Nintendo Fans Excited as Beloved Mario Game Remake Announced in September 2023 Direct

NINTENDO dropped a slew of exciting announcements for new games coming this year and in 2024 during its latest Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Mario fans are just realising that an iconic game from the Nintendo GameCube era is getting a remake next year.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is being remade almost 20 years after its original releaseCredit: Nintendo

The old-school Tomb Raider games from the ’90s are getting the remaster treatmentCredit: Crystal Dynamics

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a 2004 RPG title in which you play as a paper cut-out version of Mario and explore worlds crafted from paper.

A remake of the beloved title, considered the best in the Paper Mario series, is due to release sometime in 2024.

The Paper Mario TTYD remake retains the original crafty paper art style with some obvious visual improvements.

Nintendo previously announced that it is also remaking Super Mario RPG, another beloved Mario classic, and this remake will launch on November 17, 2023.

F-Zero fans were treated to a new game for the first time in almost 20 years, and it’s out right now, completely free for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

In a similar fashion to Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99, F-Zero 99 is a racing game that pits you against 98 other players online.

It’s a battle royale race as players compete at the same time, trying to avoid elimination, and the last player standing at the end is crowned the winner.

The game retains the old-school pixel art style of the series’ best titles, and while it’s not the fully-fledged new entry in the F-Zero series fans are hoping for, it’s a nice touch.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a new game where Mario’s perennial love interest doesn’t need saving and is taking centre stage for her very own adventure.

We already knew about the game, but this Nintendo Direct gave players a deeper dive into its story and gameplay.

Along her solo story, Peach will be transforming herself into different roles with various abilities.

She is wielding a sword in one level, investigating clues in another, and becomes a pastry chef in yet another adventure.

Princess Peach’s solo game also has a release date now, and it’s coming March 22, 2024.

Old-school adventure game fans will get remasters of the first three Tomb Raider games from the ‘90s with significantly improved visuals.

Nostalgic Lara Croft fans will also be able to switch between the new remastered looks and the classic graphics.

Tomb Raider 1, 2, and 3 Remaster Collection is launching just in time for Valentine’s Day, on February 14, 2024.

These Tomb Raider remasters are also coming to PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as PC.

Other Nintendo Direct announcements included a new Mario vs. Donkey Kong game that pits the iconic characters against each other, and is launching on February 16, 2024. 

An HD remaster of Luigi’s Mansion 2, starring Mario’s taller brother ghost-hunting, is coming in the summer of 2024.

The wholesome fishing and sushi bar management game Dave the Diver is coming to the Nintendo Switch on October 26, 2023.

Dave the Diver released for PC earlier this year to universal acclaim, earning it a 90 score on review aggregator Metacritic.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is coming to the Switch too, when the title launches on all other platforms on January 18, 2024.

The new trailer during the Direct didn’t add much to what we already know about the game, but it confirmed that it looks very promising.

September 2023 Nintendo Direct: All announcements and release dates

This September Nintendo Direct featured quite a few more games and announcements, so you can check out the full list of everything shown below with release dates:

• Horizon Chase 2 – out now
• Trombone Champ – out now
• Wartales – out now
• F-Zero 99 – out now, free with Nintendo Switch Online
• Wargroove 2 – October 5, 2023
• Detective Pikachu Returns – October 6, 2023
• Dave the Diver – October 26, 2023
• Among Us – October 2023
• Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story – November 1, 2023
• WarioWare: Move It – November 3, 2023
• Super Crazy Rhythm Castle – November 14, 2023
• Super Mario RPG – November 17, 2023
• Eastward: Octopia DLC – Winter 2023
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Final Booster Pack Wave – December 2023
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown – January 18, 2024
• Another Code: Recollection – January 19, 2024
• Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Collection – February 14, 2024
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong – February 16, 2024
• Unicorn Overlord – March 8, 2024
• Princess Peach: Showtime! – March 22, 2024
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes – April 23, 2024
• Contra: Operation Galuga – Early 2024
• Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass – Wave 2: Side Order – Spring 2024
• Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD remaster – Summer 2024
• SPYxANYA: Operation Memories – 2024
• SaGa Emerald Beyond – 2024
• Battle Crush – Spring 2024
• Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story – 2024
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake – 2024

This wraps up the September 2023 Nintendo Direct, which felt packed with announcements for a Nintendo Switch that is likely entering its last year before a successor console arrives.

Written by Stoyan Ovcharov on behalf of GLHF.