Nintendo Directs of June 2022 and Summer Games Fest: Information and Reactions

June 2022 was a big month for news in the games industry. June always is. Since 1995 (give or take a few times), it’s been the site of the Electronic Entertainment Expo. T’was a mighty, ugly beast. It was a world of giant stages, bigger egos, and floor space filled to the brim with the newest games. Journalists and fans flocked there, either in person in LA or online, watching live shows and streams. Toxicity and hype ruled the roost. To the sensible, it was brutish. To the press, exhausting. To gamers, a week-long advent calendar. And to some of us it was often all at once. Such was the magic crafted by the Entertainment Software Association.

But E3 canceled this year when seemingly every partner pulled out. There were many probable reasons for it: bad treatment on the part of the ESA, a lack of security that led to thousands of people being doxxed two years in a row, a high cost for any company wanting to join (relatively cheap for the biggest publishers and exorbitant for smaller ones), and the same general lack of ability to deal with COVID that plagued E3 2021. Instead, most publishers joined Geoff Keighley’s rival show Summer Games Fest. The ESA claims E3 will return next year, but… I have my doubts—at least, that it’ll ever be able to regain the affections of the world’s biggest games publishers. It’s Geoff’s world new: “Keigh-3,” to steal a phrase from a fellow games journalist.

Nintendo was one of a few of those former partners who declined to join SGF, choosing to eke out space of its own. I imagine they’re less invested in building on whatever relationship with Keighley they have. However, they released two separate Nintendo Directs as part of a staggered summer blowout, plus a notable trailer for the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Instead of making separate ones for each presentation, we’ve decided to simply collate them—and Nintendo-relevant SGF news—in one June roundup. For the main Nintendo presentations, I’ll be going from newest to oldest, the order of most to least substantial.

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC, one of the more surprising announcements at the Partner Showcase.

The most important: on June 28, Nintendo released a Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase for various third party games. We’ve listed them all here; games that were announced for the first time are underlined:

Previously announced and released at the June 13 Capcom Showcase, a demo for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released on the Switch eShop
- In addition, Monster Hunter Rise will be getting a series of free upgrades, each of which will feature a combination of new monsters. The first, Seething Bazelgeuse, releases in August with a new environment
Leaked a day early, the 2017 PlatinumGames dystopian action classic NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition is coming to Switch on October 6. Features additional costumes exclusive to the Switch version
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, a stylish and surreal puzzle adventure game from Annapurna Interactive (that will hopefully not feature an incest subplot), releases first for Switch on consoles in 2023
Super Bomberman R 2 announced. Features a new asynchronous multiplayer Castle Mode, as well as the option to build custom stages. Releases “next year”
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, a compilation pack of ten Mega Man Battle Network games, releases “next year.” Features a large amount of bonus content The digital version will be sold as two versions
- All ten games: Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Battle Network 2, Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue, Mega Man Battle Network 3: White, Mega Man Battle Network 4: Blue Moon, Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun, Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Colonel, Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman, Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar, Mega Man Battle Network: Cybeast Falzar
PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC, a remake of the 1999 3D platformer Pac-Man World, announced. Releases August 26
Blanc, a silent, monochrome co-op adventure game about a fawn and wolf cub, announced. Releases as a console exclusive in 2023
Announced initially in April, Return to Monkey Island releases first for consoles on Switch “this year” as the first Monkey Island game on Nintendo hardware since the days of WiiWare
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope got its first public update in just over a year with a gameplay overview. Its main new information, that Bowser is a playable character, was leaked a day earlier. Releases October 20, with more details coming in tomorrow’s Ubisoft presentation
Little Noah: Scion of Paradise, a roguelike with Lilliputian sidekicks, releases on Switch today!
RAILGRADE, an extensive train management simulator, releases on Switch this fall
RPG Time: The Legend of Wright, an action-adventure set in the constantly written and erased drawings of a child’s notebook, is coming to Switch after enjoying a March launch on Xbox. Releases August 18, with preorders open now
Sonic Frontiers features bonus challenge rooms alongside its open world. Releases “this holiday”
- At the beginning of the month, SEGA and IGN released gameplay footage of Frontiers, showing its open world gameplay. It looks… suspect.
Disney Dreamlight Valley, a Disney / Pixar crossover life simulator adventure, releases in early access September 6
Live a Live releases July 27. A demo with the beginnings of three separate chapters is available today
Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom, a farming life simulator Doraemon game (and sequel to 2019’s Doraemon Story of Seasons), features online co-op. Releases on Switch “this year”
Initially revealed on the June 12 Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, Minecraft Legends, an RTS Minecraft spin-off, releases on Switch “next year”
Dragon Quest Treasures, a Dragon Quest XI prequel about party member Erik and his sister Mia, features extensive platforming elements and monster collections. Releases December 9
Highlight reel: Fire Emblem: Three Hopes (just released), No Man’s Sky (October 7), A Plague Tale: Requiem – Cloud Version (October 18), Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions (July 28)
Portal Companion Collection releases today!
Harvestella, an RPG life simulator with alien seasons, announced. Releases November 4
Following their announcement for Xbox, a trio of Persona games are releasing on Switch. Persona 5 Royal releases October 21; Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable are “coming soon”

The Xenoblade Chronicles 3 presentation tried to engage with both series veterans (like myself) and newcomers.

