Nintendo Direct
Series of online presentations by Nintendo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nintendo Direct[lower-alpha 1] is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles.[1] The presentations began in Japan and North America with the first edition on October 21, 2011, before later expanding to Europe, Australia, and South Korea.
| Nintendo Direct | |
|---|---|
 Main logo since 2017 | |
| Japanese | ニンテンドーダイレクト |
| Genre | Presentation |
| Created by | Satoru Iwata |
| Developed by | Nintendo |
| Presented by | Various, presently:
Previous presenters
|
| Country of origin |
|
| Original languages |
|
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 5–60 minutes |
| Production company | Nintendo |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | October 21, 2011 – present |
| Related | |
| |
Nintendo Direct presentations vary in format between different presentations and regions.
Regional differences
Nintendo Directs generally come in both regional and international formats.
International
For subjects of a general worldwide appeal, a single Nintendo Direct is often localized for a simultaneous international broadcast. Usually, these will be recorded in Japanese and presented by a Japanese presenter. Prior to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's death, he would host Directs in both English and Japanese, with other languages' presentations being subtitled.
Upon Iwata's death, Nintendo Directs did not receive a worldwide host until 2017, when Yoshiaki Koizumi from Nintendo EPD took over this role. Since 2018, Koizumi has shared this responsibility with Shinya Takahashi. E3 Directs sometimes featured Reggie Fils-Aime as a host for a short period of time until his departure in 2019.
Since 2017, the Japanese presenter and any narrators' roles will be dubbed or subtitled for international release, including into English.
Presentations scheduled for around the time of the Electronic Entertainment Expo were originally produced by Nintendo of America, presented in English and dubbed or subtitled into other languages for international broadcast. From 2019 until the last event in 2021, E3 Directs were produced by Nintendo of Japan, presented in Japanese and dubbed or subtitled into other languages for international broadcast.
Japan
In Japan, Nintendo Directs were most commonly presented by Nintendo's global president Satoru Iwata until his death in 2015. Yoshiaki Koizumi started serving as host in 2017. Shinya Takahashi started sharing the hosting duties with Koizumi in 2018. In From March 2018 to September 2019, Koizumi only hosted the Directs in the first half of the year, while Takahashi hosted the Directs in the second half of the year. From February 2021 to September 2022, this format for Directs was switched with Takahashi hosting the Directs in the first half of the year and Koizumi hosting the Directs in the second half of the year. The E3 2021 and June 2023 Directs (the latter of which was the latest that Koizumi hosted) had both hosts appear at the same time.
Since 2017, Japan has hosted region-specific "Indie World" presentations, focusing on indie games published for Nintendo Switch.
Directs focused on Super Smash Bros. are typically hosted by series creator and director Masahiro Sakurai.
North America
In North America, the videos were often presented by Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé (before he retired in 2019), and Bill Trinen.
For international Directs produced in Japan since 2017, Nintendo of America would air a dubbed version of the Direct in English; although a notable exception of having it subtitled instead of dubbed were the Mr. Sakurai Presents presentations starting with "Min Min" from ARMS in 2020 and up until the final presentation with "Sora" from Kingdom Hearts in 2021 (with the sole exception of Sakurai's appearance in the 2021 E3 Nintendo Direct following Kazuya's reveal). This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it difficult to record the voice-overs. Both the presenter and narrator are dubbed by separate narrators.
Since 2017, Nintendo of America has aired presentations focusing on indie games published for Nintendo Switch. Between 2017 and 2019, these were branded as "Nindies Showcase" hosted by Trinen, before aligning their branding to the Japanese "Indie World" banner.
Europe and Australia
European Directs were presented by former Nintendo of Europe president, Satoru Shibata and Ed Valiente. These presentations were also broadcast in Australia.
Australia generally only airs the European output, but one Direct was created specifically for the region, broadcast on September 24, 2014. This Direct was hosted by Tom Enoki.
