Well, I was expecting surprises, and surprises were delivered. That was a Nintendo Direct that shows even with the Switch winding down, it still has plenty of life in it. There were honestly fewer ports and remasters than I was expecting. Pretty much everything coming from Nintendo that hadn’t already been announced was something new. One thing I can say for certain is that my waiting for list has grown quite a bit thanks to this Direct.

To start with the smaller announcements, Nintendo Switch Sports is getting a new update. Basketball is making a return. The Wii Sports Resort version was fun, with both game types from that game appearing here. New for Switch Sports is the multiplayer Five-Streak Battle, where everyone is aiming for the hoop at the same time. The update comes sometime this summer. So, I’ll be looking out for it.

Speaking of basketball, it is one of four sports being featured in Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports. The others being football, tennis and golf. I can see myself playing this one a bit, since I’m always a fan of sports collections that side on the more arcade-style of play. Which this, being Looney Tunes, definitely does. It’s dated for sometime this year, so I’ll be watching it.

One thing I very much dislike is how Funko Pops look. But one thing I very much like is how Funko Fusion is shaping up. An action-adventure with plenty of IP crossing over with each other, there’s quite a few of them I recognise and am invested in. The debut of 10:10 Games, a studio formed by former TT Games staff, I’m certain it will hold the same delights of LEGO games. Won’t be long to find out, with it coming 13/September.

It’s not the only game out in September from this Direct, as one of those Nintendo surprises was a new top-down The Legend of Zelda game. Titled Echoes of Wisdom, it features the same art style of Link’s Awakening. There’s one great change to the formula that I’m looking forward to seeing in action. With Link having been drawn into a mysterious rift, it is up to Zelda to save Hyrule.

No sword slashing and shield blocking here. Zelda has a staff that is able to create echoes of objects and even fallen enemies. These are used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. It’s a similar style to Tears of the Kingdom, where player choice is at the fore of the gameplay. It has me interested in messing around with these systems and solving the mystery of the rifts. And it won’t be long until we can, as it releases 26/September.

It seemed likely to happen, and this Direct confirmed a new Mario Party is coming. Super Mario Party Jamboree is said to be the biggest Mario Party in history, and this trailer was certainly intent on proving that. The boards are more diverse than ever, with a shopping mall one seeing random flash sales on the price of the star. A Mario Kart styled board sees players in karts, with special dice that can move players around the board at speed.

The minigames are here and as fun as ever, with races, puzzles, and obstacle survival all being present. With more players allowed in on the fun with a new 20-player mode. The party comes online in a new way with the Koopathlon, a board game where 20 people compete to complete five laps first. There’ll be minigames aplenty, which will be even more chaotic with 20 people gunning for the win. We’ll see how it holds up when it releases 17/October.

I’ve said before when it comes to Dragon Quest I much prefer the spin-offs to the main series. But that doesn’t mean I dislike those RPG adventures. So seeing Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake look as great as is it does has me wanting to experience this classic. Except it won’t just be one, as it was confirmed that Dragon Quest I and II will also be released as HD-2D Remakes.

Those first two will be bundled together and released sometime in 2025. Dragon Quest III, however, will be first to release this year. It was said that this is the start of the Erdrick trilogy, so it made sense to provide the third game first. The first two games are also said to be shorter, which provides a reason to release them together. I’ll be waiting to start this adventure come 14/November.

But then there’s every possibility of my being distracted from it. Not only by other releases I’d already had on my waiting for list, but by another RPG that releases before it. Nintendo has been pretty set on bringing all the Mario RPGs back in some form. A remake of Super Mario RPG. A remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. And now a new entry in the Mario & Luigi series.

First thing out of the gate, there’s the castle. And there’s Luigi running away from something. And now Mario, who Luigi is running to. And we see he’s being chased by bees. And then the logo of Mario & Luigi before the gameplay begins. And at the end, the full name and logo revealed. Brothership sees Mario and Luigi take on an adventure through the world of Concordia using an island ship.

Shipshape Island seems like it will act as a hub to transport the two across the sea to new locations. And while at those locations, the usual teamwork-based gameplay is in full effect for both exploring and combat. There even looks to be sections where the two are in different places but still working toward the same goal. I am absolutely welcoming the return of Mario & Luigi, and will be straight onto this one once it releases 7/November.

Fans of Metroid got their wish, as the one more thing provided a first look at Metroid Prime 4, now with a subtitle of Beyond. That was dated for 2025. Once again, Nintendo crafted a Direct that provided a lot. The future of the Switch is looking as bright as ever, even at the end. This September-November period is looking stacked for me now that this Direct has effectively doubled the games on it. Time for a lot of juggling.

Images Taken From:
Funko Fusion – Gameplay Trailer | Nintendo of America
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom… | Nintendo UK
Mario & Luigi: Brothership sets sail… | Nintendo UK