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[Astray]

It wasn't filled with garbage soulslikes and GAAS games so it's better than a D, but this show is way too boring to justify anything higher than a C for me.

Show really lacked that oomph moment (new Fire Emblem was the only true standout for me) and it kinda tells you that the problem with escalating dev times is now reaching Nintendo too.

The Bike section in Metroid looked absolutely dreadful.

Was honestly shocked at how shallow it looked. Understandable given that it's cross-gen, but this is also being pushed as a system seller in the Switch 2's 1st year..

 

[bosnianpie]

Weak - I would say E.

They should have used the occasion to show the new 3D Mario and give fans something to actually look forward to. Galaxy is nice I guess, but they came some 15-20 years ago and the first game was already included in a collection.

 

[Mr Hyde]

A

Direct was an absolute banger. So much good shit coming to Switch 2. Felt like Christmas.

Super Mario Galaxy 2.

New Yoshi game.

Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly remake.

Dragon Quest 7 remake.

Resident Evil 9 + 7 & Village.

Final Fantasy 7 Intergrade (plus confirmation that Rebirth and Part 3 making it to Switch 2).

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.

Monster Hunter Stories 3

And finally Metroid Prime 4 which looks absolute did not expect Samus on a futuristic motorcycle. What a surprise twist!

 

[tr1p1ex]

First time in my life that I've regretted purchasing a console. Genuinely. Mario Kart World held my attention for a couple weeks.

Donkey Kong Bonanza couldn't really grab my attention and I'm still in the island layer you get to after escaping the underground. Haven't played the game in weeks.

I really got a Switch 2 at launch for Metroid Prime 4, but it merely has a "NiNtEnDo SwItCh 2 EdItIoN" and the motorcycle shit looks janky as fuck.

It's almost like Nintendo forgot that adults buy and play games on their systems. This direct had Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection and Resident Evil Requiem. Practically everything else was for drooling toddlers and tweens.

No offense to any adults who enjoy those games. I just get tired of all the slow-paced, "babby's first" type of games Nintendo puts out. The shit that has constant tutorials and hand-holding for the first 2 hours of the game.

The Direct having nonstop paid DLC and Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games we already played 20 years ago or on the Switch is just straight bullshit, lol.

No Mario Paint 2, Super Mario Maker 3, F-Zero, mainline Mario, Animal Crossing, Mega Man X9, Mischief Makers sequel, or anything original/new/interesting that isn't catering to 8 year olds.

Couldn't give a fuck less about some goddamn Kirby or Yoshi or Pokemon. I love RPGs but Dragon Quest remakes and Fire Emblem do nothing for me. At all. Oh, no. The kingdom is under attack by an enemy kingdom. Again. Someone in my court betrayed me. Again. Drama, battles, British accents, anime flair. Yay.

Mario sports games have always been a snooze fest to me so a new tennis game is whatever...and I even played tennis in high school.

I really should have not made the Switch 2 an impulse buy. That's completely my fault. I did the same thing with the first Switch, but at least it had Breath of the Wild at the time. Switch 2 release feels like N64 all over again with Pilotwings 64 and Super Mario 64...except, this time, it's Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bonanza.

Back to the Steam Deck I go.

it's a marathon not a sprint

 

[jshackles]

Giving is a B only because they didn't announce Monolith's next game, or Switch 2 upgrades for any of the Xenoblade games.

 

[Woopah]

As a Nintendo fan for the last 40ish years, there's absolutely nothing in there that would get me to buy a Switch 2. So yeah, they're releasing games I guess, but not a single thing I see makes me wanna spend the money.

Which is fair. I think that makes more sense. Each person has different tastes after all.

 

[tr1p1ex]

Nintendo fan grading guide:

S-Sensational
A-Amazing
B-Breathless
C-Compelling
D-Delightful
E-Exciting
F-Fabulous

 

[DeafTourette]

I gave them a B. I expected more but I was surprised at Resident Evil Requiem being announced

 

[daxgame]

B because Fire Emblem is one of my favourite series and this doesn't look trash like Engage.
Also RE9, DQ7, Danganronpa.

A for me generally means Layton \ Ace Attorney \ Xenoblade \ Surprises at Clair Obscure level \ Chrono Trigger remake .

 

[iHaunter]

Same old same old. Boring company.

 

[Forth]

The pricing structure and the DKB DLC which should have been free so close to release which stinks of a game mode held back to be resold.
This is a Nintendo which I can't support anymore.

 

[MisterBrimstone]

It was terrible, let's break it down a little.

It begins the international Nintendo Direct with Orlando and Tokyo stuff so 99.9% of the world just watches their shameless promotion of things they will never get to attend.