For international Directs produced in Japan since 2017, Nintendo of Europe and Nintendo Australia airs the original Japanese audio for the presenters, but uses an English dub for the narrated sections. These are then subtitled for broadcast in other languages. Since 2019, the "Pokémon Direct"/"Pokémon Presents" are the only Directs that are dubbed for Europe and Australia in English, however, they are subtitled in different languages with the English dub.
Since 2017, Nintendo of Europe has broadcast presentations focusing on indie games published for Nintendo Switch. From 2017 to 2018, Nintendo of Europe broadcast the American "Nindies Showcase" presentations. In 2018 and 2019, Nintendo of Europe hosted its own "Indie Highlights" videos. Since 2019, they returned to broadcasting Nintendo of America's presentations, now under the "Indie World" banner, with Nintendo Australia broadcasting later on.
South Korea
South Korea has also aired exclusive Nintendo Directs hosted by Nintendo of Korea president, Hiroyuki Fukuda.
Hong Kong and Taiwan
A few Nintendo Direct presentations have been produced specifically for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Types of Nintendo Direct presentations
Outside of the general Nintendo Direct presentations, which cover a range of titles, there are also Directs centred around specific titles or series. These are usually presented by the producer or director of the game or series, or employ a narrator.
| Type | Logo | Duration | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Direct | |
25–50 minutes | The main type of Nintendo Direct presentation. Showcases information about software and hardware across all Nintendo platforms. Starting in 2017, a series of headlines during certain segments were introduced. |
| Nintendo Direct Mini |  |
5–30 minutes | A shorter version of the main type of Nintendo Direct that showcases information about software and hardware across all Nintendo platforms but may focus on some smaller releases. Starting in 2018, the hosts of this Nintendo Direct were removed and a series of headlines during certain segments were introduced. There is also a separate variant of this type of Nintendo Direct, named Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase that feature games from Nintendo's developing and publishing partners. |
| Nintendo Direct special | 5–50 minutes | A presentation that covers specific software titles, both from Nintendo and third-party developers. Usually hosted by the game's producer or director or makes use of a narrator. Each Direct of this type has its own logo. | |
| Pokémon Direct/Pokemon Presents | 10–27 minutes | A presentation focusing on the Pokémon franchise, including games for the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. These presentations are organized by The Pokémon Company without direct involvement from Nintendo. This was known as "Pokémon Direct" from 2013 to 2020 and "Pokémon Presents" from 2020 onward. | |
| Indie World | 17–28 minutes | A presentation focusing on titles by independent developers coming to Nintendo Switch. This type of Nintendo Direct was originally only shown in Japan but later added to North America and Europe. | |
| Discontinued Nintendo Direct presentation types | |||
| Nintendo Direct Micro |  |
17 minutes | A one-off presentation in 2015 that covered software and hardware across all Nintendo platforms. This type of Nintendo Direct was only shown in North America and has been discontinued. |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct |  |
30–50 minutes | A Nintendo Direct specifically concerning software and hardware related to the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles. This type of Nintendo Direct has been discontinued after its run from 2013 to 2016, although Nintendo 3DS games appeared outside of this type until 2019. |
| Wii U Direct |  |
30–50 minutes | A Nintendo Direct specifically concerning software and hardware related to the Wii U console. Running in 2012 and 2013, this type of Nintendo Direct has been discontinued following the end of Wii U production to make way for the Nintendo Switch. |
| Nindies Showcase |  |
10–30 minutes | A presentation focusing on titles by independent developers coming to Nintendo Switch. This specific presentation type was only shown in North America and Europe. This type of Nintendo Direct ran from 2017 to 2019 and was replaced by "Indie Highlights" in Europe in 2018 before both were replaced by "Indie World". |
| Indie Highlights | 17–23 minutes | A presentation focusing on titles by independent developers coming to Nintendo Switch. This specific presentation type was only shown in Europe. This type of Nintendo Direct ran from 2018 to 2019 and was replaced by "Indie World". | |
| Nintendo E3 Presentations/Directs | 20–45 minutes | A presentation on upcoming first/third party games that aired live during E3. The presentation covered games that would release sometime between E3 and the end of the calendar year. Each Direct of this type had its own logo. There were no Directs of this type in 2016, as well as in 2020 and 2022 (due to E3 being cancelled these years because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and in 2023 (because multiple publishers including Nintendo pulled out of the event that year). This Direct type was discontinued in December 2023 after the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) permanently discontinued E3.[2] | |
Nintendo E3 Directs
