As the Nintendo Switch approaches its eighth year on the market, it’s about time for a new console to take its place. However, after the June 2024 Nintendo Direct presentation, it seems like the best-selling handheld/home console hybrid still has plenty of fuel in the tank. Between the major first-party exclusives and a solid line-up of indies, new games are piling up in the platform’s twilight years, even as some competitors pump the brakes. In fact, out of every company that held a summer games showcase in recent weeks, Nintendo arguably shined the brightest, though they were a bit late to the party. In case you missed the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, let’s take a look at some of the biggest announcements from this summer showcase, including an array of awesome new games and a peek at 2025 and beyond!
Mario and Mini-Games
Nintendo didn’t hold back during the June 2024 Direct, unleashing a line-up of exclusive games set for release in the year to come. To kick off the presentation, Nintendo opened with the world premiere of Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the sixth game in the turn-based RPG spin-off series that originally started on the Game Boy Advance. This modern sequel tracks Mario and Luigi as they sail to the new world of Concordia for another silly and action-packed adventure, which comes to Nintendo Switch on November 7.
Speaking of Super Mario spin-offs, Super Mario Party Jamboree was also revealed, and promises the biggest entry in the multiplayer franchise so far. With over 110 mini-games, and a smattering of content from the first two Mario Party games, Jamboree looks like it will be a crowd-pleaser when it launches on Switch on October 17. More mini-game fun can be found with the upcoming Nintendo World Championships NES Edition, a competitive experience that will test your speedrunning skills in over 150 NES challenges. You don’t have long to practice, though, since Nintendo World Championships NES Edition will release on July 18.
Ladies Take Center Stage
If Tears of the Kingdom didn’t scratch your Zelda itch enough, then perhaps another sequel will hit the spot. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down adventure title that stars Zelda instead of Link, and heavily borrows from the art style of the Link’s Awakening remake. This interesting entry will feature more puzzles than combat, and mainly revolves around the use of Zelda’s new Tri Rod tool, which lets the player create and manipulate items at will. Echoes of Wisdom enters the long lineage of Zelda games when it releases on September 26.
Peering into 2025, Nintendo closed the show with a brief look at the long-awaited FPS sequel, Metroid Prime 4. Now with a new subtitle, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is looking rather impressive after 7 years in development, featuring quick combat, careful exploration, and an evocative sci-fi setting. We’re going to have to wait a while to play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but after several years of radio silence, it’s nice to see an update on the highly anticipated return of Samus.
More Retro Updates and Endless Remake
If you’d rather relive the past than try something new, there’s no shortage of retro nostalgia and remastered content coming to the Switch as well. Four titles have been instantly added to the Nintendo Switch Online classic games collection, including the excellent Game Boy Advance adventures Metroid: Zero Mission and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Four Swords, as well as N64 bangers Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Perfect Dark.
There are more upcoming remasters and remakes than anyone could reasonably handle, and the Switch continues to be home to quite a fair share. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings the 2010 Wii game to Switch with more levels and better graphics on January 16, 2025, while Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics offers a compilation of 7 iconic fighters and beat ’em ups when it launches sometime in 2024.
Finally, if you’re a fan of JRPGs, you too can indulge in nostalgia. The first three Dragon Quest games are receiving the “2D HD” treatment, starting with Dragon Quest 3 on November 14, and the double pack, Dragon Quest 1 & 2, later in 2025. You can also dive deep into the modern remake, Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven, which revives the 1993 JRPG with quality-of-life improvements and much more on October 24.
