Did you think the summer of video game announcements was over? Not at all! While PlayStation, Xbox, and most AAA publishers got their announcements out of the way earlier in the month, Nintendo decided that it wanted to have a Nintendo Direct right towards the end of June. Don’t worry if you missed it, because while it’s always exciting to get some new games, Nintendo made it very clear that this was going to be a showcase for only third-party publishers. That means no Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid, or Mario news.
It was still a fun showcase though! We got some updates on a few games we already knew about, saw a couple of new games, a legacy collection, and a surprising remake! It was a fun way to round out a month that’s always filled to the brim with announcements. Let’s break down what we learned from today’s Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
We already knew Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was coming thanks to its reveal during last Summer’s E3 showcases, but we were given a fun little teaser for the upcoming game during this year’s Nintendo Direct.
The trailer itself didn’t have too much new info to show us, although the inclusion of Bowser is always a good time when it comes to Mario spin-off titles, and we even got to see some gameplay. The big announcement everyone wanted to know though was a release date and we can excitedly expect it to come out on October 20. Hopefully, this doesn’t end up getting delayed, because a bunch of Rabbids dressing up as Mario characters sounds like the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit this fall.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
Mega Man Battle Network on the surface looks a lot like if you combined Mega Man with Pokemon and in some ways it is, but simplifying it as just a Pokemon clone doesn’t do the franchise justice. These games are all filled to the brim with content thanks to enjoyably simple stories, addictive gameplay, and a lot of chance for variety in how you approach battles. There’s a lot of justified nostalgia for this franchise.
During the Nintendo Direct, it was announced that every single Battle Network game would be released in one package together in the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection. That’s technically 10 whole games in one package! That said, it’s actually six games but a few of them have alternate versions so that’s how they’re able to advertise it as a 10-game package. It will include a couple features beyond the game such as a music collection pack as well as a cool resolution filter to make the GBA pixels not so harsh on high resolution TV’s and Switch screens.
Pac-Man World Re-PAC
Pac-Man might be best known for his adventures on arcade cabinets, but there was a brief period of time where he was a full on mascot character that received his own adventures and party games. These games usually ranged from bad to mediocre, but there was one adventure that a lot of fans really enjoyed and that was Pac-Man World for the PlayStation. It was a full on 3D adventure with worlds to unlock, items to collect, and enemies to defeat.
In what may have been the biggest surprise of the entire direct, Pac-Man World is getting a remake! Pac-Man World Re-PAC was announced during the direct with a trailer showing us a modern remake of the original game. Was anybody out there begging for a remake of Pac-Man World? Unlikely, but that doesn’t mean those of us who played the original and loved it are going to say no to a chance to re-experience that adventure. It’s also a great opportunity for younger players who never got to play the first game to jump into it.
Portal Companion Collection
When Portal Companion Collection was first announced back in February it was oddly not given a release date. We knew it was coming out in 2022, but that was about it. So imagine our surprise and delight to see the game show up in this Nintendo Direct to let us know that later today, June 28, the game would be officially released on the Switch!
Portal and Portal 2 are of course considered by many to be two of the best games ever made. These puzzle games are incredibly well made, extremely unique, and so well written that fans continue to quote them to this very day. Now they’re available to us on the go and we couldn’t be happier. Got a long flight coming up? Pick up this collection and watch time fly by as you experience two of the best puzzle games ever. This is great news for Switch owners.
Harvestella
Ya know what’s fun? Farming games. Everybody loves farming games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, or My Time at Portia, because they’re delightful and relaxing. Now what if you took that relaxing concept, added some JRPG stakes to it, and through in some combat? Well, then you would get Harvestella.
This new game from Square Enix combines the JRPG and Farming Sim genres to create a really intriguing concept. Is that concept going to work well together? We have no idea, but it’s going to be really exciting to give it a try once the game releases in November. Switch fans in particular should be really excited since it looks like the game is a Switch and PC exclusive. Another potentially strong RPG for the Switch library.