Hopes, Predictions, and Pipe Dreams for the September 2026 Nintendo Direct Double Feature!
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Rambling•September 7, 2026•54 min read

Hopes, Predictions, and Pipe Dreams for the September 2026 Nintendo Direct Double Feature!

With two Nintendo Directs set for the coming week, here's what I'd like to see in what could be a big couple days of news!

Nintendo DirectNintendo SwitchNintendo Switch 2The Legend of ZeldaZelda 40th Anniversary

It's that time of year again!

So, funny thing, I was well into working on this post when Nintendo made the surprise announcement of TWO Nintendo Directs for the coming week a whole weekend in advance. I had been running under the assumption that the Zelda 40th Anniversary stuff would be a segment in a larger general Direct, much like the Mario 40th stuff from last year's September Direct. So, with the confirmation that we'd be getting a separate Zelda 40th Direct on top of a general Direct, I had to completely rework large parts of this post. I've never been this annoyed by an announcement this exciting.

But yeah, we've got two Direct's to look forward to this week! The first is focused entirely on Zelda's 40th Anniversary, and will air tomorrow at 10AM EST, running for approximately 30 minutes. The very next day, on this coming Wednesday, we're getting a 45 minute general Direct, also airing at 10AM EST. It has the makings of an incredibly exciting week for Nintendo fans, and like many others, I have a fair share of predictions, hopes, and dreams for what could be in these two presentations.

I'll focus on each presentation one at a time, starting with the Zelda Direct, and then doing the general Direct. For the Zelda Direct, I'll simply list everything I've come up with. Then, for the general Direct, I'll split my predictions into three categories, as follows:

I think this set up covers a wide spectrum of topics ranging from things that are pretty much a lock to things that are highly unlikely but I really want anyway.

This'll be a long one, so buckle up, as I have a lot to predict and a lot to say.

Let's not waste any more time and start with the Zelda Direct.

The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct 9.8.2026

Well DUH.

Let's start with a prediction that's about as likely as the Sun coming up tomorrow. Ocarina of Time remake is Nintendo's big blockbuster this holiday, so there's absolutely no chance that they don't show it off in great detail.

It wouldn't surprise me if showing off Ocarina of Time takes up, like, a third of the show, perhaps having an extended look that lasts somewhere in the range of 10 minutes. While there's going to be other stuff, the Ocarina of Time remake is going to be the primary draw of this presentation, and I'm willing to bet Nintendo knows that. They are going to dedicate a lot of time to it both here and, more than likely, during the Nintendo Treehouse stream being broadcast after the general Direct.

As for the release date, I'm thinking the first half of November makes a lot of sense. Nintendo of all companies probably doesn't need to worry about GTAVI, and since that window has largely been vacated by games trying to get as far away from GTA as possible, it opens the door for Nintendo to waltz in with Ocarina of Time, allowing it to have the first half of November allllll to itself before GTA comes out. I originally was going to place it in December, until I realized there's another upcoming Switch 2 exclusive that I feel would be a better fit for December. I'll get to that when discussing the general Direct.

As for what I expect the game to be like? I have NO idea. I anticipate it will be more than a simple one-to-one remake in the same vein as Star Fox from earlier this year, but it's hard to predict exactly what the scope will be. Personally, I'd love for it to be the most ambitious remake Nintendo's ever done, setting a new standard for Nintendo remakes. But I just don't know if that's what this is going to be. Plus, I've always found the relatively short time between reveal and release for this remake to feel odd, especially if it were to be as ambitious as I hope.

There's a rumor from a while ago that's stuck with me for whatever reason that this could be a multi-part remake in the same vein as the FFVII remake, with this game we're getting this year covering the Young Link portion of the game. I keep thinking about this for some reason, and it's something I could honestly see. I think it has a lot to do with my mind being unable to comprehend the idea of a potentially massive game we've seen nothing of being just a couple months away.

Regardless, at the time of writing, we are less than 24 hours away from learning exactly what this remake will be!

This is another one that feels all but certain. Considering the Mario 40th Anniversary segment of last year's September Direct debuted the first teaser for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it makes all the sense in the world for the full reveal of Ocarina of Time remake to be accompanied by the first glimpse at the live-action Zelda movie. I don't expect much in this first trailer other than establishing the feel of what this cinematic interpretation of Hyrule is going for. It should also confirm the final name for the movie, whether it be "The Legend of Zelda Movie", or simply just "The Legend of Zelda", which I would personally prefer. I think having 'Movie' in the title of the animated movies works, but for something more mature like Zelda, just the name of the series feels more appropriate.

For those that don't know, there have been leaked images of a Special Edition Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 Console and Pro Controller going around, and they look pretty dang legit. I won't show them here, but they look stunning. I know I'll be getting the Pro Controller should these turn out real.

So, yeah, these are more than likely going to be announced here, but I believe there will be more. The Mario series got plenty of new amiibo during its 40th anniversary celebration between the Galaxy and Wonder figures. I anticipate Zelda will be no different. The series previously got a big line of figures in commemoration of its 30th anniversary, so I expect at least one new amiibo figure to emerge. Figures tying into the Ocarina of Time remake feel like a given, but there's also the opportunity to do more Tears of the Kingdom figures for characters like Rauru and the Imprisoning Era sages. We're already getting a Mineru's Construct amiibo releasing on the same day as Fortune's Weave, so why not do a few more?

Mario also got some neat merch for its 40th anniversary, including a physical version of Rosalina's storybook from Galaxy, and a Talking Flower toy from Wonder, both of which I bought, as they are sick pieces of merch. Though, I bet Talking Flower's gonna spout something asinine here in a minute... any second now...

