Nintendo's September 9 Direct introduced two new Switch 2 exclusives: Metroid Ravenous, a 2D Samus Aran adventure due January 28, 2027, and Kirby and the World Beyond, a 3D Kirby game coming in spring 2027.
Metroid Ravenous: Samus feeds on her enemies
Metroid Ravenous is Samus's first new 2D adventure since Metroid Dread. In Nintendo's description, her ship crash-lands on a moon and a mysterious group of assassins ambushes her. Badly wounded, she has to work her way back to the surface through an underground world, gaining new abilities along the way.
The hook is how she recovers. Samus uses latent Metroid powers to regain energy by feeding on her prey: players stun an enemy by countering its attack, then have to act fast to drain its energy. The assassins from the ambush wait for her throughout the world, and she faces them one on one. Healing by eating your enemies is a bolder twist than I expected from Samus.
Nintendo's announcement does not mention Dread, but Kotaku points out that Samus appears in the green suit she got at the end of that game, and says Ravenous looks like a direct sequel.
The game is priced at $59.99 digitally. A Special Edition adds a steel game case and a Samus amiibo figure in her Metroid Suit, and it was already listed as sold out on Nintendo's US store on the day of the reveal.
More from the Direct
Beyond the two headliners, Nintendo showed Switch 2 editions of existing games such as Pikmin 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, new footage of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and third-party titles including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Persona 6 and Monster Hunter Wilds. Nintendo's recap lists the games with their release details, and you can rewatch the show on Nintendo's site.
Kirby and the World Beyond closes the show
Nintendo saved Kirby and the World Beyond for the end of the Direct. It follows Kirby and the Forgotten Land from 2022 and is due in spring 2027, which also marks the series' 35th anniversary. Nintendo describes a game where players freely explore an expansive world and put Copy Abilities, the powers Kirby copies from enemies, to creative use. TheGamer calls it Kirby's first open-world game.
The reveal trailer shows Kirby roaming a large field and using Cutter, Bomb, Parasol and Sword to get around and find collectibles.
Nintendo has not announced a price or an exact date for Kirby. Nintendo World Report reports that more details about the anniversary celebration will follow.
