Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Nintendo Direct 9.14.2023

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created 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 which happened on September 14, 2023.

Before I start, not every game that was shown in this 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, have nothing against the games, but they're not just for me or it's just that 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 I'm not or have nothing to say about it, good for you and I'm happy for you.

Anyway, let's get started!

This Nintendo Direct will showcase games coming to Nintendo Switch this winter so let's get to it!

Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass - Side Order is Wave 2 of the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass DLC of the popular third-person shooter developed and published by Nintendo, Splatoon 3. It is set to be released in Spring 2024.

It was only a matter of time before we got more information about Side Order and we finally got it which looks great. I was just very surprised that we're not getting it until next year which shows that it looks like Switch will continue getting support heading into next year so that's cool. This to me looks to be another Octo Expansion like in Splatoon 2 where I like Acht, the Octoling companion, who looks cool, and the story seems very intriguing as well. We'll see how this wave will turn out once it's released next year.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a puzzle platformer developed and published by Nintendo. The game is set to be released on February 16, 2024.

Well, we got ourselves a Doney Kong game, but not what people wanted. However, it's great to see the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong series is back again since it's been seven years since the last Mario Vs. Donkey game which was Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge back on the 3DS and Wii U in 2016. This is pretty much a remake of the first Mario Vs. Donkey Kong game back in the GBA in 2004 and it looks great with the visual upgrades and so forth which is nice to see. Also, I like the fact that they added co-op to this game too which is nice to see. Hope this remake will turn out when it's released in five months.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2.5D platform action-adventure game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game is set to be released on January 18, 2024. 

We've seen this game in numerous presentations in the past already, but glad to see that this game getting a focus on Switch as it looks pretty good and it's honestly to me, one of the most interesting Ubisoft games that isn't a crossover that I'm interested in for a long time as it looks great and the combat looks to be a lot of fun. Looking forward to trying this game out once it's released in four months.

Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a rhythm adventure game developed by Second Impact Games and published by Konami. The game is set to be released on November 14, 2023.

Oh wow! Didn't expect Konami to release a rhythm adventure game like this which is quite cool. It looks like we're going to get some Konami crossover here in terms of music as we got Castlevania confirmed already which is nice. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the game will turn out when it's released in three months.

SPY x ANYA: Operation Memories is an adventure game developed and published by Bandai Namco. The game is set to be released in 2024.

Okay, I didn't expect a SPY x FAMILY game with Anya being the main focus, but I'm really digging it. With the rise of SPY x FAMILY's popularity in the manga and anime department, it was only a matter of time before we got a game for it and it definitely looks very charming. Very curious to see how this game will turn out as it comes out next year.

Super Mario RPG is a role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo. The game is set to be released on November 17, 2023.

I just have to say that I love the new features that they're adding in this game which includes the Triple Move which allows the party to hit a special team finisher as I find that to be awesome. In addition, there's a post-game as well where you can fight against the bosses again, but in a hard mode which will be great for challenges. This definitely hits on all fronts on what I want in a remake of Super Mario RPG and I can't wait to play this game again once it's released in two months.

Another Code: Recollection is a collection of point-and-click adventure games developed by Cing and published by Nintendo. The collection is set to be released on January 19, 2024.

Holy crap! I didn't expect Another Code or Trace Memory in North America to make a return, but this is awesome! The collection will contain two games. Another Code: Two Memories or Trace Memory is the first game in the series which was released on Nintendo DS back in 2005 while Another Code: R - A Journey into Lost Memories is the second game in the series that was only released in Japan and Europe came out on Wii in 2009. So the collection is making a comeback after fourteen years which is insane. However, glad to see this series back as I enjoyed it back in the day with the first game and never had a chance to play the second one so this is going to be a treat for me. I'm glad to see Nintendo continuing to bring back niche/obscure franchises for larger audiences and I'm looking forward to playing the collection in four months.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The game is set to be released on March 22, 2024.

Oh my god, this game actually looks pretty good and I'm impressed! The fact that Princess Peach with her partner, Stella, can transform into different costumes to have special abilities is freaking awesome. I'm glad to see that Peach gets her own game again and the fact that they're looking to expand it while showing what she's capable of is super exciting. I'm really looking forward to playing this game and how it turns out when it's released in six months.

SaGa Emerald Beyond is a role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The game is set to be released in 2024.

