Nintendo Direct 2022 Delivers

Originally published on GameOnAus.com in Sept 2022

After a week of the internet almost willing it into existence, we finally got a Nintendo Direct 2022! There’s lots of games to get through, so lets jump in!

Fire Emblem is getting some love with a new entry in this long running series. Fire Emblem Engage looks to be delivering more of what fans love from the franchise. With an interesting dual character mechanic activated by rings, players will no doubt be engaged (haha see what I did there) by this title. Fire Emblem Engage will be releasing in a Standard and a Divine Edition on 20^th January 2023.

Survival horror game Project Zero: Mask Of The Lunar Eclipse has to searching for lost memories and using the camera obscura to repeal spirits and solve mysteries. Also known as the Fatal Frame series, this game will be launching in early 2023.

The Nintendo Direct 2022 gave horror fans even more to be happy about. Resident Evil is coming to the Switch in Resident Evil Village Cloud. It launches on 28^th October with a demo available now. Winters’ Expansion DLC is also launching 2^nd December 2022. More Resident Evil titles are getting the cloud treatment. Biohazard, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 are all coming to the Switch this year.

A number of games already available on other systems are also coming to the Switch including:

• It Takes Two (4^th Nov 2022)
• Tunic (27 Sept 2022)
• Life Is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection (27^th Sept 2022)
• Factorio (28^th Oct 2022)
• Sifu (8^th Nov 2022)
• Lego Brick Tales (Autumn 2022)
• Disney Speedstorm (Winter 2022)

Splatoon 3 has only just come out but its first Splatfest weekend is coming on the 24-26 September. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass Wave 2 is coming on 14^th October with Challenge Battles and a new character. Mario Strikers: Battle League Football gets a free update very soon with two new characters, a new stadium and more! Plus Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 and Nintendo Switch Sports is getting golf!

The Nintendo Direct 2022 also announced new games coming to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Pilotwings 64, Mario Party and Mario Party 2 will be playable this year with Mario Party 3, Pokemon Stadium, Pokemon Stadium 2, 1080 Snowboarding and Excitebike 64 joining them in 2023. Oh and a little game called GOLDENEYE 64! No date was given for it but it is coming with online play. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack users also get the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 for no extra.

Harvest Moon successor Story Of Seasons is getting a new entry with Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. In mid-2023 you’ll be able to look after your farm and even see in game characters grow up before your eyes. Rune Factory 3 Special is also coming in 2023 with a new Rune Factory game on the horizon.

Remasters and remakes featured in the Nintendo Direct 2023. Turn based strategy game Front Mission 1^st Remake (November 2022) and Front Mission 2 (2023) make their appearance on the Switch. Tales Of Symphonia Remastered (Early 2023) also makes its way to the Nintendo handheld, along with Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered (1^st Dec 2022). Final Fantasy 7 prequel Crisis Core Reunion (13^th December 2022) brings the classic Square Enix series back to the Switch.

Umbra witch returns in Bayonetta 3! In the first Bayonetta, she clashed with Angels to retrieve her memories. In the second she went to hell and back to save a friend. Bayonetta 3 has the titular character saving the world! Help her on the 28^th October 2022.

Of course the Nintendo Direct 2023 had a healthy showing of first party Nintendo titles as well. Shigeru Miyamoto himself spruiked the benefits of mobile game Pikmin Bloom before announcing that Pikmin 4 is in development for a planned 2023 release. The Direct also showed off some more of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope releasing on 20^th  Oct 2022.

Kirby: Return To Dreamland Deluxe helped to celebrate Kirby’s 30^th anniversary. With a new mecha-copy ability and four player local co-op this Kirby game is sure to be a blast! Kirby: Return To Dreamland Deluxe releases on the 24^th February 2023.

The best news of the Nintendo Direct 2022 was saved for last. The sequel to Breath Of The Wild has a name, but more importantly, a release date! Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom will release on 12^th May 2023.

Other games mentioned in the Nintendo Direct 2023 include:

• Various Daylife (Available now)
• Radiant Silvergun (Available now)
• Harvestella (4^th Nov 2022)
• Just Dance 2023 Edition (Nov 2022)
• Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (16^th February 2023)
• Octopath Traveller 2 (24^th Feb 2023)
• Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist Of The End & The Secret Key (24th February 2023)
• Fitness Boxing Fist Of The North Star (March 2023)
• Oddballers (Early 2023)
• Fae Farm (2^nd Quarter 2023)
• Ib (2^nd Quarter 2023)
• Master Detective Archives: Raincode (2^nd Quarter 2023)
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (2023)
• Endless Dungeon (2023)

That’s all there was for the Nintendo Direct 2023 (I say that like it wasn’t enough). Was it everything you wanted? We you like me and hoping for news on Advance War Reboot Camp? Maybe looking for some Metroid Prime 4 action? Whatever you’re looking for, you’ve surely seen something you like!