Overall, Nintendo’s rollout of the Switch 2 has been nothing short of baffling. With the initial announcement of a new open-world Mario Kart and 3D Donkey Kong, it seemed like Nintendo had come out swinging. 3 months later, though, and it seems like there is nothing with that same scale, or at the very least, mass appeal on the horizon. Many people went into September’s Nintendo Direct expecting them to announce the next big thing: perhaps an Animal Crossing or Super Smash Bros title, maybe even a shocking 3D-Mario reveal in time for his 40th anniversary. Instead, fans were met with a celebration that felt more like a retread, some surprising (but smaller) game announcements, and a slew of third-party titles that left many disappointed.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m of the opinion that this was a decent direct, but I can very much see why the masses were disappointed. Nintendo is at a crucial crossroads right now, where it’s found itself at the epicenter of larger controversies within the video game industry: from game pricing, to legal practices, to online play, to release windows, there are countless recent incidents where Nintendo has engaged in some flawed business practices. Whatever you think about Nintendo’s recent behavior, though, this most recent Direct is definitely worth discussing, so here’s The Good, The Weird, and The Ugly:
THE GOOD:
#1: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Rosalina’s Storybook
Like everyone else on the internet, I was completely operating under the assumption that the next Mario movie would be “The Super Mario World Movie.” Beyond the Yoshi teaser at the end of the first film, it just seemed the logical next step for the franchise. It would be a good way to flesh out the world and these characters, and pander to the nostalgia for a much beloved, classic installment in the franchise. Instead, it seems like Nintendo has decided to pander to my nostalgia specifically (not really, but Galaxy is my favorite game of all time).
This unexpected reveal definitely has me excited. The world of Super Mario Galaxy is so rich. Those games have an atmosphere that is so individual to the rest of the franchise. There is that interesting aspect of melancholy, especially surrounding Rosalina’s story, that I really hope they are willing to bring to screen for this movie.
The great news is, it seems like Nintendo isn’t shying away from Rosalina’s backstory at all. During Mario’s 40th anniversary celebration, we also got the announcement of a physical print release of Rosalina’s Storybook. Again, this was such a welcome surprise, and something I’ve been hoping for since I was a kid but never truly thought I would see. This is such a smart piece of merchandise, and it’s that kind of cool thing that you always wish Nintendo would do, but they often seem so hesitant to actually try. There was one more major Galaxy related announcement, but we’ll save that one for later…
#2: Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Trailer
If you have not experienced the joy of running your own Tomodachi Life island on the 3DS game, it is something you must try immediately. This franchise has so much personality and charm, and it is so wonderful to see Nintendo is bringing it back. The initial announcement had me excited, but this direct’s trailer really proved that they are making a true successor to the original. So many of the goofy antics seem to be returning, as well as new helpful features, like being able to force Miis to meet one another.
Most exciting of all for me, is the improved Mii customization. The past two Nintendo consoles have placed a lot less emphasis on Miis in general, leading me and some others to believe that Nintendo may be quietly phasing them out of their brand image. That makes it even more exciting to see that not only are Miis back, but with a customization system and set of options that are absolutely better than ever.
#3: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Release Date
Full disclosure: I have never actually played a Metroid game. That feels almost blasphemous to say, but I think honesty is important here. Still, I get so excited to see other Nintendo fans so passionate about this IP, and I am so glad that it is getting the attention it has clearly earned. The trailer for the game honestly blew me away, the world looks so expansive, and the visuals draw you in right away. The trailer also featured Samus riding a brand new motorcycle, proving that there are so many more aspects of this game than have been or will be revealed.
The game is officially set for release on December 4, 2025, just in time for the holiday season. It is unclear how much this will help drive sales for the Nintendo Switch 2, since it is a cross-generational title. Regardless, this announcement was surely one of the most exciting of the direct.
THE WEIRD:
#1: Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch
On the complete other end of things, the announcement of Virtual Boy coming to Nintendo Classics was absolutely baffling. The service, which already requires a paid subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, will now be offering titles from Nintendo’s Virtual Boy, which are only playable using a $100 accessory. Mind you, many consider the original Virtual Boy to be one of Nintendo’s biggest failures, and for a long time, it seemed to be a venture that they wanted the world to forget. I’m honestly at a loss for what could have driven them to do this, apart from a need for Nintendo Classics content and a stubborn unwillingness to put any Nintendo DS titles on a modern system.
