Nintendo Direct – March 2025
Today saw the first Nintendo Direct of 2025, and while the second won’t be far off – in fact, it’ll be in less than a week, on Wednesday, April 2, probably to avoid any April Fool’s Day worries – that one will focus on the Nintendo Switch 2. Today’s was all about upcoming games for the Switch, as well as a new feature for the device and a new Nintendo app. You can watch the whole Nintendo Direct below, or keep reading for a rundown of each game showcased today.
DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake
This is the remake – or what they’re calling a “reimagination,” which is a loaded term nowadays – of the NES RPG classics. If you like the Dragon Quest games, it looks like they did a nice job updating the graphics while keeping the aesthetic of the 8-bit originals. DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake will be released sometime this year.
No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
An RPG in which you play a secret agent with an AI program embedded in his eye who searches for an internet influencer trapped inside a game via interviews and puzzle-solving. It looks strange and boring to me. No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES will be available on July 25, 2025.
RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army
A remake of the PS2 game Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army, this game follows a teenage detective who summons demons to help him solve supernatural cases. I like the look of this one; it blends Japanese culture with Victorian London, obviously influenced by Sherlock Holmes. RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army will launch on June 19, 2025, but you can pre-order it now.
Shadow Labyrinth
This is a platformer where you travel through a dark world with an ally named Puck who is… Pac-Man. Seriously, it’s just Pac-Man, right down to the eating the little dots. But there’s a reason for that: Pac-Man was originally called Puck Man in Japan, and this is an update to the classic games, putting the character in a different setting. It’s a neat idea, and it looks like it could be fun. Shadow Labyrinth will be available on July 18, 2025.
PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY
A bundle of the remakes of two games where you beat on drums to control an army of natives. This probably just is what it is. PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY will launch on July 11, 2025.
STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar
It’s a farming sim, so it’s basically an elaborate version of Farmville. Not my thing at all. (This is the newest entry in a series; how many different ways can you farm?) STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar will arrive on August 27, 2025.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
The newest Metroid game is a first-person adventure like the other Prime titles in which Samus lands on a new planet and must escape by looking for clues and fighting alien monsters, utilizing her newfound psychic abilities to survive. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be available sometime in 2025.
Disney Villains Cursed Café
You run a cafe where you “brew concoctions” for different Disney villains like Jafar, Ursula, and Maleficent. For some reason, the villains aren’t wearing their classic outfits; Jafar is dressed like a gangster, for example, and Gaston looks like he just walked out of a country club. Disney Villains Cursed Café is available now.
Witchbrook
You go to a school to learn how to be a witch, then leave the school to hang out with friends and earn tuition money. I am not the target audience for this game. Witchbrook will be available around Christmastime in 2025.
Eternal Life of Goldman
This is a platformer where you play as an old man who uses a magical cane to traverse a mystical world, trying to discover its secrets. The hand-drawn animation in this game looks wonderful. Eternal Life of Goldman will launch at Christmastime this year.
Gradius ORIGINS
A collection of the Gradius arcade games, a series of spaceship shooters. It’s a pretty comprehensive collection, with different versions of some of the games from different countries and launch years, plus a new sequel. If you were into arcade games like these, this should be a fun nostalgia trip. Gradius ORIGINS launches August 7, but you can pre-order it now.
Rift of the NecroDancer
You fight various monsters on a conveyor belt type of platform by keeping up a dance rhythm. Meh. This is available now.
Tamagotchi Plaza
God, I remember when Tamagotchis were the new toy craze. Apparently, they’re back – or they never went away, and I just wasn’t paying attention. Tamagotchi Plaza is a Sim-style game where you shop, drink tea, and visit the dentist as furry little animals. I’m reminded of why I never bought one. Tamagotchi Plaza will be available on June 27, 2025.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Speaking of crazes I was too old to get into, this new Pokémon game has you trying to catch Pokémon in special “Wild Zones” found throughout a city undergoing urban renewal to help humans and Pokémon live together. (Doesn’t that mean you’re wrecking things by kidnapping them?) At night, you can battle other Pokémon trainers. Pokémon Legends: Z-A will arrive sometime in 2025.
