Nintendo Direct June 2023: Super Mario Bros. Wonder and all the biggest announcements
Nintendo hosted a Direct on June 21 that was packed full of exciting new Switch game reveals
Switch fans were treated to a flurry of exciting announcements during the last Nintendo Direct, which took place on June 21. Nintendo made several surprising and well-received announcements and proved that despite the Switch being six years old, there’s plenty of life left in its hybrid console.
We’d been expecting Nintendo to host its own conference after Sony held its PlayStation Showcase and Microsoft held its Xbox Game Showcase. We also had Summer Game Fest, but Nintendo announcements were sorely lacking. Thankfully, that all changed yesterday.
While you can rewatch the entire June Nintendo Direct below, let’s round up the biggest announcements you need to know about.
How to rewatch the Nintendo Direct
June’s Nintendo Direct lasted around 40 minutes and focused on Nintendo Switch titles launching later this year, including a closer look at Pikmin 4. You can rewatch the Nintendo Direct on YouTube or right here from the embedded video below.
All the biggest Nintendo Direct announcements
Want to catch up with the biggest Nintendo Direct announcements? Look no further. These are the game announcements that caught our eye during the Nintendo Direct in June 2023. While you won’t find a trailer for them below, Nintendo also announced a new game that focuses on Princess Peach, and a Switch HD remake of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon on the 3DS. Both are due out sometime next year.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
It’s been more than a decade since we were last treated to an original 2D Mario game, and it appears like the wait has been worth it. Super Mario Bros. Wonder stole the show and promises to reinvigorate the side-scrolling antics of Mario and his friends in surprising and unexpected ways. What makes this announcement even more exciting is that Super Mario Bros. Wonder is out on October 20, 2023. Wahoo!
Speaking of Mario, don’t forget to check out the best Mario games for Switch and the best Nintendo Switch games overall.
Super Mario RPG
A close second to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Nintendo revealed its remaking Super Mario RPG, and it looks absolutely stunning. The game was first released on the N64 in 1996 and is widely regarded as one of the best RPGs ever made. The remake features gorgeous new visuals and will retain the series’ classic humor and turn-based battle system. It’s out on November 17, 2023.
WarioWare: Move It!
No one does whacky minigame fun like Wario, and it looks like WarioWare: Move It! for Switch will be just as bonkers. The game takes advantage of the Joy-Con controllers’ motion controls and will keep you on your toes throughout. It’s out on November 3, 2023.
Detective Pikachu Returns
Fancy teaming up with a hard-boiled detective to solve crimes? What if that detective was Pikachu? And Pikachu was basically a 50-year-old man who loves coffee? Well, that’s Detective Pikachu Returns, a game that sells itself. It’s out on October 6, 2023.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 5
New tracks and characters are heading to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the game’s Booster Course Pass Wave 5. Players can look forward to playing as Petey Piranha, Wiggler, and Kamek, and racing on a brand-new track called Squeak Clean Sprint. The new courses and characters arrive this summer.
Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 is almost here, as it crash lands on Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023. Nintendo showed off some more gameplay and features from the upcoming strategy game, including a new night exploration mode and how Oatchi the canine companion will help you on your expeditions.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
We already knew about Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, but it was great to get confirmation that the compilation is coming to Switch. We also got a release date of October 24, 2023.
Vampire Survivors
One of the best games of 2022 is coming to Switch. Vampire Survivors looks simplistic but it’s incredibly fun. The Switch version will also support four-player couch co-op for some frantic shenanigans. Vampire Survivors is out on August 17, 2023.
A fantastic farewell for Switch
Nintendo’s hybrid console may be entering its twilight years, but with the recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, engagement has probably never been higher. This Nintendo Direct was a great opportunity, then, for Nintendo to deliver a fantastic swansong for its incredibly popular console, and carry on the company’s momentum ahead of the Switch console’s inevitable successor. And it certainly looks like that will be the case.