daemon X Machina - They announced a limited time demo of the game. It sort of sounds like a beta, as they want feedback. I will say that I thought this game looked gross when they announced it, but that it looks better now. Might actually try the demo.
They teased an upcoming update for Smash but didn't actually say anything substantial.


Other Stuff:

Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest 11
Disney Tsum Tsum (don't ask me, no idea what tsum tsum is)
Rune Factory 4 port + Rune Factory 5 announcement (but no details)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Dead by Daylight
Deltarune
Grid Autosport
Mortal Kombat 11
Unraveled 2
Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered (why give Switch the least popular one?)
Release Dates for FF7, FF9, and Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon




It's also worth pointing out that aside from Link's Awakening, this largely seems to be focused on first half of the year stuff. Rumored titles like Animal Crossing and Pokemon won't be shown until later.


The Direct itself:

https://youtu.be/SCME2yPJKWk


Highlights:

https://youtu.be/_U-_XfDGgDw

https://youtu.be/AjJWzJC8Kfk

https://youtu.be/brmmV3g4qqo

https://youtu.be/Eiw5zQ4hX10

https://youtu.be/8OwUB8gf5Ac

There have been consistent rumors that a new Pokemon and a new Animal Crossing would be coming out this year, but with the above Direct not mentioning them and mostly concentrating on titles in the first half of the year, I thought we wouldn't hear from either of those two hypothetical titles until E3. I was wrong.

Nintendo released a special 7 minute Direct today announcing the new Pokemon, Pokemon Sword and Shield, as well as the new starter pokemon. The location seems to feature a lot of rural areas and industrial style towns.

https://youtu.be/oOPVBm0sA7Q

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wool

Pokemon Sword and Shield, as well as the new starter pokemon.

---

There needs to be a guy with dark glasses and a business suit, and a bald guy with an eyepatch and a leather trench coat, somewhere in these games.

Yesterday they aired a 15 minute Nintendo Direct dedicated to Mario Maker 2. There are so many new things that they breeze past them without taking a breath. This looks like a pretty substantial sequel.

Do note that in the first few minutes of this video they explain Mario Maker as if no one has ever heard of it before, but it doesn't take long to start showing new stuff.

https://youtu.be/jPi-u0D8sQ4

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wool

Do note that in the first few minutes of this video they explain Mario Maker as if no one has ever heard of it before, but it doesn't take long to start showing new stuff.

---

Many people skipped the Wii U and aren't aware it existed. Even newer Switch users who never really had a Nintendo platform before or cared to follow the games would need a little background story.

Watching the Nintendo E3 presentation and it occurred to me that I forgot to post the Direct for Pokemon Sword and Shield that they aired the week before E3.

They showed:

-About five new pokemon, including a sheep that the internet fell in love with.
-Open environment zones that you can explore and have full camera control in.
-A few of the major characters in this new game.
-A short CG teaser of the two new legendaries.
-4 player "raids" against powered up versions of regular Pokemon.
-A special evolution that turns pokemon into Godzilla sized monsters for a few turns.

https://youtu.be/PpjVUOJkX-s

Nintendo had their latest big video demonstration of what they have for the rest of the year the other day; it's pretty meaty. A couple highlights include:

Overwatch on the Switch.
New Smash Brothers DLC character reveal (these are always good).
Tokyo Mirage Sessions (Wii U jrpg) is coming to Switch.
Deadly Premonition 2 gets announced out of nowhere!
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) is getting a remaster/remake.
Doom 64 on the Switch.
Lots of Pokemon and Animal Crossing stuff.

https://youtu.be/8TVE44feo_I

Nintendo has a special direct today featuring their plans on celebrating Super Mario's 35th Anniversary featuring a few expected announcements as well as a few neat surprises. This also takes care of the mystery of what the heck Nintendo is planning on doing this holiday season, as most of the titles are available soon. Though strangely enough it sounds like a few are only available for a limited time.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars - A collection of Super Mario 64 (N64), Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube), and Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) for the Nintendo Switch. Launches later this month.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - A port of the Wii U Mario game with added content. Early 2021.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit - It's a Mario Kart game that uses special track markers and remote controlled cars that pair with your Switch system. Looks great for kids. Less great for parents that have to pay for all of it. Launches in October.