Then the movie plug, a Mario Galaxy movie. Cool idea, might be fun. Then we get Galaxy 1 and 2? I mean we played those games more than a decade ago. Not even a Galaxy 3 or any Mario announcement for the 40th anniversary.

Mario Tennis Fever having no career RPG style mode still is a disgrace. It's the same game, hasn't evolved one bit from the N64 first iteration.

Then MP4, we waited an eternity for the absolute worst open world traversal reveal.

Then the rest was ok, I guess. Requiem coming to Switch 2 was great. Fatal Frame amazing but a remake, is it that hard to make a new game?

It can't be more than an E.

 

[tomato shrub]

Metroid looks worse with each trailer. Overpriced old games. They've run out of WiiU games to rehash, so I guess now they're re-releasing the Switch 1 lineup all over again? lol get outta here. No way I'm buying any of these key card 3rd party games - though even with normal carts I'd rather be on the safe side and get PS5/PC versions for the performance.

F

 

[Shadowstar39]

B+/A- I guess if you only care about shooters or mainline mario/zelda games then sure.

For me this was awesome. Here is what I am interested in:
- New Fire Emblem, this alone raises the bar.
- Dragon Quest VII - remake - raises the bar
- Metroid prime 4 release date (although would love a prime trilogy collection as I am missing prime 2 (have 1 on switch and 3 on wii)
- Mario Galaxy collection (I have the 3d allstars but that doesn't have galaxy 2)
- Dynasty Warriors Origin
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Resident Evil Biohazard and Resident Evil Village
- New mario Tennis
- FFVII remake


Now compare that with Sony and Microsoft...... or recent e3 announcements, oh wait...
We got what Last light, Days gone remastered, new Lumines, Nioh 3, and a thief dismemberment announcement making it vr instead of a new game with Garret...
MS we had gears of war reloaded a remake of a remake, and outerWokeWorld2..... whoopti doo...lol

Sony At least had a few but the Thief thing made me upset....

At least Nintendo has original games and a ton of 3rd party announcments. Plus this was their 2nd direct. WE already got a bunch of games this year from them and an awesome new system.

 

[Shadowstar39]

That was god awful. If DQ7 is on Steam I'm selling my Switch 2. What a horrible software lineup.

You are selling a system you just got for a stupid direct that is in the 2nd half of the first year.... lol

I never understand people who sell their consoles. Keep it you know there is going to be great games.

 

[Muffdraul]

High C for finally giving an MP4 release date and announcing Galaxy 1 & 2 remastered. I think I'd have to reserve an A for directs where they give first announcements of major new crown jewel titles.

 

[Skeptical]

Personally I don't demand that a commercial for the company with the most diverse userbase in the industry (ok, maybe Steam is more diverse. But definitely more diverse than Sony or Microsoft) to personally entertain me, so I don't care about "rating" a direct.

For me personally? If this was intended to get me to pick up a Switch 2 ASAP it failed. But it didn't convince me to delay a purchase indefinitely at least. The only new game that is a must get for me is Fire Emblem and we don't have a date for that. So yeah, that's disappointing. FF7 getting a release data in January (and Metroid in December) at least calmed some nerves. With FF7, DK, and me likely not playing Metroid or Pokemon until early next year anyway, at least it's starting to look like a hardware I would be interested in. I may still wait until after a February direct though.

I'm really happy to see Mario Galaxy 2 finally, especially since I never played it on the Wii. Sad about the price, but costs have gone up so much the past 5 years its not too surprising.

I have no interest in horror, but RE9 getting a release at least spells good news for other third party releases.

Glad to finally see something different with Metroid. I'll withhold judgement on how it works until I play it. I can see it being really useful and a good idea, but just as easily see it diluting gameplay and not meaning much. I'm just not certain this game will be something special yet. I bought Dread day 1 and didn't regret it. The original Prime remains one of my favorite games of all time. But this hasn't reached that level yet surprisingly. Maybe it's the fact that Prime 3 left a sour taste in my mouth. I don't know. I'm sure it will be fine, but I want more than "fine."

Gotta admit, Virtual Boy was completely unexpected. Pokemon Minecraft was also unexpected, but at least makes sense in hindsight.

