Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Nintendo Direct 2.8.2023
Hello everyone,
Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created back in WrestleCorp. However, not only will I be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series, but also video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.
For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll be giving my thoughts on the Nintendo Direct that happened on February 8, 2023.
Before I start, not every game that was shown in this digital presentation will be talked about as I will mainly talk about games that I care about and am interested in. If the games you care about and are interested in don't show up here, don't take it personally, I have nothing against the games, but they're not just for me or I don't have much to say about them except cool. However, if you are happy with the games that you care about and are interested in that I'm not or nothing to say about it, good for you and I'm happy for you.
Anyway, let's get started!
We only got a teaser for this game back in the September Nintendo Direct of last year, but in this Nintendo Direct, we got actual gameplay for the game and it looks amazing. Love the additions of the camera angles which will make the gameplay a bit different for the game. In addition, adding a new Pikmin type in Ice Pikmin as well as adding a new dog named Oatchi will make some of the puzzles more interesting which I'm excited about. The new characters in the game look interesting and it looks like the game will change during the night with rampant monsters which is cool. Looking forward to this game when it comes out in five months.
The third volume of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass is what I expected with a new Hero, Masha, who has a cool-looking design and new challenge modes where you unlocked costumes being throwbacks of past Xenoblade Chronicles characters for rewards are cool. However, the teaser for Volume 4 which is basically the story DLC for the game is giving me chills as we got Shulk, Rex, Alvis, and a character that looks like Noah, but not in one setting which looks incredible and has a lot of potential in terms of excellent Xenoblade Chronicles story lore which I'm hyped about. Looking forward to Volume 3 of the Expansion Pass next week, but the main course for me is Volume 4 which I can't wait for.
Dang, didn't expect Samda de Amigo to make a return so that's a nice surprise. It has been fifteen years since the last Samba de Amigo game, but in terms of the original game, the last one was Samba de Amigo Ver. 2000 back in the arcades and Dreamcast in 2000 which is twenty-three years so it's been decades for sure. It looks like it's still the same Samba de Amigo game, but with improved gameplay while still being fun. If you're into rhythm games, you should check it out as it will be released this summer.
Fashion Dreamer is a fashion simulation game developed by Xseed Games and published by Marvelous Inc. as it will be released later this year.
When I first saw this game, I immediately thought of Style Savvy, but it's not as they're not from the same developer. However, it definitely looks to be a spiritual successor to Style Savvy which looks very nice and these types of games are actually quite fun and addicting if you're into these types of simulation games. We'll see how this game turns out when it's released later this year.
We first saw the DLC for this game back in the Game Awards 2022 so it's great to see that the DLC for Dead Cells is coming sooner than expected which will be out next month. Looking forward to seeing how Motion Twin will corporate Castlevania in Dead Cells.
Holy crap! I didn't expect Ghost Trick to be remastered, but here we are! This is one of the best games on the Nintendo DS and if you haven't played, Ghost Trick, you should as it's amazing. If you love adventure games with fun puzzles and a story that will get you hooked, this game is for you. I can't wait to play this classic again when it comes out this year, yes!
Oh my god! Didn't expect Level-5 to make a comeback back in the West after only releasing games in Japan for the past few years. This game looks pretty awesome and it reminds me a lot of Detective Conan/Case Closed due to the crime-sense genre and so forth. This game has a lot of potential and hope to see more of it when it's released later this year.
This was another game we saw back at the Game Awards 2022 which was a surprise to me as I didn't expect a spinoff game for Bayonetta with Bayonetta 3 just releasing a while ago. However, this looks to be a fun fighting adventure game involving Cereza and Cheshire with some interesting background on how Cereza became Bayonetta. Either way, looking forward to this game when it comes out next month.
It was only a matter of time before we got more news about the paid DLC for Splatoon 3 and we finally got it here and it looks great. Though, what I didn't expect is two waves of this DLC so that caught me by surprise. Wave 1: Inkopolis will be the return of the hub world of the first Splatoon game which is nice. However, Wave 2: Side Order looks interesting as it looks to be another story similar to the Octo Expansion in Splatoon 2 which I love. If it's anything close to that, I'm looking forward to Side Order. Until then, we'll see how Wave 1: Inkopolis will turn out when it's released this spring.
Disney Illusion Island is a 4-player platformer developed by Dlala Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios as it will be released on July 28, 2023.
This looks to be a fun platformer with four players involved. Don't know if the game will deliver or not, but the game does look fun. Hope to see more of it when it comes out in five months.
Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass is DLC for the fantasy tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo as Wave 2 is available now.
