The Nintendo Direct held this Friday, September 12, 2025, brought a series of announcements that energize the gaming calendar for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, highlighting the return of classics like Super Mario Galaxy and innovations in titles like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The broadcast, lasting approximately 60 minutes, took place at 6 a.m. Pacific Time, reaching fans worldwide through the company’s official YouTube channel, and focused on releases for 2025 and 2026, including celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. Companies such as Nintendo, Capcom, and Supergiant Games participated with exclusive reveals, addressing long-held expectations for updates on projects awaited for years.
The event occurred amid the recent success of the Switch 2, launched in summer, and served to expand the gaming ecosystem, with emphasis on enhanced remakes, immediate DLCs, and new genres like cozy life simulations featuring Pokemon. Fans reacted with enthusiasm on social media, boosting searches for details on mechanics and special editions. The presentation began with tributes to Mario, moving through first-person action and tactical strategies, justifying the hype by connecting nostalgia to technical innovations like 120 fps support in optimized titles.
Shape the land as…a Ditto, that looks like a human?!Create a wonderful space for all sorts of Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia – coming to #NintendoSwitch2 next year. pic.twitter.com/VAXnl6NdRd— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) September 12, 2025
The broadcast underscored Nintendo’s commitment to porting Wii successes to current hardware, allowing players to relive space adventures with visual improvements. Additionally, novelties in Pokemon and Fire Emblem indicate genre diversification, from relaxing farming to epic arena battles. The reason lies in the company’s strategy to maintain engagement post-Switch 2 launch, with over 15 million units sold since June, according to recent internal reports. As a result, the Direct strengthens the game library, offering options for all audiences, from bounty hunters to virtual emerald collectors.
First, Nintendo revealed the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 bundle for Switch, scheduled for October 2, 2025, with additional content like expanded pages from Rosalina’s storybook.
This addition enriches the original narrative, providing insights into the star princess and her role in the galaxies.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, confirmed for April 3, 2026, promises CGI animation with voices from stars like Chris Pratt and Anya Taylor-Joy, exploring cosmic exploration themes.
40th anniversary celebration of Super Mario Bros.
The event’s opening dedicated space to the historic milestone of Super Mario Bros., released on September 13, 1985, for Famicom, with year-long planned events.
The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto will feature themed tickets and a light display in December 2025, allowing interactive visits with replicas of classic scenarios.
These initiatives aim to connect generations, with exhibitions including concept art from Shigeru Miyamoto and prototypes of old hardware.
Light display at the museum with projections of iconic power-ups;
Limited tickets with giveaways like 8-bit Mario pins;
Collaborations with artists for murals inspired by the original game;
Online events with live speedruns for fans to recreate records.
The anniversary coincides with the peak of Switch 2, boosting sales of accessories like themed Joy-Con controllers.
Developers shared behind-the-scenes on how Galaxy’s gravitational physics influenced modern 3D platform mechanics.
Imminent launch of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond arrives on Switch on December 4, 2025, after years of development by Retro Studios, with a trailer showcasing unseen gameplay.
Samus Aran rides a stylized motorcycle called Vi-O-La in high-speed sequences across the planet Viewros, using psychic powers to manipulate objects and guide shots.
The Switch 2 version supports 4K resolutions at 60 fps or 1080p at 120 fps, plus mouse controls with Joy-Con 2 for precise aiming.
Samus’s arsenal includes the classic morph ball and scans to analyze enemies like Space Pirates, expanding exploration in dense forests.
Amiibos of Samus and Vi-O-La available on November 6, 2025;
Figure of Sylux, the enigmatic bounty hunter, on December 4;
Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective book releases on October 28, with conceptual illustrations;
TV mode optimized for large screens with HDR support.
Sylux, introduced in Metroid Prime Hunters in 2006, pursues Samus in alternate endings, adding narrative tension.
The game maintains first-person structure, with environmental puzzles requiring progressive upgrades.
Viewros features varied biomes, from bioluminescent jungles to alien ruins, testing Samus’s adaptation.
Immediate expansion for Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza receives the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC today, September 12, 2025, adding nostalgic levels and a roguelike challenge mode for Switch 2.
DK Island recreates franchise history elements, with a giant stone Kong face and cameos from allies like Diddy and Pauline, recently revealed.
Emerald Rush mode turns the map into timed races to collect emeralds for Void Kong, an employee of Void Company, with mini-objectives that end runs prematurely if failed.
