Line #13 Awesome/NintendoDirect


1	->''Please take a look at our last video for the day.''
2	-->- '''Creator/SatoruIwata''', '''Creator/YoshiakiKoizumi''', or any other host, giving you some FiveSecondForeshadowing
3
4	Awesome video games are usually preceded by awesome announcements, and {{WebVideo/Nintendo Direct}}s are pretty good at delivering awesome announcements. To keep overlap with the SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome pages of the various games mentioned throughout this list to a minimum, this page doesn't include franchise-specific Directs.
5	----
6	!!!2013
7	* As stated on the main page, the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MzG6lDA1A0 Wii U Direct of January 2013]]" was a full-on WhamEpisode meant to turn the tide of the Platform/WiiU, which was failing out of the gate. Enter the return of Platform/VirtualConsole, new information about ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' and ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'', confirmation on the development of what would become ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'', and the reveals of what would become ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'', ''VideoGame/TokyoMirageSessionsFE'', and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', in addition to a HD remake of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''.
8
9	!!!2014
10	* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GisRY6h100U Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2014]]" was yet another Wham Episode. Nintendo hoped to still garner interest in their failing home console, or at the very least, needed to satisfy the audience that had purchased the system and were wondering where all the games were. With a Direct bookended with brand-new ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'' news and character reveals (The Miis, Palutena, and Pac-Man, with a cameo from Dark Pit during Palutena’s trailer), they certainly tried their hardest. ''VideoGame/YoshisWoollyWorld'' made its reappearance after being missing-in-action for eighteen months. The beloved "Captain Toad" levels got the SpinOff treatment in ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker''. We our first look at then-untitled ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and a new trailer for ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'', with news that ''[[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Bayonetta 1]]'' would ship in a two-pack with the upcoming [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta2}} sequel]] squeezed in-between. We had a return to stylus gameplay in the form of ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse'' alongside footage of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX''. We witnessed the birth of future CashCowFranchise ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' and got a stealth reveal of ''VideoGame/StarFoxZero'' via blurry cam. All this interspersed with various ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' skits mocking game journalists, Nintendo fans, and Nintendo themselves, as well as short "developer story" segments. Oh, and [[LetsYouAndHimFight Iwata and Reggie fought each other to the death to reveal the Mii Fighters]]. Combined with the excellent Treehouse coverage, while Nintendo didn't WinBackTheCrowd for the Wii U in the long term, the presentation was loved to the point where 4chan's /v/ board actually ''made a gigantic Thank You card'' and sent it to the company. Not a bad showing for Nintendo's worst-selling console.
11
12	!!!2017
13	* During the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-g7lXaymA8 Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017]]" segment, they showed several well-received trailers for many Platform/NintendoSwitch games, including ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemWarriors'', what would become ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' and ''VideoGame/YoshisCraftedWorld'', ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', and third-party favorite ''VideoGame/RocketLeague'', in addition to the announcement that a core ''{{VideoGame/Pokemon}}'' RPG was coming to the Switch after fans worried where the future of the series was in context of the Switch's hybrid nature. That all pales to the ''real'' firestarter, though, which was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFbDmTjS_MI a 43 second teaser]] showing only [[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy two words and the number "4"]]. The announcement tripled as a Tearjerker and a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming, with many people overjoyed to see Samus Aran returning to a Nintendo console for the first time in years, especially considering [[VideoGame/MetroidOtherM the low note she left on last time]]. [[http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/06/nintendos_share_value_reaches_new_heights_in_positive_reaction_to_e3 Investors were pleased too, as Nintendo's stock rose to new heights following the show.]]
14	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztMGTTAjsAQ&t=1566s Nintendo Direct of September 2017]] was a mostly low-key affair, reiterating Nintendo's Fall lineup and introduced a few more minor titles. But a bombshell was dropped in the middle of it all -- ports of ''VideoGame/Doom2016'' and ''VideoGame/WolfensteinIITheNewColossus'' for the Nintendo Switch, which (up until that point) many people had believed were too powerful to ever be adapted for the system.
15	-->"Whoa... ''Holy SHIT!''"\
16	"Holy crap!"
17	--->[[https://youtu.be/3d3niCmD8zA?t=1611 Tim Gettys and Greg Miller]]
18
19	!!!2018
20	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsFna-Z1MjU March 2018 Nintendo Direct]] served as this for both the ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' communities. ''Splatoon'' fans got two things that they've been craving for since the original game launched back in 2015: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBr6GqyuWnA a new single-player campaign]] starring the rival Octoling species and the ability to play as an Octoling online, which is unlocked after beating this new story campaign, called the ''Octo Expansion''. Shortly afterwards, ''Smash Bros.'' fans got a shock when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Gt42kVgCw what seemed to be just additional news]] concerning ''Splatoon'' ending up being a character announcement trailer. The Inklings are coming to ''Smash'' and [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate a new installment is on the horizon]], coming out later that year.
