It’s been a hectic period for Nintendo, even without a Switch successor reveal. Fresh off a showcase in June and the Nintendo Museum Direct just last week, the Japanese giant held another presentation on 27 August — this time, as a two-in-one event focusing on upcoming indie titles.
Spanning 40 minutes, it lifted the curtain on some surprising and fun announcements, including familiar retro classics with a shiny coat of paint (once again, Hollow Knight: Silksong fans will be disappointed). Some of these releases are also available for download now, so say goodbye to the waiting game.
Here’s everything that was revealed during the Nintendo Direct for August 2024, from Yakuza Kiwami and a Castlevania trilogy bundle to a slew of JPRGs.
Yakuza Kiwami
After years of waiting, the remake of the first Yakuza game is finally landing on Nintendo hybrid console. Both returning fans and newcomers will be able to (re)visit the streets of Kamurocho when 24 October rolls around, with Majima’s iconic ‘Kiryu-chaaaaaaan~’ cry keeping them on their toes. The port is particularly notable, as the series features mature (some may even say ‘violent’) and morally ambiguous content — which is off-brand for the company — but we’re certainly not complaining. Now, if only the rest of the titles could make their way over…
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is due out in Spring 2025 as a bold reimagination of the classic action RPG. In it, players will step into the shoes of an Earth Dancer for the very first time, and call upon “unique powers to battle blighted monsters and restore the land, people, villages, and even gods to their natural glory.”
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st
Talk about sneaky! A brand-new Legends of Heroes: Trails in the Sky remake got an extremely brief glimpse as part of a sizzle reel, and it’s got fans all excited — understandably so, because the original is buried in relative obscurity. The sprawling entry is slated for a 2025 release, with the Japanese trailer showcasing more of its highly lauded worldbuilding, memorable protagonists, and deep battle system:
Castlevania Dominus Collection
What’s better than a compilation of three Castlevania titles that originally debuted on the Nintendo DS? All of that, plus the 1987 arcade game Haunted Castle! Castlevania Dominus Collection brings together Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia, as well as the bonus addition, sprucing things up with “extra features such as save states or rewind”. The bundle is available now, and joins the existing family lineup that includes Castlevania Anniversary Collection and the Castlevania Advance Collection.
Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster
Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster has resurfaced after a period of radio silence, and it’s looking better than ever. Releasing on 6 March 2025, the collection sports enhanced visuals, the ability to speed up combat to 2x and 4x speeds, an auto-battle feature, and more.
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Capcom certainly isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to nostalgia. Hot on the heels of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, the brawling spirit continues with Capcom Fighting Collection 2, packing eight retro fighting games that span Capcom vs. SNK, its sequel, both Power Stone titles, and more. There’s no word on a release window, but 2025 is a safe bet.
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 and Security Breach — Ruin
Gear up for another spooktacular ride with Freddy Fazbear and gang. After releasing on other platforms in 2023, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 is hitting the Nintendo Switch this holiday, with Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin also bringing more frights and thrills within the same window.
MySims Cozy Bundle
Best described as The Sims meets Animal Crossing, MySims Cozy Bundle will arrive 19 November and see players making “adorable friends and discover[ing] creative adventures across retro re-releases of two lovable games.” Each character has their own unique qualities, so expect to befriend many colourful personalities.
Tales of Graces f Remastered
No gameplay here, but fans of the former PlayStation 3-exclusive were treated to an extended look at Tales of Graces f Remastered. Launching on 17 January 2025, the game revisits the journey of Asbel and his friends, and will boast “visual improvements and downloadable content released in the original”.
Balatro: Friends of Jimbo
The more, the merrier. Beloved deck-building roguelite Balatro has announced upcoming decks themed after various titles, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Vampire Survivors, Among Us, and Dave the Diver. It’s unclear how new effects will differ for each collaboration, but as part of a free update coming in 2025, things are already looking exciting.
Neva
Hailing from the makers of Gris, Neva is a beautifully-styled adventure that follows a young woman and her wolf as the world slowly decays around them. The side-scrolling platformer debuts 15 October, promising what seems to be a tear-jerker in store.
PowerWash Simulator — Official Shrek Special Pack
Everyone can now be an all-star when it comes to cleaning Shrek’s swamp this fall. Described as a ‘fairy tale collaboration”, the new Shrek Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator covers five iconic maps from the ogre’s world, including Shrek’s Swamp, Dragon’s Lair, and three other unrevealed locations.
Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker DLC
The highly-anticipated expansion for indie darling Sea of Stars, Throes of the Watchmaker, takes players into Horloge, where a cursed carnival “threatens the innocent denizens, Valere and Zale will have play by foreign rules for their powers to manifest.” Expect to cross paths with a slate of oddities and wonders in this miniature clockwork world when the free DLC drops in spring 2025.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land
An alchemy JRPG themed around memory, Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land (yes, the title is a handful) is set to bow in early 2025, telling the story of Yumia as she confronts her past, memories, and the art of, well, alchemy.
Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Training
From a single Quick Workout to Mitt Drills, where players can practice combos with an instructor, Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer presents various options to suit different lifestyles. The fitness title is set to punch its way to a 5 December launch, with 30 new instrumental songs in tow.
SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game
Come 4 October, Bikini Bottom will transform into a sandbox playground that invites some physics-defying fun. Apart from missions from beloved characters like SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, and Plankton, SpongeBob Squarepants: The Patrick Star Game features activities that run the gamut from building Krabby Patties to causing chaos in Mrs. Puff’s rage room.
Star Overdrive
A timed Nintendo Switch exclusive, Star Overdrive centres around exploring a vast planet and defeat various beasts with a hover board, as well as solving puzzles. The bright, lively intergalactic romp is due out in 2025.
Tetris Forever
The spirit of Tetris never dies. Touting an “interactive museum” experience, Tetris Forever comprises several entries in the series, such as the 1988 Famicom version of Tetris, Super Bombliss, Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss, Tetris Battle Gaiden, and Super Tetris 3, alongside a new mode called Tetris Time Mode. An exact release date has yet to be determined, but it’s coming sometime before the end of 2024.
Pizza Tower
Pizza Tower, the fast-paced 2D platformer inspired by the Wario Land franchise, is set to bring more chaos to Nintendo’s hybrid console. Available now, it sees players taking on the role of Peppino Spaghetti, a manic pizza man with many abilities like charging, super jumping, and dashing.
On Your Tail
On Your Tail promises a perfect summer vacation in store — not for pure humans, but for animal people. Set in the charming seaside village of Borgo Marina, it features exploration, socialising, and puzzle-solving elements when 21 November arrives.
Cuisineer
The adorable food-focused dungeon crawler from Singapore-based Battlebrew Productions, Cuisineer, is cooking up a 28 January 2025 release on the Switch. Part roguelike and part restaurant simulator, it challenges players to earn their dinner the hard way: by fighting it in a dungeon, while keeping stomachs full.
Europa
Nature is the name of the game in Europa, due out on 11 October. In a world of lakes, meadows, and mountains littered within a fallen civilisation, a young boy will have to “run, glide, and fly across the landscape, solve mysteries in the ruins of a fallen utopia, and discover the story of the last human alive.”
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
The ultimate edition of the beloved title, Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX promises 20 playable characters, seamless online multiplayer, and new features like rewind and save states sometime in 2025.
Pico Park 2
Chaos await in Pico Park 2, out now as the surprise follow-up to the 2D action puzzle game. Join forces with up to seven others in local or online co-op, and use teamwork to complete various level objectives. Only one Nintendo Switch unit is needed for play, with Dark Mode unlocking a new unfair and difficult version.
Wobbly Life
It’s all about physics in Wobbly Life. The open-world sandbox supports both online and local co-op, and will bow in this December with “exciting jobs, mini games, and wacky story missions”.
Peglin
Peglin is one to check out. Described as a “pachinko roguelike”, the game sports pixel-art graphics and a fresh spin on the turn-based RPG experience. It’s available now on the Nintendo platform, after releasing on PC and smartphone devices earlier.
Date Everything
As its title suggests, Date Everything looks to take the dating simulator genre to new heights by extending dating options to objects, lovers, friends, enemies, and, well, everything else. Love will be in the air come 24 October.
Morsels
In Morsels, cats are the bad guys. To overcome feline dominance, players will have to use magic cards to transform into little monsters and form their troop of monster friends. Prepare to live life as a mouse when February 2025 lands.
Moth Kubit
Nothing short of bizarre, Moth Kubit is a surreal and satirical RPG that investigates a mysterious insect mega-corp, with opportunities to “bee-friend co-workers, engage in some verbal showdowns, uncover secrets, and shape the story.” The top-down adventure is slated for release in spring 2025.
Coffee Talk Tokyo
Indonesian studio Toge Productions’ Coffee Talk is brewing some new conversations in Tokyo. Releasing sometime in 2025, this new visual novel installment continues to put players in the shoes of a barista in an all-night coffee shop and listen to “stories of love, loss, joy, and sadness” from both humans and fantastical creatures alike.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Trinity Sun
