Talking Point: Nintendo Direct Predictions – What Do You Want To See?

No, not THAT Direct, THIS Direct!

After some vague rumblings earlier in the week, Nintendo has only gone and announced another Direct presentation for this Thursday, 27th March 2025.

While we await the big Switch 2 blowout next week, this one will focus on games for the original Switch, clocking in at roughly 30 minutes in length. Nintendo, as expected, hasn’t given any indication as to what we can expect from the presentation beyond saying that Switch 2 won’t feature. Given that it’s neither a Partner Showcase nor an Indie World, though, it’s safe to assume that some first-party games will be there.

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Nintendo Direct Confirmed For Tomorrow, 27th March 2025

30 minutes of news for OG Switch games.

A Nintendo Direct presentation has been confirmed for Thursday, 27th March 2025 at 2pm GMT / 7am PT / 10am ET / 3pm CET / 12am AET (Fri) focused solely on Switch games.

That’s right, there will be no information provided for the Switch 2 folks, we’ll need to wait until 2nd April for that one. Instead, we’ll be graced with 30 minutes of announcements for OG Switch titles, likely including the highly-aniticpated Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

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Pokémon Company Breaks Silence On Online Shopping Experience After New Expansion’s Disastrous Launch

What’s the ETA on those ETBs?

Yesterday, the Pokémon Company launched its latest Trading Card Game expansion, Destined Rivals, via its online store. As was predicted, the set proved to be massively popular, and many of those hoping to pick up one of the sought-after Elite Trainer Boxes were hit with site crashes and multiple hour-long wait times.

If that wasn’t rough enough, we’ve today learnt that even those who managed to place an order may not actually be able to get their hands on the elusive ETB, as The Pokémon Company appears to be retroactively cancelling orders (thanks for the heads up, VGC).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Nintendo’s Music App Is Getting A Small Update Later This Year “Around October”

Start the countdown!

Nintendo Music is a fun little app, but you need to have an active Switch Online subscription if you want to use it.

It seems Nintendo will be slightly adjusting this in the future, with an update planned for “around October 2025”. This update will allow users of this mobile app to access “some” Nintendo Music functions going forward, even after you’ve cancelled your membership.

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Pac-Man DLC Launches For Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Alongside Version 2.20 Update

Waka waka waka!

Following its release on the Switch last June, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is still getting all sorts of new content and game updates.

The latest one bumps the game up to Version 2.20 – adding a new Robot Smash stage (Floral Ring), stability improvements and all sorts of bug fixes. Perhaps most notably though is the release of the new DLC Pac-Man. Yes, Pac-Man is now able to roll around in Banana Rumble.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Minecraft’s Latest Update Is Now Live, Here Are The Patch Notes

Spring to life in this new update.

Following Minecraft Live 2024 last week, Mojang has now rolled out its new ‘Spring to Life’ update which is now available across all platforms including the Nintendo Switch. Here’s the full rundown from the official Minecraft feedback page:

“The Spring to Life drop brings more reasons to explore both near and far! Warm winds have swept across biomes, bringing new mob variants, ambient sounds, and lush plants for you to discover. Befriend fluffy pigs, marvel at glittering firefly bushes, listen out for whispers of sand, and delight in a blooming Overworld humming with new beginnings. Play the Spring to Life drop in Minecraft now!”

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Select Pokémon Card Pre-Orders Cancelled After New Expansion’s Disastrous Launch

What’s the ETA on those ETBs?

Yesterday, the Pokémon Company launched its latest Trading Card Game expansion, Destined Rivals, via its online store. As was predicted, the set proved to be massively popular, and many of those hoping to pick up one of the sought-after Elite Trainer Boxes were hit with site crashes and multiple hour-long wait times.

If that wasn’t rough enough, we’ve today learnt that even those who managed to place an order may not actually be able to get their hands on the elusive ETB, as The Pokémon Company appears to be retroactively cancelling orders (thanks for the heads up, VGC).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

After Copying Smash’s Homework, MultiVersus Publisher Was Apparently Turning To Mario Kart Next

Scooby who?

Late last month, Warner Bros. announced that it was shutting down three studios including Player First, the team behind the soon-to-be-defunct Smash Bros-style brawler MultiVersus. Before things went south, however, it seems that the publisher was looking to another Nintendo franchise for inspiration, this time with WB San Diego behind the wheel (thanks, VGC).

According to Sacred Symbols podcast host Colin Moriarty (via “someone once associated with WB San Diego”), the studio was working on a Mario Kart-style racing game codenamed ‘Moonlight’. A couple of potential titles were being floated for the racer during development, with both ‘WB Racers’ and ‘XDR (Cross Drift Racers)’ on the table.

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Feature: “If The Game Does Not Sell Well, We May Be Done” – It’s Do Or Die For Too Kyo Games & ‘The Hundred Line’

“We put all our effort into the game”.

Creating a brand-new IP can prove risky at the best of times, yet when Danganronpa creator Kazutaka Kodaka mentioned that Too Kyo Games’ latest venture, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, had effectively plunged the studio into debt, it demonstrated just how much he and collaborator Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, AI: The Somnium Files) believe in their vision.

Launching on Switch on 24th April 2025, The Hundred Line looks to combine the visual novel approach of Danganronpa with tactical gameplay that might be more akin to Fire Emblem or Into The Breach. It boasts a vast, eclectic cast that, if past works are anything to go by, will no doubt be completely expendable after they are forced to defend a school from invading creatures.

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PSA: Gold Points For Nintendo Switch Purchases Are Now Discontinued

Update: The Golden age is over.

Last month, Nintendo announced it would be discontinuing the My Nintendo Gold Points program, with it no longer possible to earn these points after a certain date.

In case you missed this, Nintendo has issued a reminder on social media ahead of the big day next week on 24th March 2025 (or 25th March depending on your location). While you’ll no longer be able to receive Gold Points from purchases, there will still be other ways to earn points:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com