As expected, they were going to show more of the Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass, but didn't expect Wave 2 to be available now though which is surprising. However, Wave 2, we got three new Emblem Rings with Hector from Fire Emblem Blazing Blade, Soren from Fire Emblem Path of Radiance, and Camilla from Fire Emblem Fates which is awesome. Wave 3, we got Robin & Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening and Veronica from Fire Emblem Heroes which is awesome as well and a nice surprise especially with Veronica. Finally, we got a sneak peek of Wave 4 which is a new story for the game titled Fell Xenologue which looks quite interesting. Can't wait for the other DLC to come out, but until then, we got Wave 2 which is available now to keep us company.
I expect Octopath Traveler II to be shown at this direct and I also expected a demo for this game that will transfer save data to the full game which I appreciate and love. I do love the first Octopath Traveler game and I expect this one to be awesome as well and I can't wait to play the demo once I have the chance and the full game when it releases in a few weeks.
Nice to see another game from the Katamari series to make a return and this time, we got We Love Katamari being remade with We Love Katamri REROLL + Royal Reverie which looks to be great. Plus, they also announced that there will be a free trial for Katamari Damacy REROLL from February 20, 2023, to February 26, 2023 for Nintendo Switch Online members so if you want to try the series yourself, this is your chance. Looking forward to We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie when it comes out in four months.
I had an eye on this game for a long time now as it's made by the same developers who developed The Messenger and this game is basically a prequel to The Messenger with a hmage to Chrono Trigger which I love. Plus, they got the original composer for Chrono Trigger, Yasunori Mitsuda, to compose the soundtrack for this game which makes me even more hyped. Plus, there's a demo for this game that is available now so looking forward to that. Can't wait to play the full game of this homage to Chrono Trigger with Sea of Stars when it releases in six months.
Holy crap! Didn't expect Atlus to do HD remasters of the first three games of Etrian Odyssey series, but they did which makes me happy. Nice to see Atlus do this and if you enjoy dungeon crawler RPGs, this will be the series for you. Looking forward to playing these games again in HD in four months.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a military-themed turn-based strategy game developed by WayForward and published by Nintendo as it will be a remake of the first two games that were released on the Game Boy Advance in 2001 and the game will be released on April 21, 2023.
Yes! Finally! After being delayed twice now, we finally got a new release date for the game which is coming out a lot sooner than expected. I really hope that Nintendo markets this game a lot because I don't want this series to die so please, for those who are into strategy games, please pick up Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp! You won't be disappointed. Can't wait to play these games again when it releases in two months.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a remake of the platformer developed by HAL Laboratory that was released on Wii back in 2011, as it will be coming to Switch on February 24, 2023.
I expected this game to be shown at this direct and man, they showed a lot here especially with that new epilogue with Magolor with Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler which looks very cool. Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler looks to be a Metroidvania where Magolor gets stronger as he gets new power-ups over time which is awesome. Also, the minigames continue to look fun and we even got a demo for the game which is great as it's out now. If you haven't played this game yet from the Kirby series, I would recommend doing so as it's great. Looking forward to playing this game again in a few weeks.
Holy crap, finally! It's about freaking time Game Boy and GBA games come to NSO and the selection so far looks great. As expected, they got the usual games that made Game Boy and GBA popular with Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Metroid. However, they got some nice surprises here too with some third-party games like GARGOYLE's QUEST and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare. Plus, they even got games that haven't had re-releases in years like Fire Emblem The Blazing Blade, or Fire Emblem in the West, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, and Golden Sun which is freaking awesome. Hope they continue to add more value to NSO and this is how you do it. Love it.
Holy freaking crap! Granted, this has been rumored for a long time, but the fact that it's finally happening is surreal. Plus, this looks more than just a remaster, it looks like a remake to me as they reworked everything with the graphics and the controls which is awesome. This is a good tease of what we could possibly get for Metroid Prime 4 and if that's the case, I'm super pumped. Not only that, they shadow dropped the digital version out of nowhere which is insane! Granted, will probably get the physical version in a few weeks as I prefer my physical copies, but if you want to play one of the best action-adventure games ever, you can do so right now and it's worth it.
We saw this game back at the Nintendo Direct in September of last year and the game still has my interest after showing a new trailer for this game right here. This game to me still looks like a mix of Danganronpa and an action game combined which looks really cool. Hope to see more of this game soon when it comes out in four months.
Holy freaking crap! I can't believe they've brought Baten Kaitos! These games are so underrated and probably one of the best JPRGs series from Monolith Soft in my opinion. I love these games back on the GameCube and I'm so glad to see these games back on Switch for new players to play. Granted, this game might not be for everyone since it's card and deck-building-based. However, if you're willing to give the gameplay a chance as well as love JPRGs and Monolith Soft, I would really recommend playing it as they're so worth it.
Oh crap! Level-5 is slowly making a comeback, wow! Nice to see FANTASY LIFE back after being dormant for so long and being stuck on mobile with FANTASY LIFE Online. Not only that, the last actual FANTASY LIFE game that is not mobile was the first one back in 2014 so it's wild to see it come back, but I love it. Like the new roles being added to the game and it looks to be an actual sequel to the first game which I'm down for. Great to see FANTASY LIFE back as the new game looks great and hope this game does well when it's released later this year.