One frustrating thing to me about the Switch 2 so far is that, despite the "hardcore" being the most likely to be early adopters, their games seem to be an afterthought. It's fine that Yoshi is getting a new game. But it's hardly an exciting one. Pokemon Minecraft makes sense from a money standpoint. But that doesn't exactly appeal to us old men demographic. Mario Tennis is understandable, but multiplayer focused. So it's fine that those games exist, but where are the interesting more traditional single player games? Donkey Kong? Great! Age of Imprisonment? OK, fine, but it's the 3rd one in the series and tied so closely to one game and one game only that I'd rather just play Hyrule Warriors. Pokemon Z-A and Metroid? Thanks, but they're also on Switch. Fire Emblem? Great! But could be September next year for all we know. What else is there? I don't need 80 hr M-rated RPGs or whatever. I'd be happy with a Captain Toad. But I just want more single player games with interesting mechanics based on semi-traditional gameplay. Is that so much to ask?

 

[digoutyoursoul]

I was pretty disappointed they never had a successor to Super Mario 35 Online for the 40th anniversary.

 

[ValiantInstance]

Bringing back Virtual Boy is a shocking decision. People will play it for 5 minutes then it will gather dust on the shelf along with the rest of the junk.

 

[Bonfires Down]

E for "Everything was Dragon Quest Builders"

Uh, really? I would love it if that was the case but I only saw Dinkum and Pokemon Pokopia that could be classified as the same genre.

 

[Xellos]

B. There were plenty of good games shown, but nothing amazing. Highlights were MP4, DQ VII, Fatal Frame, VB NSO (Wario Land), RE9 (very impressive), Fire Emblem. Lots of DLC announced too. Most of it looks good, but it's hard to get too excited over DLC.

I need to know who's making Yoshi before I get excited about that. I trust Good Feel but sometimes Nintendo farms out to Arzest.

 

[Ogbert]

Really poor.

I want a new 3D Mario. I have zero interest in the weeboo drivel.

 

[cireza]

E for Poop.

They are rolling out the exact same game plan as Wii U, Switch etc... But with DLCs everywhere now.

Couldn't care less about the mountain of Mario games they are re-releasing, the random Yoshi game and the janky Kirby racing game.

Fucking Mario Tennis again, free Camelot from their misery already. Where is Shining Force ?

Virtual Boy ? Who asked for this shit ? When there are several SEGA consoles that could be added. No word of updates for the existing apps to 1080p. No new games for other consoles. No word on configuring controllers in all apps. Awful for subscribers (that's me).

Another random Fire Emblem game.

Thank Retro Studios for not getting an F.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Bringing back Virtual Boy is a shocking decision. People will play it for 5 minutes then it will gather dust on the shelf along with the rest of the junk.

I'd rather they had brought back R.O.B and Gyromite

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I rank it as "win". So many awesome games to get.

 

[Midway-AGNC-]

Very disappointing. Predictable, safe, and the same usual stuff we're already getting tired of. Sure, a Metroid Prime 4 release date is nice, but that could have been announced much earlier. I'm honestly fed up with Nintendo's "leave everything in the dark until the last minute" communication strategy. It only creates unnecessary anxiety among fans, uncertainty about the Switch 2's release window, and doubt about the consistency of future titles and their launch schedules.

Nintendo has fallen into the habit of relying on a very cautious formula: recycling the same franchises, keeping announcements painfully safe, and avoiding risk at all costs. This is a far cry from the ambitious, groundbreaking Nintendo that once reshaped the industry with bold ideas. By insisting on revealing everything at the very last moment, they not only fail to build meaningful long-term hype but also alienate part of their own community, leaving fans frustrated and constantly second-guessing what's coming next. This strategy might work for short-term marketing bursts, but in the long run it reflects a lack of ambition and transparency — two qualities that used to define Nintendo's strength.

 

[Roman Empire]

Very "C" for me. We got the release date for Metroid Prime 4, Monster Hunter Stories 3 but I'll play that on PC or PS5. Fatal Frame 2 remaster/remake is cool. There is the DK Bananza DLC releasing today, but I'm not too interested. New Fire Emblem seems to be a follow up to Three Houses, and it's probably the most interesting thing they've shown.

I don't caree for anything Pokémon showed.

 

[Kenpachii]

F, where is my new mario odyssey.

 

[Sgt.Asher]

I thought it was meh, my wife.on the other hand ia really excited.

 

[nial]

Nintendo coasting on ironic nostalgia now, huh?

 

[Paltheos]

Most interesting announcement to me was Danganronpa 2x2. The remake looks slick. More importantly, the idea of a B-side, a new sequence of events for the murders is fucking rad. The only downsides are: 1) There's no way Chunsoft is ever topping case 5. It's just the best they've ever done and has one of my favorite twists in anything ever and you just can't top that with what the scenario offers; and 2) Nobuyo Oyama's gone, but the new voice has been ok. I hope they don't rerecord all the lines for the OG scenario.

Edit: My memory

 

[Dacvak]

I was pretty disappointed they never had a successor to Super Mario 35 Online for the 40th anniversary.

