Nintendo's September Direct gave Metroid a hungry new twist and Kirby an open world
A day after the Zelda anniversary show, the general Nintendo Direct was headlined by two Switch 2 exclusives: Metroid Ravenous, a 2D adventure where Samus drains her enemies to survive, out 28 January 2027, and Kirby and the World Beyond, an open-world 3D Kirby for spring 2027. The rest leaned on ports and enhanced editions, which is why reaction was split.
Nintendo's general Direct on 9 September 2026, the day after the separate Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct, ran about 45 minutes and was headlined by two new Switch 2 exclusives. Metroid Ravenous is a 2D action-adventure set after Metroid Dread, in which Samus drains the life from stunned enemies to grow stronger, out 28 January 2027. Kirby and the World Beyond is an open-world 3D Kirby adventure for spring 2027. Much of the rest of the show was Switch 2 Editions and third-party ports, which is why reaction was divided.
Nintendo ran two Directs on back-to-back days, and they had very different jobs. The 8 September show was a love letter to Zelda's 40th anniversary. The 9 September one, the subject here, was the workhorse: a roughly 45-minute general Direct laying out the Switch 2 line-up for winter and into 2027. It had two genuine first-party reveals worth getting excited about, and a long tail of re-releases that split the audience. Here is what was actually new, and what was a familiar game in a new coat.
The headliner: Metroid Ravenous
The standout was Metroid Ravenous, a new 2D action-adventure starring Samus Aran, exclusive to Switch 2 and dated for 28 January 2027. It appears to be set after the events of Metroid Dread, with Samus stranded and injured on an alien moon after an attack, and survival the immediate goal.
The hook is a new mechanic that flips the series' usual rhythm. Samus stuns a foe (Dread's parry-counter returns), then drains its life force with her hand, disintegrating the enemy entirely and growing stronger in the process. It is a distinctly hungrier, more predatory Samus, underlined by Nintendo's tagline for the game, "It's Eat or Be Eaten." She is also unusually talkative, narrating the reveal trailer, which is notable for a character who is normally near-silent. Nintendo also announced amiibo, including a Special Edition bundle with a steel case and an exclusive suited-Samus figure.
One thing to be precise about: Metroid Ravenous is the first new 2D Metroid since 2021's Dread, not the first new Metroid overall. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, a 3D entry, launched in December 2025. And Nintendo has not officially named the studio developing Ravenous; MercurySteam, which made Samus Returns and Dread, hinted at involvement with a social-media post, but that is a strong hint, not a confirmation.
Kirby gets an open world
The other new first-party reveal was Kirby and the World Beyond, described as an open-world 3D adventure built around Kirby's signature inhale-and-copy ability, coming to Switch 2 in spring 2027. That window lines up with the Kirby series' 35th anniversary. Nintendo kept the details light, but an open-world structure is a meaningful step up in ambition for the pink puffball's 3D outings.
What else was actually new
Beyond the two headliners, the genuinely new first-party items were thinner on the ground:
- Nintendo Switch Sports Resort for Switch 2, dated 22 October 2026.
- A free Star Fox update adding a four-player battle mode, plus Star Fox Adventures joining the GameCube titles in Nintendo Classics.
- A free Mario Kart World update adding ten classic Super Mario Kart courses.
The catch: a lot of this was ports
Here is the honest framing of the rest of the show, and the reason reaction was mixed. A large share of the runtime went to Switch 2 Editions, remasters and third-party ports rather than new Nintendo games. Among the items that are ports or enhanced editions rather than fresh reveals: Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 (Capcom remakes coming to Switch 2), Monster Hunter Wilds, Final Fantasy VII Revelation and Crisis Core, Persona 4 Revival, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Definitive Edition, and Switch 2 Editions of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and Pikmin 4. They are worth having, but they are not the same as a new Mario or a new Metroid.
Why reaction was split
Put those two things together, two strong first-party reveals and a bench heavy on re-releases, and you get the "was it enough?" debate that followed the show. Critics pointed to the reliance on enhanced editions and the absence of a new mainline 3D Mario or a Super Smash Bros. title. Defenders argued that two major first-party reveals plus a deep third-party slate is a healthy mid-generation showing, and that Nintendo has to pace its heavy hitters across a multi-year Switch 2 lifecycle. Both readings are fair; which one you hold probably depends on what you were hoping to see.
Note that the Ocarina of Time remake, which dominated headlines that week, was not part of this Direct. It was revealed at the separate Zelda 40th Anniversary show on 8 September; you can read about that in our piece on the Ocarina of Time remake. For more, see the gaming section.
The new Switch 2 games at a glance
| Game | Type | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Metroid Ravenous | New 2D action-adventure (Switch 2) | 28 January 2027 |
| Kirby and the World Beyond | New open-world 3D adventure (Switch 2) | Spring 2027 |
| Nintendo Switch Sports Resort | New sports title (Switch 2) | 22 October 2026 |
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