I could see Zelda getting some stuff like this. One idea I had is a real Ocarina modelled after the Ocarina of Time from... well, do I have to say it? Something like that would be really fitting to put out alongside the remake, and would just be a really cool collectible.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I think Twilight Princess could be a shadowdrop, and eventually decided that, yeah, I think they very well could do that. At first I thought it was still too soon to put out the other GameCube Zelda game, and that they might want to space them out more, until I remembered Majora's Mask was the third game added to the N64 lineup after it was introduced. So, yeah, I think a shadowdrop of Twilight Princess would make a lot of sense.

BUT WAIT, there's more!

I'm also gonna tack on an announcement of Four Swords Adventures for NC, coming later on in 2027. I do realize that this game would be tricky to make work on Nintendo Classics, but I think they could figure something out, and it would be well worth doing. Playing this game online with friends through official means would be incredible!

The DK Challenge was a really cool thing that both got me to try a bunch of classic Donkey Kong games, and play Bananza in ways I never would’ve thought to do myself.

With the event now being over, it’s worth wondering what’s next for this format of event, as I don’t believe it’s a one time thing. I fully expect to see more of these Challenge events for NSO subscribers focusing on different franchises Nintendo is looking to push. And with Zelda’s 40th Anniversary seemingly set to be a big deal, what better property could be next?

I’d imagine the Zelda Challenge would run through the end of November in the lead up to Ocarina of Time. I see it focusing on Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for the modern titles, with classic challenges for Zelda 1 and 2, A Link to the Past, Link’s Awakening, and the Oracle games at the very least. I’d love to see them include some of the Expansion Pack games as well, adding the original Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Minish Cap, Link to the Past + Four Swords, and The Wind Waker. And with the classics challenges being snippets of the games, I think it would be cool to see them available to all NSO subscribers. It could be a great way to advertise what you get with the Expansion Pack to basic NSO subscribers without giving them too much.

If Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were to get challenges focused on game progression like Bananza did in the DK Challenge, it would be a good excuse to finally buckle down and actually finish Tears.

Regardless, should we get more of these NSO challenge events, Zelda feels like a perfect pick for the next one.

Ever since the concept of Nintendo Switch 2 Editions was revealed, Age of Calamity has been at the top of my wishlist. It’s a game that’s near and dear to me, and all it had to do was let me play as Revali, my absolute favorite character in all of fiction.

We got Age of Imprisonment last year, so a Switch 2 upgrade for its predecessor, which suffers from severe performance issues at times, makes perfect sense as a relatively quick and easy thing to drop as part of the 40th anniversary. Plus, it’s the only of the four Breath of the Wild era Zelda games to not either be a Switch 2 exclusive or have a native Switch 2 version.

A resolution bump and stable framerate are the bare minimum I’d expect, and I’d be cool with a $5-$10 upgrade with that. But this is one where I’d like to see them go the extra mile and add some new features.

New characters would be cool to see, especially after how underwhelming the DLC additions were. I’ve always felt that Kass was snubbed from the roster, considering how relevant he is throughout Breath of the Wild, especially in the Champion’s Ballad DLC. He’d make a really cool unlockable non-canon character, and a music themed moveset where he wields his accordion as a weapon would be sweet! A Switch 2 Edition would be the perfect opportunity to right that wrong.

And you know what? Screw it, add Young Tulin to the roster. Unless there’s a twist in Age of Imprisonment that I’m not aware of, Tulin is the only one of the Tears of the Kingdom sages to not be playable in a Warriors game, and that’s a crime. Plus, he showed up in the DLC for Age of Calamity, so it could work! I don’t care if Tears didn’t acknowledge it, Tulin’s meeting with Revali inspiring him to become the skilled up and coming warrior we see him as in Tears is 100% canon and no one can tell me otherwise.

The dream would be to get some new story content, but considering Breath and Tears didn’t get any for their Switch 2 Editions, I doubt we’d get it for Age of Calamity.

Either way, even a simple resolution and performance upgrade would be enough for me to revisit the game. I’ll take literally any excuse to play as Revali again, so here’s hoping.

Okay, I've got one more thing I want to throw out there for the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, and I'm going to need you to hear me out on this one, as there's more historical precedent for it than you may think.

Do I genuinely think this will happen? Not really. But when you look at the history of mainline Zelda game announcements in relation to the prior release, the time is right to hear word on what's next for Zelda, given the historical precedent.

Like, consider all this:

The Wind Waker released in late 2002/early 2003 depending on the territory, and its successor, Twilight Princess, was famously first announced a little over a year later at E3 2004, to one of the greatest video game reveal-related crowd pops of all time. Twilight Princess launched as a Wii launch title in 2006, and three years later, Skyward Sword would have its first reveal in 2009. Skyward Sword would come out in late 2011, then just over a year later, in the January 2013 Wii U Direct, the game that would go on to become Breath of the Wild was first publicly discussed. Lastly, Breath of the Wild released in March 2017 as the Wii U's swan song and a Switch launch title. Two years and three months later, at E3 2019, we got the first teaser for what would become Tears of the Kingdom.

Sensing a pattern? While Nintendo has trended towards shorter cycles between game reveals and releases, it seems like Zelda has almost always had a longer hype cycle. New mainline Zelda games are some of if not the biggest blockbuster titles Nintendo puts out, so they always tend to give them a bigger gap between reveal and release. That often always means that new games are announced only a handful of years after the previous game, often times around two to three years later. Tears of the Kingdom is over three years old now.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

I expect the next Zelda will release much later in the Switch 2's life, likely in 2029 at the very, very earliest. But even with that being a long way away, I don't think it's out of the question that we could hear something here. It would make for one heck of a closer.

But, even though I'm throwing this out there, I don't actually expect it to happen. If it were to happen, it would probably just be something along the lines of Aonuma saying "hey we're working on the next game" and nothing more. On top of that, I simply don't think Nintendo would want to draw any attention away from Ocarina of Time.