Rhythm Heaven Groove
You play as various characters (a little frowny face, a flying duck, a chef, etc.), doing various tasks to a rhythm. This looks like it’s for very little kids. Rhythm Heaven Groove will be available in 2026.
Virtual Game Card
The virtual game card allows you to move digital games from one Switch console to another. When you buy a game digitally, it’ll be loaded onto a virtual game card, which you can use to transfer the game to a second system if you have local communication. You can also lend games to members of your family group system via the virtual game card, but only one at a time for one person, and they can only play it for two weeks before it’s returned to you; you won’t be able to play the game while it’s lent out. You also appear to be able to load a game onto only one Switch at a time. This seems like a way of controlling people sharing digital games with their friends. On the plus side, you’ll be able to swap games onto Nintendo Switch 2 systems. Virtual game cards should be available in late April via a system update.
High on Life
This is a first-person shooter where you carry an animated gun that appears to be alive, with googly eyes and a silly expression. So, it’s that kind of FPS. High on Life will be available on May 6, 2025.
Star Overdrive
This is an action game where you run, surf, and jetpack your way across areas while fighting enemies. It looks pretty basic. This will be released on April 10, 2025, but you can pre-order it now.
The Wandering Village
This is another farming game from the looks of it, but it takes place in a village located on the back of a dinosaur, which probably doesn’t make the gameplay much more exciting. The Wandering Village will be available on July 17, 2025.
King of Meat
This is an action survival game where you fight and jump your way through a dungeon. (The short trailer from today’s Nintendo Direct isn’t available individually, so this is the one from a few months ago.) Nothing special. King of Meat will arrive sometime in 2025.
Lou’s Lagoon
Customize your character, fly around in what looks like the Sea Duck from Tail Spin, and traverse a mysterious island. More kid stuff. (Again, this is an earlier trailer because the one from today’s Nintendo Switch is not available individually.) Lou’s Lagoon will be released sometime in 2025.
FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Another mysterious island. You play a character with an oversized head who fights huge creatures and rides around on bugs. There’s a reason the Nintendo Direct mashed these last six games together. FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time will be available on May 21, 2025.
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered
An HD remaster of the fantasy RPG, you follow two characters as they battle their way through a kingdom while learning about its history. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered is available now.
Monument Valley / Monument Valley 2 / Monument Valley 3
You play as a princess who’s looking for forgiveness while making her way through an M.C. Escher painting come to life and avoiding “the crow people.” The second game looks basically the same, only it’s about motherhood. In the third one, you sail off on an adventure to save the city. Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 are available now, while Monument Valley 3 will arrive in the summer of 2025.
EVERYBODY’S GOLF: HOT SHOTS
It’s a golf game; there’s really no more to it than that. EVERYBODY’S GOLF: HOT SHOTS will be released sometime in 2025.
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t waiting for this one, and it looks like a ton of fun. Fifteen Marvel superheroes – Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Venom, Storm, Nova, and so on – go on a beat-’em-up adventure to battle the forces of evil when Annihilus and his army invade Earth from the Negative Zone. It looks like AIM and Taskmaster figure in as well. This makes me want to run out and buy a Switch just so I can play it because it appears to be an exclusive. MARVEL Cosmic Invasion will launch at Christmastime in 2025.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
A bunch of silly-looking characters do silly things in a beach community. How do you make this the last trailer and not MARVEL Cosmic Invasion? To each his own, I suppose. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will arrive in 2026.
Nintendo Today!
Nintendo Today! is an app for smartphones and other smart devices that will function as a calendar and keep you up to date on Nintendo events, releases, characters, and more. After the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct on April 2, Switch 2 updates will be delivered daily on Nintendo Today! The app is available to anyone with a Nintendo account. Nintendo Today! is available… should I say it?… today.
And that’s it for this last Nintendo Direct before everything becomes about the Nintendo Switch 2, which I’ll be back to talk about on Wednesday.
Let us know what you thought of the Nintendo Direct in the comments!
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