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Our 4 biggest predictions for the June Nintendo Direct Mini

By Tomas Franzese Published June 27, 2022

A new Nintendo Direct is upon us, but it’s positioned differently than the last few major showcases that Nintendo held. The June 28 presentation is a Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase, calling back to a type of show Nintendo held frequently throughout 2020. It’s shorter in length — Nintendo says this show is 25 minutes — and it will be focused on third-party games not developed by Nintendo.

While this means that we shouldn’t expect the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or something on the level of Metroid Dread to show up here, we suspect that some big announcements are still in store. It’s always a lot of fun to speculate about what might show up at gaming events like this, so here are four things we want to see at this Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase this year.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope re-emerges

The official promo art for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This Ubisoft-published Mario spinoff was announced a year ago, but we haven’t seen it since. As Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a major third-party Switch exclusive featuring a Nintendo icon, we suspect it’ll be one of the main games featured during this Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase. We hope to see more gameplay, learn what’s different from the first game, and get a release date for this game whenever it finally re-emerges.

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2017’s Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was a nice surprise as those Nintendo and Ubisoft franchises meshed surprisingly well and the game had solid XCOM-like strategy gameplay. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will have a bigger scope as Mario, his friends, and Rabbids new and old based on those friends explore the universe in order to save cute star-like creatures with Rabbid ears called Sparks. We’ve only gotten a cinematic trailer and a little bit of gameplay so far though, so there’s still a lot about this game to reveal, and this showcase provides Ubisoft’s best opportunity to do so. If Mario + Rabbids: Spark of Hope doesn’t show up, I’d be surprised that this showcase was held at all.

Some Nintendo-published games do actually show up

LIVE A LIVE - Nintendo Switch

While Nintendo says Partner Showcases are all about third-party games, it broke its own rules before. The October 2020 Partner Showcase featured games like Bravely Default 2 and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which were published but not developed by Nintendo. Several games are in a similar boat this year and could possibly show up. The most imminent is Live A Live, which is in a similar position to Bravely Default 2 as a JRPG developed by Square Enix. Nintendo will likely want to show it one last time before it launches in July, and this is a prime opportunity to do so.

Outside of that, there’s Bayonetta 3, a highly anticipated action game from PlatinumGames. It’s supposed to come out this year but still doesn’t have a release date, so Nintendo could reveal one here. Even Advance Wars 1+2 Re-boot Camp is in the same boat as it’s developed by WayForward and needs a release date after an indefinite delay. While Live A Live is the one I believe will be most likely to show up, seeing more of Bayonetta 3 or Advance Wars would be really nice.

Tactic Ogre: Let Us Cling Together gets a remake

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together characters grab each other in a half-circle in key art. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This Square Enix fantasy strategy game is more obscure than the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, but Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together appears to be poised to make a comeback. It was a surprisingly ambitious strategy game for the 90s as it had a branching story as well as gameplay hooks like characters’ abilities and a weather system that has players constantly weighing options to decide what the best tactical move is. It should be more palatable to modern audiences now that games like Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Triangle Strategy are popular, so it’s a great time to reintroduce a series like this.

Square Enix appears to agree, as Tactics Ogre: Reborn leaked onto the PlayStation Store earlier this month. As Tactics Ogre: Reborn is also coming to Switch this year, this presentation would be a sensible place to reveal it. It’s unknown whether Tactics Ogre: Reborn will be an upgraded version of the 2010 PSP remake or yet another reimagining of the 1996 original. Either way, it’s bound to introduce this strategy game franchise to a whole new generation of gamers.

We learn what Dragon Quest Treasures actually is

DRAGON QUEST TREASURES | Teaser Trailer

While I think we’ll have to wait a bit longer to learn more about Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, we’re supposed to hear more about a series spin-off sometime this month. That game is Dragon Quest Treasures, which is a prequel to Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age that Square Enix describes as an “RPG treasure hunting adventure in another world.” We haven’t seen enough of the game in action to know exactly what that means, but Square Enix plans to reveal more about Dragon Quest Treasures very soon.

