6 Things We Hope to See in the Rumored September Nintendo Direct

Based on the latest leaks and rumors, a new Nintendo Direct is expected to arrive on September 12th. Even if that leak proves to be inaccurate, there’s got to be a showcase sometime soon, likely before the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. After that, the first-party slate of games for Nintendo’s shiny new console, the Switch 2, is pretty thin. It’s been a slow start to the console’s life, but whenever the next Direct streams, that should change. There are several possibilities, and while not all of them can happen in one Direct (especially since most of them would qualify as the last kicker that Nintendo loves to show), we hope at least some of these get announced.

1. New Animal Crossing

It’s been five years since Animal Crossing: New Horizons literally shook up the gaming world. While there won’t be a pandemic around to aid the sales of the next title, you can be confident that Nintendo is going to go back to the well. It’s been a while since the last major update to New Horizons, indicating that the team might’ve been working on a brand-new game. There aren’t a lot of games in this genre from Nintendo, so it will probably be a priority, and announcing it before the holiday season would be excellent timing to drive up the eventual sales.

2. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond‘s Release Date

Aside from Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s launch, there’s another reason Nintendo has to have a first-party showcase sooner rather than later. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was announced long ago, and it still only carries a “2025” release window. If the Direct is in September, that means Nintendo has just four months to confirm, set the date, and market the game before it comes out. If they’re sticking to that 2025 slate, then a release date has to be announced as soon as possible, and the next Nintendo Direct, complete with a new trailer as well, would be the ideal spot to do that.

3. Mario Kart World DLC

It is baffling that Mario Kart World has not been given any DLC yet. Donkey Kong Bananza was right there, providing outfits for Donkey Kong and Pauline, but Nintendo skipped it. However, given the fact that it’s an $80 game and Bananza was not, DLC is highly likely since Nintendo did up the price from literally everything else they’ve done, and now’s a great time to announce it. They are unlikely to let it sit as is forever without any new tracks or characters, so every Nintendo Direct from here until the end of the game is an opportunity for them to add more content to a game that kind of needs it at this point.

4. New Super Smash Bros.

The very existence of Mario Kart World suggests that a new Super Smash Bros. (with or possibly without Masahiro Sakurai) is coming. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate were the pinnacle of their respective series, and yet, there’s already a new Mario Kart. This means Nintendo probably has no plans to let its popular fighting game sit and collect dust. And if Mario Kart World was literally the first Switch 2 game, then the company probably isn’t going to waste too much time getting a new Smash Bros. out, which is why the September Direct is a good option to reveal it.

5. 2D Mario

We can safely assume there will not be a new 3D Mario anytime soon. Donkey Kong Bananza effectively took that spot, and Nintendo won’t want to undermine what is a brilliant game before they have to, and 3D Mario would ruin any future sales for Bananza. But there needs to be a 2D platformer as well, and there currently isn’t one. Super Mario Bros. Wonder was an exceptional entry, and Nintendo would do well to expound on it. The timing just makes too much sense for Nintendo to skip a 2D Mario game right now. They can’t waste their mascot character, but they also can’t use him in 3D, and this is the obvious solution.

6. New Zelda

The next big The Legend of Zelda game is unlikely. Even including the pandemic, Tears of the Kingdom came out six years after Breath of the Wild. Something smaller might work, especially since Echoes of Wisdom came out just a year after that. That means Nintendo certainly can use its second biggest franchise soon. However, if neither of those is happening, then a remake/remaster is probable. Fans have been begging for a Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker remake, and this is the perfect lull between games for that to happen.

What do you think about these picks? What would you like to see? Let us know down below!

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