This Week in Games

Nintendo Partner Direct 2026 and Fatal Frame Producer Makoto Shibata Interview

Welcome back, folks! The 2026 Winter Olympics are up and running. As always, the Olympics are a great time to remember all of the Olympic video games we'd get every Olympic year. Such a shame we can't get new Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games titles! My fondest memory with an Olympic video game is having a copy of Winter Olympics on the Sega Genesis and being very broken hearted at seeing that there was no Jamaican bobsled team available.

Grasshopper Manufacture has his the ground running this 2026. Their latest title, Romeo is a Dead Man, just came out this week (you can peep my colleague George Yang's review of the game right here). But Gōichi Suda (alias SUDA51) had more stuff for folks. While it wasn't a detailed thing, Suda hosted a short Grasshopper Direct to give folks a heads-up on some upcoming news from the house that Travis Touchdown built.

First off: Suda acknowledges the desire for a soundtrack and an artbook for Romeo is a Dead Man. (Heck, John Carpenter's son contributed to the soundtrack, I'd want that too!) Suda says Grasshopper is working on it; circumstances prevented them from having those ready by release day, but they're working to have them ready "as soon as possible." He also insists that Grasshopper is working as hard as they can with a number of companies to get a physical version of Romeo is a Dead Man out to market; more to come on that in the future.

Suda is also keeping the doors wide open for a Switch 2 release of the game, insisting that he and Grasshopper Manufacture are "doing everything [they] can" to make that happen. My uninformed guess: Grasshopper (as well as many other studios) had a hard time getting a Switch 2 dev kit. Suda says they're working on it, I say "Do your thing, folks!"

The big reveal, though, is that Suda is "almost 100% sure" that Grasshopper will have a second game ready for release in 2026. Turns out, he and his team had a second game working in the background during Romeo is a Dead Man's development! His lips are sealed with regards to what kind of project it is--genre, platform, whether it's a sequel to an older game or a wholly brand-new title, what have you. All he can say is for us to keep our ears open in the future. I'm quite surprised and excited! Romeo is a Dead Man was definitely top of the list for 2026's titles, it'll be nice to see what Suda and his team cooked up!

Finally, Suda wrapped up the direct with a few solemn words for Tatsushi Fujita; a long-time environmental artist for Grasshopper Manufacture, Fujita-san passed away sometime last year after "19 years and three months" of working with the studio. Suda confirmed that Fujita-san worked on both Romeo is a Dead Man and this upcoming title, and prays that Fujita is proud to see his work enjoyed by players worldwide. 

I know I complain a lot about Direct/State of Play/Guys I Promise Xbox Isn't Dead Yet and their schedulings, but this recent trend of hosting them on Thursdays really blows—absolutely not enough time to include them into our weekly rundown (and we have an hour-long State of Play this week!). But a lot of other folks seem really down on Nintendo Partner Directs. I saw folks commenting on how Nintendo "needed" a "proper" Direct. While I admit that the library of Switch 2 exclusives is still fairly slim... dudes, come on. There's more than enough to play on the Switch right now. I only just beat Xenoblade Chronicles 3! (I also got around to playing The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories over the weekend, beautiful game!) Let's not pretend there's any actual urgency here.

Skipping American games, as is our wont, we've got Orbitals, which was previously revealed at last years' The Game Awards. I saw someone online describe it as "one of the games made in the wake of It Takes Two winning an award, finally ready for debut," which is a lot crueler than what I'd come up with (but I do think it's funny). Anyway, Orbitals is a co-op puzzle-platformer where two kids make their way through space in the wake of their space station exploding. The real draw here is the art style, evoking the hand-drawn cel animation of old 1980s science fiction anime like Dirty Pair or Machine Robo: The Revenge of Cronos. It's a striking look, and it's pulled off really well. My only bugbear is that it's a co-op game. I'd love for more games to properly evoke this look (especially since it's not doing the overdone indie-game thing of being "Miyazaki-inspired"), it's just a bummer that this looks so good but is for a genre I'm otherwise not that interested in. Orbitals revealed a few of the tools and mini-games folks can look forward to, as well as the reveal that the game can be shared across two consoles with the Play Share feature. This includes sharing Orbitals with an ordinary Switch. Points for accessibility, points for keeping couch co-op alive. But I'm itching for someone to use this aesthetic for a proper RPG one of these days... Look forward to Orbitals "this summer."

