During a Nintendo Direct live stream on Wednesday, Nintendo detailed its intentions for upcoming Switch games. The company is now working on preparing its roster of games that are scheduled to release during the first half of 2023. The business discussed previously announced titles such as Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Last Demon, and Pikmin 4, but the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was the highlight of the Direct.
There were, however, several unexpected developments, such as the rebirth of the Samba de Amigo franchise after a hiatus of several decades and the remastering of several Nintendo games originally released for consoles of a previous generation. Similarly, Nintendo provided us with a sneak glimpse at the upcoming Professor Layton video game, which is titled Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.
These are the most significant announcements that were made at the Nintendo Direct broadcast in February 2023.
TEARS OF THE KINGDOM, A CHAPTER IN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Nintendo has released a new gameplay trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is set to be released on May 12, 2023. The game is still a few months away from its scheduled release date. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in 2017, and this highly anticipated game is the sequel to that game. It maintains the open-world adventure of its predecessor but now expands it higher and into the sky.
In addition, Nintendo disclosed that Link's next journey would have a price tag that is far more than usual: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will have a retail price of $69.99 when it is released in May.
RE-BOOT CAMP FOR THE ADVANCE WARS 1+2
On April 21, after a delay of eleven months, Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp will finally be available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch. They are available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch eShop at this time. The release of Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp was originally scheduled for April 2022, but Nintendo pushed back the release date after Russia invaded Ukraine in March of that year. Nintendo stated that the delay was caused by "recent world events," which most likely refers to the invasion by Russia. Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp is a cartoon-styled, turned-based strategic video game.
GAME BOY AND GAME BOY ADVANCE ON NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE
A selection of titles originally released for the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance will soon be available to play online through Nintendo Switch. You can play Game Boy games if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and you can play Game Boy Advance games (which include Game Boy games) if you have both a membership and an expansion pass for Game Boy Advance. On the Game Boy, you may play games such as Tetris, Metroid 2: Return of Samus, Wario Land 3, and a lot of other games. You may look forward to Mario Kart: Super Circuit and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap being released for Game Boy Advance, amongst other titles.
REMAKE OF THE METROID PRIME
Dual-stick controls are being added to the original Metroid Prime game that was originally released for the GameCube in a remastered edition that is being released for the Nintendo Switch. It will be available digitally on the Nintendo eShop later today, and a physical copy will be available in shops on February 22.
PIKMIN 4
People have been anticipating the release of Pikmin 4, which is the fourth instalment in the franchise's core series, for the better part of a decade. The new turn-based strategy game will be available on July 21, Nintendo said on Wednesday. The video begins with Pikmin descending to Earth and engaging in typical Pikmin activities, such as destroying objects and squaring off against foes, alongside a very adorable dog by the name of Oatchi and new sorts of Pikmin, such as an ice-type Pikmin.
SAMBA DE AMIGO: PARTY CENTRAL
It's been almost two decades since Sonic Team and Sega debuted Samba de Amigo, an arcade rhythm game that was eventually ported to Sega's Dreamcast (2000) and Nintendo's Wii. Sonic Team was the developer, and Sega was the publisher (2008). The instruction is straightforward: Keep your body and your maracas moving in time to the beat. On June 30th, Samba de Amigo: Party Central will be published on the Nintendo Switch. The game will launch with 40 songs spanning a variety of genres. This time around, there is more to the game than just shaking the maracas; there are also minigames, such as a love checker, and online play for as many as eight players.
BATEN KAITOS REMASTER
To the list of things that were announced at Wednesday's Nintendo Direct, you can now add another re-release. Alongside a remaster of the precursor game to Baten Kaitos Origins, which was originally released for the GameCube in 2003, an HD version of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean will be remade for the Nintendo Switch. Namco was the original publisher of Baten Kaitos, and the video game was initially released in Japan before making its way to North America in the year 2004. After the release of Origins, the JRPG franchise was discontinued so that the creator, Monolith Soft, could focus on other projects, such as the Xenoblade Chronicles titles.
Fans of the Japanese role-playing game and the morphing playing cards it featured have, despite the passage of so much time, never given up hope or faith that Baten Kaitos will return. It seems like 2023 will be the year, specifically the summer of that year.
FASHION DREAMER
To put it simply, Fashion Dreamer is a simulation of the life of a fashion influencer in which you are graded based on the quality of your outfits. It's similar to Love Nikki, but without the insane backstory. It is a new original intellectual property that will be released by XSEED in 2023 only for the Nintendo Switch.
A RETURN TO CASTLEVANIA FOR THE DEAD CELLS
Return to Castlevania is the name of the upcoming expansion for Dead Cells, which will be based on the Castlevania series. It was announced at The Game Awards the year before, and it is scheduled to release on March 6 on the Nintendo Switch.
GHOST TRICK: PHANTOM DETECTIVE is an online game.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a re-release of an adventure game that was originally released in 2010 by Capcom. It is anticipated that it will be released in 2023 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs that are run through Steam.
KATAMARI REROLL+ ROYAL REVERIE IS SO AMAZING TO US!
The We Love Katamari video game series from Namco is getting a remastering treatment that will result in the title We Love Katamari ReRoll+ Royal Reverie. It is a rolly-polly character who accumulates a whole bunch of items — you know, in a typical Katamari manner — and the player controls this character in the puzzle game that is a sequel to Katamari Damacy.
SPLATOON 3
The expansion pass for Splatoon 3 is a paid piece of downloadable content that comes in two waves of content. The first of these rounds adds Inkopolis, a setting from the first Splatoon game. Along with it comes the Inkopolis Plaza, which features brand-new shops and fresh shopkeepers. The Nintendo Switch will receive the initial wave of content in the spring. The second wave of content, titled Side Order, will arrive at a later date and will feature a brand-new single-player campaign.
DISNEY ILLUSION ISLAND
Disney Illusion Island appears to be a Disney-themed platformer that transports Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck into a brand-new, enigmatic environment. Additionally, the game supports up to four players simultaneously in its multiplayer mode. On July 28th, it will be available for Nintendo Switch.
THE DECLINE AND FALL OF REVERIE IN HARMONY
The outcome of Don't Nod's Harmony: The Fall of Reverie will determine the course of human history. This gripping video game is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch in June. The Life is Strange series is what made Don't Nod a household name.
PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE NEW WORLD OF STEAM
Surprise! There will soon be a new Professor Layton game, but Nintendo has been incredibly secretive about the upcoming release, revealing only the game's title and nothing more. The title of the video game is Professor Layton and the New World of Steam. 2014 marked the year that saw the release of the final mainline Professor Layton game.
THE GIRL WHO STEALS TIME, THE FIRST PART OF FANTASY LIFE
A game extremely similar to Animal Crossing, Fantasy Life I The Girl Who Steals Time tasks players with repopulating an island by gathering resources and bringing dormant inhabitants back to life. It bears a striking resemblance to Animal Crossing, from the visuals to the décor and the harvesting, but it introduces several new gameplay elements, such as a more in-depth cooking system. The Nintendo 3DS was the platform on which the first game, Fantasy Life, was made available to the public. It is anticipated to come out this year.
DELUXE EDITION OF MARIO KART 8 COURSE
The next round of downloadable content for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be released for the Nintendo Switch in the spring. This DLC will include a Yoshi's Island track and, luckily, Birdo.