Since 2011, Nintendo has cemented a new way to share information about upcoming games and projects to their audience outside of the usual summer events season promotions, the Nintendo Direct. Other companies followed suit - PlayStation State of Play, Inside Xbox, etc. - and for good reason. These shows, which range from a few minutes to nearly an hour, deliver exciting updates in a convenient way that forgoes the necessity to always hold in-person events that not everyone can attend, and they can happen at any time of year.
As Nintendo continues to use the Direct as its main way of detailing its biggest games, we thought it would be a great time to look back at the biggest moments from their long history.
We’ve chosen to focus on multi-game Nintendo Directs (no Nindie or Indie World Showcases as those have often been cyclically tied to events like GDC and PAX, no single-game or Pokemon Directs as those are also often cyclical, no Super Smash Bros. - Mr. Sakurai Presents, or the Super Nintendo World Direct) that have aired since the Nintendo Switch was released on March 3, 2017, and specifically we’re counting up the ones that occurred in North America. Don’t worry, we’ve also included some highlights of the years before as well.
As we wait for the next Nintendo Direct that will hopefully reveal more about the Breath of the Wild sequel that was just delayed to Spring 2023 and more potential surprises, let’s take a look at all the Directs that led us to where we are today.
2011 - The Dawn of the Nintendo Direct
Nintendo officially debuted its Nintendo Direct format on October 21, 2011. The Direct was introduced by former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime and he also famously started the presentation by saying, “For this first installment, we’ve got some important news if you’re an owner of Nintendo 3DS or are just thinking of becoming one. And really, if you’re neither one yet, what’s wrong with you?” Oh, Reggie.
Two Nintendo Directs aired in 2011, including this one, and they were focused on announcements of the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii. Interestingly enough, the first-ever reveal from a Nintendo Direct was the news that Hulu Plus would be arriving on 3DS and Wii in the near future. That first direct also included updates on Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
2012 - The First Full Year of Nintendo Directs and the Launch of the Wii U
The first full year of Nintendo Directs featured 10 broadcasts that aired in North America, including many focused on the upcoming launch of the Nintendo Wii U. 2012’s Directs also included reveals and updates for New Super Mario Bros. 2, Fire Emblem Awakening, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Pokemon Black Version 2 and White Version 2.
2013 - The Wii U’s First Full Year and the Year of Luigi
2013 was the first full calendar year of the Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo aired 16 Nintendo Directs of various forms to highlight its news system. Highlights include Pokemon X & Y, Miiverse and Virtual Console, the Year of Luigi, The Wonderful 101, Wii Fit U, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and even one on the Nintendo 3DS Guide Louvre app.
2014 - The Year of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS and Mario Kart 8
Nine Directs occurred over the course of 2014, and one of the biggest Directs focused on Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for both the 3DS and Wii U. Other highlights include Hyrule Warriors for Wii U, Tomodachi Life, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, Splatoon, Ultimate NES Remix, amiibo, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2, and more.
2015 - The Year of the Puppets
2015 also had nine Nintendo Directs in North America, including those focused on the New Nintendo 3DS, Splatoon, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Mario Party 10, Star Fox Zero, The Legend of Zelda; Tri Force Heroes, Pokken Tournament, Fire Emblem Birthright/Conquest, and many more.
Oh, and who can forget the incredible puppet segments from E3 2015?!
2016 - The Year Before Nintendo Switch
As Nintendo geared up for the reveal and release of the Switch, it slowed down its Nintendo Direct presentations. In 2016, there were only four in North America, with only two being proper Nintendo Directs. The other two solely focused on Pokemon Sun and Moon and Pokemon’s 20th anniversary and Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo.
Nintendo made up for the slower yearby officially announcing the Nintendo Switch in October 2016, confirming its brand new hybrid system would be released in 2017.
Nintendo Direct (April 12, 2017) - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and ARMS
- Days Between Nintendo Directs: 223 Days
- Runtime: 35:49
The first Nintendo Direct following the launch of the Nintendo Switch focused heavily on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, and Splatoon 2. Nintendo still featured Nintendo 3DS games in its Directs, and this show included Hey! PIKMIN, games that celebrated Kirby’s 25th Anniversary, Miitopia, and more.
Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017 (June 13, 2017) - Metroid Prime 4, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC, Super Mario Odyssey’s Release Date
- Days Between Nintendo Directs: 62
- Runtime: 24:48
Ok, this one is not technically a Nintendo Direct as Nintendo chose to call it Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017, but we couldn’t not include an E3 presentation in this list, especially one of this magnitude that is pretty much a Direct anyway. While we got a lot of teases about upcoming franchises headed to Switch - Pokemon, Kirby, and Yoshi - it was also filled with the long-awaited announcement of Metroid Prime 4 (Where is that one already?!), DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and an extended trailer and release date for Super Mario Odyssey.
Oh, and the Spotlight was so jam-packed that Nintendo decided to save the announcement of 3DS’ Metroid: Samus Returns for its Treehouse Live stream.
Nintendo Direct (September 13, 2017) - Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Kirby Star Allies
- Days Between Nintendo Directs: 92 Days
- Runtime: 45:59
While Super Mario Odyssey was the star of September 2017’s Nintendo Direct, the show also gave us the release dates of both Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the official reveal of Kirby Star Allies, new details on what was then known as Project Octopath Traveler, Mario Party: The Top 100 for 3DS, updates on Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and even the Champions amiibo from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.