Super Mario Bros 35 - Follows Tetris 100's lead as a multiplayer/battle royale version of a classic game that you get for free with your Switch Online subscription. 35 players play a level at the same time, and enemies you defeat get sent to other players in order to increase their difficulty. Launches in October.

Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros - A replica of their pre-Gameboy handheld that plays Super Mario Bros and Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2. Available in November.

Super Mario All-Stars - An updated version of the SNES collection, Super Mario Bros 1-3 as well as The Lost Levels (The Japanese version of Mario 2) available digitally as part of Switch Online. They've also enhanced the graphics somewhat.


https://youtu.be/f2mCqUSDCJE

https://youtu.be/a8DJpeCy8CQ

Quote:

---

Super Mario All-Stars - An updated version of the SNES collection, Super Mario Bros 1-3 as well as The Lost Levels (The Japanese version of Mario 2) available digitally as part of Switch Online. They've also enhanced the graphics somewhat.

---

Compared to the original games, yes, however the SNES and Wii release of Super Mario All-Stars had these exact same 16-bit(plus) graphics.

Which is why...

Quote:

---

Super Mario 3D All-Stars - A collection of Super Mario 64 (N64), Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube), and Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) for the Nintendo Switch. Launches later this month.

---

I'm SO disappointed to see these come out as originally released - I was fully hoping/expecting a similar graphics upgrade.
Yes, Mario 64 has its blocky charm, but could you imagine it redone Mario Galaxy or Odyssey style?

You aren't the only one. The existence of this collection was leaked a few months ago, and a lot of people seem to be similarly disappointed. I was pretty surprised personally, just not that surprised.

First full Nintendo Direct in over a year was shown yesterday.


Splatoon 3 - I don't think the trailer really communicated much, beyond the world sort of being cataclysmic this time, but this is a popular franchise and a new game in it is a big deal.

Mario Golf: Super Rush - Golf is probably the most popular of their sports titles, and this one looks really good. A couple of their new features include a story mode utilizing Miis and a hilarious looking speed mode that is essentially a multiplayer golf race.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD - An updated version of the Wii game. Still supports motion controls but also has a new control scheme that involves using the right stick to determine the direction of your sword swings. It's also worth pointing out that they said the follow up to Breath of the Wild isn't ready to be shown yet but that they will tell us more later this year.

Project Triangle Strategy - This might have been the highlight for me. As you can guess from the dumb name, this is from Square Enix and (probably) the same team that did Octopath Traveler. It uses the same 2D HD graphics engine, but this time is a tactics game/strategy rpg. The hook is that as you play you will make choices that generally coincide with three different philosophical stances and the consequences of those choices will tip literal scales that change the direction of the story. Rather than good or bad you will choose between Morality, Freedom, and Utility.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Characters in Smash - Whether you play Smash Brothers or not, the trailers for new fighters are always good. This one plays like a sappy sequel to the game to such a degree that you might be tempted to think it was real and not what it actually obviously was, a Smash fighter announcement. Good stuff.


They also spent a lot of time announcing ports and remasters of older games. I think the two most prominent of these were an HD remaster of Legend of Mana and another of Famicom Detective Club, a series of mystery adventure games that came out on the Japanese equivalent to the NES (Famicom).

Spoiler for The Rest:

New Games:

No More Heroes 3 - They showed more gameplay and have a release date.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - They announced an expansion pass but no specific details on what will be in it.
Samurai Warriors 5 - Focuses on Nobunaga Oda and Mitsuhide Akechi.
Neon White - A new game from the guy who made Donut County. It's a speed runner style shooter with some kind of card game mechanic.
World's End Club - New game from the people who made Danganronpa and Zero Escape. A bunch of people get kidnapped and forced into a "game", only to escape and find Japan in ruins.
DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power - Looks like a game based on the cartoon.
Knockout City - It's a multiplayer arena dodgeball game.
Star Wars Hunters - They show almost nothing. All we know is that it's a Free to Play game being made by people who primarily make mobile games.


