Switch-owning JRPG fans are feasting today. The biggest standouts from today’s Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase include Persona 5 Royal and Nier: Automata ports for the Nintendo Switch, but there were also neat-looking indie titles like the beautifully handcrafted RPG Time: The Legend of Wright and visually striking co-op adventure Blanc.
Here’s our roundup of everything that was shown off at Nintendo’s third-party showcase today.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Sunbreak is the upcoming expansion for Monster Hunter Rise, and it adds a ton of new monsters every season. There’s also a main storyline where the player investigates three powerful monsters in a new location called Elgado Outpost. The expansion drops on June 30.
Nier: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition
The long-awaited Switch port of Yoko Taro’s cult action-RPG is finally here. This version includes all of the DLC and some original costumes made specifically for this edition.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
This surreal puzzle game is made by the devs behind the beloved music game Sayonara Wild Hearts, and it’s coming out sometime in 2023.
Super Bomberman R 2
Konami’s first Switch Bomberman slowly got better with patches, and a new entry in the long-running maze-puzzle series is coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2023.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
Legacy Collection is the collection of 10 Mega Man Battle Network games on the Game Boy Advance systems. (No sign of Network Transmission from GameCube, though.) The compilation will be released sometime next year.
Pac-Man World Re-Pac
This 3D platforming game allows you to play as Pac-man as he embarks on an adventure to save his wife and kids, who look very sad in their jail cell. You can grab the game on August 26 this year.
Blanc
Blanc is a monochrome-rendered puzzle game with gorgeous 3D art, and I’m here for it. In addition to its main story campaign, it also has a co-op mode. Blanc comes to Nintendo Switch in February 2023.
Return to Monkey Island
Return to Monkey Island is the latest entry in Ron Gilbert’s famous adventure games, and staff at Kotaku are very excited about how pretty it looks. The game was announced back in April, and will be coming out later this year.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Mario and Rabbids collide in this tactical collaboration between Nintendo and Ubisoft. The game introduces new Rabbid creatures called Sparks, and the protagonists will have to join up to save them. The game will be released on October 20 this year.
Little Noah: Scion of Paradise
This fantasy RPG is created by the devs who made Dragalia Lost, and it shows in the art style. The game is described as a casual roguelike, and you can download it starting today.
Railgrade
If building a train system is your idea of a good time, then Railgrade might be the game for you. But it’s not just about building your own train empire—you’ll also have to coordinate shipping for an industrial colony. Okay, that last part is a little bit uncomfortable. But trains! Railgrade will be on the Nintendo Switch sometime this fall.
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright
Despite having the most generic name ever, The Legend of Wright is one of the more interesting RPG concepts that I’ve seen among indies this year. You play as a hand-drawn character in a storybook, and you can use your writing utensils to help solve puzzles. Think Chicory, but with fantasy heroics. The game is coming out on August 18.
Sonic Frontiers
The Sonic take on an open-world game has drawn a ton of criticism for its “open-zone” gameplay concept, but players will be able to judge Frontiers for themselves soon. The game is coming out this holiday season.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Dreamlight Valley is exactly what it appears to be: a game in which you hang out in a magical land with your Disney pals. And yet, I can’t help but feel a little charmed by how much it looks like digital Disneyland. You can play Disney’s take on The Sims starting September 6, when the game goes into early access.
Live A Live
Square Enix’s classic 16-bit Super Famicom RPG will be seeing its first Western release on July 22, but you can start playing the first three chapters of this time-traveling game starting from today. (Surprise!)
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom
Doraemon is one of the most influential anime IPs of all time, and its lighthearted tone is perfect for a farming simulation. So I’m thrilled to see Bandai Namco announcing a sequel to the first Doraemon Story of Seasons. The new entry in the series will be coming to the Switch sometime this year.
Minecraft Legends
Minecraft Legends is an action-strategy game that takes a more story-driven approach than the original sandbox sensation. Legends will be released in 2023.
Dragon Quest Treasures
Dragon Quest Treasures is a spin-off from the Dragon Quest series, and will feature a pair of treasure hunters searching for loot. It comes to the Nintendo Switch on December 9 this year.
Portal: Companion Collection
Valve’s beloved, hilarious 3D puzzle adventures Portal and Portal 2 are bundled together for this Switch port, which will bring you back to the test chambers of the Aperture Science Laboratories. The Companion Collection is out today.
Harvestella
As someone who was super let down by Rune Factory 5 this year, I have high hopes for Harvestella. The farming simulation game looks like a cross between Rune Factory and the Tales games. Harvestella comes out on the Nintendo Switch on November 4 this year.
Persona 5 Royal
I’m never going to stop playing Persona 5 Royal, am I? The remaster of Atlus’ bestselling school sim RPG will be released on October 21. The showcase also teased Switch ports of Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden, but no release dates for those games have been announced yet. All of the games will be sold separately.
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Samsung 32″ Odyssey Neo G8 Curved Gaming Monitor
32″ 4K display
Delivers 240Hz with 1ms response time for incredibly smooth gameplay. The Quantum Matrix Technology, HDR 2000, and UHD resolution all work together to create a crystal clear picture. The Matte display reduces glare helping keep your eyes focused on the action in front of you.
And that’s all they showed! What were your favorite surprises?
