The second Nintendo Direct of 2022 brought a bombardment of new announcements, including Fire Emblem, Kirby, and Breath of the Wild‘s sequel.
Nintendo Direct livestreams have become a major spectacle in their own right, with fans hungry to see what the company has in store. This fall’s instalment certainly did not disappoint—laying out a veritable feast of new titles, and updates on more recent releases.
Without further ado, let’s dive in and explore everything that the Nintendo Direct revealed:
Fire Emblem Engage
The leaks are true—the Nintendo Direct kicked off by confirming a new traditional Fire Emblem game is headed to the Switch January 20, 2023. Fire Emblem Engage will see new protagonist, Alear, calling upon familiar faces from the franchise’s history as “Emblems,” to help vanquish the returned Fell Dragon. Marth, Sigurd, and Celica are shown fighting alongside the new characters to help restore peace to the land of Elyos. This new entry certainly looks stunning visually, perhaps leading credence to the rumours that it’s been in a complete form for some time, awaiting release.
It Takes Two
Last year’s big winner at the Game Awards, It Takes Two will bring its award-winning cooperative gameplay to Nintendo Switch on November 4. In addition to single-system play, players will also be able to use their own individual systems locally.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – DLC Wave 2
October 13 will bring the second wave of DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, including Ino, a new mechanical hero, and expanded class options. New Challenge Battles will put players through consecutive battles against difficult foes, with accessories and special outfits as rewards for those who can survive. At a later date, Wave 3 will add another new hero and more Challenge Battle rules—possibly around the time of the next Nintendo Direct.
Tunic
Another obvious fit for the Switch, the Zelda-inspired isometric adventure game Tunic will finally grace Nintendo’s shores. Developed by “mom-and-pop game studio” FINJI, this title and its adorable fox protagonist have been winning over players on other platforms since its initial release this March. Avoid any spoilers and dive into the mystery blind on September 27, with only the Manual to guide you.
Front Mission 1st and 2nd: Remake
Square Enix and Forever Entertainment unveiled their slate of remakes for a nigh-forgotten franchise. Front Mission 1st Remake will put players behind the wheels of giant mechs called Wanzers in its campaign and colliseum modes this November, while Front Mission 2nd Remake—originally unreleased outside of Japan—will expand the experience with more mechs and skills in 2023. As well, a similar remake of Front Mission 3 was announced for sometime next year.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Marvelous and Xseed Games continue their roll of remastering Harvest Moon games. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a remake of the 2003 GameCube title, expanding the classic farm management formula in 3D and featuring aging mechanics. Live your best life on Switch summer 2023.
Splatoon 3: First Splatfest Dated
Hot on the heels of its record-breaking launch weekend, the first SplatFest for Splatoon 3 was announced during the Nintendo Direct: “what would you bring to a deserted island: Gear, Grub, or Fun?” The contest will be held September 23-25. More free updates were also announced for the future; though no details were given, some new gear was teased.
Octopath Traveller II
Square Enix announced Octopath Traveller II, the sequel to one of the Switch’s first original RPGs. Just like the first game, players will meet a new cast of 8 characters from separate backgrounds and see how their stories intertwine (in similar fashion to Live A Live).
This new world seems to be more advanced than the original’s, including technology like trains. As well, the characters have different Path Actions depending on the time of day. Octopath Traveller II launches Feberuary 24, 2023.
Fae Farm
A farm-sim RPG trend began to emerge at this point in the Nintendo Direct with the announcement of Fae Farm. In this new title from Phoenix Labs, players will carry out the usual farm tasks and customize their homes, but also use magic to help grow crops and face dangerous foes. Take it on solo or with up to 4 players via local or online multiplayer. Season-based “surprises” will also help keep things mesmerizing. Fae Farm launches in spring 2023, exclusive to Switch.
Theathrythm: Final Bar Line
To celebrate Final Fantasy‘s 35th anniversary, Square Enix is reviving this rhythm game franchise from the 3DS with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Final Bar Line. It will feature 385 songs from the series at launch, divided into battle, field, or event varieties, arranged in Stages to walk players through the games’ stories. Two players can play locally in the new Pair Mode, or up to 4 players in Online Multi Battles. Paid DLC will follow post launch featuring tracks from other Square Enix titles, like SaGa, Mana, Nier, and Octopath Traveller.
Launching February 16, 2023, a Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available with 442 total tracks, including 27 exclusives like “Memories of Life” from Final Fantasy IX; a Premium Digital Deluxe Edition will also include all DLC season passes as a set.
Speaking of Final Fantasy, the remastered Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII: Reunion was confirmed for launch on Switch and PlayStation just three months from now, on December 13.
Switch Online: Nintendo 64 Update
Nintendo Switch Online members at the Expansion Pass tier will have a slew of new-old games to play soon. Pilotwings 64, Mario Party 1, and Mario Party 2 will be added to the Nintendo 64 library this year, followed in 2023 by Mario Party 3, Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2, 1080 Snowboarding, and Excitebike 64. This content infusion brings the library to a more healthy baseline, maybe justifying that additional cost at last.
If these aren’t enough, the quintessential Nintendo64 experience GoldenEye 007 has finally been confirmed as well. The 1997 James Bond classic is “coming soon” to Switch Online’s Expansion Pass, as well as Xbox Game Pass, with online multiplayer included.
Nintendo DLC Wrapup
Midway through the Nintendo Direct, we got updates on some recent first-party Nintendo games’ DLC updates. Wave 2 of Mario Strikers: Battle League is coming later this month, adding Pauline, a physical powerhouse, and Diddy Kong, a midfield speedster. As well, there will be a new stadium and more gear.
