Update:

The Showcase happened and, well, we should have stuck with lots of games.

Original Article:

We expected a presentation in early- to mid-February to fill in gaps on the Nintendo Switch, but the big N has waited until just a few days before launch to roll out a 'Nindies Showcase' focused on download games. As is often the case for these presentations, there may also be a few diversionary segments thrown in to highlight other key bits of information.

When is the Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase?

The full presentation will be a pre-prepared video broadcast by Nintendo of America at the following times today / tomorrow (depending on your timezone):

9am Pacific / noon Eastern - 5pm UK / 6pm CET / 2am Tokyo / 4am AEDT.

A localised version of the video (with specific dates, prices and so on) will be published by subsidiaries such as Nintendo UK 30 minutes after the initial broadcast.

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As per our tradition before a Direct, even when they're not actually branded as such, we thought we'd put together a list of things we expect / hope to see in the presentation. Nintendo has said the main focus is Indie games, of course, but there's scope for a little more.

So, let's get to it.

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A Look at the Nintendo Switch eShop

This should arguably not be pending just a few days from the system's launch, especially in light of the value eager Nintendo fans place on clever download games to flesh out their libraries. Nevertheless here we are, and in fairness to Nintendo it is putting on a show to highlight key eShop talent, so that's a big positive.

Ultimately, though, we want a look at the eShop user interface and its core features. The design will be interesting to see, what with the store having to suit both the tablet-sized console and TV displays - the Wii U store made some good strides, but improvements are certainly due.

In terms of features it'll be a question of evolution or revolution. User reviews were bland on Wii U and 3DS, so will that remain the case? Will social sharing tools be included to share status updates on games purchased and so on? Will the interface better suit demos, DLC and early-access downloads? The Wii U eShop, arguably the best online store of the four Nintendo's produced, still suffered from surprisingly slow processing times and fiddly transitions from viewing a game to buying and downloading content. Much can be learned from smart device stores and even the likes of Steam, so we're curious to see what Nintendo's team has produced.

Nindie Surprises and some Exclusives

Nintendo has generally done a good job, over the past few years, of showcasing and promoting high quality 'Nindie' titles, whether in Directs or during specific E3 segments. Based on the positive vibes from the development community, including some we've spoken to, there's certainly enthusiasm for Nintendo's hardware.

Today, most likely, will home in on big-name Indies - some probably familiar to eShop aficionados - to highlight the best-of-the-best (from Nintendo's perspective) of downloads due in the next few months; new announcements seem likely, too. The key, we think, will be for some reveals to be exclusives - not all, that's not feasible, but it'd be a boost for some impressive downloads to get a 'Switch exclusive' banner to make the point loud and clear.

It's always debatable whether a rich and varied download store actually sells consoles, but what it does deliver is satisfaction and a sense of a vibrant game library for those that are invested in the hardware. Nintendo, as this showcase hopefully demonstrates, acknowledges the importance of these sorts of games.

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An Extended Look at Snipperclips and Launch Titles

Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! may have been created by UK-based SFB Games, but it's now an IP published by Nintendo. The big N has held back from going too big on this game, limiting it to a handful of demonstration videos by the Treehouse team and Nintendo Minute, so a cute trailer to showcase the launch title seems inevitable. This one is most definitely on our radar.

FAST RMX is also likely to get a swish trailer, at least, as it looks like a quality extension on its Wii U predecessor. I Am Setsuna is also a high-profile release in the West and will surely get a trailer. Beyond that, we're curious to see whether the trio of Tomorrow Corporation games - World of Goo, Little Inferno and Human Resource Machine - are coming at launch; they were announced as such, but since there's been a little doubt over whether they'll be there day one.

Ultimately, we anticipate Nintendo will outline the final launch day line-up with some trailers and details, and perhaps flesh out March as a whole.

A Segment on Nintendo Account / Nintendo Online Service

This seems like a bit of a no-brainer, with the relevant sections also likely to be chopped out for informative videos to be shared on social media. Pre-launch review systems do not currently have the day one system update to test online features, which includes Nintendo Account support.

The system has clear areas under settings for linking Nintendo Account details, so we'd expect a generic friendly voice to guide us through a two-minute video demonstrating this. How to connect, and benefits this brings and so on. After that there'll maybe be some information on My Nintendo; the rewards service has had plenty of critics in its first year, and the hope is that the arrival of Switch will trigger a more dynamic, interesting service.

The Nintendo Online Service will also be mentioned, we suspect. It's arriving as a 'free trial' with the system, which basically means we can access the eShop and play games online. The full service isn't due until Autumn / Fall, so it's difficult to tell whether Nintendo will go into specific details such as price and how the lobbies / online chat app will work (likely in time for Splatoon 2) or whether it'll be a very brief mention. The fact the service will also include monthly access to a NES or SNES game will also be interesting, which brings us to...

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Image: DevSF4

A Brief Reference to the Virtual Console

Nintendo may behave like it's in a bubble sometimes, but it'll be aware of the interest its most eager fans have in the Virtual Console. Now, to be clear, Nintendo has emphasized that the VC won't be there on day one - what we want to see, though, is a teaser for what's to come.

Whether coming later in March, April, 'Spring' or 'Summer' it'd be a good idea for the big N to address the Virtual Console, even though this is a 'Nindie Showcase'; again, we'll make the point that Nintendo has a record of briefly going off-topic in presentations. What many want to know, of course, is what systems will have games in the service and when it'll start. If the word 'GameCube' is mentioned, with rumours in past months suggesting it could come to the eShop at some point, then many online would be rather happy.

If Virtual Console gets a nod, perhaps a rough start time and platforms will be all we get. It'd be a welcome turn of events to be told of a few titles due in the VC 'launch window', and in the past Nintendo has also given details on pricing promotions and so on to attract early adopters.

We shall see.

It's not long until the Nindies Showcase goes live; as always we'll have a live stream and blog running as it happens - we'll see you then.