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    Nintendo Direct Predictions – February 8, 2023

    Time for some sweet predictions.

    It’s Nintendo Direct season! There are all sorts of wild rumors and speculation floating about, so we thought it would be a great time to list some of our predictions for the February 2023 Nintendo Direct! There are dozens of predictions I believe could come true tomorrow, especially considering we don’t know barely any of Nintendo’s 2023 games lineup.

    While I do not expect next-gen hardware to be shown off at all, I do believe we could see new hardware at the show. I won’t reveal any of my predictions up front, however, so let’s dive in and explore some predictions for the February 2023 Nintendo Direct!

    Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Gets a Release Date

    Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp

    Probably one of the easiest predictions on this list, I can’t see this Nintendo Direct passing without the release date of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp being revealed. Personally, I expect the game to either shadow drop or release this Friday, February 10.

    I think this makes sense for a multitude of reasons, however, most obviously Nintendo has just been sitting on the title for quite some time.

    This title was originally announced back in the E3 2021 presentation, which was almost two years ago. The remakes of the first two Advance Wars titles have been handled by WayForward, with a really neat art style being utilized.

    I’m pretty excited to dive in and explore the first two games, especially since I have only gotten the chance to play the first title. If the title doesn’t get shadow dropped, I’d expect to see it drop sometime within the next few months.

    Baten Kaitos Remake Announced

    Baten Kaitos

    Last month, a brand new rumor popped up surrounding a Baten Kaitos remake. This specifically stated that Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean would be receiving a remake developed by both MonolithSoft and Bandai Namco. 

    This feels like an announcement we could absolutely see at the Nintendo Direct, especially because it would not overshadow other announcements. While it is a big announcement for RPG fans, games like Tears of the Kingdom will not be even close to being overshadowed by a Baten Kaitos remake.

    The Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch Gets Revealed

    Zelda OLED Switch

    Sometime last year, a ton of photos of a supposed Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch bundle got leaked. These are almost assuredly real, and I would expect to see this unit get revealed at some point during tomorrow’s Direct. 

    It makes complete sense as to why this would exist in the first place. The Legend of Zelda:  Tears of the Kingdom is likely to be one of the last giant Nintendo Switch games, and it does serve as the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time.

    Nintendo would be crazy not to have a limited edition bundle ready to go, especially as they look to sell millions of units in the next fiscal year.

    $70 Is the New Reality

    After the events of last night, I fully expect Nintendo to formally announce a price increase. I don’t expect them to slide it under the rug and ‘surprisingly’ drop the new price, however. I believe they will have either Doug Bowser or another Direct regular announce that games will be increasing across the board to $69.99.

    I am expecting this to start with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, so obviously titles like Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe will not be affected.

    While it is unfortunate this will most likely be a new reality, it does make sense for Nintendo. I’ll have some thoughts about this topic later this week, so do look forward to that.

    Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC Wave 3… And More?

    Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Wave 2 DLC

    Another obvious choice is the next wave of DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This seems like a given when considering the timing of this Direct, especially since there are still two more waves to be released for the game.

    The Hero for this wave has been leaked through a data mine, so I do expect this to be announced and given a release date. There is a significant question concerning if we will see Wave 4 or not, which is the story DLC. 

    I believe it could go either way, however, if we do see the story DLC I don’t expect to see barely anything more than a slight tease. More content is good content regardless, and I am very excited to see what the world of Aionios holds next!

    Donkey Kong Returns

    donkey-kong

    It’s about time we get a new Donkey Kong title. For a while, there was a rumor surrounding a new DK title developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team. While I doubt the validity of this rumor, I fully believe there is a new game somewhere.

    Donkey Kong deserves a game for the Nintendo Switch. The only title we’ve gotten on Switch is an enhanced port of Tropical Freeze. While an amazing game, I just do believe a new 2023 Donkey Kong title would be an incredible time on Switch.

    This one doesn’t seem too likely, unfortunately, however, there is always a possibility we do get a surprise announcement of a new DK title.

    A New Mario Game Announced Just in Time for the Movie

    Super Mario Bros.

    Mario will absolutely receive a new game announcement at this Nintendo Direct. With the release of the movie looming, this is the perfect time to reveal a new game. Each year, we’ve seen a new Mario sports title release on the Nintendo Switch. I believe a new Mario Baseball title makes plenty of sense for a Summer release, meaning we will see the title be revealed in this Direct.

    Additionally, it’s time for Nintendo to reveal a new 2D Mario title. It is long overdue considering we have not received a new 2D Mario on the Switch, only having gotten New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. There has never been a better time to release a new Mario title, but that reasoning is exactly why this prediction will not come true.

    Finally, I don’t think we’ll see a new 3D Mario game this year. Nintendo has had five years to announce a sequel to Super Mario Odyssey and they have yet to do so, which has led me and many others to believe the game does not exist. The next 3D Mario title will release on Nintendo’s next-generation hardware.

    Metroid Prime

    Metroid Prime 4 Logo

    Yes, it’s time. I am predicting that Metroid Prime 4 will premiere at this Direct. Since we still have yet to see anything at all surrounding the game, this would be the perfect time to give a small tease about the title.

    I think that a small tease at the end showing off in-game footage would be a perfect way to cap off the Direct. Especially with the price increase, I think Nintendo might use Prime 4 as a way to help “ease” people into it. When people have something grand to look forward to, money sometimes doesn’t matter as much.

    While instead of Prime 4 we might just see the forever-rumored Prime remaster, I believe that Metroid Prime will be at this show in one way or another. 

    Final Fantasy IX Remake

    Final Fantasy IX

    My final bold prediction is the reveal of Final Fantasy IX Remake. This title was originally revealed when the GeForce leak happened through NVIDIA, and to this day we have yet to see this title revealed. I think this is a perfect title to reveal through Nintendo, especially because it assuredly is not as big as Final Fantasy XVI or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

    I expect this remake to be pretty but nowhere near the scale of the aforementioned titles. This is a perfect title for Nintendo Switch. Playing a beautiful remake of Final Fantasy IX on the go is honestly a dream. I hope we finally see this title after a long period of waiting.

    That wraps up the February 2023 Nintendo Direct predictions! Let us know your thoughts and predictions on Twitter!

    Noah Hunter
    Noah Hunter
    Noah is Final Weapon’s Editor-in-Chief. He co-founded the website in June 2019 and has been writing for it ever since. In total, he has over five years of writing experience across many publications, including IGN Entertainment. His favorite series include Xeno and Final Fantasy.

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