From June 2013 to June 2021, in lieu of traditional large-scale Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) press conferences, Nintendo has opted to utilize the Nintendo Direct platform as an alternative method of conveying its news. Speaking at an annual March financial results briefing just two months prior, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata stated that the company's decision was determined by the fact that “different people demand different types of information”, and that the Nintendo Direct platform had established itself to the point that Nintendo would “be able to deliver [their] messages more appropriately and effectively … based on the various needs of different groups of people”.[3] Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz observed that the last press conference that Nintendo held at E3 in 2012 featured too much of a mix between Nintendo's new hardware for the Wii U and game announcements. Compared to other press conferences held that year, Nintendo's presentation left little for fans of the company to be excited for. By switching to Nintendo Directs, Dring opined that the company was able to better connect to fans using the Nintendo Direct presentations, made the faces of Nintendo's executives more visible, as well as having Directs outside of the E3 cycle to provide more frequent updates on game and hardware releases.[4]
During the stream of the pre-recorded broadcast for E3 2013, Nintendo's website suffered from technical difficulties in the form of overloaded servers, rendering the live video unwatchable for many viewers, and prompting an official apology from Satoru Iwata.[5] Despite these difficulties, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé noted that secondary viewership following the initial broadcast still worked to popularize product promotion.[6]
The following year, in addition to the Direct, the company added "Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3" live streams to their presence at the trade event.[7] Named after the Product Development department at Nintendo of America, these are daily streams from the show floor that feature NoA localization staff and game developers demoing and giving in-depth coverage of titles that were announced during that year's Direct. The year also began a trend of Nintendo hosting a game tournament sometime during the week, in which the participants compete in titles that had yet to be released.
| Year | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Super Smash Bros. Invitational | Sixteen professional Super Smash Bros. players get invited to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.[8][9] |
| 2015 | Nintendo World Championships 2015 | Sixteen players, eight chosen from qualifying competitions throughout the United States and invited by Nintendo, compete in various Nintendo games, with the final game being Super Mario Maker.[10][11] |
| 2016 | — | Nintendo lacked both an E3 tournament and an E3 presentation this year, only having Nintendo Treehouse Live streams that focused mainly on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Nintendo 3DS games. |
| 2017 | Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational | Professional Splatoon teams from the United States, Japan, Europe and Australia/New Zealand compete in a round-robin tournament with Splatoon 2's Turf War and Ranked Battle modes.[12][13] |
| Pokkén Tournament DX Invitational | Four two-player teams consisting of YouTube and Twitch personalities compete, with one member of each team using one of the new characters added for the Pokkén Tournament DX's Nintendo Switch release.[14][15] | |
| Arms Open Invitational | Four convention attendees at E3 2017 compete against four professional fighting game players in a single elimination format with the various gameplay modes in Arms.[12][16] | |
| 2018 | Splatoon 2 World Championship Finals | Splatoon representatives from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Japan, compete in a series of ranked matches in Splatoon 2 for the grand prize at E3 2018. |
| Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 | Professional Super Smash Bros. players and selected convention attendees at E3 2018 get to play the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate title for the Nintendo Switch. | |
| 2019[17] | Super Mario Maker 2 Invitational 2019 | Special guests invited by Nintendo get to play a wide variety of newly made courses in the upcoming Super Mario Maker 2. |
| Splatoon 2 World Championship 2019 | Splatoon teams from North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and Japan, each the winners of their respective tournaments, battle in Splatoon 2 after a year of events to be given the world number one title at E3 2019. | |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate World Championship 2019 3v3 | Qualified Super Smash Bros. teams of three from each of North America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and Japan compete against each other in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate after each winning their regional tournaments. |
After E3 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the video game industry. E3 2020 was cancelled in March 2020 due to the pandemic,[18] E3 2021 was held online, with Nintendo only holding an E3 Direct and Treehouse Live streams,[19] and E3 2022 was cancelled in March 2022.[20] Nintendo also pulled out of E3 2023,[21][22] which was cancelled in March 2023 due to the "lack of sustained interest".[23] The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) permanently discontinued E3 in December 2023, leading to more publisher-specific showcases, including main Nintendo Directs with headlines.[2] Since E3's discontinuation, Summer Game Fest has taken over as the most popular summer game showcase, and while a Nintendo Direct is often still shown in June around the time of the event, Nintendo is not affiliated or a partner of Summer Game Fest as of 2024 and has mostly avoided the show, though Geoff Keighley has expressed interest in Nintendo becoming a bigger part of the event in the future.[24]
Alongside Nintendo Direct presentations, other Nintendo-produced online presentations without "Direct" in its name are listed.
