Nintendo Direct July 2025 Recap: JRPGs, Chaos, and a Gobbler in a Hat

The Showcase That Slapped Like a Blue Shell on Rainbow Road

Nintendo wrapped up July with a Partner Showcase that felt like a small buffet of genre goodness. From monster-riding mayhem to HD-2D nostalgia, this 27-minute Direct gave us plenty to chew on—and no, we’re not just talking about Pac-Man’s appetite.

Before we go any further, check out the full Nintendo Direct video below to see the fun unfold in real time. Grab a snack and enjoy games coming to the NS1 + NS2:

 🔥Top 5 Games That Had Us Yelling at the Screen (In a Good Way) 

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Capcom’s beloved turn-based spin-off returns with a vengeance. This time, you’re not just bonding with monsters—you’re riding a Rathalos into a full-blown war between kingdoms. The story dives into environmental collapse and ancient prophecy, with a mysterious egg that might hatch something world-ending. It’s Monster Hunter meets Game of Thrones, but with scales, claws, and a whole lot of heart. Coming 2026 to Switch 2 and other platforms.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Square Enix is flexing its HD-2D muscles again, but this one’s an action-RPG with real-time combat and seven weapon types. You play as Elliot, a stylish adventurer with immaculate hair and a fairy sidekick named Faie. Together, they explore time-warped ruins and uncover ancient secrets. Bonus: Faie can be controlled by a second player for co-op chaos. Demo’s out now, and the full game lands in 2026. The demo is available now.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment This surprise entry in the Warriors franchise dives deep into Zelda lore, telling the canonical story of the Imprisoning War—the events that led to Tears of the Kingdom. You’ll battle as Princess Zelda, King Rauru, and other legends in massive hack-and-slash combat. Partner attacks, mysterious Constructs, and a cryptic teaser involving Fi’s theme have fans theorizing like it’s finals week in Hyrule History class. Launching Winter 2025 exclusively on Switch 2.

Cronos: The New Dawn Bloober Team’s twisted sci-fi survival horror drops you into a post-apocalyptic future where time travel is your only hope. You’re a Traveler sent back to 1980s Poland to harvest souls and survive mutated horrors. The game blends Dead Space vibes with psychological dread, crafting ammo from scraps and burning bodies before they merge into stronger monsters. It’s brutal, brilliant, and launching September 5, 2025.

Borderlands 4 Gearbox is back with more loot, more chaos, and a new planet—Kairos. Expect explosive combat, ridiculous weapons, and a storyline that’s somehow even wilder than before. The trailer teased new Vault Hunters, upgraded co-op mechanics, and a villain who looks like they eat sarcasm for breakfast. Borderlands 4 hits Switch 2 on October 3, 2025.

Honorable mentions go to Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac, Persona 3 Reload, and Octopath Traveler 0, which all made solid impressions but didn’t quite steal the spotlight from the top five.

 🛑 Parental PSA  The screen of the console is positioned near the top of the Nintendo Switch 2 box, just under the lid (as seen in this unboxing). So if you’re stacking gifts—beware. Moisture, pressure, heat, and punctures could turn the shiny new console into a very expensive repair bill.

This Direct may not have dropped a new Mario adventure, but we know its coming.

Craving more recaps? Great great!

PC Gaming Show 2025 Recap

Xbox Games Showcase 2025

PlayStation State of Play 2025 Recap

Summer Game Fest 2025 Recap

Unreal Fest Orlando 2025 Recap

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Hey Blu: Is it safe to... Uninstall Origin now that I have the EA app?

If you're unsure about whether you should uninstall EA's Origin app, no need to worry... it's safe to get rid of the Origin software now that you have the EA app. Regular EA supporters may look at this and wonder why someone would ask this, but... some gamers don't play EA games regularly and may have purchased a game recently (through another platform) like, Split Fiction.

You know how EA is, you have to open their software in order to play their games purchased through other platforms (Ubisoft is also in this boat), so this is a clear as day answer to put an end to the confusion some have.

EA designed the EA app to replace Origin (duh of the day), but the cool thing is that your game library, progress, and settings should have carried over seamlessly. Open the EA app + Sign in before you uninstall Origin... just to make sure (and put your mind at ease). If you don't see your games, it may be a different account that you're signed into, but if you're already signed into your EA account with Origin it should automatically detect it.

Opening Origin should give you a prompt to help you move on to the new EA app.

