Grumblevolcano

@LastFootnote I think February 2026 makes the most sense because of the Zelda anniversary.

It does feel like Nintendo's going to use Nintendo Today to fill in the blanks in August.

• Week 1 - Prime 4, maybe gets its own Direct (Metroid's 39th anniversary is on August 6th)
• Week 2 - Kirby Air Riders
• Week 3 - Age of Imprisonment (FE Warriors was given a release date at Gamescom)
• Week 4 - Another Partner Showcase?

I gave it a 6/10. There's plenty of games that I'm looking forward like MH Stories 3/Age of Imprisonment/Pac-Man World 2/Octopath 0 but I do think it was a weird Partner Showcase. Square Enix was heavily present but FFVII Remake was absent for example.

While a general Direct would be more fun to watch, I think Partner Showcase is the better outcome because it shows just how much Nintendo believes in DK Bananza.

This is a really cool addition and I'm glad they allowed USB mouse support so Switch 1 players can also play.

The Japanese version of the video reveals that the update also adds mouse controls to some existing titles (Mario's Super Picross and Nobunaga's Ambition) as well as remappable controls.

@Max_the_German I agree because of the Deadpool segment at Summer Game Fest. Joke about skipping Silksong in favour of Deadpool VR at SGF then follow it up with Silksong appearance at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

I finished the Soul Reaver 1+2 remaster collection yesterday so now I'm returning to MK8 Deluxe. As for my next single player game, it's probably replaying Prime 1. I want to replay the trilogy before Prime 4 releases, hopefully Prime 2+3 is announced for Switch when Prime 4 gets its release date but if it isn't then I'll just play Prime 2+3 on my Wii U.

Seems like this'll replace the Mario Kart World bundle for the holiday season.

Playing through the Soul Reaver 1+2 remaster (currently on the 1st game), it's been a fun experience so far though I do wish there were brightness settings.

I'm getting the Switch 1 physical version as I don't really care about performance upgrades and the game releases earlier on Switch 1 but still it's rather promising that SEGA is potentially already moving away from Key Cards.

I'm really relieved that reviews did actually happen pre-launch, did wonder if Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour were going to set the new norm for 1st party game reviews.

Still waiting for the ability to buy a 1TB express card before getting a Switch 2 but really excited to play this game when that finally happens.

I think it'll be like the one in February, maybe also with a release date for a spinoff added to NSO. If GCN NSO is monthly, Pokemon Colosseum seems like the most natural fit for August's game (Sunshine in September, Luigi's Mansion in October, Path of Radiance in November).

If true, I hope Nintendo limits Mario news to just Mario Kart World update so that DK has time in the spotlight.

@GrailUK Nintendo kind of opened up Pandora's box by how they presented the console back in April and the Creator's Voice series that followed. The big message they were conveying was "look how powerful Switch 2 is" and if you're going to take that angle, the console's performance is going to be scrutinized more.

I do think stuff like 4K 60fps/1080p 120fps for Prime 4 should've been something people found out via a Digital Foundry analysis rather than an official Nintendo video.

It's a shame the track didn't come to MK8 Deluxe and I really hope that Nintendo adds the track to World to prevent it from becoming lost media. I don't play Tour as I dislike its monetization mechanics but I do hope the "Stop Killing Games" initiative is successful, forcing Nintendo to create an offline version like they did with Pocket Camp.

@Olliemar28 There's an error in the final sentence, "Let us know with a comment if you plan on diving back in Mario Kart World to experience Piranha Plant Pipeline."

Bolded should be Tour.

Just Splatoon 3 for Summer Nights, nice seeing Urchin Underpass back in the Splatfest rotation (last time was the final Splatoon 1 Splatfest in 2016) and hopefully it's the tricolor stage.

It's a shame that vouchers are disappearing, it was good value if digital was your kind of thing. Also vouchers may be the reason why certain retailers priced Switch 1 games at £42.99 even at launch (2 physical games at that price is £85.98 which is comparable to the 2 vouchers price of £84).

