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Everything announced at Nintendo’s April 2023 Indie World showcase

Today, Nintendo held another Indie World showcase, where it showed off a lot of neat-looking indie games coming to Nintendo Switch over the next several months. This April 19 showcase didn’t have any shocking announcements, but some successors to enjoyable indie games like Crypt of the Necrodancer and Blasphemous were revealed, and multiple games were shadow-dropped. If you’re looking for a roundup of everything that was shown off, we have that right here for you.

Rift of the Necrodancer was announced

Rift of the NecroDancer Reveal Trailer

Brace Yourself Games is one of the premier rhythm game developers thanks to titles like Crypt of the Necrodancer and Cadence of Hyrule, and it announced a new game today. Titled Rift of the Necrodancer, this is a lane-based game where players rhythmically attack the monsters that come down each lane. The game also features minigames that more closely resemble the Rhythm Heaven series. Rift of the Necrodancer will be released later this year.

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Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach and more get shadow-dropped

Indie World Showcase 4.19.2023 - Nintendo Switch

As is to be expected with any Nintendo presentation, some games were shadow-dropped today. The most notable of these games was a port of the popular horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, but that wasn’t the only game released today. Magnetism platformers Telsagrad Remastered and Teslagrad 2, as well as supernatural comedy RPG Shadows of Loathing, are also available today.

Blasphemous 2 was revealed

Blasphemous 2 - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

The Game Kitchen’s Blasphemous made a name for itself as one of the most brutal Metroidvania’s of the last decade, both in visual style and gameplay. During today’s Indie World, the team revealed that is are at work on a sequel where players explore a place cursed by something ironically called The Miracle. When it comes to gameplay, players can expect three new weapons and will encounter weapon memories that expand their moveset. Blasphemous 2 will be released this summer.

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals gets a release date

OXENFREE II: Lost Signals - Release Date Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Night School Studios and Netflix’s horror-adventure game Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals has been in the works for quite a while, and it finally got a release date during today’s Indie World showcase. We learned that Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals, which takes place five years after the events of the original and follows a woman named Camena investigating mysterious radio signals, will come out on July 12. This release date also applies to the PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PS5, and mobile versions of the game. 

Everything else

  • Mineko’s Night Market launches on September 26.
  • Pathea Games showed off My Time at Sandrock, a desert-themed sequel to farming sim My Time at Portia that is coming out sometime this summer.
  • Overcooked-like PlateUp! launches this October.
  • Digital board game Quilts & Cats of Calico launches this fall.
  • A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers DLC launches in June.
  • Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon’s free DLC Puzzle Pack comes out this spring. 
  • Cult of the Lamb’s Relics of the Old Faith update will be released on April 24.
  • Animal Well is coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2024.
  • Time-bending crime puzzle game Crime O’Clock comes out on June 30.
  • Paper Trail launches this August.
  • Little Kitty, Big City will be released in 2024. 
  • Chants of Sennaar got a September 5 release date.
  • Brotato will be released sometime in 2023.
  • Escape Academy: The Complete Edition comes to Switch this fall.
  • Jet Set Radio spiritual successor Bomb Rush Cyberfunk finally got a firm release date: August 18. 
Tomas Franzese
As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Everything announced at the June 2022 Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase
Mario, Rabbid Peach, and more characters pose in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope key art.

Lagging behind a strong State of Play from Sony and an excellent Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase from Microsoft, Nintendo has now held a presentation of its own. It's not a full-blown Nintendo Direct, though. Instead, this June 28 presentation is a Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase, the first of its kind since 2020. As the showcase's name suggests, this is shorter than a typical Nintendo Direct and mainly focused on what third-party developers and publishers are bringing to Nintendo Switch in the coming months. 
As Nintendo has said that this presentation would contain "roughly 25 minutes of info on upcoming third-party #NintendoSwitch games" on Twitter, don't expect the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 or Metroid Prime 4 to show up here. Still, there are plenty of cool games like Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope that make an appearance here, and we have a clearer idea of what the biggest third-party Nintendo Switch games of 2022 are. We kept track of everything announced during the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase, so you can look below and see everything Nintendo and its partners revealed throughout the event.
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Nier Automata is coming to Nintendo Switch

In one of the most notable announcements of this Partner Showcase, we learned that the critically acclaimed Nier Automata is finally coming to Nintendo Switch. It's one of PlatinumGames' best titles and has an amazing story, so be sure to check this out on Switch if you haven't already. It's also a native port, and not a cloud version either. Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition launches on October 6.
First look at Return to Monkey Island gameplay
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After it was confirmed earlier this year, we finally got a deeper look at Return to Monkey Island's story and gameplay. It's got a distinct and pretty new art style and looks faithful to how the old Monkey Island games play, so hopefully, it lives up to series fans' lofty expectations. It will be released in 2022.
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Nintendo Directs are some of the most exciting events for video game announcements each year, sparking wild speculation, rumors, and predictions. With games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Splatoon 3, Bayonetta 3, and the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the horizon, 2022 is poised to be a busy year for Nintendo. 
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When announcing the Direct for February 9, 2022, Nintendo said it would highlight "roughly 40 minutes of information mainly focused on Nintendo Switch games launching in the first half of 2022." When it arrived, we got a mix of new reveals, remasters, and revivals of classic Nintendo concepts. 
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Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes announced
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The first reveal during today's Nintendo Direct was Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. This intense action game is not only a follow-up to 2017's Fire Emblem Warriors, but 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses as well. It will be released on June 24. 
Mario Strikers: Battle League revives the classic sports spinoff
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Mario Strikers: Battle League is a 5v5 soccer game with flashy Mario-inspired mechanics. It's a successor to a sports spinoff series that has been dormant since the Wii era. Battle League supports online play, and players can form clubs with up to 20 players. It will be released on June 10, and it can be pre-ordered now. 
Splatoon 3 debuts Salmon Run: Next Wave
Splatoon 3 – Salmon Run Next Wave Trailer – Nintendo Switch
Splatoon 3 made another appearance at today's Nintendo Direct. It showcased a reworked version Splatoon 2's Salmon Run called Salmon Run: Next Wave. Players can now toss eggs to each other and will have to fight giant kaiju. Splatoon 3 will launch this summer, but is still without a release date.
Kirby is a car now

A new trailer for Kirby and the Forgotten Land debuted during the Nintendo Direct. In it, Nintendo debuted that oddly-named "Mouthful Mode." By using this, Kirby can swallow large objects and gain new powers. Forms seen include Car Mouth, Vending Mouth, Cone Mouth, Scissor-Lift Mouth, Ring Mouth, Light-Bulb Mouth, Arch Mouth, Water-Ballon Mouth. It launches on March 25. 
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Nintendo Indie World Showcase August 2021: How to watch and what to expect
A lighthouse on a hill in Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals.

Nintendo announced the next Indie World Showcase, set to debut this week. This presentation will feature indie game announcements for Nintendo Switch, so don't expect any news on the upcoming Zelda game or the next big-budget blockbuster. Though, if it's anything like the last Indie World Showcase, we're in for plenty of fresh announcements.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming event, including when it airs and how to watch it.
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The next Indie World Showcase will air at 9 a.m. PT on Wednesday, August 11. This news comes by way of a tweet from the official Nintendo of America Twitter account.

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