There’s a Nintendo Direct broadcast happening today, focusing on non-Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games, and we’ll be covering everything divulged right here. You know the drill: watch along, chat along, possibly make a pithy remark. Or be refreshingly positive – it’s up to you!
What we know: the Nintendo Partner Direct will begin at 2pm UK time and will be short and sweet with a running-time of 30 minutes. No need to stay up half the night for this one – mentioning no names, ahem, Sony.
What we don’t know: what will be in the broadcast. There aren’t any official sighters to go by, which means we have plenty to speculate about. Are we about to get a release date for Elden Ring on Switch 2, for example? And speaking of FromSoftware: what’s going on with Switch 2-exclusive The Duskbloods? You can’t just dangle that in front of us one year and then not say anything about it, can you?
Beyond that, maybe we’ll get a release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2, and potentially something about the second Final Fantasy 7 game Rebirth coming to Switch 2 – there are rumours.
Regardless, it’s theoretically a good moment for third-party games on Switch 2, while Nintendo’s new console has comparable power, so let’s see how the Switch 2 capitalises on it.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Coverage
Comments
12:21 pm
UTC
Hello everybody! I do like these chattery moments. So, what are you hoping to see? Frankly, I’ll take almost anything on Switch 2. I wonder if it’s a pyschological thing most of the time but the concept of being able to take a game around with me, that was previously stuck in my TV, never gets old to me. Welcome to 10 years ago, Bertie.
Robert Purchese
13:37 pm
UTC
30 minutes to go
We’re approaching go-time. Let’s see what you’ve been writing.
Rahmus says:
Dream announcements:
Sega show off their rebooted IP, such as Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. Then they wow the world with a brand new Sega Rally. Fade to black…one more thing…RISTAR IS BACK
Oh and then Capcom show off a native Resident Evil 2 Remake port so I can buy it for the third time. But this one’s different – it has Amiibo support!
A new Sega Rally! I’d eat that up. Digitally of course.
Ninginja says: Here’s some insight for you: Caves of Qud is releasing 16th February
Insight accepted. Thank you.
Robin Gale says:
“Write and insightful comment”? No Eurogamer, I won’t. All I will write is:
“RE4 Remake please”
“RE4 Remake please”
“RE4 Remake please”
“RE4 Remake please”
“RE4 Remake please”
I can’t quite make out what you’re getting at here. Is there a particular game you’re hoping for?
Robert Purchese
13:51 pm
UTC
Indiana Jones and Fallout 4 dates leak ahead of Direct
The Switch 2 release dates for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Fallout 4 have leaked ahead of today’s Nitendo Direct. Temple of Doom? More like Temple of Too Soon!
Victoria Phillips Kennedy
13:55 pm
UTC
Kami says: There is one outside thing; doesn’t Bloober have a Switch 2 exclusive in the works? Wonder if its their own thing or something we’d see only on a normal General Direct (Eternal Darkness wink wink nudge nudge please please)
Oh yes they did, didn’t they. Good shout.
Robert Purchese
13:59 pm
UTC
The show is about to begin
One minute to go; nearly there. This is likely to pass quick and fast. So let’s buckle up.
Robert Purchese
14:03 pm
UTC
Switch 2 co-op exclusive Orbitals launches this summer
Here we go.
What is Direct opener I wonder?
We’re straight into a game. An anime-looking game. “Deep in space a research station was suddenly struck by a cosmic storm…” This looks like a Japanese cartoon. Orbitals, it’s called. I can’t see any semblance of gameplay yet.
Now I can! It’s the two-player co-op adventure we’ve heard about before, a bit like Hazelight’s games – It Takes Two, Split Fiction. In other words, you need to work together. You have different guns to do different things. It looks very Hazelight, with a different visual finish.
Gameshare is supported so you only need one copy of the game. Good.
Orbitals is a Switch 2-exclusive and launches this summer.
