With rumours swirling about the next console release, gamers in the Nintendo community have been wondering what that means for gameplay on the Nintendo Switch console. Many of those questions have been answered with an exciting look at what is coming to Nintendo Switch with the latest Nintendo Direct. This was a Partner Showcase – differing from a regular Nintendo Direct – highlighting games coming to Nintendo Switch in 2024 from third-party developers that have partnered with Nintendo.

I’ve got to say, there were some pretty interesting announcements that sparked some genuine excitement. The 25 minute showcase featured games filled with touching storytelling, many puzzle challenges, character customisation, and thrilling action and adventure; and in what was rumoured to be a dull year for Nintendo as they ready themselves for the launch of a new console, it’s looking like Nintendo gamers are in for another brilliant year of gaming.

In this article, I’ll be recapping the showcase, breaking it down so you’ve got all the important info. I’ll also be exploring my thoughts and feelings on what most piqued my interest and got me excited about another year of fun with my Switch.

Announced Games

Here’s the full list of games announced during the showcase. I have also included the developers and the dates that the games will be available to purchase. There are 31 titles that were announced, including 5 games from RARE that will be available on Nintendo Switch Online and the Expansion Pack with a Nintendo Online Membership or Nintendo Online Plus Membership.

Games I’m Interested In

Despite my immense backlog that I had vowed to get through this year, there are quite a few games that were brought to my attention in this showcase that will absolutely be making that backlog list even longer. Here’s the games that really piqued my interest and will be adding to my endless backlog catalogue and many hours of gaming fun.

Disney’s Epic Mickey is getting a remake, and although there isn’t a release date provided, it’s very exciting to see this classic game is getting a revamp for us to play on Nintendo Switch this year. Along with updated graphics and some other improvements, it’s been stated that Mickey’s abilities have been improved with the addition of a whole new set of skills.

A little more about the game: Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is an action-adventure 3D platformer game. The story of the game follows Mickey Mouse as he embarks on an epic journey through Wasteland – the realm of forgotten Disney characters. Armed with paint and thinner, your objective is to help Mickey on his journey, shaping your adventure by using the paint to restore harmony or the thinner to alter your world and uncover secrets; however you shape your adventure, your choices will influence Mickey’s destiny and the fate of this artistic adventure.

Personally, I am really excited about this game. I love a Disney game; immersing myself in a world of Disney always brings me such joy. I also really enjoy platformers, especially 3D ones, and especially if there is a really great story attached, and Epic Mickey Rebrushed has it all. The “shape your adventure” aspect of the game is also really exciting to me too. I vaguely remember playing the original game on Nintendo Wii, but I was just a kid and I don’t think I fully understood the game enough to really appreciate what I was playing, or how to play it correctly. I am really excited about this game, I think I will definitely be sinking a lot of hours into this game with such a variety of outcomes for the story to play out. Hopefully we get a release date very soon because I AM KEEN!

The classic Star Wars Battlefront games are coming to Nintendo Switch in this combined collection remaster. In conjunction with exploring and battling original maps, this Classic Collection will also include a bonus map of Jabba’s Palace for Star Wars Battlefront, and bonus maps of Bespin: Cloud City, Rhen Var: Harbour, Ren Var: Citadel, and Yavin 4: Arena, as well as bonus heroes Asajj Ventress and Kit Fisto for Star Wars Battlefront II.

A little more about the game: Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is a combination of Star Wars Battlefront and Star Wars Battlefront II, remastered for modern consoles with restored maps and characters. The game is a first- and third-person shooter based on the Star Wars franchise. You will have the chance to take on the role of characters from either the light side or the dark side as you battle it out against your opposition to either take control of the Galaxy or restore balance in various time periods within the Star Wars universe. Think Call of Duty but Star Wars.

This will actually be the first time that the Star Wars Battlefront games will be on a Nintendo platform, skipping the original release on the Game Cube console in 2004/05. The game originally launched on PC, PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. Perhaps the developers (Aspyr) know that the Nintendo Game Cube just wasn’t a powerful enough machine to cope with the style of game (I’m just speculating, don’t quote me on that). I have to be honest, despite being a “modern console”, the Nintendo Switch still isn’t as powerful as other modern consoles, so I do have my concerns about how this game will run on the Switch. While the Battlefront games can be played offline, there is a huge online multiplayer component to this game, and I honestly just don’t think the Switch is powerful enough to cope with that; I feel there will be significant lagging issues with high frame drop rates, which is something that you absolutely do not want when gaming, especially in an online multiplayer format. Having said all that, I really enjoyed the game on PlayStation, so I am keen to give it a go on my Switch.

SEGA is bringing Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble to the Nintendo Switch, and while I have never played a Monkey Ball game before, this looks really fun and cute and I am keen to play.

A little more about the game: Join AiAi and his friends as you compete in a bunch of obstacles to become the Top Banana! Play with friends with the 4 player local co-op mode, or with up to 16 people with the online multiplayer mode, or you can even play through a wonderful story experience with the adventure mode.

The showcase revealed Banana Rumble will have more than 200 new levels, a new spin dash move to help you blast over obstacles and the ability to create shortcuts. You will also be able to fully customise your characters and their Monkey Ball, with over 300 customisable options available. The game does give off heavy Fall Guys vibes, but you know what, I’m kinda here for it. I love Fall Guys and Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble looks like it will be a great alternative for a similar game style but something different.

I do have to take a moment to talk about controls; the new spin dash move sounds like a very welcome addition, however the whole “bounce, tilt, roll” aspect makes me feel ill just thinking about it. I am not a fan of games that rely heavily on motion control, because 1. I am just not good at them and 2. they make me hella motion sick. BUT it was made very clear in the showcase announcement that you will have the option to turn OFF the motion controls, so if you are someone like myself who prefers traditional controls, then you’ll be happy to know that there is the option to roll around with the use of your joysticks. I’m very keen to give this one a play.