What I will say though is it's really exciting that Nintendo effectively confirmed there'll be Switch 1 games released throughout 2026. Will be interesting to see the extent of the balance between crossgen and Switch 2 exclusives.

Smyths has the preorder up for this game and it's unsurprisingly a Key Card on Switch 2:

https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/gaming-and-tech/pre-order-games/nintendo-switch-2-pre-order-games/nba-2k26-nintendo-switch-2/p/252235

@WhiteTrashGuy The FFXIII trilogy needs a remaster the most as the only modern consoles you can play them on is Xbox.

@GrailUK Was that for the N64 original or the XB1 remaster?

An interesting thing this suggests if true is the merging of the N64 NSO apps. Forsaken 64 is a M rated game so wouldn't be in the base N64 app.

@Cakefish That's the point I was getting across, 1st party has a consistent pacing so Nintendo can technically get away with no general Direct and just drop info on Nintendo Today (not brilliant on the communication side but its something) but the 3rd party side of things is too quiet.

@Cakefish Nintendo has the Mario Party DLC (Jamboree's Switch 2 edition) and Drag x Drive in between DK and the Kirby DLC. What's needed the most on the 1st party side of things at the moment is a release date for Prime 4.

But yeah, the near weekly 1st party announcements (Legends Z-A release date, Splatoon Raiders, DK Bananza Direct, Drag x Drive release date) makes a general Direct before September seem very unlikely.

@Cakefish I am surprised they didn't do a Partner Showcase last week (e.g. June 25th/26th). It still would've allowed the spotlight to be on DK for 1st party but while at the same time making future 3rd party support seem less barren.

More MK8 Deluxe and maybe Pokemon Scarlet, the former has distracted me from the latter but someday I will get the BP required to upgrade the Canyon biome so I can finish catching the starters.

Just Soul Reaver 1+2, Patapon 1+2 and Shadow Labyrinth on Switch 1 for July/August. If I had a Switch 2, DK Bananza would absolutely have been a day 1 purchase but 1TB express cards still aren't available so I have to wait so I can do the system transfer and by that point there may be physical Switch 2 + DK Bananza bundles like there was at Argos with MK World in June.

Between this addition and the really nice remix of the Coast theme in World revealed via Nintendo Today, I feel like revisiting Sparkling Waters.

Tied between Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered and XCX Definitive Edition. I think it may stay that way at the end of the year, those 2 releases were so fantastic.

More MK8 Deluxe and Pokemon Scarlet, that's probably going to remain the focus until Soul Reaver 1+2 and Summer Nights happen in 2 weeks.

Wow, so even games that were numbered LRG releases have the chance someday to be general retail releases.

I hope a shareholder asked about whether Nintendo Today is replacing general Directs considering the odd decision to announce Splatoon Raiders and Drag x Drive release date via the app.

While it's good that intermissions are part of random now, I don't think random should be limited to the 3 voting choices. At the very least it should be able to pick intermissions not listed in the voting choices.

EDIT: Turns out there's still a 25% chance of random picking a track not listed in the voting choices, that's decent.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of physical MK World sales are the download codes included with the hardware bundle.

@jarack The numbered Limited Run releases are exclusive to that site meanwhile those which aren't numbered get general retail print runs. The examples you gave weren't numbered releases meanwhile Gex Trilogy for example was Switch #280.

@AJWolfTill They said Winter for Age of Imprisonment so it could be December, January or February. Leaning towards February because of the Zelda anniversary.

So they did a Nintendo Today drop on June 10th revealing Splatoon Raiders and the free Splatoon 3 update. Then the following week, on June 16th they announced a DK Bananza Direct. Now they’re doing a Nintendo Today drop on June 24th revealing the release date for Drag x Drive.

Perhaps next week is a Prime 4 Direct which reveals the release date for September? The London Underground ad looks like confidence in release timing.

@DwaynesGames Star Crossed World is already confirmed for August 28th.

