After much speculation, a new Nintendo Direct presentation scheduled for Thursday, September 14, is finally official.
Focused primarily on Switch titles that are launching this winter, this 40-minute showcase will kick off at 10:00 AM EDT, streaming live on Nintendo’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
Prominent on the lineup are already announced titles for the Switch like Detective Pikachu Returns and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latter of which notably had its individual spotlight in a previous Nintendo Direct in August. Joining them are WarioWare: Move It!, a fresh take on the popular microgame series, and a nostalgic reimagining of the Super NES masterpiece, Super Mario RPG. Eager Nintendo fans can expect all four titles to drop before we bid adieu to the year. Meanwhile, 2024 has its arms open for a Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon remake and a yet-to-be-titled game starring the Mushroom Kingdom’s very own Princess Peach.
For Switch enthusiasts looking to add depth to their current gaming experience, Nintendo won’t disappoint. The sixth and concluding wave of tracks for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will soon be available as a part of Nintendo’s Booster Course Pass. Not far behind are two downloadable content packages for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, with the former already accessible and the latter slated for a winter 2023 debut.
While the upcoming titles are sure to grab attention, there are two names that are brought up frequently in discussions on the internet: Metroid Prime 2 Remastered and Metroid Prime 4.
Although it remains on Nintendo’s release docket, there’s substantial speculation about other hidden treasures. Rumors suggest Nintendo might be guarding at least one more The Legend of Zelda remaster or remake closely to its chest. However, one should keep their hopes in check for Nintendo’s next console during this direct.
All signs point to this console not making a public appearance until early next year ahead of its presumed launch for the next holiday season. But, even if Nintendo decides to release the console earlier, like what it did with the Nintendo Switch, it’s still in the company’s best interests to withhold any announcements until the holiday season ends.
The third-best-selling video game console of all time has shown no signs of significant slow downs. Despite a relatively slow year for the hybrid platform to start the year, the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom helped to reinvigorate fan interest in the console. While the current projects still hint at a decline, most console manufacturers, even the current market leader, Sony, would kill to have the numbers that Nintendo is posting with the Switch in a “down” year.
Nintendo’s silence in recent months have paved the way for conversations about the company’s next console to simmer all over the internet. It’s believed that Nintendo was at Gamescom to showcase the Switch’s successor, which apparently performs just as well as the PlayStation 5, albeit with the help of modern technologies. If this is true, the performance gap between the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X as well as Nintendo’s still-to-be-announced new platform will be smaller compared to the performance gap between the Switch and the PS4 and Xbox One.
The buildup to this Direct hasn’t been without its share of drama. After the spotlight on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the community was left wondering if a broader Direct was coming. Adding to the intrigue are the whispers of a new patent for Joy-Cons aimed at rectifying the notorious stick drift issue have emerged alongside talks of a new Donkey Kong, F-Zero, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate game.
Yet, there’s an evident wariness about setting the bar too high, with some fearing that major reveals might be reserved for the next-gen console.
Whether this incoming Direct meets or surpasses expectations remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: Nintendo’s knack for weaving magic with its announcements means the gaming world will be watching intently.
