Nintendo Direct February 2023 Highlights
Feb. 9, 2023The first Nintendo Direct of the year was held yesterday, February 8th. We got a sneak peek at some upcoming games, as well as the resurgence of beloved classics.
Nintendo held its usual online showcase, Nintendo Direct, yesterday on February 8th. Arguably one of the biggest reveals of the show was the second-ever gameplay trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We also saw a resurgence of classic titles, as well as confirmation that some GameBoy games will find their way into the Nintendo Switch online storefronts.
There were a ton of things covered, but here are our favorite bits of news from the Nintendo Direct showcase.
Coming in extremely hot is the second trailer for Tears of the Kingdom in the Nintendo Direct. The sequel will continue on the gameplay style of its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. Just a bit over 2 minutes of full gameplay was shown off, as well as the usual story narration.
Fans got to see a lot of old elements make their return, most notably the beautifully colorful art style, a lot of enemy types, and some locations. However, just past the 1 minute mark, we get bombarded with tons of new stuff.
We see Link dive off a floating island, freefalling into the ground. Link also has access to a new arrow type that looks like it seeks out nearby targets. Hooray for those of us who can’t aim at all using joysticks! Other new snippers included shield surfing on rails, a new cannon weapon, and confirmation that we can actually build vehicles now. Link can be seen driving an actual car made up of ancient tech.
Manipulating objects and breaking the game has been a fan-favorite activity for speedrunners of Breath of the Wild due to how open and unrestrictive the game was. They could literally create their own makeshift vehicles with various in-game objects. It’s nice to see that this is being made into a full-fledged in-game feature.
Sea of Stars intends to be alove letter of classic turn-based RPGs, but with modern quality of life and features baked in. It will have beautiful top-down pixel art and aninterfacethat is highly reminiscent of the classics. The team is doing away with random battles, however, and thus enemies can be seen on the world map.Combatwill also be a bit more involved with their “timed hits” system.
The game will also be available on the PlayStation and PC platforms.
The grandmother of the Metroidvania genre, Metroid Prime just got a surprise remaster announcement. Metroid Prime Remastered was shadow-dropped during the Nintendo Direct, just likeHi-Fi Rushwas on the Xbox showcase a few weeks ago.
Metroid Prime Remaster is a faithful upscale of the classic title which was released over 20 years ago. It is considered one of the best titles of that generation and based on initial fan feedback, it holds up to today’s standards. The only thing mentioned that will be changing is the control scheme. The remaster will accommodate things such as newer control setups.
Players will get to explore the galaxy as bounty hunter Samus Aran and get to play with her iconic Power Suit, Visors, and Arm Cannon. The remaster’s digital edition currently costs $39.99 on the Nintendo E-Shop and will have a physical edition coming in shortly.
Other content includes the “Archasage’s Gauntlet” challenge system that introduces waves of enemies, as well as new accessory items. Lastly, new throwback outfits are going to be added into the game, probably reminiscent of costumes from the first two games.
DecaPolice is a newly announced JRPG from Level 5, the makers of the Professor Layton series. The game will have players follow in the footsteps of a new detective named Harvard. In a unique twist, the DecaPolice hunt for criminals both in the physical world as well as in virtual reality.
Entering the DecaSim (a simulation training program) will allow Harvard and his partners to investigate crime and battle evil-doers. It also looks like there will be a lot of over-the-top JRPG stuff happening in the virtual spaces. In one sequence, an elite rogue hacker can even distort the data of the DecaSim, turning Harvard into one awkward-looking cat.
One of the cuter and more unique-looking games at this month’s Nintendo Direct was Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon. This is quite the departure from the series’ usual style, as Bayonetta is more known for high-action sequences akin to Devil May Cry or Darksiders.
Instead, the young teenage witch Bayonetta (though here still named Cereza) is on a quest to free her trapped mother. Aiding her is the “Lost Demon” named Cheshire. This is a… unique beast that’s made up of parts of other beasts and is quite the stalwart companion.
The unique twist to this title is that Cereza cannot directly attack her opponents; that task can only be done by Cheshire. Instead, Cereza can support her feline homunculus by buffing it or disrupting her enemies. As the bond between the two entities grows stronger, they will begin to unlock more and more abilities that can be used in puzzle-solving as well as combat.
Be sure to check out more news,Hogwarts Legacy Smashes Twitch Viewership Record for a Single-Player GameandDarkest Dungeon 2 Sets to Leave Early Access May 8th.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
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