Ports:

Tales from the Borderlands
Stubbs the Zombie
Apex Legends
Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection
Saga Frontier Remastered
Miitopia
Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
Outer Wilds (warning: spoilers)
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout


Finally, they also had some time spent on upcoming and recently released games.

Monster Hunter Rise
Bravely Default 2
Hades
Capcom Arcade Stadium
Ghost 'n Goblins Ressurection

Trailers:

https://youtu.be/sdgdxaIkU5g

https://youtu.be/aucAzFWpvMc

https://youtu.be/tNRzx4Ap_Fo

https://youtu.be/X27t1VEU4d0

New Nintendo Direct last week (September 23). It had some decent stuff in it, although nothing too mind blowing. Mix of stuff coming out now and stuff coming out next year. Not going to summarize everything but here is most of it:


Bayonetta 3 - It still exists. Pretty decent gameplay trailer for it.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Their biggest new reveal. It's a 3D Kirby game taking place in a post-apocalyptic human city. Nature has reclaimed the city and there are no humans. It's kind of strange.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak - Expansion. Comes out Summer 2022. Trailer shows off a single new dragon and has a Castlevania vibe.

Age of Calamity Expansion Pass - They showed some of the new content coming this month.

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars - Square Enix is making a card game rpg. Comes out this month.

Chocobo GP - Square Enix is also making a kart racer, for some reason. Features jobs and monsters from Final Fantasy. Chocobo, Black Mage, etc.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human - They talked about the cloud version. I presume because it's the only way they can get it to run on their hardware.


They also had fairly long looks at both Splatoon 3 and Metroid Dread.

They announced Castlevania Advance Collection, Actraiser Renaissance (HD remake), and Deltarune Chapter 2 (Undertale) as available now.

They announced upcoming Directs for Animal Crossing and Smash Brothers. The latter will reveal the last new DLC character for Smash Brothers Ultimate. They also announced a new tier for their Online Service subscription that includes N64 and Genesis games, but no pricing.


And last but not least, they announced the casting (but no trailer) for the upcoming Mario movie being made with Illumination (Sing, Despicable Me). If you were able to make up a list as a joke, that's the list that ended up being real. It's nutty.

Chris Pratt - Mario

Anya-Taylor Joy - Peach

Charlie Day - Luigi

Jack Black - Bowser

Keegan-Michael Key - Toad

Seth Rogen - Donkey Kong


I lost my shit at Keegan Michael Key. Seth Rogen was the final nail in the coffin. I now know nothing is real.


Trailers:

https://youtu.be/H3LAkr0ANgw

https://youtu.be/bUAtX8Ox7eI

https://youtu.be/T975SPBIL6s

https://youtu.be/AdY8c0XQCcM

Crows are now extinct. I ate them all. Sora from Kingdom Hearts is the last DLC character for Smash Brothers. I didn't think it would ever happen.

https://youtu.be/L-q6Gz_4Yqc

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wool

Crows are now extinct. I ate them all. Sora from Kingdom Hearts is the last DLC character for Smash Brothers. I didn't think it would ever happen.

---

And the games themselves are coming to the Switch, even if they're "streamed from the cloud".

Nintendo Direct - 2.9.2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhDFA_O7zNg

Some kind of neat stuff in there, but it looks like the only really big deal is Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Although I did find it interesting that instead of making a new Mario Kart they are just releasing dlc for it instead. 5 years after it came out, and it was a port of a Wii U version. Insane. I guess it sells so well they have no need to make a new version.

Nintendo still hasn't done a big E3 sized Direct for the games coming out within the next year, but they did have a 20 minute deep dive into the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

https://youtu.be/hoHvpS2x8us

After months of fans being obsessed over when a new Nintendo Direct might reveal itself, Nintendo finally released one a few days ago focused on the games coming out in the next 6 or so months.


Full Version:

https://youtu.be/UJ9Iz7HhU-I


Highlights:

Fire Emblem Engage was announced. This was leaked a few months ago and is made in collaboration with jrpg makers Gust (apparent in the art and character design). The central hook seems to be equipping characters from previous games as accessories in battle. The main character also has an awful red+blue hair/eye color scheme that is supposedly meant to invoke the red and blue haired main characters from previous games.

