Nintendo Direct



Nintendo Direct (ニンテンドーダイレクト) is an online, often short presentation produced by Nintendo, where representatives from the company reveal information regarding their franchises, games or other products, including consoles.

History
The presentations began in Japan and North America with the first edition on October 21, 2011, before later expanding to Europe, Australia, and South Korea. In recent years, Nintendo has hosted these presentations at E3 in lieu of the traditional stage show.

Presenters of Nintendo Directs have included Satoru Iwata in Japan, Reggie Fils-Aime and Bill Trinen in North America and Satoru Shibata in Europe and Australia. Iwata presented for international Nintendo Directs on several occasions prior to his death in 2015. The show did not receive a worldwide host again until 2017, when Yoshiaki Koizumi from Nintendo EPD replaced Iwata.

Few Nintendo Direct presentations to date have featured Metroid content. This is because the presentations began airing during the series' second hiatus after the critically maligned Metroid: Other M. Metroid began to have representation at Nintendo Direct presentations starting in 2016.

June 3, 2012
During the Nintendo Direct at E3 2012, the "Mii Wara Wara" menu design depicts a Samus icon that a group of Miis who prefer the series group under. One Mii named AC states, "I've played just about every metroid game" amidst the other conversations. Another in the group, named Leo, remarked, "Back. He's baaaaaack..." The Samus icon is taken from a render of Samus on the Metroid Prime Trilogy reverse cover.

This Direct can be viewed here.

June 11, 2013 (Nintendo @ E3 2013)
The first trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U was revealed here, featuring Samus. She is one of the first characters shown off, alongside her series logo (taken from Other M), and is seen firing a blast at the screen. Samus appears in gameplay in the later part of the trailer, demonstrating the Zero Laser and firing a Charge Shot at Villager, only for him to catch it with his Pocket move.

This Direct can be viewed here.

April 8, 2014 (Super Smash Bros. Direct)
During this Direct, also focused on Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, more Metroid content was revealed for the games.

Stage bosses, such as Yellow Devil were revealed. A glimpse of Ridley's shadow was seen on the platform of the Pyrosphere stage, foreshadowing his appearance there. Dark Samus was confirmed to appear in the games as an Assist Trophy, while Mother Brain was shown in gameplay for the first time after being revealed on the official website.

Zero Suit Samus was confirmed to be returning as a playable character, although now as a standalone fighter rather than an alternate form of her suited self. Before she is introduced, the Zero Laser is demonstrated again. The presenter, Masahiro Sakurai notes that Samus's Power Suit no longer breaks into pieces after using the move, and claims that Zero Suit Samus will not return for these installments (her Super Smash Bros. Brawl artwork is displayed here, turning black and white), before a clip of her is shown in the Wii U game. Sakurai then admits he was joking.

Sakurai reveals that Zero Suit Samus now has Jet Boots that augment her attacks, as he felt she was not a strong character in Brawl (when in fact, she ranks highly on community tier lists). Her new moves are shown off, including Boost Kick.

Lastly, Charizard and Greninja were revealed as a returning solo and newcomer character during an ending scene. Samus is among the characters who engage Charizard before Greninja appears, firing a Missile that misses its target.

Brinstar (Metroid) plays as the Zero Laser is being demonstrated. Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior begins playing as Zero Suit Samus is revealed. Behind Sakurai, several Figma can be seen, including that of Samus from Metroid: Other M.

This Direct can be viewed here.

March 3, 2016
This presentation focused on upcoming Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games, hosted by Bill Trinen. It was the first time Nintendo had discussed Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a forthcoming Federation Marine-focused spinoff for the Nintendo 3DS, since E3 2015. When revealed, the reaction from critics and the Metroid fanbase was overwhelmingly negative, with much criticism directed at Nintendo for releasing a spinoff rather than a hardcore Metroid title after five years. Over a half hour into the 41 minute presentation, Trinen and Kensuke Tanabe address the controversy and explain more about the game.

They reveal that it began development in 2009, as Tanabe desired to create a multiplayer-focused Metroid Prime game on a handheld system, also featuring battles between the Space Pirates and Galactic Federation. Collaborating with Next Level Games, Tanabe experimented with the Nintendo DSi, but felt that it could not bring the performance they were hoping for. After the better-performing 3DS was revealed, they restarted development. Tanabe decided that the Federation-focused game would make more sense with the Federation Force as the protagonists rather than Samus, and also desired to implement RPG-like classes with the in-game AUX ammo. Tanabe ends his part of the presentation saying that he will explain the game's art style, Blast Ball and the AUX ammo further at another time, and promises fans that Federation Force belongs in the Metroid Prime universe.

