Well, that was unexpected! Nintendo is sending the Switch 1 out with a bang. Today’s Nintendo Direct web showcase was filled with more than a few announcements that I think caught a lot of folks by surprise. New Mario&Luigi! New Zelda! Metroid Prime freakin 4! Dive in with me as we recap this unexpectedly packed Direct.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Leading off the Direct is an unexpected announcement for a new entry in the Mario & Luigi series. The new game is title Mario & Luigi Brothership (hell yeah brother). We get a good preview of gameplay in the trailer and it looks to be a fun take on the classic formula. Brothership launches on November 4th.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition

We’re getting our first full look at the new version of Nintendo World Championship. It looks like online leaderboards will play a huge part. Legend challenges look to do things like speedruns. Launched July 18th with a physical deluxe set available for pre-order! I am a sucker for physical edition Nintendo stuff, so this will likely be a day 1 pickup for me.

Fairy Tail 2

This is a real-time action RPG slated for “Winter”.

Fantasian Neo Dimension

From the creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, as well as renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu, comes Fantasian Neo Dimension. This is listed as an “enhanced version”, but details are still slim for now.

Nintendo Switch Sport: Basketball

Switch Sports is getting Basketball added as a free update for everyone. This was a launch title on Wii sports so I’m not really sure who is getting excited for this. Nintendo Switch Sports was a bit of a failed experiment and cash grab in my eyes, but hey, free is free. The update launches this summer.

MIO – Memories in Orbit

A mysterious 2d Metroidvania-type game that looks like it takes some inspiration from the Hollow Knight and Ori series.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Come on down to Friendship Island and “bake some memories” with Hello Kitty. This is described as a “cozy adventure game” and it looks cute if you’re a fan of the famous series. The comparisons between this game and Animal Crossing look unavoidable.

Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports

NEW LOONEY TUNES SPORTS. The SNES Loony Tunes Basketball is a game that isn’t great, but I played a ton of it as a kid. If they can take these iconic characters and dial down the jank that came with the game I loved as a kid, we could have a recipe for fun.

Farmagia

Farming/Monster RPG where your crops turn into Pokemon. It has a cell-shaded art style that looks interesting and the amount of monsters and summons available should provide something interesting for fans of the genre. Launches on November 1, 2024.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

A Wii game is getting an HD remaster on Switch. That’s right, the 2010 Wii game that was also remastered on 3DS. Nintendo better have some great stuff in the hopper for Switch 2 because they have officially mined through their back catalog of modern games. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the series, I don’t really see a need to pick this one up. Emulate it and get the same experience. You can upscale this game right now, today. Enjoy.

DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake

Coming in with an art style very reminiscent of the recent Octopath Traveler games comes a Dragon Quest remake. This is an HD-2D remake of the NES game Dragon Quest 3. 1&2 are getting the same treatment for 2025, completing the trilogy of Erderick. You can always go back and emulate the original NES trilogy on your device of choice right now!

Funko Fusion

It was probably only a matter of time. A Funko POP game is coming. It looks like a licensing mashup world based on “20 iconic movies, TV shows, and more”. The plastic figure aesthetic certainly looks the part. I know the community has a lot of feelings about Funko, but I think it looks like a good time with a lot of fun content to draw from. Will this issue be in an era of Amiibo-esque Funkos? Arriving September 13th.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

Another HD remaster of a generations-old game. Launches on 6/27. A reminder that you can emulate this upscaled right now!

Metal Slug Attack Reloaded

The original Metal Slug series was reimagined as an online co-op tower defense game! This was an unexpected announcement that you can go download and play, right now. It was released today.

Darkest Dungeon 2

The port launches on Switch on 7/27

Nintendo Switch Online Virtual Console Update

A Link to the Past: Four Swords is getting a virtual console release with an added online co-op. Metroid Zero Mission is also on the way. Nintendo 64 Mature games are coming with Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, and Perfect Dark with online multiplayer!

Phantom Brace: The Lost Hero

Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero comes out in 2025. A strategy RPG based around recruiting “phantoms”.

MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics

Marvel Capcom arcade collection is coming, including MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2. This is a great collection of 7 titles with added training modes, and we will finally have online multiplayer. A museum section for soundtracks and art is also available. Fighting fans will finally be able to jump back into some of their favorites online when the collection launches “later this year”.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

New island-themed boards are coming to the Mario Party formula. 5 new boards and 2 classics appear. There will be “over 110” minigames with what looks to be an online minigame competition mode, which is more enticing to me than the board game. 20-player online gameplay changes the game quite a bit.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Following the art style that appeared for the Link’s Awakening remake, we’re getting a brand new Zelda entry, Echoes of Wisdom. Time for Princess Zelda to find and save Link! The gameplay is based around the magical “try rod” which creates “echoes” of objects in the game. This tool appears to allow you to copy and manifest items from the world on command. It looks like a very interesting take on the traditional Zelda format and more of that beautiful Link’s Awakening art style is most welcome. It looks like this will be a very puzzle-centric experience on 9/26/2024 with a custom edition Switch for release! We’re all going to buy another first-gen Switch, aren’t we……

Let’s Dance 2025

It wouldn’t be a Nintendo Direct without a new Let’s Dance. Either you’re already buying it or you don’t care. I’m in the latter camp, but different strokes. Let’s Dance 2025 drops in October 2024.

LEGO Horizon Adventures

The Horizon series is getting the Lego treatment. It’s interesting to see this formula applied to a property that is exclusively a videogame, and a Sony one no less. The game is scheduled for Holiday 2024.

Stray

Stray is coming to the Switch, finally! This game launched a few years back on PS5 and Xbox and quickly became loved. It will no doubt have to take some graphical hits on the Switch, but it’s the type of game that should feel at home on the go on the Switch.

Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game

Hobbits living in the Shire game similar to the Sims? Sure why not? You will host dinner parties to share the food you cook. Tales of the Shire’s recreation of daily Hobbit life launches holiday 2024.

Metroid Prime 4

Metroid Prime 4 IS ACTUALLY REAL. Titled Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, this is a game that fans of the series have been waiting a very long time to finally see. Remember that this game was scrapped entirely in development and started over. The release is planned for 2025, but “be prepared to wait a bit longer”. Nintendo has a history of developing games for one console and using them to launch their next effort, so don’t be too surprised if this game ends up a Switch 2 launcher, or even further down the road given the troubled development cycle.

Additional Snippets

Ace Attorney Investigations brings two previous Japan exclusives to the NA Switch. It launches 9/6

The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy will launch in 2025.

Romancing Saga 2 is getting a full remake on Switch. If you’re a fan of the classic turn based RPG, expect an update in pace with a time based attack system. The game promises heavy implications for every decision you make. It’s coming in October.

What are you excited to play on Switch? Let us know in the comments below, and chat with us in our Discord!

This page may contain affiliate links, by purchasing something through a link, Retro Handhelds may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.