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild got a new trailer and finally revealed it's subtitle: Tears of the Kingdom. It also gets a release date in May of next year.

Octopath Traveler 2 announced.

Pikmin 4 announced but not shown.

Updates on things we already knew about. Bayonetta 3, Splatoon 3, Mario+Rabbids, Front Mission remakes, DLC for games already out, etc etc.

While not big news, there were an amusing amount of farm sims shown off. A remake of an old Harvest Moon game, a port of a Rune Factory game, and at least two other new games from other companies made in that same style.


https://youtu.be/2SNF4M_v7wc

https://youtu.be/3ExaJIB5Phk

https://youtu.be/-jXBsqSXD0U

First big Nintendo Direct of 2023, showing some of the games coming out in the first half of 2023. No huge bombshells but they showed a decent amount of stuff. Not going to list everything.


Full Version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U&ab_channel=NintendoofAmerica


Nintendo Stuff:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Just another teaser trailer. It has a few extra glimpses on what is new with the game without going into detail on anything. The big news about this wasn't even talked about in the Direct, but pre-orders are now open and it has been revealed that this game will be $70. No specific reason was given. Other companies have begun charging this much, using new hardware as an excuse. So far this is the only game from Nintendo with this increased price.

Pikmin 4 - Short gameplay trailer. Adds an ice pikmin that can freeze things and a dog character that helps in various ways. They also teased gameplay taking place at night, when the monsters are more active.

Bayonetta Origins - Showed a bit more gameplay. You apparently control two characters at once, with only one doing the actual attacking.

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp - Remakes of old strategy games, delayed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Nintendo has just been sitting on it and finally decided to release it. New release date is in April.

Metroid Prime Remastered - Remake of the first person Metroid from the Gamecube. Looks good. $40. Best of all, it was released (digitally) the same day as a surprise.

Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 Remastered - An updated re-release of popular jrpgs from the Gamecube. Apparently the gameplay is based on a card system, and cards evolve and gain (or lose) abilities in real time. Like a food item being a healing effect but then spoiling and becoming an attack card instead.


Third Party Stuff:

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection - Re-releases of the first three games from a dungeon crawling rpg series from the DS era. The pricing for this one is insane. $80 for the pack, or $40 per game.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie - A visual novel style adventure game from the makers of Life is Strange. Strong emphasis on choices and branching paths with you choosing various deities that represent different concepts.

Disney Illusion Island - 4 player sidescrolling platformer visually based on one of the newer incarnations of Mickey Mouse and friends.


They also announced Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games coming to Nintendo Switch Online (GBA is in the more expensive tier). They talked about DLC and Season Passes for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Fire Emblem Engage, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Splatoon 3. Various games (Octopath, Sea of Stars) got demos, etc etc.


https://youtu.be/fYZuiFDQwQw

https://youtu.be/e9OQOJC1QII

https://youtu.be/_GIcbPzs-so

While not a Direct, they did release a gameplay demonstration video for Tears of the Kingdom today. It's not much but I feel like it was sorely needed after a long line of teaser trailers that went into depth on basically nothing.

https://youtu.be/a6qna-ZCbxA


If you don't want to watch the video, they essentially showed three new abilities.

1) A rewind ability on objects, to send them back to their point of origin.
2) A fuse ability that lets you combine objects together, allowing you to create new types of effects for shields and weapons, as well as traversal.
3) An ability that lets you go through ceilings to the floor above.

Nintendo had another Direct today, showing things for the last half of the year. There were a couple cool things but pretty underwhelming in general. A lot of people keep hoping for a Switch successor announcement, but there is no word of one yet.

Full Version:

https://youtu.be/mrZtzGRAKrM



Highlights:

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - A new 2D Mario game. The gimmick seems to be flowers that make the world change in hallucinogenic ways. It's very weird. I wouldn't be surprised if Ubisoft is making this game for Nintendo (it reminds me of Rayman). There have been a lot of rumors about a follow-up to Mario Odyssey, so I was kind of disappointed to see this as their big reveal.

