Highlights and announcements from today’s Nintendo Direct (2/8/23)
Nintendo dropped their newest Nintendo Direct today. The stream ran for nearly 50 minutes and, oh my goodness, there is a lot to get through.
Here’s the full Direct if you feel like watching it yourself. If not, here’s the breakdown.
If you’re curious about what comes out today just do a “Find in Page…” for TODAY as I marked them all for you. You’ll be surprised.
Pikmin 4 is set to release on July 21, 2023. We’ve got new characters, new ice Pikmin which let you free water and enemies, and a dog companion named Otachi that can help in certain areas. We’ve got a nicer perspective that allows you to see in the distance and more Earth-like in planet appearance.
Xenoblade 3’s next DLC wave adds a character named Masha the Lapidarist. It brings new story content and outfits.
Kirby Return to Dream Land Deluxe arrives February 24, 2023. It’s completely remastered with the ability to have up to fou players play at the same time. There’s a new game mode called Magalor Epilogue where you play as Magalor without his powers as you work to get them back. There’s also a new mini-game island unfortunately called Magaland. A demo is out today.
Below is a quicker recap of some of the other exciting announcements and highlights.
- Samba De Amigo: Party Central (Summer 2023)
- New songs
- Swing the Joy-Cons to play
- New game modes that feel like Just Dance and Beat Saber
- Multiplayer Online AND Offline
- Fashion Dreamer (Later 2023)
- Nintendo Exclusive
- Design and wear outfits on your customer character
- Walk around a 3D world and discover more outfit pieces and get new ideas
- Meet people online and swap style
- Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania (3.6.23)
- Dead Cells teams up with Konami to introduce Dracula’s Castle to Dead Cells.
- Stages, weapons, characters, and most importantly bosses from the Castlevania games are all here
- Tron: Identity (Later 2023)
- Interactive visual novel in Tron universe
- A variety of different puzzles to solve
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Remastered (Summer 2023)
- Remake of the original DS game
- Use your ghost to influence things in the physical realm to prevent the deaths of others
- Deca Polica (Later 2023)
- Takes place in a virtual reality where you solve cases and uncover corruption
- Turn based battles as you capture criminals
- Bayonetta Origins (3.17.23)
- Take control of a young Bayonetta as she learns to use her powers
- 3D platforming elements
- Strange battle system where you control two characters at once. Her and the giant cat Cheshire
- Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass
- Two Waves
- Wave one (Spring 2023)
- Option to change your hub world to the original Inkopolis where the Squid Sisters perform during Splatfest
- Wave two (Later 2023)
- Side Order – A series of Octoling stages like in Splatoon 2
- Wave one (Spring 2023)
- Two Waves
- Disney Illusion Island (7.28.23)
- Platformer for up to four players where you can play as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy
- The camera seems very zoomed out and strange
- Something about the visual quality made me think it was a phone game
- Fire Emblem Engage DLC Waves
- Wave 2 (comes out TODAY)
- Adds characters like:
- Hector
- Soren
- Camilla
- Adds characters like:
- Wave 3 (later 2023)
- Also adds new characters and missions
- Wave 4 (later)
- Adds a brand new story called Fell Xenologue
- Wave 2 (comes out TODAY)
- Harmony: Fall of Reverie (6.23.23)
- Beautifully animated and drawn visual novel
- Story about a corporation causing a negative rift between our world and another
- Use your powers to change the time line and alter the outcome of the story
- Octopath Traveler II (2.24.23)
- Demo is out TODAY
- Eight new stories with entirely brand new characters
- We Love Katamari + Royal Reverie (Later 2023)
- We Love Katamari completely remasters
- New game mode where you can play as a young King of the Cosmos
- New camera mode added where you can take bizarre selfies
- Sea of Stars (8.29.23)
- Demo out TODAY
- Beautifully designed old school RPG with turn based battles.
- Omega Strikers (4.27.23)
- Multiplayer arena game that plays like Windjammers
- Free-to-play
- Etrian Odyssey Origins Collections (6.1.23)
- Remaster of the first three Etrian Odyssey games
- New illustrations added to the game
- Automapping to make exploration easier
- New ability to change difficulty settings
- Advanced Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp (4.21.23)
- After some…difficulties, the game is FINALLY coming out despite the fact that it already accidentally launched last year and was fully playable
- Game Boy games added to Nintendo Switch Online
- Games available to everyone with paid online accounts
- Available games at launch TODAY:
- Tetris
- Super Mario Land 2: 6 Gold Coins
- Link’s Awakening DX
- Gargoyle’s Quest
- Game + Watch Gallery 3
- Alone in the Dark: New Nightmare
- Samus Returns
- Wario Land 3
- Kirby’s Dreamland
- Game Boy games with multiplayer will allow both online and offline multiplayer
- Switch between regular Game Boy colors or Game Boy Color colors.
- Game Boy Advance games added to Switch Online Expansion Pass
- Games available to everyone with paid expansion pass account
- Available games at launch TODAY:
- Super Mario Advanced 4: Super Mario Bros 3
- Warioware INC
- Kuru Kuru Kururin
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit
- Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
- Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (this writer’s favorite Zelda game ever)
- All games with multiplayer will allow up to four people to play together online or offline
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Digital version comes out TODAY
- Option for Dual Stick controls thankfully added
- Motion controls are still available
- Physical edition later 2023
- World Detective Archives: Rain Code (7.30.23)
- Anime like detective game with ghosts
- Use Supernatural Powers to solve crimes
- Boss battles occur when you confront the culprit
- Baten Kratos 1 and 2 Remasters (Summer 2023)
- Card based battles
- Full remasters of both games for…both fans of the original
- Fantasy Life: The Girl who Steals Times (Later 2023)
- Brand new Fantasy Life with new jobs
- Professor Layton: World of Steam (Later 2023)
- Nothing shown but I’m still super hyped
- Mario Kart 8 DLC Wave 4 (Spring 2023)
- The new track shown was Yoshi’s Island
- Adding Birdo as a playable character (finally)
- Other games that were rapidly shown towards the end:
- New Minecraft Legends
- Blanc
- Megaman Battle Network Collection
- Have a Nice Death
- WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros (available TODAY)
- New realm for Disney Dreamlight Valley based on Lion King
- Tales of Symphonia Remaster
- New footage of Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Several new vehicles were shown like a car and flying machine
- New Amiibo were shown off but no word as to their function
So that’s the recap of the Nintendo Direct on February 8, 2023. What are you most excited for?