Skip to main content

Everything announced at February’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase

Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 2.21.2024

It’s become a bit of a tradition for Nintendo to drop a Direct presentation every February. That held up this year, but not in the way that some fans expected. Rather than dropping a 40-plus minute presentation highlighting upcoming first-party games, Nintendo released a more casual Partner Showcase today. The 25-minute video, which did not air live, instead highlighted upcoming third-party releases.

Recommended Videos

While it was certainly a “B show” by Nintendo standards, the presentation still contained some notable tidbits. It finally gave us a look at some of the Xbox games coming to other platforms, as well as showing off a new, complete edition of Shin Megami Tensei V and a new Endless Ocean game. If you don’t feel like scrubbing through the show for details, here’s everything that was announced in Nintendo’s Partner Showcase.

Pentiment, Grounded jump from Xbox to Switch

A bonfire rages on during a Tassing celebration in Pentiment.
Obsidian Entertainment

After weeks of speculation and rumor, we finally got some details of Xbox’s multiplatform plans. Both Grounded and Pentiment are coming to Nintendo Switch. Had that announcement dropped before Xbox’s Business Update last week, it would have been bombshell news. Instead, it came as a bit of a foregone conclusion, taking a bit of bite out of the announcement. Even so, it marks a major moment for Xbox as it begins to experiment with traditional console exclusivity. Grounded is coming to Switch on April 16, while Pentiment will launch tomorrow, February 22.

Endless Ocean makes a surprise return

Endless Ocean Luminous - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Wii cult classic Endless Ocean is getting a new installment on Switch. Endless Ocean Luminous is a new underwater exploration game that features 30-player online play. A relaxing trailer showed off divers swimming underwater, cataloguing fish, and sharing their discoveries with other players. Endless Ocean Luminous launches on May 2 for Switch and pre-orders are open today.

Atlus serves up Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Overhead shot of character from Shin Megami Tensei V.
Atlus

After receiving a rating in South Korea this week, we got official confirmation that Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is Switch-bound. It’s essentially a “complete edition” of the 2021 RPG that will add new content. While the trailer didn’t go into too much detail on what’s included, it confirmed that it’ll launch on June 21.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed brings back a Disney classic

In one of the show’s true surprises, 2010’s Epic Mickey for the Nintendo Wii is getting a remaster. Dubbed Epic Mickey Rebrushed, Nintendo describes the release as a faithful remake of the original with improved graphics. Its certainly looking like a visual improvement so far based on its trailer, and we won’t need to wait too long to see it in action. Epic Mickey Rebrushed is set to launch this year.

Star Wars: Battlefront is making a nostalgic return

If you’re a fan of the original Star Wars: Battlefront games, you’re in luck. Nintendo Switch owners are getting ports of the series’ first two games in the form of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. The package will include online play, 64-player battles, and even some new characters and maps. It’ll hit the Switch’s eShop on March 14.

Everything else

  • Ender Lilies sequel Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist is coming this year.
  • Puzzle game Arranger: A Role-Playing Adventure is coming this summer.
  • Unicorn Overlord got a new trailer ahead of its March release date. A demo is out today.
  • The first Monster Hunter Stories is getting an HD Switch port with full voice acting.
  • South Park: Snow Day got a new gameplay overview trailer.
  • Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream will bring 20-player co-op this year.
  • Gundam Breaker 4 is coming to switch this year.
  • Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble brings a 16-player online mode on June 25.
  • World of Goo 2 will launch as a Switch console exclusive on May 23.
  • Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is coming on October 10.
  • Crustacean Soulslike Another Crab’s Treasure got an April 25 release date.
  • Penny’s Big Breakaway is available on Switch right now.
  • Suika Game is getting a paid multiplayer DLC today.
  • The Devolver-published Pepper Grinder launches on March 28 and a demo is out today.
  • Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! comes to Switch today.
  • A sizzle reel showed off upcoming games like Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Edition, and Snufkin: Memory of Moominvalley.
  • Switch Online is getting a handful of classic Rare games, including Blast Corps.
Giovanni Colantonio
As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran…
Nintendo Direct February 2023: how to watch and what to expect
Link runs toward a ledge in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

It's that time of the year again; the first Nintendo Direct of 2023 is upon us. Today, Nintendo is holding one of its trademark video game showcases toward the start of the year in order to tease what players can expect from the company for the rest of 2023. With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the horizon as well, today's Nintendo Direct is particularly exciting.

So you'll probably want to tune into the Nintendo Direct later today. If you're wondering how to do that and what else to expect from the event, we've rounded up all of that information here for you.

Read more
Everything announced at the September 2022 Nintendo Direct
Link overlooks Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom key art.