So while I highly doubt it'll happen, I'm not completely ruling out the possibility!

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That's all I've got for the Zelda Direct, so let's move into the general Direct. As mentioned before, I'll be splitting these up between predictions, hopes, and pipe dreams.

Nintendo Direct 9.9.2026

Ever since the Brazilian Ratings Board posted a listing for a game called 'Metroid Ravenous' back at the start of July, I've been firmly convinced that it is not only the real deal, but specifically that it is the next 2D Metroid game from MercurySteam. The subtitle makes perfect sense for a Dread follow-up based on what happens in Dread and where the story left off at its ending. I've had an idea for a Metroid 6 premise for a while now that I feel would fit this subtitle pretty well.

I'll be discussing spoilers for Dread and Fusion here, so feel free to skip this segment if you haven't played them yet and don't want to be spoiled.

Spoilers for Metroid Dread and Fusion Below

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So Metroid Dread ends with Samus fully gaining Metroid powers from the Metroid DNA that entered her body through the vaccine she was given to save her from the X Parasites at the beginning of Metroid Fusion. She uses these powers to defeat the powerful, hostile Chozo warrior Ravenbeak and escape from Planet ZDR before it blows up in classic Metroid fashion.

That's where the story left off heading into a potential Metroid 6, and for a while I thought it would be really cool if the next 2D Metroid's premise saw the Galactic Federation turn on Samus, seeing her newly acquired Metroid powers as either a threat to be eliminated, or a subject to be studied.

I recently finished Metroid Fusion, and that game showed the Federation previously showing an interest in genetically engineering new Metroids to be used for "peaceful purposes". Perhaps upon learning about Samus's Metroid powers, the Federation attempts to capture her so they can use her Metroid DNA to begin these experiments anew, forcing Samus to go on the run and fight off her former allies for the sake of the galaxy's safety.

I think this would make for an incredibly compelling setup for Metroid 6, and could totally see them going in a direction like that. Plus, if I remember correctly, doesn't Dread's ending have Samus absorb the X that took over Quiet Robe's body? Perhaps there's something they could do with that... I don't know what, but I feel like there's something there.

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End Metroid Dread/Fusion Spoilers

Regardless of what direction they end up taking with the narrative, I am more than ready for a new 2D Metroid game after playing through and loving Samus Returns and Fusion. I'm gonna say they give it a vague 2027 release window, though if I had to predict a more specific window, I'd say late spring/early summer. Either way I see it being towards the middle of the year, perhaps May or July.

All that said, if Metroid Ravenous is in fact real, I think there's a very high likelihood we see it here. And frankly, if we got nothing else but got a Metroid 6 announcement, I'd be happy.

Tying into the Metroid Ravenous prediction, it would make a ton of sense if they dropped a Switch 2 Edition of Dread ahead of Ravenous’s release to encourage people to play Dread before playing Ravenous, as the story of Dread would likely lead straight into Ravenous.

Personally, I would like to replay Dread after playing Fusion now that I have the context of Fusion’s plot, and it would be a great way to prepare for the release of Ravenous in 2027. If Nintendo wants to really push Metroid leading into the 6th 2D entry, a Switch 2 Edition of Dread would be a great way to do so without doing a ton of work.

As for what a Switch 2 Edition of Dread would entail, I don’t see a ton of added content. I see this being a $5 upgrade that really only upgrades the resolution and framerate. Support for 4K 60FPS would be ideal, and I’d also love to see a mode that supports 120FPS. I don’t know why we haven’t seen more Switch 2 Editions add this, as, if Metroid Prime 4, one of the best looking Switch games, could support 120FPS, I don’t see why titles like Mario Wonder and Kirby and the Forgotten Land couldn’t. Considering how fast paced Dread is, a 120FPS mode to make the game feel silky smooth would be sick. Other than that, I see this more so being a vehicle to build hype for Metroid Ravenous by putting out a high quality Metroid title for people to play in the meantime.

This is another prediction stemming from a rumor that’s been doing the rounds.

The leaker who correctly leaked both Rayman Legends Retold and Spyro: A Realm Beyond, both games I’m looking forward to, has claimed Nintendo has a new Wario game in development. I’ve been of the opinion for a while now that Wario Land’s return is inevitable, and I think we could finally see it in this upcoming Direct.

The Wario Land series has seen a lot of support on Nintendo Classics lately, with Wario World, VB Wario Land, and Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land being released on the service in the past year. Curiously, Wario Land II remains absent from the Game Boy library, and combining that information with the rumor of a new Wario game leads me to believe that Wario Land II could be getting a remake as a means of reviving the Wario Land series.

It would fall in line with a strategy Nintendo has had lately when it comes to reviving dormant franchises, starting with a remake of a classic title, and if that generates enough interest, eventually creating a new entry in that franchise. The most prominent example of this is Metroid Dread, which exists because Nintendo commissioned MercurySteam to remake Metroid II. They did such a good job that they gave MercurySteam the keys to make a brand new Metroid game that continued the story of the 2D saga. And with my previous prediction regarding Metroid Ravenous, I believe they will be the home of 2D Metroid for a long time to come. Another potential example is Star Fox, which saw a fantastic remake of Star Fox 64 developed by Velan Studios released earlier this year, and if it’s successful, could lead to a new era of the Star Fox franchise headed by Velan.

So, who would be developing this hypothetical Wario Land II remake? My first thought would be Good Feel, who made the most recent game in the series, Wario Land: Shake It on the Wii. However, they’ve released two games, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Princess Peach: Showtime, in the last few years. I can’t see them putting out a third game in such quick succession.

My second thought would be the 2D Mario team, but I highly suspect that they are working on a new Donkey Kong Country as their next project. Perhaps Next Level Games could be working on it, but they’re probably deep in development on Luigi’s Mansion 4 after the success of the third game.

