This month’s Nintendo Direct celebrates 40 years of Mario, solidifies commitment to Switch 2
New releases, a Super Mario movie, a throwback accessory and even paid DLC for games that aren’t out yet; these and more in Nintendo’s longest-ever Direct.
In case you missed it, Nintendo just hosted an over 60-minute long Direct last Friday, and it ushers in the second wave of games for the Switch 2. This includes new first-party Nintendo launches, release dates for games already announced, ports, third party releases and a surprising accessory for the two Switches.
If you want to pore over the hour-long presentation, though, you can do so here:
Nintendo Announcements
Tron comes to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
One of the big expectations for this Direct was more info about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Samus and her new motorbike aside, we now have a release date for the game that’s been teased for the better part of eight years, that being 12 December 2025. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream was also showcased, revealing character creation mechanics for the Miis on the island.
Pokémon got some love in the presentation, too. It not only revealed new mega-evolutions for the upcoming Legends: Z-A game, but also showcased a DLC titled ‘Mega Dimension’ that brings Mega Raichu X and Y to the game (this is despite Legends: Z-A not even releasing yet). A more bizarre announcement was Pokémon Pokopia, the franchise’s first life simulation game releasing in 2026. It sees you playing as a Ditto who can transform into a human, and who learns moves from other Pokémon to build and grow a Pokémon paradise.
Mario was the first-party franchise that received the most attention, though. The Direct revealed not one, but two original Mario titles set to release. The first of these is Mario Tennis Fever, the latest installment in the Mario Tennis franchise, as well as Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. It’s not exactly an action platformer like you might expect; instead, it looks to be slower-paced, with Yoshi quite literally jumping into a living encyclopedia named Mr. E, and helping to investigate peculiar flora and fauna.
These two titles are in addition to the Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Wonder (alongside a new toy based on the game’s Talking Flower), a Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 bundle remaster for the new console, and a Donkey Kong Bananza DLC. But we can’t talk about Mario without mentioning the elephant in the room: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The sequel to the Super Mario Bros. movie opened this month’s Direct.
As you could’ve guessed, it’s the sequel to 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie. Animated again by Illumination, the film is the “main event” for Mario’s 40th Anniversary, with the last film’s voice cast (including Chris Pratt, Charlie Day and Anya Taylor-Joy) reprising their roles. Oddly, there was no mention of casting for Rosalina. The movie will premiere on 3 April 2026.
To end off this first-party segment, this was an announcement that came out of left field: a Virtual Boy Nintendo Switch Online expansion pack.
Yes, the much-maligned Virtual Boy is seeing its rehabilitation in the modern day. 14 games from the Virtual Boy’s library (more than half!) are coming to Nintendo Classics on 17 February 2026, and like their originals, they are meant to be played as stereoscopic 3D games.
But that’s not all, as in order to play these games, Nintendo is releasing an accessory that’s essentially the shell of a Virtual Boy that you can drop a Switch or Switch 2 into. Funnily enough, the faithful recreation means that there’s still no headstrap, so you’ll still have to play games with the Virtual Boy on a table, just like how Nintendo intended 30 years ago.
Third-party Games
Resident Evil Requiem was already announced for platforms like PC, PS5 and Xbox, but this Direct reveals that it’s coming to the Switch 2, alongside the last two mainline RE games.
Hades II, the long-awaited sequel to the 2020 (technically 2018) roguelike Hades got its release date through this Direct, set for 25 September 2025. It’s also through this presentation we learned that Resident Evil Requiem, alongside the two previous RE games Biohazard and Village, will be coming to Switch 2, and that Fatal Frame II is getting a remake.
Overcooked 2, Human Fall Flat, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 and Stardew Valley will also be the first third-party games to receive their own Nintendo Switch 2 Editions.
On the RPG side, it was announced that Persona 3 Reload will get a Nintendo Switch 2 demo ahead of its release on the platform (which is live now), and Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade is also confirmed to be coming to Switch 2 (and Xbox) after four years of being PC and PS5 only. Closing out the Direct was Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, a new installment in the Fire Emblem series that’s set to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, releasing in 2026.
2x2 is right, as it’s not exactly a sequel to Danganronpa 2, but not exactly a remake either.
For me, though, the most unexpected announcement to come out of this Direct was Danganronpa 2x2. The first title in eight years to go back to the franchise’s killing game premise, it contains a remake of the original Danganronpa 2 with remastered visuals, but the main sell is a re-imagined storyline that keeps the island setting and characters, while altering the murderers and victims.
Effectively, it promises a revamped game via the new trials that will ensue. This does raise questions, mostly why Danganronpa 2 was chosen for a remake instead of the first Danganronpa game, but perhaps we’ll find out it releases in 2026.