Everything shown at today’s Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase

Ah, it’s a new day, full of Nintendo news. We got our first Nintendo Direct of the year today with a Partner Showcase, spotlighting games arriving in the first half of 2024 for the Switch.

It was chock-full of news, both in terms of reveals and updates on known quantities. There were definitely some pleasant surprises, and even a few out-now (or very close to now) announcements. Sure, I imagine some folks want news of a new Switch. But today’s line-up, while not quite a jaw-dropper, is a fun and surprisingly diverse array of games.

Want to play a resurrection of a classic, a new take on a familiar genre, or even a former Xbox console exclusive? All that and more is heading to Switch, per today’s showcase. Here are all the headlines.

February 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, recapped

• We open with Grounded, the first of four Xbox games heading to new horizons (platforms). The miniature backyard survival game heads to Nintendo’s hybrid handheld on April 16, 2024. And it’s not the only one on the way to Switch, either.
• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the mist looks like a moody exploration for Switch, arriving sometime this year. Folks liked that Ender Lilies, so maybe this also surprises?
• Arranger looks like a mix of puzzle solving and dungeon crawling, arriving this summer. I dig the style, but am curious about how it holds up over time.
• Unicorn Overlord is getting a demo today, with save progress carrying over into the full game when it arrives on March 8. Heck yeah.

• Monster Hunter Stories gets an HD remaster for Switch, as well as PlayStation 4 and PC, this summer. Honestly, this side-series seems overlooked, so I’m glad it’s getting some love.
• Epic Mickey gets a remake in Rebrushed, arriving sometime this year. Wow, can’t say I’m not surprised, but that’s a nice treat for anyone who digs old Wii platformers.
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance gets officially announced, arriving on most platforms on June 21. It looks to add more ot the story of the Nahobino and the apocalypse, as well as even more demons.
• The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection packs together the original two Battlefront games, with all the modes and options you’d want. Lord, I’m excited to play some Galactic Conquest again on March 14.
• South Park: Snow Day looks… not great. It hits Switch on March 26, if it does interest you, I guess.
• Somehow, more Sword Art Online is on the way, as Fractured Daydream puts you back in the shoes of Kirito and pals this year.
• Like Gunpla? Wish you could smack them against each other, then show them off in a diorama, with no consequences? Gundam Breaker 4 will arrive sometime this year to give you just that.
• More Monkey Ball is on the way with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, with classic modes, co-op, and a frantic-looking online multiplayer mode. It hits Nintendo Switch exclusively on June 25.

• Yes, the World of Goo is back with World of Goo 2. There is a world. There is goo. Please do not ask me more questions about this puzzle-solving game, because I have no clue. It’s a console exclusive for Switch on May 23.
• My prediction about some Level-5 news panned out! Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time locks in a launch date for later this year, on October 10, and it looks like there’s plenty of chill crafting and adventuring in store.
• Another Crab’s Treasure is a mix of action-y, Souls-y ideas and… uh… crabs? And it looks fantastic, honestly. I’m very intrigued to see how this one pans out on April 25.
• Former Sonic Mania devs are releasing a new game today, and it looks fantastic. Penny’s Big Breakaway is a new yo-yo-centric platformer, with tons of cool movement mechanics and ideas. It’s out on Switch and Steam today.
• Did you also lose way too much time to Suika Game last year? Are you prepared to lose more? Because Suika Game is getting multiplayer mode paid DLC today. Normally I’d be against putting this behind a paywall, but Suika was Vampire Survivors levels of cost-to-enjoyment factor, so I’m happy to see this team continue to support the fruit-stacking game.
• Pepper Grinder drills in some sick platforming action on March 28, with a demo on the eShop today. It looks like a pretty original take on 2D platforming, and a demo is nice.

• The classic Pocket Card Jockey gets its Ride On version ported to Nintendo Switch today! A classic of the 3DS era, in my humble opinion, is now easy to play on the new Nintendo handheld.
• It’s montage time! Here’s the short news:
  • Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley arrives on March 7, 2024
  • Tales of Kenzera: Zau on April 23, 2024
  • Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – Sweep the Board! on April 26, 2024
  • Kingdom Come Deliverance – Royal Edition on March 15, 2024
  • Contra: Operation Galuga on March 12, 2024
  • Pentiment on February 22, 2024
• And now we close it out with two pieces of news. First, some Rare classics are headed to Nintendo Switch Online: Snake Rattle and Roll, R.C. Pro-Am, Battletoads in Battlemanics, Killer Instinct, and Blast Corps. They’re out today!
• And one last surprise for the Wii fans: Endless Ocean: Luminous brings serene ocean exploration to the Switch. An all-new entry in the Endless Ocean series, here you can find new things on every dive, and team with up to 30 players online to dive and share in the underwater fun. This looks like a fantastic way to chill out underwater, or possibly conquer thalassophobia

That’s all for today’s Nintendo Direct: Partner showcase. If you crave more news, you can always check out the Japanese Direct. We heard they got the Mother of all announcements there.