Nintendo Direct: best February 2024 announcements from partner showcase, including Epic Mickey and Battlefront

The latest Nintendo Direct showcase has come and gone, bringing with a host of exciting new announcements for the Nintendo Switch console.

This showcase was a "Partner Showcase", meaning fans weren't expecting any major "first-party" (blockbuster games developed by Nintendo themselves that are exclusive to the Switch), and were instead set to be treated to what the company's partners had in store.

Still, there was plenty of excitement from across the gaming landscape ahead of the livestream.

Just last week, Microsoft announced that four of their own first-party games would be appearing on consoles from other companies at some point in the future. They didn't specify which ones exactly, and so fan speculation as to which ones they could be ran rampant

The Nintendo Switch seemed like a good fit for a handful of these games, so would they be making an appearance as the Partner Showcase? Well, we now know. Here are all the most exciting announcements from the latest Nintendo Direct.

Grounded

16 April

Nintendo didn't waste any time in confirming that Grounded - previously an Xbox console exclusive - is indeed coming to the Switch.

The game is a fun co-operative experience, in which you play as one of a group of kids shrunk down to insect size and having to make your way back home while traversing and surviving the now "giant" backyard.

The trailer itself showed off a few graphical cutbacks that have had to be made to get the game running on the much lower-powered Switch hardware, but this more or less looks like the same game. Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The Game and you're more or less there.

Finding resources and crafting new equipment while you explore amongst a jungle of grass blades is the name of the game here.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

2024

A remake of this charming 2010 platformer is coming to Switch at some point this year. We don't know yet whether it will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive (though it did appear exclusively on the Wii in its original incarnation).

This Disney-themed platformer sees you playing as Mickey Mouse, jumping across worlds while using a magical paintbrush to fill in or erase parts of the environment.

We've never played the original, but the sequel was a blast with some half-innovative paintbrush mechanics, so it will be nice to see where it all started.

Battlefront Classic Collection

14 March

The two original Star Wars Battlefront games are multiplayer classics of my early teens, so it's nice to see them making a comeback on Switch.

The modern day Battlefront's are probably a bit too graphically taxing for the Switch, but the tradeoff here is that these updated versions of the originals come with new heroes, a new 'Hero Assault' mode - and of course, online multiplayer for big battles.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble

25 June

How the idea of rolling a small, gachapon monkey around a stage in a small plastic ball gave birth to one of the longest running series in recent years remains a mystery. But hey, that's Japan!

This latest entry into the series retains all the charm of the previous games, introduces a new Sling Shot ability which allows crafty players to find their own shortcuts, and brings online multiplayer to the table for Mario Kart-style races/chaos.

Another Crab's Trash

25 April

When you think of the 'Soulslike' sub-genre of games, you probably think of dark, dank worlds, with gigantic monsters who pummel you with seemingly unavoidable attacks until you work out their weaknesses.

Another Crab's Trash looked like a perfectly cutesy 3D platformer until the showcase narrator revealed it was actually a Soulslike. Is this the first colourful and cheerful Soulslike on the market? Probably not, but it still caught our eye.

You play as a hermit crab exploring a vast reef, and must find and pick up discarded items along the way to use as your shell. It seems there will be a lot of items to choose from as you go about your adventure, and each grants unique abilities, giving them tactical advantages and disadvantages.

You'll never look at the lid of a Coke bottle the same - though the game has unfortunately taken on a timely ecological subtext in recent weeks.

Penny's Big Breakaway

21 February

Yet another 3D platformer (but really, can you have too many?), Penny's Big Breakaway sees you playing as Penny and her yo-yo, who must evade Emperor Eddie and his army of penguins after causing a stir.

That probably tells you all you need to know. Expect bright colours in a game that should appeal to kids and adults alike.

It's from the team behind Sonic Mania too, so expect the platforming and combat to be tight and satisfying. It's also out today (21 February)!

Pentiment

22 February

Bookending the Showcase with the announcement of yet another previously Xbox exclusive game coming to Switch was Pentiment, the hand drawn RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, that tasks you with investigating the murders of prominent individuals for which other townsfolk have been accused for various reasons.

The game seems like a snug fit for the Switch - its 2D gameplay won't tax the hardware too much - and it's filled with a charm that made it a surprise Xbox hit when it was released at the tail end of 2022.

You won't have too long to wait to get your hands on the Switch version either... it's out tomorrow (22 February)!