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Nintendo has done a summer direct for the longest time and this year is no exception. Tomorrow, June 21st, 2023 at 10:00am EST, we are getting a new look at games coming to Switch in 2023, and maybe beyond. This is not a predictions post, but instead I wanted to look at the library of the Nintendo Switch first party games. I wanted to shine a light on five games, including dual releases and ports, that deserve to be bigger than a “one-off” title. There are possibly more, but I really wanted to focus on First-Party exclusive releases. Whether or not new games are coming from these IPs, only time will tell. Maybe there will be an announcement of a sequel coming tomorrow? Who knows what Nintendo has cooking. Lets dive into what my list contains.
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker – Nintendo
Mario games are constantly coming out of the Nintendo woodwork and they are usually fantastic titles. One of the crazier spin-off titles that I have played within that universe has to be Captain Toad Treasure Tracker and since the release of the Switch and 3DS game happened, they have released a DLC for the adventure but that was it. The puzzles in this game are an absolute blast to play and I enjoyed finding all the little collectables that the game had to offer. I hope to see more from the wonderful adventurer that is Toad, especially after how adventurous Toad was in the Super Mario Bros movie from earlier this year. Check out the Demo that is available and please play the game as it is very good.
Sushi Striker- The Way of Sushido – Indieszero/Nintendo
Honestly, when I first saw this game, I passed on it completely. I have to say though, that was a big mistake as it was actually a very fun story. You are a Sushi Striker trying to save your world but there are things, and people who will try to stop you from doing what you need to do. The game tasks you by eating Sushi and throwing plates at your enemies using Sushi Sprites and items to help you throughout the adventure. There are also leveling systems, party systems, and more that made this game actually a very fun 15 hour adventure that I hope can one day come out with a sequel to. I am not sure if it sold great, but I hope Nintendo overlooks that for potential iterations in the future… I mean 1-2 Switch is getting a sequel at the end of June 2023, so anything is possible. There is also a demo available for this game, so check it out. The physical is pretty cheap to find at this point as well.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore – Atlus/Nintendo
A combination of the wonderful Persona franchise from Atlus, with a fan favorite Nintendo franchise of Fire Emblem? Combining the two with a musical JRPG adventure of an idol pop star? Hell yeah, sign me up for that. I never owned a Wii U but when this game was ported to the Switch, it was a shock to me and I was there day one. I played and beat the game and it was absolutely fantastic. The game is a dungeon RPG but is in true Atlus fashion and I loved playing every minute of the title. The music was so good, I ended up imported the CD soundtrack from Japan. Maybe there is a sequel coming one day, but Atlus team definitely seems like it has a bunch of projects cooking at once. I am holding out hope, but it isn’t a high hope at the moment.
Pokémon Legends Arceus – Gamefreak/Nintendo
Pokémon has had a bunch of titles that launched on Switch. Ranging from Mystery Dungeon DX, to the mainline generation games, there have been a bunch of titles that fans have loved and played on the console. I personally liked Violet, but that was honestly just “okay” in my opinion. I may get the DLC, but right now it isn’t super enticing me at the moment since I am in an almost burnout spot right now. However, last year, we got a massive shake up to the IP that was Legends Arceus where it combined open area sections and the ability to catch Pokémon without battling them, hunting them in the wild, battle stances, and so much more that it truly was a breath of fresh air to the IP that I think a bunch of people needed. That game is in my top five Pokémon games of all time and I hope we get another title that dives more into another section of the world of Pokémon that we know… maybe Kanto is next?
Astral Chain – Platinum Games/Nintendo
The Platinum team and Nintendo have been working together for quite a while now. Bayonetta came out and Nintendo didn’t want the franchise to end so they said make Bayonetta 2 available for the Wii U only, and the partnership took off from there. Sega still owns the IP to Bayonetta, but Nintendo licenses the games to keep them going; publishing Bayonetta 2, 3, and Origins. Now, another game that they made together was Astral Chain which is a full on action game that has some awesome PG combat in it, great detective work, annoying but decent platforming, and more. I hope that they can bring out a second one, either on this gen, or the next gen Nintendo console whenever it gets announced. I mean, Platinum likes to tease things in trailers, and this was kind of teased in one of the Bayonetta 3 trailers…
The Nintendo direct that comes out tomorrow (June 21, 2023) will have a bunch of titles in it, and hopefully maybe one or more of these IPs will get some kind of new light. Time will tell what the teams have cooking, and thankfully we dont have to wait too long. We are in a time when all the game companies are showing what their teams are working on, and Nintendo probably will have a big showcase as well. Always remember though, KEEP EXPECTATIONS IN CHECK, and you will find at least something you will enjoy on the console. What are you hoping isn’t stuck on Switch as a One Off Title? Let us know in the comments if I missed something massive. I’ve tried to get into ARMS and it wasn’t my favorite game so it isn’t on here for that reason.
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