Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 2.5.2026

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created in WrestleCorp. However, I will not only share my thoughts on certain video games and video game series, but also on video game movies, anime, digital presentations, and more.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll share my thoughts on the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase on February 5, 2026.

Before I begin, please note that not every game shown in this presentation will be discussed, as I will primarily focus on games that I am particularly interested in and care about. If the games you care about and are interested in don't show up here, don't take it personally, have nothing against the games, but they're just not for me, or it's just that I don't have much to say about them except cool. However, if you're happy with the games that you care about and are interested in, I have nothing to say about it; good for you, and I'm happy for you.

Anyway, let's get started!

This Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase will cover Switch 2 and Switch games from third-party publishers and developers that are coming in the future, so let's get to it!

Orbitals is an intergalactic two-player co-op adventure game developed by Shapefarm and published by Kepler Interactive. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 in Summer 2026.

This is one of the games that had my interest when they showcased it in the Game Awards that caught my interest, so great to see it again here. I still love the art style of this game, and the co-op gameplay looks like a lot of fun, basically, It Takes Two and Split Fiction in anime form, which is awesome. Looking forward to seeing more of this game once it's released this summer.

PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse is a supernatural mystery adventure game developed and published by Square Enix. The game is set to be released on Switch on February 19, 2026. 

Oh wow, didn't expect another PARANORMASIGHT game, but this is a very welcome surprise. The first PARANORMASIGHT game, PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, was pretty good, so nice to see a sequel; it looks quite interesting in terms of story. Very curious to see how this game will turn out overall once it's released in a few weeks.

CAPTAIN TSUBASA 2: WORLD FIGHTERS is a sports game developed by TAMSOFT CORPORATION and published by Bandai Namco. The game is set to be released on Switch in 2026.

Didn't expect a CAPTAIN TSUBASA game to show up here, but a nice surprise regardless. If you want a soccer sports game in anime form, this is the game for you. Very curious to see how the game will turn out overall, and we'll probably see more of it soon once it's released later this year.

TOKYO SCRAMBLE is a survival puzzle game developed by Adglobe Inc. and published by Binary Haze Interactive. The game will be released on Switch 2 on February 11, 2026.

This was an interesting game that they showcased here, with it being a survival puzzle game. The fact that there are a bunch of dinosaurs in this game reminds me of Dino Crisis a bit. Very curious to see how the game will turn out overall, and we won't have to wait as it'll be released next week, or right now by the time you're reading this.

Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a 2D action-adventure game developed and published by Team Cherry, which is available now on Switch 2.

I mean, with Hollow Knight: Silksong getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, it was no surprise that Hollow Knight would get one, and it looks like it's coming sooner than expected, which is great to see. The better framerate should make the gameplay more interesting, and curious to see how the game will turn out overall as it's available now to play.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is an action role-playing game developed by Claytechworks and published by Square Enix. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 on June 18, 2026.

The first time we saw this game back at the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase last July, I was impressed by it, as this is the first-ever HD-2D action RPG, and it looks incredible. The demo for this game was pretty good too when it was first released, and it has a lot of potential. We won't have to wait long now as it'll be released in four months.

SUPER BOMBERMAN COLLECTION is a collection of action maze games developed by Hudson Soft and published by Konami, which will include the following games: SUPER BOMBERMAN, SUPER BOMBERMAN 2, SUPER BOMBERMAN 3, SUPER BOMBERMAN 4, SUPER BOMBERMAN 5, Bomberman, and Bomberman II. The collection is available now digitally on Switch 2 and Switch, while the physical version of the collection will be released on Switch 2 and Switch in August 2026.

Wait, what?! We're getting a collection of SUPER BOMBERMAN games?! Amazing! This is something I didn't see coming, and it's a welcome surprise as the SUPER BOMBERMAN games are just classics to play. We also get the two NES Bomberman games, which are quite cool too. The fact that this collection can be played digitally now is awesome, and looking forward to replaying these games once I get the chance to.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix, where the game is set to be released on Switch 2 on June 3, 2026.

