Tune in tomorrow, March 27th, at 7 a.m. PT for a livestreamed Nintendo Direct (30 Minutes)

rkofan87

Gold Member
Like @CamHostage was maybe alluding to, those are probably more like Switch 2 announcements.

Personally I don't care too much for re-releases of insanely popular games that should already be rather easy to play on modern systems through BC, but I guess HD versions of those two games could bring a few surprises in terms of content alongside QOL updates.



Eh, when I think "big Nintendo 1P games" for Switch 2, I'm thinking a brand new Smash Bro, 3D Mario, Kirby etc. Not necessarily remasters of what they've already released.

The remasters will happen of course, but that's nnot enough to carry a brand new system's launch IMHO, even if it's Nintendo's games.
not switch 2 switch 1
 

rkofan87

Gold Member
I’ve tempered my expectations for next week to be honest.

I suspect they will continue their approach of staggered releases to allow each game its moment in the spotlight. I’m only expecting Mario Kart 9 and a new 3D Mario to be shown next week with lots of third parties like Genshin, maybe Elden Ring etc.

It’s a marathon.
i have as well sadly that is how bad this nd was for me.
 
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blacktout

Member
So I'm guessing he just pulled that one out of his ass? Definitely not any big discourse generators from that one at all, either first or third party.

The only possibilities I can think of are Patapon and Everybody's Golf, just because those are Sony IPs. It's that or he's full of shit, because everything else was exactly what you would expect from Direct filler.
 

tr1p1ex

Member
Oddly, I came to the opposite conclusion. It seems weird that Nintendo would announce two brand new games for 2026 already for the Switch, but only have 2 games remaining (Metroid and Pokemon) for the rest of 2025. If they are committed to supporting the Switch for at least 12 more months, shouldn't there be a little bit more there? Are we really getting nothing in the next few months?

The Switch has a huge "casual" audience that likes cozy and simple stuff. These are, historically, not the people that buy a system in the first year or two. They may also not be the people who would buy, say, Fire Emblem 4 Remake. These are the people that would buy Rhythm Heaven or Tamadotchi. So it is possible that Nintendo focused their attention for this Direct on games that would appeal primarily to the casual crowd, knowing that such a crowd may not be interested in watching a Switch 2 Direct if they don't feel the need to buy the console. But Nintendo may feel that Switch 2 owners may still want to know that, say, Fire Emblem is coming, even if it is "just" crossgen. So perhaps there are some "core" crossgen games coming out this year, but Nintendo is willing to market them first as Switch 2 games.

Or maybe not. Guess we'll find out in a week. But it makes me think there may NOT be that many Switch 2 exclusive games right off the bat. Mario Kart 9, new Mario, sure. Maybe another surprise or two as well. But then maybe a couple crossgen games.

In any case, as for the Direct itself, yeah, not much for me either (the THQ sidescroller with DuckTales-esque pogosticking looked kinda interesting). But then again, apparently I am the only gamer that does not demand to be entertained by commercials. I watch them for information, not "hype". So no sense getting angry about it.

As an aside, I also find it interesting that there were no Switch games revealed for April or May. Given that Nintendo does not like having gaps in their release schedule, this does seem to imply a May/June Switch 2 release. November is almost certainly out.
Interesting take.

But you see the simple stuff now because it is quicker cheaper to make. It's end of life filler type of content.

They are saving the big games for Switch 2. Doubt they are cross-gen. They want to sell the new system. Would really kill the potential of many games to make them also work on the old system. Also means Nintendo would be doing more work to make that happen. Hasn't been them in the past. And they released Zelda cross-gen twice at console launches coming off failed consoles with similar processing power as the new one. That's it.

They don't like the release gap normally but it just means full speed ahead on Switch 2. SAme reason you see the simpler stuff. The 3rd party stuff they showed fills in the gaps.

A May/June Switch 2 launch would be unprecedented. The industry as a whole refrains from summer releases as a rule of thumb. Has anyone ever released a console during the summer months?

I'd be surprised if not shocked if a May/June launch happened as well as a bunch of cross-gen games were announced. That sounds like the playbook of others in the industry instead.

Also the release gap is already a thingbtw. They have nothing in April or May. Nothing in March afaik. And Feb was barren iirc. All as far as 1st party goes. There is already a big gap. And the explanation is more simply that the Switch 2 is coming (later) this year.
 
