Everything Announced at the March 27, 2025 Nintendo Direct

Even though we have a major Nintendo Direct to look forward to on April 2, 2025, that deals entirely with the Nintendo Switch 2, the Big N decided to roll out a surprise Nintendo Direct presentation on March 27, 2025, that focused almost entirely on software for the original Switch, most of which is slated to arrive at some point in 2025. While there were the expected big-name titles (Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A being the main suspects), this Direct was also host to plenty of surprising smaller titles, some nice shadow drops, and confirmation of release dates for some previously revealed games. While we didn’t get any reveals of highly anticipated rumored projects like the Chrono Trigger HD-2D remake or any new information about Hollow Knight: Silksong, there was still plenty to get excited about based on everything announced at this most recent Nintendo Direct.

As it turns out, the March 27 Nintendo Direct contained two completely left-field surprises as far as upcoming Switch software goes, as well as an exciting new program allowing members of a Switch family to share software. Come April, Switch accounts that are part of a linked family account can register a Virtual Game Card to a linked system that allows them to seamlessly download and play any digital purchases shared between the accounts — a feature that fans have been requesting for years that is now finally arriving just ahead of the launch of the Switch 2…which just so happens to be compatible with both physical and digital Switch games.

Disney Villains Cursed Café

• Release Date — March 27, 2025
• Developer — Bloom Digital
• Publisher — Disney Electronic Content
• Genre — Adventure, Simulation
• MSRP — $14.99

One of three shadow drops to arrive as part of the Nintendo Direct is the new adventure game/visual novel Disney Villains Cursed Café. Pretty much what it says on the tin, Cursed Café is a sort of cozy adventure game/life sim in which players get to take on the role of a new “Potionista” who serves iconic Disney villains at their local alchemy café. The title also launched simultaneously for PC and all other modern consoles, and the early consensus seems to be that it’s an interesting visual novel if not fairly light on its gameplay elements.

Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Square Enix, Artdink, Team Asano
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — JRPG
• MSRP — TBA (Estimated $59.99-$69.99)

We already knew that remakes of the first two Dragon Quest games were coming, but the major success of theDragon Quest III HD-2D Remake seems to have Square Enix in the mood to remind everyone that they’re still on track to arrive in 2025. We didn’t get any new info about these titles regarding their release date, but the trailer that was shown off as part of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake‘s Nintendo Direct announcement did include plenty of brand-new gameplay footage that stirred up plenty of nostalgia for longtime Dragon Quest fans, myself included.

The Eternal Life of Goldman

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Weappy Studio
• Publisher — THQ Nordic
• Genre — Metroidvania
• MSRP — TBA

The excellent-looking The Eternal Life of Goldman, a hand-drawn Metroidvania with a heavy emphasis on narrative and characters, was already one of the most anticipated upcoming titles in the genre, and we now know that the title will also be coming to Switch. Before even knowing what Goldman plays like, we can at least see that the game boasts some jaw-dropping visuals. Here’s hoping that the Switch version can do the title justice in terms of performance.

Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Hyde
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Sports
• MSRP — TBA

One of the more exciting surprises of the Nintendo Direct was the reveal that a new Everybody’s Golf/Hot Shots Golf game is coming this year. Appropriately named Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots (a clever merging of the series’ Japanese and Western naming conventions), this new golf game from Hyde and Bandai Namco looks to retain the same sense of humor, charm, and strong visual identity of the original games in the franchise. No release date on this one yet, but it can’t come soon enough for fans of the original games from the first three generations of PlayStation hardware.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

• Release Date — May 21, 2025
• Developer — Level-5
• Publisher — Level-5
• Genre — Action, Adventure, RPG
• MSRP — $59.99

After originally planning to release in October last year, the delayed Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is now set to arrive at the end of May. While the Fantasy Life series hasn’t seen a major entry since 2014, that hasn’t stopped it from maintaining a strong cult following, and it’s always a good idea to bet on Level-5. Notably, this latest entry supports cross-play between the Switch version and the other console and PC versions arriving on the same day.