Holy crap! We actually got a new SaGa game! Granted, after all of those remasters of the past SaGa games, I should've seen this coming, but the fact that there's actually a new original SaGa game is insane. It also actually looks pretty good with the art style, the character designs, and it looks like it's keeping the traditional turn-based gameplay that the series is known for which is great to see. Glad to see the SaGa series back in full force and hope that this new game turns out well when it's released next year.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft is a collection of action-adventure games of the original Tomb Raider I-III on PSX, developed and published by Aspyr. The collection is set to be released on February 14, 2024.

Oh wow! I didn't expect a remaster collection of the original Tomb Raiders on PSX to be released on modern consoles, that's very unexpected, but awesome. I really like how you can switch between the original art style from PSX to the remaster style which is nice as you appreciate and experience on how the game is supposed to look like if the player chooses to, or keep switching art styles around for the fun of it. Very nice surprise here and looking forward to this remaster coming out in five months.

Detective Pikachu Returns is an adventure game developed by Creatures and published by Nintendo. The game is set to be released on October 6, 2023.

Cool to see that this game continues to get advertised as it should be another fun adventure with Detective Pikachu. The trailer is almost a recap of what we saw with the Pokémon Presents last month, but they did add a new Pokémon to assist with Detective Pikachu with Luxray being able to see through walls which is a nice feature. Looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out after the first game as it'll be released in a few weeks.

Trombone Champ is a trombone-based rhythm game developed and published by Holy Wow Studios. The game is available now on Switch.

Okay, I didn't expect this game to come to Switch as I remember hearing that this game was a lot of fun on PC so the fact that the game is on Switch is quite cool. Playing this game with friends is going to be a lot of fun and would definitely create a lot of chaos as well. Very curious to trying this game out myself to see how it is as I never had a chance to play it when it came out on PC so it should be quite interesting to experience.

Wartales is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Shiro Games. The game is available now as a time-Switch-exclusive.

Dang, the fact that Nintendo managed to get Wartales as a time exclusive on their console is interesting. I remember hearing about this game on PC when it was first released as I heard it was pretty good so the fact that this game is Switch-exclusive for the time being on consoles is fascinating. Very curious to see how this game will turn out and cool on Nintendo for getting this game first to be a time exclusive on their console.

Contra: Operation Galuga is a reimaging of the first action game, Contra, released on the NES. The game is being developed by WayForward and published by Konami. The game is set to be released early next year.

Wait what?! Konami is actually doing a reimaging of the first Contra game and they're having WayForward to help them with it?! What?! This is so bizarre as Konami is somewhat caring about their franchises again and the fact that we're getting a reimaging of the Contra series starting with the first game is quite interesting. Granted, the last Contra with Contra: Rogue Corps wasn't great. However, with WayForward being part of this as they tend to have a great track record, I hope this reimaging of the Contra series goes well as they're looking to add new weapons, new enemies, new super powerful attacks, and co-op play. Interested to see how this game will turn out when it's released early next year.

Unicorn Overlord is a tactical role-playing game developed by Vanillaware and published by Atlus. The game is set to be released on March 8, 2024.

Dang, didn't expect Atlus and Vanillaware to develop a strategy game and it actually looks quite cool. The art style is very unique, the gameplay looks to be a lot of fun as it reminds me of Ogre Tactics which I enjoy that game, and the story seems quite intriguing as well. Surprised that Atlus and Vanillaware are making a game like this, but I'm totally for it as I'm looking forward to playing it when it comes out in six months.

Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is a remaster of the action-adventure game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, that was released on Nintendo 3DS in 2013. The game is set to be released in Summer 2024.

Oh wow! The fact that this game is not going to be available until summer of next year is crazy. Makes me wonder why they're not releasing it until then. Either way, this looks to be Luigi's Mansion 2, but in HD with the usual features and online co-op play which is nice. Looking forward to replaying this game when it comes out summer of next year.

F-Zero 99 is a battle royal racing game developed and published by Nintendo as it's available now for Nintendo Switch Online members.

Oh my freaking god! After nineteen years, we finally got ourselves a new F-Zero game at long last! A F-Zero battle royal game is a great idea and the way that it's being presented here looks like chaos and I love it! It's very cool that they're even using the SNES sprites for this game which is cool. Collecting Super Sparks in order to drive on the Skyway to get the advantage is a nice idea as well. Plus, the fact that you can use the SNES controller for this game is nice as well for nostalgia purposes. Either way, I'm glad to see F-Zero back in some capacity with a new original game and I really hope this leads to the resurgence of the F-Zero franchise. F-Zero!

