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This year, there have been a massive amount of game announcements, showcases, and titles released; just like there usually is. Well, earlier today Nintendo had their Direct and it was a pretty solid one. Sure, there were a good amount of games we have already seen, like Sonic Superstars, Persona 5 Tactica, Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol. 1, MK8 Deluxe DLC, and more, but there was also a lot of new game announcements. Lets dive into my personal favorites from the show. I loved Persona 5, and I am excited for Tactica, but besides some new gameplay we saw today, we didn’t get a huge amount more of new info in the direct so I am excluding it here.
Detective Pikachu Returns – October 6, 2023
We had rumors for the longest time about a new game in this universe. While a bunch of people love mainline games, I have grown a little bit tired of them in the past and have gotten burnout. Spinoffs are exceptions and Detective Pikachu was a fun title for the little bit I played on the 3DS but I never ended up finishing it based on when the Switch came out and other things going on in my life at the time. However, this game looks like it will be fun to play. I am a bit concerned about the visuals and performance that was showcased today; however, I am hoping that was just early footage that was captured a while ago. October is packed right now, and this one isn’t sitting at the tippy top of my list, but it is still up there to grab on release if I can.
Super Mario RPG – November 17, 2023
A game that shocked me was the announcement of a remake of the beloved Super Mario RPG from the SNES. This game has been hidden away for a while without coming to the NSO service, but it wasn’t because they didn’t want to put it there, rather they were remaking the game in a beautiful artistic style. RPGs are one of my favorite genres of mine and this game has been on my bucket list to play since I started gaming when I was a young child. I am excited for this game in November, but I am a bit mad since it is coming out as the same day as Persona 5 Tactica. Maybe they will announce a demo for the game down the line with progress transferring to the full game as that would probably be a cool idea.
Mario Spin Off Games: Princess Peach Game & Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon Remastered – 2024
In the same segment when they were talking about this remake, they also mentioned two other games coming out next year. One of them was a remaster for Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon. The other one is a brand new game staring Princess Peach. The Princess Peach game looks really fun, but they were really just showing a quick tease on it. Dark Moon on the 3DS isn’t my favorite Luigi’s Mansion game, but it definitely is still a fun time sucking up ghosts as everyone’s favorite green plumber.
Pikmin 4 – July 21, 2023 ~ Demo Available June 28, 2023
We have seen this game a bunch recently between the multiple trailers and the game looks terrific every time they show it off. I personally haven’t been a massive fan of the franchise since I never really got into them before but this game does look good overall. They did a deep dive of the game and some of the new features and it looks to be a nice iteration of the Pikmin IP with new mechanics. They also announced a demo releasing on June 28th.
Pikmin 1+2 HD Collection – Digital: Available Today ~ Physical: September 22, 2023
On top of the new information that they shared regarding Pikmin 4, Nintendo announced that Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 were available today on the eShop for $29.99 each or $49.99 for both in a combo pack. They aren’t remakes, but they are HD ports of the original games for the platform. This means the Switch will contain, Pikmin 1-4 when it is all said and done and I think that is really cool. The digital games were shadow dropped, and the physical will be releasing in September and that is when I will probably grab the game.
Penny’s Big Breakaway – Early 2024
One of the most shocking games that came out of this direct for me, was this one. This one is from the same team that made the Sonic Mania game and it definitely has that feeling of it just by watching the trailer. The game has instantly become one of my most anticipated games of 2024 right now, and I just love a good 3D platformer adventure. This title is going to be one that I am going to be waiting and watching patiently for the release date to drop. Private Division has had a great line-up of titles in the past few years, including After Us which I got to review last month. I want more of this game, but for now, I guess I have to be patient.
Star Ocean Second Story R – November 2, 2023
HD-2D games are coming out of Square Enix at a nice pace. We got both Octopath Traveler games, Triangle Strategy, and Live-A-Live. Now we have Star Ocean Second Story R and while it is definitely not a true HD-2D game like the others, it has that absolutely cool look to it that fans of old and new school will like. It is a standalone game which is awesome since I haven’t played a Star Ocean game before. I definitely want to check this game out when it launches in November. So many games are coming out during that time, but it definitely is a game that I want for my collection.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – October 20, 2023
This Direct had a bunch of games that involved Mario and that universe. The last game that they ended the show with was a brand new 2D Mario game called Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This is what looks like a bright step in this franchise’s future that has been semi stagnant of recent times. The New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe game that was the port of the Wii U titles that came to the switch before is good but it felt a bit boring as the whole package in my opinion. This new one seems to turn a lot of things on its head and have more unique gameplay mechanics and I cannot wait for it to come out to play it. UPDATE: I didn’t realize it comes out the same day as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 until after the post went live. They are both big IPs so it is definitely going to be interesting for that day.
Honestly, without having any massive expectations for this direct, I came out extremely pleased with what they showed here. Sure, some people wont like the changes that they are doing for Super Mario RPG or Star Ocean Second Story R but I really like them both. If people always expect to see something based on a rumor, or report and they constantly aren’t getting them, that is your own fault for believing in a rumor or report before it is confirmed by the company. Keep an open mind, and there will be at least one thing you will like in every game showcase that you see. Sure there was a good amount of titles in here that are not for me; however, those titles that aren’t for me, might be exactly what other people want. Not everyone will have the same gaming taste as you, and that is perfectly okay. Good job Nintendo, you got me to spend a lot of money during the holiday season like you normally do.
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