Robert Purchese
14:05 pm
UTC
Paranormasight tells a mermaid mystery on 19th February
Paranormasight now. A mystery adventure. This one’s about mermaids and pearl divers – a classic combination if ever I’ve seen one. A pearl diver finds a copy of himself under the water. Looks a bit dark.
You need to investigate by talking to people, and by taking a dip in the water. There seems to be a nice variation of gameplay types here.
Paranormasight The Mermaid’s Curse launches 19th February.
Robert Purchese
14:07 pm
UTC
Subterranean Toyko dino-survival game Tokyo Scramble launches next week
Glossed over an anime football game there, apologies.
A dinosaur-related, subterranean Tokyo third-person stealth game now. Well, they’re not just dinosaurs but strange underground creatures. If you’re found in this game, you’re dead.
It’s got Gameshare so you and your friends can share controls, which sounds strange.
Tokyo Scramble, it’s called. It’s coming next week – February 11th.
Robert Purchese
14:08 pm
UTC
Valheim is coming to Switch 2 with 10-player multiplayer
It’s Valheim! Valheim is coming to Switch 2, with 10-player mulitplayer support. It’s coming this summer.
Robert Purchese
14:08 pm
UTC
Jango-Forest says: Tokyo Scramble is a weird name for a dinosaur game.
Tokyo Scramble is a strange name indeed.
Robert Purchese
14:10 pm
UTC
Upgraded Hollow Knight shadow-drops on Switch 2 today
Hollow Knight is getting an upgraded Switch 2 version today! Mark that shadow-drop slot off your bingo card.
Robert Purchese
14:10 pm
UTC
eFootball Kick-off launches on Switch 2 this summer. This is the series that was previously PES, I believe.
Robert Purchese
14:11 pm
UTC
I love that this Octopath-looking game is called The Adventures of Elliott. What a name. Looks good, though.
It’s coming 18th June.
Robert Purchese
14:12 pm
UTC
Super Bomberman Collection launches for Switch and Switch 2 today
Super Bombermans 1-5 are coming to Switch 2, including NES versions of the game we’re not so familiar with.
Gameshare support for free multiplayer!
Super Bomberman Collection launches for Switch and Switch 2 today!
Robert Purchese
14:13 pm
UTC
Final Fantasy Rebirth gets a June Switch 2 release date
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth now. It’s launching 3rd June for Switch 2.
Robert Purchese
14:16 pm
UTC
Pragmata is coming to Switch 2 in April, and a demo is out today
Capcom’s Pragmata now, which is about a man and his android-girl-partner’s journey. A company sends bots against them and Dianna, the android, needs to hack the enemies to soften them up for you to shoot.
Looks like a twiddly thing to control, hacking and shooting at once. Interesting idea though.
Pragmata is coming 24th April to Switch 2. And there’s a demo going live today.
Robert Purchese
14:17 pm
UTC
Turok Origins arrives this autumn
Turok: Origins! Mohawks! It’s an online interpretation, it’s got third- and first-person perspectives. It’s got mohawks – did I mention that?
Seems a bit live-servicey to me, but looks quite handsome. It’s coming this Autumn.
Robert Purchese
14:18 pm
UTC
Kyoto Xanadu now, which is about a Kyoto under threat, so you need to play as a boy sent to a super school inorder to save it.
It’s a mix of 2D platforming and 3D boss battling, and then there’s a card-based upgrading cycle inbetween. A mix of game-types, in other words.
That’s due this summer on Switch and Switch 2.
Robert Purchese
14:20 pm
UTC
Digimon Story Time Stranger is coming to Switch and Switch 2 on 10th July.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink – with online multiplayer – is coming to Switch 2 on 9th July.
Robert Purchese
14:21 pm
UTC
Monster Hunter Stories 3 demo today, release 13th March
Hang on, your monsters in Monster Hunter Stories 3 are called “monsties”? Like, for real? I don’t know whether to hate or love that. THey sound like a snack.
It’s due 13th March, and a demo is going up today.