So, my actual guess is that it will be a completely different studio we aren’t thinking of that will be making this potential Wario Land II remake. Perhaps it could be a studio that’s worked with Nintendo before, like how Velan did Mario Kart Live before eventually making the new Star Fox. Perhaps WayForward, who did the Advance Wars 1+2 remake a few years ago? Or it could be someone else entirely! That’s why I’m keeping this vague: it could be anyone!

As for why I specifically am predicting a Wario Land II reimagining, it ties into the lack of Wario Land II on Nintendo Classics. It would’ve made so much sense to add the second game at the same time as the first game back in July, but they didn’t. Perhaps there’s a reason for that.

My usage of the word “reimagining” means that I don’t expect this to be a one-to-one remake, but a game that takes the general design of Wario Land II, but modernizes and expands on it, much like Samus Returns, to the point that it almost feels like a new game.

As for a release date, I definitely see this as a Q1 release. Specifically, I’d place it in mid-February. I think this would make for a great early year game to play while we wait for the bigger stuff to arrive later in 2027.

This is yet another one based on a rumor that’s been going around.

After the unfortunate announcement of Pokemon Bank’s closure, a rumor started going around that the Gen 3 Pokemon games, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, would release on the Nintendo eShop sometime later this year. After the release of FireRed and LeafGreen back in February, I think this makes a lot of sense.

The Gen 3 games have never been re-released before, whereas the Gen 1 and 2 titles saw releases on the 3DS’s Virtual Console. So, with The Pokemon Company opting to rerelease the Gen 3 remakes of the Gen 1 games for the 30th anniversary over the original Red and Blue, so continuing the rollout of the Gen 3 games makes sense to me.

It does seem to me that the strategy is to release the classic Pokemon games individually on the eShop rather than putting them on Nintendo Classics, both to make more money and so that they can be fully compatible with Pokemon Home. I personally really enjoy the idea of having a bunch of classic Pokemon titles available to purchase on Switch and Switch 2, even if it is a bit obnoxious to have to rebuy all these games for those who already own them.

If not a shadow drop, I could see these dropping in early October to bridge the gap between Fortune’s Weave and Switch Sports Resort. I also think we’d see the soundtracks of these games arrive on Nintendo Music alongside their release, much like how the FireRed and LeafGreen’s soundtrack dropped alongside the announcement of their rerelease back in February.

I’d imagine Ruby and Sapphire would run you $20 much like the Kanto remakes, but Emerald would be a bit more expensive due to being an enhanced version, likely either $25 or $30. I do think selling a GBA game for $30 in 2026 is a bit lame, but if that’s what they did, it is what it is. At least it would be far cheaper than what a genuine used copy of the game goes for.

With Nintendo seemingly dedicated to continuing to evolve the Switch ecosystem for the foreseeable future, making as many of these classic games available as possible does make a lot of sense. Eventually making it so that every mainline Pokemon game ever was accessible on the same platform would be awesome!

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a game that still has a lot to prove to me. It doesn’t need to be the biggest game ever, but I’d like to see it make a number of improvements over its predecessor. And with it due out next month, we should almost certainly see it here.

Firstly, I’d like to see the method of acquiring character customization options completely overhauled. I hated the way it worked in Switch Sports, where you’d earn points based on how you perform when playing online, and upon reaching a certain threshold, you could choose from one of a handful of rotating item sets to… randomly receive an item from. Yeah, that sucks and needs to change.

What I would like to see is the points replaced with a form of in-game currency, that can be exchanged in shops, perhaps set up in Wuhu Town, for sports gear, outfits, and other customization options. The selections can still be rotating, but this set up would allow you to more easily acquire the items you want without having to needlessly grind until the RNG gives you what you want.

I’d like to see some extra modes for certain sports as well. I believe we’ve already seen 100 Pin Bowling demoed, which is great to see back. I want to see more of these. I think Skateboarding and Prop Plane in particular have great potential for fun modes, both in single player and multiplayer.

I also anticipate that we’ll learn of post launch plans for the game. Switch Sports got two new sports after launch- Golf and Basketball, both of which are included in the base game for Resort. I fully expect Resort to get some post launch support as well. I’d love to see Chambara/Swordfighting added back in, as it feels like the most glaring absence from the lineup. Seeing Baseball come back would be really cool as well, as with Resort adding Boxing, Baseball is the only of the original 5 sports from Wii Sports to never reappear, with the obvious exception of Wii Sports Club, and it’s also the only of those 5 not in Resort. Cycling would be cool to see as well, and there’s always the potential for new sports to be added to the series. Resort is adding Thumb Wrestling, so anything’s on the table.

Lastly, since Switch Sports got a Network Test prior to launch, it wouldn’t surprise me to see one for Resort, likely in late September-early October, with a small selection of sports to try out before the game comes out, likely including the newly added Thumb Wrestling. On top of that, we’ll hopefully get a better idea of how online will be structured this time around.

Unless the game gets a longer segment, or even a dedicated Direct later down the line, I doubt we’ll see all of this, but I’m just spitballing some ideas of what I’d like to see from an update on this game.

The surprise update to Pikmin 3 Deluxe early last week has me suspicious. It feels weird that it would be the first Pikmin game to get a Switch 2 enhancement over the Switch’s original Pikmin game, so I think one of the Switch 2 Editions we could see in this Direct is Pikmin 4.

I wouldn’t expect anything crazy out of this, probably a resolution bump and support for mouse controls. They could definitely add some new content, but a higher resolution and mouse controls are the baseline for what I’d expect out of a Switch 2 enhancement for Pikmin 4.

