Nintendo Direct: Breaking Down the Fire Emblem, Goldeneye, Pikmin, and Zelda Announcements

After skipping this summer’s various gaming showcases, Nintendo left fans hungry to know what to expect from the company in 2022 and beyond. After years of smash-hit sales, the Nintendo Switch seems to be entering the last phase of its life. Is Nintendo saving its heaviest hitters for the next system, or does the Switch have more in the tank? The most recent Nintendo Direct(Opens in a new window) showcase suggests Nintendo still has more in store for the console/handheld hybrid.

Sensational Nintendo Switch Games Breath of the Wild 2 Gets an Official Name, Release Date

The sequel to the beloved masterpiece The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally got a release date and full title. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on May 12, 2023. The follow-up to the Switch launch title was first announced in 2019, and since then we’ve only seen tantalizing glimpses of its new vertical take on Hyrule’s vast open world (which is now full of sky islands to fly between).

Bayonetta 3, Fire Emblem Engage, Octopath Traveler II

We also got a full gameplay trailer for Bayonetta 3, another game probably announced too soon. We learned more details about how to summon helpful demons, and the new fighting system for Viola, the new playable character. Bayonetta 3 launches on Oct. 28.

On Oct. 20, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will be released, and we also saw more gameplay for the tactical mashup. Add in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launching on Nov. 18 and there’s your 2022 holiday lineup.

You won’t have to wait long in 2023, though, for your next big Nintendo release. Fire Emblem Engage is the newest entry in the strategy-RPG series, and it’s scheduled for Jan. 20. The trailer hinted at the ability to summon heroes from past games, like Marth, although the game’s scope doesn’t seem as large as the previous console entry, Three Houses. If you don’t want as much strategy in your RPG, Octopath Traveler II also got announced with a Feb. 24 release date.

More Ports, Remasters, and Other News

As usual, this Direct also revealed many ports and remasters of older games you may not have tried. Front Mission, Tales of Symphonia, Radiant Silvergun, Tunic, It Takes Two, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, Fatal Frame 4, Final Fantasy Theatrhythm, and cloud versions of recent Resident Evil games all made appearances.

In addition, Fitness Boxing: First of the North Star is a game that exists. At least that’s more interesting than the truly unreal amount of anime farming games we saw, from Story of Seasons to Harvestella to Fae Farm.

Recommended by Our Editors

We didn’t see a trailer for the upcoming Mario movie, but after introducing us to Pikmin Bloom (a game that’s been out for months), Shigeru Miyamoto finally unveiled Pikmin 4, coming next year. In the meantime, Pikmin 3 Deluxe is an excellent Switch game. Other existing games, such as Splatoon 3, Mario Strikers: Battle League, Nintendo Switch Sports, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, are set to receive content updates. 

Before this Direct, rumors swirled that we would see HD remasters of GameCube classics (Metroid Prime) and the Wii U Zelda ports (Wind Waker and Twilight Princess). That didn’t happen. However, alongside other N64 announcements, such as Mario Party and Pokemon Stadium, we learned that the legendary shooter GoldenEye 007 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Perhaps due to the sheer legal mess involved, the game is also coming to Xbox Game Pass and Rare Replay. The Switch version won’t have 4K textures, but it will have online play, so pick whichever feature is more important to you.

At this point, a next-generation Switch probably isn’t coming until at least 2024, but with a current Switch library this strong, my biggest hope is that the new system is fully backwards compatible. More power would also be nice. 

For more recommended Nintendo Switch titles, check out The Best Nintendo Switch Games and The Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids. For in-depth video game talk, visit PCMag’s Pop-Off YouTube channel(Opens in a new window).

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