Square Enix is bringing another Paranormasight to consoles! The original Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo was a fascinating horror-themed visual novel steeped in Japanese folklore; the sequel, The Mermaid's Curse, continues that as it centers around a pearl diver investingating the mystery of a possible mermaid at a sleepy costal town. Longtime readers know I vouch hard for Another Code; while I've played very few visual novels, despite my attempts to proselytize them, I think Paranormasight is looking great. It gives me a keen Zero Escape vibe. Look forward to it this February 19!

I didn't have a Captain Tsubasa game slated for my 2026 bingo card, but I'll take it! While Americans will be scratching their heads at this, most fans from Latin America will likely recognize Captain Tsubasa as Super Campeones. You might also recognize Tsubasa Oozora from his stint on the DS classic Jump Ultimate Stars, being that Captain Tsubasa is a classic from Weekly Shonen Jump. Think of it as Inazuma Eleven's grand-pappy: a beloved football classic detailing the adventures of a young man and his many battles on the pitch. World Fighters collects over 120 of the characters from the manga for a massive clash. It's a soccer sim with tons of flashy moves, many ripped from the manga and a handful freshly-made for the game. Hey, I'm just happy it's an actual sports game and not an impromptu arena battler or a gacha game! Look forward to this one later this year. And if that's not enough soccer for you, Konami also has eFootball Kick-Off!, an "evolution" of the Pro Evolution Soccer games. It's a much more realistic soccer sim, due out this summer.

Tokyo Scramble should not be mistaken for Tokyo Jungle, the old PS3 game where you survived and formed a pack of wild animals in post-apocalyptic Tokyo (and which let you play as a cute Pomeranian). Rather, it's a survival horror title where a young woman navigates a caved-in Tokyo swarming with monsters called "Zinos." The trailer focuses on neat dinosaur-looking Zinos, but we saw glimpses of others like a large bat-monster and a neat giant mantis. The catch: you don't have any kind of weapon at all. Using your watch, you have to interact with various devices in the environment and use them to trick or trap the stalking Zinos. I dig this idea, it feels like it's been a bit since we had one of these weird survival-horror games; it gives me intense PS2 vibes. Tokyo Scramble also features unique game-share features where multiple players will be able to control unique features at once (one person controlling the camera, one person controlling in-game apps, etc). Only shenanigans can ensue from multiple people controlling the same game at once.

I didn't want to call The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales a Zelda-like when it was first announced. I had convinced myself it was channeling from the grander genre of action-adventure games like Tower of Druaga and Ys. But then I actually played it and, uh... yeah, it's a Zelda-like, more than anything else! Though the main action mechanic reminds me a bit of Secret of Mana, what with the conceit of charging attacks for bonus effects. Square Enix released a demo of the game a few months back and collected data from the players, which we've been told has been incorporated into the final game (mostly involving the cumbersome weapon selection). Players will explore a lush HD-2D world across four different eras where they'll collect weapons and traverse puzzles. There are neat twists to it, too, like beating enemies in sequence without taking a hit granting you bonuses like extra money. I also like the Magicite system, which modifies the properties of your attacks. I'm quite excited for The Adventures of Elliot, and I'm looking forward to it releasing this June 18.

Bomberman's back! The Super Bomberman Collection compiles all five Super Famicom Bomberman titles—and I do mean "Super Famicom,"  as the collection includes three titles never before released in America! As an added bonus, the set also includes both NES Bomberman titles. While all of these games have their own multiplayer modes (and you could easily spend the rest of your lives playing this at parties), the collection also adds a compiled boss rush featuring all of the bosses from the single-player modes. It's also made me wish that someone could license rescue the Nintendo 64 Bomberman titles, but that one's likely a lot harder to do. The Super Bomberman Collection is out now, at any rate! Speaking of Konami's old franchises, though...

