Yesterday, on June 21st at 16:00, Nintendo held a Direct event that aimed to fill the release calendar for the second half of 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. And they delivered on their promise. Additionally, the Japanese company provided a glimpse of two projects slated for 2024. On one hand, we have a game starring Princess Peach, and on the other, a remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2. Third-party developers also contributed to filling the calendar with various announcements.
Nintendo’s iconic character, Mario, took center stage, returning in two different ways. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, available on October 20th, the mustached hero returns to evolve side-scrolling 2D games. Furthermore, Super Mario RPG will make a comeback with a remake on November 17th. Nintendo’s lineup also includes Detective Pikachu: The Return, a cinematic adventure game set to debut on October 6th, as well as Pikmin. We have remastered versions of Pikmin 1 and 2, and the upcoming release of Pikmin 4.
While it’s challenging to overshadow Nintendo during a Direct, not everything was first-party. Vampire Survivors announced a version for the Switch, Konami provided a release date for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, Square Enix unveiled Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, and Private Division revealed Penny’s Big Breakaway, a kinetic 3D platforming game developed by the creators of Sonic Mania.
Here’s a bullet point summary of all the news published during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct:
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder announced, a 2D side-scrolling game arriving on October 20th.
- Pikmin 4 details its concept and new features with a new trailer.
- Detective Pikachu Returns announced for Nintendo Switch, available on October 6th.
- Super Mario RPG will receive a remake, releasing on November 17th.
- In 2024, Princess Peach will have her own game, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 will return with a remaster.
- Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 are now available for the Nintendo Switch.
- Vampire Survivors will premiere a local co-op mode and a Switch version on August 17th.
- Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 will be available on October 24th.
- Penny’s Big Breakaway, a 3D kinetic platforming game developed by the creators of Sonic Mania, is announced.
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R remake announced, releasing on November 2nd.
- Square Enix announces Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince for December 1st.
- Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Purple showcase additional content included in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
- Persona 5 Tactica provides new details about its combat system.
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope receives additional content, The Last Spark Hunter.
- Wario Ware: Move It announced for Nintendo Switch.
- Gloomhaven will arrive on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on September 18th.
- Silent Hope, an isometric action RPG, is announced.
- Batman Arkham Trilogy will arrive on Nintendo Switch this fall.
In summary, the Nintendo Direct showcased a wide variety of exciting games and release dates, with Mario, Pikmin, and Pikachu closing out 2023, and the promise of new adventures starring Peach and Luigi in 2024.
