Nintendo came through at the buzzer and delivered the heavily rumored Nintendo Direct. This one was a Partner Showcase, so there isn’t anything specific to Nintendo and its leading franchises here. And I’d have to believe that bodes well for getting another one since we don’t have a release date for a certain bounty hunter.
What we did get in this Direct was more than a few games that made me sit up in my seat.
1. The Adventures of elliot: The Millennium Tales
We’re going to start near the end of the Direct. In classic gaming showcase fashion, we were treated to “two more games”. One of them was a brand-new action RPG from Square Enix, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. The game has a similar HD-2D look to Octopath Traveler (wait for it). What it also has is a fairy companion that seems to be way more helpful than the lovable but oh-so-annoying Navi.
I love turn-based RPGs, but I will admit a soft spot for a good action-RPG. And this one gives you seven different weapon types to work with, as well as ways to upgrade them. Faie, the companion mentioned above, can attack enemies and be controlled independently of Elliot in single player, or you can have a friend control the fairy separately.
The trailer showcases some puzzle-solving elements that will require a solid grasp of both characters. The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is set for release in 2026, but a demo is available today.
2. Octopath traveler 0
And here’s the second of the “two more” games. Octopath Traveler 0 is a prequel to the first two games in the series. The description of the game from Nintendo and Square Enix sheds some light on it.
“This exciting entry to the series brings all-new features and returning core elements from the series, including the series’ iconic HD-2D graphics blending retro pixel art and 3D CG art, Path Actions to interact with other characters in various ways, the Break and Boost battle system, which can turn the tide of battle, and more”.
I also noticed some city building in there as well. If the first two games’ quality is any indication, we’re in for another elite RPG.
3. NBA Bounce
There was a quick burst of a few games, but somehow, they managed to sneak in an NBA game. NBA Bounce appears to be another attempt at recreating the NBA Jam experience. And that makes me wonder why we can’t just get a new one. But hey, you can play as mascots, so I’m sure this is something for the kids. Either way, I’ll be giving it a shot just in case it turns out to be fire.
And this is a game that’s been out, but I’ve been holding out hope for a Switch 2 release. My patience has paid off as we are indeed getting Star Wars Outlaws on September 4th. I’m all over it. I don’t need much to be happy with a Star Wars game, and I’ve heard that some fixes were made to make it more enjoyable.
Overall, the Nintendo Direct was pretty solid. I see some multi-platform games that I want to transfer to my Switch (Hi, Madden). And some other games that, while I’m sure they won’t be exclusive, I wouldn’t play on anything else. Good show.
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