10 Nintendo game fans predict every time a direct message is announced

I'll be the first to lean into the moments of excitement Nintendo gives us during Nintendo Directs every time we have one, but I'd be lying if I said I still bought into the hype that a new game in a long-dormant series will be announced at each one.

When you read comments on social media or the Nintendo Direct chat itself, you'll see people clamoring for Nintendo to bring us a handful of specific games, whether it's a new entry in iconic series or long-awaited ports of older or international games. Here are some you will see during each Direct.

10

Pokémon

We already know we'll be getting new Pokemon games in the main series soon, with Pokemon Wind and Pokemon Waves slated to launch sometime in 2027, but even with something new announced fans are after more.

And it is after we confirmed that we would be getting a new main series Pokemon! You'll hear cries far and wide for Pokemon content to appear during Nintendo Direct broadcasts, and after a lackluster previous generation outshined by spin-offs like Pokemon Legends: ZA, we're all excited to see more of Wind and Waves soon.

9

Super Mario

Nintendo

Mario is Nintendo's mascot character and arguably one of the most recognized faces in video games, even with people who don't play them or know much about them, and while we've had plenty of side missions and spin-offs lately, the man himself hasn't had a new main series game in nearly a decade.

Super Mario Odyssey wasn't a launch title for the original Nintendo Switch, but it served as the obligation for many people who didn't already have one to go out and get one so they could enjoy the colorful, lively adventure for themselves. One day we will get the magic back!

8

Metroid Prime

Even though we just got a new Metroid game at the end of 2025, it's not something fans didn't see coming, with cries for new Metroid games coming from every corner of the internet for years. Although there had been other Metroid games in the main series, fans went 18 years between entries in the Metroid Prime sub-series.

It was announced in 2017, but production delays and entire reboots pushed the game back another eight years. However, fans don't want Nintendo to do the same thing twice, so expect to see fans asking for more every time we get a Nintendo Direct.

7

Fire emblem

While there's hardly a shortage of Fire Emblem games, with only ten of the 26 years so far this century not seeing a relaunch, you'll always hear fans clamoring to see more of the new game coming next. There are plenty of great TTRPG titles out there, but once you have a favorite, it's hard not to want more!

Fire Emblem fans got their wish this time at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, which saw the announcement of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and its release date in September of this year.

6

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate began development before the original Switch was even announced to the public with the now iconic trailer and sound effects, at the request of Satoru Iwata shortly before his passing. Masahiro Sakurai, the original creator, tackled the task with flying colors, including every single character that has appeared in a Smash Bros. title to date in 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Even though we got wave after wave of DLC fighters between the game's launch and October 2021, fans are clamoring for a new era of Super Smash Bros. finally about to start. We're nearly a decade since the last entry in the series, so there's no reason to doubt that there will be another game in the works at some point in the Switch 2's lifespan.

5

Xenoblade Chronicles

There will always be a handful of iconic ARPG titles that have fans desperate for more, and Xenoblade Chronicles has been high on the list since its debut on the Wii back in 2010. Its story is widely praised and criticized, the combat always feels seamless, and I bet you'll find a character you love for a long time.

Nintendo appeared in spades for the Xenoblade fans out there during the June 2026 Direct, announcing not only a port of the Definitive Edition to the Switch 2, but also a brand new entry to the series in Xenoblade Genesis, which will launch sometime next year.

4

Duskbloods

Revealed in April 2025 and kept mostly secret since then, The Duskbloods is definitely the newest game on our list of titan series that people are always clamoring for more of with Nintendo Directs, but that doesn't make information about it any less welcome!

The June 2026 Nintendo Direct finally showed more of the enticing title, with FromSoftware showing off images for their upcoming Switch 2 original. There is a closed network test for the game this coming summer, with the formal release date yet to be announced.

3

A new Mainline Zelda game

While there was plenty of love for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom when it launched in 2024, I can't imagine a fan of the Zelda series would ever turn down the option of having a new Zelda game in the background. While the direction the main games are headed is up for debate online, I'm sure a new Zelda game would sell well.

Tears of the Kingdom was to Breath of the Wild what Majora's Mask was to Ocarina of Time, so I imagine the next mainline Zelda title will probably be something more original. Whether they're open or closed, they can't keep us in this version of Hyrule forevercan they

2

An old Zelda game

While many fans want new Zelda titles to keep rolling out, there are also many of us who enjoy a good remake every now and then. They've always been fans of porting older games to newer consoles, so no one imagined it would be out of Nintendo's wheelhouse to remake another one for the Switch 2 any time soon.

And this time it paid off. After a flurry of rumors alluding to it online, Nintendo announced a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, long heralded as one of the most iconic video games of all time. It's slated for a 2026 launch as well, so we're sure to see more information on that sooner rather than later.

1

Animal Crossing

One of the more beloved cozy games out there, Animal Crossing has had a long life so far, with new games rolling out for both Nintendo's handhelds and home consoles throughout the 2000s so far. Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched right at the start of the 2020 global shutdowns, bringing some semblance of normalcy to those who desperately lacked it.

With ACNH's heyday long gone, with even its waves of DLC now passed, we're all just waiting, twiddling our thumbs and waiting until a new entry in the series is finally announced. It feels less like an “if” these days, but a “when.”