Despite an early warning that no Switch 2 news would be forthcoming in their June briefing, Nintendo Direct was still a satisfying summer showcase with plenty of exciting titles. We ran our own Digital Foundry Direct special looking at the announcements, with John Linneman and Oliver Mackenzie highlighting some of the most anticipated games - including new Metroid, Zelda and Lego titles.
While the video version of that Direct is available to watch below, I thought it might be interesting to talk about my personal highlight from the show, and perhaps more critically, how the announcements we've seen today might factor into an eventual Switch 2 launch line-up.
Starting off then, I was blown away by the Lego game: Lego Horizon Adventures. The original Horizon games - Zero Dawn and Forbidden West - have an unimpeachable setting, and it's fascinating to see this translated into a world of coloured bricks. Most importantly, there's been surprisingly little lost compared to the full-fat Unreal Engine 5 version of the game for PS5 and PC. High-quality Lumen RT reflections become SSR and pristine virtual shadow maps become traditional shadow maps, but the visual character of the game remains - despite the cutbacks necessary to get to even 30fps on Switch versus 60fps elsewhere.
The Nintendo Direct for June 2024 has been and gone! Sure we had to wait over a month (and were then only given 24 hours notice, classic Nintendo), but it was worth it. Well worth it subjectively, I'm sure there are some disappointment people out there. (Look, we'd all like to play Silksong. Hopefully it will be out next year. Or the year after that...) Anyways, in case you missed June 2024's Nintendo Direct or simply want to revisit the announcements - look no further as you'll find it all below.
The Nintendo Direct started in pure Nintendo fashion with Mario and Luigi Brothership. We got an excellent look at the cel-shaded style graphics, combat and all the platforming fun this game has in store for you.
Mario and Luigi will be released on the Nintendo Switch on 7th November 2024.
After a long old wait, Nintendo's hugely anticipated sci-fi shooter sequel Metroid Prime 4 has re-surfaced - bringing with it a gorgeous first gameplay trailer, a new 'Beyond' subtitle, and confirmation it's launching next year.
Metroid Prime 4 was, of course, first announced all the way back in 2017, almost a decade after the launch of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption on Wii. Nintendo eventually confirmed it was was being developed by Bandai Namco - but 2019 brought the news the project had "not reached the standard" Nintendo sought and was being rebooted from scratch, this time with original Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios at the helm.
Since then, updates have been scarce, but now - during an already treat-packed Nintendo Direct - the long-in-the-works shooter has re-emerged with nearly two minutes of gameplay.
Given how long Metroid Prime 4 has been in development, it’s little surprise that its reveal at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct has many people excited beyond belief.
Sporting some excellent modern-day graphics and an ominously designed new villain, the game’s latest trailer left it looking primed to deliver an action-packed experience most any fan would want to experience. It likewise stands as one of the only exclusives Nintendo has lined up for 2025, which means it’s in an optimal position to be the sole title Switch owners dig into upon its release.
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