In May, Square Enix released a trailer confirming that we’d learn more about Dragon Quest Treasures in June 2022. We’re nearing the end of the month and still haven’t seen anything, which makes an appearance at this Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase seem very likely. Regardless, Square Enix and Nintendo have a very close relationship, so something from them is bound to show up here, whether that be Live a Live, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, Dragon Quest Treasures, or all three. And if Dragon Quest Treasures doesn’t show up here, we will at least learn more about it sometime this week.

All we can do is sit back and see whatever Nintendo has in store for us with this Direct.

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A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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Nintendo Switch 2 Direct: how to watch and what to expect

A Switch 2 in its dock.

Years of waiting are finally coming to an end (one more time). After a short reveal earlier this year, Nintendo is finally lifting the entire lid on the Switch 2. On April 2, the company will host a Direct presentation entirely built around the console. While Nintendo has been tight-lipped on what exactly will be shown, you can expect it to give us a release date, price, and launch games at the very least. It's sure to be one of the biggest live stream presentations of the year, so you won't want to miss it -- even if you aren't planning on buying a Switch 2 right now.

Want to make sure you catch it when it airs? We've got you covered. Here are all the details for April 2's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, including when it airs, when you can watch it, and what you can expect to see during it. And if you can't watch it live, we'll be recapping it all live as it happens.
When is the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct?
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is set to air on Wednesday, April 2. It'll kick off at 6 a.m. PT, so fans on the west coast will need to wake up bright and early for it. Nintendo has yet to say just how long it'll be, but its 2017 Nintendo Switch reveal lasted just over an hour. You can likely expect about the same here.
Where to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct
As is the case with every Nintendo Direct, you'll be able to stream it on Nintendo's official YouTube channel. We'll embed the placeholder video in this article as soon as it goes live. We also expect that Nintendo will embed the stream into its own website if you feel like watching it there instead.
What to expect from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct

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The best Pokémon spinoff games of all time

Pikachu with detective cap and boy with brown hair and red jacket eating breakfast

We all fell in love with the Pokémon franchise through its RPGs. These games let us explore the world, meet new friends, and build teams of powerful monsters to battle with. Even though each new generation introduces new Pokémon to catch and a new region to conquer, the gameplay doesn't evolve all that much. Besides some great Pokémon fan games, there are a ton of amazing spinoff games set in the Pokémon world that test out all sorts of genres. In fact, there are way more spinoff games than mainline at this point, with more upcoming video games to add to that pile in the near future. If you need a break from catching them all but still want to spend time with your favorite pocket monsters, here are the best Pokémon spinoff games of all time.

Pokémon isn't the only franchise with amazing spinoffs. The best Mario spinoffs and the best Zelda spinoffs are also worth your time.

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How to spot Crypt Devourers in The First Berserker: Khazan

Khazan looks at a mimic

As you navigate the challenging world of The First Berserker: Khazan, you'll spend a significant amount of time checking every nook and cranny for sweet loot. There's plenty of it to find, too. But as with almost every Soulslike game, some of The First Berserker: Khazan's loot is sporting a trap! While not technically a mimic, there are some scary things lying in wait for you as you pick up loot throughout the game's levels, and failing to recognize them could cost you a huge chunk of health -- or maybe even your life.

Here's how to spot one of these traps and what you can do to save yourself from them.
How to spot a Crypt Devourer in The First Berserker: Khazan
While exploring levels in The First Berserker: Khazan, you'll occasionally see dead bodies that glow red. Interacting with these corpses will normally earn you some Soul Tier Dust and a brief dialogue sequence, but some are housing something dangerous beneath them. When you interact with one of these, you'll be greeted by a giant worm-like creature called a Crypt Devourer, who will grab you, deal damage, then throw you haphazardly onto the ground. In some cases, the throw can even send you into a pack of enemies or off the side of a level where you'll fall to your death.