Currently, there are two major Nintendo games we know about for 2027: Xenoblade Genesis, and Pokemon Winds and Waves. If we see either, I believe it’ll be Xenoblade, as I kinda think it’ll come out sooner than expected. A quick update on the game plus a narrowing of the release window to Spring 2027 or something is about what I’d imagine we’d see.

As for Pokemon, I don’t think it’s completely out of the question that it pops up here, but at this point, I fully expect it to show up next at the 2027 Pokemon Day Pokemon Presents. I suppose it all comes down to when exactly the game is coming out. If it’s coming out earlier than I expect, it could definitely show up here. But I anticipate this will be a holiday 2027 release, so I think it makes sense to keep things under wraps until we actually get into 2027.

Pretty much every major recent Fire Emblem game has received DLC. Engage, Three Houses, Fates, and even Awakening all had DLC, so I expect Fortune’s Weave to be no different. I don’t imagine there’s much more to show about the base game before it launches next week, so announcing plans for a Season Pass feels like a good way to get something substantial on the game into this Direct for one last push prior to its launch.

The second wave of DLC for Pokemon Pokopia is due out late this year, and we already know that it will include accessories that you can deck out your Pokemon pals with. I expect we’ll see more of the additions that will be made in this wave. It’ll be interesting to see what exactly it’ll include, as it’s the only wave to not be adding a new area.

I don’t have a ton of ideas for what I want to see, especially as I haven’t played the game in months, but there’s a few things I’ve got in mind. Firstly, there’s an aspect of Pokopia that I outright hate, that being the way it handles storage. Unlike in Animal Crossing, where storage is universal, each storage box in Pokopia has its own inventory, and once it’s filled, you have to craft another storage box to store more items. So, every storage box holds a different set of items. With how many different kinds of materials and items there are in this game, this makes inventory management a headache real fast, especially once you start venturing to other areas. Not only will you find yourself having to rummage through multiple storage boxes to find a certain item you’re looking for, those storage boxes will likely be spread across multiple different areas, making it nothing short of miserable trying to find what you’re looking for.

This game needs universal storage, even if it’s something you have to work up to by progressing through the game. I’d prefer this be added in a free update, but even if it’s part of the DLC, I’ll still take it, as it would fix what is easily my biggest problem with the game, and make me much more compelled to come back to the game.

The only other idea I have is that I think it would be really cool if Ditto could change its appearance to any Pokemon you’ve befriended, rather than just the Pokemon used for certain field moves. Not sure if this would be logistically feasible, but I’d love to see it. It would add a really cool touch of personalization to the game, basically allowing you to play as your favorite Pokemon.

Aside from showing the second wave and likely giving us a release date, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a brief tease at the third and final wave, probably giving a quick, vague look at whatever the new area will be and establishing the vibe for what we can expect.

Surely it’s time, right?

At this point, I’m fully expecting a massive expansion for World sometime next year that adds a whole new landmass and a bunch of new tracks and free roam objectives. I really, really hope this gets announced here, but if not, the time at least feels right for a new update.

It’s been two months now since the first batch of new Knockout Tours were added, alongside the promise of more in the future. I think a shadowdrop of the next pair in a new update feels pretty likely, potentially followed by a tease of the bigger DLC coming next year.

I imagine there would be some other changes and additions in a new update alongside the new Knockout Tours. Perhaps we could finally see the addition of 200cc? It’s been one of my most wanted additions to the game since it launched, as I’ve always found 200cc to be a blast in 8 Deluxe, and Knockout Tours on 200cc would be a blast!

I just hope we see something for this game, it really does feel like a substantial update is long overdue. Even if a big DLC isn’t coming until next year, I’d like to have something to look forward to!

While Pokemon Colosseum, the last of the currently announced GameCube games for Nintendo Classics, still has yet to release, I wouldn’t mind seeing some more titles that we can look forward to in 2027.

I’ve already mentioned Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures for the Zelda 40th Direct, but there’s still a lot of noteworthy titles to be added to Nintendo Classic’s GameCube lineup.

Mario Kart: Double Dash is probably the most obvious, and my personal most wanted, but there’s also Mario Party 4-7, the other Mario Sports games, Star Fox Adventures and Assaults, the GameCube Wave Race and 1080 Snowboarding entries, Kirby Air Ride, Animal Crossing, and plenty more. There’s probably some third party stuff I’m not thinking of that could appear, but regardless, this library is still just getting started and is going to continue to be updated for many years to come. I’m looking forward to what’s coming next!

that always inevitably leaks out from closed beta tests, I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Well, other than some people complaining that its Switch 2 exclusivity somehow makes the game itself cost $500 (why does this always happen when Nintendo gets a high profile third party exclusive). Which, y’know, in a way, that’s a compliment in its own right.

But yeah, with the closed network test having wrapped up, it should be time for the rest of the public to see what the game has to offer, with a longer segment dedicated to going over the basics of the game.

Remember how, when discussing Ocarina of Time, I mentioned I had thought of another Switch 2 exclusive to release in December? This is that game. I don’t fully know why, but December just feels right to me for this game. Maybe because December and Duskbloods both start with D…

I could also see an October release, which would compliment the game’s gothic theming, but instead, I’m going to predict an open beta in October, which will give From an extra two months to make tweaks and improvements before putting the game out in what looks to be a relatively quiet period currently.

With the whole Kingdom Hearts series coming to Switch 2 next month, the likely winningest game in the history of The Game Awards has taken over the spot of my most wanted third party port.

Seeing Clair Obscur get as much acclaim as it did made me feel pretty gratified, as the first time I saw it when it was first revealed at the 2024 Xbox Game Showcase, I knew right away that it was something special. Its trailer was the standout of a pretty packed showcase, with an incredibly compelling premise that put the game on my radar. So when it came out to universal acclaim, I wasn’t too surprised.

