Reaction: Nintendo brought out the fan-pleasers for Switch’s final summer Direct
But it was arguably what it didn’t show that left the biggest impression
Andy Robinson
In what was almost certainly Switch’s final summer Direct as the company’s sole games console, Nintendo pulled out all the fan-pleasers; remasters, classic revivals, and – oh, yes – Metroid Prime 4.
It’s a smart, obvious choice: at this stage of Switch’s life cycle, it’s the core fans who are going to keep game sales and engagement ticking, and as the most core of core Nintendo fans – I own a Virtual Boy, for goodness sake – I was, of course, delighted.
It was a showcase that was far stronger than what I was expecting at this stage of Switch’s lifespan. But at the same time, it provided further evidence that, with its next-gen console due for a reveal before March 2025, Nintendo’s best is almost certainly yet to come.
Considering Switch has entered an unprecedented seventh year in the market, I thought it was a surprisingly strong Direct with a few announcements that would’ve sparkled in any year.
Nintendo revealed a brand new Zelda game on Tuesday.
On top of that, Mario Party Jamboree already looks more promising than the last two entries, and a new Mario & Luigi cements what has certainly been the best ever year for Mario RPG fans.
But there was also plenty of evidence, unsurprisingly, of gaps being plugged, with the HD remaster of Donkey Kong Returns – the game that already has a vastly superior sequel on Switch in Tropical Freeze – feeling rather unnecessary, alongside the equally odd update of Luigi’s Mansion 2, which is out later this month.
During the two years ending this Christmas, Nintendo will have released nine remakes for Nintendo Switch and, while I and other fans always welcome the opportunity to revisit the classics, it does feel like this has been slightly overdone in Switch’s twilight – though for obvious reasons.
“Considering Switch has entered an unprecedented seventh year in the market, I thought it was a surprisingly strong Direct with a few announcements that would’ve sparkled in any year.”
The Nintendo Direct’s 2024 line-up reveal also means there are now some odd curation choices, with Mario & Luigi Brothership – as delightful as it looks – arriving in the same year as two other Mario RPG games (Super Mario RPG and The Thousand-Year Door).
I totally appreciate how ungrateful it sounds to critique getting three dream-come-true Mario RPG games within the space of the year (I gave both 5/5 reviews). Technically, they are different series within the same genre – but they’re targeting the same audience, and I’m sure there are many others like me who feel a bit burnt out at the thought of jumping into yet another massive turn-based game.
Mario Party Jamboree is also the series’ third release on Switch – the joint-most on a home console since GameCube 20 years ago.
For a company which, evidence frequentlysuggests, is willing to leave completed games on the shelf for an ideal release window, these feel like an odd curation choice. Or at least it would if Nintendo seemingly didn’t have a year to paper over until its next-gen console arrives.
Metroid Prime 4 will release sometime in 2025.
Overall, I thought the Direct was excellent, and in light of Switch’s lifespan, it feels petty to quibble about some of the original games it showed – which was far more than I think any of us were expecting.
But perhaps the strongest takeaway from Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct was the feeling it gave me for what’s coming next. Because when the Switch’s (potentially) final summer direct is this strong, it gives you the impression that the software lineup Nintendo is planning to sell its next $400 hardware next year must be pretty dang good.
But just as important was what it didn’t show us. Metroid Prime 4 is releasing in 2025, but when? Will it have a Switch 2 version? In fact, could all of these games be playable on Switch 2 via backward compatibility?
It’s now been several years since the last Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash Bros., or Pokemon entries, and the 3D Mario team hasn’t released anything in nearly seven years. This, combined with the growing importance of IP within Nintendo and the movies, shops, and theme parks it needs to feed, gives the impression that it’s planning an incredibly strong line-up for its next console.
Until then, there will be few complaints from the hardcore fans about what Switch’s twilight months have in store.