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Gambit2483

Member
Apparently Prime 4 isn’t showing up next week at all!
If that's the case then I'm completely baffled as to how they are handling this game.

They put Zelda on a Pedestal but give Metroid Crumbs and snubs. This game deserves to be shown off in all its glory on Switch 2...not a 2 min blurb in the middle of a weak, last ditch Switch 1 direct...My God What the actual Fuck? if true
 

Ozzie666

Member
Was better than expected overall only because of some of the 2D titles and throw backs. Gradius collection, Marvel Cosmic invasion, Saga Frontier, DQ 1 and 2. Metroid 4 looked a bit underwhelming for a game that's been in development hell for years. Maybe it will play fantastic, but it did not live up to the hype at least for me.
 

touchfuzzy

Gold Member
Shadow Labyrinth and that Story of Seasons game also look pretty fun, and also Raidou. Based on how third party games generally perform technically though I'm very unlikely to pick up any of them for Switch 1 however (or really any more upcoming games at all, I think Xenoblade X is my swansong for it).
 
Hate to say it, but Metroid Prime 4 looks so uninspired. Maybe it's just a bad trailer, but I felt like the enemies could have been reskinned space pirates with how they look and I'm not particularly excited about the psychic powers. Still very interested to play the game, but it could have definitely had more "oomph" .. felt so low energy. Also the "Nintendo Today" app doesn't seem live for me yet, will check later.
 

Robb

Gold Member
If that's the case then I'm completely baffled as to how they are handling this game.
It is kind of weird, even more so that we didn’t even get a solid date of release here..

I’m still holding out hope that they give it another trailer/spot during the Switch 2 show, alongside a Prime 2/3 remaster or GC NSO announcement..

They have the Metroid Prime 1-3 artbook releasing in June iirc, so there has to be some kind of plan in place.. I hope.
 

rkofan87

Gold Member
Oddly, I came to the opposite conclusion. It seems weird that Nintendo would announce two brand new games for 2026 already for the Switch, but only have 2 games remaining (Metroid and Pokemon) for the rest of 2025. If they are committed to supporting the Switch for at least 12 more months, shouldn't there be a little bit more there? Are we really getting nothing in the next few months?

The Switch has a huge "casual" audience that likes cozy and simple stuff. These are, historically, not the people that buy a system in the first year or two. They may also not be the people who would buy, say, Fire Emblem 4 Remake. These are the people that would buy Rhythm Heaven or Tamadotchi. So it is possible that Nintendo focused their attention for this Direct on games that would appeal primarily to the casual crowd, knowing that such a crowd may not be interested in watching a Switch 2 Direct if they don't feel the need to buy the console. But Nintendo may feel that Switch 2 owners may still want to know that, say, Fire Emblem is coming, even if it is "just" crossgen. So perhaps there are some "core" crossgen games coming out this year, but Nintendo is willing to market them first as Switch 2 games.

Or maybe not. Guess we'll find out in a week. But it makes me think there may NOT be that many Switch 2 exclusive games right off the bat. Mario Kart 9, new Mario, sure. Maybe another surprise or two as well. But then maybe a couple crossgen games.

In any case, as for the Direct itself, yeah, not much for me either (the THQ sidescroller with DuckTales-esque pogosticking looked kinda interesting). But then again, apparently I am the only gamer that does not demand to be entertained by commercials. I watch them for information, not "hype". So no sense getting angry about it.

As an aside, I also find it interesting that there were no Switch games revealed for April or May. Given that Nintendo does not like having gaps in their release schedule, this does seem to imply a May/June Switch 2 release. November is almost certainly out.
your right odd choice by the big n to have nothing now all the way to june i know i keep harping on the remasters but dropping in 1 or 2 them imo. would not the switch 2 at all.
 
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rkofan87

Gold Member
If that's the case then I'm completely baffled as to how they are handling this game.

They put Zelda on a Pedestal but give Metroid Crumbs and snubs. This game deserves to be shown off in all its glory on Switch 2...not a 2 min blurb in the middle of a weak, last ditch Switch 1 direct...My God What the actual Fuck? if true
imo its coming out at the end of 25
 

rkofan87

Gold Member
It is kind of weird, even more so that we didn’t even get a solid date of release here..

