Nintendo Direct Overlook

A surprise Nintendo Direct has graced us this morning and with it, we got a decent amount of games to hold us over until the release of the Switch 2. Here is an overview of the games that caught my eye.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

I have not played a Metroid game before, I have Dread on my game shelf, but so far, I still have little knowledge on the franchise. This game has been delayed for so long that the first time it was revealed was a miracle. This latest look at the game makes it look amazing. The graphics looks clean, the environments look nice (for a creepy alien planet). The main thing that caught my eye was the abilities. The standard attacks are there, but there are also new psychic powers to solve puzzles and move exploration forward.

The game looks great, and I can’t wait to get ahold of Metroid Prime 4!

Pokémon Legends Z-A

Another trailer for Legends so soon after the Pokémon Presents was the last thing I expected. We got a better look at the city and what is probably the main gimmick this time around. The catching mechanics looks like it’s pulled from Legends Arceus, which I am thrilled for. Being able to throw a pokeball without needing to fight or even start a battle is such a nice (and needed) quality of life that I hope makes its way to the future mainline games. The interesting part is the day and night changes. The focus on battling could be fun and the fact you can ambush another pokemon is a huge new concept that I am excited to play around with.

The more news I hear about this game, the more I’m looking forward to it!

Virtual Game Cards

This concept is great for those who have two Switch consoles and those who want to share games with family (or just those on the family plan). My boyfriend has a Switch Lite (his original one) and a regular switch, he prefers to use his Switch Lite when we travel so being able to use a system like this is a lot more convenient. Plus, if this works to move Switch 1 to Switch 2, that will make everything a lot easier.

I was not expecting to be able to loan out digital games, so this can be huge for those who utilize the Online Family Plan. The lack of sharing has always been something that I disliked with digital, but knowing that I can share with others makes it more appealing (even thought I will always value physical more and it sucks that I can’t share with friends who aren’t in my family plan).

Dragon Quest 1 + 2

I am still looking forward to the release of these two HD-2D remakes. The pixel art looks incredible and I have never played either of these titles, so I would love to be able to experience that story of early Dragon Quest. We still do not have a release date outside of simply being released in 2025.

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army

This is an Atlus title that I had never heard of before. It still keeps that traditional Atlus style and gameplay with the devils summoning, battling, and bonding. The most interesting part of the game was the battling. In most Atlus games, you fight along side devils to attack in turn-based combat, this game seems to have you fighting monsters in real time fights.

This is a game that I will be adding to my must-play list.

Witchbrook

Witch games seemed to be flooding the market and some are more flushed out than others. This one seems to be one that is flushed out with a good amount of well crafted content and the pixel art style is so pretty to look at. Taking the concept to a school setting opens a lot of other school related concepts (plus I love that you need to figure out how to pay tuition).

This is one that will most likely be added to my wishlist.

The Eternal Life of Goldman

This beautiful hand-drawn game is now a must-play for me. It looks incredible and invokes a feeling of nostalgia that I haven’t felt since playing Celeste. All of the movements looks smooth and the abilities just draw me in. Even though I didn’t get to see a whole lot of the gameplay, I immediately wanted to play it.

Monument Valley

I love a good puzzle game. Both of these games look so fun and also that they would mess with my eyes (and head). I have never heard of these games, but I am very interested in checking them out. The mention of a third, brand new release, is also exciting because hopefully it will get more recognition with the re-releases of the first two games.