The June 21, 2023 Nintendo Direct roundup featured five headline games: Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG, WarioWare: Move It!, Detective Pikachu Returns and Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. It also covered a Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon remaster, a new Princess Peach game, HD versions of the first two Pikmin games and new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe courses. The release dates below are the dates BGR reported in 2023, not a current release calendar.
The five main games in the roundup
BGR’s June 21, 2023 recap highlighted these five Switch games, spanning platforming, role-playing, party microgames, mystery-solving and monster battles. The descriptions and release dates here reflect what that recap reported.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.82 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mario Kart™ World (Nintendo Switch 2) | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Super Mario Galaxy™ + Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder
BGR reported an October 20, 2023 release for this new 2D side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. game. Its six playable characters were Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy and Yoshi. The Wonder Flower changes the course of a level, while Elephant Mario was a newly introduced transformation. Read BGR’s recap.
Super Mario RPG
The recap listed November 17, 2023, for this refreshed Switch version of the classic Square Enix adventure, with new graphics. Mario, Bowser, Peach, Mallow and Geno team up to recover seven stars and repair the Star Road. Read BGR’s recap.
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
WarioWare: Move It!
BGR reported a November 3, 2023 release date and described more than 200 Joy-Con microgames. Its local Party Mode supports up to four players. Read BGR’s recap.
Detective Pikachu Returns
The recap listed October 6, 2023, for the return of Tim Goodman and Detective Pikachu. The pair investigate mysteries across Ryme City with help from other Pokémon. Read BGR’s recap.
Rank #2
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
BGR reported December 1, 2023, for this monster-collecting adventure starring the cursed prince Psaro. Its described loop includes capturing, combining and battling monsters. Read BGR’s recap.
Other Switch announcements covered
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
The 2023 recap said a Switch remaster of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon was coming in 2024. That is the announcement window reported at the time, not a statement of current availability. Read BGR’s recap.
Rank #3
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
A new Princess Peach game
BGR reported that a new game starring Princess Peach was in development for Switch and expected in 2024. The recap did not give a title in its summary of the announcement. Read BGR’s recap.
Pikmin and Pikmin 2 HD
The recap reported that HD versions of both games were available on the Nintendo eShop on June 21, 2023, the day of the Direct. This describes their announced availability at that time. Read BGR’s recap.
Rank #4
- Journey through space in two Super Mario adventures, now improved for the Nintendo Switch system!
- Travel the stars with enhanced resolution, improved UI, and additional content
- Learn more about the Lumas from additional Storybook chapters, groove to a bit of additional music
- Get additional Health and fall recovery in Assist Mode
- Join Rosalina and the Lumas to restore the Comet Observatory and rescue Princess Peach in Super Mario Galaxy.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 5
BGR said Wave 5 would add eight courses and the characters Petey Piranha, Wiggler and Kamek in summer 2023. That was the window reported in the announcement recap. Read BGR’s recap.
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- Side-scrolling platforming: Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
- Role-playing adventure: Super Mario RPG.
- Short, motion-focused party games: WarioWare: Move It!.
- Mystery-solving: Detective Pikachu Returns.
- Collecting and battling monsters: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.
These are differences in genre and play style, not a ranking of quality. For context, BGR’s pre-event coverage estimated that the presentation would run around 40 minutes and focus mainly on Switch games launching in 2023; that was an advance estimate, not a measured runtime. Read BGR’s pre-event coverage.
Quick Recap
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