Nintendo Direct
Nintendo Direct Mini
Nintendo Direct for a single game or game series
Wii U Direct
Pokémon Direct (formerly)/Pokémon Presents
Nintendo 3DS Direct
Super Smash Bros. Direct
Nintendo Direct Micro
Nindies Showcase/Indie Highlights/Indie World
Super Nintendo World Direct
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct
Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase
Nintendo Museum Direct
| Broadcast type | Coverage | Date | Regions | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS and Wii games | October 21, 2011 | Japan, North America | [25][26] |
| Nintendo Direct | December 27, 2011 | Japan | [27] | |
| Nintendo Direct | February 22, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [28][29][30] | |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS and Super Mario 3D Land | April 14, 2012 | South Korea | [31] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS and Wii games | April 21, 2012 | Japan, Europe, Australia | [32][33] |
| Nintendo Direct Pre E3 2012 | Wii U built-in software | June 3, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [34][35] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS XL reveal Nintendo 3DS and Wii games |
June 21, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [36][37][38][39] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Brain Age: Concentration Training | July 18, 2012 | Japan | [40][41] |
| Nintendo Direct | Dragon Quest X | July 30, 2012 | Japan | [42][43] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS and Wii games | August 29, 2012 | Japan | [44][45] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Brain Age: Concentration Training | September 7, 2012 | Japan | [46][47] |
| Wii U Direct | Wii U games | September 13, 2012 | Japan, Europe, Australia | [48][49] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | New Super Mario Bros. 2 | September 28, 2012 | Japan | [50] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | October 2, 2012 | North America, Europe, Australia | [51][52] | |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Nintendo 3DS XL & Nintendo eShop | October 3, 2012 | Japan | [53][54] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | October 4, 2012 | Europe, Australia | [55] |
| Nintendo Direct | Animal Crossing: New Leaf | October 5, 2012 | Japan | [56] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | October 25, 2012 | Japan, North America | [57][58] |
| Nintendo Direct | October 31, 2012 | South Korea | [59] | |
| Wii U Direct | Wii U, system apps and games | November 7, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [60][61][62] |
| Wii U Direct | Wii U interface and Miiverse | November 14, 2012 | Japan, North America | [63][64] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | New Super Mario Bros. 2 | November 27, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [65][66][67] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | December 5, 2012 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [68][69][70] |
| Wii U Direct | Niconico | December 6, 2012 | Japan | [71] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Dragon Quest X | December 19, 2012 | Japan | [72] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon X and Y | January 8, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [73][74][75][76] |
| Wii U Direct | Wii U games, Miiverse and Virtual Console | January 23, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [77][78][79] |
| Nintendo Direct | Animal Crossing: New Leaf | January 24, 2013 | South Korea | [80] |
| Nintendo Direct | February 1, 2013 | Japan | [81] | |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | Year of Luigi and Nintendo 3DS games | February 14, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [82][83][84][85] |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | February 21, 2013 | Japan | [86] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Tomodachi Collection: New Life | March 12, 2013 | Japan | [87] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Flipnote Studio 3D | March 13, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [88][89][90] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Nintendo 3DS games | April 1, 2013 | Japan | [91] |
| Nintendo Direct | Tomodachi Collection: New Life | April 3, 2013 | Japan | [92] |
| Nintendo Direct | Year of Luigi and Nintendo 3DS games | April 17, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [93][94][95][96] |
| Nintendo Direct[lower-alpha 2] | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | May 17, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [97][98][99][100] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter 4 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Dual Destinies |
May 27, 2013 | Japan | [101] |
| Nintendo Direct @ E3 2013 | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | June 11, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea | [102][103][104][105] |
| Nintendo Direct | Pikmin 3 | June 26, 2013 | Japan | [106] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games | July 3, 2013 | Japan | [107] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | July 18, 2013 | North America, Europe, Australia | [108] | |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | August 7, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [109][110][111][112] |
| Nintendo Direct | The Wonderful 101 | August 9, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [113][114][115][116] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon X and Y | September 4, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [117][118][119][120] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter 4 | September 8, 2013 | Japan | [121] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii Fit U | September 18, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [122][123][124][125] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | October 1, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [126][127][128][129] |
| Nintendo Direct | Pokémon X and Y Monster Hunter 4 |
