It’s always a good Nintendo Direct that ends with the reveal of an all-new Mario game! This year’s June Nintendo Direct revealed Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a new side-scrolling Mario game coming this Fall.
Other big announcements include a remake of Super Mario RPG, the Batman: Arkham Trilogy on Switch, a new entry in Dragon Quest Monsters, a new game starring Princess Peach, and a new trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s upcoming DLC.
The best news: most of these games are coming out later this year!
Watch the full Direct above, and check out our highlights below. Note that several games shown during the Direct were initially revealed during previous showcases, such as Sonic Superstars and Persona 5 Tactica.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The first 2D side-scrolling Mario since New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012 (!) is called Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Daisy and Yoshi join Mario, Luigi, Peach and Toad as playable characters in co-op mayhem. New Wonder Flowers have a startling effect on the world, causing pipes to bend and other crazy things, and a new power-up transforms Mario into Elephant Mario. The increased zaniness looks built for the modern internet age.
Release: October 20
Super Mario RPG
One of my personal favorite games of all time is finally getting a remake! The original SNES Super Mario RPG starred Mario and friends in a unique mash-up of 16-bit RPG and isometric platforming. The remake features overhauled graphics, but otherwise looks completely faithful to the original, including the catchy, jazzy soundtrack.
Release: November 17
Untitled Princess Peach Game
A quick teaser trailer during the Direct revealed “a new starring Princess Peach.” We don’t know anything about it, except Peach has her own powerups that change her dress. The teaser followed the Super Mario RPG announcement, and the brief glimpse of gameplay looked a bit like the Paper Mario series, which were successors to Super Mario RPG.
Release: 2024
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet DLC
Nintendo has released several trailers showing off the two-part expansion pack coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The new trailer shows off more gameplay, and teases more Pokémon additions, including Zebstrika and Milotic. The Teal Mask is set in the Japanese-inspired region of Kitakami, while The Indigo Disk involves traveling to an ocean school that features a large terrarium.
Release: Fall 2023 (Part 1: The Teal Mask), Winter 2023 (Part 2: The Indigo Disk)
Detective Pikachu Returns
Remember that weird but decent live-action Detective Pikachu movie from a few years ago? So does Nintendo, and the tie-in game is finally getting a launch date this Fall. Detective Pikachu stars the fully-voiced, coffee swigging Pokémon alongside his human partner to solve crimes and mysteries across Rhyme City.
Release: October 6
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 features a new story with a customizable hero, and a good entry into the franchise of tiny flower folk. The fourth game features a day/night cycle, and new Glow Pikmin that help keep monsters away at night. HD versions of Pikmin 1 and 2 have been released on the Nintendo eShop today, with a physical version coming September 22.
Release: July 21
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope DLC
The second of three planned DLC packs for Sparks of Hope is The Last Spark Hunter. Mario and friends arrive at a muisc-themed planet, filled with new enemies to battle and weapons to unlock. A demo is available now on the Nintendo eShop.
Release: Today!
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Dragon Quest Monsters is an obvious mashup of two mega-popular franchisees: Dragon Quest and Pokémon. The demon prince Psaro becomes a monster wrangler by battling, recruiting, and fusing monsters. Over 500 monsters can be unlocked, and the world features seasonal changes that altar the landscape, and the monsters you’ll encounter.
Release: December 1
WarioWare: Move It!
The best collection of wacky mini-games is back with WarioWare: Move It! Move It! utilizes the Joy-Con in a series of motion games. Up to four players can play together locally in party mode (if you have enough Joy-Con controllers) in over 200 microgames.
Release: November 3