Super Mario RPG - A remake of a classic SNES Squaresoft RPG.

Untitled Princess Peach game - Just a teaser. The gameplay gimmick seems to involve Peach transforming into different outfits as part of a stage play.

Pikmin - They showed more gameplay for Pikmin 4 and announced versions of Pikmin 1 and 2 for the Switch available now on the eShop.

Detective Pikachu Returns

WarioWare Move It

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC




https://youtu.be/JStAYvbeSHc

https://youtu.be/0r5PJx7rlds

https://youtu.be/WtY29lvEup8

Nintendo had their (seemingly traditional) September Direct about a week ago, showcasing their next six month of game releases. There have been pretty strong indications that next year they will reveal their Switch successor. Nothing official yet, but this Direct did feel like a last batch of support for an outgoing platform. While Nintendo does still have new games in development, they seem relatively subdued in comparison to their bigger releases and most of them are remakes. Still, it's a fair amount of stuff.


Highlights:

Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door - Remake of a beloved Gamecube rpg, their biggest announcement in this showcase.

Super Mario RPG - Previously announced remake of a SNES rpg. Shows some of the new features this version will have.

Princess Peach Showtime - Previously announced, they showed gameplay of it. Princess Peach wears different stage costumes to get different powers.

F-Zero 99 - New free multiplayer game for Nintendo Online subscribers. It's a nostalgia racer + battle royale.

Mario vs Donkey Kong - A remake of a GBA puzzle game.

Another Code Recollection - Remakes of old DS adventure games.

Unicorn Overlord - New game from Vanillaware (Odin Sphere, 13 Sentinels). Looks like an Ogre Battle style strategy rpg.


I'm not going to list it all, but the rest was decent too. I'll also point out that the upcoming Mario Wonder wasn't shown because it had it's own Direct a few weeks before this one that showed off a lot of gameplay.


https://youtu.be/8Ume5pSIcKE?si=mYo7MWgiIoh5tfJz

https://youtu.be/qfj6ZEpf78g?si=F1uJNiIGE5K0_2En

https://youtu.be/l9MRbg7MqCw?si=0ajm4x5oZgMH83lE

Nintendo had a direct the other day showing off the games they will be releasing in the last half of 2024. It was pretty decent overall, considering they are clearly winding down support for the Switch with the successor coming sometime next year.

Highlights:

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - This game was infamous announced before they had anything to show before falling into development hell. They ended up rebooting the entire project and this is the first we've seen of it since. They actually show gameplay this time too. This is easily the biggest thing they showed, arguably the only big thing they showed. I was a little weirded out at first, as it looked like they were turning it into a standard sci-fi shooter, but it was pointed out to me that the third game in the series had already done just that. Note that this is not a 2024 game, they showed it as a hype machine at the end of the presentation.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - This is a Zelda game made in the classic top-down style, using the same art style as the Link's Awakening remake (toy-like). The primary hook to this particular entry is the fact that it finally features Zelda herself as a playable (main) character. There's a catch though, as it's kind of a puzzle game. Zelda doesn't fight herself but rather summons things to solve problems for her. Like, chairs and beds and stuff. It's weird, but will probably still be fun.

Mario and Luigi: Brothership - This is a new entry in the Mario and Luigi rpg series. This was largely a handheld series known for quirky game exploration mechanics, as well as the same turn-based combat with timed inputs that many of the other Mario rpgs have. While Paper Mario often has Mario gathering a party, these games tend to be about the two brothers, with mechanics having them alternate button presses. I'm a little surprised at this one, as I'm pretty sure Nintendo shut down the original studio that makes these and put the series on hiatus a while back.

Super Mario Party Jamboree - Another entry in the popular Mario competitive board game series. The unique thing about this one seems to be online support, as well as a large roster of playable characters. Whereas a normal game can have up to 4 players, this version has an online mode with 20 players competing.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD - A remake/port of a Wii/3DS game. This one is a bit strange. Of the two recent Donkey Kong games, they had already ported what was supposedly the superior game (Tropical Freeze) a long time ago. To go back to the well so late rather than make something new is very strange to me. Probably a result of teams switching over to the next console, but still weird.



