Nintendo held its first big Direct live stream, outlining a laundry list of announcements, reveals, and more. The February 2023 Nintendo Direct gave players a fairly good idea of what to expect during the first half of the year.
In the 40-minute Nintendo Direct, the publisher showcased a ton of great third-party announcements from partnering studios. In addition, there is a lot of great content to come from its in-house first-party studios. We’ve compiled the biggest announcements and reveals from the Direct, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Metroid Prime Remastered‘s shadow drop, Game Boy support on Nintendo Switch Online, and more.
Nintendo dropped a brand new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The trailer itself highlights the state of Hyrule. It shows a much darker tone than a lot of the Zelda games have tackled in the past. Our hero Link is shown in full with an assortment of great weapons, and traversal for both the ground and in the sky. Eagle-eyed viewers will also see something has happened to our hero’s arm. A device is fitted on Link and assists in granting some powers. On top of highlighting some of the game, Nintendo confirms that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release on May 12th, 2023. Thankfully, the launch has not shifted and has avoided any delay thus far.
Pikmin 4 is another big game coming down the pipeline for Nintendo Switch this year. Confirmed to release on July 21, Pikmin 4 is shaping up to be another great adventure for fans. In a new trailer, Pikmin 4 shows off a ton of new creatures which players can gather and use. This includes a new adorable dog-like creature which helps players smash through walls. While much of the trailer shows the cuter side of Pikmin, there does seem to be a dark force at play, notable near the end of the trailer.
One of Nintendo’s most important Metroid titles is getting a proper remaster for Nintendo Switch. Metroid Prime Remastered seeks to modernize the iconic first installment in the Prime saga, ahead of Metroid Prime 4. The game appears to focus on updating the visuals of the game that first launched on GameCube. Most importantly, Nintendo is adding dual-stick support, a huge addition to help the game feel contemporary. What made the announcement extra special was that the digital version is now available on the Nintendo eShop for $49.99. A physical release is slated for February 22.
Nintendo is finally doing it. After bringing a substantial catalogue of NES, SNES, and N64 games to Nintendo Switch Online, the company is diving into the well that is Game Boy. Available now, a small catalogue of classic handheld games can be played via the monthly Nintendo Switch Online membership. This includes the likes of Kirby’s Dream Land, Metroid II – Return of Samus, and Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins. Game Boy Advance support is also available but is exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Highlights available now include The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.
Finally, after a delay, Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp is arriving on Nintendo Switch on April 21. Following release hurdles due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Nintendo is due to launch the built-from-the-ground-up remakes of Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising! The game promises to remain faithful to the campaigns Andy, Max, Sami and other characters in this turn-based strategy series.
There were a ton of other great announcements. During the show, Nintendo revealed that demos for Octopath Traveler 2 and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe are available on the eShop now. Additionally, the Nintendo Direct outlines Expansion Pass content for Splatoon 3 and Fire Emblem Engage.
