Remakes & Remasters Lead Nintendo Direct
There has been a lot of news coming out of the world of video games this past week so much so that I could not fit it all into my segment on Good Morning Multiverse. This is thanks to the Nintendo Direct that happened this past week. I honestly could have made my entire segment about the Direct and I would have had to leave details out of it. I’ve decided to give you all the nitty gritty details of the Direct in text form instead. So if you missed out on the actual livestream, that’s what this article is for.
Metroid Prime Remastered
The first big announcement of the Direct was for a Remastered version of one of the most beloved GameCube Games of all time, Metroid Prime. While this was great news in of itself the bigger bomb dropped was that the game was released right after the Direct so if you are a fan of Metroid Prime or have never played the game before, you can download this game on the E-Shop right now for 40$. Now if only we could get more information on Metroid Prime 4…
Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp
The story of the Remake of Advance Wars 1 and 2 is an interesting one to say the least. It was originally supposed to come out in April of last year. However, the game was seemingly canceled after certain real-world events spurred Nintendo to re-think releasing a game about war. (Side note: this was a weird decision by the company since some of the best selling games of all time are about war, but I digress.) It took a year but Nintendo is finally acknowledging this game again and it is coming out soon, a year after it was supposed to come out originally on April 21st of this year.
Samba de Amigo Party Central
If you’re a Sega fan you have probably heard of Samba de Amigo. This colorful rhythm series has been laying dormant since 2008 and it’s coming back in style on Switch. You will be able to use Switch Joy-Cons as Maracas in this game and given how well the Joy-Cons fit this series’ gimmick it is honestly surprising that it took Sega this long to make a new Samba de Amigo for the Switch. Nintendo also showed a release date of summer 2023.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
It would not be a Nintendo Direct without some PlatinumGames representation and this game is it for this Direct. This game is a prequel to the Bayonetta Trilogy and it follows Bayonetta as a young girl named Cerenza. The game looks interesting as it follows the Zelda: Wind Waker graphics formula of making it look like something right out of a story book. If that piques your interest you will not have to wait long to play it as the game is set to be released on St. Patrick’s Day of this year. This seems like a fun game to sit down and have a pint while you play.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN Code
This game is from the developers of the Danganrompa series, and it certainly looks like an interesting and bizarre game. It’s a Detective Mystery and the main character is a young trainee detective who’s haunted by a ghost. This is a game where obviously you will not be able to see a lot from the trailer since it is a mystery. The Direct also showed off a gameplay trailer of this game which shows off the character’s ability of post-cognition which will be the main way of solving mysteries in the game.
Disney Illusion Island
Thanks to the success of Cuphead, there has been a renaissance in old-school cartoony graphics, so of course Disney had to get in on the action. It is designed to be the video game equivalent of the Mickey Mouse Shorts and it is another game that hasn’t had a lot of publicity. Luckily we got to see more in this Direct. This game is also set to release in the Summer on the date of July 28th.
Pikmin 4
One of the bigger announcements of this Direct is that Pikmin 4 finally has a release date. Pikmin 4 is one of those games that have been in development purgatory since at least 2015, so it’s nice to see that it finally has a release date. The game is set to come out in July of this year, adding to an already stacked summer for Switch owners.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Another game that we have seen very little of recently is the new Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Luckily this Direct has come to the rescue with more gameplay footage of the new Zelda. This is slowly becoming one of those games that I cannot wait for, and it is looking more like a Game of the Year contender with each new trailer.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass Vol. 3
There isn’t a lot to say about this one, Volume 3 of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass is coming out on February 15th and Volume 4 is set to come out later this year and it will include new outfits for the playable cast.
Tron Identity
Tron Identity is a new take on a Tron game. It isn’t a frantic action game but rather a Telltale-esque decision based game. I’ve always been interested in different takes on games, so this is something I will keep an eye on.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
This is another supernatural detective game from the Director of the Ace Attorney series. The main character has the ability to possess objects in order to solve puzzles. This is another game that is set to come out this summer.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania DLC
Dead Cells has gotten a release date for its Castlevania DLC. I really need to shout out the trailer this time because the music is phenomenal and there are lots of fun Easter eggs for Castlevania. As a Castlevania fan, I can say that this looks spectacular. This DLC is set to come out really soon, on March 6th.
Splatoon 3 DLC
With a surprisingly low-key trailer, Nintendo also revealed more details for the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass. Wave 1: Inkopolis is set to come out in the Spring and it’s bringing back a location from the first game as well as performances from the Squid Sistersl. The first DLC wave is looking to be a throwback to the first Splatoon. The trailer also showed off Wave 2: Side Order and it comes out later this year with a totally different aesthetic from the rest of the game. It’s interesting to see that the DLC for this game is celebrating both the past and the future of the Splatoon Series.
Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass
Fire Emblem Engage Is another game with more details shown for their Expansion Pass. This time it shows the new Emblems that are included in the game’s DLC. Wave 2 adds Hector, Emblem of Strength, Camilla, Emblem of Revelation, and Soren, Emblem of Acumen. Wave 3 will offer Chrom and Robin, Emblem of Bonds, and Veronica, Emblem of Heroes. Then later, Wave 4 will add a new story called “Fell Xenologue”.
Octopath Traveler 2
Square Enix has just released a demo with the opening hours of Octopath Traveler 2 . If you are a fan of the original, definitely give this demo a shot.
Nintendo Switch Online gets Game Boy(s)
Another one of the bigger announcements of this Direct is that NSO is getting both Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games. Regular NSO subscribers will have access to the Game Boy catalog which will include games such as: Super Mario Land 2, Tetris, Zelda Link’s Awakening DX and Metroid 2: The Return of Samus. The Expansion Pack version of the service will offer some all-time classics, including Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Wario Ware Inc: Mega Microgame$, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. With more games being added periodically just like the other retro NSO Services.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 4
The next DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was shown off during the Direct as well. The main takeaways from the trailer is that Birdo is finally a playable character and that there is a course based off of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Yoshi is looking to be the star of this DLC. (Another aside here: I am honestly surprised that Birdo wasn’t a playable character until now, but hey better late than never, right?)
That’s everything of note in February’s Nintendo Direct. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below! I’m looking forward to the Summer because if this is any indication Switch owners will be eating well in the foreseeable future.