It will be fascinating to see how many of these Virtual Boy accessories Nintendo will actually manage to sell. Surely not enough for it to be worthwhile, right?
#2: Pokopia Announcement
One of the other shocking announcements was a Pokemon spinoff title. These are not entirely uncommon, but they are usually reserved for “Pokemon Presents” presentations, and are part of an existing series like Mystery Dungeon. Unlike those games, Pokopia is a brand new life simulation game in the same vein of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. Perhaps the most bizarre thing about it is that the player takes control of a Ditto masquerading as a human child, learning skills from the Pokemon that inhabit the natural area.
Honestly, I am so glad to see fresh, creative ideas like this coming for the Pokemon franchise. It is easy to become cynical about larger franchise games, but this one is just so bizarre that I think it could really work.
#3: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Announcement
I have a deep appreciation for the Yoshi games, if for nothing else than the fresh new art styles Nintendo allows themselves to try out with this franchise. This newly announced title is no exception, with the visuals simultaneously taking inspiration from stop-motion animation and encyclopedia drawings. It feels like a combination that should not work as well as it does, but I am so glad that they were able to take this direction.
It remains to be seen whether the gameplay will be whimsical or wacky enough to match the visuals, but I am really optimistic for this game. At the very least, it is a new idea (albeit in an existing franchise), and with the current state of media in 2025 that is always something to celebrate.
THE UGLY:
#1: Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC
Does Nintendo actually know how DLC works? This is a genuine question. The announcement of the Donkey Kong Bananza DLC rubbed me slightly the wrong way. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of new content, and with it coming out so soon after the release of the game, it felt more in line with the “Luigi’s Balloon World” update of Super Mario Odyssey than a full DLC release. If that left a bad taste in my mouth, this Legends: Z-A DLC was completely unpalatable.
Announcing DLC before a game comes out is a crazy move, and really has me convinced that this game is just not going to have a post-game. This is disappointing for a lot of reasons, but especially since the post-games can be such great pieces of old Pokemon titles, and because I think the medium of DLC could work really well for the franchise. For a long time, Pokemon had a habit of releasing a set of games, then coming out with a third title or a sequel. Releasing DLC instead of this additional title just makes so much sense, but it really seems that they have lost the plot. Am I excited to be getting more content for this game? Yes. Should it have just been included in the base game? Almost certainly.
#2: Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 Bundle Announcement
As much as it pains me to put my favorite games of all time in “the ugly” section, I unfortunately have to do it. It is baffling that Nintendo is rereleasing these two games at a price point of $70. If this were a complete reimagining or rework of the original games, I would understand this decision. Even if they were simply adding extra content to the games, I could wrap my head around it. However, that is distinctly not what Nintendo is doing here. The games will both feature Rosalina’s storybook, an assist mode, and a new font. Other than that, they are absolutely the same games that released for the Wii 18 years ago.
Unfortunately, even at this price, I will likely be buying these games because I love them so much, and would love the opportunity to play them regularly. Still, I feel a responsibility to criticize Nintendo for this move that feels almost predatory, or at the very least, deeply inconsiderate.
#3: New Amiibo
I was a huge fan of the toys-to-life genre as a kid. Skylanders and Disney Infinity were some of my favorite games, so of course I was drawn to Amiibo when Nintendo released them, their own video game compatible figurines. I never had a huge collection, but over the years I’ve been able to appreciate the really cool figures Nintendo is able to come up with. The figures announced this time around though, all seem to share one consistent trait: an absurdly high price.
The new figures to coincide with Kirby Air Riders break the record as the most expensive Amiibo figures to date, at $50 each. For comparison, Nintendo generally priced Amiibo figures at about $15 at launch. There are also figures for the new Mario Galaxy bundle, each priced $40. All of the new Amiibo are beautiful, and some of them do come with new features, but that feels like a poor excuse for what is clearly unfair pricing.
Overall, I think I tend to be a lot more forgiving with Nintendo than a lot of people on the internet are, and that should tell you exactly how confusing and frustrating some of their recent decisions have been.
You can watch September’s Nintendo Direct yourself here!
Or, for a break from video game news, read Ella’s recent article on The Summer I Turned Pretty!
