Nintendo livestreamed its latest Nintendo Direct announcement event Thursday, revealing a large roster of new upcoming titles, downloadable add-on content, and remakes for the Switch console.
While numerous games were either announced or shown with fresh trailers, here are the six biggest takeaways from the Nintendo Direct livestream.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Ubisoft has developed a new Prince of Persia game called Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, which blends 2D side scrolling gameplay with a modern aesthetic. In the game, players take on the role of the namesake battling prince as he must engage in magical combat and slay mythical creatures and oversized enemies—like giant cobras and demonic knights.
While the game was first announced earlier this year, Nintendo shared Thursday that the game will release on the Switch on January 18, 2024.
Battle Crush
Nintendo announced that NCSoft’s free-to-play player-vs-player (PvP) game Battle Crush will be released for the Switch sometime in the spring of 2024. The title blends elements of a fantasy MOBA game and a battle royale, as players can choose from a range of different heroes with special powers to duke it out in a battle arena, all with the goal of eliminating the 29 other players to become the last one standing.
Battle Crush will be released for the Switch, Steam, and Android platforms and will offer cross-play support at launch, according to a statement. The game will offer a closed beta test next month ahead of the full 2024 release.
Princess Peach: Showtime
Step aside, Mario—Princess Peach is taking the leading role in her own game, Princess Peach: Showtime, which will launch on the Switch. In the full-priced ($60) 3D puzzle adventure game, Peach will take on a variety of different roles and characters to acquire new powers and abilities to solve various challenges and save the day.
Like Barbie, Peach can transform into just about anyone. In Princess Peach Showtime, Peach will take on the role of “Kung-Fu Peach,” “Patisserie Peach,” “Swordfighter Peach,” and “Detective Peach,” to name a few. Preorders for the title are now live, but the game won’t be released until March 22, 2024.
Super Mario RPG
Nintendo's livestream also included a more detailed look at some of its numerous upcoming remakes, like a 2023 remake of the 1996 Super Nintendo game, Super Mario RPG. The revamped Mario role-playing game will offer player-versus-computer battles in a 3v3 format, where characters can combine moves to slay enemies across dungeons and other landscapes.
Naturally, the updated game will offer substantially upgraded graphics and challenging boss fights as players assemble teams to save Star Road. Super Mario RPG is available for preorder ahead of its November 17 release on Switch.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
A new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game will be released for the Switch on February 16, 2024, making it the seventh installment in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong world. However, the 2024 game will actually be the first complete remake of the original puzzle-platformer game, coming two decades after the Game Boy Advance release back in 2004.
The new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game costs $50 and is currently available for preorder on Nintendo’s website and eShop.
Detective Pikachu Returns
Pikachu has a bizarrely deep voice in Detective Pikachu Returns, the upcoming sequel to the 2016 Nintendo 3DS game, Detective Pikachu. In the Switch sequel, which releases on October 6, players will attempt to solve new mysteries with the help of the many Pokémon of Ryme City.
Detective Pikachu works alongside human Tim Goodman to uncover clues, investigate crime scenes, and report their findings. Detective Pikachu Returns will cost $50 and it's available for preorder now through Nintendo.