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Today’s Nintendo Direct Offered Some Expected Announcements and Surprise Drops

Nintendo has been the Disney of video games for a good number of years now, and there’s no better time to be a Nintendo fan than during a Nintendo Direct! Today, Nintendo hosted one of their regular streams announcing new games coming to the Nintendo Switch. Among them included a few expected announcements and few surprise drops that happened right after the direct aired. I’m gonna give you the rundown on each announcement, rapid firing through the smaller announcements and giving you some more details on the bigger ones!

Pikmin 4 – Releases July 21st

Starting in order of appearance was Pikmin 4, a sequel to the Pikmin franchise that was teased in the last direct by a grinning Miyamoto. We got new characters, new pikmin including an ice type pikmin that can freeze and shatter enemies in sheer cold. We got a dog too! His name is Oatchi and he can help you navigate through obstacles and keep your pikmin safe from bodies of water by riding on his back!

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass Volume 3 – Releases April 30th

With this additional piece of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 we’re getting a new hero, Masha the Lapidarist. I have no idea what that title means, and according to the trailer, some of the characters in the game don’t know either. But I do know that she will be able to craft you some sweet accessories to bring you some extra gusto in your battles.

This will also include a new gauntlet mode where you can build a pool of heroes to play with and earn special abilities!

Samba De Amigo: Party Central – Releases Summer 2023

Dance with your joycons as maracas and unlock costumes for your characters to over 40 songs that the game described as “from around the world”. There’s a good selection of genres and a “love” feature that… measures… your love for someone?? By the way, Valentine’s Day is next week folks!

Fashion Dreamer- Releases 2023

Speaking of love! Do you love fashion and social media influencers? Well now you can be one. Dress up and make fashion trends with people. That’s really all I have to say about this game. I’m not sure who this is marketed for.

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania – Releases March 6th

Hell yeah! I love me some Dead Cells! A rougelike platformer that was released some years ago. Well, now we got a mashup of that and Castlevania! Use all kinds of Castlevania weapons and take on Death and Dracula with Alucard and Richter!

TRON: Identity – Releases April 2023

Do you like Tron? I like Tron. Here’s a Tron visual novel with branching paths. Not much is really shown about this game besides that.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective – Releases 2023 Summer

Ghost Trick returns! I don’t recall this game, but I’m sure someone does! You can possess and control objects to prevent murders! There’s also some timey wimey stuff!

Deca Police – Releases 2023

Cops with magic and sci-fi stuff in Japan. Looks cool. I’m sure Dr. Bob’s roommate would like it.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon story – Releases March 17th 

Cartoon Bayonetta game where you play a young Cereza looking to save her mom. But Cereza doesn’t fight for herself, a big ol’ Cheshire cat does that for her! Cereza is able to bind spells to Cheshire to aid him in battle.

Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass – Releases Spring 2023 for Wave 1 – Wave 2 TBA

I’m sure there’s a ton of Splatoon fans that are happy about this announcement! They’re bringing back the old Inkoplis city for Wave 1 of the expansion pass for Splatoon 3 this Spring. It has a lot of the same functions as Splatoon 3’s regular city, but it has all new weapons and gear. As well as performances from The Squid Sisters during Splatfests! 

Wave 2 was also teased to have what seems like a new story expansion called Side Order!

Disney Illusion Island – Releases July 28th

Mickey Mouse and the gang look for 3 magical books with all the movement options you’d expect from a modern platfomer! Oh, and you can give your friends a hug in multiplayer to gain health! Valentine’s Day is next week by the way.

Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass Wave 2 – Releases TODAY

I got a few friends who are die-hard for Fire Emblem and I know they loved this news. You can find Hector, Soren, and Camilla in Wave 2 of the expansion pass today. Wave 3 which is TBA will include Chrom and Robin as one unit, and Veronica. Wave 4 which is also TBA but will add a new story expansion called Fell Xenologue that came with a short teaser trailer.

These waves come with newly added missions to help you recruit the new emblem characters!

Harmony: Fall of Reverie – June 2023

This looks like a cool visual novel game from DON’T NOD. You have a story of a world called Reverie that has a ton of deities known as aspirations, and a megacorp thinning the barriers between our world and theirs. Needless to say, hijinks ensue and you gotta clean house!

The soundtrack is beautiful and composed by Lena Raine, the composer for Celeste!

