Today’s Nintendo Direct was a big one. Countless awesome games or updates to existing games were announced, and gamers everywhere couldn’t be more excited. Many gamers were nervous that Nintendo was beginning to wind down their efforts on Nintendo Switch as the company had done on previous Nintendo home consoles.

Today, Nintendo eased gamers’ worries with a slew of new games and updates scheduled straight through 2024. Of all the announcements in Nintendo Direct, three truly stood out. Let’s get the Elephant Mario out of the room first.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

While Super Mario Maker 2 offered 2-dimensional Mario fun back in 2019, we haven’t had a 2D Mario refresh since 2012’s New Super Mario Bros. U for the Wii U system. Nintendo has finally quenched this drought with the announcement of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which looks absolutely phenomenal! This 2D Mario platformer takes the series in a novel direction with a plethora of innovative gameplay elements. There are environment-changing items, new powerups, a multitude of playable characters, talkative plants, a completely revamped art style, and an overall tone that’s distinctive to classic Mario games. This latest entry in Mario’s long-running series of 2D platformers, Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks to be a wacky multiplayer blast, coming in October!

Super Mario Bros Wonder Official Announcement Traileryoutu.be

WarioWare: Move It!

The WarioWare series is back on Nintendo Switch with WarioWare: Move It! Players use both Joy Con controllers to take on a variety of zany microgames! Break out of jail, chop bamboo, shake hands with a dog, all in quick succession as you take on a gauntlet of microgames one after another! In WarioWare’s second entry on Nintendo Switch, Intelligent Systems shakes players up using the Joy Con controllers’ motion controls. Not only does this new WarioWare game offer 200 new microgames, but it also includes 2-player co-op as well as 4-player party modes! After the bundle of fun that WarioWare: Get It Together! brought players in 2021, WarioWare: Move It! will be a blast to play when the game launches in November.

WarioWare: Move It! - Nintendo Direct 6.21.2023youtu.be

Pikmin 4

On July 21st, Pikmin 4 will launch on Nintendo Switch although it was unceremoniously announced in 2015. It’s been an agonizing 8 year wait for dedicated Pikmin fans, but info revealed today has a ton of thrilling features for curious players. The major reveals are new Night Missions as well as the mysterious Glow Pikmin, which will assist the Player Captain as they fend off ferocious monsters which have been frenzied by nightfall. Additionally, a variety of fascinating environments were shown, including a human house and Pikmin 2-style caves. With a mission to repair the Rescue Corps’ spaceship and save all castaways a player finds, Pikmin fans and new players alike are in for an electrifying adventure when the sun rises on July 21st.

Pikmin 4 - Nintendo Direct 6.21.2023youtu.be

Today’s Nintendo Direct was certainly exciting, with rapid fire announcements and assurance that the Nintendo Switch system still has much life left in it. Plenty of other announcements brought smiles to gamers’ faces, like a remake of Super Mario RPG and an ice cream-themed Splatfest for Splatoon 3. The future of Nintendo Switch is looking bright as the system blasts through its seventh year on the market!

BONUS: high-definition versions of Pikmin and Pikmin 2 are releasing on Nintendo Switch today, allowing Nintendo Switch owners to play the entire main series on the system!