Anthony DeVetis 
Typically, during Nintendo Direct showcases I feel either incredible hype or deep bitterness. Today, I felt both of those and a whole range of other emotions.
For instance, I was ecstatic seeing Bayonetta 3. It has been 4 long years since the initial reveal (and since I’ve had it pre-ordered) at the 2017 Game Awards, but today we finally saw the game in action and it looks gorgeous. Sure, it’s not at the visual fidelity that we wish it could on say, a PS5, but the action looks tight, focused, and epic—especially those Kaiju-esque fight sequences. Let’s hope it actually makes its 2022 time frame.
I was sad to see Nintendo up their online membership price just for the addition of 25-year-old games (N64 and Sega Genesis). However, at this point it is a very Nintendo-like thing to do; expect the next price hike to happen if we ever get Game Boy/Advance and GameCube games. The addition of special N64 and Genesis controllers is a nice touch, albeit being priced at $50 a pop it creates a very hard out for me.
I was confused and bewildered to see Miyamoto make a very rare Nintendo Direct appearance just to announce the release date and actors playing the characters in Illumination’s Super Mario movie. I now believe anything can show up in a Nintendo Direct. As for the actors themselves, I’ll admit I was still confused but also highly amused to see who they cast as who. Jack Black as Bowser? Charlie Day as Luigi? Sebastian Maniscalco as F*cking Spike?!? Sign me up and inject it into my veins.
I was happy that Kirby and the Forgotten Land seems to be taking risks with the formula and hopefully this will be Kirby’s answer to Super Mario Odyssey. I am not one for Kirby games, but this one has at least piqued my interest. Some Kirby games are also notoriously easy so I am hoping this one will offer a bit more of a challenge.
I was annoyed that we have to wait until October 5th to find out the last Smash DLC character. I get that this means so much to director Sakurai and that he wants to go out on his own terms, but come on. Nintendo could have easily extended the direct to an hour and given Sakurai 20 minutes to reveal and talk about said character. Everyone’s eyes were on this direct, and it clearly should have been the opener; Monster Hunter Rise DLC does not a hype opener make.
Finally. I felt nothing for everything else. Of course there are decent games in the bunch, but unfortunately they are Nintendo Direct filler, and fail to get a rise out of anyone frankly. I’m sure Splatoon 3 will be just fine, and Actraiser Remastered is a pleasant surprise but most of these announcements barely made me blink.
While I feel like we all have Nintendo Direct Patterns down to a T, you know: hype Smash opener, one or two smaller first-party titles in-between, filler indies, and then close with a bang, today’s direct proves that Nintendo can still throw us for a loop every once in a while. Even if it is just to announce a movie cast and release date.
