We're starting with....Rhythm Heaven Groove. Well, okay then. I know these games have their fans, but I don't know if they should have opened with this. It's got a JRPG mode. Which sounds kind of novel, but also maybe a little annoying. Unfortunately I was born without both rhythm AND groove, so this just doesn't seem like it'd be my kind of game.
Onimusha Way of the Sword. Looks stylish, this might be one to keep a eye on. You can use motion controls, which could be fun or it could be glitchy, but it's a interesting option.
Dragon's Dogma 2 Dark Arisen. Well, it's good to have more RPGs on the Switch 2.
Stellar Blade! I hear good things! It's probably worth checking out.
Orbitals! I wish there was a single player mode for this stylish anime-inspired game.
Rayman Legends Retold! Honestly....I like the old art style better? This just looks muddier than the old, more cartoony look. But, meh, this is probably still going to be a really solid game. And the new 3D stages are a interesting addition.
Big Walk...not my kind of thing, but I'm sure this appeals to someone. At the very least, it looks like a really unique experience. It's got cross platform play, which feels kind of rare.
One Piece Grand Gourmet! As a big One Piece fan, I'm INSTANTLY interested. Though, I'm not that much for cooking games. But, a cooking game starring Sanji? Hmmm....I'm waiting on reviews, but this does peak my interest. You can serve Buggy and Gaimon and Charlos and Pearl the Iron Wall! Ace is still alive! And Enel is helping you cook for some reason! I doubt the story is very interesting. This is probably just a generic cooking game with a One Piece skin thrown on top of it. But....it IS pretty charming, as a One Piece fan. And the pixel art is only adding to that charm.
Pokopia is getting underwater DLC. Did they just...DOUBLE the size of this game? Okay, I don't know if the gameplay is for me, but this continues to be one of the best games of this type. And there's a paid Expansion Pass, too. What disquieting new lore will there be to discover? And there's going to be two more parts coming later, too. There's just more and more of this already huge game. Also...Manaphy!
We're getting another look at Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave. Still looking really solid. Probably going to be worth picking up. The special edition looks like it has some fun art. And....I'm guessing it's already sold out.
Ninjala 2. I guess I never checked out how the first one turned out? This looks pretty fun, with all the Ninja-bubblegum based attacks and abilities. They keep saying how this is the "first part" of this game, though. And that has me a bit worried. I need to remember to look into reviews on this later.
The DK Challenge. It's a limited time game where you do random challenges to get virutal trading cards. So, basically a Donkey Kong themed version of NES Remix. Well, that's random. And so, so very Nintendo, for better or for worse. And it's only lasting for...3 months? That doesn't seem right.
Also a limited time event in Donkey Kong Bananza with Mario costumes and coins, but only if you have the DLC. They're REALLY trying to tap into that FOMO with all these limited-time events.
Jujutsu Kaisen Rumble Survivaton. A reskin of Vampire Survivors with the anime characters. This appeals to me less than the One Piece game, but it might have gameplay I prefer.
Lords of the Fallen 2. Never heard of it, but it looks like a Dark Souls-like. Looks solid enough. But, I'm not sure it's my thing.
Lies of P. I hear good things. These two games look VERY similar, though.
Devil May Cry 5. That's kind of a big get for Nintendo, honestly. It's a really good game, even if it's a little older.
Muramasa Revenant Blades! If you never checked out this game before, this is a pretty great game.
All the Xenoblade games are getting Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. Hopefully, this goes more smoothly than the problems that popped up for X. I'm a little surprised they're pumping these out so fast. Also, a few new features for each of the games. A hoverbike, controlling other characters, and a new challenge mode. And it seems like the third game might get new story content.
Xenoblade Genesis! A brand new game! It kind of gives me FE Three Houses vibes, but that's probably just because of the school setting. 2027! I'm down!
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. With 12 whole sports. Wow. Not my kind of thing, but I'm glad it exists for others. The big thumbs unsettle me. (Why did they spend so much time on this?)
Runescape Dragonwilds. That's a name I haven't heard in a LONG time. I'm not sure if this really stands out in the sea of other, similar fantasy games, but it could be a fun time, I guess.
Hello Kitty Party Land. It's cute! But, also, a minigame collection, so meh!