Mario's 40th is shockingly thin compared to the 35th. We got Mario 35, a Mario Game & Watch, 3D All-Stars, a wide variety of merch, and a ton of tie-ins with other games.

This time we get Galaxy 2, and a weak trailer to the next Mario movie. Mario Tennis, Yoshi, and the Wonder DLC are all coming out next year, so I feel like it doesn't count. Even the stupid talking flower is next year.

Where the hell is the revival of Mario 35, but with 40 players now? It'd be a no-brainer.

 

[coffinbirth]

There should've been a Mario shadow drop. A hand drawn SMB1 remake would've been amazing.
I would've accepted Super Mario Sunshine GC NSO. Brain dead stupid not to do it.

Luigi's Mansion should be in October. Metroid Prime 2&3 MIA is also just...dumb.

No new 3D Mario game?

Bananza DLC before Mario Kart World?

No Twilight Princess HD?

Virtual Boy accessory is $100...can't buy the games. Seriously, like wtf? Put all the games on a cart or available for purchase, and then maybe we can talk...but $100 for games that I realistically won't play more than an hour or two , collectively, is a weird proposition.

No Xenoblade Switch 2 upgrades?

No new IP at all?

DragXDrive is all they have for 2025 that isn't a remake spinoff or sequel?

I rated it an E, but that's only because we are finally getting a Galaxy 2 port.

 

[Banjo64]

Eh.

Can't believe Hades II is coming out so soon, that's hype.

DK Bananza DLC looked good.

Galaxy 1&2 - ok, nice that we can play them on a system that's not the Wii I suppose.

They really need a third party only event which is a blowout. Too much of that hour was spent at a snails pace on some pretty average looking first party stuff.

Can't believe I'm still waiting on Sea of Thieves.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Easy 'A'

Hyrule Warrior November release date made me think Metroid was gonna get sneaky delayed to 2026, but then it's landing in December. Look at this first party lineup:

Oct. 16: Pokemon Legends
Nov. 6: Hyrule Warriors
Nov. 20: Kirby Air Riders
Dec. 4: Metroid Prime 4

Hitting major releases every two weeks is nuts. Playstation Studios and Xbox Game Studios don't even have that many first party games for the rest of the year combined.

Galaxy Collection is great and coming very soon. Nice to see Galaxy 2 especially get some new life, I played it but had kinda checked out on the Wii by the time it released, so not very much.
Mario Tennis and Yoshi are great smaller games for next year.
Dragon Quest VII Remake! Looked excellent.
Hades 2 coming very soon, console launch exclusive.
Pokemon Minecraft looked very fun.
Fire Emblem doesn't move the needle much for me but I know the series has lots of fans.
Bananza DLC was a surprise, and it looks pretty good. Roguelite mode is a fun idea!

Even a lot of the smaller games looked pretty fun but when will I ever have the time??

 

[March Climber]

Rating: C

Games of note:

Galaxy 1+2
New Yoshi game
Storm Lancers
Popucom
Lynked: Banner of the Spark
DQ 7 Reimagined
Virtual Boy Classics Expansion and new headset
Fatal Frame 2 Remake
Stardew Valley with Splitscreen multiplayer
Suika Game Planet
Prime 4 release date this year (December 4th)
DK Bananza DLC
Pokemon Pokopia
Dynasty Warriors Origins DLC
MH Stories 3 gameplay
Resident Evil 9 New Footage
Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave
Megaman Starforce Legacy Collection (Why was this only in the JP direct?)

 

[Poppinfresh]

Started out as a C but the DQ and Fire Emblem announcements made it a B.

 

[rkofan87]

dam gaf is jaded what do you all want the moon.

 

[ReyBrujo]

What else was announced?

Noteworthy the Megaman Star Force Collection which is also releasing in Europe.

 

[Esca]

All they could give Samus is a fucking bike with all the advance technology that is in the series? Give me a break, there is probably unlockable shit like putting streamers on the handlebars next and spinners for the wheels.

Overall I felt it was like a C- for the showcase. The Mario Galaxy collection isn't bad but I bet the price will make it so. DKB dlc looks decent considering it was probably part of the game, but holy fuck $20 for a new level with a few layers basically? DK is getting high on his own supply, Cranky needs to know.

Not sure what to make of Fire Emblem. I did not enjoy three houses sadly but been a fan of the series for quite sometime. Yoshi looks fine.
Dragon Quest 7 was the best looking game they showed off and I'll grab it on the PC

Mario Kart World is what they need to lay a road plan out for. Game is pretty boring and the new jump mechanic I've found is a bit finicky to consitantly pull off higher level stunts for short cuts. My nephews and I have played more Mario Kart 8 than MKW since its release.