While digital video game showcases are more frequent than ever, no one does it quite as well as Nintendo. As such, this September 2022 Nintendo Direct really excited Nintendo Switch fans. So far, 2022 has been a great year for Nintendo thanks tp games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Splatoon 3. During this show, we received a clear idea of how Nintendo plans to close this year out and kick off 2023.
We hoped to see a mix of announced games, DLC, remasters, and Nintendo's early 2023 lineup. While not every leak was true, we were pleasantly surprised by the likes of Fire Emblem Engage and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (yes, Breath of the Wild's sequel finally has a name). If you weren't able to watch it live or just want a recap of what was shown, this is everything Nintendo announced during the September 2022 Nintendo Direct.
Nintendo Direct 9.13.2022
Breath of the Wild 2 is officially titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Coming May 12th, 2023 – Nintendo Switch
After more than three years of secrecy, Nintendo confirmed that the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This trailer also served as our first good look at gameplay for the game, as we see Link skydive off a sky island, launch himself into the air, climb, and even fly around.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12, 2023.
Fire Emblem Engage lets you fight with classic Fire Emblem characters
Fire Emblem Engage – Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch
To kick off the show, Nintendo announced a brand new traditional Fire Emblem game called Fire Emblem Engage. We saw both cinematics and tactics gameplay, and while it plays like the strategy game fans would expect, players can also equip rings to get help from classic Fire Emblem characters.
Fire Emblem Engage will be released on January 20, 2023. It will also get a Divine Edition with collectible items.
Pikmin 4 is finally launching in 2023
Pikmin 4 – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch
Shigeru Miyamoto showed up for the Nintendo Direct. After giving updates on the Mario movie, Nintendo's theme park at Universal, and Pikmin Bloom, he announced Pikmin 4 with a trailer showing off its gorgeous-looking environments. It scheduled to launch sometime in 2023.
We didn't see gameplay, but he confirmed that you can view the game from the Pikmin's perspective on the ground. Pikmin 4 is a long time coming, considering that Miyamoto first teased the game in 2015. 
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe announced
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe – Nintendo Direct 9.13.22 – Nintendo Switch
To continue the Kirby 30th anniversary celebration this year, Nintendo announced that the Wii game Kirby's Return to Dream Land is coming to Nintendo Switch. Titled Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, it adds a Mecha copy ability, a new subgame, and the ability for everyone to play as Kirby.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe launches on February 24, 2023.
Octopath Traveler II is coming to Nintendo Switch
OCTOPATH TRAVELER II - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch
Although it leaked just beforehand, this Nintendo Direct couldn't go without an HD-2D game as Square Enix announced Octopath Traveler II. Like the original, this is a turn-based RPG stylized like the SNES classics where players follow the journey of eight different characters in a fantasy world.
Octopath Traveller II will be released on February 24, 2023. It's also coming to PC, PS4, and PS5.
Everything else

It Takes Two is coming to Nintendo Switch on November 4.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse gets a remaster in early 2023.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 expansion pass adds a new character called Ino, Challenge Battles on October 13.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake gameplay was shown off.
Fitness Boxing First of the North Star comes to Nintendo Switch in March 2023.
Ubisoft announced Oddballers, launching in early 2023.
Tunic is coming to Nintendo Switch on September 27.
Front Missions 1st: Remake launches in November, Front Mission 2: Remake launches in 2023, and Front Mission 3 is getting a remake. 
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life is getting a remake in Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life in summer 2023.
Splatoon 3's first Splatfest is "What would you bring to a deserted island?" The choices are Gear, Grub, and Fun.
Fae Farm was announced by the developers of Dauntless. 
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line launches on February 16, 2023, and it will get DLC based on other Square Enix franchises.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope gameplay highlighted progression and Sparks.
Rune Factory 3 Special was announced with a 2023 release window, while a new game in the series was confirmed to be in development.
Pilotwings 64, Mario Party, Mario Party 2, Mario Party 3, Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2, 1080 Snowboarding, Excitebike 64, and Goldeneye 007 are all coming to Nintendo Switch Online. 
Apple Arcade game Various Daylife is coming to Nintendo Switch today. 
Factorio is coming to Nintendo Switch.
Indie game Ib was announced for Nintendo Switch. 
Mario Strikers: Battle League's second update adds Pauline and Diddy Kong alongside more gear and a new stadium later this month. 
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key launches on February 24, 2023. 
Merry Mountain from Mario Kart Tour and DS Peach Gardens from Mario Kart DS are coming to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass Wave 3 this holiday
Nintendo Switch Sports is getting a golf mode with 21 courses and eight-player online support this holiday. 
Just Dance 2023 Edition got a new trailer. 
Harvestella is getting a demo today ahead of its November 4 launch.
Bayonetta 3's eclectic cast was highlighted during the Direct, with a new trailer being released on Nintendo's YouTube channel afterward. 
The creators of Danganronpa announced Master Detective Archive: Rain Code. 
Capcom is bringing Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3 to Nintendo Switch, but they will be cloud versions of the games. 
Sifu comes to Nintendo Switch on November 8.
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion launches on December 13.
Radiant Silvergun launches for Nintendo Switch today.
Endless Dungeon is coming to Nintendo Switch.
Tales of Symphonia Remastered was announced for Nintendo Switch and launches in early 2023. 
Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection, Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered, Lego Bricktales, Disney Speedstorm, and Fall Guys were featured in a sizzle reel.

Read more
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.
Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | 6.28.2022
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
Return to Monkey Island | Gameplay Reveal Trailer
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.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope release date confirmed

Read more