Just when Nintendo makes you think they’ve disappointed heavily with their Nintendo Direct, they make you think, “ehhh, it wasn’t hugely disappointing, just a little bit”. We got the classic bait and switch with the opening trailer. Kazuya in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? That trailer looked like some enemy carrying Ganondorf’s body for a new Legend of Zelda game. So we did get the Breath of the Wild sequel trailer later in the showcase, but the in between was a bit light on the exclusives and heavy hitters.

New 2D Metroid, But No Prime 4

Metroid Dread? That’s a huge announcement. It’s the first 2D Metroid game in nearly 2 decades. It wasn’t Metroid Prime 4, which they mentioned, but couldn’t show footage from. You’re getting kind of a half-and-half disappointment here. The new Metroid game is probably going to be awesome, but just give us a taste of Metroid Prime 4, anything, even images. Either way, this was the biggest or second biggest announcement of the show depending on who you ask.

Mario Side-Stories Dominate

Mario Party: Superstars is a Mario Party player’s dream. If you’ve ever played the original Nintendo 64 games, you realize how painful spinning the analog stick can be. Now, we’re getting the best of those games in games and maps. This one should be a fantastic play for any party game fans.

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a true WarioWare game, this one looks like the best of the series so far. These games are fast-paced, hilarious, and most of all, fun. If you like Mario Party, this one is also for you.

Mario Golf: Super Rush was previously announced, but this was the final trailer before the game releases June 25th. In case you didn’t know about the game, or were on the fence, this trailer is sure to sway you either way. Combining the classic golf game with battle modes could be a stroke of genius from Nintendo.

This last one was leaked before Ubisoft’s presser earlier at E3, but for fans of the series, it’s a big one. The Rabbids and Mario are back with their own unique brand of fun and gameplay. You’ve gotta team the two up to save the Galaxy in 2022.

Shin Megami Tensei V Is Exclusive To Switch

I might have lied, for fans of the Shin Megami Tensei series, this could have been the biggest announcement of the showcase. The series is one of the longest running RPG series and it’s got a huge cult following. This fifth game in the mainline series is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch. So if you’re a fan of Persona and you haven’t tried a mainline game, this could be the one. It releases November 12th, 2021.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

Now this is a game made perfectly for the Switch. The original Advance Wars games helped sell a lot of Game Boy Advances back in the day. That pick up and play war gameplay is perfect for a console like the Switch. As a huge fan of this series, this was one of the biggest announcements, even if it is a remake compilation. This one is available December 3rd, 2021.

Nintendo Saves The Show With The Legend Of Zelda

The Breath of the Wild is the best game for the Switch. So when Nintendo says they’re making a sequel to that game, you listen. This was the biggest announcement of the day and the one that saved the show from being a letdown. Now, we have Skyward Sword HD coming in July of this year, and this game to look forward to in 2022. Polish it up, make it look real nice, and most of all, please, get rid of the breakable weapons.

The Breakdown From Nintendo Direct

There wasn’t a Switch Pro shown off, even though that was the biggest and most reported rumor for this event. We did get a sequel to Breath of the Wild shown off, which was another big rumor coming into it. If you’re into certain types of games, this event wasn’t a disappointment. However, it was light on the games that make Nintendo who they are. We got a new fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and no new mainline Mario, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, or any of their other big hitters.

It’s hard to feel like this was a gargantuan disappointment, but it definitely wasn’t as big of a home-run as Microsoft’s presser on Sunday. Lots of remasters, remakes, and little in the way of bigger titles are not a recipe for a great show.

Here’s to hoping Nintendo has some bigger announcements up their sleeve later in the year. You can check out everything they showed off from the Nintendo Direct here.

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