Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

Not at all, people are just for fun hoping we will get something because we had presentations 3 weeks in a row (Pokemon Presents and then Partner Showcase and then Indie World). Given Drag x Drive is releasing this week, it seems extremely unlikely any type of direct will happen.

Who knows, maybe a Kirby or Prime 4 direct will happen during the empty week next week between Drag x Drive and Kirby Forgotten Lands DLC. If we count the 'event' this week being the Sunday drag x Drive demo and game release, Nintendo could keep the activity streak going for a while.

I wonder if Duck Hunt and other NES Zapper games could work well with mouse controls? I was looking back at the Nintendo Classics line and we're approaching the longest droughts for 2 consoles (NES with last game being Tetris in December 2024, GBA with last game being Sacred Stones in April 2025). The NSO additions since launch so far has been about showcasing Switch 2 (GCN NSO is Switch 2 exclusive, Mario Paint uses mouse controls).

@FishyS Given that they already gave Kirby an overview trailer last week I don't think we're getting any more info. It's also way too late for a Kirby Direct. If they're doing that for any game right now it's Prime 4 as it definitely needs a release date and an info blowout on the game (there's no way in hell this is it, we've likely seen only the early areas of the game so it sounds like they're hiding a major new mechanic still to be revealed).

@Bolt_Strike I was actually imagining Kirby Air Riders Direct to double up on the Kirby advertising but I think that's very unlikely as I imagine Air Riders will be late in the year so will show up in the September Direct.

A Prime Direct kinda has to happen soon if Prime is in September. If Prime is not September I'm not sure what to think unless some Mario anniversary game is shadow dropped in September.

Turns out the next NSO release is Chibi-Robo releasing August 21st.

@FishyS Oh okay makes sense. Definitely would've been funny if it happened.

@FishyS Oh right, Air Riders. Forgot about that. Air Riders Direct is possible because Sakurai, but I suspect it isn't happening either.

Honestly, I'm feeling like Prime 4 is getting delayed. They are running out of time to market it and I really feel like the blowout needs several months to reach people since Metroid isn't a huge seller. The long silence and showcasing of the same areas of the game says to me that they're struggling to get the game right and need even more time. It's frustrating because this game keeps getting pushed further and further back but I think if this game were getting ready to launch we'd know more about it by now. But I could be wrong, so I'm not totally ready to dismiss a Prime 4 Direct happening soon.

I definitely agree that if Prime 4 doesn't get a release date by halfway through September, then it's been delayed to 2026

@Grumblevolcano They’re being way quicker with these than I expected. We’re 100% getting Mario Sunshine next month for the 40th anniversary, as much as it kills my hopes for a 3D all stars re-release

@Bigmanfan theres always a slim possibility, its mostly just me wishing. with drag x drive and the surprise drop of Chibi-Robo (never really looked into it so im excited!) on gamecube i think its near impossible. however, as @FishyS said a metroid prime 4 direct or another game-specific direct would be good for mid august 😸
@ShieldHero after the london underground mishap, nintendo reconfirmed it would be coming in 2025. i think we just gotta be patient and see (sadly) 😌😔

Ooh, great addition to the GameCube library. I'm gonna take a guess and say they add Sunshine next month and then Luigi's Mansion in October.

I get the feeling my suspicions are correct though - no additions to the N64 and GBA libraries until the road map of GameCube games is done.

I wonder if Kirby Air Riders and/or Splatoon Raiders are small eshop only releases. The only retail Kirby spinoff since Nintendo started using the eshop for digital games was Rainbow Curse for Wii U in 2015 meanwhile Splatoon Raiders could perhaps be standalone Splatoon 3 DLC to avoid the issue of adding mouse controls to Splatoon 3.

If either of them are small eshop only releases, that could be what comes in September if Prime 4 is November.

@Grumblevolcano I feel like they gave Air Riders too much of a dramatic announcement to be a small game.

@Grumblevolcano if nintendo got sakurai to do kirby air riders i think its probably gonna be a full priced game. they also made a huge deal out of splatoon raiders being the “first splatoon spinoff” so i dont think so, but who knows maybe youre right. i do wonder if the splatoon and animal crossing teams have split? i really wouldnt be surprised if animal crossing was next summer and splatoon in the fall of 26.

If Sakurai's manning the project, I personally think it will be a full scale game (one that I'm really looking forward to at that, even more so if I get a Switch 2 any time soon).

If it was an unannounced game filling the September slot, I think Prime 2+3 would have the best chance of being it at this point. Leaning more towards that being released next week alongside new Prime 4 info considering Prime 4 is on the Gamescom show floor but they could theoretically save it for a September Direct instead while the Gamescom demo is just the April/May demo.

i would love to play prime 2 and 3 before prime four, metroid prime remastered was such an experience. @Grumblevolcano do you think they would release them seperately as $40 games or bundle them together for $60 or even $80? hoping for a deptember direct shadow drop 🙏🏼

I saw a Nintendo Forecast on this and it has been sitting in my mind for a while. Their video didn't present it in a particularly visible way so.... I think it's worth me doing that here. This is what the Switch launch would look like if you made the dates Switch 2 aligned, in terms of a selection of first party published titles and presentations

I prefer the Switch 2 launch thus far

@OctolingKing13 I think Switch 1 version would be same pricing as Pikmin 1+2, maybe they add on $10 for a Switch 2 edition with mouse controls.

The news from the Worlds closing ceremony which applies to Switch are:

• 3 new additions to Unite (Empoleon, Dhelmise, Vaporeon)
• 4 player multiplayer mode announced for Legends Z-A (Z-A Battle Club)
• Pokemon Champions is the VGC game for Worlds 2026 (August 28th - 30th 2026)