The Japanese Partner Direct featured a definite Tiny Miracle: a 40th Anniversary collection of the 2D Ninja Goemon games! Konami's Ninja Goemon series are a fun bunch of 2D action games that tend to include tons of fun early-3D sequences, usually involving Goemon's giant robot. Most people likely have very fond memories of Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on Nintendo 64. Unfortunately, most of these games are quite forgotten in America; the best we have to go off of is its spiritual successor, Bakeru. Doubly-unfortunately, the Goemon collection is a no-go for America. The reason is simple: there are thirteen games in the collection, and eleven of them have never been released in America. So that's eleven old games that would need translations—a costly order for Konami, who's so busy not releasing games that they couldn't possibly afford to translate these. In all seriousness, though, the Goemon games are pretty obscure in the U.S. It's a crying shame if we can't get this collection in America, I know a few people who love Goemon to bits and are pining for the collection. Best we can hope for is importing the collection, for now...

We've got eyes on what Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks like on the Switch 2. And it looks pretty good! There was a lot of concern over the game not being able to maintain its high-fidelity visuals on the Switch 2, but it looks perfectly fine to my eyes. Heck, Digital Foundry is quite complimentary to Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade's Switch 2 port (it beats the pants off of the PS4 version, for what it's worth). Folks looking for the absolute best graphical experience will likely play the Final Fantasy VII trilogy on PC or maybe even PS5 Pro, but I think there are going to be a lot of happy folks just playing it on Switch 2. I'd be more concerned about the Mushroom Forest being annoying, but oh well. This one comes out on June 3.

We've got a reminder that Pragmata is coming out soon on the Switch 2. While I think robo-girl Diana has a Newbery Award stamped all over her face, the recent trailers are really making Pragmata seem interesting. The ability to hack enemies in real-time while juking them from an over-the-shoulder perspective is already a fascinating take, but being able to maximize your hacks and spread them to enemies in formation has me thinking of this game as more of a freeform Parasite Eve. I'm still curious what the Diana Amiibo is supposed to unlock... It won't be long until Pragmata's April 23 release.

Falcom's Xanadu series is a vital-yet-unsung pillar of action RPGs as we know them, and it's heartening to know that Falcom is still making them after all these years. Following from the recent Tokyo Xanadu, we have Kyoto Xanadu, where superpowered teens in Kyoto attend a magic school while delving into the labyrinthine dungeon Xanadu. There are VN-esque vingettes for buffing character stats, but dungeon exploration (in the style of old Xanadu titles) is carried out in 2D action... with boss fights going into action-3D. I'm keeping my eye on this one, especially after having played a bit of Trails Beyond the Horizon. This one comes out this summer.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger is coming to both the Switch and Switch 2! The framerate looks pretty rough on the Switch, but the Switch 2 version lets you swap between 4K visuals at 30fps or HD at 60fps. I reviewed Time Stranger back in October, and while my feelings on it have cooled a little (the Digifarm in Time Stranger is almost useless compared to other titles), I still think it's a phenomenal RPG and I hope tons of people look into it and play it. My only problem: I can't import my save file from my Steam copy. (I put a lot of work raising a Calamon, her stat requirements are nuts.) Look forward to Digimon Story: Time Stranger this July 10!

Granblue Fantasy Relink - Endless Ragnarok is more of a Monster Hunter-esque action-RPG, it's coming out on July 9. Meanwhile, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflections is prepping for a March 13 release! I've never gotten a chance to play any of the Monster Hunter Stories titles, but I love the concept of raising and training baby versions of classic Monster Hunter critters like Nerscylla or Barrioth. And we're getting a new Culdcept game too, Culdcept Begins! The Culdcept games are another blind spot of mine, a long-running series of card-strategy games. Definitely something I want to sink my teeth into this July 16. Tales of Arise - Beyond the Dawn Edition also arrives on the Switch this May 22.

Arcade Archives has quietly plugged away, bringing back arcade classics on modern consoles. And hey, they're bringing back Namco's Rave Racer! But the real treat is the new Console Archive series, compiling and releasing older console games. This is a definite blessing for folks who want to see old games resurrected; if you want to know the caliber of obscure oldies they're digging up for this, they teased Sonic Wings Special and Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout (I didn't even know that second one existed). Also, there's a Doraemon game there, for the six of us in America who care enough about Doraemon to know the narrator mispronounced it. The first two games available are Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos. Hey, remember when we'd get snowboarding games? What a time that was...

