The Best From Nintendo Direct

The latest Nintendo Direct has already debuted and there are some truly exciting announcements. I think we can all agree that 2023 has been the best year ever to be a Nintendo Switch owner, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, I find myself surprised yet again. Here’s the best that I have seen from the latest Nintendo Direct.

 Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake

In this main course I’ll start with the dessert. ‘Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door’ was originally released for the Gamecube console back in 2002. In my opinion, ‘The Thousand Year Door’ was the best game ever released for the Gamecube. I put it over ‘Metroid Prime’ and ‘The Wind Waker’. Everything from the delightful soundtrack, to the endearing characters and the creative gameplay created an unforgettable experience for me. Now Nintendo is bringing back the beloved classic with HD graphics.

Mario VS Donkey Kong

Part adventure, part action brawler, players old and new will now be able to experience the classic SNES game, ‘Mario VS Donkey Kong’ now on Nintendo Switch complete with HD graphics and a brand new co-op mode.  This is yet another overture from Nintendo to longtime fans. Proving yet again that despite all the new movies from the company, they haven’t forgotten about its past, or the releases that made the company what it is today. Minus the hilarious Seth Rogen voiceover of course.

 F-Zero 99 Brawl

This will be a controversial one, but bear with me for a moment. A lot of fans wanted Nintendo to build a brand new F-Zero for the Switch. Frankly, I’m of the same opinion. There has never been a better time to bring back the wild karting game. Especially given that Mario Kart is almost ten years old. Instead Nintendo has given us an online version of the original F-Zero. But this is actually a good thing for everyone, here’s why. By Nintendo giving players a new online F-Zero, this is a potential signaling of a new game in the works. It means that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten about F-Zero (despite acting to the contrary)

 Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Remaster

Luigi’s Mansion 2 was a truly great release from Nintendo that crippled itself by only being released for the Nintendo 3DS. Fans have been begging for a console release for years now, and finally it looks like Nintendo has heard us all loud and clear. While this was announced earlier in the year, this is the first time we’ve seen an in depth look. Luigi’s Mansion 2 has been extensively remastered, finally bringing it more in line with the sharp graphics of Luigi’s Mansion 3. Hey Nintendo, while you’re it, why not remaster the original Gamecube release?

 Tomb Raider Remastered

Lara Croft is truly one of video games most enduring characters. I played the original games a long time ago. ‘Tomb Raider’ captured my imagination in a way that few games have. As a kid, I though Lara Croft was on the level of Indiana Jones. Then when the incredibly cinematic 2013 ‘Tomb Raider’ came out, I was absolutely floored. Still to this day I maintain that ‘Tomb Raider’ is one of the greatest games ever made. In my opinion there’s never been a better time for a remaster of the original masterpieces. Incredible puzzles and action await!

Princess Peach Showtime

Earlier a video game was teased by Nintendo supposedly starring the Mushroom Kingdom princess. I initially groaned when I heard about it, thinking this would be a horrible idea. Nintendo has already tried this before, and both were colossal failures, you’d think they would learn. However after seeing this new look from Nintendo Direct, I find myself cautiously optimistic. ‘Princess Peach Showtime’ has the look and feel of modern Mario games, combining colorful action and puzzles. I don’t know if I’m fully convinced just yet, but this may be a good opportunity for Nintendo to expand the Mario franchise. Something I have said for years needed to happen.

Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars

Recently, Nintendo has done a very good job of listening to their fan base. ‘Super Mario RPG’ being remastered is proof of what I’m saying. For those who don’t know what’s going on here, ‘Super Mario RPG’ originally came out for the SNES and to this day is regarded as one of the greatest games ever built by Nintendo. At the latest Nintendo Direct we finally got a detailed look at the remaster and it looks absolutely brilliant. In some ways the remastered release looks even better than the upcoming ‘Super Mario Wonder’. No two ways about it, Nintendo is a company on the move.