Nintendo Direct shows Switch is going out in its Prime

After a decade of Nintendo Direct presentations, the June 2024 event had a unique obstacle, namely showing the existing Nintendo Switch system still holds some life, despite Nintendo acknowledging the imminent release of a successor. Well, Nintendo has convinced me at least.

Rumors were bouncing around the internet that this particular Direct would be nothing but remakes, remasters, and filler to tide fans over: it’s actually the new games that show nobody can develop like Nintendo. Nearing eight years of Nintendo Switch, there are still huge surprises in store.

Let’s get the big stuff out of the way. the final announcement — Nintendo’s ‘One More Thing’ showstopper — was the gameplay reveal of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Stunning visuals and a return to the Prime gameplay are enough to get fans excited, and this sci-fi shooter seems to be set to squeeze every last drop of processing power out of the existing Switch specs.

Next up, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the first new top-down (or 2D) entry since the 3DS title A Link Between Worlds. It shares a large resemblance to the Switch remaster of Link’s Awakening, so it might be safe to assume that Nintendo stalwart Grezzo is the developer behind this new entry.

While a smaller-scale Zelda title might not set the world on fire, this title hides one big change from previous games, as Princess Zelda herself is the protagonist. Zelda can use magical powers to make ‘echoes’ of items and enemies, then use these spells to solve puzzles around the world. The visual style remains gorgeous, and this new ability could offer up some truly exciting gameplay opportunities.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom enables players to play as the Princess of Hyrule.

Other big announcements included a return to the Mario & Luigi franchise, with a new entry Brothership. Who can say which studio is developing it, as AlphaDream went bankrupt after the last entry in the series, but it looks promising and is the third Mario RPG to be announced for Switch in the last year.

Then, some other highlights include the full reveal of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D, and the surprise confirmation of Dragon Quest I-II HD-2D, bringing Erdrick’s first two adventures to modern platforms in 2025. Much like Octopath Traveller II these look stunning and could be a fitting tribute to the work of the late artist Akira Toriyama.

While not quite as exciting, some other surprises included Super Mario Party Jamboree, a new entry in the franchise that seems like a sequel to the motion-focused Super Mario Party. I’d rather have a sequel to the much better Mario Party Superstars, but it looks full of new content and some fresh minigame ideas.

Finally, many games make glorious returns, as ports or remasters have been confirmed for Donkey Kong Country Returns, the previous Apple Arcade exclusive Fantasian, and a fantastic surprise in the form of a Marvel x Capcom Fighting Collection including the return of the masterpiece Marvel vs Capcom 2.

There are many more games to talk about, with plenty of RPGs filling in the gaps, and some fun updates to titles such as Nintendo Switch Sports and Disney Illusion Island, but still, it’s a testament to Nintendo that the Switch still has so many huge surprises up its sleeve.

Going into this Direct, sentiment online could have convinced many that the aging Nintendo Switch was stifling the system, and that Nintendo themselves couldn’t have many surprises left as all the biggest games must be heading for the Nintendo Switch’s successor.

Videogame lovers should never underestimate Nintendo. While it’s undeniable that this Direct was missing any AAA announcements, such as a new 3D Mario, a Maro Kart, or even a new Zelda title, the company has so much more to pull from.

While console titans like Playstation and Xbox have to rely on third-party developers to plug massive content gaps in their calendars, Nintendo has shown once again that slow and steady wins the race. The company moves to the beat of its own drum and always seems to know it’s better to hold onto a game and release it at the right time than rush to get games over the line to appease quarterly earnings results.

If this is the last year of the Nintendo Switch, then the plucky hybrid console could be capping off a truly legendary string of titles with a few final showstoppers. While more powerful hardware might hold to key to bigger and prettier games, the heart of Nintendo is the decisions that allow an aging system to still wow fans when others are struggling in their prime.