Robert Purchese
14:22 pm
UTC
New Archives collection adds Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden 2 today
Rave Racer by Namco is heading to the Archives. And there’s a new line of games called Console Arvchives, which will have Doraemon, Sonic Wings Special, “and more will be released over time”.
Cool Boarders will be in the first wave, and Ninja Gaiden 2. They’ll be available today.
Robert Purchese
14:24 pm
UTC
Lots of games are flitting by now that are coming to Switch 2, or getting Switch 2 versions. I don’t think there’s been anything particularly interesting, but it’s nice variety all the same.
“Tales of Arise” seems like a dangerous thing to call your name, especially if your keyboard has a dodgy “i” key.
Robert Purchese
14:24 pm
UTC
Handbrake tone change into Resident Evil 9: Requiem.
Robert Purchese
14:26 pm
UTC
This isn’t an RE4 remake, Capcom.
But look how chiselled the new Leon Kennedy is. Requiem will have dual-protagonists, in case you don’t know. And guess what? Leon can fire guns and chainsaw people. He’s a brute. Grace is much more refined.
Robert Purchese
14:26 pm
UTC
Kami says: If I recall Bertie, it’s pronounced “Are-ee-say”. Don’t… don’t ask how I know that.
Hah! That’s me told! How uncouth of me.
Robert Purchese
14:27 pm
UTC
There’s a Resi Pro Controller coming with Requiem in February
Resi Requiem launches for Switch 2 on 27th February. Not long now.
Resi Biohazard and Resi Village are also coming on the same day, as is a Resi Pro Controller, and Grace and Leon Amiibos are coming this summer.
Robert Purchese
14:28 pm
UTC
It’s Todd Howard! I wonder what he could be here to talk about. Have there been any popular TV shows recently?
Robert Purchese
14:28 pm
UTC
It must be Starfield, that beloved Bethesda game.
Robert Purchese
14:29 pm
UTC
Fallout 4 launches 24th February on Switch 2
Oh but hang on, it’s actually Fallout 4! Who saw that coming? Nevertheless, it’s a welcome edition. But my oh my doesn’t it look old now?
It’s got six official expansions in it, and loads of Creation Club (mod) add-ons in it.
Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition launches 24th February.
Robert Purchese
14:30 pm
UTC
Indy and the Great Circle launches 12th May
And here’s Nathan Drake! Oh sorry hang on, no it’s Indiana Jones.
The Great Circle is coming to Switch 2 12th May.
Robert Purchese
14:31 pm
UTC
Oblivion Remastered is coming to Switch 2 this year
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is coming to Switch 2! Okay that is exciting, as long as the game actually works okay now. That music though: still gets me.
Oblivion Remastered comes to Switch 2 this year.
Includes Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine expansions.
Robert Purchese
14:31 pm
UTC
The show ends
And kaboom, that’s it.
Robert Purchese
14:32 pm
UTC
Such is the world we live in with these piecemeal announcement events now, I suppose.
Robert Purchese
14:37 pm
UTC
2much says: Not a bad direct but it ended in such a disappointing way that it felt worse than it actually was. I dunno why they thought ports of some old games was an exciting one last thing, but there were some cool things in there. The Bomberman collection is cool, that weird dinosaur game, Pragmata demo drop, Hollow Knight upgrade drop, and that anime football game all stood out to me.
That anime football game did look cool /checks name… Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters. What a name!
Robert Purchese
14:40 pm
UTC
Orbitals seems to be appealing to many of you. I thought it looked too – lovely art style. I’m a little concerned that it looked a bit sluggish to play, but I’ll reserve judgement for when I actually managed to play it.
Robert Purchese
14:41 pm
UTC
Kami says: Console Archives has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to see what they start adding to it
Indeed! Already some appealing games there. It’s great that companies are finding a way to bring old games back to us like this.
Robert Purchese
14:47 pm
UTC
Thank you everyone for joining us today. Some things to mull over here, for sure, and a few demos to check out on Switch Online.
Robert Purchese