The third party games weren't as interesting but there were still a few worth mentioning:

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection - This is a spinoff series for Ace Attorney released back on the Nintendo DS and (as far as I'm aware) never released again, until now. Where the main games have you playing as a defense attorney trying to prove clients innocent, these games have you play as the prosecutor trying to find proof of guilt. I think investigation phase might be different as well but I haven't played them to know for sure.

Dragon Quest I, II, and III HD-2D remakes - Exactly what it sounds like. Square Enix is remaking the first few Dragon Quest games in Octopath Traveler's style. III was already known, I and II were a surprise announcement and coming next year.

Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game - A social/farming sim taking place in Middle Earth.

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero - A new strategy rpg from the makers of Disgaea.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure - I'm going to be honest. I completely ignored this, but I heard later it's actually good so might as well mention it. Its very similar to Animal Crossing, but apparently has exploration inspired by the recent Zelda games.

Lego Horizon Adventures - A new Lego game based on Sony's Horizon series. This was actually shown (announced?) at Summer Game Fest but I haven't gotten around to posting about it yet, so might as well mention it here too.


There was a lot more but this is about as long a post as I can stand to make. full presentation


Trailers:

https://youtu.be/mMAgmdR8jwU?si=aRcaXgxxVkpEQHla

https://youtu.be/94RTrH2erPE?si=JVdQ_ZB4JYFiczKc

https://youtu.be/s5I3DcapElQ?si=UTAtlXhvtxtejRDr

Last week of March had another Nintendo Direct. This one was focused on highlighting some upcoming Switch games ahead of the Switch 2 launch. A Nintendo Direct focused entirely on the Switch 2 itself will be available on April 2nd.

As you might expect from a console on the way out, they didn't really have all that much big news to share. They showed off the next Pokemon game, which I think is being considered a mainline title despite carrying the Legends moniker. This new title will have real time combat and takes place entirely within a city from one of the past games.

They also showed some gameplay for Metroid Prime 4 and announced a new Tomodachi Life game, which I presume is some kind of Nintendo branded Sims style game. Most of the rest consisted of a lot of small, niche titles that probably aren't going to be exclusive to the Switch. I think the one I saw the most excitement for was a new side scrolling beat'em up starring Marvel characters.

https://youtu.be/nmwAhBxakw4?si=NkJmHIZfVat134JL

https://youtu.be/GIp-WjVFkLM?si=3j-VKZyBzgabe2Wf

https://youtu.be/pjnAPZm-CKw?si=mFVkdjxVKVw4H6cJ

Switch 2 Direct

Release Date - June 05, 2025
Price - $450 (read more about this in the next post)
Bundle - $500 with Mario Kart World included


Hardware:

1080p screen with support for up to 120 fps
Slightly larger screen, LCD with HDR support

The new dock has a larger fan for cooling and supports 4K at 60fps
Comes with 256GB of storage
Expanded storage uses MicroSD Express instead of the old MicroSD format

The detachable Joycon controllers are now held in place with magnets
The controllers, when detached, can be used like a computer mouse

Misc other improvements, like button/stick size changes, new audio, new stand, etc


New Features:

Controllers have a new C button. This button is used for their new voice chat functionality. You can now join group chats with friends whether you are playing the same games or not. You can also see streamed video of what they are playing and if you buy the new camera addon you can facetime each other as well. Some games will use this camera to show your face in game as well.

GameShare - Multiplayer games can be shared locally, such that only one person playing has to own a copy of the game. Not exactly a new feature in the world of gaming, but maybe new for Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch Online: Gamecube games. I'm not sure if they are paywalling this or if the old Switch just can't handle Gamecube emulation.


Backwards Compatibility

They list three types of games that can be played on Switch 2.

1) Switch 2 exclusive games.
2) Switch games that are compatible with Switch 2. They have a list of games that currently do not run or do not run correctly.
3) Enhanced versions of Switch games playable on Switch 2. They are basically updated re-releases. If you want a better frame rate in Breath of the Wild, pay up.

