I’d like to keep expectations realistic, and the way I conclude what is realistic, is by looking at the content of past directs.   The best comparison would probably be last year’s Nintendo Direct “mini” that happened on January 11th, 2018.   Like the upcoming Direct, the “mini” was used to kick-start a new year and make some big announcements after closing out a successful holiday season.  In the “mini” we ended up getting several new announcements, 3 New Ports, 2 Remake/Remasters, 3 Newly Announced Games,  2 New DLC’s Announced and 2 Updates.   I would be ecstatic to get an equal line-up of announcements this year, and it’s why I keep pointing out this was labeled as a “mini”

When going into 2018 we were pretty much in the dark about the year’s upcoming line-up.  The only confirmed Nintendo published releases at this point were Bayonetta 2/1 (announced only a month before) and Kirby Star Allies.

In 2019 we already know about several Nintendo published games expected for release:

• Animal Crossing
• Luigi’s Mansion 3
• Daemon X Machina
• Yoshi’s Crafted World
• Fire Emblem Three Houses
• Pokemon (Main Game)
• Yo-Kai Watch 4
• Town (Tentative Title)
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (already released)
• Bayonetta 3 – (Maybe not 2019)

This probably means we are less likely to get as many “new” announcements this year, but more likely to receive plenty of new information regarding these previously announced titles.   Most of these games we only know are in development and we don’t know anything else as we’ve never seen footage of them.   Surely through the year we will encounter some other surprises and new games too though, but maybe not as much from Nintendo as last year.

Third parties now have had a good amount of time to gauge the market for the Switch, and surely they’ve seen it’s a huge success.  Studios have also had time to sit down with development kits for about 2 years now, so that also means they’re probably ready to start rolling out more projects now.   I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the “new” announcements we get this year are in regards to third party games.

Here is a re-cap of last January’s Nintendo Direct, just to see the caliber of titles that were announced.

• Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
• Hyrule Warrios
• Y’s VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

• The World Ends With You: Final Remix
• Dark Souls Remastered

• Mario Tennis Aces
• SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
• Fe

• Kirby Star Allies Release Date Announcement
• Payday 2 Release Date Announcement (February 27)’

• Donkey Kong DLC (Mario + Rabbids)
• Luigi Balloon Hunt Free (Super Mario Odyssey)

There’s some rumors and speculation about what’s going to be shown/announced in the next Direct.  I’ve put together a list of things that have been circulating as possibly being announced

• Already Announced Games Get Updates – We already know we’ll get a look at Fire Emblem 3 Houses, but we might also get to see some Luigi’s Mansion 3, Bayonetta 3 or Animal Crossing updates too. Dragon Quest Builders 2 and Dragon Quest X-S will likely get a release date (and maybe a related Smash character reveal). I would expect a release date for Spyro Trilogy remaster, and definitely expect release date/windows on all of the Capcom and Square Remasters/Ports that were announced in the last Nintendo Direct. Another forgotten title I’m expecting updated release info on is Shakedown Hawaii by VBlank (creators of Retro City Rampage), I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s released in the eShop tomorrow.

• Assassin’s Creed III Remaster – There have already been leaks that this is coming to Switch, and it was already on the Wii U, so it might not be too hard of a port. The funny thing is, I bought this on 360 and sold it later without ever playing it. After that, I bought it on Wii U and sold it without ever playing it. I wonder if I’ll buy it and play it on Switch.

• Frostbite Engine on Switch – There’s rumors that EA has got the Frostbite Engine running on the Switch, if that’s true, what games become a possibility?  Most likely it means we get a version of FIFA 20 that will be closer to the PS4/XB1 counterparts, but I do not think we’d get that announcement this soon.    It also opens the possibility for Madden 20, but again, I don’t think that announcement is happening this time of the year (maybe some sort of Madden 19 Super Bowl Edition?).  Battlefield V would be an awesome game for the Switch, but it’d have to be severely gimped, and it’d probably run awful on the Nintendo online service.   So what the hell might they announce!?  Maybe we’ll see a Need For Speed, Plants vs Zombies or maybe even some sort of Anthem port is coming later 2019 to the Switch.

• Link’s Awakening Remake – There were rumors over a year ago that Link’s Awakening Remake was coming to the 3DS, and in November last year, Game Informer Editor Imran Khan said “the next Zelda will be sooner than we think”. This has caused rumors and speculation to go towards the rumored Link’s Awakening Remake to be on the Switch, or even a Majora’s Mask quasi-sequel, but I personally think the Majora’s Mask thing is more in line with the DLC Nintendo’s President wants for the Switch’s biggest titles.

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