That sure was a rather large surprise. This Nintendo Direct was packed full of games and revealed that Nintendo really has been cooking up a storm while we’ve all been wondering just what they have for the second half of this year. It might not all be coming this year, but it’s still a lot.

Starting out with the DLC, the Direct opened with Pokémon. Scarlet and Violet’s Hidden Treasure of Area Zero trailer showed off these locations we’ll be visiting, along with some of the returning Pokémon that will be a part of them. I got Poochyena and Sentret, so I’m happy already. The locations… The first one is looking great, and I’ll be happy to explore it. The second is a more artificial environment, split into four biomes. And it really shows. I’m sure it’ll still be a fun place to explore.

Near the end of the Nintendo Direct, Wave 5 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass showed off one new track. So new it’s not even in Tour yet. And… it’s a bathroom. Squeaky Clean Sprint sees racers traversing a bathroom and all the things you’d find in it. A dresser, bathtub, the plumbing, and the floor – which is in the process of being cleaned.

Three characters are being added with this wave. Petey Piranha I’m all for, as it’s nice to see him return having been stuck in Double Dash all these years. Wiggler I’m less enthused for, but Kamek is a wonderful new addition. Hoping a full trailer for this wave isn’t too far away. And considering we’re getting three characters this wave, I have to wonder if the last characters are truly special ones. Or if something special will be coming as part of that last wave.

New Mario games are plentiful. After the reveal of a remake of Super Mario RPG from the SNES, that looks lovely with its updated graphics, it was revealed that Luigi’s Mansion 2 is seeing a remake for the Switch and that Princess Peach is going to be the main character of her second game. The ending reveal was for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a new 2D Mario game that seems to be chucking plenty of ideas into the series. Including Elephant Mario… Can’t say it’s not an interesting power up.

Pokémon fans were also treated well this Direct with the return of Detective Pikachu. Oh, how long it has been. While I never played the first, it did look to be a delight with how many of the loveable critters it featured within the story. And course, the coffee-loving, talkative Pikachu. This second one looks to be delivering on both those accounts. Now if the first could see a release on the Switch, that’d be nice.

Pikmin fans are certainly being treated well this Direct. Not only do we have more information on the newest one out next month, there was the shadow-drop of the first two games having been remastered for the Switch. That now means the entire series can be played on this hybrid machine of Nintendo’s.

The new information revealed for Pikmin 4 included the ability to gain upgrades to allow for easier exploration, as well as the ability to explore at night. This is something the series hasn’t allowed before, since Pikmin being plant creatures thrive in the daylight. Once you gain the ability to explore at night, a new type of Pikmin will be used. The Glow Pikmin. They’re a little ghost-like, but still pack as much a punch as the regular Pikmin. Which is just as well when the creatures that roam the lands become more dangerous of a night.

All of that was a delight, but news of a new Dragon Quest Monsters coming has me absolutely excited. I have a strange relationship with the series in that I prefer the spin-offs to the main games, and Monsters is sure to see this year ending on a high. An updated synthesis system allows monster fusions to craft a team from over 500 monsters, with the world featuring a seasonal cycles system that sees monsters out in the wilds change depending on that season.

This Direct has certainly brought a fair bit of a bump to Nintendo’s lineup, which had been looking very thin before today. The fact that remakes and remasters of Gamecube games are still continuing has me excited for what could be coming in the future. What will the potential September Direct give us from the Gamecube’s catalogue? What else do Nintendo have hiding behind those studio doors? As ever, it’s always an exciting time in the world of Nintendo.

Image Taken From:
Rev up for Wave 5 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe… | Nintendo UK
Pikmin 4 – A new world to explore | Nintendo UK