It's worth noting that if you already own the original version, you are only paying to upgrade it. Not fully rebuy the entire game again. They will probably also sell these versions separately for those that do not have the original. I haven't seen any official prices yet.

The features you get in these enhanced versions seem to be a combination of better visuals (resolution, frame rate, HDR), and Switch 2 hardware support (mouse functionality, camera). Kirby and the Forgotten Land seems to be getting new content as well, with a new story being included.


Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Games:

Mario Kart World - Their big launch title. There was a lot going on in the trailer and I don't think I caught all of it. It looks pretty expansive compared to Mario Kart 8. The most obvious new gameplay feature is a mode in which you actually drive to the next race on a world map. The player count also seems pretty high. There are also weather affects and a free roam mode exploration mode.

Donkey Kong Bananza - Looks like a new 3D platform adventure game. Seems to feature destructible terrain. This is their second big game. Coming in July.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment - In collaboration with Koei Tecmo. Much like the other Hyrule Warriors games, these are Zelda versions of KT's semi-popular Dynasty Warriors games. With the player picking a character and then wiping out hordes of enemy units on a battlefield with special attacks. The story for this spinoff is based on Zelda's arc from Tears of the Kingdom, with her discovering the origins of the ancient civilization that Hyrule was built off of. Coming winter of this year.

Kirby Air Riders - Just an announcement teaser. I think these were party game/racing games. The notable thing is that it is being made by Masahiro Sakurai, the lead on the Smash Brothers series.

The Duskbloods - A new game from From Software, kind of using Bloodborne's aesthetic. Except this time it's vampires! It gets very weird. It also looks pretty low budget. I've also seen it suggested that it's a multiplayer game. I would keep expectations low, but From Software fans got pretty excited when it was announced.

Drag X Drive - A wheelchair basketball game meant to show off the Joycon's mouse abilities. Sort of looks like a low budget tech demo.

Switch 2 Welcome Tour - Another tech demo meant to show off the Switch 2's new features and capabilities. It looks even more low budget. And you have to pay for it! Maybe it's only $10 or something, but I don't see many people paying for this.


Third Party Game Support:

This might be the closest Nintendo has ever come to console parity. Their own Nintendo launch lineup is basically two big games, two collaborations, and a few things that no one will care about. But the third party support was exhaustive and took forever to get through.

This includes:

Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition
Hades II
Split Fiction
Hogwarts Legacy
Cyberpunk 2077
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Borderlands 4
Civilization 7
Star Wars Outlaws
Two Point Museum
Hitman World of Assassination
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Street Fighter 6
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4
Yakuza 0
Deltarune Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
Various sports titles
+ more


Edit: Trailers:

https://youtu.be/3pE23YTYEZM?si=lUYAPApgbvbR6-qz

https://youtu.be/mIddsPkdX9U?si=WIjLcEeGw9wb_ygG

https://youtu.be/niKHDEKQ7xA?si=f1naSjUVUYb1geih

Let's talk about price. The $450 price doesn't surprise me at all, but a lot of people seem to be upset. I'm not sure why people thought they would get 4K support for sub $300, but whatever.

Here's the interesting thing. Nintendo is selling a region-locked Japan only Switch 2 for $333. This trend isn't exactly new, as according to cursory internet research, the original Switch is sold for $270 in Japan and $300 in North America. That went from a 10% difference to a 35% difference. I wonder what could be causing it, hmmmm.

So yeah, people are upset.

I haven't seen any other games following suit, but Mario Kart World is also going to be $80. I've also seen it suggested that this is the digital price, and that the physical version will be $90. (no confirmation on this one, might just be a rumor) Now they aren't just upset, they are fuming!


Edit: I forgot to say, they didn't even announce the price in the Direct presentation. They knew it was bad news and didn't address it at all, letting the news leak out from third parties scraping info from the updates on the Japanese website.

Forgot to say, the pre-order date for the Switch 2 was going to be April 9th. Except it got delayed to "assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions". That's right, it can get worse!

