Gaming

Nintendo Direct June 2023: All the trailers you missed

A new 2D Mario, Detective Pikachu, and Pikmin 4

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A Nintendo Direct often includes only a handful of big announcements and a more overwhelming smattering of smaller titles. This time, however, Nintendo went with the big guns. If you’re a Mario fan, this month’s Direct is a treasure trove of new and upcoming titles.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Let’s get the biggest gun out of the way first. To cap off the direct, Nintendo announced a new 2D Mario game coming to the Switch. The platformer will focus on a new powerup called the Wonder Flower. After getting the Flower, “expect the unexpected,” as the Direct explains. The power-up causes a lot of different effects including making pipes come to life and stretching Mario vertically like a spring.

Besides the Wonder Flower, the game will also have an elephant-themed power-up to turn the player into the animal. Plus, Daisy is a playable character — going along with Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Toad.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder will launch October 20, 2023.

Super Mario RPG

Older fans rejoice! The original Super Mario RPG from the SNES is getting a remaster for the Switch. Featuring updated graphics but the same gameplay, the upcoming title will drop on November 17, 2023.

To go along with the new game, Nintendo also teased two new titles: an upcoming Peach game and a remake of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon from the 3DS.

Pikmin 4

Though the Mario franchise got a well-deserved boost during this Direct, the spotlight is firmly on Pikmin 4. Releasing on July 21, the fourth entry in the series got a gameplay trailer to show off what players can do in the title. This time, players must repair their spaceship and find lost Pikmin with a rescue dog name Oatchi.

Plus, for the first time, players can explore at night. Night expeditions will feature a new type of Pikmin called Glow Pikmin. Creatures will also be more aggressive at night, adding an element of risk for nighttime explorers.

To go along with the new major release, Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 are now available for the Switch.

Detective Pikachu Returns

Let’s not forget the Pokémon franchise. The Direct saw the debut of a new game in the Detective Pikachu series. In Detective Pikachu Returns, players are once again solving mysteries around town. Unfortunately, the trailer does not spoil what exactly those mysteries are. However, Mewtwo does pop up, so expect larger plotlines in the title.

Detective Pikachu Returns will drop on October 6, 2023.

WarioWare: Move It!

Finally, WarioWare: Move It! has finally received a launch date. The title will feature over 200 microgames involving the Joy-Cons. It encourages players to… well, move it. The movements involve a variety of activities including washing a dog and balancing through a Mario 64 sliding course.

WarioWare: Move It! will launch on November 3, 2023.

Old titles coming to the Nintendo Switch

If the Switch is your main console, you’re getting a variety of classic titles to play. First of all, the Batman Arkham trilogy in its entirety — including all three games and DLCs — is coming to the Switch. Also, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 — which includes the first game, Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, Snake’s Revenge — will bring the Metal Gear Solid franchise to the Switch. Just Dance 2024 is also confirmed for the console on October 24.

To round off the slate of announcements, Nintendo has also announced that Vampire Survivors is coming to the console on August 17. It will feature four-player couch co-op.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom UNBOXING!

Gaming

Nintendo might be working on an Ocarina of Time remake

It will reportedly launch in the second half of 2026.

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What is the greatest game of all time? There’s a substantial chance that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be on the board. Even beside the Switch’s critically acclaimed Breath of the Wild duology, the Nintendo 64 title is one of the most quintessential games you can ever play. That said, it’s pretty dated. But maybe, not for long.

According to Nintendo insider NatetheHate, the company is working on a rerelease of Ocarina of Time. The title is scheduled for launch within the second half of 2026.

The wording is important here. “Rerelease” can mean anything. To be fair, NatetheHate, through his latest podcast, says that it’s likely we’ll get either a like-for-like remake or a full reimagining of the essential game. However, he does not discount the possibility that it’s just an HD remaster for the new consoles. Either way, Ocarina of Time is coming back this year.

If you can’t wait, the title isn’t exactly missing from the shelves. You can play the original from the list of available games through Nintendo Switch Online. The game also got a remaster for the 3DS.

There is no shortage of Zelda-related news lately. The franchise is getting a live-action adaptation next year, which now becomes a worthy follow-up to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming early next month.

SEE ALSO: The Legend of Zelda film gets its first official photos

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Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

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Life is Strange: Reunion

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

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Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical

Physical releases will have the same price.

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The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.

Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.

The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.

The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.

To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.

Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States

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