October 10, 2013 | South Korea | [130] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Daigasso! Band Brothers P | October 29, 2013 | Japan | [131] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter 4 | November 12, 2013 | South Korea | [132] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games | November 13, 2013 | North America, Europe, Australia | [133][134][135] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Download software | November 14, 2013 | Japan | [136] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre District | November 27, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [137][138][139][140] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | December 18, 2013 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [141][142][143][144] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | January 17, 2014 | South Korea | [145] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | February 13, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [146][147][148][149] |
| Super Smash Bros. Direct | Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U | April 8, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [150][151][152][153] |
| Nintendo Direct | Tomodachi Life | April 10, 2014 | North America, Europe, Australia | [154][155][156] |
| Nintendo Direct | Mario Kart 8 | April 30, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [157][158][159][160] |
| Nintendo Direct | Tomodachi Life | May 29, 2014 | South Korea | [161] |
| Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2014 | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | June 10, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea | [162] |
| Nintendo Direct | Yo-kai Watch 2 | July 4, 2014 | Japan | [163] |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | July 11, 2014 | Japan | [164] |
| Nintendo Direct | Hyrule Warriors | August 4, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [165][166][167][168] |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | August 29, 2014 | Japan | [169] |
| Nintendo Direct | Bayonetta 2 | September 4, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [170][171][172][173] |
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | New Nintendo 3DS reveal | September 24, 2014 | Australia | [174] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter 4G | October 8, 2014 | Japan | [175] |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U 50-Fact Extravaganza | Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | October 23, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [176][177][178][179][180] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | November 5, 2014 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [181][182][183][184][185] |
| Nintendo Direct | New Nintendo 3DS reveal Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games |
January 14, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [186][187][188][189][190] |
| Nintendo Direct | Xenoblade Chronicles X | February 6, 2015 | Japan | [191] |
| Nintendo Direct | New Nintendo 3DS reveal and 3DS games | March 19, 2015 | South Korea | [192] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | April 1, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [193][194][195][196] |
| Nintendo Direct | Xenoblade Chronicles X | April 24, 2015 | North America | [197] |
| Nintendo Direct | Splatoon | May 7, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [198][199][200][201] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | May 31, 2015 | Japan | [202] |
| Nintendo Direct Micro | Nintendo 3DS games | June 1, 2015 | North America | [203][204] |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U – New Content Approaching | Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U DLC | June 14, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea | [205] |
| Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2015 | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | June 16, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea | [206] |
| Nintendo Direct | November 12, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [207][208][209][210] | |
| Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U – Final Video Presentation | Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U DLC | December 15, 2015 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea | [211][212] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon Sun and Moon and 20th anniversary | February 26, 2016 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [213][214][215][216][217][218] |
| Nintendo Direct | Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games | March 3, 2016 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [219][220][221] |
| Nintendo Direct | Culdcept Revolt | May 11, 2016 | Japan | [222] |
| June 22, 2016 | [223] | |||
| Nintendo 3DS Direct | Nintendo 3DS games | September 1, 2016 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [224][225][226][227] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter XX | October 27, 2016 | Japan | [228] |
| Nintendo Direct | Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo | November 2, 2016 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [229][230] |
| Nintendo Direct | Miitopia | November 5, 2016 | Japan | [231] |
| Fire Emblem Direct | Fire Emblem games | January 18, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [232][233][234][235][236] |
| Special Video from Producer of Fire Emblem | February 13, 2017 | Hong Kong, Taiwan | [237][238][239] | |
| Nindies Showcase | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | February 28, 2017 | North America, Europe | [240][241][242] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games, with a focus on Arms and Splatoon 2 | April 12, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [243][244] |
| Nintendo Direct | Arms (plus a small segment on Splatoon 2) | May 17, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [245][246] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokkén Tournament DX Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Pokémon Gold and Silver (Virtual Console) |
June 6, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong | [247][248][249][250][251] |
| Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017 | Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games | June 13, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, Hong Kong | [252] |
| Nintendo Direct | Dragon Quest XI | June 21, 2017 | Japan | [253] |
| Nintendo Direct | Splatoon 2 | July 6, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [254][255] |
| Nindies Showcase | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | August 30, 2017 | North America | [256][257] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games, with a focus on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Super Mario Odyssey | September 13, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [258][259] |
| Mobile Direct | Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp | October 24, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [260][261][262] |