Wave 3 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Booster Course Pass will arrive this holiday season—including the holly-holly Merry Mountain course from Mario Kart Tour, and Peach Gardens from Mario Kart DS. More tracks will be confirmed before the game is updated.
Lastly, the promised Golf mode is coming in a free update for Nintendo Switch Sports, but slightly later than expected—this holiday, instead of this fall. It will include an Elimination mode, where the player with the most strokes is kicked out until only one player remains.
Pikmin Bloom and Pikmin 4
Shigeru Miyamoto took over the Nintendo Direct stream to mention the upcoming Super Mario Brothers film and the theme park in Japan. His true mission today, however, was to discuss two new Pikmin titles.
In Pikmin Bloom, a smartdevice game developed with Niantic, players can take the game on their daily business to find and raise Pikmin, and plant flowers with them. At the end of the day, check in to see where you’ve walked, get items from your Pikmin, and feed them nectar gathered from the flowers you’ve planted along the way. Miyamoto showed us his “own” screen, showing his nearly 700 Pikmin, along with his pedometer stats and recent travels to Osaka and Tokyo. The map is fogged over, and clears as you explore.
Additionally, Miyamoto announced Pikmin 4, the first original title in the series for Switch. Though he did not share any gameplay footage, he did tease a lower perspective, from the Pikmins’ point-of-view. He claims the Switch has made the series’ controls more intuitive, allowing you to focus on the core essence of gameplay, which they call Dandori in Japanese—”strategically planning, deploying, and commanding the Pikmin.” Pikmin 4 will arrive sometime in 2023.
Master Detective Archives: Raincode
From creators of Danganropa, comes Master Detectives Archives: Raincode. Players will assume the role of Yuma, an amnesiac detective, and Shinigami, a spirit haunting him, to take on crime as a trainee at the investigator academy. When you’re ready to finally solve a case, Shinigami will turn the crime scene into a dungeon reminescent of Persona 4, where you can put the pieces together and battle phantoms barring you from the truth. This title launches next spring, first on Switch.
Resident Evil Haunts the Switch
A wave of Resident Evil games were announced for the Switch during Nintendo Direct—or should we say a “cloud” of games? Resident Evil Village Cloud launches October 28, as a cloud version, with a free demo today and the Winters Expansion DLC following December 2. The updated remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, as well as Resident Evil VII Biohazard, all as cloud versions as well.
Nintendo Direct: Smaller Updates
- Various Daylife, an Apple Arcade immersive RPG from Square Enix, launches on Switch today; players will perform daily tasks to enrich relationships and unlock new abilities
- Season 2 of Fall Guys starts September 15 on Switch and all other platforms
- Another look at Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope was given ahead of its October 20 launch; the Gold Edition will include weapon skins and a season pass included
- Prepare for Bayonetta 3 with a look at her past adventures, and the cast of allies she’s recruited along the way, before its long-awaited release October 28; get excited with this gameplay trailer that followed the Nintendo Direct broadcast:
- Factorio also launches October 28—a management sim game where you’ve crash-landed on a strange planet and need to craft a new vessel… or an entire industrial complex, all while fending off local monsters
- A demo for Square Enix’s upcoming farm life RPG Harvestella will be available later today, which—in keeping with recent traditions—will allow you to transfer your data to the full version upon its release November 4
- Martial arts brawler Sifu will arrive on Switch November 8, just a few months after its next-gen launch
- Another year, another “never-ending party experience” in Just Dance 2023—which launches November 22, with new songs released throughout the year
- Lego Bricktales, which appears to build upon the engine of Lego: Builder’s Journey, is launching this fall
- The kart racing wars could eventually heat up when Disney Speedstorm arrives sometime this year
- In its first release outside of Japan, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse will arrive in early 2023
- Tales of Symphonia Remastered brings the classic GameCube RPG to Switch early next year
- The newest Atelier game, Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key, will offer a new, vast world to be explored freely; with a cast of 11 heroes, teamwork will be paramount, and there appears to be a “key” theme; cook up some new recipes February 24, 2023
- In the unusual Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star, characters from the anime will lead you through boxing drills next March
- In Ib, a young girl is drawn into a painting while exploring an art exhibit at the museum, and must navigate a world of creepy puzzles to escape
- Head under the sea and beyond next year in Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake, an original adventure through 7 worlds, featuring tons of outfits and characters from the show with their original voice actors
- The farm-sim love continued with Rune Factory 3 Special, which has a bigger focus on monsters, even allowing you to turn into one; a new mode has been added to “enjoy more quality time with your in-game spouse” when the game launches next year
- A “new Rune Factory series” is also in development, but no concrete details were given
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe
As part of Kirby’s 30th anniversary, a remake of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland was announced at Nintendo Direct. This glow-up will include local play up to 4 players, with everyone able to play as Kirby in addition to Bandana Waddle-Dee, King DeDeDe, and Meta Knight, as well as a new Mecha copy ability. There’s also a smattering of minigames, like the classic Samurai Kirby and the new Magolor’s Tome Trackers.
Return to Dreamland and keep Kirby’s celebration rolling on February 24.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The “one more thing” trailer for this Nintendo Direct was a big one. A teaser trailer gave us a quick look at the sequel to Breath of the Wild, showing Link exploring a familiar Hyrule with an unfamiliar power, which allows him to rise up into the air. Like Skyward Sword, we see him diving through the clouds, now with some sort of board he can surf to the ground upon.
At long last, we now have a title for Nintendo’s most anticipated title—The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This blockbuster will launch May 25, 2023.
