Revelations From The February Nintendo Direct

Nintendo is still keeping mum about their future plans (almost like they’re saving them for a future console) but this morning’s Nintendo Direct proves there will still be plenty to play this year from companies that aren’t them.

Today was the day Penny’s Big Breakaway launches on Switch. This is from the team behind Sonic Mania, a very good game, and it’s their attempt at a 3D platformer, a much harder genre to get right than its 2D cousin. We’ve been curious about this one for a while. Hope it lives up to the hype!

This one came out of nowhere and we’re intrigued. A soulslike where you play as a cartoon crab that lost its shell and has to find it. In the meantime you can slip into any object you find along the way, and some makeshift shells give you special abilities. It looks like a lot of fun; the game comes out April 25, and not just on Switch.

Another game we’ve been waiting for is Vanillaware’s next, Unicorn Overlord. Previously responsible for things like Odin Sphere and 13 Sentinels, they do good work, and now they’re tackling the tactical RPG genre. This will be out March 8 but you can play a demo on Switch today.

Ender LIlies 2 is a thing! Its actual title is Ender Magnolia and it’ll arrive later this year.

Sega’s next Monkey Ball will feature over 200 stages, a new Spin Dash move, a new co-op mode that supports four players, and several minigames that support up to 16! This monkey business starts June 25.

So Microsoft‘s first two XBox games to be released on Switch are….Grounded and Pentiment?? Where’s Hi-Fi Rush?? That’s already been confirmed for PS5! We know you’re making a Switch version, spit it out already!

Okay, so Nintendo did reveal ONE first-party game, but it’s an unusual one. The Wii game Endless Ocean is getting an unexpected sequel, subtitled Luminous. It will be out May 2 with a new multiplayer mode that supports up to 30 divers at once.