Oh my freaking god! Professor Layton is back! Holy crap! I never thought I would see Professor Layton make a comeback, but it is coming back and I'm freaking thrilled! The last Professor Layton game we got was Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy which was released on Nintendo 3DS in 2017 so it's been six years and I thought it would never come back to the financial troubles that Level-5 had for the past few years. However, it looks like they're making a comeback and I'm all for it. Granted, we only got a teaser for this game, but I don't care because it's Professor Layton and the series is back baby! Woo! Thank you Level-5 and hope this does well so the Professor Layton series can continue! Woo!
What the heck?! We're getting a new original track that isn't from Mario Kart Tour?! What?! Nintendo, you're killing me here and it's insane! Love that the new track is based on Yoshi's Island and it looks incredible. Plus, we got characters coming in the DLC with Birdo being one of them! Heck yes! Never thought they would do this since they didn't add any characters in the first wave, but now they're doing it and it's awesome. Hoping that we get more new original tracks and characters added in Wave 5 and Wave 6 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Pack and looking forward to Wave 4 later this spring.
Minecraft Legends is an action-strategy game developed by Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive and published by Xbox Game Studios as it will be released on Switch on April 18, 2023.
We saw gameplay of this game back in the Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct a few weeks ago and it continues to look great. It's definitely different for the franchises, but I welcome it as it looks like a lot of fun. Looking forward to playing this game as it'll be coming to Switch in two months.
Blanc is an artistic cooperative adventure game developed by Casus Ludi and published by Gearbox Publishing as it will be released on February 14, 2023.
We saw the gameplay of this game back in Indie World in November of last year and it looks very nice and cozy with its art style and gameplay. I just can't believe the game is coming out sooner than expected as it will be out next week. However, looking forward to playing it when I get the chance.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is a tactical role-playing video game compilation developed by Capcom which includes 10 Mega Man Battle Network games including Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Battle Network 2, Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue/White, Mega Man Battle Network 4 Blue Sun/Red Sun, Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Colonel/Team Protoman, and Mega Man Battle Network 6 Cybeast Gregar/Cybeast Falzar. The game compilation will be released on April 14, 2023.
This compilation was announced back at the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase last year and we finally got ourselves a release date for this compilation as it's coming out in two months. Looking forward to playing these games again with this compilation and I can't wait as I hope we eventually get new original Mega Man games down the line. Do it Capcom!
Have a Nice Death is a 2D action roguelike developed by Magic Design Studios and published by Gearbox Publishing as it will be released on Switch on March 22, 2023.
Nice to see this game coming to Switch as it's a really good indie game that feels and looks like Hollow Knight, but the game has its own identity as well. If you want a fun and challenging indie game to play, would recommend playing this game if you haven't done already as it will be interesting to see how this game will do on Switch next month.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a life simulation game developed and published by Gameloft where it will receive a new realm update in April 2023.
It looks like they'll add the Lion King realm in two months which looks cool and nice. This game might not be for everyone, but if you like community simulators like Animal Crossing mixed with Disney, this is the game for you. We'll see how the new realm turns out when it comes to Switch in two months.
Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a remaster of the classic action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco on the GameCube in 2003 which will be coming to Switch on February 17, 2023.
We saw this game being announced back at the Nintendo Direct in September of last year so great to see that it will be coming to Switch as it will be released next week. Granted, I feel like Bandai Namco could have done more with this remaster, but glad to see that this classic JRPG is coming to modern consoles. If you haven't played this classic JRPG, would recommend getting it as it will be worth it.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the popular action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as it will be released on May 12, 2023.
We expected that we'll see this game at the presentation and we did. Holy smokes, that was a lot that they've shown! I think we heard Ganondorf for the first time and he sounds epic and menacing which I love. Plus, the new gameplay mechanics look like a lot of fun, the new monsters look quite cool, and you got more transportation in the game which is very nice. I'm very interested to see how the story will play out in this game and which direction they're going with this game as well as I'm freaking hyped for it. Just give an intriguing story with some dungeons mixed with the open-world aspect of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and I'm good. Just three more months until this game is released. I can't wait.
Overall, this was a great presentation from Nintendo. This presentation had a bit of everything for everyone of all ages with a combination of retro, ports, remasters, remakes, and new original games all into one which I love. Granted, this presentation might not be for everyone, but for me, it has everything and really surprised me with some of the announcements they announced here as well. Looking forward to seeing what Nintendo has in store in the future throughout the rest of the year.
You can catch the full Nintendo Direct yourself with the link below:
What are your thoughts on the Nintendo Direct?
What were your highlights and what games do you really want?
Let me know in the comments below and thank you for reading.
Comments
Post a Comment