Buying a new game via an app like the Epic Games Store app or Steam, should prompt you to install the EA app. Origin won't come up at all, and there won't be any parts of Origin that the EA app will require in order for it to run and play your older EA titles. You may see the warning from Origin about this, but that's based on that being the primary platform at that time. It's safe to let it go and recover the space on your drive. By the way, EA will discontinue Origin in April 2025.

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Sniper Elite: Resistance - The Parallel Journey of Harry Hawker!

Sniper Elite: Resistance | PC | Console

The acclaimed Sniper Elite franchise returns to France with a new lead operative, Harry Hawker, who totally sounds like Jason Statham... but its not. It's actually a voice actor by the name of Klemens Koehring. Your goal is to infiltrate occupied France and fight alongside the French Resistance to stop the Nazis developing an insidious new wonder weapon that could change the course of the war (dun dun dunnn). Offering unparalleled sniping mechanics, stealth, and tactical third-person combat, Sniper Elite: Resistance turns the attention of the award-winning series towards a hidden war, far from the front lines, deep within the heart of the country.

 A Parallel Journey: Sniper Elite 5 and Sniper Elite: Resistance 

Both 2023's Sniper Elite 5 and the new Sniper Elite: Resistance... take place during 1944's occupied France, but in different locations. The elite sniper from Sniper Elite 5, Karl Fairburne is part of the covert US Rangers operation to weaken the Atlantikwall fortifications along the coast of Brittany, but he eventually makes contact with the French Resistance. They uncover a secret project called Operation Kraken that they have to take on.

Sniper Elite 5 | PC | Console

In Sniper Elite: Resistance, the elite sniper, Harry Hawker is part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who teams up with the French Resistance as they race against the clock to stop the Nazi's from raising hell with the insidious new Wunderwaffe.

So both of these soldiers are on their mission, but if you're a fan of Sniper Elite games... you've seen Harry Hawker before. The British sniper and recon expert has been deployed in various missions throughout the series, even in multiplayer. So you've seen him in Sniper Elite 3, 4, and 5 overlapping with Karl Fairburne's mission to standing in the spotlight in Sniper Elite: Resistance. Hawker was even referenced in SE5 regarding his involvement in the action. So if you'd played SE5, you should enjoy the different aspects of the shared conflict with an emphasis on the crucial role the covert operations and collaboration with the French Resistance played in undermining the Nazi war machine. It broadens the war effort and the teamwork between Allied forces and the local resistance behind enemy lines. It's also a smart way to utilize and reintroduce familiar faces in the Sniper Elite universe.

Players will notice familiar elements from the previous installment, such as realistic ballistics and strategic opportunities in gameplay, which are seamlessly integrated into this new storyline.

Sniper Elite: Resistance offers:

• Advanced Sniping Mechanics: Enjoy precise and realistic sniping with enhanced ballistics and slow-motion kill cams.

• Stealth and Tactical Combat: Utilize stealth and strategy to outsmart enemies and complete objectives.

• Engaging Storyline: Follow Harry Hawker's journey as he battles the Nazis and uncovers their plans.

• Rich Environments: Explore diverse and detailed locations within occupied France, each with unique challenges and opportunities.

I'm sure you've heard enough and would like to jump into the first 30 minutes of Sniper Elite: Resistance. This gameplay footage provides a glimpse into the intense action as I take my first swing at the bat as a noob (of this franchise), and immersive storytelling:

 + Sophi 

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Kill Knight... Mini-Review!

Kill Knight is a challenging top-down twin-stick shooter where players hunt down the Last Angel across five intense levels filled with enemies and hazards. The game features a ranking and leaderboard system that fuels the replay value.

Kill Knight was condemned to eternal sufferance, deep within the voids of an... eldritch arena where you're forced to obliterate swarms of monsters and master the demon within.

While Kill Knight offers intense combat, it can be frustrating due to its difficulty. Visually this game is too dark for my tastes. It's not just dark for me, it's a little dull in the color scheme department is what I mean. The game’s fun factor may decrease over time, but the replay value is maintained somewhat through the leaderboard system. Timing the reload with so much going on can be challenging and may detract from the overall experience too, and... the music was missing that flare to complement action. Heavy metal should've been the soundtrack from beginning to end! Talk about a missed opportunity.

Pricewise, for fans of dark, top-down arcade bullet hell games, the price of $14.99 is reasonable. Precision is rewarded, you get access to a nice selection of pistols, swords, heavy weapons + armor. If you like to dominate leaderboards, this game is bound to put you and your aim... to the test.

Gameplay 3

Visuals 3

Audio 3

Price 5

3.5 out of 5 Cool Points

            

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