Hello gamers and game lovers. It’s that time of the year again where major publishing companies host their own streaming events to announce new games and drive up hype.

This time, we will be taking a look at the recent Nintendo Direct Mini. Held on June 28 this year, the event was a rollercoaster of emotions and expectation. Simply put, it’s a lot of really good news!

So with no further ado, let’s take a look at what was announced at Nintendo Direct Mini.

Persona Comes to the Switch

Several of the Persona games are (finally) coming to Nintendo Switch! This is not a drill! 

We are finally getting to enjoy not only Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden on the console, but Persona 5 Royal as well. Talk about a triple threat of JRPG goodness!

P5R will be coming to the Switch on October 21, 2022. The release dates for P4G and P3P are currently unknown.

All of the games will come in full HD with both English and Japanese voice acting. However, do keep in mind that each of them will be sold separately.

We are extremely, and we mean EXTREMELY excited for this!

You can check out our review of Persona 5 Royal for the PS4 here.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Announced

Calling all Mega Man fans! The Mega Man Battle Network series is coming to the Nintendo Switch in the form of a big ol’ bundle that combines ALL TEN GAMES!

The collection will reportedly also feature a new art gallery mode and music library mode. 

The planned release date for the collection is sometime in 2023 and must be purchased in two parts if bought digitally.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Gets Release Date

Mario + Rabbids is one of those ideas that sounds strange on paper but once you see it in action, you realize that this was a match made in heaven.

The first game was well-received and now, we have a new trailer for the sequel, along with a release date. 

The date in question is October 20, later this year. 

Portal: Companion Collection Comes to Switch

Portal is now on Switch. We can now play Portal 1 and 2 as part of the Portal Companion Collection on the console.

The collection was released soon after the Direct so the games are up for grabs right now. 

Portal 1 is a fantastic game in and of itself but 2 takes the bar and elevates it so high that you can see the moon from there. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

It is also worth mentioning that Portal 2 comes with local, split screen, and online multiplayer.

NieR: Automata – The End of YoRHa Edition Coming to Switch

NieR: Automata is a phenomenal game born from the synthesis of Game Director Yoko Taro’s heartfelt bizarreness and Platinum Games’ highly responsive action combat. And now, it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch!

The Switch version will include all the DLC, presumably including the one where you fight the CEO of Square Enix as a boss fight. Yes. Really. 

The game also comes with some exclusive Switch-only costumes. 

You can check out our gushing review of this masterpiece right here.

Harvestella Announced

Square Enix have announced a new game that appears to be a mix between their typical fantasy world and gameplay of a life sim like Stardew Valley.

The game got a nice new trailer that went over some of the visuals, world, and interesting lore. 

So far, one thing that’s caught our attention is how this world has not 4 but 5 seasons. This extra season is called Quietus and is apparently “the season of death” where the land and living things begin to wilt and die.

Looking at the trailer, it looks interesting enough to try. So we’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Return to Monkey Island Comes to Switch

For those not in the know, the Monkey Island series is a well-known series of point-and-click puzzle games for the PC in the 90’s. 

These games were known for their wacky characters, witty dialogue, and hilarious twists. 

And now, just like the evil undead pirate LeChuck, the series is coming back from the grave with a new sequel!

Return to Monkey Island will be coming to consoles, starting with the Switch. The game will reportedly feature fan-favorite characters and evolve the series’ puzzle-based gameplay.

The only question that remains is how dependent the story of this game is on the older games. We’d like to be able to enjoy it without having to do homework, you know?

Super Bomberman R2 Announced

Super Bomberman… now there’s a name we’ve not heard in a good long while. But somehow, he’s back!

The new title is called Super Bomberman R2 and will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2023.

One of the most interesting game modes included is the Castle Mode where 15 players try to bomb their way to treasure with one player working hard to stop them.

Live-A-Live Demo Released

Live-A-Live is a cult classic RPG in which many famous names in the industry such as Takashi Tokita (one of the directors of Chrono Trigger) and Yoko Shimomura (the genius behind the OST of Kingdom Hearts, Street Fighter II, Xenoblade Chronicles, among many others) got their start.

The game is getting a release on the Switch on July 22 this year. This release will come with a new HD-2D look similar to Octopath Traveler or Project Triangle Strategy. 

The game currently has three chapters of the story as demos on the Nintendo eShop for free, if you want to give it a try.

Speed Round

The above announcements were the ones that caught our eyes the most. But that doesn’t mean that’s all the games that were announced.

We are going to try something new for this format and rush through the rest of them as quickly as we can without missing any important information.

Let’s dive in:

• Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Update – Capcom detailed a roadmap for updates for the game. Alongside the massive expansion, there are also free updates set to release in August 2022 and in fall, winter, and the next year.
• Sonic Frontiers Gameplay Trailer – SEGA debuted a new trailer for the upcoming “open-zone” Sonic game. The game is now coming to Nintendo Switch as well.
• Minecraft Legends Trailer – The action-strategy spinoff of Minecraft will be making its debut on the Switch in 2023. You can check out the trailer here.
• Blanc Announced – A new game called Blanc was announced in a beautiful trailer. The game seems to be about a fawn and a wolfcub working together to find their way home in the snow. Also, the game will reportedly feature no text, which might make it very accessible.
• Disney Dreamlight Valley – Disney is looking to throw its hat into the life sim genre with this game. So far, the gimmick seems to be that it’s like Stardew Valley but with Disney and Pixar characters. The game will be released in early access on September 6. Check out the trailer. It’s charming.
• Dragon Quest Treasures – The newest spinoff of Dragon Quest will be coming to the Switch and will star Erik and Mia from DQ11 as they team up with monsters to find treasure. Check out the trailer here.
• Little Noah: Scion of Paradise – This roguelite game has now been released on the Nintendo Switch. You play as Noah who must explore ruins, recruit allies, and fight enemies/bosses. Of course, if you lose, you start from the beginning.
• RPG Time: The Legend of Wright – RPG Time is a game coming to the Switch about a boy trying to make his first hand-drawn RPG. It’s a puzzle game and you can check out its trailer here.
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes – This is a surreal puzzle mystery game that evokes the feeling of classic detective fiction. It is coming to Switch in 2023.
• Doraemon Story of the Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom – First Disney, then Square Enix, and now Doraemon? It seems that everyone wants a piece of that life sim pie. This is a game where you get to be Doraemon and use his abilities to farm, tend to animals, and so on. The game comes to the Switch later this year.
• Pac- Man World Re-PAC – Pac-Man World is being remade and is coming to the Switch on August 26. You can check out the trailer here. So far, it looks very exciting and fun to play.
• RAILGRADE – This is a rail management game where players must build the best and most efficient railroads to transport cargo. The game comes out on the Switch this fall and you can check out the trailer here.
• Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions – Last but not least, we have this new game where you play as a young boy who has moved to Japan with no friends. He lives in his imagination with a superhero called Captain Velvet Meteor. You can check out the trailer here.