| Nintendo Direct | Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | November 7, 2017 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [263][264] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Spring-Summer 2018 Nintendo Switch games | January 11, 2018 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [265][266] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games, with a focus on Mario Tennis Aces | March 8, 2018 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [267][268] |
| Nindies Showcase | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | March 20, 2018 | North America | [269][270] |
| Indie World | May 11, 2018 | Japan | [271] | |
| Nintendo Direct: E3 2018 | Nintendo Switch games, with a focus on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | June 12, 2018 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [272][273] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | August 8, 2018 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [274] |
| Indie Highlights | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | August 20, 2018 | Europe | [275] |
| Nindies Showcase | August 28, 2018 | North America | [276][277] | |
| Mobile Direct | Dragalia Lost | August 29, 2018 | Japan, North America | [278][279] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games | September 13, 2018[lower-alpha 3] | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [280][281][282] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | November 1, 2018 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [283][284] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | December 27, 2018 | Japan | [285] |
| Indie Highlights | January 23, 2019 | Europe | [286] | |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games, with a focus on Fire Emblem: Three Houses | February 13, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [287][288] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon Sword and Shield | February 27, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong | [289][290] |
| Nindies Showcase | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | March 20, 2019 | North America | [291][292] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – New Content Approaching | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | April 16, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [293] |
| Nintendo Direct | Super Mario Maker 2 | May 15, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [294] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | May 31, 2019 | Japan | [295] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon Sword and Shield | June 5, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong | [296] |
| Nintendo Direct: E3 2019 | Nintendo Switch games | June 11, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [297][298] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Hero" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | July 30, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [299] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | August 19, 2019 | North America, Europe | [300] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games, with a focus on Luigi's Mansion 3 and Pokémon Sword and Shield | September 4, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [301][302][303][304] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Banjo & Kazooie" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | September 4, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [305] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Terry Bogard" | November 6, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [306][307][308] | |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | December 10, 2019 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [309] |
| Pokémon Direct | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC Expansion Pass | January 9, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong | [310] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Byleth" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | January 16, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [311][312][313] |
| Nintendo Direct | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | February 20, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [314][315] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | March 17, 2020 | North America, Europe, Australia | [316] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini | Nintendo Switch games releasing in 2020 | March 26, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [317][318][319][320] |
| Pokémon Presents | Pokémon Café Mix, New Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC Expansion Pass – Part 1: The Isle of Armor | June 17, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [321][322] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Min Min" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | June 22, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [323][324] |
| Pokémon Presents | Pokémon Unite | June 24, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [325] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners | July 20, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [326][327] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | August 18, 2020 | North America, Europe, Australia | [328] |
| Nintendo Direct | Release date and information regarding Ring Fit Adventure in China | August 19, 2020 | China | [329] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners | August 26, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [330][331] |
| Nintendo Direct | Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary | September 3, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [332] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners | September 17, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [333] |
| Nintendo Direct | Monster Hunter | September 17, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [334] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Steve & Alex" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | October 3, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [335] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners | October 28, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [336] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | December 15, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [337] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Sephiroth" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | December 17, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [338] |
