The February 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase was jam-packed with announcements during the 23-minute presentation. A total of 27 announcements were shown, ranging from a multiplayer mode expansion pack for Suika Game to Endless Ocean Luminous. If you missed today’s presentation, we’ve put together a compilation of all the announcements and a short description for each one.
Below, you’ll find everything that was announced in February 2024’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, in alphabetical order.
Another Crab’s Treasure
Launching on April 25, Another Crab’s Treasure has players taking on the role of a hermit crab that has lost its prized shell. Embark on an epic treasure hunt across a polluted ocean, using the trash as armor to protect yourself against other crabby foes and whatever else lurks in the deep. The game features over 60 shells with unique abilities, and Adaptations that can be learned from ocean creatures.
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure
This puzzle adventure game, slated to launch this summer, features Jemma, a small-town misfit who is on a journey of self-discovery. Whenever Jemma moves, the world around her moves as well, delivering a playful sense of chaos.
Contra: Operation Galuga
This classic series lives on with Contra: Operation Galuga. This reimagining of the classic action game from the 1980s delivers modern graphics and new features. Set to launch on March 12, it has a free demo now available in the Nintendo eShop.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!
Take on the world of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba through a board game in Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board! Players get to select their favorite character from the anime series and travel across boards full of iconic landmarks from the anime. During the day, the board is filled with events and minigames, but once the sun sets, the hunt for demons begins. Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board! launches on April 26.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
A remake of the 2010 classic originally released on the Wii, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed takes the iconic character on a colorful adventure through Wasteland. This action-adventure, 3D platformer not only features updated graphics and improvements but also enhances Mickey Mouse’s abilities with a whole new set of skills and more. Look for it to launch sometime this year.
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
A sequel to Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is set to launch sometime this year. Titled Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, this dark fantasy Metroidvania takes place years after the Rain of Death. This time around, players will explore the Lane of Fumes as Lilac, an Attuner who purifies those infected by the fumes.
Endless Ocean Luminous
The final announcement in today’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, Endless Ocean Luminous launches on May 2, featuring over 500 different species of marine life, including some thought to be extinct or mythical. Each time players embark on an expedition, the underwater world changes, offering boundless opportunities to explore. Take on the depths of the mysterious Veiled Sea solo, or with up to 30 players online.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
The next chapter in the Fantasy Life series, launching on October 10, offers 14 different roles. Players will get to explore a new island filled with mysteries, while building their own town in the present and adventuring into the past. Some familiar faces from the Fantasy Life franchise will make a return in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. Explore new Lives on your own or with up to four players online.
Grounded
One of the multiplatform games from Xbox, Grounded, launches on Nintendo Switch on April 16. This co-op survival adventure game has players shrunken to the size of an ant and they’ll have to explore and build bases in their own backyard. Like many other crafting survival games, Grounded is full of tools, weapons, and armor that can be crafted to deal with all the dangers that range from ants to very large spiders.
Gundam Breaker 4
Launching sometime this year, Gundam Breaker 4 delivers the ultimate Gundam fantasy to players. Build, customize, and deploy the perfect Gundam through a variety of combat missions. Gundam Breaker 4 offers over 250 base kits, and the biggest variety of mobile suits and parts from any Gundam Breaker game to date.
Kingdom Come Deliverance – Royal Edition
Launching March 15, Kingdom Come Deliverance – Royal Edition is heading to the Nintendo Switch. I am personally curious to see how this historical action RPG will perform on the console. In Kingdom Come Deliverance, play as Henry in an open world filled with combat, castles, and forests. The game features a familiar action RPG loop of combat, earning perks, forging equipment, and more, as players shape the world around them. The Royal Edition includes all of the game’s DLC.
Monster Hunter Stories
Set to launch this summer, Monster Hunter Stories is a remastered version of the original 2017 game for the Nintendo 3DS. Enhanced with HD visuals, new voiceovers, a museum mode for art and music, and additional content previously only available in Japan, this version offers an excellent way to experience the original RPG if you haven’t already.
Nintendo Switch Online: Rare Games
Five classic games from Rare are coming to Nintendo Switch Online today, with one exclusive to the Expansion Pack. All subscribers get access to R.C. Pro-Am and Snake Rattle N Roll as part of the NES library, while the Super NES library gets Killer Instinct and Battletoads in Battlemaniacs. Those with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack can enjoy Blast Corps in the Nintendo 64 library.
Penny’s Big Breakway
Announced and released today, Penny’s Big Breakaway comes from the team that created Sonic Mania. This 3D platformer stars Penny and Yo-Yo as they swing, dash, flip, and trick their way over 11 colorful worlds and 40 levels. Scattered throughout the adventure are delicious treats that temporarily transform Yo-Yo, giving it abilities that can range from faster movement speed to protecting Penny from harm. There is even a Time Attack Mode where players can redeem coins for bonus items, stages, and other unlockable extras.
