Never one to be left out of a conversation, Nintendo followed up Sony and Xbox (each having showcases to start 2024) with a showcase of their own this past week.The Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase for February 2024 lasted a solid 23 minutes and featured 26 different games. While nothing shown was earth-shattering or console-altering, there was plenty to be excited about for gaming fans.
Starting with probably the biggest news, at least from the standpoint of the gaming industry as a whole, the first two games from Xbox coming to Switch were shown! Grounded and Pentiment are making the jump from Xbox exclusivity this year to land on the Switch and the PS4/5. Grounded and Pentiment are both popular Game Pass titles that should fit in nicely on the Switch, with Pentiment out now and Grounded coming April 16 this year.
More big news was footage of the new Super Monkey Ball game! Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the first new entry into the series in over 10 years and promises to be hours and hours of fun. 16 players can compete online or there’s an adventure mode that can be done solo or with up to four friends locally or online.
Shin Megami Tensai V is getting an updated release dubbed Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance that is coming out on June 21. It’s an enhanced version of Atlus’s 2021 release with new content and new platforms. That’s right, you’ll be able to play it on any of the major platforms, including Xbox One and PS4, along with PC.
Several more nostalgia pieces made an appearance in the showcase. Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection brings the original two games to the Switch (and all the other platforms) and includes new content and online multiplayer! Getting a touched up new release also is the fan-favorite game Epic Mickey. Originally released on the Wii, Epic Mickey follows Mickey Mouse as he navigates a world of ink. The game will have some improvements in both visuals and gameplay and will not rely on motion controls like the original did. The Battlefront collection comes out March 14 and Epic Mickey is slated for sometime later this year.
Other properties making an appearance included Gundam Breaker 4, Endless Ocean Luminous, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the mist, South Park: Snow Day, and Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream. The showcase featured quite a few more game announcements that offer a variety of entertainment sprinkled throughout 2024. I recommend watching the full 23 minutes here. Additionally, there is a new Pokémon Presents for Pokémon Day on February 27 at 9am EST. There’s no indication of what will be announced then, but Pokémon fans are hoping for some classic games to be made available in some form on the Nintendo Switch.
Image from: Nintendo