WarioWare: Move It! is a party game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. The game is set to be released on November 3, 2023.

Still surprised that we're getting another WarioWare game after we got WarioWare: Get It Together two years ago, but this seems to be another fun party game for the WarioWare series as it's definitely similar to WarioWare: Smooth Moves which is one of my favorite WarioWare games so that's great to see. Doing the forms and poses as well as playing with friends is going to be a lot of fun with this game and I can't wait to try this game out when it's released in two months.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a role-playing game developed by Rabbit and Bear Studios and published by 505 Games. The game is set to be released on April 23, 2024.

The spiritual successor to Suikoden is finally coming and I have an interest in this game for quite a while now despite Konami planning to re-release Suikoden in the future. Really love the art style as it goes back to the classic Suikoden look, but in HD which looks nice. Love the character designs too with Nowa, Seign, and Marissa as they look cool. I'm really looking forward to playing this game as I've been dying to playing a Suikoden-related game in quite a while so I can't wait for this game to be released in seven months.

Eastward: Octopia is DLC for the action-adventure role-playing game, Eastward, developed by Pixpil and published by Chucklefish. The DLC is planned to be released this holiday.

Wow, didn't expect Eastward to get DLC and that's awesome to see. Glad to see that people are able to play and get access to the DLC with Octopia without needing to play the base game which shows that it has its own content which is cool. Looking forward to seeing how the DLC turns out as I did enjoy the base game from what I've played as it comes out this holiday.

Wargroove 2 is a strategy game developed and published by Chucklefish. The game is set to be released as a Switch-exclusive on October 5, 2023.

Dang, the fact that Nintendo managed to get Wargroove 2 as a Switch-exclusive is good for them. With the revival of Advance Wars, it's great to see this genre rising again and just like with the first game, I expect Wargroove 2 to deliver as well as they look to improve from the first game with extras while still keeping the core gameplay which I appreciate. Looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out when it's released in a few weeks.

DAVE THE DIVER is an adventure game developed and published by Mintrocket. The game is set to be released on October 26, 2023.

Cool to see that this game is coming to Switch as I heard really great things about this game as it seems to be a fun adventure game with the protagonist, Dave, being a diver in the day, and being a sushi chef at night. The fact that this game also gets a demo as well is cool as well. Never had a chance to play the game myself, but can't wait to try it out for myself and looking forward to it as it'll be released next month.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass is a DLC expansion for the popular racing game, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, developed and published by Nintendo. Wave 6 is set to be released this holiday.

Well, this is it. This is the last wave for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass as it's been a fun ride, but a great one at that as they're looking to end it with a bang. Daisy Circuit from Mario Kart Wii is making a return which is awesome and the new playable characters in Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, and Peachette is awesome as well. Going to miss this, but glad they did and looking forward to playing the final expansion for this DLC as it comes out this holiday.

Among Us: The Fungle is a free update for the popular online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by Innersloth. The update will be released this October.

Okay, I didn't expect an update for Among Us in this Nintendo Direct, but cool to see that there was. The new map in the game looks quite fun and expansive as Among Us continues to expand and grow which is great to see. Despite not playing Among Us for a while, might return to playing the game due to this new map, but we'll see as it comes out sometime next month.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a remaster of the role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo that was released on the GameCube in 2004. The game is set to be released in 2024. 

Oh my freaking god, it's actually happening! Love this game back in the GameCube and the fact that we're getting a remaster of it is awesome. As of right now, haven't seen any changes except visual upgrades and that's totally fine as I feel the original game held up pretty well. Granted, they could do some quality-of-life improvements, but that's on Nintendo to decide. Regardless, this is one of the best Paper Mario games ever so if you never played it before, this is your chance as it comes out next year and I can't wait to play it again.

Overall, this was a great presentation by Nintendo. Granted, I'll admit that there are a lot of remasters/remakes and not enough new original games which I understand is what some people want. However, if you're up for nostalgia, then yes, this Direct is a win for you. Plus, I'll admit that there were a lot of Mario games and if you're not into Mario, then yeah, I understand why people might not like this Direct. Regardless, despite the Switch almost being seven years old now, I'm impressed that we're still getting games for the system overall which is nice to see. Also, the fact that they added the Nintendo Museum segment as well as information about the Amiibo is nice as well even though they could've done it via a press release or a video drop, but I'll take it. Switch is still going strong heading into 2024 and we'll see what else they'll have in store.

You can catch the full presentation of the 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.