The studio behind the game has discussed the possibility of a Switch 2 port in the past, and with how popular the game ended up being, basically sweeping every category it was nominated for at The Game Awards last year, it feels like an inevitability. This was a game that was on my radar before it blew up, and now that it’s received such critical acclaim, I want to play it for myself more than ever. If it were to come to Switch 2, I’d probably be there day one.

Capcom has had a major presence in every general Direct since the Switch 2 launched, with the RE Requiem trailer in last year's September Direct, and the announcement of the new Onimusha, Dragons Dogma II, and DMC 5 in the recent June Direct. I expect this Direct to be no different.

With Resident Evil VII, Village, and Requiem having all released on Switch 2 earlier this year, and Veronica due for the platform next year, it makes all the sense in the world to bring over the trilogy of modern RE remakes. Being survival horror titles, an October release date for these three makes perfect sense. And while we're on the topic of Resident Evil remakes, it wouldn't surprise me too much to see a new look at the upcoming Code Veronica remake. I don't believe it was at Gamescom ONL, and it wasn't at the PS State of Play, so a Nintendo Direct appearance could be in the cards. If not there, we'll likely see it again at the Capcom showcase happening next week.

But I don’t think that’s all Capcom will have, as Monster Hunter Wilds has already been confirmed to be coming to Switch 2, so it’s only a matter of time before we see it. I was originally going to predict Ascendance to appear here before it showed up at the State of Play last week, but I still think the base game will show up, and at the very least we'll get a release date. I’m thinking early 2027, either January or February.

Given that the Monster Hunter franchise also has the most extensive third party amiibo line, I think a new set of figures for Wilds is highly likely. This is primarily just me wanting a Seikret amiibo more than anything else, but I do think it’s incredibly plausible!

Hopes

Okay, before anything else, let's just get this one out of the way:

It’s the most hotly anticipated and requested Nintendo announcement at the moment, and something I’ve been antsy to see for quite some time, especially as Odyssey approaches its 9th Anniversary.

Not too long ago, I would’ve said that I don’t see a new 3D Mario announced in this Direct, so as to not overshadow Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. But now that we know that the Zelda stuff is being split from the general Direct, my stance has changed a little. I don’t think it’s out of the question that the next 3D Mario could be the general Direct’s closer.

However, I’m still keeping my expectations very much in check. I do not expect 3D Mario in this Direct. I don’t think Nintendo needs to announce 3D Mario right now since they’re doing so well and can afford to keep their big cards close to their chest. And I don’t think Nintendo’s going to want to overshadow Ocarina of Time and all the other Zelda news, even if it all is in a different presentation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be wrong and finally get our first glimpse at arguably the most hotly anticipated Switch 2 game. But I don’t expect to see it until next year, once Ocarina of Time is behind us.

I originally wanted to predict the next mainline Kirby game for spring of next year, but the more I thought about it, the more sense a release later in 2027 or early in 2028 made to me.

So screw it, let's go back to a game that I, perhaps foolishly, still haven't fully given up hope on the existence of.

I think it’s fairly likely that Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Rhythm Heaven Groove are the last brand new, original first party games that will release on Switch 1. However, I don’t think Nintendo’s going to want to completely abandon one of the biggest console install bases in gaming history. So, I anticipate that they will continue to support Switch 1 with ports and remasters of older titles, and should Robobot HD indeed be real, it would be the perfect release gap filler.

Robobot remains my favorite Kirby game, so seeing it remastered, hopefully with a bumped resolution on Switch 2, would be incredible. And seeing as Kirby rereleases basically always add new content, I’d be very interested to see what they do with this one.

Nintendo is known to sit on completed games for a while until they find an opportune moment to release it, so, I could see Robobot HD being one of those games that could drop in January or February 2027 to fill a gap in the calendar.

I want Robobot HD, but if I could choose just one 3DS game to be remastered, it would be Kid Icarus Uprising, no question.

This game has always been a console game made for a handheld, held back by the limited control options of the 3DS. A console version of the game that adds twin-stick and gyro controls would make it so much easier to play. And on top of that, the Joy-Con 2’s mouse controls would be perfect for Uprising.

This just makes so much sense, and seems like something that’s only a matter of time, especially in a time when Nintendo seems interested in IP expansion. Putting it out on Switch would not only make this gem of a game more accessible from both an availability and playability perspective, but also serve as a potential jumping off point for the series to continue if there’s enough interest.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream was an awesome game when it launched back in April, featuring much of what I wanted out of a new entry in the series. However, I haven’t played it in a while, and that’s because I found it to fall into a similar pitfall to its 3DS predecessor in that you eventually kinda run out of things to do and start seeing the same things over and over again. As good of a game as it is, it could really use an infusion of fresh content.

I’m not entirely sure what that would look like, but perhaps they could bring back something like the Concert Hall, an iconic element of the previous games that is strangely absent in Living the Dream. Other than that, I don’t have any specific ideas other than wanting to see more buildings and attractions that can be placed on your island, more objects to decorate with, more minigames, more types of Mii interactions- really, just more of everything. I doubt an update for the game would be that broad, but that’s just basically summarizing what I’d like to see in an update: more stuff to make the game feel fresh again.

As we saw in Nintendo’s latest financial report, Living the Dream performed incredibly well, so I’d say this is more likely than I would’ve initially thought. However, while I absolutely could see it happening, I’m not nearly as confident in its likelihood as I am with some other things, as to why I put this in Hopes as opposed to Predictions. Here’s hoping I’m proven wrong on Wednesday!

I’m working on a post going into whether I think DS and Wii would work on Nintendo Classics. As a bit of a spoiler, I absolutely think DS could work, and that it will come at some point in the future. The Switch 2 includes a microphone, which is the main thing that made it difficult for me to picture on Switch 1. Now that we have that microphone, I definitely think it could work.

