One week out, and Nintendo surprises.
We’re just a week out from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, and if the rumors are right, pre-orders for the new console will drop immediately after the showcase. A now-deleted blog post from Best Buy Canada seems to have spilled the beans, as The Verge reported in a recent article.
But before that chaos unfolds, Nintendo surprise-dropped a 36-minute Nintendo Direct this morning (1:00 AM AEDT) for the Switch 1. It had the usual filler, sure — but also some unexpected goodies, including non-game functionality that genuinely caught me off guard.
Let’s dive in.
This. Looks. Amazing. After years in development limbo, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally on the horizon — and it looks gorgeous. Samus has gained new psychic abilities, and the gameplay looks silky smooth. It’s hard to believe this is running on OG Switch hardware - can't wait to see what the Switch 2 will look like - will Ninty have something up their sleeves to make this even more impressive looking?
I always get sucked into new Pokémon games, play for 4-5 hours, then… shelve them. But Pokémon Legends: Z-A might just break that cycle. As a follow-up to Legends: Arceus, it builds on that fresh take with more refined mechanics. I just wish the Pokémon games would take a page from Metroid Prime 4’s visual playbook — but hey, wishful thinking.
I have no idea where this came from, but I’m here for it. A brand-new Rhythm Heaven game? Yes, please. I’m a sucker for quirky rhythm games, never heard of this IP before, but it this one looks like it’s about to take over my life.
As I was watching this, I had a moment of “Wait… is that PAC-MAN??” And yep, it totally was. Shadow Labyrinth looks like a brand-new type of gameplay for the iconic yellow muncher, and honestly? I’m 100% here for it.
This one has me intrigued. Nintendo Today! is a new app that delivers daily updates straight to your phone via the app. It looks super cute and feels perfect for the lead-up to the Switch 2 launch. But longer term? I’m not sure how much staying power it’ll have. Either way, I’ve already downloaded it — like there was any doubt!
This feels like another step toward nailing the coffin shut on physical media. The Virtual Game Card lets you lend digital games to a friend for up to 14 days before they auto-return. Funny enough, I had the perfect use case for this last month when I wanted to lend a game to a mate but couldn’t. It’s a solid step forward for digital sharing, but I’m guessing there’ll be enough fine print to make it a bit of a headache.
This dropped out of nowhere — and it’s my most hyped title from the Direct. From the creators of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge (one of my all-time faves) comes a retro, arcade-inspired 2D beat-‘em-up set in the Marvel Universe. With 15 playable characters and the ability to swap between 2 mid-brawl? Yeah, I’m ready to throw down.
Check out the full Nintendo Direct showcase below.
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