I’m still holding out hope that they give it another trailer/spot during the Switch 2 show, alongside a Prime 2/3 remaster or GC NSO announcement..

They have the Metroid Prime 1-3 artbook releasing in June iirc, so there has to be some kind of plan in place.. I hope.
this i want a remaster but i will take what can get.
 

tr1p1ex

Member
This trailer of MP4 looked better but the track record of games long ago announced and in development hell are not good in my experience.
 

Vaquilla

Member
I feel like we're not really the target audience for this.

With Switch 2 in the near future, this Direct was more geared for casual players who will be sticking with their Switch 1 for a while, showing that there's still stuff for them to play for the next year or so.

Tomodachi Life and Rhythm Heaven appeal to those who grew up with the DS/3DS, while the rest will appeal to folks like my girlfriend who bought a Switch for Animal Crossing and mostly plays simple/indie stuff.

That said, I do like the look of Eternal Life of Goldman so I'll probably pick that up, and it was nice to get a better look at Prime 4.

For what it was, a decent showing.
 

Killer8

Member
imo this was L not a big L but still a L

For a sunsetting system that's in its eighth year on the market, and with a successor releasing mere months away, the fact Nintendo are still doing anything with the Switch is worth celebrating, let alone a new mainline Metroid Prime, Pokemon and Rhythm Heaven game. A lot of the other third-party games they picked for the showcase also looked great, like Dragon Quest and Raidou Remastered.

I don't really know what people expected from a 30 minute Direct serving as the appetizer for the main event on April 2...
 

kevboard

Member


so they don't rebrand the button it seems.

after they kept it completely blank in the reveal trailer for some reason, they now finally show it in its final form.

so, the mystery remains tho... what does C stand for? 🤔
 

Power Pro

Member


so they don't rebrand the button it seems.

after they kept it completely blank in the reveal trailer for some reason, they now finally show it in its final form.

so, the mystery remains tho... what does C stand for? 🤔

Hungry Cookie Monster GIF by Sesame Street
 

rkofan87

Gold Member
calling it just a nd the expectation was a date for prim4 all the rumored remasters being real and stuff like that.
what this was getting 3rd party stuff out the way,
 
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blacktout

Member
Placing my bet now: that rumored Planet Robobot remaster will be announced on the Nintendo Today app.

I still think the primary purpose of this awkwardly timed Direct was to maximize the number of people who downloaded the app. They knew if they announced it as a Nintendo news app on twitter, most people would just scroll by, but framing it as the "one last thing" in a Direct would at least ensure a captive audience.

Edit: Look at it this way, they could have announced Nintendo Today in the middle of the Direct, right before or after the virtual game cards, which is where these sorts of announcements usually fall, and then had Miyamoto announce the Zelda movie release date at the end of the Direct. This would have almost certainly resulted in the Direct being received at least a little more positively. Instead they saved the Zelda movie announcement and dropped in on the NT app today. That reveals something about their goals and priorities, I think.
 
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rkofan87

Gold Member
Placing my bet now: that rumored Planet Robobot remaster will be announced on the Nintendo Today app.

I still think the primary purpose of this awkwardly timed Direct was to maximize the number of people who downloaded the app. They knew if they announced it as a Nintendo news app on twitter, most people would just scroll by, but framing it as the "one last thing" in a Direct would at least ensure a captive audience.

Edit: Look at it this way, they could have announced Nintendo Today in the middle of the Direct, right before or after the virtual game cards, which is where these sorts of announcements usually fall, and then had Miyamoto announce the Zelda movie release date at the end of the Direct. This would have almost certainly resulted in the Direct being received at least a little more positively. Instead they saved the Zelda movie announcement and dropped in on the NT app today. That reveals something about their goals and priorities, I think.
I think you're spot on. This is another way for them to announce big news and they don't have it erect. For announce it on thewitter and if they have a trailer.
On YouTube
 
the jp one blew ours out of the water imo.

For anyone curious, I wasted my time watching what was essentially the same 36 minute direct, in Japanese, without about 4 different/new games showcased. Only 2 of them are worth mentioning. The Capcom stuff was a small recap/reminder of Onimusha 2 and Capcom Fighting Collection 2.

This isn't a blow out of the water situation, they simply replaced western indie/budget games with JP budget games.
 
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