Nintendo Direct Predictions
Image: Nintendo Life

There she is! After waiting patiently for the first Nintendo Direct of 2024 — looking back to determine the most probable date Nintendo would unleash its next bumper crop of Switch game reveals and news — we finally have the time, date, and flavour confirmed: 21st February, and it's a Partner Showcase.

You can check out our Nintendo Direct February 2024 guide for all the links and details of the broadcast, but here Team NL makes a few predictions for what we expect to see, what we'd love to see, and what we'd sell a major organ to see in the upcoming Nintendo Direct.

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We begin with some things we feel are 100% safe-bet certainties. Maybe. Let us know what you're hoping for at the bottom of the page.

NL staff: Alana Hagues (deputy editor), Gavin Lane (editor), Jim Norman (staff writer), Ollie Reynolds (staff writer)

Nintendo Direct February 2024 Predictions

#1 - A dead cert, probably

HiFiRush
Image: Microsoft

GAVIN: Dates, lots of dates — take your pick. Personally, I'm itching to hear when Digital Eclipse's Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is launching.

OLLIE: It's pretty much a given at this point that Hi-Fi RUSH is going to be announced for the Switch, and I think it's probably going to happen during the Partner Showcase. Uncle Phil (Spencer) remained tight-lipped on which Xbox games would be going multi-platform during the Xbox update, but we all know. We all know, Phil.

JIM: Surely the only 'dead cert' that we can say for a Partner Showcase at this point is the reveal of an unusual Dave The Diver crossover — that guy gets everywhere.

ALANA: Surely Level-5 is going to make a bit of a splash in this Partner Showcase. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is meant to be released in the summer, and I also want Decapolice to show up again, only because it looks amazing. Also, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance looks like a dead cert, too — unless that's a PS5/Xbox-exclusive upgrade.

#2 - A wishful thought

Demonschool
Image: Ysbryd Games

GAVIN: I'd like to see Demonschool get a solid date beyond the nebulous 'Q2'. I also want to play Star Trek: Resurgence, but on Switch, so a port announcement for that would be peachy.

OLLIE: It would be quite nice to see something regarding the inevitable Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2. I'm not sure whether Konami will want to wait for the Switch's successor given the graphical chops of MGSV, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

JIM: It's probably a little too soon — hey, we're being wishful here — but I would really love to see what's next for Mario + Rabbids. No, Sparks of Hope might not have set the world on fire at first but it's brilliant! And while we're at it, didn't Kenichi Hashimoto say that the Ace Attorney series isn't ending anytime soon? Hmm.

ALANA: We haven't heard about Dragon Quest III HD-2D for ages now, have we? Maybe that will finally show up, with actual Switch confirmation.

#3 - A returning classic

Pocket Card Jockey
Image: Game Freak

GAVIN: We've seen several DS games return on Switch recently, and there's a massive Layton-shaped hole just waiting to be filled. With the new game not coming until 2025, a Professor Layton Switch Collection or series of ports seems like a no-brainer.

JIM: Oh, we're talking DS games? Where is my port of Pocket Card Jockey? The mobile version is out there, and leaker Pyoro did hint that Game Freak might have something to show at a Partner Showcase. I want to see my boy Horse Off-Course on the big screen! [I endorse this opinion and message - Ed.]

OLLIE: If Xbox is about to bring a bunch of its games over to other systems, I think it's high time we gave Conker's Bad Fur Day another shot on the Switch, right? Sod it, let's just get Rare Replay over. [I also endorse this opinion and message - Ed.]

ALANA: Jim already mentioned leaks, so let's go with Endless Ocean, which a couple of leakers online have been hinting at for this Partner Showcase. Classic? Maybe not. But it's something that's coming back in some way.

#4 - A wildcard

Silksong
Image: Team Cherry

GAVIN: It's been a while since we heard anything about Hades 2. It's not even confirmed for Switch, but I'd like to hear more about Hades 2.

OLLIE: Given Capcom's support for the Switch over recent years, I would probably expect to see a cloud version of Resident Evil 4 (the remake, of course) pop up at some point during the presentation. We've had cloud versions of pretty much every other modern RE game, so it would make sense.

JIM: Go on then, I'll bang the Silksong drum this time. A shadow drop for this one would absolutely make sense at this point (just look at the chat on any game showcase stream), but being revealed in a Nintendo presentation? That feels a little iffy. Then again, Hollow Knight is huge on Switch, sooooo...

ALANA: I'm camp Silksong as well, even if it's just a trailer to remind us it's alive. Otherwise, let's stay in the indie territory and see if we get a date for Rift of the NecroDancer.

#5 - And 'Switch 2'?

Ouch
Image: Nintendo Life / Nintendo

GAVIN: Eh? It's a Partner Showcase, pal. Beyond that, Nintendo won't be diluting and distracting from its Switch software messaging with a hardware announcement, especially if it's not coming until 2025. After all, Switch is Nintendo's "main business," right?

OLLIE: Ha, no. No.

JIM: Nah, that's being saved for its own special announcement later. How else would Nintendo wheel out the cheeky shot of Mario peeking around a curtain?

ALANA: No way. It's a Partner Showcase — next-gen must wait.

Those are our thoughts, but what about yours? Let us know your Nintendo Direct hopes and dreams in the comments below.