My thoughts on the September 2025 Nintendo Direct

Correction: The original version of this article stated that Pokémon Legends Z-A releases in November. However, the game’s release date is actually October 16th.

I have to admit, I had kind of stopped watching Nintendo Directs. Normally it’s just a collection of trailers for indie games I would never play and then maybe some vague information about some Kirby game which I also probably will not play. (There was a Kirby game in this Direct, but I haven’t really played Kirby and therefore can’t really talk about it). On the rare occasion that there are a few noteworthy announcements, my dad typically texts me about them because, as much as he would like to deny it, he is a die-hard Nintendo fan. This past Friday, though, I was stuck in bed sick, and with nothing better to do, I decided to tune in.

Shigeru Miyamoto kicked off the Direct with some awesome announcements celebrating the Mario Brothers’ 40th Anniversary. The Super Mario Brothers Galaxy movie will be hitting theaters this spring, which I for one am super excited about. If, like me, you had a blast seeing Mario on the big screen two years ago, you’ll be glad to hear that the lead cast of the 2023 Super Mario Brothers movie will be returning for this sequel. While we wait, Nintendo will be releasing Mario Galaxy as well as Mario Galaxy 2 for the Nintendo Switch along with some Mario Galaxy themed amiibos. In addition, a new Mario Tennis game, a DLC for Mario Wonder, and even a brand-new Yoshi game were announced. Nintendo seems to be going all out for this anniversary, and while I’m not the biggest Mario fan, I’m pretty pumped.

After a couple of indie trailers, Nintendo shows us a new trailer for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, a sequel to the 3DS life sim Tomodachi Life. The title has been confirmed to release this coming spring, and I really can’t wait to play it. The original Tomodachi Life was my absolute favorite game when I was little, and I have been waiting over a decade for this sequel. That being said, I’m not going to talk about my hopes for the game right now because I have so much to say that it really deserves its own article.

In further news, Virtual Boy games will be coming to the NSO Nintendo Classics emulators. Nintendo will be selling a separate Virtual Boy attachment that works with both the Switch and Switch 2. The Virtual Boy accessory will work by inserting your switch into the headset and will come in both a regular model and a cheaper cardboard model. (The cardboard model is basically the Labo VR Headset colored to match the regular Virtual Boy.) There is no set release date for the Virtual Boy accessory, but hopefully it will be coming soon. I personally have never played with the original Virtual Boy, but my dad assures me it was super cool.

Pokémon also got their fair share of announcements in this Direct, including more information about the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A. From what I can tell, Z-A seems like it will have the same open-air catching and battling that was introduced in Legends: Arceus. Unlike Arceus, the game will be taking place in the Kalos region, and in a much more modern setting. While the game seems a little too serious for my taste, I really enjoyed Arceus and will most likely give the game a try when it releases on October 16th. In a separate trailer, Nintendo also announced a DLC for Z-A, which is honestly strange to me considering that the game isn’t even out yet, but it’s still pretty exciting.

In addition to Legends Z-A, Nintendo announced a new Pokémon game geared toward more cozy gamers. Pokémon: Pokopia, releasing next year, will have players building, farming, and relaxing in this Pokémon themed life sim. Players will play as a ditto in a humanoid form, allowing them to talk with other Pokémon and even learn various Pokémon moves. The game so far seems like a cross between Animal Crossing and Minecraft, so it certainly won’t be the most original game, but I’m not complaining. My biggest issue with Pokopia is its silly name; it’s supposed to be a portmanteau of ‘Pokémon’ and ‘utopia’ but it kind of just sounds weird. Like why didn’t they call it “Ditto’s World” or even just “Pokémon Utopia”? Otherwise, though, it seems like a cute game and I’m very much looking forward to trying it.

While more minor, there are also a few other announcements worth mentioning. A DLC for Donkey Kong Bonanza hit Nintendo eShop shortly after the Direct and currently costs twenty US dollars. Honestly, the price seems like a lot considering that the base game is already seventy dollars and only came out a couple of months ago, but the DLC looks cool nonetheless. Furthermore, several games will be receiving Switch 2 Editions in the near future. These games include Stardew Valley and Human Fall Flat, the latter of which will receive five brand-new levels. There was also a new trailer for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which I probably won’t play but is cool if you were a fan of Tears of the Kingdom.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this Direct. Although there were definitely trailers for silly indie games that I would never play, I’d consider that par for the course with Nintendo as of late. The Direct wasn’t the most ground-breaking thing, but there are plenty of games to look forward to in the coming months, and that makes me happy. My wallet, on the other hand, is not quite as enthused.