Every summer I look forward to all the game companies making their announcements for the rest of the year. But no company I am more excited to hear from than Nintendo. Normally, when we make posts like this, we provide a shortened version of the Nintendo Direct, highlighting all the announcements. However, for this post, I want to share only the announcements that I’m excited about and explain why.
Mario and Luigi Brothership
I’m excited to see that the Mario and Luigi franchise is getting a new game. For those who aren’t familiar with it, the franchise started back during the Gameboy Advance era. All the games in the franchise were turn-based RPGs that allowed you to play as both brothers at the same time. I think this new game looks very fun, and the art style is quite interesting. I’m interested to see how this game will use 3D, as the Mario and Luigi franchise has always been more 2D until now.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
If I had a nickel for every time Nintendo released Donkey Kong Country Returns, I would have three nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it is weird it happened three times. Seriously though, I am glad they are re-releasing this game because it was a lot of fun. For those who didn’t play the game originally for the Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns was a return to the original 2D side-scrolling roots of the Country games. The game was then re-released for the Nintendo 3DS with some additional content which will be included with this HD re-release. This will complete collections for collectors who also had Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze for the Switch.
Super Mario Party Jamboree
It was quite surprising when Nintendo announced another new Mario Party game, but here we are. Super Mario Party Jamboree looks like a lot of fun and will make traditional Mario Party players happy. It looks like the game plays like a traditional Mario Party game in that it plays like a board game. I also appreciate the good variety of boards, including both new and classic ones. This will be a game that party game fans will want to own.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
In 2017, Metroid Prime 4 was first announced and now, seven years later, we finally got to see it. To be honest, I thought that Prime 4 would be a launch title for Nintendo’s next console instead of being launched on the Switch. That doesn’t mean that it can’t still be on the next system, but it is still a surprise. As for the game itself, it looks really good and is one of the prettiest on the Switch, which makes me very excited about the game. I am very excited to jump back into a first-person shooter Metroid game after all this time.
The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom
In this Direct, the announcement that excites me the most is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It’s the first mainline Zelda title where you get to play as Zelda instead of Link. I’m intrigued by the gameplay elements – without a sword, how will Zelda attack enemies? It seems like wisdom will play a central role, which is consistent with Princess Zelda’s character. The visuals, while reminiscent of the Link’s Awakening remake, suit the toy-like aesthetic of the game, and I can forgive the reuse since this is a new location. I also like that they are going back to the top-down traditional look of the game as opposed to a 3D one. The concept of being able to copy and use objects and enemies to your advantage sounds interesting. All of this together makes for a very compelling new Zelda game that I can’t wait to play.
I’m looking forward to adding all of these games to my Switch library. Now, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share the games you’re excited about in the comments below!
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