A week before the Direct, on June 22, Nintendo also had a separate Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Direct which provided both old and new information on the Monolith Soft JRPG. Here’s everything it included:

The setting, Aionios, has two societies: Keves and Agnes. Their people both have ten-year lifespans, which they spend warring with the other side to capture their life energy
The six main characters—Noah, Eunie, Lanz, Mio, Taion, and Sena—are fugitives from both states
As with prior Xenoblade games, Aionios has mammoth and diverse ecosystems filled with gigantic monsters. It’s also littered with colonies that hold the majority of side quests, shops, and characters
Several features from Xenoblade games return:
- Beloved recurring mini-boss Immovable Gonzalez
- The elaborate Affinity Chart that shows the relationships between NPCs and updates itself after each side quest
- Crafting gems
- Finding Landmarks in each area that act as fast travel points
- Controlling the time of day in order to find specific monsters (and presumably, to access NPCs who may only appear at certain hours)
New movement mechanics: sliding on rails, riding a boat
The general mechanics return; party members auto-attack and build Arts that can be linked for combos. All six party members fight at once, and you can freely jump to controlling each character
Characters have classes that revolve around the general tropes of attacker, defender, and healer. Leveling up allows them to learn skills that can be transferred to other characters and classes, and Arts can be fused
There are also several bonus “Heroes” who can join as an optional seventh party member, all of whom have unique classes
Three pairs of specific characters can fuse into an Ouroboros for a time, which grants substantial power. One party member is the dominant one during each fusion, and they alter the Ouroboros’s specific abilities at that time. Fusing regularly allows you to upgrade the Ouroboros separately
Like Xenoblade 2, Xenoblade 3 features an Expansion Pass for $29.99 USD. It will release in four waves:
- “Helpful Items” and “Outfit Color Variants” (June 29, when the game releases)
- “Challenge Battle,” “New Hero Character and Quests,” and “New Outfits” (by December 31)
- A second “Challenge Battle,” “New Hero Character and Quests,” and “New Outfits” (by April 30, 2023)
- “Brand-New Story Scenario,” potentially similar to Xenoblade 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country (by December 31, 2023)
Interacts with all amiibo for random gifts. The Shulk amiibo allows any “Swordfighter” character’s sword to look like the Monado

The trailer for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet was rather substantial for its size, but still “just” a trailer.

In news that was much smaller in scope, the Pokémon Company released a second trailer for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet on June 1st. It and subsequent statements revealed five Pokémon, multiple new characters, and an affirmation that the open world games are able to be completed without following a strict or pre-made narrative path. Smaller details imply a dichotomy of “past versus future,” not unlike the pairings of previous Pokémon Generations. Afterwards, UNDERTALE and deltarune creator Toby Fox, who composed a song for Pokémon Sword & Shield, announced that he returned as a guest composer for multiple music tracks.

Of course, while Nintendo was not at Summer Games Fest, Summer Games Fest (and the broader summer games announcement space) had plenty of Nintendo. Here are Switch-relevant announcements made during this time; all games announced for the first time are bolded and underlined:

2020’s Calico will be getting an update, Calico: Pawsome Edition, set to release “this summer.” Announcement from the Wholesome Direct
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium will be releasing on Switch on July 22. Release date announced during Summer Games Fest, after a leak that also revealed all 32 games in its collection
Chicken Journey, a puzzle platformer announced earlier this year, is set to release in “Q4 2022.” Announced at the Wholesome Direct
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, initially planned for a 2022 release, has been pushed back to 2023. Release window announced at the Wholesome Direct
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, a remaster of the 2007 PSP FF7 prequel, announced for Switch. Releases “this winter.” Announced at the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary event
Desta: The Memories Between, a turn-based strategy game from the creators of Monument Valley, announced for Switch. No release date given. Revealed at Day of the Devs
The Garden Path, announced via Kickstarter in 2021, is set to release on Switch “this summer”
Flashback 2, announced over a year ago, will be releasing on Switch in 2023, following a release on other platforms “this winter”
Freshly Frosted, a doughnut factory puzzle game, released for Switch on June 10. Release announcement at the Wholesome Direct
Frogun, a 3D platformer announced last year, is set for release on Switch “this summer.” Announced at the Wholesome Direct
Gaucho and the Grassland, a farm sim inspired by South Brazilian culture, releases on Switch “Q4 2022.” Announced during the Wholesome Direct
Hollow Knight Silksong, which had gotten no public updates since 2019, is on track to release in “the next twelve months”—at least, on Xbox Game Pass. News from the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase
Kokopa’s Atlas, announced last year, is set for release in 2023. Announced during the Wholesome Direct
Lemon Cake, a 2021 bakery sim game, is heading for Switch “Q4 2022.” Announced during the Wholesome Direct
A Kickstarter for Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland, an exploration action game based on Windsor McCay’s Little Nemo, announced with Switch as one of its intended platforms. Revealed at Day of the Devs
LumbearJack, previously announced for Switch, released on June 11. Release date from the Wholesome Direct 2022
Melatonin, a dreamlike pastel rhythm game announced at least year’s Wholesome Direct, releases on Switch this September
Midnight Fight Express, an isometric brawler game announced last Gamescom, releases on Switch August 23
Neon White, the first-person card action game made by Donut County’s Ben Esposito that was announced last year, released on Switch June 16
Amidst a troubled production marked by ongoing, widespread labor and sexual abuse scandals, Overwatch 2 will be releasing in “early access” on October 4. The multiplayer mode will be free à la Fortnite / Halo Infinite; the story mode will be paid. Announced at the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, and all good luck to it. I guess
A Kickstarter for Paper Animal RPG, a roguelike RPG, announced with Switch as one of its intended platforms. Kickstarter set for release “this summer”
Skatebird has a new update featuring a new level, costumes, and a collaboration with Among Us. Update announced and went live during the Wholesome Direct
Soulitaire, a puzzle / premonition game announced earlier this year, will be coming to Switch. No release date given. Trailer shown at the Wholesome Direct
Confirmed earlier by a leak, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge released on Switch June 16, Announced at Summer Games Fest
Time Flies, a black and white time-based sandbox game in which you play a fly, announced for Switch. Revealed at Day of the Devs
A Walk With Yiayia, a light adventure game announced first last year, is coming to Switch on August 20

Videos:

Wolfman’s Soapbox: Maybe I should mention the bit of an elephant in the room: the lack of a “traditional” June Nintendo Direct. The size of the two they released shouldn’t be ignored or dismissed, but one of the notable absences in this show was a number of games made or published by the Big N. And while many of them did specify a third party show, not a Nintendo one, there were so many rumors of a Nintendo Direct floating about. They weren’t inaccurate, just… imprecise (or rather, suggested a form that didn’t have any Metroid or Zelda). But you can still feel the slight absence, not in the Direct but in the summer season as a whole.

Part of it is that Nintendo’s presence is a standard, usually as the party to end the presentations and open the official show floor. But they also have a lot of balls in the air, both official (Bayonetta 3, Breath of the Wild 2, the next set of Mario Kart courses) and rumored or leaked (the new Fire Emblem, the other new Fire Emblem, the Metroid Prime remaster, that atrocious-sounding sequel to 1-2-Switch, the upgrades to Nintendo Switch Online, whatever Nintendo EPD has been cooking up since Bowser’s Fury, the leaked Nvidia hardware). Only Mario + Rabbids got a reference after an entire year of being MIA, and apparently much more new information on it is being saved for tomorrow’s Ubisoft conference. There’s so many missing things, and most of them are potentially very exciting.

I’ll confess to being suspicious of how well it’d run on Switch, but NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition is a bona fide classic that is perfect for the console. And it’s not a Cloud version, neither!

Fortunately, even if those things are waiting in the wings, we still got a lot of material from these various shows. Xenoblade 3 looks strong, and I’m cautiously optimistic that it can bridge the best parts of the first two games. What little of Scarlet & Violet we got seemed neat. And it’s nice to see Nintendo continuing to commit to the Partner Showcases, which seem to struggle without a Nintendo presence but do provide valuable space just for third-party projects. That means NieR! And Persona! And imaginative-looking life sims! And games that were fully new, not already announced or released on other consoles. So as much as I do think Nintendo needs to give us a better idea of what its late 2022 and 2023 output is going to be, this was far from nothing. And it’s worth keeping that in mind.

As for Summer Games Fest? Well, it was a lot like E3—just more efficient. The presentations were slimmer and trimmer, there were none of those utterly ghastly shows last year, and they didn’t crowd each other out. I’m sure everyone involved was happy to not pay the ESA through the nose just for the tiniest of scraps from the table. It’s good to remember that for all of the pomp and circumstance, E3 was almost always run poorly, and usually the partners and workers bore the brunt of that. I don’t like that one person has taken as much power over games “hype spaces” (in addition to SGF, Keighley also runs the Game Awards and GamesCom, effectively giving him a lock on Western summer, fall, and winter shows), but in retrospect, someone was gonna undercut E3 some day, and I suppose he was just the one to do it.

I’d like Nintendo to join SGF next year. I think it’d probably be good for both parties. Keighley’s road to games personality domination gets another feather, Nintendo can be more overtly in the gaming world, and these kinds of articles take less time to put together. Until then, I guess I’d just like to see the Directs keep a’coming.