21	* The "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRuHg1dv8MI September 2018 Direct]]" had one for ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' fans, with the announcements that the previously Creator/{{Sony}} console-exclusive ''Final Fantasies VII'', ''IX'',''X/X-2'', and ''XII'' would be coming to the Nintendo Switch early the following year, marking the first time that a Nintendo platform has seen a new mainline ''Final Fantasy'' game in any form since ''1994''.[[note]]Not counting remakes of the first six installments, which were original made for Nintendo consoles.[[/note]] Extra fan attention was given to ''VII'' in particular, as that was the game which led to Square famously breaking off a long-standing relationship with Nintendo to release the game on the Platform/PlayStation instead, due to that console using [=CD-ROMs=] while the Platform/Nintendo64 stuck with cartridges.
22	** Two words: ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''. While Isabelle getting into ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' was a nice surprise, ''Animal Crossing'' fans once again felt a bit mislead by her reveal trailer, as they've spent the past few years hoping for a brand new console entry, especially since they felt similarly fooled by the trailer for a SpinOff title in the franchise years prior. A spin-off that ended up being... poorly-received upon release. So you can only imagine the joy when the ''Smash Bros.'' announcement was causally followed by Tom Nook telling the audience that a new ''Animal Crossing'' was coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
23
24	!!!2019
25	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCME2yPJKWk February 2019]]'s Direct bookended itself with two major announcements, in addition to giving us a nice dose of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' news. The show opened with ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'', a game that ''Mario'' fans have wondering about since the launch of the Nintendo Switch, considering how the first game was one of the few that made heavy use of the Platform/WiiU's Gamepad. Some fans wondered if Nintendo would attempt to port it over or make a sequel, and lo and behold, not only is this sequel happening and adding tons of new features such as the much wanted slopes, but it's releasing in just four months. Then there was the unexpected announcement of Creator/PlatinumGames' brand-new science-fiction action game ''VideoGame/AstralChain,'' coming exclusively for the Switch in just ''six months.'' And then the show ended with the long-awaited announcement of the next 2D ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' game, which turned out to be the equally long-awaited announcement of a remake of the critically-acclaimed ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening Link's Awakening]],'' introduced by a beautifully-animated recreation of the opening cutscene.
26	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUnpK23g4FY Spring 2019 Nindie Showcase]] also bookended itself quite nicely. The direct opened up by announcing that ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' would be coming to the Nintendo Switch, something that had been rumored for a while thanks to many game journalists talking about how [[Creator/XboxGameStudios Microsoft]] and Nintendo had been talking a lot recently. But it's the end of the direct that arguably delivered the bigger news: Nintendo was letting an ''indie developer use one of their [=IPs=]'', and not just as DLC either. Nope, ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule'', the sequel to ''VideoGame/CryptOfTheNecroDancer'', doubles as a full-fledged SpinOff entry in the ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' franchise. The fact that they urged a small Canadian team of less than a dozen people with only a single released game to their name to take their turn with one of their most popular franchises shocked absolutely everyone. Yes, ''urged''. Brace Yourself Games just wanted to have ''Zelda'' characters as DLC for the original game, but Nintendo was so interested by the idea that they pushed for a full-on title.
27	* Compared to other recent Directs, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr9eAtwcYlo Nintendo E3 2019 Direct]] was relatively tame, though there were still a few standout moments. A Switch version of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3'' was shown, setting a new high water mark for how capable the hybrid console could perform, while a remake of ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'' and the announcement of ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroesIII'' thrilled fans of those series. But the biggest screams of excitement came from the one-two punch at the end -- the debut of nostalgic characters [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', followed by confirmation that a sequel to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' was on the way.
28	* By most accounts, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TVE44feo_I September 2019 Nintendo Direct]] was a boon for die-hard fans of obscure and offbeat games. Western players were ambushed by the announcement of ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition2'', a sequel to the quirky ''Series/TwinPeaks''-style ''VideoGame/DeadlyPremonition'' adventure game, as well as ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' finally coming to the Switch. Meanwhile, Japanese gamers were [[https://techraptor.net/content/famicom-detective-club-remake-japan greeted with news]] of remakes of the first two ''VisualNovel/FamicomDetectiveClub'' games. But the biggest news was arguably [[https://www.destructoid.com/moon-remix-rpg-adventure-is-finally-coming-west-22-years-after-it-first-released-565871.phtml the Switch release]] of the cult classic [[SubvertedTrope "anti-RPG"]] ''VideoGame/MoonRemixRPGAdventure'', along with news that it would -- after '''22 years''' -- finally be [[LateExportForYou officially localized and released worldwide.]]
