Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025 - Laik's Predictions and Wishes

 

When I commissioned Ghostlykuma for this particular piece of art, it was specifically for these events!

This is it, people. The first actual mainline Nintendo Direct event since before the Switch 2 launched, clocking in at “approximately” 60 minutes of raw Nintendo goodness. We haven’t had such a meaty event in foreeeever. And considering Nintendo’s ability to cram a ton of announcements in just 25 minutes, the possibilities with an hour-long persentation is staggering!

I don’t have a lot of time tonight so I wanna get this typed up and then get some rest because work has been roooough the past few days, thanks to poor scheduling and a lack of help. 

Predictions!

- Cold open with MonolithSoft’s new title, Xenoblade 4! Looks drop dead gorgeous and will have performance and presentation modes. New continuity not linked to original trilogy.
- New trailers for both Tomodachi Life and Rhythm Heaven, both to include Switch 2 enhancements.
- Sizzle reel of upcoming Switch 2 Editions and updates to take advantage of the console’s massive leap in power, including Xenoblade 1, 2 and 3 going full 1080@60fps.
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment gets a January 2026 release date, keeping it in the Winter 2025 window.
- Brand new Metroid Prime 4 trailer, ending with a December 4th release date.
- Digimon Story: Time Stranger for Switch 2 launching same day as other consoles, demo out same day as Direct.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake gets a November release date, along with the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for Spring 2026 (Got the date wrong, but eh, I'll still take it)
- Dragon Quest VII Fragments of the Forgotten Past HD Remaster announcement. (Nailed it)
- Resident Evil 7 Switch 2 Edition announced, launching the same day as Direct. Physical edition to follow along with Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 Remakes and Resident Evil 8 Village. Finally, the Resident Evil announcement block ends with Resident Evil 9 Requiem coming day and date with other consoles next year. (Didn't get the remakes, but 7, 8 AND 9 are all coming to Switch 2 next year!)
- Midway cold trailer: Sonic the Hedgehog 2026, launching Holiday 2026
- Mario 40th Anniversary Block! Miyamoto pops up, giving us the title for the next Mario movie (Super Mario World), along with a few more voice actors, for Yoshi specifically. From there, we get a string of micro announcements, like merchandise, collaborations, and amusement park stuff. The block ends with the reveal of the next big 3D Mario game, and it’s going to cause jaws to drop. Fully open world, with fully explorable Mushroom Kingdom. Side quests. Yoshi and, eventually, a Kart will be your main means of transportation. (I got the 40th anniversary block right and that was about it)
- After another series of headlines, including the announcement that Animal Crossing is coming to the Gamecube Nintendo Classics app later that day, we land at our final announcement of the day with a dramatic fade out…
- Resident Evil 0 is back in a full 3D remake on the Switch 2! Launching Summer 2026.

Wishes!!

- There are quite a few ports that I am particularly interested in that, while I got to play them on the Steam Deck, it wasn’t the best experience: The main one being Visions of Mana. I loved the game, but I don’t feel I got to really experience the game due to it just not running all that great on the Deck. 
- Also from Square-Enix, I would love to see the long-rumored Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Trigger remakes that have, at least as far as the first title goes, been in development limbo for a while, with no insider really knowing what’s going on there.
- I want another Zelda game in the same graphical style of Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom, but in full 3D and taking advantage of the fact that they’re plastic figurines. There are so many possibilities there from a game mechanic wise, especially with a Zelda game.
- Some sort of compilation of the Dreamcast/Gamecube era Sonic the Hedgehogs would be really nice. Adventure 1, 2, Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog in one package.
As much as a long shot as it is, I want Mega Man back. I wouldn’t care if it was Mega Man 12, or Mega Man X9, or even a brand new Battle Network-style game. I just want my Blue Bomber back, and on a new adventure.

 

(May or may not update later)