These are the games we could see at the February 13 Nintendo Direct

By Gabe Gurwin February 12, 2019

Nintendo Direct 2.13.2019

Nintendo has announced a new 35-minute Nintendo Direct event for Wednesday, February 13 at 5 p.m. ET. The event will focus on Nintendo Switch games, but thus far Nintendo has only revealed that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of them. With so many Switch games in the works — and some surely not announced — there is plenty of room for more game news. These are the games we will (and could) see during the Nintendo Direct presentation.

Contents

‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’
‘Bayonetta 3’
‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’
Animal Crossing for Switch

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‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’

The only game currently confirmed for the Nintendo Direct event, Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be the first entry in the series on Switch, featuring an avatar protagonist as well as three additional main characters. The game adds strategic troop movement alongside the traditional turn-based battling, and will be the first wholly original Fire Emblem game since Fates in 2016. Thus far, Three Houses only has a vague “spring 2019” release window, and we expect a final date will be given during the event.

‘Bayonetta 3’

Bayonetta 3 Official Teaser Trailer - The Game Awards 2017

Bayonetta 3 was announced during The Game Awards in 2017, and we haven’t heard a peep about the game since. PlatinumGames’ stylish action game is a Switch exclusive, following in the footsteps of the Nintendo-exclusive Bayonetta 2, and though we don’t think there’s much chance of a release date for the game, we could get our first look at gameplay. Interest was certainly renewed after her appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’

Luigi's Mansion 3 (Working Title) - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is also missing a release date, and if a new leak is to be believed, the game could be coming as early as this summer. With the original game recently getting a 3DS port, it makes sense that the third game would be right around the corner, particularly during a period that tends to be dry for games on all systems.

Animal Crossing for Switch

Animal Crossing is Coming to Nintendo Switch!

The same leak also appeared to give a date for the untitled Animal Crossing game for Switch, which was first announced last September. We already know the game is planning to be released in 2019, and the rumored September 13 date seems plausible. However, Nintendo’s release dates often get bumped, especially if the date got announced this far ahead of time.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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More ambitious than expected
Disney Illusion Island is a 2D platformer utilizing the visual style of the recent The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse shorts. It's a straightforward pitch: pick Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy and jump around some Disneyfied locales. In all regions, the voice actors for the characters reprise their roles from the shorts. Developer Dlala Studios was an excellent choice for this game as it's already established itself as a go-to studio for stylish 2D games with 2020's Battletoads.
This game could have gotten away with being a pretty, but extremely simple level-based platformer only meant to be played by young children for a couple of hours. Dlala went a step further, though, and has made a full-blown Metroidvania platformer that has some unique gameplay ideas and will appeal to all ages.

The game's first intriguing design choice pops up as soon as you have to pick a character. Dlala made the decision not to give characters distinct abilities. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald are all animated uniquely and can use different items for certain moves, but these differences are purely visual. Dlala told Digital Trends this decision was made because they realize each one of the four is someone's favorite character, and they didn't want to punish someone for picking their favorite by locking away abilities or making them easier or harder to play as.
Thankfully, the core platforming is more than enough fun to make up for it. During my demo, I could pull off a satisfying double jump and wall jump to get to new places, but Dlala teased that more abilities like gliding, swinging on grapple points, and swimming will come later in the adventure. When these are unlocked, the game's map will mark where these moves can be used to access new areas, making it an approachable Metroidvania.