Gradius Origins

• Release Date — August 7, 2025
• Developer — Konami
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — Shooter, Compilation
• MSRP — $39.99

In terms of shmups, it doesn’t get more classic and influential than Gradius, and we’re now set to get the most comprehensive Gradius collection ever compiled on August 7, 2025. Dubbed Gradius Origins, this all-star compilation of Konami’s flagship shooter franchise also happens to include all the Salamander games, including the brand-new Salamander III. This collection would be an instant purchase if it were all older games, but including a previously unreleased sequel to the Salamander titles makes it unmissable for shmup fans.

High on Life

• Release Date — May 6, 2025
• Developer — Squanch Games
• Publisher — Squanch Games
• Genre — First-person Shooter
• MSRP — $39.99

Despite the very public legal troubles of Rick and Morty star Justin Roiland and his subsequent fall from grace, first-person shooter High on Life (which prominently features Roiland’s voice talents) is arriving on Switch after having already been on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox for the better part of 3 years. Still, there’s some fun to be had with High on Life, even if the constant banter can be downright grating at times, and the Switch is always in need of some more quality first-person shooters.

King of Meat

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Glowmade
• Publisher — Amazon Games
• Genre — Hack and Slash, Party
• MSRP — TBA

Party games like Among Us, Fall Guys, and Rocket League continue to be major successes for their studios thanks to their ability to bring gamers together across demographics and hardware preferences, and Amazon Games is now set to try and enter that market with King of Meat. King of Meat‘s main draw, which is being a hybrid between a party game and a hack-and-slash dungeon crawler, is a unique enough premise that hasn’t been attempted yet, and the game’s eye-catching visuals and sense of humor seem to have it primed to potentially make a splash as a popular new multiplayer party game.

Lou’s Lagoon

• Release Date — Summer 2025
• Developer — Tiny Roar
• Publisher — Megabit Publishing
• Genre — Adventure, Crafting, Life Sim
• MSRP — TBA

The Switch has earned a place as a great home for survival and crafting games, and the console is now set to get one of the more promising-looking new games in the genre with Lou’s Lagoon. While we don’t have any info on its release date beyond “Summer 2025”, the screenshots for the game’s PC version on Steam seem to suggest that the title will offer a feature-rich open-world sandbox for players to explore, collect resources from, and build the Swiss Family Robinson-style island treehouse of their dreams in.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Tribute Games
• Publisher — Dotemu
• Genre — Beat ’em Up
• MSRP — TBA

Tribute Games and Dotemu already knocked it out of the park with their take on the modern Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat ’em up, and now the developer/publisher duo are set to do the same with the Marvel Universe. Marvel Cosmic Invasion features a similar 2D-pixel art style as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and an already impressive cast of playable heroes before any future DLC or expansions. This should be a day-1 pick-up for anyone who enjoys beat ’em ups, Shredder’s Revenge, Marvel comics, or all of the above.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Retro Studios
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — FPS, Metroidvania
• MSRP — TBA (Estimated $59.99-$69.99)

It would have been nice to get some more concrete info regarding Metroid Prime 4‘s release and clarification on whether the game will serve as a cross-gen title between the original Switch and the Switch 2 at this Nintendo Direct, but chances are we might get some clarification on that during the April 2 Nintendo Direct. Instead, this Direct featured a new trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond that showed off plenty of gameplay and lore, enough to indicate that this is a worthy follow-up to the iconic trilogy of Metroid Prime games that fans have been waiting more than a decade for.

Monument Valley (I, II, and III)

• Release Date — April 15, 2025, TBA (III)
• Developer — ustwo Games
• Publisher — ustwo Games
• Genre — Puzzle
• MSRP — $9.99 (I and II), TBA (III)

The visually stunning isometric puzzle series Monument Valley is finally arriving on Switch (a console that’s arguably a perfect fit for the games) this April, but that’s not all. The Monument Valley trailer showcased during the Nintendo Direct also contained the reveal that the third game in the Monument Valley series will be arriving first on the Nintendo Switch as a timed exclusive, giving players the unique experience of taking on the whole brilliant trilogy in a single go.

No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files

• Release Date — July 25, 2025
• Developer — Spike Chunsoft
• Publisher — Spike Chunsoft
• Genre — Visual Novel, Mystery, Adventure
• MSRP — TBA

Much like the 3DS, the Switch is a great home for visual novel and adventure games, and one of the more critically acclaimed franchises in those genres is AI: The Somnium Files. One of the many surprises of the March 27 Nintendo Direct was the reveal of the next game in the Somnium Files series, which focuses on the next chapter in the saga of detective Kaname Date. Players also don’t have to wait too long for this one, as it’s set to arrive this summer, giving fans plenty of time to make it through Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy beforehand.

