Nintendo hosts its Direct showcases every now and then, but the annual September iteration has always been where the heavy hitters are at. The most recent presentation, focusing on Nintendo Switch titles launching in Winter 2022, continues to uphold this tradition, revealing plenty of upcoming titles and new trailers, including the highly-anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Pikmin 4, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.
It was certainly a beefy lineup, but there were a couple of notable headliners that should get fans all excited. From The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Pikmin 4, here are the biggest announcements from the event.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Peace may have returned with the defeat of the Divine Beasts and Calamity Ganon, but Link’s quest is far from done. In a new trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to Breath of the Wild, the warrior is back exploring the lands and skies of Hyrule, with the kingdom appearing to be in a shattered state. There also seems to be a new stasis power, and Link can now travel via skydiving or riding aboard a stone bird. Tears of the Kingdom? More like tears of joy, for the game is finally arriving on 12 May 2023.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
Mark your calendars — the release date for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has been set in this Nintendo Direct. The remaster of PSP classic Crisis Core: FFVII is dropping in hot on 13 December, with the promise to stay faithful to the legacy of protagonist Zack Fair and the overall narrative. There will be some differences from the original title, but the combat aspect seems to be doing pretty well, especially in the newly-revealed trailer, which showed Zack in all his sword-swinging glory.
Pikmin 4
Pikmin is coming back after 10 long years! Announcing a 2023 release, a brief trailer for Pikmin 4 offered a glimpse of the lush environment and a few Bulborbs running around, but no actual gameplay was shown. Nintendo icon Shigeru Miyamoto did, however, discuss some elements from the game that fans can look forward to, so that’s a good starting point.
GoldenEye
It’s been a long time coming, but a remake ofGoldenEye 007 has officially been announced. The remaster of the Nintendo 64 title will bring 4K resolution and smoother frame rates to Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online when it launches, but with a catch: the online multiplayer feature is exclusive only to the Switch platform. There’s no announced date for the game just yet.
Fire Emblem Engage
Fire Emblem Engage is the next mainline entry in the series, and it will feature a very familiar face. Following a story set a thousand years after a great evil was sealed away, the game sees the player becoming a Divine Dragon called Alear and collecting Emblem Rings to “bring peace back to the continent of Elyos”.
Just like the other games in the franchise, new members can join your party; unlike them, Engage lets you recruit previous characters, such as Marth and Celica. It is launching on 20 January 2023 for the Switch.
Bayonetta 3
Combat, demon summoning, and Bayonetta’s transformation abilities take centre stage in this new Bayonetta 3 trailer at the Nintendo Direct. Everyone’s favourite Umbra Witch is poised for a glorious return on 28 October, but she won’t be alone — the Switch exclusive will also feature multiple Witches, so fans should be in for a good time.
Octopath Traveler 2
Eight new heroes will be called upon in the sequel to Octopath Traveler, as they navigate through a brand new narrative set in the world of Solistia. The difference here is that their stories can intersect with each other at some point in the story, with daytime and nighttime bringing different Overworld actions. 24 February 2023 marks the start of a fresh adventure.
The Nintendo Direct for September 2022 certainly pulled out the big guns, and while there were anticipated games that didn’t make an appearance, such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, it was quite the feast for gaming enthusiasts and Nintendo fans. The complete list of reveals may be viewed below, arranged in chronological order from the earliest to the latest:
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Pikmin 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Just Dance 2023 Edition
- Octopath Traveler II
- Fae Farm
- Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe
- Nintendo Switch Online N64 games (including GoldenEye)
- It Takes Two
- Rune Factory 3 Special
- Splatoon 3 post-launch content
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass
- Ib
- Tunic
- Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion
- Radiant Silvergun
- Bayonetta 3
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass
- Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
- Tales of Symphonia Remastered
- Harvestella
- Mario Strikers: Battle League update
- Nintendo Switch Sports update
- Theaterhythm Final Bar Line
- Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key
- Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
- Resident Evil Village Cloud
- Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
- Various Daylife
- Sifu
- Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
- Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
- OddBallers
- Factorio
- Endless Dungeon
- Front Mission 1st: Remake
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.
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