The broad consensus for the latest Nintendo Direct seems to be that it was a success. Many of Nintendo’s biggest names were there in some form with Zelda, Donkey Kong, Mario, and even the long-awaited Metroid all represented. The stream and its announcements faced one glaring problem though – where are all the new games?
The recent glut of summer game events and reveals means a ton of new titles now populate players’ watch lists. Tying off the run of events was the June 18 Nintendo Direct. Naturally, fans were upset about a lack of Hollow Knight: Silksong, but otherwise, it suggested a promising run for the Switch in its swan song era. The second iteration of the Switch wasn’t going to feature during the stream despite it being on the way, so really this was all about the support the Switch would be getting in its final years.
However, as the show began to roll, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed. The playerbase around me celebrated and witnessed their favorite nostalgic franchise make its highly demanded return in Metroid, but I left wanting something fresher.
Sure, Marvel vs. Capcom is getting much-needed love, Donkey Kong is a classic, and Dragon Quest is always highly requested, but where are all the new titles? It’s time for Nintendo to push the boat out and sail towards new IPs.
It’s time for new games to get their (Metroid) Prime time
Just over 30 games were announced in Nintendo Direct, and out of those 30, only 14 were new, ignoring the titles that have previously been released or announced for other consoles, like Stray, Tales of the Shire, and Darkest Dungeon II.
Out of those 14, just six were completely new IPs. The others were sequels or iterations of either Metroid, Zelda, or Mario and Luigi.
These numbers suggest a glaring issue in Nintendo’s current lineup. In a world where the Switch 2 is on the horizon, the company feels like it’s stuck in the past, only grasping to the franchises fans love and increasingly hesitant to branch out down new paths.
The Switch 2’s arrival feels like the perfect time to establish new titles. Enhanced graphical capabilities are almost certain and will pave the way for a new standard of Nintendo consoles. The company has the chance to prepare showstopping titles for the Switch 2. The core Nintendo player base won’t take a lot of convincing to be sold on the next console. They’ve wanted a game starring Zelda, and Metroid Prime 4 for years. However, by adopting new IPs and traditionally “un-Nintendo genres”, that audience could grow into a wider demographic that thrives in the portable space.
Do we really need new games?
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a strong argument for remakes, sequels, and remasters at Nintendo.
The hype is most certainly there for Mario & Luigi Brothership, Metroid Prime 4, or The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. We also wouldn’t be at the 13th Super Mario Party if the franchise didn’t work for the company.
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Those titles are fueled by nostalgia. They are safe bets. Why go out and take risks on new IPs? After all, if the fanbase is calling for a Donkey Kong remaster, why not create what you know will work? That mentality leaves the question: Do we really need new gaming franchises?
Yes. Of course we need new games. After all, the likes of Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong were all new IPs once upon a time. There’s absolutely no reason for Nintendo to give that up. We need much more than what we saw during Nintendo Direct.
Interestingly, original titles coming to the Switch 2 could be a perfect opportunity for Nintendo to reinvent its portable console, and invite thousands of new players into its ecosystem.
There’s no need to stop remaking nostalgic adventures. They work and they provide a backbone to the brand. There’s nothing wrong with sequels. The moderation just feels off-kilter, with so little new currently plotting the company’s future.
Nintendo has to go back to go forward
Perhaps the best way for Nintendo to perfect this balance is to make the Switch 2 backward compatible.
Just like the Xbox Series X|S and the PS5, the Switch 2 could benefit fantastically by allowing players to retain their libraries. The feature would stop certain games from constantly chasing the latest console.
If Nintendo were to implement backward compatibility with the current Switch, it could allow the company to focus on new titles, leaving behind some of its past adventures while still letting players enjoy their beloved ones. Do we really need every Zelda classic rereleased again for the new hardware?
Naturally, the primary features of the Switch 2 haven’t been announced, and we don’t fully know whether it’ll have backward compatibility or not, but it would certainly aid the remake slump Nintendo seems to have slipped into.
Ultimately, Nintendo and its consoles are in dire need of new games, and the Nintendo Direct only served to weaken any prospect we may have of their imminent arrival. Perhaps new IPs will be announced for the Switch 2, but one thing is clear, remakes can only take a fanbase so far before they begin to falter.