I’ve gotten specific ideas on how it could work that I’ll save for the actual post, and while I think DS will come in due time, I don’t see it happening here, with GameCube and Virtual Boy both debuting fairly recently. There’s usually at least a year between new console additions, and while VB is more of a novelty thing and GameCube is over a year old, I still don’t see another platform being added until next year at the earliest. I’d love to be surprised, though!

We all know it’s happening, and if it truly is coming in 2028, it should be due for an official announcement soon. A confirmation in the Direct would be nice to see!

I'm currently experiencing an immense level of hype for the Kingdom Hearts franchise after IV's surprise re-emergence in the last Nintendo Direct, and the big Coco trailer that debuted at D23 last month that confirmed IV would be coming out late next year. Add on the upcoming Collection that's finally bringing the series natively to a Nintendo platform, and my excitement for KH is at an all time high.

Now, news on KHIV in this Direct is probably unlikely considering Tetsuya Nomura said in a recent interview that the gap of new information for Kingdom Hearts IV following the D23 trailer will be wider this time. That all but rules out any KHIV news at this potential Direct, but I can dream, can't I?

However, that doesn't mean something else couldn't show up.

For context, over the past decade or so, the Kingdom Hearts series has relied heavily on mobile games to flesh out its lore. The problem with this, on top of critical lore being contained in games I and many others just weren't interested in playing, is that these mobile games are either unavailable or were cancelled. So, with their story elements seeming to have major significance in IV, I think you can see why this is a bit of a mess the series has found itself in. The stories required to fully understand what's happening in the next major game are either inaccessible through official means, or were never even released in the first place, in the case of the cancelled Missing Link mobile game.

There's been speculation that some of these stories could be told through the recently announced Kingdom Hearts anime series, but what I'd like to see is a full HD-2D reinterpretation of Union X, the most prominent of these mobile games, which tells the origin story of the KH universe.

At first, I thought that if this were to happen, it would be after IV, but there's a couple things I've learned that have changed that view a bit, and at the very least make me confident it will eventually happen.

I'm referring to Octopath Traveler 0 and Final Fantasy Resonance, both games I initially thought were just cool spinoffs, are actually reinterpretations of mobile games from those franchises. Octopath 0 reimagines Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, and Final Fantasy Resonance reimagines Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. There's a trend here, one I could easily see Square extending to Kingdom Hearts. Plus, the recent Adventures of Elliot has proved that an action RPG can work in HD-2D, so why not?

There's also the fact that both of those games were revealed pretty shortly before their releases. Octopath was revealed in last year's July Partner Showcase, and released that December. Resonance was announced in the recent June Direct, and is releasing in October. So I could totally see something like a Union X HD-2D remake being announced and released shortly after.

I do feel fairly confident that something like this will happen eventually. I doubt it would be this Direct, but it would be a really cool surprise if it was. If it did happen in this Direct, I imagine it releasing in early-ish 2027 to coincide with the series' 25th anniversary.

Speaking of that 25th anniversary, we're almost certainly going to get some announcements when the anniversary rolls around next year, likely focusing on Kingdom Hearts IV and the anime. But, if not in a Direct like this, I could see that being the perfect place to announce something like this, giving it a Summer 2027 release date to tide us over that last little bit before KHIV releases.

All of this to say, this is something I really want to happen. Not only would it make an important part of the KH story more widely available, but I also just really want to see the series go back to more traditional spin-offs that expand the lore, rather than relegating side stories to free-to-play mobile gacha games with hours of filler content between major story beats.

Hopefully if anything good comes out of the cancellation of Missing Link, it'll be a return to traditional console spinoffs, leaving this era of annoyingly lore-important mobile games in the past. Because, like, surely Nomura can't be too happy about key (ha) pieces of the story he's trying to tell being completely inaccessible, right???

Pipe Dreams

It's been over 6 years since the Rescue Team remake. It's been nearly 11 years since the last original title. Both the Pokopia and Mega Dimension DLC announcements from last year's September Direct got my hopes up for a brief moment before they crashed back down to reality.

I've all but given up on actively hoping for this series' return... and yet, there's still a part of me, perhaps a naive part, that wants to believe...

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is my favorite game series of all time. The second game in particular, Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, is my favorite game of all time. Few games have moved me the way these have. Few games have been as inspirational and influential on my life as these have. The world they're set in, the stories they tell, the characters you meet, the beautiful and emotional music backing it all up, it all adds up to a criminally underrated and underappreciated series that is perhaps the first example I'd personally point to as to why games are art.

That's why, if I could have one gaming wish fulfilled, it would be a brand new entry in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. Either that, or a remake of Explorers, in a similar vein to the Rescue Team remake. I would take any kind of sign that this series hasn't been cast aside into the pile of Pokemon spinoff series that are never to be touched again.

I just find there to be nothing quite like these games and the emotions they can evoke. I've always liked the actual Pokemon themselves more than any other attribute of the series, so being cast into the role of one and getting to experience a world belonging solely to Pokemon is way more appealing to me than the average core Pokemon RPG. I still love those games, but they don't fully represent what I love most about the series. In this sense, Pokopia scratched that itch for a Pokemon-centric game, but it far from fills that PMD-shaped hole in my heart.

Do I think it will happen in this Direct? No. Do I think it will happen eventually? I don't know. But no matter how long I have to wait, even if nothing ever comes to fruition, there will always be some part of me that continues to hope, to believe that someday, the Morning Sun shall shine on this series once again.