Fossils unlock customizable perks, while Banandium Gems enhance DK’s skills, like double jumps or spinning attacks.
Unlockable new fashions, including retro outfits from Donkey Kong Country;
Collectible statues for display on DK Island, with over 20 variants;
Daily challenges with emerald multipliers based on combos;
Integration with existing save files for progress continuity;
Local multiplayer support for cooperative collections.
Initial impressions highlight the level as the most crafted in the base game, with secrets hidden in unstable platforms.
Pauline, iconic since the original arcade, gains support mechanics with songs that temporarily buff allies.
The DLC costs an accessible price, encouraging returns to completed save files for intensive farming.
New chapter in the Fire Emblem saga
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave closes the Direct with a planned 2026 launch on Switch 2, set in a grand coliseum for the Heroic Games.
Characters like Cai, fighting to save his father, and Queen Theodora lead narratives of alliance and betrayal, with the Divine Sovereign granting a wish to the final victor.
Dietrich wields a terrifying blade in close-quarters combat, while Leda seeks vengeance beyond death, adding moral layers to tactical choices.
The trailer showed improved grid mechanics, with elemental abilities interacting with the coliseum environment, like arenas with spell-activated traps.
Cai: Personal duel-focused warrior, with skill tree for healing;
Theodora: Strategic leader, commanding remote units via real-time orders;
Dietrich: Tank with precise timing-based counterattacks;
Leda: Assassin with persistent debuffs weakening targets over turns;
Divine Sovereign: Central NPC influencing events based on accumulated reputation.
The series, which has sold over 10 million copies globally since 1990, evolves with branched dialogues affecting alliances in multiple paths.
Developers emphasized balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for veterans, with scalable difficulty modes.
Cozy simulation with Pokemon Pokopia
Pokemon Pokopia introduces a farming life-sim on Switch, starring a Ditto transformed into a human, launching in 2026.
Ditto finds an abandoned Pokedex and learns moves like Leafage from Bulbasaur to cultivate grass, Water Gun from Squirtle for irrigation, and cutting with Scyther.
Hitmonchan teaches punches to break rocks, expanding village building with customizable houses for allied Pokemon.
The trailer showed item crafting, from fertilizers to decorations, in an open world relaxing without competitive battles.
Bulbasaur: Accelerates plant growth with special seeds;
Squirtle: Fills reservoirs for automated irrigation systems;
Scyther: Clears fields and builds fences with surgical precision;
Hitmonchan: Removes heavy obstacles and forges basic tools;
Ditto: Switches forms for specific tasks, like flight with Pidgey.
Over 100 confirmed Pokemon, with interactions unlocking unique recipes based on affinities.
The Switch 2 version includes cross-save with other Pokemon titles, easing progress migrations.
Physical remake of Virtual Boy
A physical remake of Virtual Boy arrives on February 17, 2026, via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, reviving the 1995 hardware with improved red-and-black 3D.
The accessory includes original games like Mario’s Tennis and Wario Land, with Joy-Con support for modern controls.
Visual updates reduce eye strain, adding optional color modes for extended sessions.
Mario Clash: 3D shooter with floating blocks updated to 60 fps;
Virtual Boy Wario Land: Platformer with refined optical traps;
Jack Bros.: Cooperative puzzle with online multiplayer support;
Teleroboxer: Virtual ring fights with motion tracking;
Waterworld: Underwater navigation with dynamic waves.
The initial catalog has six titles, expandable via quarterly updates.
Game historians note the original Virtual Boy’s risk, selling only 770,000 units due to discomfort, but the remake fixes flaws with modern ergonomics.
Updates on other titles
Hades 2 launches Switch 2 edition on September 25, 2025, running at 120 fps in TV mode, with weapons like Sister Blades and Moonstone Axe.
Resident Evil Requiem arrives on February 27, 2026, with a trailer focusing on Grace Ashcroft’s investigations at Wrenwood Hotel.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A receives Mega Dimension DLC on October 16, 2025, highlighting Mega Raichu X and Y in expanded combats.
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake releases early 2026, with remastered graphics for atmospheric horror.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 gets Switch 2 edition, optimized for chaotic dungeons.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection launches on March 13, 2026, with legendary mounts and branched narratives.
Kirby Air Riders gets a dedicated Direct soon, promising aerial races with innovative power-ups.
Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream confirmed for 2026, blending rhythm and social simulation.
These announcements fill lineup gaps, focusing on ports and originals that leverage Switch 2 hardware.
