Nintendo kicked off the first Nintendo Direct of 2023 in style with a release date for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, gameplay for Pikmin 4, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games coming to Nintnedo Switch today and lots more. It was a huge direct to kick-off the year with and there’s bound to be something here you’re going to be excited about. 

Here’s everything that was shown during this morning’s Nintendo Direct.

Pikmin 4

Our first deep showcase of the gameplay in Pikmin 4 showed off the new perspective for the franchise and how you’ll have a “dog-like thing” companion. You can use this to overcome objectives the Pikmin can’t break through as well as ride it to cross water. A boss battle against another bug-type thing is also seen at the end of the trailer, showing the different elements in this new Pikmin adventure. 

Pikmin 4 is releasing on July 27th.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass

Masha is a new character coming to the game as well as a challenge mode. 

The Expansion Pass release on February 15th.

Sama de Amigo: Party Central 

Shake your joy-con controllers like maracas to the music while playing this music rhythm game. There’s even a ‘world party’ online mode where only the best player will survive until the end of the match. 

Sama de Amigo: Party Central will release later this year.

Fashion Dreamer

Become a fashion influencer in this influencer adventure. Maybe it’s the first of its kind? Anyway, it’s releasing later this year. 

Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania

It’s everything fans of Castlevania and Dead Cells could want as the franchises cross over with everything from Belmont to Dracula himself. 

TRON: Identity 

From Bithell games, this is a narrative adventure set in the TRON universe where you’ll meet several new characters in the universe based on the popular Disney universe and it’s coming to Nintendo Switch first, this April.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective 

This side-scrolling adventure is releasing later this year. 

Deca Police

Deca Police looks like a combination of Ace Attorney and a third-person action game. It looks like you’ll find evidence as much as fighting foes in this anime-inspired game. 

Releasing in 2023 for Nintendo Switch and from Level 5. 

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and The Lost Demon

The prequel to the Bayonetta series see’s Cereza/Bayonetta taking on fewer foes herself and instead relying on her newfound demon pal, Cheshire. 

Releasing on March 17th.

Splatoon 3 – Expansion Pass

Wave 1: Inkopolis returns in the first expansion pass for Splatoon 3. Wave 2: ‘: Side Order’ was also teased, which looks like it’ll be a focus on single-player content for the game. 

Wave 1 of the Expansion Pass for Splatoon 3 is launching this Spring. 

Disney Illusion Island

The crew embark on an adventure to find three mysterious books in this old-fashioned Disney platformer where you’ll make your way through levels looking for secrets and unlocking new abilities. If you play local co-op, you can even hug one another to share help, and I can’t think of anything more wholesome than that. 

Disney Illusion Island will release on July 28th.

Fire Emblems Engage – Expansion Pass

Six new characters are coming to the game across the coming Waves, and a new story mode adventure will arrive in Wave 4 of the Expansion Pass. 

Wave 2 is launching today.

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie

In this narrative adventure, you use the power of clairvoyance to help shape the world and must side with one of the ‘Asperations,’ for good or bad. The music for the game is composed by Celeste composer, Lena Raine.

Octopath Traveller II

A demo is now available on the Nintendo eShop, letting you play through the game’s first hour.

Octopath Traveller II will release on February 24th.

We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie 

It’s the Katamari action everyone loves, and you can now play it on the Nintendo Switch when the game releases on June 2nd. 

Sea of Stars

This turned-based RPG features a unique pixel-art style and retro-inspired music. A free demo will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop today.

Sea of Stars will release on August 29th.

Omega Striker

This 3v3 air-hockey-inspired game has you playing characters with special abilities, following the typical air-hockey rules. It’s a free-to-play game and coming soon on —

Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection

A collection of three dungeon crawlers, which you can also buy separately, will release on June 1st for Nintendo Switch. 

Advanced Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp

After a delay, Advanced Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp will now release on April 21st. 

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe

This latest trailer shows off a new epilogue that’ll be available after beating Kirby’s Return to Dreamland story mode. In this, the character you’ll play as is named Magolor (not sure if they’re from the game, I haven’t played it (yet)) and how they’ll start the game is with only a simple jump, and will need to regain their abilities over time before safely returning to his own world. 

Nintendo Switch Online

Game Boy games are being added to Nintendo Switch Online. You can play locally or online if the games have multiplayer options and there’s the option to switch between GB, GB Pocket and GB Colour filters. 

Here’s the launch library of games.

  • Tetris

  • Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins

  • The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX

  • GARGOYLE’s QUEST

  • Game & Watch Gallery 3

  • Alien in the Dark: The New Nightmare

  • Metroid II – Return of Samus 

  • Wario Land 3

  • Kirby’s Dream Land

Game Boy Advance game are available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. 

Here’s the launch library of games. 

  • Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3

  • WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame 

  • Kuru Kuru Kururin 

  • Mario Kart: Super Circuit

  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

  • The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Both the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games will be available today.

Metroid Prime Remastered

The first Metroid Prime game, which was originally released on the Nintendo GameCube, is coming to the Nintendo Switch. You can either play with the feel of the original game or with a more typical FPS control scheme using the dual analogue sticks. Although some had doubts about Nintendo releasing the Prime series separately if they chose to remaster them, this does seem to confirm each of the trilogies will get its own release. 

It’s going to be available later today on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and in physical stores on February 22nd. 

Master Detectives Archives: Rain Code

You can mimic body types and more with disguises and have the ability to use post-cognition to view crime scenes and help crack cases in Rain Code. When you have enough evidence you battle it out with a demon or something? I’m interested nonetheless.

Rain Code is releasing on June 30.

Baten Kaitos 1 & 2 HD Remaster 

Remasters of the much-loved Gamecube games are releasing later this year on Nintendo Switch. 

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

Make the island your own by travelling between past and present while taking on fantasy creatures and more to help develop the islad in the first core Fantasy Life release in over ten years.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time will release later this year on Nintendo Switch.

Professor Layton and the New World of Steam

Proffessor Layton is coming into the steam age in a new game. This was a super-tease teaser with no inforamtion, but hopefully we learn more sooner than later. 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass

Yoshi’s Island and Birdo are being added to the game with Wave 4, and it’s releasing this Spring. 

Montage

  • Minecraft Legends 

  • Blanc

  • Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection

  • Have a Nice Death

  • WBSC eBASEBALL: POWER PROS 

  • Disney Dreamlight Valley 

  • Tales of Symphonia Remastered

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

As expected, Zelda closed out the Nintendo Direct with a moody trailer that showed the world of Hyrule swept into darkness. Link is shown with a bunch of new toys in this game including a car-like vehicle at one stage, and even steering some sort of aircraft. 

It’s releasing on May 12th, and pre-orders begins today with a Collector’s Edition being available, as well as an amiibo figure. 

Pre-Order Now From Amazon

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If you’d like to watch the Nintendo Direct in full you can find that below.

Let me know in the comment section what trailer excited you the most.