After the State of Play and the Xbox Games Showcase, Nintendo closed out the summer showcase season and gave the most to digest. This Direct had the range I always want: hype world premieres, satisfying updates on already announced games, and surprises no one could’ve saw coming. Narrowing this list to ten was harder than usual, which is the best kind of problem to have. So here’s my personal top 10 from the show, ranked by how much each one stuck with me. As always, your list will look different from mine, and that’s half the fun. Let’s get into it.
10. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: October 22, 2026
I’ll get my one gripe out of the way first: a lot of the sports here are reused from the original Nintendo Switch Sports with little to show for the jump to new hardware. That said, the 7 new additions look like real fun—Skateboarding, Table Tennis, and Boxing all caught my eye. I’m not completely sold on Thumb Wrestling yet, but I’ve been wrong about Nintendo’s stranger ideas before. I suspect once I actually get my hands on it, it’ll be a different story. It’s the easy crowd-pleaser of the show, and it earns its spot here.
9. Muramasa: Revenant Blades
Platforms: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, PC, PS5
Release date: Early 2027
I loved Muramasa back on the Wii—it always felt like a sleeper gem that deserved a far bigger audience than it got. The good news is that Vanillaware is in a completely different place now, with the likes of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn Overlord finally earning them the recognition they’ve long deserved. Muramasa: Revenant Blades gives this gorgeous 2D action game a real shot at a second chance, and that hand-painted art still looks stunning. Coming to Switch and Switch 2 in early 2027, it’s one I’m thrilled to see make a comeback.
8. Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: Spring 2027
I always thought Ninjala had an awesome vibe and art style. I didn’t stick with the actual game for long, but I enjoyed the aesthetic enough that I ended up watching a good chunk of the anime. A sequel was the last thing I expected see here today. A sequel that completely reinvents itself as a four-player open-world action-adventure even more so. Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet trades the original’s PvP for exploration, dungeons, and boss fights driven by that signature Ninja-Gum combat, and it looks like a ton of fun. A bold pivot I’m fully on board with.
7. Jujutsu Kaisen Rumble: Survivaton
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox, PC, PS5
Release date: 2026
poncle has quietly become one of the most innovative indie designers of the decade. Vampire Survivors spawned an entire genre, and Vampire Crawlers proved it wasn’t a one-trick pony. So watching them take that survivors-like formula and bend it into a light battle royale built on the acclaimed Jujutsu Kaisen license is a surefire hit in my eyes. Rumble: Survivaton drops up to eight players into pixel-art chaos with techniques like Domain Expansion and Black Flash, and it’s heading to Switch 2 this year.
6. Splatoon Raiders
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: July 23, 2026
I’ve been intrigued by Splatoon Raiders since its reveal, and this deeper look only raised my interest. It’s a single-player-focused spin-off (with 4-player co-op) that has you teaming up with Deep Cut to hunt treasure across the Spirahlite Islands. The Splatoon games have always had solid campaigns buried under their multiplayer, but this spin-off promises a far more robust experience than anything the team has done before. It’s a smart use of the franchise and it’s high on my must-play list.
5. Final Fantasy Resonance
Platforms: Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, Xbox, PC, PS5
Release date: October 22, 2026
This one had me grinning from the reveal. Final Fantasy Resonance is the first HD-2D Final Fantasy utilizing the gorgeous blend of pixel art and modern effects Square Enix has perfected. Even better, it’s a return to the pure turn-based combat the series has spent decades running away from. That’s the exact Final Fantasy I’ve been wishing for, and pairing it with that HD-2D style that looks so good on a handheld screen is almost too perfect. Sign me up yesterday. It lands October 22 on Switch and Switch 2, and I can’t wait.
4. Xenoblade Genesis (and the Xenoblade Switch 2 Editions)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: Genesis in 2027; Switch 2 Editions: XC1 available now, XC2 July 30, XC3 December 3, 2026
A brand-new Xenoblade saga, built from the ground up with Switch 2 power in Monolith Soft’s hands, is about as safe a bet for an S-tier series in the making as it gets. Xenoblade Genesis also looks an awful lot like the medieval fantasy action-RPG Monolith teased back in 2017, which has me even more curious. The lack of any real gameplay was the one miss of the showing, but the game looked gorgeous regardless. And the icing on the cake: the long-requested Xenoblade Switch 2 Editions are finally happening, with the first game shadow-dropped and available now. A great present and future for the series.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: 2026
To be honest, this would have likely been my number one if not for two things: they didn’t show any gameplay, and the surprise was spoiled ahead of time (thanks NateTheHate). Even so, there aren’t many remakes, if any, that could land with the impact of Ocarina of Time, which remains the highest-rated game of all time. The big question is how far they’re willing to go: a true reimagining, or a faithful 1:1 with better graphics only? I’m fascinated to find out. It’s a 2026 release, and it’s the reveal I most want to see more of.
2. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: September 17, 2026
As the resident Fire Emblem obsessive, this one was always going to rank high. Fortune’s Weave looked fantastic. It’s a huge graphical leap over Three Houses and Engage, even if it didn’t show much that’s new on the gameplay front just yet. My one real concern is the September 17 release date, which lands later than I’d hoped and in a brutally crowded spot on the calendar. But none of that changes the bottom line: it’s still the game I’ll pick over anything else releasing in September. Intelligent Systems rarely misses, and I’m counting down the days already.
1. Kingdom Hearts IV
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox, PC, PS5
Release date: TBA
It’s rare for a third-party game to top my Nintendo Direct list, but this one earned it without question. I never expected Kingdom Hearts IV to show up here. I figured State of Play or the Summer Game Fest and I gave up hope once both came and went without any trace of Sora. The shock of it appearing at the Direct, paired with how strong the game continues to look, made it an easy number one. It doesn’t hurt that Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite franchises of all time. Seeing the next mainline entry confirmed for Switch 2, running natively rather than over the cloud, is the kind of moment that defines a show. It is definitively my game of the Direct.
Final Thoughts
What a way to close out the summer. This Direct didn’t lean on any one thing and the variety is exactly why narrowing this to ten was such a challenge, and why I came away more excited about the Switch 2’s roadmap. Even the games that didn’t crack my list would be highlights at other showcases. Your top 10 will look different from mine, and I want to hear it. Drop your rankings and tell me why I’m wrong.
