Ten years ago, on October 21, 2011, the first-ever Nintendo Direct premiered on YouTube. The 7-minute presentation--only SEVEN minutes!--included updates on Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. A decade later the format has become the standard for delivering gaming news to the masses, be it PlayStation's State of Play, Microsoft's Inside Xbox, or other pre-recorded, livestream-style broadcasts throughout the industry.
Looking back at the history of Nintendo Direct is a tall order--there are to date close to 150 videos if we include the game-specific presentations like this month's Animal Crossing Direct or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Sora reveal. That didn't stop us though, and we've gone back and chosen our favorite announcements from the first decade of Directs. Check them out below, listed in chronological order from oldest to most recent.
(Oh, and in case you're wondering, the first-ever Nintendo Direct announcement was Hulu Plus coming to the Wii and 3DS. How far we've come.)
February 2012 - The Last Story Comes To America
The first "mic drop" announcement in Nintendo Direct's history came from the second-ever episode, as then-CEO of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Japanese-exclusive RPG The Last Story was making the trip to the West. The game was one of three Japan-only RPGs--along with Xenoblade Chronicles and Pandora's Tower--that a fan initiative called Operation Rainfall tried to convince Nintendo to localize. This announcement, cleverly grouped with a mention of Xenoblade Chronicles, was a huge boon to the group, who saw complete success when Pandora's Tower dropped in North America in 2013.
January 2013 - The First Pokemon Direct
While this wasn't the first Nintendo Direct devoted solely to one game--that distinction goes to the October 2, 2012 New Super Mario Bros. 2 presentation--this is the first Nintendo Direct to be themed around a single franchise. Fittingly, that franchise was the wildly successfulPokemon, which unveiled its debut on the Nintendo 3DS, Pokemon X and Y. The Direct ran through the entire Pokemon franchise to that point before airing the debut trailer for X and Y, and also showing off both games' starter Pokemon: Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. For the first topic-focused Direct, this one set a high bar.
February 2013 - The Year Of Luigi
"Hello everyone. You may be curious about why I am wearing this hat." As then-president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata said those words, little did the rest of us know we were about to kick off an entire year dedicated to everyone's favorite sidekick. Nearly half of this 40-minute presentation was dedicated to Luigi, from his history to his games (like Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Mario and Luigi: Dream Team), and the themed DLC New Super Luigi U. The rest of the Direct has some OK updates, but this was all about Luigi, and we loved it.
June 2013 - The First Digital-Only E3 Direct
This is a landmark in the history of Nintendo Direct: the first time Nintendo eschewed the bombastic live stage show format for its own digital event. While not the first E3 Direct--there was an "E3 Direct" that came out before the E3 2012 live briefing--this was the first time Nintendo put all of its eggs Directly into the Direct basket, and it paid off. Pokemon X and Y, Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and the debut of Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS--with the added punch of Mega Man joining the roster--made this a Direct to remember. The E3 booth tour by Satoru Iwata at the end was a nice touch. "Shall we go to the Pikmin area?" Yes we shall, Mr. Iwata.
July 2013 - The Art Of The Shadow Drop
A hallmark of modern Nintendo Directs is the "shadow drop," or a game that is announced during a Direct and then immediately released. "Play it today" is a phrase that Nintendo fans have grown accustomed to, and that began in earnest in July 2013 when the Super Nintendo classic Earthbound was unleashed onto the Wii U eShop the same day it was announced during this Nintendo Direct Mini. After this Direct, guessing how many games we'd be playing the same day they were announced became a rite of passage for Direct predictions, and we still get giddy when it happens.
(Wow, 2013 was a great year for Nintendo Direct, wasn't it?)
April 2014 - Tomodachi Direct Gets Weird
Just watch it. You'll understand.
June 2014 - Robot Chicken, Iwata Vs. Reggie, And More
We're not sure what's more surprising about this E3 Direct: Nintendo recruiting the Robot Chicken team for a series of skits (which were hilarious) or Miis being introduced to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS via an anime fistfight between two of its executives. This Direct also marks the debut of amiibo, Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, and the first slight tease of what would become The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. The tease of a new Star Fox game at the end--by Miyamoto himself no less--was the icing on the cake.