Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct video presentation was an absolute barnburner! Previously delayed titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp both got proper release dates—May 12 and April 21, respectively. Also dated was the latest entry in the Pikmin series, Pikmin 4 (July 21), and the sequel to Square Enix’s character-driven HD-2D RPG, OCTOPATH TRAVELER II (February 24).
Splatoon 3, Fire Emblem Engage, and Dead Cells will all shortly be receiving expansive and, no doubt, engaging new DLC. Plus, lesser-known retro fare like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Baten Kaitos I & II, and Etrian Odyssey were all revealed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch this summer.
The biggest news, however, was easily a trio of offerings that Switch owners can enjoy right now.
At long last, Game Boy titles are available to Nintendo Online subscribers! Current offerings include the iconic Tetris, system stand-out Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins, the beloved Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX, and even more obscure titles like GARGOYLE’S QUEST and Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare.
Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack also gain access to a growing suite of GBA games including Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Yes, these and more are available now for current subscribers.
And if that wasn’t enough to delight your inner Nintendo fanboy, buckle up, because Metroid Prime Remastered was also made available for purchase shortly after the presentation wrapped up.
Priced at $39.99 via the eShop (and with a physical version coming later this month at that same price point), this new take on the GameCube shooter is easily the best version yet. The remastered audio and visuals ramp up the otherworldly eeriness of sweeping alien vistas and claustrophobic derelict space stations, but the dual-analog controls finally do away with the touchy, tanky character movement that always kept me from ever feeling truly immersed in this classic Samus adventure.
Check out the full Nintendo Direct below, head over to the Nintendo eShop for more information and various free demos, and, for the love of all that is holy, subscribe to the Nintendo Online or Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack service to enjoy all the old school goodness that only Nintendo can provide.
A review code of Metroid Prime Remastered was provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Wario Land 3 is still far more entertaining than even I could have anticipated.