It was neat that characters like Pianta and Cataquack finally got their time in the spotlight as a result of this. I do think crossover stuff will happen eventually if they plan on supporting the game for like 10+ years.

@Michael0916 It’s a similar kind of situation. If you revealed Bananza was made by the Odyssey team now, the narrative may shift to “Bananza is the reason there’s no 3D Mario” but doing it at launch means glowing Bananza reviews and general excitement about the game would be the focus rather than 3D Mario’s absence.

@Michael0916 In 2013, Nintendo hyped up the announcement of the next big game from Retro Studios but it somewhat backfired as people were expecting Metroid Prime 4, not DK.

It would be really sad if after a 11 year gap of no new entries (Tropical Freeze released in 2014), DK got overshadowed again just because it’s not 3D Mario.

@Cakefish Legends Z-A can act as the big holiday title, Mario Odyssey released in October and acted as 2017’s big holiday Switch title while November was left to 3rd parties.

More MK8 Deluxe and Pokemon Scarlet’s DLC. I have 1 more biome to upgrade and then I think I’m done with Scarlet, the DLC overall was fun but the Blueberry Quests to get BP are a bit too obnoxious to go beyond upgrading the biomes regarding the non-story stuff that cost BP.

It would be cool (though diminished by the absence of a real physical version) but hopefully a FF13 trilogy remaster for Switch 1 happens first. Releasing a game for Switch 1 seems the only way to guarantee a real physical version for Nintendo hardware nowadays so it would be best if games that could run on Switch 1 got Switch 1 versions before 3rd parties stopped supporting Switch 1.

I hope Tricolor is on Urchin Underpass.

@somnambulance I think it comes down to quantity of unannounced 1st party games. If they did a general Direct in June 2022, the only unannounced game would’ve been Kirby’s Dream Buffet.

Similarly, February 2024 would’ve been Endless Ocean Luminous (appeared in the Partner Showcase) + Nintendo World Championships NES Edition and September 2024 would’ve been XCX Definitive Edition.

So if they do a general Direct next week, it suggests there’s multiple unannounced 1st party games. Switch 2 lineup seems packed enough for the rest of the year so maybe it would be about Switch 1 players, that would be really exciting if they announced a bunch of 3DS ports for Switch 1 for example.

@somnambulance There was a similar situation in summer 2022 (lots of 2nd half of 2022 games without release dates and games which had release dates but needed more info) and the approach was:

• XC3 and Splatoon 3 had their own Directs
• Pokemon Scarlet/Violet had a random social media release date reveal followed by a Pokemon Presents later on
• A Partner Showcase had a bunch of 3rd party stuff including the edge cases of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes
• Kirby’s Dream Buffet, Bayonetta 3, MK8 Deluxe DLC and Mario Strikers update got social media announcements
• General Direct didn’t happen until September

I think they’ll go this route this year so that more focus can be given to DK Bananza but it would be really nice for a general Direct to happen next week.

For it to focus on stuff not already known.

@Jack_Goetz 2013 had the big E3 general Direct which announced a bunch of stuff including Tropical Freeze and MK8.

The reason I said 2022 was that was the year that instead of a June general Direct there was XC3 Direct, Partner Showcase, Pokemon Presents, Splatoon 3 Direct and a bunch of standalone announcements over the summer via social media (e.g. Kirby’s Dream Buffet, MK8 Deluxe DLC wave 2, Bayonetta 3 release date). Then the next general Direct was in September after Splatoon 3 launched.

More DK info is cool. That said while Splatoon Raiders and Legends Z-A hinted towards this, it’s still a bit disappointing that they’re going the 2022 route instead of doing a general Direct.

@NintendoWife Winter covers some months from both Q4 and Q1 so if you’re to assign a quarter to it, you have a chance of being wrong either way. You could list Q1 2026 and be wrong as a result of a December 2025 release but on the other hand you could list Q4 2025 and be wrong because of a January/February 2026 release.