At long last, we know what the upcoming slate of first-party games looks like for Nintendo. After announcing the Switch 2, the company had been relatively quiet as it pertains to their biggest IPs. We knew Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was coming, as was Pokémon Legends: Z-A with a few others sprinkled in. Now, we finally have a much fuller picture of what’s coming, with some things arriving later today.
Major Announcements from Latest Nintendo Direct
The first major announcement from Mario’s 40th anniversary stream was the teaser for the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will be called Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It will loosely adapt that game. Following that up, Nintendo also announced a package of the two Galaxy games for 2026. Both are scheduled for next spring, so players and movie lovers won’t have to wait too long to get their hands on this new content.
A brand new Mario tennis game is coming: Mario Tennis Fever was officially confirmed for the Switch 2, implementing new controls and mechanics to the long-running series. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the way, but not a sequel to the incredible 2D platformer. Yoshi also got some love with the announcement of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, a new platformer starring the green dinosaur next year.
Other Announcements
A Mortal Kombat classics collection was also announced, bringing back some of the oldest games in the series. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is also on the way on January 22. Hades 2 was also announced. It’s coming to consoles on September 25. The company also confirmed two new Amiibo for Kirby Air Riders, coming later this year. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is dropping in February.
The Switch Online + Expansion Pack is getting Virtual Boy games, but you will have to purchase an accessory that replicates the original Virtual Boy. Both Switch and Switch 2 are supported on the device. Mario Tennis, Galactic Pinball, and others are coming. In huge news for longsuffering fans, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond got its release date: December 4, 2025. The game has been in development hell for a long time, going forever without a release date, but that’s finally been remedied.
Donkey Kong Bananza is also getting DLC for DK Island and Emerald Isle. There’s also a weird new Pokémon title that stars Ditto as a human, reshaping the world around it. Pokémon Pokopia is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is also getting paid DLC, which is odd since the game is already out. Monster Hunter Stories: Twisted Reflection is coming on March 13 for Switch 2. The direct also featured another look at Resident Evil 9: Requiem. It was a much longer reveal than even the one at Gamescom Opening Night Live.
The final announcement, which is usually a big stinger to close things out and set the hype, was a new Fire Emblem. It’s called Fortune’s Weave and it is coming out for Nintendo Switch next year. That concluded the one-hour direct, which is a bit longer than usual. The stream began celebrating Mario’s 40th, which is why they added a few minutes onto the usual runtime. There ended up being a ton of content revealed.
Conclusion
All in all, this Direct had a bit of everything. The stream showcased some Mario, Zelda (in the form of Hyrule Warriors), Fire Emblem, Pokémon, and Donkey Kong Bananza. It didn’t feature some of the things we would’ve hoped to see, but it’s still got plenty slated for the next few months on Switch and Switch 2.