29
30	!!!2020
31	* Despite foregoing General Directs this year due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic hurting first-party development, Nintendo continued to give us Indie and Partner Directs. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNtacp8-GoI first of these Partner Showcases]] revealed that ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule'' would be getting a litany of DLC, including more characters and a campaign starring fan-favourite Skull Kid. But the true focus of the show was the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series: ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' was announced to be getting a remaster, followed-up by the first trailer for ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' since the game's 2017 announcement, revealing that would have a ''simultaneous'' worldwide launch! Not bad, Creator/{{Atlus}}. Not bad at all.
32
33	!!!2021
34	* After the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic resulted in a year of no General Directs, the format returned in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVHbzcr1-D8 February 2021]] with an onslaught of new games and reveals. The show opened with [[VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2 Pyra and Mythra]] getting invited to ''Smash Ultimate'' over Rex, popular multiplayer game ''VideoGame/FallGuysUltimateKnockout'' was announced to get a Switch version, ''No More Heroes III'' and the the [[VisualNovel/FamicomDetectiveClubTheMissingHeir remakes]] of the [[VisualNovel/FamicomDetectiveClubTheGirlWhoStandsBehind first]] two ''VideoGame/FamicomDetectiveClub'' games got release dates (the latter turning out to be an example of RemadeForTheExport and getting a '''global''' release date), remasters of ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'', ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'', and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' were revealed, and we got new games in ''VideoGame/MarioGolf: Super Rush'' and ''VideoGame/TriangleStrategy''. But for many, ''the'' jaw-dropping announcement was the reveal that ''Splatoon'' fans wouldn't have to wait until Nintendo's next console for [[VideoGame/Splatoon3 the third entry]]!
35	* While most of the other E3 presentations were seen as middling at best and downright insulting at worst among gaming enthusiasts, Nintendo's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH7QtiX1I7Y E3 2021]] satisfied many Nintendo fans. From [[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Kazuya Mishima]] coming to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', to a new ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' game, to Creator/WayForwardTechnologies making a compilation remake of the two Platform/GameBoyAdvance ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'' games for Platform/NintendoSwitch, to an actual release date and gameplay footage for ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'', to the ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'' games making their much anticipated Nintendo debut. However, the two biggest things to come out of the presentation were a brief gameplay teaser for the sequel to ''Breath of the Wild'', and the completely out-of-left-field announcement that ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', a game that had been rumored about amongst ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' fans ''since 2005'', was now very much real and very much releasing in a mere four months.
36	** The Japanese version of the Direct also had a special treat of its own; the announcement of ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30'', the [[MilestoneCelebration 30th Anniversary Celebration]] game for ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars''. Yeah, you read that right; A ''Super Robot Wars'' game got announced on a Nintendo Direct (When the developers for the series usually prefer to announce them on their own) - and for E3, no less!
37
38	!!!2022
39	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhDFA_O7zNg February 2022 Direct]] made sure the year went off on a great start. The ''VideoGame/MarioStrikers'' series was announced to be making its return after nearly a decade. A Square Enix classic in ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' would finally be released to the West (and remade in the HD-2D style of ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'', no less); see that thing with ''Moon: Remix RPG Adventure'' being localized after 22 years? Yeah, this game is '''6 years older'''. They're also releasing an HD remaster of ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' that will be compiled with the previously Platform/{{Satellaview}}-[[NoExportForYou only]] ''VisualNovel/RadicalDreamers'' too! Meanwhile, Creator/{{Valve}} dropped in with an unexpected surprise in the form of the award-winning puzzlers ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' and ''VideoGame/Portal2'' coming to Switch as the "Companion Collection", and Nintendo closed out the show by letting us know we'd be playing ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' before years' end.
40	* After the previous ones failed to impress, not many people had high hopes for the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKB3WXRWTCM&ab_channel=Nintendo June 2022 Partner Direct]]. And yet the presentation more than delivered, with beloved titles like ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', ''VideoGame/PacManWorld'', and a Legacy Collection of the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' games finally coming to Switch, along with a new life sim/action RPG hybrid from Square Enix called ''VideoGame/{{Harvestella}}'' that definitely caught gamers' attention. However nothing could compare to the end, where after years of requests, ''VideoGame/Persona5'' ''[[UpdatedReRelease Royal]]'' will ''finally'' come to Switch, and it's bringing ''[[VideoGame/Persona4 [=P4=] Golden]]'' ''and'' ''[[VideoGame/Persona3 [=P3=] Portable]]'' with it.
