A Link to Nintendo’s future
It’s 2023, and Nintendo is laying out its plans for the Switch. Today, Nintendo is hosting its first Direct of 2023, where we’ll get updates on what’s in store for its handheld and associated services.
The show goes live at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, and you can find thelink hereand the stream embedded below.
What to expect?
Nintendo’s 2023 plans are largely a mystery, aside from the looming titan ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The follow-up to 2017’s massive hitBreath of the Wildseems destined to be one of the year’s biggest games, though asurprise listing that’s since been scrubbedhas fans curious about the sequel’s price tag.
Pikmin 4is also due to arrive this year, though we haven’t seen anything about thatsince the original reveal. And Nintendo could always pop open the drawer holding theAdvance Warsremake, if the schedule’s looking a bit thin.
According to Nintendo, the show will run for roughly 40 minutes and mostly cover Switch games launching in the first half of 2023. Taking a look back at last year’sFebruary Direct, which happened around the same time, we can see a similar pattern. The 2022 February Direct revealedFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesfor a June date, as well asMario Strikers: Battle League(also in June) and theAdvance Warsreboot (set for April at the time).
It was also where theFront Missionremakes first showed up, alongside theChrono CrossHD remaster and theLive A Liveremake. I don’t think it’d be a surprise to see some similar third-party partner reveals, alongside whatever Nintendo is cooking up. Plus, there’s still some DLC on deck for Nintendo to lock in.
My advice, as always, is expect the unexpected and keep those expectations in check. So sit back, crack a cold beverage of your choice, and let’s see what this Nintendo Direct has in store for the first half of 2023.