:monkey:

New preorder date for the Switch 2 in the US is April 24th. Console and game prices have stayed the same, but they've increased the prices of peripherals and controllers by about $5-10.

Supposedly video game hardware does not qualify for the exemption to tariffs that smartphones and computers have apparently received, so I have no idea if this is temporary or not.

Nintendo released a Direct just for Donkey Kong Bonanza about a week ago. There's more going on than it first seemed, and people seemed pretty positive about it.

https://youtu.be/7e6rcnwal4M?si=Jydwq1_-U7W3kL8v

The Switch 2 has been out for a few months now, and people have been eagerly awaiting a new Direct to show what games or updates might be coming to it in the future. Nintendo finally released one about a week ago.

A large focus was on announcing the next Mario movie. It will be titled The Super Mario Galaxy movie and comes out next year. They are also re-releasing Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 from the Wii for the Switch. This was presented as being part of Super Mario's 40th Anniversary. While not directly related, they also announced a new Yoshi game about exploring a storybook during this section.

Their big announcement, saved for the end, was the reveal of the next Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. Not much is said at this stage, other than introducing characters and hints that this takes place in the same world as Three Houses.


Other new games include:

Mario Tennis Fever - Another Mario sports game, obviously. Rackets have special abilities, and there is a campaign mode where you play as baby characters.
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined - Remake of an older game using a unique art style. It looks almost like stop-motion toys come to life, rather than the typical anime style or "2D-3D" style used in other DQ games.
Pokemon Pokopia - It's a Pokemon life-sim/farming/crafting game where you play as a Ditto that is pretending to be a human and taking character of other Pokemon.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection - Actually announced a month or so ago, but also included here. This is their rpg spin-off series to Monster Hunter.

They also announced paid DLC for several games, including the recently released Donkey Kong Bananza, announced the release date for some previously announced games (Metroid, Hyrule Warriors), and announced that Virtual Boy games are coming to their Nintendo Online service. For anyone that doesn't know, Virtual Boy was an early failed attempt at mass-market 3D. They were awkward goggles that rendered all games in black and red, and the system is one of their biggest failures. Commemorating it is surprising and amusing.

You need special hardware to play these games though, so it is likely a novelty that most will ignore.

I'm not going to break them down here, but it's also worth mentioning that they are showing continued support for the old Switch hardware, with some games coming out for both it and Switch 2.


Trailers:

https://youtu.be/j6eNaiftiWE?si=t_oHgsLhWcTz1s5U

https://youtu.be/YluJneE1bMo?si=XYugDOXueYwK0jK6

https://youtu.be/z13aCVkZaaw?si=D9zVoKz6nvUAjtTL

https://youtu.be/TIVgJyceMZI?si=Q9R5YgDu2dW2JSJk



P.S. An annoyance I've noticed with Capcom is that the stand-alone trailers they upload tend to be different than the ones found within the presentations themselves. Very weird and very annoying for someone like me looking them up again later to post.

Nintendo arguably popularized this "direct" video format for announcing games, but have seemed to stop doing them. People keep expecting a new one that never comes. They also have just been announcing games randomly, rather than packing them all together in one collection of seasonal releases.

Once such surprise announcement was for a new Star Fox game on Switch 2. It's mostly a remake of Star Fox 64 with new graphics, cutscenes, and a new multiplayer mode. They announced this about a month ago and I just never got around to posting about it.

Full Video - YouTube

Prologue cutscene:

https://youtu.be/VPdobtLUa2Y?si=CEa2ieqo9pQYFPbJ

Nintendo arguably popularized this "direct" video format for announcing games, but have seemed to stop doing them. People keep expecting a new one that never comes. They also have just been announcing games randomly, rather than packing them all together in one collection of seasonal releases.

Once such surprise announcement was for a new Star Fox game on Switch 2. It's mostly a remake of Star Fox 64 with new graphics, cutscenes, and a new multiplayer mode. They announced this about a month ago and I just never got around to posting about it.

Full Video - YouTube

Prologue cutscene:

https://youtu.be/VPdobtLUa2Y?si=CEa2ieqo9pQYFPbJ