Well, this game was going to be coming to Switch 2 eventually, but the fact that it's coming a lot sooner than expected is surprising. This game is one of my favorite games in 2024, and I'm glad to see that more people will get to experience it as it's awesome. The Switch 2 version of the game looks great and runs smoothly, from the trailer we saw. Looking forward to the final product on Switch 2 once it's released in four months. 

PRAGMATA is an action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom, which will be released on Switch 2 on April 24, 2026.

I'm still amazed that this game is coming to Switch 2, but it's awesome to see, and the Switch 2 version actually looks pretty good too. The framerate seems to be steady for the Switch 2 version as well, which is nice to see, and the fact that a demo is available for players to play the game is also great. This game has a lot of potential to be amazing, and I can't wait to play it myself once it's released in two months.

Turok: Origins is an action-adventure game developed and published by Saber Interactive, which will be released on Switch 2 in Fall 2026.

The last time we saw this game was back at the Game Awards 2024, so great to see the game again with more gameplay and an official release window, which is nice to see. The amount of customization in this game is great to see, and playing online with friends should be a lot of fun as well. Curious to see how this game will do overall once it's released this fall.

Kyoto Xanadu is an action role-playing game developed and published by Nihon Falcom, where the game is set to be released on Switch 2 and Switch in Summer 2026.

Okay, didn't expect an Xanadu game to take place in Kyoto instead of Tokyo, but a welcome surprise regardless. The trailer that we've seen for this game looks great, with the combination of different gameplay styles, which should make the game a lot more fun to play. Quite curious to see how the final game will turn out and hope to see more of it soon once it's released this summer.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a role-playing game developed by Media.Vision and published by Bandai Namco. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 and Switch on July 10, 2026.

I had a feeling that this game would eventually come to Switch 2, and I was right, but the fact that it's coming to Switch as well is very surprising. This game, to me, is one of the better Digimon RPGs recently, so if you're into Digimon and RPGs in general, I would recommend playing this game. Curious to see how this game will do on Switch 2 and Switch once it's released in five months.

Grandblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok is an action role-playing game developed and published by Cygames. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 on July 9, 2026.

Wow, didn't expect this game to be released on Switch 2, but this is a nice surprise regardless. The game looks great on Switch 2 and runs pretty well on the system as well. The fact that they added the expansion to this edition is awesome as well. I'm looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out on Switch 2 once it's released in five months.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is a role-playing game developed and published by Capcom, which will be released on Switch 2 on March 13, 2026.

We've seen this game numerous times from Nintendo already, and it continues to look great every time we see it. Glad to see that Capcom is promoting this series and the fact that we're getting a demo for this game as well, which carries save data to the full game, is always a nice treat. Looking forward to the full game itself once it's released next month.

Arcade Archives 2: Rave Racer is an arcade racing game developed and published by Bandai Namco, which will be released on Switch 2 and Switch on February 26, 2026.

Very nice to see that Rave Racer will be added to the Arcade Archives, as it's one of the fun arcade racing games that Bandai Namco developed back in the day. Not only that, it's coming out a lot sooner than expected as well, which is a nice touch. Looking forward to replaying it on modern consoles once it's released in a few weeks.

Console Archives is a collection of console retro games, which will include the following: Doraemon, SONIC WINGS Special, Dezaemon Plus, Monster Rancher Hop A Bout, Cool Boarders, and Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos are now available on Switch 2, while the rest of the games will come out in the future.

Oh wow, this was a very nice surprise that I didn't see coming at all, but great to see regardless. The collection has a great selection of games as well, with more to come in the future, and I'm excited to see what other games they'll bring to the collection. Until then, Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos are available now if you want to try them out.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a beat 'em up action game developed and published by Tribute Games, which will be released on Switch 2 and Switch on March 3, 2026.

Nice to see that we finally got a release date for the game, as it continues to look great in terms of its art style and gameplay. If it's anything from what we expected from this series, we're in for a treat. Looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out once it's released next month.

Another Eden Begins is a time-traveling role-playing adventure game developed and published by WRIGHT FLYER STUDIOS, which will be released on Switch 2 and Switch in Summer 2026.

This game looks pretty good from the trailer we saw here, as it looks to be a classic JRPG, which I'm totally for. I really like the art style for this game, as well as it has an old classic Square Enix style to it, which I like. Hope to see more of this game in the future once it's released this summer.

