Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom headline Nintendo Direct

NotE3 season continues to deliver some pretty solid chow thanks to a preposterously stacked Nintendo Direct. The Nintendo Switch is nearing the end of its lifecycle after shifting over 141 million units, but Nintendo seems intent on sending the ludicrously popular console out with a bang.

The company announced a buffet of software during the showcase, including Super Mario Party Jamboree (the biggest one yet with over 110 minigames), Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Mario & Luigi: Brothership! (a vibrant island-hopping platformer), and HD-2D remakes of the original Dragon Quest trilogy.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was also unveiled, and sent the internet into overdrive by confirming that, this time around, Zelda herself will be the protagonist. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained the top-down adventure will focus on the titularprincess and feature a new gameplay style that breaks convention.

The trailer shows Zelda shunning traditional weapons like swords and shields in favor of a mysterious staff called the tri-rod that allows her to create 'echoes' of objects and creatures. Those echoes can be summoned and combined to interact with the environment in a bunch of unique ways.

Maybe you'll turn tables into stepladders by stacking them or conjure a trampoline to leap over a wall. It all feels very reminiscent of the open-ended crafting and puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom, and it's clear Nintendo remains eager to riff on familiar franchise formulas to drive the iconic series forward.

Before bringing the Direct to a close, Nintendo made time to spotlight Lego Horizon Adventures. The title was announced during Summer Game Fest, but it remains notable that Sony is bringing one of its core first-party franchises to Switch–and that Nintendo agreed to promote it.

The Japanese company then turned a very solid Direct into a slam dunk by dropping a trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The long-gestating project was first announced back in 2017 (when E3 still existed) but seemingly hit a number of roadblocks.

Development was restarted two years after it was unveiled, with Nintendo explaining that series originator Retro Studios would once again be taking charge. The trailer featured some cinematics, brief snippets of gameplay, and a vague release date: 2025.

Nintendo stated that Beyond will be heading to Nintendo Switch, but with the company recently confirming that its next console will be unveiled before March 2025, you have to wonder whether it will eventually straddle both.