Nintendo September Direct 2023: All The Biggest Announcements
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Barring a single exception several years ago, a Nintendo September Direct has been held every year since the company began rolling out digital showcases. Short--and fittingly--direct, these livestreams provide fresh updates on upcoming Nintendo games and the occasional tease for something bigger on the horizon. For the 2023 edition of the Nintendo September Direct, the company says that it'll be focused on its Q4 releases in a 40-minute presentation.
This Nintendo Direct had a lot of remakes shown off, with one of the biggest being F-Zero 99. While F-Zero fans were probably expecting something newer, this remake of F-Zero with a high-speed battle royale twist still looks fun. Staying on the topic of remakes, the new battle mechanics for Super Mario RPG adds some modern touches to the game, and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD gives the 3DS adventure a whole new audience when it heads to Switch.
Another remake on the horizon is Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which looks better than ever with its HD upgrade, and Princess Peach looks like she'll be stealing the show in her upcoming game, which has a theatrical flavor and incredible costume design. On the third-party side, games like Dave the Diver, Unicorn Overlord, and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes all look like they'll be right at home on the Switch.
Here's everything that Nintendo had to announce in its September Direct.
Splatoon 3: Side Order DLC
A brand-new story as part of Splatoon 3's expansion pass, this single-player DLC has gloomy levels, creepy monsters, and a whole lot of numbers to extract from enemies when you blast them with your high-velocity paint, this new content will arrive in Spring 2024.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario is once again facing off against Donkey Kong, as that mischievous primate has stolen Mini Mario toys and hidden them all across the world. It's up to Mario to get his precious merchandise back by solving puzzles and facing off against Donkey Kong. A two-player co-op mode will also be available, as Toad will help Mario figure out some of the more challenging puzzles.
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Rekindles An Old Rivalry On Nintendo Switch
Super Mario RPG
A new look at Super Mario RPG highlighted several of the game's new battle mechanics, as you will be able to play the classic adventure with a few modern touches. Perfectly timed attacks will damage all enemies on the screen, and once a special bar has been filled up, you can unleash several unique attacks depending on the characters in your party.
Nintendo Shows New Battle Mechanics for Super Mario RPG Remake
Contra: Operation Galuga
At long last, Konami's Contra series is making a comeback. This new version retains the classic run-and-gun gameplay of the original games and adds new weapons, enemies, and super attacks alongside a four-player co-op mode.
NES Classic Contra Gets Reimagining For Switch In Operation Galuga, Coming Next Year
Princess Peach Showtime
No longer an untitled game starring the monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach Showtime is officially headed to the Switch on March 22, 2024. This new adventure gives Peach a variety of new powers based on the costume that she's wearing, and so far, it looks like she'll have kung-fu, swords, detective abilities, and bakery skills in her solo adventure.
In Princess Peach Showtime, The Monarch Gets New Abilities To Save A Theatrical World
Tomb Raider 1 2 3 Remastered
The original trilogy of Tomb Raider games are being remastered, and will be available on the Switch starting February 14, 2024. For this release of Lara Croft's early adventures, players can switch between the newly remastered graphics or the original blocky polygons of those classic games. All expansions and secret levels from those games are also being included in this release, making for a packed collection of games.
The Nintendo Museum will be open in 2024
You can take a tour of Nintendo history soon, as the Nintendo Museum will finish construction in Kyoto, Japan by March 2024. Time to book a plane ticket to Japan!
The Nintendo Museum Will Complete Construction In March 2024
F-Zero 99
Bad news: F-Zero isn't getting the big new sequel treatment. Good news: F-Zero 99 is coming, and it's out today. This new take on the beloved sci-fi racing franchise puts a battle royale spin on the high-speed action, and it's available right now for free for Nintendo Switch Online members.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
One of the all-time best Mario games ever made, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is headed to Nintendo Switch in a remastered package. A beautiful combination of 2D characters and 3D environments, the game was originally released to critical acclaim on the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. This version will sport enhanced graphics, and will be out in 2024.
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD
The September Direct was big on announcements for remasters, and you can add Luigi's Mansion 2 HD to the announcement pile. The cowardly brother of Mario put in a great performance in this 2013 Nintendo 3DS game, and anyone who missed out on that handheld adventure can try out some ghost-busting action in HD when the game releases in 2024 for the Switch.