Pentiment
Another title from Xbox, Pentiment comes from the team at Obsidian Entertainment, known for its RPGs including Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds. Pentiment stands out from other Obsidian Entertainment games, immersing players in a living illustrated world of 16th Century Bavaria, inspired by the earliest printed books. The game features a colorful cast of characters and each decision the player makes can impact the community’s future for generations. Pentiment launches on February 22.
Pepper Grinder
Described as an “action-packed, dig-venture platformer,” Pepper Grinder stars Pepper, a seafaring adventurer with a passion for prospecting. Along with her sidearm Grinder, players will burrow through terrain and water, control machines, and destroy enemies to help recover Pepper’s missing fortune. This game combines puzzle platforming with boss battles when it arrives on March 28. A free demo is now available in Nintendo eShop.
Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!
These days, Game Freak is mainly known for its Pokémon games, but die-hard fans will remember Pocket Card Jockey on the 3DS and mobile platforms. Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! heads to Nintendo Switch today as a solitaire horse racing game. It’s as unique as it sounds, with players striving to reach the finish line by playing solitaire and assembling the best cards they can to help their horses win it all. Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! includes new rules, Joy-Con control support, and racing segments reborn in 3D. Players can compete online or at their own pace, and can even breed and collect cute horses. Not sure if the game is for you? Check out the demo.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
As the definitive version of Shin Megami Tensei V, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance launches on June 21. Featuring two complete story paths—including a brand-new storyline with new locations and demons—players must navigate conflicting and tragic moral decisions in this dramatic tale of revenge. Or, they can just explore the original Shin Megami Tensei V saga.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
Launching on March 7, this story-rich, musical adventure offers the cosmetic Cherished Keepsakes DLC to those who preorder. Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley aims to capture the essence of the Moomin stories. Players take on the role of Snufkin, pulling out signs and knocking over misplaced statues, as they try to restore nature and the inhabitants’ home in hopes of putting an end to the industrious Park Keeper’s plans. The game features tunes from the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.
South Park: Snow Day!
Originally announced in August 2023, South Park: Snow Day! is set to launch on March 26, with preorders now available in the Nintendo eShop. In this co-op game, players will customize their own New Kid and team up with Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny to save the town. Enjoy a day without school by battling your way through snow-piled streets on your own or with up to three friends.
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
Those who love the classic Star Wars Battlefront games will be excited to hear Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection launches on March 14. The collection includes 2004’s Star Wars Battlefront and its sequel, 2005’s Star Wars Battlefront II. Each game has its own solo campaigns, local multiplayer matches, and online battles with up to 64 players. The collection adds new playable characters including Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress, along with bonus maps like Jabba’s Palace, Bespin: Cloud City, and Yavin 4: Arena.
Suika Game Multi-Player Mode Expansion DLC
The popular Suika Game is getting a multiplayer mode in the form of paid DLC. The season pass includes local two-player battles, with online multiplayer features set to arrive in the future. The DLC is now available and those who don’t already own Suika Game can get a bundle that includes the base game. If you have somehow never heard of Suika Game, it’s a fruit-matching casual puzzle game that is also known as the Watermelon Game.
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble
The latest adventure in the Super Monkey Ball series, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, introduces an online mode where 16 players can tilt their way to victory for the first time in series history. Players can customize their character from over 300 options, and Banana Rumble features over 200 stages, a new Spin Dash move, and an all-new co-op Adventure Mode. Look for it when it launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch June 25.
Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream
The massive anime franchise Sword Art Online introduces yet another game: Fractured Daydream. This latest Sword Art Online game features online raids with up to 20 players, but you can also choose to explore on your own. Customize your favorite character, quest with friends, and more as Fractured Daydream takes place in a distorted version of the Sword Art Online world that exists beyond memories, time, and space. Look for it to launch later this year.
Tales of Kenzera: Zau
Set to launch on April 23, this action-adventure game inspired by the myths of Bantu cultures offers a 10 percent discount and other special perks for preorders. The game tells the story of Zau, who must race his emotions to become a worthy Nganga—a spiritual healer—to reclaim his father’s spirit. Armed with cosmic powers from the sun and moon, players will have to traverse the beautiful and treacherous lands of Kenzera while accompanied by the God of Death.
Unicorn Overlord
One of our most anticipated games of the year, Unicorn Overlord, was featured in today’s Partner Showcase, where it was announced that a free demo is now available. From Vanillaware, the creators of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (one of the best games I’ve ever played), Unicorn Overlord is a tactical fantasy RPG where players can create armies of over 60 characters. We’re extremely excited for this game to launch on March 8. Progress from the demo does carry over to the full game.
World of Goo 2
The long-awaited sequel to World of Goo is launching as a console exclusive on the Switch on May 23. World of Goo 2 builds upon its predecessor, with new types of Goo Balls with distinct abilities, ranging from Explosive to Growing and Shrinking Goo. This physics-based puzzle game features over 64 levels where players will have to build bridges, grow towers, terraform terrain, and even fuel flying machines.