Patapon 1 + 2 Replay

• Release Date — July 11, 2025
• Developer — Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Rhythm, Puzzle
• MSRP — TBA

Rhythm/Puzzle hybrid Patapon and its sequel are two of the most beloved games on the PSP, so to see these titles finally break free of their exclusivity on that dead handheld is worth celebrating in and of itself. That they’re both coming to Switch and PC (two non-PlayStation platforms) is an even greater cause for celebration. For anyone who’s never played Patapon, imagine a rhythm game with a strong sense of percussive rhythm and the herding of Lemmings, and you’re not far off.

Pokémon Legends Z-A

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Game Freak
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action RPG
• MSRP — TBA (Estimated $59.99-$69.99)

Like Metroid Prime 4, it would’ve been nice to get some more concrete details regarding Pokémon Legends Z-A‘s release date from the Nintendo Direct, but we at least got plenty of new gameplay footage that shows this game to be one of the more exciting new entries in the long-running Pokémon series. The switch from Legends Arceus‘ more rural and historic setting to the modern-day urban landscape on display in Legends Z-A is a nice change, and the footage from the Nintendo Direct seems to indicate that the title will have a fantastic roster of collectible Pokémon.

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army

• Release Date — July 19, 2025
• Developer — Atlus
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Action RPG
• MSRP — $49.99

For longtime Shin Megami Tensei fans, one of the most surprising announcements from the Nintendo Direct was the reveal of a remaster of Raidou. Originally released on the PlayStation 2 as Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha and the Soulless Army, Raidou Remastered is an action RPG set within the Shin Megami Tensei universe where players take on the role of the titular hero, a 1930s detective who just so happens to also be a Devil Summoner. The Switch has been a great home for Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei games, and the arrival of Raidou Remastered is just another great game to add to that pile.

Rhythm Heaven Groove

• Release Date — TBA 2026
• Developer — Tsunku, TNX
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Rhythm, Music
• MSRP — TBA

In a move that no one thought possible, given the known difficulties faced by Tsunku, a new Rhythm Heaven game was revealed as part of the Nintendo Direct. We know little about the game other than what was shown off in the trailer, but players can expect this title in 2026, seemingly indicating that Nintendo plans to support the Nintendo Switch well after the launch of the Switch 2.

Rift of the Necrodancer

• Release Date — March 27, 2025
• Developer — Brace Yourself Games
• Publisher — Brace Yourself Games
• Genre — Rhythm, Music
• MSRP — $19.99

Crypt of the Necrodancer is one of the better roguelikes that blends platforming, dungeon crawling, and rhythm gameplay, and Rift of the Necrodancer is its sequel that swaps time-hopping attacks for a Guitar Hero-style scrolling rhythm game. Rift has already made a strong impression on PC and other consoles, and the title is now available on Nintendo Switch thanks to a shadow drop during the Direct presentation.

SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered

• Release Date — March 27, 2025
• Developer — Square Enix
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — JRPG
• MSRP — $29.99

One of the more overlooked hidden gems in Square’s PS1 library, SaGa Frontier 2 is an excellent JRPG with some unique mechanics and perhaps the most visually appealing art style of any PS1 RPG. Surprisingly, the game now has a remaster to match the remastered version of the first SaGa Frontier, shadow dropping on PC and all platforms as part of its Nintendo Direct reveal. The iSaGa series is largely overlooked in the West despite its success in Japan, and JRPG fans owe it to themselves to check out this remaster of a great 5th-generation Square title.

Shadow Labyrinth

• Release Date — July 18, 2025
• Developer — Bandai Namco
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Metroidvania
• MSRP — $29.99

Originally revealed at The Game Awards 2024, the left-field Pac-Man Metroidvania Shadow Labyrinth got an official release date during the Nintendo Direct presentation, along with some new gameplay. Despite not really understanding how (or why) Pac-Man factors into this game outside of some attack animations, it’s at least worth pointing out that Shadow Labyrinth‘s gameplay looks promising for any Metroidvania fan.