I don't know if you've noticed, but in the past 5 or 6 years, Nintendo's brought back a lot of previously dormant franchises. From noteworthy IP that have or could become staples, such as Metroid and more recently Star Fox, beloved spin-offs like Pokemon Snap, Mario & Luigi, and Kirby Air Ride coming back with new entries, to niche and forgotten, yet beloved series like Advance Wars, Another Code, Endless Ocean, Rhythm Heaven and Tomodachi Life returning. Many casual series from the DS and Wii era have made a comeback at some point, with multiple continuations of the Wii Sports series, plus new Big Brain Academy and Clubhouse Games titles. Heck, Famicom Detective Club not only saw its two entries remade and finally localized, but we also got a brand new Famicom Detective Club game that was promoted with one of the most ingenious marketing stunts I've ever seen from Nintendo.

So, with seemingly any dormant Nintendo franchise eligible for a revival, there's one series close to my heart that I want to see more than any other... besides Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, of course. That being The Legendary Starfy.

This was a decently active series in Japan on the GBA and DS, but we only ever got the last game here in the West, just titled The Legendary Starfy. That game was a key component of my childhood DS collection, alongside the likes of Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros, and Super Mario 64 DS. I've always loved this game and its unique gameplay, being a platformer focused on underwater traversal, along with its charming cast of characters, memorable soundtrack, and surprisingly compelling plot. I also remember it for containing the source of one of biggest childhood frustrations, with the final phase of the final boss requiring you to mash the Y Button more than my young fingers were capable of. I couldn't beat the game for YEARS because of that, and only managed to see the ending after getting help from a friend. Nowadays it's something I can do no problem, but back then, it was one of the biggest insurmountable walls of any game I played.

All that to say, The Legendary Starfy means a lot to me, so ever since I learned there were numerous other games in the series that had only released in Japan, I've been longing for them to be brought stateside.

It kinda happened a few years ago when the first three games were released on GBA - Nintendo Classics internationally, but they're untranslated. And since I can't read Japanese, I have no idea what's going on.

So, I would love to see Nintendo bring this series back with full remakes of these classic games, fully translated for the rest of the world. A collection with remakes of multiple games, in the vein of Advance Wars 1+2 and Another Code Recollection, would be ideal. They don't have to go crazy with these remakes either, something akin to what they did with Advance Wars would more than suffice. I just want to play these games officially more than anything else, and perhaps someday, it could lead to a brand new Starfy game!

Do I expect this to happen? Mmmm... maybe eventually, but probably not in this Direct. Though, with how many franchises Nintendo has brought back, and with them releasing the original games untranslated on Nintendo Classics worldwide, I do feel like it's only a matter of time before Nintendo decides to give the prince of Pufftop another crack.

Y'know, there was a time when I thought this was inevitable, especially after the Lappy fake out in the Bayonetta 3 re-reveal trailer. But as time has gone on and Platinum Games is feeling less and less like the company that delivered banger after banger after banger in the 2010s, my hope has started to slip away.

If you were to ask me what the most underrated game on Nintendo Switch was, I’d say Astral Chain all day every day. In the summer of 2019, I had played Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on Steam and absolutely loved it. So, seeing a new game from Platinum coming exclusively to Switch towards the end of that summer and being published by Nintendo, I knew I had to give it a shot.

With its unique gameplay and premise, compelling sci-fi/cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic world, Platinum’s trademark over the top action, and a killer soundtrack, Astral Chain ended up being a surprise standout for me that year, and my personal GOTY runner-up behind Kingdom Hearts III.

And though there seemed to be a decent amount of hype around its launch, as the years have gone on, Astral Chain has sadly seemed to fade into obscurity.

And while my hope for a sequel was high around the time of Bayonetta 3’s launch, that hope has been severely damaged by a number of developments. The studio bought into the live service hype and ended up having to deal with the disaster of Babylon’s Fall. Hideki Kamiya, perhaps the most well known name from Platinum, left the studio and is currently working with Capcom on the much anticipated sequel to Okami. Perhaps most discouraging are the departure of Astral Chain’s director and an allegedly strained relationship with Nintendo, making the prospects of an Astral Chain sequel by Platinum seem incredibly dim.

However, that won’t stop me from hoping and praying for a day that we can return to the Ark and fight alongside the Legions once again, and a big reason for that is Nintendo’s sole ownership of the IP.

From what I understand, the IP was co-owned by Nintendo and Platinum until 2021, when it seems Nintendo bought out the rights to Astral Chain. That means, should a Platinum developed follow up never come to be, Nintendo has every right to go find someone else to make it.

There’s nothing quite like Astral Chain in Nintendo’s suite of IP. As far as I can recall, they don’t really have another franchise that fills that action hack-and-slash niche that Astral Chain occupies. So, while I highly, highly doubt it’ll be in this Direct, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Nintendo eventually find another studio to produce an Astral Chain sequel for Switch 2. Better yet, maybe Platinum can get their act together and end up putting out the sequel themselves after all!

Regardless of when or who, I firmly believe that we haven’t seen the last of Astral Chain, as surely Nintendo wouldn’t fully acquire the rights if they had no plans for it, right?

At the very least can we get a Switch 2 Edition and/or the game’s incredible soundtrack on Nintendo Music?

-----------

Phew. That was a lot. But I had a lot of fun putting this together! Even if it ended up coming down to the wire (I've been busy).

I've always had plenty of my own Nintendo Direct predictions leading into every new presentation, but I've never actually shared them like this until now. Do I expect much of this to actually happen? No. I'd be surprised if I get a lot of stuff right. That's the fun of Nintendo Direct's though, they almost always have surprises that no one saw coming. So while trying to predict what we'll see in a Direct is always fun, what's even more fun is watching the Direct itself and seeing everything it has to offer. And we get to do that twice this week!

Due to my busy schedule, I'm going to have to wait until later in the day for both presentations, but even so, I am incredibly excited for the next two days and all the new things we'll have to talk about. You can bet that, as soon as I'm able, I'll have a roundup of all the news, and more in-depth coverage and impressions on the biggest announcements!

Not much time to go now. Let's have a fun week, y'all!

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