We’ve been waiting for a new Nintendo Direct for weeks . Since February 9, nothing more, except a Partner Showcase and a video dedicated to Xenoblade Chronicles 3 . the next months.
If our patience was put to the test, the least we can say is that it was rewarded when we see the number of beautiful surprises we were entitled to. The choice may have been difficult, but we have made a selection of the announcements that have thrilled us the most. Don’t hesitate to tell us which games you remember from this conference.
Fire Emblem Engage
This Nintendo Direct started very strong with, without preamble, the announcement of a new “real” Fire Emblem, as opposed to the Warriors episode published this summer. In Fire Emblem Engage , our mission will be to save the continent of Elyos by fighting alongside heroes from previous games such as Marth or Celica in ever more tactical battles.
Appointment is therefore made for January 20, 2023, the release date set by Nintendo for Fire Emblem Engage. Note also that in addition to the simple edition, a collector’s edition will be offered for sale. This Divine edition will include a bonus large Poster, illustrated cards, a steelbook and an artbook. No price has yet filtered, but we can expect a bill around 120 €.
Octopath Travelers 2
After a remarkable first episode published in 2018, Square Enix is putting the cover back by offering us a sequel soberly titled Octopath Travelers 2 . In the world of Solistia, eight new heroes and their respective stories will accompany us for many hours from February 24, 2023. A collector’s edition is even already on sale for the wealthy since it will cost nearly €190 to get it. on the Square Enix website .
Pikmin 4
There are few titles that Shigueru Miyamoto bothers to announce personally. Pikmin is one of them. Already in 2015, the father of the series explained that the development of Pikmin 4 was almost finished. We finally had to wait for the title to finally be officially announced, without having a lot of images to put ourselves under the chin, with a vague 2023 as a release window. In the meantime, we can wait with the mobile game Pikmin Bloom , a much more bucolic sort of Pokémon GO.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE
It’s a nice surprise from the creators of Danganronpa that the presence of this Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE in this Nintendo Direct . The two titles are also very similar since we will embody a detective investigating unsolved cases. Once the evidence is in our possession, it will be time for the confrontation with our suspect and we will then have to dodge the lies and hit the contradictions. The investigation will begin next spring, exclusively on the Switch.
Remasters, remakes and ports as if it were raining
Clearly, the Switch is the machine of choice to see the old glories of the past return. Thus, we will find with great pleasure Project Zero: The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse , remaster of the fourth episode of the saga, from the beginning of next year. A period also chosen for the remastering of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe , originally released on Wii, since it will join the Switch catalog on February 24, 2023.
One of the GameCube’s flagship RPGs will also be entitled to its updated version. Tales of Symphonia Remastered will also arrive in early 2023. We continue to go back in time with the first three episodes of Front Mission which will be offered a second youth next November for the 1st opus, 2023 for the second and later for the third.
As for notable ports, we can note the presence in the Nintendo Direct of Tunic , the excellent Zelda-like to download from September 27, Factorio , which has convinced construction and management enthusiasts, to be released on October 28 , and Sifu , one of the best games of 2022, which will arrive on Switch on November 8th. Note also the arrival on November 4 of It Takes Two (Downgrade Edition), voted game of the year at the last Game Awards.
Nintendo has become a master in the art of reusing all its good old titles that have never really had time to gather dust, with in particular the Nintendo Switch Online Additional Pack which currently offers around twenty N64 games. By the end of the year, therefore, Pilotwings 64 and Mario Party 1 and 2 will be added to this selection, while we will have to wait until 2023 to be able to replay Mario Party 3, Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2, 1080° Snowboarding, Excitebike 64 and the Goldeneye Cult 64.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
And how not to mention the case of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, or rather Tears of the Kingdom as it should now be called? A trailer rich in information and a release date set for May 12, 2023, that was enough to knock us out. A highlight of the show that would have almost made us forget the absence of the remasters of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Finally, it is only a postponement, no doubt.
What a Nintendo Direct! We experienced a forty-minute conference of incredible density. So certainly, some major absences were felt. We think for example of the Metroid saga, the Prime episodes being the subject of rumors for a long time, or the new project of the team in charge of Super Mario Galaxy, which would be at work on a Donkey Kong. But no matter, let’s not sulk our pleasure and let’s still take advantage of the current slight calm before the fireworks of outings that risk putting our bank accounts to the torture.