The 'Project Golem' Game Trailer plays shortly after. Trinen returns and encourages fans to stay tuned for further news about the game. He also says that hands-on opportunities will be hosted by Nintendo, starting with WonderCon 2016. The game's release date is given as late Spring 2016. It ultimately came out on August 19.

The video was later titled "Nintendo Direct Presentation - Star Fox, Kirby, Samus & More | Game Overviews (3/3/16)", despite Samus only being a secondary character in the then-forthcoming spinoff.

This Direct can be viewed here.

June 13, 2017 (Nintendo Spotlight @ E3)
At E3 2017, Nintendo held a special Direct, the Nintendo Spotlight. Metroid Prime 4 was announced here, revealed to be in development for Nintendo Switch. As it was very early into development at the time (or starting), only a teaser trailer was shown. Metroid: Samus Returns, a 2.5D reimagining of Metroid II: Return of Samus for the Nintendo 3DS was revealed during the subsequent Treehouse Live broadcast an hour after the Spotlight presentation, with a trailer and gameplay footage demonstrated by Yoshio Sakamoto and Jose Luis Márquez.

This Direct can be viewed here.

September 13, 2017
This Nintendo Direct was hosted by Yoshiaki Koizumi, who presented forthcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch and 3DS. It aired on September 13, 2017, two days before Metroid: Samus Returns was released worldwide. Samus Returns is shown off at around 8 minutes into the show. Gameplay footage is shown, including a glimpse at the final boss, Proteus Ridley. His hand is briefly shown, with the announcer saying "Vengeance has a name."

This Direct can be viewed here.

March 8, 2018
This Nintendo Direct was again hosted by Koizumi, who presented forthcoming titles for the Nintendo Switch and 3DS, most of them ports. It aired on March 8, 2018. The final game announced was a new Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch to be released in 2018. Samus’s silhouette can be made out among other veteran characters underneath the fiery Smash symbol, while Inklings from the Splatoon series observe them.

The Direct can be viewed here.

June 12, 2018 (Nintendo Direct: E3 2018)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was unveiled in full, and took up most of the Direct. Masahiro Sakurai hosted this portion and revealed that Samus and Zero Suit Samus, as well as all other fighters in Super Smash Bros. history would be returning as playable characters. Also confirmed to return was the Metroid and Mother Brain Assist Trophies, Screw Attack item and Frigate Orpheon stage. At the end of the Direct, a trailer titled A Piercing Screech revealed Ridley as one of the game's fewer newcomer fighters after years of fan requests for him to be playable.

To the disappointment of many, Metroid Prime 4 did not make a reappearance during the Direct. Bill Trinen, Nate Bihldorf and Reggie Fils-Aime all stated that while the game was “making great progress”, it was still too early in development to show and they do not want to repeatedly tease fans, promising that they would reveal it when they felt it would “wow people”.

The Direct can be viewed here.

August 8, 2017 (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was again showcased, with new fighters confirmed. This included Dark Samus, the main antagonist of the Prime Series, who was to appear as a playable character and Echo Fighter (clone or character with a similar moveset) of Samus in Ultimate. Like Ridley, this marks Dark Samus’s first playable appearance in any game. Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths was also confirmed as returning for the first time since Melee, in addition to most of the Metroid-related music from the series and new themes, including Splash Screen and Area 1 – 5 Torrid Zone, and remixes of Darkness and Vs. Parasite Queen. At one point in the gameplay showcase of Dark Samus, she is seen alongside fellow Metroid antagonists Ridley, a Metroid and Mother Brain, the latter two being Assist Trophies.

At the start of King K. Rool's trailer, The Rivals, a montage is shown of various Nintendo protagonists battling their antagonists, including Samus and Ridley. They are posed similarly to how they were in A Piercing Screech, although Samus is crouching and charging a shot.

September 13, 2018
This Direct, which focused on upcoming Nintendo 3DS and Switch games. Nintendo Switch Online, the console's online service, was detailed as well. Metroid was confirmed to be one of the NES games available through the service at launch. It was delayed from its original airdate of September 6, out of respect for the 41 residents of Hokkaidō, Japan killed in an earthquake that day.