REANIMAL is a horror adventure game developed by Tarsier Studios and published by THQ Nordic. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 on February 13, 2026.

Nice to see that REANIMAL will be coming to Switch 2, as the more platforms the game is on, the better. This game is developed by The Little Nightmare team, so if you enjoy those games, this might be the game for you. We'll see how the Switch 2 version will turn out once it's released next week.

Culdcept BEGINS is a board and card game developed and published by Neo Corporation, which is set to be released on Switch 2 and Switch on July 16, 2026.

Oh wow, didn't expect another Culdcept game, but this is a welcome surprise regardless. It has been a while since the last Culdcept game as well, so this is a treat. If you're into card and board games, this is a game that you might want to try out. Hope to see more of this game in the future once it's released in five months.

Tales of ARISE - Beyond the Dawn Edition is an action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco, which is set to be released on Switch 2 on May 22, 2026.

I had a feeling that this game was coming to Switch 2 sooner rather than later, and it looks like it's coming a lot sooner than expected, which is a great thing. Though I'm quite surprised that they showcased this game at a highlight reel rather than its own highlight, but that's just me. Either way, glad to see that the game will come with the expansion as well. Looking forward to seeing how this game will do on Switch 2 once it's released in three months.

Resident Evil Requiem is a survival horror game developed and published by Capcom, which will be released on Switch 2 on February 27, 2026.

I'm still amazed that this game is coming to Switch 2, but here we are as we're getting closer to the release date. I just find it funny in the trailer that they showcased, no gore at all, because Nintendo wants to keep it clean for the possible children watching, which I understand, but I just find it funny. The Switch 2 Pro Controller is looking pretty good, and the amiibo aren't looking bad for Grace and Leon, but surprised that the amiibo won't release until this summer, which is quite interesting. Regardless, looking forward to playing this game once it comes out in a few weeks.

Resident Evil Biohazard Gold Edition and Resident Evil Village Gold Edition are survival horror games developed and published by Capcom, which will be released on Switch 2 on February 27, 2026.

They mentioned that these games would be coming to Switch 2 on the same day as Resident Evil Requiem, which was expected, but still cool to see them coming to Switch 2 being native rather than cloud, and that's awesome. These games kind of brought back Resident Evil in the survival horror aspect, so I hope these games do well on Switch 2. We'll see how they do overall once they're released in a few weeks.

Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition is an open-world role-playing game developed and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 on February 24, 2026.

We knew that this game would be coming to Switch 2, but glad to see Nintendo reminding fans that the game will be coming to Switch 2 for those who didn't know. Nice to see that this game will have all of the expansions in one collection, as I'm curious to see how this version will turn out overall. We'll see how this version of Fallout 4 does once it's released in a few weeks.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an action-adventure game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 on May 12, 2026.

We knew that this game would be coming to Switch 2, but glad to see an official release for the game coming to the system as it's coming a lot sooner than expected. This is another game that I'm really impressed by that is coming to Switch 2, but glad to see it's coming to the system as it's a really good game. Very curious to see how the Switch 2 version will turn out once it's released in three months.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Remastered is an action role-playing game developed by Virtuous and published by Bethesda. The game is set to be released on Switch 2 in 2026.

Okay, this is a game that I should expected to come to Switch 2, but still surprised regardless, as I thought Bethesda would release Skyrim on Switch 2 like Betshesda loves to bring that game to every console on Earth. However, this is a great get for Nintendo because before Skyrim, Oblivion was the best Elder Scrolls game, so glad to see this game on modern consoles. We'll see how this game does on Switch 2 once it's released later this year.

Overall, this was a solid presentation from Nintendo. Even though there were great surprises and great trailers showcased in this presentation, the order and pacing of the presentation was definitely questionable, especially the close,r as I felt like the Bethesda games could've been showcased in the middle while Final Fantasy VII Rebirth would be a great closer in my opinion. Despite that, there are a lot of third-party games coming to Switch 2, and it's incredible to see. Hope this will continue in the Switch 2 lifespan.

You can catch the whole presentation of the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase with the link below:

What are your thoughts on this Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase?

What were your highlights, and what games do you really want?

Let me know in the comments below, and thank you for reading.