15 years after the original, a World of Goo sequel is coming to Nintendo Switch with World of Goo 2. The game will be developed by the same indie devs as the original (2D Boy and Tomorrow Corporation), and although they are kind of vague, they are alluding to the fact that this is going to be a huge goo-filled game in comparison to the first one thanks to the wonderful developments in technology over the years.

A little more about the game: World of Goo 2 is a physics based puzzle game where you use small balls of goo to create bridges, towers and other structures to make your way over various obstacles and overcome gravity to help other goo balls reach a goal point. The biggest challenge is to use as few goo balls as possible to build your structure to get a requisite number of goo balls to the exit pipe. Not each goo ball is the same; there are several types of goo balls, each with unique abilities, to help you reach your goal as efficiently as possible.

I’ll be honest, this is not my usual type of game, BUT it is hitting my nostalgia bone HARD, which is incredibly odd given that I had never heard of World of Goo before. I have to say, this game gives some heavy Lemmings vibes, and I was absolutely OBSESSED with that game when I was a little kid, so perhaps that is why I felt some nostalgia when watching the World of Goo 2 trailer. Regardless, I am actually super keen to play this game; I think it is going to be a really fun little game to help relax my body and exercise my brain.

Cozy gamers, get excited, because on October 10th we are getting a brand new world to create and explore! Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time will give us all the great aspects of a cozy game, that is, crafting, building, mining, farming, etc., with the addition of TIME TRAVEL. If you can’t tell, I’m kind of a little bit very excited about that.

A little more about the game: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a role-playing life simulation game. You find yourself on a once thriving island that has now become deserted and desolate. To rebuild this wonderful island, you must travel to the island’s past to gather resources and use them to restore the island in the present. You can choose your Life to start your journey; choose from a miner to collect ore, a magician to battle monsters, a carpenter to craft furniture, and many other options. You can even change between Lives as you play through the game to give you the best skills for the required task in rebuilding your island. As you travel through time you will gradually uncover secrets and learn about the history of the island. You will even have the opportunity to play with friends with the ability to have up to 4 people on a journey together; so you can invite your friends to help uncover the mysteries of your island.

I’ve got to admit, THIS LOOKS FUN! I love a life-sim game, I love an RPG, and I love time travel in games; I also love a game with a story that really develops and adds depth to a game. I honestly think that I am going to love this game, and it will absolutely take up much of my gaming hours in the later part of the year.

Another Crab’s Treasure is the next game to release from indie devs, Aggro Crab, and I’ve got to say, it looks pretty fantastic.

A little more about the game: In this soulslike role-playing adventure platformer game, you’ll play as Kril – a hermit crab who is scouring the ocean to find enough treasure so he can buy back his recently repossessed shell. During this pursuit, you will need to wear the trash around you in place of your missing shell to withstand the attacks from enemies that are many times your size.

This game gives me some serious Bugsnax vibes; it just looks like a really cute, fun, wholesome game and I am so keen to play. While the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” (or crab, in this case) quite obviously weighs heavy on the storyline of this game, I do feel that there is a deeper message of the effects of our pollution in our oceans. In reality, our oceans are horribly polluted with so much human trash, and there are actually many occurrences where sea creatures – especially hermit crabs – will find homes in our trash because they are unable to find shells, and I have to say that that is just heartbreaking on so many levels. So I do hope that while we are having fun with this game, we do take a moment to reflect and realise the affects of our litter on the environment. I could be wrong; it could literally just be a game about a crab trying to get his shell back, but I’d like to think that the developers are trying to get us to think about the state of our oceans. Either way, I am keen to play!

If you’re into action-adventure platformer games, then you’re in for a treat with Pepper Grinder.

A little more about the game: In this action-packed adventure, you’ll play as Pepper, a pirate with a passion for prospecting, and Grinder, her super-powered drill. Pepper has found herself shipwrecked and robbed of her treasure. Armed with Grinder, you must help Pepper dig and burrow her way through various terrains and fight off enemies as she works her way towards finding and reclaiming her missing treasure.

I’ll admit, this isn’t really usually the type of game I would go for, but something about it just looks really interesting and fun. I don’t know if it’s the art style that has captured my attention, or if my game tastes are just evolving, but I am finding myself drawn to this game. There is a free demo available to download from the Nintendo eStore, so I will absolutely be trying this game out.

Another one for the cozy gamers; if you love a story-rich game then Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is absolutely for you.

A little more about the game: In this story-rich musical adventure, you will play as Snufkin, a philosophical vagabond who wanders the world fishing and playing the harmonica. As Snufkin, you will help restore balance and harmony in Moominvalley after a series of hideous parks have appeared across the valley. In your attempts to restore the balance and harmony for the valley’s inhabitants, you must help Snufkin protect the valley by distracting the police and putting an end to the industrious Park Kepper’s plans.

I am actually really excited about this game. As I have mentioned, I love a game with a good story element, and this game is “story-rich” so I am excited. It also just looks like a really wholesome and fun way to spend your time gaming, and the art style is just really beautiful; I think that this is going to be a really enjoyable game and I am very excited to play.

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That’s my recap and thoughts on the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase. I was hoping to lessen my gaming backlog this year, but it definitely looks like I will be adding to it with some really great games coming to Nintendo Switch this year. I am mostly excited about Epic Mickey Rebrushed, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and Another Crab’s Treasure, but I am very keen to play all of these games that I discussed.

You can watch the showcase below. I’d love to know what games you’re excited for, and if there was anything you were hoping to see that didn’t make an appearance. Let me know in the comments.

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