Star Fox! Still looking....interesting. I'm not sure if I like the new, more realistic art style or not. There's a demo available today, so you can check it out.
Final Fantasy Resonance! Final Fantasy is getting in on the HD-2D craze. I'm for it! It's weird that some of your summons are in 3D, though. Looks like something worth picking up, though. It's on Switch 1, too, so I can actually still pick this one up.
Pikuniku 2. I...think...I've heard good things about the first one? Looks pretty wacky. I'm not sure it's my kind of thing, but it could be fun.
Dragon Quest Monsters The Withered World! Starring the girls from Dragon Quest 5! The environments don't do much to inspire me. But, it could be a fun monster catching game. And with that title I suppose part of the point is restoring this world from it's desert state at the beginning.
Duskbloods. They're having a closed network test this summer. So, that's exciting, if you're looking forward to this online Fromsoft game.
Splatoon Raiders! I'm interested to see how this single player version fo Splatoon turns out. I'm not going to lie, I feel like the environments could stand to be a little more colorful, but I suppose that's to make the actual paint stand out more. They got mechs, so I wonder how big those eventually get as the game goes on. Give me some Squid Super Robots by the end of the game! They're going to get a whole Direct on June 30.
New blue and yellow joycons inspired by Splatoon Raiders. Cool, I guess.
Deltarune Chapter 5 is coming! I'm still waiting until the whole game is actually out to try it. I'm probably going to be waiting for a while.
Metaphor ReFantazio is coming to Switch 2! That's good news! If you like Persona, you'll probably like this.
Minecraft is coming to Switch 2! It...wasn't already on there? Whatever, it's popular enough to be a good thing, I guess.
Lightning Round Time!
Atlier Karia The Night Kingdom and the Guide of Memories. These games are usually pretty solid. So, cool.
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2. Probably going to be a solid action shooter game.
Observer System Redux. Looks like it could be a stylish cyberpunk dystopia game.
Dayz...I don't know what this is. A military camping simulator?
Metal Gear Master Collection 2. Hopefully, it's a solid collection.
Rise of the Tomb Raider. It'll probably be a solid port.
Tales of Eternia Remastered. Okay, this one I might want to check out.
Snow Runner. Looks like a winter driving simulator game.
Fitness Boxing 3. They keep making these kind of games.
Everbloom. Looks like a 3D farming sim.
Final Fantasy 14 Online. Feels a little late, but fine.
Kingdom Hearts Collections are coming! And it sounds like the Switch 2 versions are NOT cloud versions! I feel like they'll still be Game Key Cards, but we'll see.
And...Kingdom Hearts IV?! Okay, that's a surprise. It looks solid enough. It'll be available at launch on Switch 2. Whenever that is. I was halfway thinking they might say it was exclusive, but no. We don't get to see a lot, just some fights in a realistic city. I guess it's not too surprising with Sora showing up in Smash Bros.
And finally....the Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake is REAL! And it's coming out sometime this year! We get to see...NOTHING, though, which is a little annoying. I'm not sure how I feel about the new realistic art style, but I really have to see more than just a 3D cutscene to really judge that.
Devon Pritchard is the new President of Nintendo of America. So...cool. Sure. Whatever. She seems a little stiff to be the "spokesman" for the company, but I'm sure she'll do fine. Weird way to end the Direct, though.
Well, we certainly saw a lot of games. I'm not sure we really got a big, surprise system seller for this year, though. The closest is the Ocarina of Time remake, and I feel like that's more of a system-helper than a seller, just due to being a remake. But, we'll see. I really wish we actually got to SEE some of the actual GAME, there. It's Ocarina of Time, what, are you afraid of spoiling it?
There's definitely games I'm keeping a eye on, though. Onimusha Way of the Sword, Stellar Blade, One Piece Grand Gourmet, Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, Muramasa Revenant Blades, Xenoblade Genesis, Final Fantasy Resonance, Dragon Quest Monsters Withered World, Star Fox, Splatoon Raiders, Metaphor ReFantazio, Tales of Eternia, Space Marine 2, and Kingdom Hearts 4 all look pretty solid. The Switch 2 is slowly building up it's library.
Just...maybe not fast enough for a lot of early adopters. I'm not regretting waiting, yet, I'll admit.
