On September 13th, Nintendo held a new Nintendo Direct with around 40 minutes of unique content for its Switch audience to enjoy, stocking 2023 with lots of releases. This includes the title for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a few nostalgic franchises, such as Story of Seasons, receiving new installments.

Many people were speculating that there would be a fair amount of DLC and remastered games announced, but the variety of new information the latest Nintendo Direct offered may have been surprising for some. The stream focused mostly on Nintendo Switch games that are coming in the winter, but there were plenty of teaser trailers and clips for titles coming in 2023 that fans have been eagerly awaiting.

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Early 2023 Switch Players Are In For a Treat

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Following the announcements for all the titles coming to the Nintendo Switch, it appears the company is continuing to favor the Switch, despite rumors that Nintendo may be producing a new console soon. For those looking for titles earlier than 2023, It Takes Two is finally making its way to the console on November 4 of this year, along with an expansion pass for Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Still, the first quarter of next year is looking stacked, and will likely be worth the wait with three extremely popular franchises solidified for new content in the first few months of 2023. Excitingly, Pikmin 4 was revealed, after being quoted as being close to completion in 2015. Unfortunately exactly when it will be releasing next year has not yet been shared. After Pikmin creator and Nintendo mainstay Shigeru Miyamoto hyped Nintendo Direct viewers over Pikmin Bloom and teased the idea of Mario film footage, Pikmin 4's teaser trailer was certainly a treat for fans of the adorable series.

The earliest confirmed entry is Fire Emblem Engage, a strategy-based game, set to come out on January 20. This game will let players fight alongside classic characters from the past, such as Marth, by summoning these old heroes to assist them. Fire Emblem Engage is no sequel to Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but will share similar elements to its predecessor and is going to include a free-roam mode.

Of course, one of the hottest games from the Nintendo Direct is the next installment of the Zelda games, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Little is known about the game so far, as the latest trailer was quite brief and didn't explore much gameplay. However, the May 12 release date has given fans enough to be delighted over for now, and Nintendo will likely release more information as the launch date inches closer.

The past few years have been great for Kirby fans, and 2023 is looking to be no exception. A remake of Kirby's Return to Dream Land has been announced for February 24, 2023 Fans of the iconic round character will be able to play the platformer with up to four players in both the campaign and a variety of minigames, though it's unclear if online multiplayer is in the cards.

Other games that are coming in early 2023 include Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, Octopath Traveler 2, Fae Farm, Tales of Symphonia Remastered, Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star, and Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key. There's still quite a bit coming to Nintendo Switch this fall and winter season as well, including Ports, DLCs, and free updates that may make that wait just little more bearable. A comprehensive list of every confirmed game set to come out on Switch in 2023 includes:

  • Fire Emblem Engage - January 20, 2023
  • Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - February 16, 2023
  • Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe - February 24, 2023
  • Octopath Traveler 2 - February 24, 2023
  • Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key - February 24, 2023
  • Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star - March 2023
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - May 12, 2023
  • Tales of Symphonia Remastered - early 2023
  • Fae Farm - spring 2023
  • Master Detective Archives: RainCode - spring 2023
  • Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - summer 2023
  • Pikmin 4 - 2023
  • Rune Factory 3 - 2023

It's nice to see that Nintendo is continuing to expand its game library on the Switch, especially since it recently began shutting down the Wii U and 3DS eShops. Having all of these recently announced titles on the Switch indicates that Nintendo has no plans of slowing progress with the gaming console.

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