Nintendo Directs have been a way for Nintendo to share their upcoming projects on YouTube since 2012, and never once have they ever aired two different Directs on back to back days.

Last week, Nintendo aired a Direct all about The Legend of Zelda for its 40th anniversary, and then the next day, they aired a Direct about various upcoming games, remakes and ports, which ended up largely outshining the new The Legend of Zelda content.

The first announcement of The Legend of Zelda Direct is a teaser for the “Legend of Zelda” movie, simply showing the release date in 2027 and nothing else, not even a glimpse of what the movie actually looks like.

The second teased a live orchestra concert featuring The Legend of Zelda music, which will be on tour in Japan, North America, Australia and Europe starting in January 2027 and ending in May. 

The rest of the Direct is dedicated exclusively to the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake, which has been received with mixed reception. No new The Legend of Zelda game was announced for the 40th anniversary, just the remake. It seems like a lackluster way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a video game series, simply selling fans a game they already had with a different look.

One of the larger controversies involving the Ocarina of Time remake is its art style. It’s a strange amalgamation of the original game’s artstyle and modern realistic graphics. The result is disjointed, not going too far in either direction of cartoonish stylization or plain realistic graphics, lying in an awkward middle ground that ends up unpleasant, with far too much detail present on otherwise simple character designs. Also, Ocarina of Time is readily accessible, so to some, a new way to play the game isn’t necessary.

Many fans of The Legend of Zelda have already played this game, with over 14 million copies of the game sold worldwide. It’s the third most sold game in The Legend of Zelda franchise, only behind Breath of the Wild at over 34 million copies and Tears of the Kingdom at almost 22 million copies.

As is, Ocarina of Time has one of the most widely praised stories and combat system out of any game, being the highest rated game of all time on Metacritic and the only game with a score of 99/100. It also appears in the top 10 on other game rating sites. Simply put, there’s not much to actually change or remake about Ocarina of Time, and there’s not much reason to bring the game to new consoles. It’s not a game lost to time. 

And it’s clear they’re sparse on actual changes, given how the things they decide to highlight in the 20 minute showcase were the fact that you could jump on command now (a feature absent from the original game due to a limited button layout at the time), running a little faster and the ability to hum into the microphone on the Nintendo Switch 2 edition. It’s all tiny little quirks that don’t fundamentally change much about the actual game.

Aside from the re-releases and previously announced projects, the second Direct revealed first looks at Metroid Ravenous and Kirby and the World Beyond.

Kirby and the World Beyond begins with the titular character discovering that the world as he knows it is fake, a la “The Truman Show.” It’s an open world game, which is likely why it is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, since it’s more demanding on the console itself. While fun looking, there’s not much to say about the game as of now, besides the fact that it’s an actual new game in the Kirby franchise and not a remake of the fan favorite in the series.

Metroid Ravenous shows an unexplored side of protagonist Samus Aran’s personality, demonstrating a more fierce, crazed and starved rendition of the character. The formerly silent protagonist is able to express her feelings, and all she feels is hunger.

Of the upcoming Nintendo games announced at the two Directs, Metroid Ravenous has received the most positive fan response due to how it shakes up Samus Aran’s character. The new direction proves exciting and anticipated, especially after the previous installment, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, where Samus was entirely voiceless, leading to many interactions with other characters feeling bizarre and awkward. Metroid Ravenous is even showing more of Samus’ face beneath her mask, revealing emotion through her eyes and demonstrating that she is more than just a blank slate. 

However, there is a caveat to Metroid Ravenous: it’s a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, despite its graphics seeming on par with its 2D predecessor, Metroid Dread, which ran perfectly on the Switch 1.

As far as Nintendo has announced, it possesses no features exclusive to the new console. By all means, the choice to make it a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is nothing more than a gatekeeping tactic to sell more consoles rather than a necessity for the game. 

The first ever back-to-back Nintendo Direct was a disappointment. The Legend of Zelda was left in the dust by Kirby and Metroid on its own 40th anniversary. Rumors of a new Super Smash Bros game were squandered.

There was no point in giving The Legend of Zelda its own Direct. Nintendo could have simply trimmed some of the fat off The Legend of Zelda and folded it in with the regularly scheduled Direct. Instead, both Directs were plagued by strange and odd choices that left many fans scratching their heads. 

Copy edited by Isaac Russo