 

[ReyBrujo]

All they could give Samus is a fucking bike with all the advance technology that is in the series?

Gotta update the gif now

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

You should sell it like me

I think if I didn't buy mine for the wife and daughter primarily I'd be doing that now as well lol

 

[xandaca]

There really wasn't much there, particularly given the Direct's unusually long running time. Mario's 40th anniversary was represented by a movie sequel everyone already knew was coming (with a title which had already leaked), an overpriced zero-effort port of two 15+ yr old games, a new Mario sports games (which have all been disappointing since the Gamecube era) and a Yoshi game for some reason. No new 3D Mario, not even a new Mario Maker. All the first-party stuff fell flat: a date for Metroid is nice, but the bike sections look awful (in terms of play as well as visuals). The DK DLC should have been a free update. No Switch 2 upgrades for any major Switch games (Xenoblade, etc) bar Mario Wonder, whose addition seems largely disposable and multiplayer-focused. Virtual Boy is funny but completely ridiculous, especially the price they're asking for the peripheral (there's a trend here). The lack of a major game announcement presumably means there won't be anything new of note until at least summer 2026. Subjectively, Warriors games, Fatal Frame and Fire Emblem aren't my jam, so no interest there. In terms of third-party, getting the new RE is nice but no news of the remakes coming (which are what I'm most interested in), and DQ7 could be good but I wouldn't say raises the pulse. No news on Elden Ring or any other really big titles.

TLDR: This felt like a Direct for year five of a Nintendo console's lifespan, when all the big first-party properties have already been released and the big third-party games have grown too big and aren't being ported anymore. There was a decent amount of middle-tier stuff and minimal effort first-party additions but for an hour-long Direct covering a new console's first Christmas period and new year, particularly in the face of existing criticism of an absence of big new games, to me it only reinforced fears that it could be a long while before this thing starts getting regular releases of note. Gave it a D, though might have gone up to a C had I any interest in Fire Emblem, etc.

 

[EruditeHobo]

The Bike section in Metroid looked absolutely dreadful.

You didn't think it was a wonderful homage to all the classic motorcycle gameplay from the best of the series?

D from me. I knew that their Switch 2 Direct (or whatever it was called) was a blip... that was a clear A, but this as far as I'm concerned is garbage. Hard to believe anyone would want to buy more than 2 games shown here, but the heart wants what it wants.

I think one of the games looks good, and that's the the 2-for-1 Galaxy remaster. And to be completely fair I bet Mario Tennis is a lot of fun with friends, for an afternoon or so. All the Pokemon garbage, the kiddie bullshit like Yoshi's storybook, what looks like multiple casual farming games... I mean, fucking yawn.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

D

 

[Lambogenie]

Quite dull.

But I have to take it as a positive; I can delay buying a Switch 2/cant spend time playing other games.

 

[Poppinfresh]

Hard to believe anyone would want to buy more than 2 games shown here, but the heart wants what it wants.

Prime 4
Fire Emblem
DQ VII
Mario Galaxy Collection
Zelda Age of Calamity

Those are all easy buys for me.

Hades, Resident Evil, and Fatal Frame would be too, if I didn't have other systems to play them on.

The DK DLC looked solid too. The Pokemon DLC was whatever. They should have just offered it as a season pass, instead of calling it DLC.


That said, I'm disappointed in the lack of Switch 2 upgrades for some flagship Nintendo franchises.

 

[ChiefDada]

I would say it was solid, if not great.

"C" from me.

 

[Killer8]

I'm normally not as pessimistic as the average GAF'er about these sorts of shows but even I was almost falling asleep at this. This is b-team Nintendo taking center stage: spin-offs, remasters, shitty sports games, party games. The definition of "slop" doesn't even begin to describe some of it, like that Pokemon game. I really don't care about series like Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem either.

Frankly, I thought Mario's 40th anniversary deserved better. A sequel to an okay movie and a $70 remaster i've played in 4K in Dolphin for over a decade aren't going to cut it. The Yoshi game was charming I guess but I can't see myself devoting any time to it.

I did think the Metroid trailer was cool as fuck though. Loved some of the atmosphere on display (reminded me of the direction of the latest Doom) and Samus on a bike to that metallic music was cool. It's a playable Painkiller album cover by Judas Priest to me, so I guess I am out of touch with GAF on this one.

The best looking games were all multiplatform (Fatal Frame II, Dragon Quest VII and Resident Evil Requiem).

 

[Dampf]

The definition of "slop" doesn't even begin to describe some of it, like that Pokemon game.