The direct was defined by three huge titles receiving new trailers and info, the first to be shown off being Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The latest trailer showed off the stunning environments of Planet Viewros, where the game will take place. The jungles of Viewros are inhabited by grotesque alien creatures who stalk and attack Samus, impeding her journey as she tries to find an escape from this undiscovered world.
Adding another layer of depth to her gameplay...
The trailer showed off Samus’ new psychic powers, granted to her by the planet’s mysterious properties. These allow her to interact with Viewros’ ancient technology and control the trajectory of her cannon’s fire, adding another layer of depth to her gameplay. The game looks to strike a solid balance between puzzle-solving and combat, but it’s hard to say how well it’ll all come together until the game releases later this year.
The next big announcement came in the form of another trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which sees the series return to Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y. The trailer focused on showing off everything that has changed about Lumiose, such as the introduction of Wild Zones. These are the game’s equivalent of the tall grass mechanic from previous Pokémon games, as this is where wild Pokémon can be found, fought and caught. The majority of wild Pokémon are found here, but some roam the city, and can be spotted anywhere, from on the street to atop buildings.
Making every corner of the city you traverse entirely unpredictable...
The game’s main mechanic is the Z-A Royale, which activates during the night. When this happens, the aura of the city shifts, and trainers turn hostile. If a trainer spots you within a battle zone, you will be challenged to a fight, making every corner of the city you traverse entirely unpredictable. Z-A Royale features a ranking system, with players starting the game at Rank Z and needing to climb all the way up to A, a rank that is said to grant a wish to any trainer that reaches it.
First new game in the series after 12 years of waiting...
The third and final big moment came as the last game announcement of the Direct, with the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream finally being announced: the first new game in the series after 12 years of waiting. The game will be set on an island out at sea, and seems to feature one big world that the player can observe and explore freely. This looks to be a potentially huge upgrade on Tomodachi Life for the 3DS, where players could only observe one location or area of the world at a time. This should hopefully make the world of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream feel much more cohesive, rather than a collection of disconnected locations and areas. The game is set to release in 2026.
The Direct featured much more than these three games though, with announcements such as remakes of Dragon Quest I and II, another instalment in the Story of Seasons series, and a brand-new Rhythm Heaven game being shown off. The Direct also revealed that the Monument Valley trilogy would be making its way to the Switch. The first two games in this iconic indie puzzle series will launch on the Switch on April 15th, with the latest release arriving this summer.
This presentation wasn't just limited to game trailers...
This presentation wasn’t just limited to game trailers, as Nintendo announced the launch of their new virtual game cards. With this feature, Nintendo Switch owners will be able to pair their console with one other device and share all their digital games in the same way they could with physical games, with the ability to ‘eject’ virtual cards from their device so that the other device can use them.
Allows digital games to function the same way that physical cartridges do...
Users will also be able to loan out their virtual cards to other switch users in their family membership, which can contain up to eight users. One virtual card can be loaned out to each family member at any time, allowing for a possible total of seven cards to be lent at once. This essentially allows digital games to function the same way that physical cartridges do, albeit with some limitations.
Nintendo also took this Direct as an opportunity to announce their new Nintendo Today app, which promises to deliver daily news on the Nintendo Switch 2 following next week’s showcase. This showcase will air on the 2nd April at 2pm BST, and can be watched on Nintendo’s official channels on YouTube and Twitch.