The Nintendo Direct June 2026 presentation was grand indeed, showcasing a number of first- and third-party reveals for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. There was an enormous amount of good things in there, not the least of which were breathtaking reveals of exciting upcoming games and release dates on some of the games we’ve been anticipating most. So which reveals were our favorites? Find out in this week’s Shack Chat!



Question: What was your favorite reveal from Nintendo Direct June 2026?

Kingdom Hearts 4 – Ozzie Mejia, My friends are still my power

I want to be clear about my feelings for this pick, because being a Kingdom Hearts fan is always a combination of pain and euphoria.

I’m so excited to see this game acknowledged. I was very excited to see it turn up. I was pleasantly giddy to see it show up on a Nintendo Direct, of all places. I never would have guessed that. The combat has never looked slicker. I’m stoked to see what Sora can do, where the story goes, and who we fight for and against.

With that said…

Number one, I have to acknowledge what Greg Burke said. I’m not going to go so far as to say that Kingdom Hearts 4 looks ugly. I’m just going to say it looks a lot more realistic than it used to. It looks gorgeously realistic, in fact. Ahem… the problem is… this is Kingdom Hearts, the franchise that’s supposed to cross over with a bunch of Disney animated properties. It’s not supposed to look realistic! I’m not supposed to see some weird uncanny valley with Donald Duck. It’s supposed to look colorful and animated. And I hesitate to use the phrase “supposed to,” because that’s always the slippery slope toward addressing developers in an entitled fashion. But I know what Disney is and what this series has always been in relation to Disney, and I’m not sure how a more realistic art style works in conjunction with what Disney’s animated worlds are and how they look.

Unless the idea is to jump into the world of the live action remakes, at which point, I’m out. Peace!

But also, I’m still seeing more of the same cityscape that I saw all the way back in 2022, which doesn’t give me much hope that this game is any closer to being finished. I feel like by this point in the Kingdom Hearts 3 hype cycle, Square was already showing off the Tangled world and giving players an idea of the worlds they’d be visiting. We don’t have any of that here and I’m not sure when we’re going to get it, especially if Square’s going to be pushing Final Fantasy 7 Revelation hard over the next nine months. So I’m excited, but I don’t have my hopes up for seeing Kingdom Hearts 4 next year… or even the year after.

Pain and euphoria, man. Pain and euphoria.



Xenoblade: Genesis – TJ Denzer, is really feelin’ it

A new Xenoblade game on Nintendo Switch 2, where Monolith Soft can create its vast and beautiful worlds (Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, 3, and X, and Tears of the Kingdom) without restricting hardware… Say no more. Just tell me when it comes out when you can. I’m 1000 percent in.

Okay, say one more thing. The switch from future sci-fi to a medieval fantasy setting is dope. I want to know more about it, but also give it to me. Please.



The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 4K Remake – Asif Khan, Hero of Time

Duh.



DayZ – Bill Lavoy, Shackmaps Overlord

During the Direct, I was in the writing mines doing up a story about something and completely missed the DayZ on Switch 2 announcement. While it’s unlikely I’ll play DayZ on Switch 2, it’s a phenomenal game that should be played by more people. Bohemia Interactive has spent over a decade building an experience that is unlike anything else. More people getting to play that game is a good thing.



The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake – Sam Chandler, Skulltula Tamer

Once I heard that tune, any other announcement made at the Nintendo Direct faded from my memory. Ocarina of Time was my first Zelda game. It’s one of the greatest games of all time, and while the graphics of the Nintendo 64 might look dated to some people, the design of the game has stood the test of time. I wish I had my own Ocarina so I could zip forward in time, pick up my copy, and give it to David in the past like some sort of anti-cursed Phonogram Man.



Final Fantasy Resonance – Donovan Erskine, Patron Saint of HD-2D

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I think HD-2D is one of the coolest things a AAA gaming studio has done in the last decade. Not only does it lead to shorter development times (oh the things you can achieve when you aren’t chasing photorealism), but the games look utterly gorgeous. As someone who struggled to get into the modern Final Fantasy games, a turn-based version in the Octopath art style is like something out of a dream. The sprite art looks beautiful and the concept of summoning other FF characters is hype. This is the exact kind of project that might finally get me to love a Final Fantasy game.



Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Steve Tyminski, Hero of Time!

What was my favorite reveal from the June 2026 Nintendo Direct? That is a tough question because there were quite a few games revealed/mentioned that caught my attention.  Getting more information for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave was good to see. That game comes out in September so the more information about it the better. I’m also interested in a new Dragon Quest Monsters game. I really like the art designs of the Dragon Quest series, and this one is no different. 

Final Fantasy Resonance was another game that caught my attention as a 2D-HD Final Fantasy game seems like a no brainer. I’m also looking forward to The Duskbloods playtest to see what the game has to offer. I think my favorite reveal was finally getting to see The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time getting a fresh remake. Now, I feel that there are other Zelda games that deserve to be remade before OoT but I can’t be mad because it gives me another reason to replay through Ocarina of Time for the thousandth time. The fact that it is supposed to come out this year is a nice thing to see. So, for my favorite Nintendo Direct reveal, I’m going with Ocarina of Time as well as quite a few shout outs!


That covers our choices, but what were your favorite reveals? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to the Nintendo topic for more news and updates.

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Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.