Octopath Traveler 2 – Demo Available now – Full Release February 24th 

Octopath Traveler 2 is another 8 path HD pixel JRPG which looks to be just as cool as the first! A demo dropped on the eshop you can try now!

We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie – Releases June 2nd

It’s a Katamari game remaster but you can go to space and play as the young King of All Cosmos in new challenges! 

Active Nintendo Switch Online members can try it for free from 2/20 to 2/26!

Sea of Stars – Demo Available Now – Releases August 29th

Another neat pixel RPG with turn based combat by Sabotage Studio! It has some beautiful artwork and a soundtrack guest composed by Yasunori Mitsuda who is known for the Xenoblade and Chrono Trigger games! A demo is out now on the eshop!

Omega Strikers – Releases April 27th 

Omega Strikers is coming to switch April 27th! This game is already out in early access on Steam. I’ve played a few matches and it’s a really cool blend of team based air hockey using moba style champions to duke it out! You can preorder it now, but it’s a free to play game! I’m not sure why we have to preorder free to play games but here we are. 

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection – Releases June 1st

I’ve been seeing a lot of Etrian Odyssey nostalgia on the net recently and I think this announcement is the perfect timing! This is a remaster of the original trilogy of Etrian Odyssey games. You can explore a labyrinth with your guild, and draw your way around with a map! There’s also a brand new auto mapping function to streamline the gameplay!

Advance Wars 1+2 RE-BOOT Camp – Finally Releases April 21st

It’s time. Soon, it’ll be in our hands.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe – Demo Available Now – Releases February 24th

A remake of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land with a brand new expansion! Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler is unlocked after you beat the story mode. You get to play as Magolor, but he’s lost all his powers! With magic points you get from defeating enemies, you can choose the order of which powers you unlock! Start with a basic attack and jump

Game Boy/Game Boy Color and Gameboy Advance NSO – Available Today!

Hey, I heard you like Game Boy games? Well NSO members are getting for Game Boy and Game Boy Color:

  • Tetris
  • Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins
  • Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening DX
  • Gargoyle’s Quest
  • Game and Watch Gallery 3
  • Alone In the Dark: The new Nightmare
  • Metroid 2: Return of Samus
  • Wario Land 3
  • Kirby’s Dream Land

All with screen filters for each Game Boy! Original, Pocket, and Color!

Some future titles teased include:

  • Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons
  • Pokemon Trading Card Game
  • Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble

Game Boy Advance games are also releasing today for NSO Expansion Pass Members:

  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3 with E reader content
  • Wario Ware inc: Mega Microgames
  • Kuru Kuru Kuruin
  • Mario Kart: Super Circuit
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

With future titles teased:

  • Metroid Fusion
  • Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
  • Fire Emblem
  • F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
  • Golden Sun

Metroid Prime Remastered  – Digital Available Now! Physical Version coming February 22nd!

This is not a drill. Metroid fans rejoice! We got the first Metroid Prime game remastered on Switch, and it drops immediately!

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE – Releases June 30th

From the creators of Danganronpa comes a detective game where you can utilize multiplier characters’ powers. Dr. Bob’s roommate is gonna have a field day!

Professor Layton and The New World of Steam – Release TBA

A Professor Layton fan went to the Direct and all they got was this teaser! Still cool for Layton fans though!

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster – Summer 2023

 Another remaster of a JRPG by Bandai Namco!

Fantasy Life i: The Girl who Steals Time – Releases 2023

A fantasy life sim where you build a civilization on your own island! I believe there was a game in this series released on the 3DS in the past!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass (Wave 4) – Releases Spring 2023

We got a new Yoshi’s Island Course, and the return of Birdo as a new character! Of course, if you’re a current NSO Expansion Pass member, you get this for free!

Free for NSO Expansion pass members

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Releases May 12th

Oh man, this is the meat and potatoes of the direct! We got a new trailer and voiceover from what seems to be the main villain! Is it Ganondorf? Is it someone else? Who knows! But the puzzles and new enemies look cool as hell! You bet your ass I’m buying this game frame 1! We’re getting a new amiibo with Link’s new mechanical arm too! 

This direct had a ton to show like every other before it! What are you excited most about? Personally, Metroid Prime remastered and Tears of the Kingdom are high on my list to play! Let us know in the comments below! No updates on the Mario Movie this time around!

Marcoangelo

Games Journalist, Competitive Pokemon/VGC Player, Content Creator

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