Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition: Switch 2 Edition

@VoidofLight I'd love for nothing more than a new Monolith Soft game but it still feels a bit too soon after Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

@BenAV I feel like it isn't that soon. Xenoblade 3 was 2022, and it's 2025 now. It'll probably either be this year or next I feel, especially given they probably started production on their next game before 3 released (since 3 was already done with Nintendo sitting on it by the time it came out).

@Novamii I'm hoping we see the UI during the direct, but I agree a deep dive into those type of things might be in a seperate Twitter drop YouTube video or on the Nintendo Today app rather in this direct. As for the Digital Cartridge thing, it just makes sense to have the Switch to Switch transfer capability be basically the same as Switch to Switch 2 so I don't think that necessarily means the whole UI will be the same. Personally I'm hoping it looks distinctive enough to have its own identity.

With prime 4 out of the picture what do you think will be the big launch game with Mario kart

@Novamii I don't think it means that the UI will be the same as Switch 1. There's ways to redesign the home menu while also keeping the feature accessible and readable. I feel like given how Tomodachi Life Living the Dream is releasing in 2026, there'll be a few changes to the UI. I can't imagine them tucking the Mii maker into the settings again like they did on Switch 1. Especially when Tomodachi Life returning implies that Nintendo is probably going to start bringing back the Miis full force.

@FawfulsFury Prime 4 is out of the picture? We still haven't gotten a release date for it. It wasn't given one in the last direct- which is odd to do for a big showcase game that'll come out this year. It's definitely going to get another trailer in the Switch 2 Direct- with an actual release date.

My pet theory is that they didn't announce a Metroid Prime 4 launch date because it's going to come out on the same day as the Switch 2, and they didn't want to give an early tell as to when that would be.

@Matt_Barber Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. They don't want to announce the date because it'll launch alongside the Switch 2 on day 1. I don't think it'll be the only launch title though. Either they'll pull a Mario Kart 8 and have Mario Kart 9 release a few weeks after, or have both Mario Kart 9 and Metroid release on the same day. Mainly because I don't really feel convinced that Prime 4 is going to be a massive system seller. Especially if Nintendo wants to grab a casual audience.

@Novamii
The Switch and Switch 2 OS is the same. We know this because there have been Switch 2 features and notes appearing in Switch updates for a while now. Does that mean it'll look the same? Not necessarily. Does that mean it will remain the same? Certainly not. It also doesn't mean that the features will be the same generally. But they do share the same code base

I would say the base expectation would be for the OS to look and behave the same. With differences where they do exist being added over the top

This is only a rumor, but I heard we might have a Direct on Wednesday with info about Switch 2.... Seems unlikely to me...!

@CaleBoi25 doubt it, they just had a general Direct last week. Surely it will be a while before we hear any major announcement from Nintendo again!

I wonder how this direct will be structured. I'd assume they'll do away with headlines just for this one direct since it's such a big deal, and I feel that headlines are always kinda presented as "lesser" games. I think for this direct they'd want to make each game be a big deal.

One idea I had was that they show off a specific feature (i.e. mouse mode) and then show a bunch of games that will use it (Prime 4? Mario Maker? Call of Duty? etc). The flow of this presentation will definitely be interesting.

Only 48 hours to find out.

@skywake While they share the same features and code, I'm just hoping the Switch 2 UI brings back the visual flair that the Switch 1 UI lacks. That, Eshop Music, and a proper Mii Maker (which Tomodachi Life might suggest will happen) are the main things I'm hoping Switch 2 ends up having. Same with themes that have proper music built-in.

@mossenthusiast Yeah, I feel like this direct might be structured differently from the previous ones. I can see it being more akin to how they handled the Switch Showcase back in 2017- but without all the live portions. Basically a showcase of the system, what it can do, and then the games that are going to be releasing for the next year or so. It'll probably have the snappier pacing of directs, but be unusually set up in comparison to those directs.

@Anakin I'm kinda hoping the real reason why they haven't re-released Twilight Princess HD is because they're going to outright remake Twilight Princess from the ground-up like they did with Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door.

@VoidofLight Yeah, I think there was one of the official E3 Directs (wanna say it was either 2019 or 2021) where they did away with the "headlines" stuff and just played the trailers back to back. I assume this is what they'll do here.

Future Directs will return to the headlines format though as there really isn't any reason to go away from what works. They're as popular as ever and what makes or breaks a Direct is just what games they show (and personal tastes).

@IceClimbers Exactly. I feel like headlines themselves are here to stay, but the direct they're doing here is a special case- so it'll probably forgo them. Especially since this will be mainly first party games with prominent third parties in the mix.

Both monthly NSO missions (regular and expansion) are Kirby games. Nintendo Today has had several Kirby things as well. Surely we are getting Kirby in the direct right?

@FishyS Yeah idk what's up with the sudden Kirby emphasis, but it is definitely odd. If we don't get a Kirby game announced at the Direct, I could see them just announcing a Kirby game on Nintendo Today!.

@FishyS I have Kirby listed as one of the series I'm interested in and I haven't seen any Kirby content. I didn't mark Fire Emblem and I've seen something from it in my feed today. I don't think Nintendo Today matters here, and this kind of logic could easily be applied to say "F-Zero music dropping in Nintendo Music this week means they've got something to announce for the series at the Direct"