Dave the Diver
One of the big indie hits of 2023, Dave the Diver is about to make a splash on Switch. It'll launch on October 26, and if you want to see what all the nautical fuss is about, a demo is now available on the Switch eShop.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Suikoden spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle has a release date locked in for Switch, and you'll be able to get your hands on this game on April 23, 2024. With development being led by Suikoden architect Yoshitaka Murayama, Eiyuden Chronicle looks set to echo several of the themes of that classic JRPG series. After the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down production, developer Rabbit & Bear released Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising in 2022 as a brief taste of what players could expect from this new fantasy universe.
Unicorn Overlord
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim developer Vanillaware is cooking up a new tactics RPG, one in which you will be able to recruit from a pool of 60 characters to help save the day. For this game, Vanillaware is looking to combine overworld exploration with an innovative battle system as you explore five nations and work to liberate your kingdom from nefarious forces. It'll be out on March 8, 2024.
WarioWare: Move It!
WarioWare: Move It looks like a bizarre collection of micro-games in which to get your body moving, but if anyone can convince you to get up off your couch, it's best Mario AKA Wario. In this new trailer, Nintendo showed off a few more of the games that you can take part in, as well as the "forms" you'll need to adopt to successfully complete. You might want to stretch before you try out a few of these activities.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
It's the end of the Rainbow Road for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as the best-selling Switch game will receive its final wave of DLC soon. Booster Course Pass Wave 6 adds Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, and Peachette to the roster, alongside several new courses. No release date was announced for this DLC, but Nintendo says that it'll be available during the holiday season.
SaGa Emerald Beyond
SaGa Emerald Beyond is a new entry in the long-running SaGa series, and it'll be available in 2024 on Switch. Published by Square Enix, this new standalone entry in the series gives you six heroes to choose from, including crime-fighting duos, a king of Darkness, and a witch in disguise. Each character has their own goal to achieve, and across 17 interconnected worlds, you'll help their story unfold with the choices that you make for them.
Another Code: Recollection
Originally released on the Nintendo DS in 2005 as Trace Memory, Another Code: Recollection is a full 3D remake of that point-and-click adventure. That game is being combined with its Wii Sequel Another Code R to create a big narrative-heavy adventure in which a young girl named Ashley receives a letter from her father, who she believed had been deceased for several years. Ashley sets off to discover the truth about her father, and on a mysterious island, she encounters puzzles and obstacles that block her path. It'll be releasing for Nintendo Switch on January 19, 2024.
Prince of Persia: the Lost Crown
An action-adventure platformer game set in a mythological Persian world, this new look at Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown showed off more of Sargon's quest to save the Prince, and by extension, the entire world.
Trombone Champ
One of the goofiest games of 2022, Trombone Champ has slid its way onto Nintendo Switch. Available right now, the game has 45 songs to toot through and four-player co-op multiplayer, and you can even use the motion controls on the Joy-Con to kind of accurately honk your way through songs.
Wargroove 2
If the remake of the first two Advance Wars games wasn't enough for you this year, then get ready for some fantasy-themed turn-based strategy. Wargroove 2, an all-new adventure filled with unlikely friendships and unknown adversaries, is coming to the Switch on October 5.
Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story
What's this, another League of Legends spin-off? That's right, as Song of Nunu bills itself as a journey of family, friendship, and magic in this single-player story adventure game.
Battle Crush
NCSoft announced that its action battle brawler Battle Crush will have a closed beta test for Switch from October 23-30, and the studio is aiming to launch the game in Spring 2024. A 30-player game where players become Calixers, only one warrior can be left standing in an experience that NCSoft describes as a dynamic and strategic brawler.
Colorful Battle Royale Game Battle Crush Coming To Switch This October With Beta Test
Detective Pikachu Returns
It's not long to go before Detective Pikachu Returns is released on October 5, and in this new trailer, Nintendo showed off more of Ryme City as the tough-talking and coffee-loving Pikachu explored it with his human partner, Tim Goodman. As the duo search for clues, investigate scenes, and conduct interviews, they get ever closer to cracking the case in Ryme City.