Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase Coming This Week

A Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase has been announced and will take place this week. The event will happen on February 21st at 9 a.m. ET, and is expected to last for 25 minutes. As this will be a Partner Showcase, fans should not expect to see anything related to first-party games. Instead, the focus will be on third-party developers and indie studios that have "games coming in the first half of 2024." A Partner Showcase had been rumored for weeks, and this should give us a better idea of what to expect on Switch through June or so. 

The announcement makes it pretty clear that this will not have anything to do with the long-rumored "Nintendo Switch 2," which is expected to release in either late 2024, or early 2025. There have been rumors suggesting that the system will be unveiled next month, in a showcase devoted exclusively to the new console. Readers should take that with a grain of salt pending an official announcement, but it does make sense that Nintendo would keep these things separate. 

Nintendo Switch in 2024

At this time, there aren't a ton of games announced for Nintendo Switch in 2024. In terms of first-party releases, Nintendo released Another Code: Recollection in January and Mario vs. Donkey Kong debuted last week. Princess Peach: Showtime! is coming on March 22nd, while Luigi's Mansion 2 HD and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door have both been announced for this year, though they don't have specific dates. There's also Metroid Prime 4, though nothing has been said about that game in months, and there is currently no known release window. 

Beyond those games, Switch fans have some already announced third-party titles to look forward to. Games like Star Wars Hunters, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Braid Anniversary Edition, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra, and Sonic x Shadow Generations are all expected this year. Wednesday's Partner Showcase could help fill out that calendar a bit. 

Is Nintendo Gearing Up For a New System?

One of the most telling things about Nintendo's software line-up this year is the fact that it leans mostly on remasters and remakes of older games. It seems like a safe bet that Nintendo is putting the majority of its focus on the new system, in order to have a strong first year. Remakes and remasters are a great way to keep new games on Switch, while ensuring that the new system's launch window doesn't suffer. There have been a lot of rumors that the new system could launch with a major new Mario game; it's been almost 7 years since Super Mario Odyssey, and it's possible Nintendo is planning to launch the new system with its mustachioed mascot. Until Nintendo makes an announcement though, fans will just have to continue to speculate! 

Are you looking forward to the Nintendo Direct this week? What do you want to see announced? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!