| Super Nintendo World Direct | Super Nintendo World | December 18, 2020 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [339] |
| Nintendo Direct | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC and Nintendo Switch games releasing in the first half of 2021 | February 17, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [340][341] |
| Pokémon Presents | New Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and 25th Anniversary | February 26, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [342] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Pyra/Mythra" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | March 4, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [343] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | April 14, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [344] |
| Nintendo Direct: E3 2021 | Nintendo Switch games | June 15, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [345] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Kazuya" | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | June 28, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [346] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | August 11, 2021 | North America, Europe, Australia | [347] |
| Pokémon Presents | Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends: Arceus | August 18, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [348] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games | September 23, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [349] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Battling with Sora | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC | October 5, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan | [350] |
| Nintendo Direct | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | October 15, 2021 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [351] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | December 15, 2021 | North America, Europe, Australia | [352] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games releasing in the first half of 2022 | February 9, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [353] |
| Pokémon Presents | Pokémon Scarlet and Violet | February 27, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [354] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | May 11, 2022 | North America, Europe, Australia | [355] |
| Nintendo Direct | Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | June 22, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe | [356] |
| Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners | June 28, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [357] |
| Pokémon Presents | Updates on apps and video games from the Pokémon series | August 3, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [358] |
| Nintendo Direct | Splatoon 3 | August 10, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [359] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games | September 13, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe,[lower-alpha 4] Australia | [360][361] |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct | World premiere of the teaser trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie | October 6, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [362] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | November 9, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [363] |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct | World premiere of the second trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie | November 29, 2022 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [364] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games releasing in the first half of 2023 | February 8, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [365] |
| Pokémon Presents | Updates on apps and video games from the Pokémon series | February 27, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [366] |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct | World premiere of the final trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie | March 9, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [367] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | April 19, 2023 | North America, Europe, Australia | [368] |
| April 20, 2023 | Japan | [369] | ||
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games releasing in the second half of 2023, with a focus on Pikmin 4 | June 21, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [370] |
| Pokémon Presents | Updates on apps and video games from the Pokémon series | August 8, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [371] |
| Nintendo Direct | Super Mario Bros. Wonder | August 31, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [372] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games releasing in Winter 2023 | September 14, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [373] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | November 14, 2023 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [374] |
| Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase | Nintendo Switch games from Nintendo's developing & publishing partners in early 2024 | February 21, 2024 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [375][376] |
| Pokémon Presents | Pokémon Legends: Z-A | February 27, 2024 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [377] |
| Indie World | Indie games for the Nintendo Switch | April 17, 2024 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [378] |
| Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch games releasing in the second half of 2024 | June 18, 2024 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [379][380] |
| Nintendo Museum Direct | Nintendo Museum | August 19, 2024 | Japan, North America, Europe, Australia | [381][382] |
- Nintendō Dairekuto (Japanese: ニンテンドーダイレクト)
- The Sega-related section of the Japanese version was shown standalone, under the title Sega Direct.
- Originally scheduled for September 6, 2018, but was delayed due to the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake.
- Out of respect for Elizabeth II following her passing five days before the Nintendo Direct, the broadcast was not livestreamed on the Nintendo UK YouTube channel, but was published as a video on demand on the channel after the livestream concluded.
