Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

@LastFootnote We're getting some call-back IPs like rhythm heaven and some IP spinoffs in Splatoon and Pokemon, but I kinda doubt we will get a brand new IP next year considering we already know around 10 2026 games and there is a gap of major games which will presumably get announced.

I suppose there is the mysterious Nintendo online test game which may eventually lead to a new IP, but otherwise I doubt we will get brand new IP in 2026.

I agree some type of retro style Mario game would be fun.

@FishyS I do think the online test game will develop into a new IP, but I don't think we'll see that game next year. It comes off as more like a prototype than a finished concept and I think if they're going to move forward with making it a full game I think it might take a few more years. I think it's 2027 at the earliest, probably even later than that.

Looking through the lineup I would say the only further announcements that seem feasible are Gen 10 Pokemon, one of 3D Mario or Luigi's Mansion 4 (I would say 3D Mario in 2026 and LM4 in 2027, but it could be the reverse), and whatever they're doing for Zelda's 40th. There's a few IPs I think we should keep our eyes out for (Xenoblade, 2D Metroid, Paper Mario, perhaps a Smash Ultimate S2E to tide us over until Smash 6, a new main series Kirby), but I suspect at best they'll be 2026 announcements for 2027 releases.

I can see them doing a blockbuster Mario Maker. Like, the be-all, end-all Mario Maker.

It'll have a Wonder tileset now, obviously, but alsooooooooooo: 3D games! Classic (64), Galaxy, or Odyssey assets. Nobody wants Sunshine.

It'll launch around the Galaxy movie in the Spring.

(Just jumping to my wish list I suppose lol)

@rallydefault
3D game maker would likely be beyond tech capabilities of Switch 2.

I think the already announced Wonder Switch 2 Edition is the mainline Mario release of 2026.

I really hope Tomodachi Life for Switch will have physical release.

I am still desperate for Space Channel 5 on Switch 2, where the hell is a new version of this game?!?!

@Grumblevolcano
They said it’s the “mainline” 2026 Mario release? I never heard them use language like that before.

@LastFootnote
Super Mario Wonder still feels like another New Super Mario Bros game to me. I feel like back in the 80s and 90s they use a lot of new ideas with the Mario series such as Yoshi’s Island, Mario RPG, Mario Kart and introducing Wario to the series for example. Another “Dream Mario” game like Super Mario Bros. 2 would be great, would love to battle Mouser, Birdo, Fry Guy and Wart again and running from the Phantom masks when grabbing a key. I hope they take the franchise in a new direction for the next game or make another Mario 2 style game.

The first post of this thread was made on December 28, 2018. The final post of the 1,000th page was released on December 23, 2025. 20,000 posts in almost exactly seven years. And what a seven years it has been.

I am hyped for February since we might get a Direct with Zelda 40th anniversary news along with unannounced games and Pokemon Presents for the 30th anniversary. In addition Dragon Quest 7 and Mario Tennis are coming out the same month. Hopefully Nintendo will at least release a good game or two on NSO in January to fill in the drought for the month.

I suspect the mainline Direct is going to be after the Presents. They've got release dates as late as mid-February, so there's no urgency to announce dates before then. February in particular seems relatively packed with Mario Tennis Fever on February 12th and the Presents on the 27th, they may want to give that some breathing room. I suppose there's an outside chance for January anytime outside the week of the 15th (which is when ACNH S2E releases), but in general I'm thinking March.

@Bolt_Strike Necro Felipe is predicting a late January direct. But I don't know if that is a leak or just his guess.

In terms of long term trends, Nintendo almost always has the February Direct extremely close to the February financial report. The report is on Tuesday Feb 3 this year so the 'normal' time would be Feb 4 or Feb 5. If Nintendo decides to do it in January (either to hype up what can be said in the financial report or give Mario Tennis more space), Jan 28 or 29 seems plausible.

@FishyS Hmm, that might justify a January Direct a little more. Nothing has an exact date past Tennis Fever. Yoshi, Mario Wonder S2E, and Tomodachi are currently Spring 2026, Pokopia, Pokemon Champions, Rhythm Heaven, and Fire Emblem have vague 2026 dates, and Splatoon Raiders has no confirmed release window whatsoever. We have no clarity on when this year's games are coming aside from ACNH S2E and Tennis Fever. Their investors probably won't be happy if they don't at least have dates for these Spring 2026 games and probably more specific windows for these later 2026 games.

@FishyS @Bolt_Strike Nintendo confirmed their March releases early on in January that haven't been given release dates the previous year.

• Kirby Star Allies got its March release announced in the January 11th 2018 Direct Mini
• Yoshi's Crafted World got its March release announced in a standalone January 9th 2019 story trailer
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX got announced and given a March release in the January 9th 2020 Pokemon Direct
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land got its March release announced in a standalone January 12th 2022 copy abilities trailer

So I think if there's a late March release (Pokopia is a March release but early in the month, March 5th), they'll announce it the week before the AC New Horizons Switch 2 Edition launches.

@Grumblevolcano Oh seems the release date info I was looking at wasn't up to date, I don't remember Pokopia getting its release date. As far as the rest of Spring, we have 3 games currently announced and nothing announced for April or May yet. So a late March release is possible. Maybe they could put Wonder in late March, Tomodachi in April, Yoshi in May? That would spread out releases the best so they don't cannibalize each other I think (which they need to think through because Pokopia/Tomodachi and Wonder/Yoshi are similar genres, they'd want to spread those out).

My personal guess for the release order of later Spring 2026 is:
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: April
Tomodachi Life Living the Dream: May

The reasoning is simple. Animal Crossing S2E, Pokopia, and Tomodachi Life, all three of which are more life sim style games, all coming out so close to each other. If Animal Crossing and Pokopia are two months apart, and Pokopia and Tomodachi Life are also two months apart, I think that would work. Frankly, I would put Tomodachi Life in more of a summer position to spread out the life sim games a bit more, but they already announced it would be releasing in "Spring 2026" (unless it gets delayed), and from what I gather, May is generally considered the last month of the Spring season. Maybe someone already said something similar, now that I think about it 😅.

I just think it's fun making predictions and being incredibly wrong.

Does anyone else think that Tomodachi Life will get a Switch 2 Edition? Day 1, or later? I personally think it will get one, even if not on day 1. The reasoning is simple...

@Nep-Nep-Freak Again, where would you put Wonder S2E? That's also been confirmed for Spring and you have a second 2D platformer in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book in that same window. You'll need to spread those out too.

@Bolt_Strike If we work on the principle that Nintendo won't reveal games too far away from launch anymore leaning their lesson from stuff like Prime 4's 8.5 year gap, the ideal release schedule in both variety and proximity to game announcement based on what's been announced would be:

• January - ACNH Switch 2 Edition
• February - Mario Tennis Fever, Pokemon Champions
• March - Pokopia, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
• April - Rhythm Heaven Groove
• May - Tomodachi Life Living the Dream, SMB Wonder Switch 2 Edition
• June - Splatoon Raiders
• July - Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave

Wonder and Yoshi can be swapped here, either way works having 1 2D platformer in March and 1 in May. I just went for Yoshi in late March because the franchise more commonly releases that month.

Hard to get too excited about Zelda’s 40t when it felt like Mario’s last year was pretty light. Super hopeful, but not expecting much