The recent July 2025 Nintendo Direct has given us a look at some incredible third-party games heading to both the original Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. For fans of either console, this Direct was a must-watch and came with several expected and, luckily, unexpected reveals. Of course, it is always the latter that is the most exciting and ends up stealing the show. Fortunately, this Nintendo Direct had three clear winners.
While there were plenty of big reveals at the Direct, the three that stood out the most did so thanks to their unexpected charm, intriguing gameplay, and delightful twists on their respective genres. We even got a greater deep-dive into one of the most-anticipated Nintendo games of the year, which was a genuine treat. Naturally, every game in the Direct will be exciting for someone, but these three titles should be checked out by everyone who owns a Switch or Switch 2.
Some who fell in love with Square Enix’s 2D-HD series, Octopath Traveler, may have expected a new entry to grace the Nintendo Switch 2 eventually, but the reveal of Octopath Traveler 0 took many, myself included, by surprise. That’s partially because it came after what many are referring to as a Chrono Trigger spiritual successor, another 2D-HD game by Square Enix, albeit one that ditches turn-based combat for real-time action.
However, it’s predominantly thanks to Octopath Traveler 0’s many surprises, the way it twists the core experience laid out in its predecessors, sees the return of many characters, introduces new gameplay elements, and altogether feels new. That’s what you want from a spin-off sequel, and it is why its reveal easily stole the showcase, especially for us JRPG fans.
Another release that surprised many of us was Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted. Of course, if you’ve had your ear to the proverbial grapevine recently, you’ll have heard rumors of a PVZ remaster for quite a while. However, this Nintendo Direct confirmed it, spotlighting not only its HD visuals, which were expected, but its many new modes, stages, and more.
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Replanted is far more than just a simple visual facelift. It’s adding local co-op, new stages, mini-games, and so much more to the already incredibly engrossing core experience that we all know and love. As someone who grew up playing Plants Vs. Zombies, Replanted provides an excellent opportunity to indulge in a healthy dose of nostalgia on my favorite handheld.
We also got a new trailer for the much-anticipated Switch game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Doing for TOTK what Age of Calamity did for BOTW, this spin-off entry looks truly jaw-droppingly incredible. It is packed full of interesting new lore tidbits that will greatly flesh out Tears of the Kingdom’s relatively enjoyable narrative. Of course, there’s also plenty of flashy, explosive action to immerse yourself in.
This was likely a little unexpected for those unfamiliar with the Warriors spin-off games, as it’s a Zelda reveal during a Partners Showcase, which is reserved exclusively for third-party developers. Both Age of Imprisonment and its predecessor, Age of Calamity, are developed by Koei Tecmo with supervision from Nintendo, thus technically qualifying it. Regardless, it looks amazing and was another amazing reveal among a sea of fantastic trailers during July’s Nintendo Direct.
Satoru Iwata
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