Nintendo Direct: 'Metroid Prime 4: Beyond,' 'Shadow Labyrinth,' 'Marvel Cosmic Crisis,' & Other Announcements

03/28/2025 01:47 PM

With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, the company Mario built is letting us know that there are still many games to enjoy on the current Switch model.

On Thursday, March 27, Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct ahead of its big Nintendo Switch 2 presentation next week, April 2. During the nearly 40-minute presentation, Nintendo showed us some highly anticipated titles and surprises we didn’t know were in the pipeline.

Let’s jump into the biggest announcements made during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been in video game limbo for years, but now we know it’s an actual thing. We also know what to expect from the latest game in the franchise, which puts players behind the helmet of Samus’ power suit.

In Beyond, Samsus finds herself on a mysterious planet that is teaming with alien life, friendly and dangerous as you search for answers and wield new psychic abilities on top of the arsenal granted to you by your Power Suit.

Official synopsis from Nintendo:

Samus Aran has been unexpectedly transported to the planet Viewros. As she explores the planet for answers, Samus is granted Psychic Abilities – mysterious and ancient powers that allow her to control the trajectory of her beams, operate mechanisms and open doors. Why were these powers bestowed upon Samus and what will her fate be? The threads intertwining beyond space and time will weave a new tale when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on Nintendo Switch this year. 

Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Okay, here is a game we didn’t know we needed, but we are happy it exists. Tribute Games, the same studio that gave us other beat ’em up bangers like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, is dipping into the Marvel bag with Cosmic Invasion.

Published by DOTEMU, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a love letter to the 90s beat ’em up arcade games featuring our favorite Marvel Superheroes that we willingly used our allowance money to play.

The game features a stacked roster of heroes to play with and take on the cosmic threat Annihulus. You can either suit up as  Wolverine, Spider-Man, Nova, Captain America, Storm, Venom, and more to help save the world.

Official Synopsis from Nintendo:

Join MARVEL’s greatest Super Heroes, including Wolverine, Spider-Man, Nova, Captain America and more, in a star-spanning battle against Super Villain Annihilus. In this action-packed, 2D arcade-style beat ’em up, the timeless fun of brawlers has been modernized with dynamic tag-team fighting and a pixel art style that embodies classic MARVEL character designs. Plus, up to four players can assemble for local** or online*** co-op play. From New York City to the depths of the Negative Zone, the future of the MARVEL universe will be fought across the stars in MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, launching on Nintendo Switch this winter.

This one is high on our list, for sure.

Shadow Labyrinth

Amazon Prime’s video game anthology series, Secret Level, gave us a very dark and twisted version of the friendly power pellet /ghost-consuming character Pac-Man.

It turns out that the short was also based on an actual game, Shadow Labyrinth,  that takes the same premise from the Secret Level episode. Pac-Man is taken from his familiar settings and thrown into a mysterious planet as Swordsman No. 8’s mysterious guide, PUCK.

Official Synopsis from Nintendo:

Consume darkness in this 2D action platformer and genre-twisting alternate take on the iconic PAC-MAN series. On a mysterious planet littered with relics from past wars, Swordsman No. 8 is awoken by a floating yellow orb known as PUCK. As you navigate this alien maze you will shift between three different forms – jumping and slashing as the agile Swordsman No. 8, exploring in classic PAC-MAN style as Mini PUCK and unleashing devastating power as the mecha construct GAIA. Use these different playstyles to turn the tables on your enemies and grow from prey to apex predator. Work to uncover PUCK’s true goal when Shadow Labyrinth launches for Nintendo Switch July 18. A Digital Deluxe edition of the game will also be available, featuring a digital artbook and soundtrack.

These were not the only announcements from yesterday’s Nintendo Direct presentation.

Hit the gallery below to see the other announcements.