Star Overdrive

• Release Date — April 10, 2025
• Developer — Caracal Games
• Publisher — Plug In Digital
• Genre — Adventure, Open-World
• MSRP — $34.99

Having played the Steam demo for Star Overdrive, it makes perfect sense for the title to come to the Switch, and it will be arriving on the console in less than a month. This open-world survival game blends the exploration and climbing of Breath of the Wild with a hoverboard that feels straight out of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and it seems like it would be the perfect kind of flow-state game to boot up and unwind with after a long day.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar

• Release Date — August 27, 2025
• Developer — Marvelous Inc.
• Publisher — XSEED Games
• Genre — Life Sim, Farming Sim, Cozy Game
• MSRP — TBA

The latest entry in the Story of Seasons franchise also got an announcement trailer as part of the Nintendo Direct, including confirmation that the title will be released on August 27 this year. The Story of Seasons games have long been popular among fans of farming sims, and the trailer for Grand Bazaar indicates that there should be plenty for longtime series fans to dig into (pun intended) when it launches.

Tamagotchi Plaza

• Release Date — June 27, 2025
• Developer — Hyde
• Publisher — Bandai Namco
• Genre — Life Sim
• MSRP — TBA

Another surprise from the Nintendo Direct was the reveal of the first new Tamagotchi game in over a decade, Tamagotchi Plaza. As you might expect from the screenshots or the reveal trailer, Tamagotchi Plaza is a life-sim game that features plenty of cute characters from the Tamagotchi universe. Interestingly, this title comes from the same developer as Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

• Release Date — TBA 2026
• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Life Sim
• MSRP — TBA

Tomodachi fans rejoice! The fan-favorite life sim series featuring Nintendo Mii characters is back. One of the final announcements of the Nintendo Direct was the reveal of the first new Tomodachi game in years with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, and it seems like what you would expect from a new offbeat life sim featuring Nintendo Mii avatars. Like the new Rhythm Heaven, this new Tomodachi game won’t launch until 2026, which seems to indicate it might be a cross-gen title.

The Wandering Village

• Release Date — July 17, 2025
• Developer — Stray Fawn
• Publisher — Stray Fawn, WhisperGames
• Genre — City-Builder, Survival, Crafting
• MSRP — TBA

Stray Fawn’s The Wandering Village is a unique approach to a city-builder that has already made a major splash on Steam (90% “Very Positive” user reviews at the time of writing), and it’s now heading to the Switch. Considering how in-depth some of its city-building mechanics are, it will be interesting to see how the Switch adapts them for a more traditional control scheme, but the new mouse functionality of the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons may have been one of the deciding factors in helping to bring this title to Nintendo’s hybrid console.

Witchbrook

• Release Date — TBA 2025
• Developer — Chucklefish, Robotality
• Publisher — Chucklefish
• Genre — Cozy Game, Life Sim, RPG
• MSRP — TBA

Chucklefish has a few acclaimed titles under its belt, which has made the long wait for the magical life sim/RPG hybrid Witchbrook seem that much longer. Thankfully, it seems like the title should be launching in just a few months, and we now know that Wtichbrook is definitely coming to the Nintendo Switch. Of course, what remains to be seen is how much of an RPG Witchbrook is versus a more traditional life sim.

Other Announcements

Nintendo Today!

There were a small handful of general company announcements as part of the Nintendo Direct, one of which was the reveal of Nintendo Today. This smartphone app is essentially a replacement for visiting Nintendo’s own website, allowing users to curate their experience based on their favorite games, genres, and more. With the Switch 2 (and, potentially, a major overhaul to Nintendo Switch Online) on the way, there’s every chance that Nintendo Today will become a focus for the brand moving forward.

Nintendo Switch Virtual Game Cards

The most exciting company announcement that came as part of the Nintendo Direct was the Virtual Game Card program. This new initiative allows users who are part of a shared Nintendo Family account to register a Virtual Game Card on linked Switch hardware, which allows those users to download at least one digital game from another user’s library to play at their leisure. This is the first real “Game Sharing” initiative that Nintendo has embraced since the launch of the Switch, and we might see it carry over to the Switch 2.

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