41	* For fans of [=JRPG=]s and farming sims, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ9Iz7HhU-I September 2022 Direct]] was absolutely full to bursting with them! ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'' gets officially announced for an early 2023 release. A remake of ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonAWonderfulLife'' [[VideoGame/StoryOfSeasonsAWonderfulLife in the works]]; ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' getting a remaster, along with the announcement of a new [=RF=] game being in development; some new information on ''VideoGame/{{Harvestella}}''; ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' getting a port to the Switch coming next year; ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' [[VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII getting a sequel]]; ''VideoGame/Pikmin4'' really does exist and is coming out next year; and to finish it off, the ''Breath of the Wild'' sequel finally has a name: ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom.''
42
43	!!!2023
44	* Many went into the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U February 2023 Direct]] expecting little else beyond a proper ''Tears of the Kingdom'' trailer and a release date for ''Pikmin 4''. And we did get those things... in addition to a slew of franchise revivals, remakes, and remasters. New ''VideoGame/SambaDeAmigo'' and ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' games. DLC for ''Splatoon 3''. Remasters of ''VideoGame/GhostTrickPhantomDetective'', the first three ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' games, ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' (which released '''immediately''' after the Direct, no less) and both ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' games. Oh, and ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp'' was finally re-dated after suddenly being removed from the release calendar a year prior. Throw in Platform/GameBoy, Platform/GameBoyColor, and Platform/GameBoyAdvance games coming to NSO that day as well, and it was more than enough for Nintendo fans to feel that the system was on track to have a fantastic 7th year.
45	** One specific aspect of the direct that was noted by fans was that there were ''three'' Creator/Level5 games revealed in it, those being the aforementioned ''Professor Layton and the New World of Steam'', as well as ''VideoGame/FantasyLife i: The Girl Who Steals Time'' and a new IP in the form of ''[=DecaPolice=]''. Given that it was initially assumed that Level-5 had ended their operations in North America, seeing them announcing these three games for an international release was satisfying to many of their longtime fans, calling it a [[HesBack return to form]] for them.
46	* Fans went into the [[https://youtu.be/mrZtzGRAKrM June 2023 Direct]] with many questions, as Nintendo's first-party lineup for the rest of the year being completely unknown outside ''VideoGame/Pikmin4'' and miscellaneous DLC, some wondered if the second half of the year would be barren. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. In addition to more news about ''Pikmin 4'' and that various DLC, Nintendo themselves would drop HD ports of the [[VideoGame/Pikmin2001 first]] [[VideoGame/Pikmin2 two]] ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' games immediately after the show, finally re-announce the ''VideoGame/DetectivePikachu'' sequel (now titled ''VideoGame/DetectivePikachuReturns''), and give us a second ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' Switch entry in ''[=WarioWare=]: Move It'', a direct sequel to ''Smooth Moves'' on the Wii. On the third party side, we got a new ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonsters'' in ''The Dark Prince'', a HD-2D remake of ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'', a ''[[Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries Batman: Arkham Trilogy]]'' collection, confirmation that the Switch would also be receiving ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid: Master Collection Vol. 1'', and a first look at ''VideoGame/PennysBigBreakaway'', the first original game from the development team behind ''VideoGame/SonicMania''.
47	** However, it's the ''Mario'' fans who got the most out of this Direct. A remake of the much-beloved ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', with composer Music/YokoShimomura returning to compose the soundtrack? A teaser for a new game starring Princess Peach!? A HD remaster of ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon''!?! And [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder a new 2D Mario game]] with a gorgeous new art-style, vibrant animation, and a ''playable Daisy!?!?'' With all this news coming off the back of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'''s success earlier that year, the future of the franchise is looking even better than ever before!
48	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/live/rfYfuAOKTxA?si=gDLr7y6MNu_L0L4G September Direct]] was fairly light on new game announcements. What was announced, however, was still hype worthy. A full trailer for ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'' Side Order DLC, revealing a more roguelike style direction for the series. A detailed look at ''VideoGame/PrincessPeachShowtime'' showing the princess' first solo outing since ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach''. The return of the ''VideoGame/FZero'' series in the form of [[VideoGame/FZero99 a battle royale game]].
49	** Normally, a remake wouldn't really warrant being left as the last reveal for a direct. Those are usually announced in the middle of the runtime. But when said remake is of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor''? Fans most certainly believe it deserves the spot, especially for those who have been disappointed with the modern installments of the franchise, and can finally breath easy to see a graphically updated version of the best RPG in the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series.

Context Awesome / NintendoDirect