Finally, Resident Evil Requiem got a spotlight. We didn't see anything about the game we haven't already seen, outside of the confirmation that the exclusive Leon and Grace Amiibo will unlock exclusive in-game skins for your weapons. They also look a bit... off, which is rather disappointing. Amiibo are fairly cheap, sure, but my Terry Bogard Amiibo still looks darn great. His jeans are textured! There's also been some humor given that the Nintendo Direct look at this game avoids any and all bloodshed, so not only is Leon missing all of his shots in-game but the camera immediately cuts to black the moment his hatchet makes contact with a zombie. Goofy? Sure, but that's what happens when your Direct is aimed at a general audience. So it goes. We'll finally get our hands on Resident Evil Requiem this February 27, with a "Creator's Voice" video from director Koshi Nakanishi "in the near future."

The Fatal Frame series is a fan-favorite amongs the survival-horror crowd, best known for its central conceit of using an enchanted camera (the "Camera Obscura") to banish phantoms. Makoto Shibata has worked on the series since its inception back in 2001; courtesy of Koei Tecmo, we were able to catch up with him and ask him a few questions about the series at large and the upcoming Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly remake.

AnimeNewsNetwork: How does it feel to have worked on the Fatal Frame series for so long?

Makoto Shibata: We believe the Fatal Frame series has continued for so long thanks to the support of its fans, and we are deeply grateful for that. Being able to fully remake Crimson Butterfly, a title we feel a strong personal attachment to, has been a great joy for us.

ANN: What led to the decision to remake Crimson Butterfly instead of the first Fatal Frame?

MS: In recent years, we released two remastered titles, and through the response to those releases, we received many requests from fans asking for Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. As it is one of the most popular entries in the series, we felt that a full remake—rather than a simple remaster—would allow it to be embraced by players who enjoy a wide variety of modern horror games today.

ANN: Do you feel like the survival-horror genre has changed over the decades? If yes, how so?

MS: We feel that a wide range of horror titles, including indie games, have been released in recent years, exploring many different forms of fear. At the same time, remakes of classic horror games have also been released. I think that all of these titles are high quality and designed to be accessible and enjoyable for modern players.

ANN: What do you feel makes Fatal Frame stand out from other survival horror games--other than the Camera Obscura?

MS: One key aspect is the way the game incorporates the unique fear of Japanese horror. We intentionally minimize jump scares and graphic imagery, focusing instead on fear that stimulates the player's imagination. This difference in the quality of fear is one of the defining characteristics of the series compared to many other horror titles.

ANN: With hybrid consoles like the Nintendo Switch and Valve's Steam Deck, more and more people are looking for portable options to play their games. Do you think this might present an issue for Fatal Frame?

MS: Hybrid and handheld devices allow players to physically hold and use them like the Camera Obscura, which greatly enhances immersion. They are a natural fit for this series. In this title, when playing in handheld mode on Nintendo Switch 2, players can use the gyro sensor to treat the system itself as the Camera Obscura, enjoying photography and battles with Wraiths in a more intuitive way.

ANN: Are you planning any new twists for the Fatal Frame II remake?

MS: Events and layouts have been adjusted to match the new TPS controls and camera perspective, so even players familiar with the original game will discover new moments. For example, a Wraith may be standing on the other side of a door when you open it. If you make eye contact, your willpower will take damage. I think this will be a big surprise. This gaze-based attack can also occur during combat.

ANN: Are we likely to see a new Fatal Frame title in the future?

MS: At this time, there is nothing specific we can share regarding a new entry in the series. However, since this remake was rebuilt in a way that is very close to creating a new game, if we were to develop a new title in the future, it would likely be an evolution of the systems and know-how established here.

ANN: What is it about the Crimson Butterfly's story, settings, and scares that is appealing to new players? Did you feel the story elements needed any updates?

MS: We designed the game to be appealing in all aspects for new players, but if we had to highlight one element, it would be the story. The narrative itself has not been significantly changed from the original. Based on the feedback we have received over the years, we felt that the story did not need to be updated. Instead, the remake began with the question of how to present this story and world in a higher-quality, more easily playable way.

ANN: What games are you enjoying in your free time?

MS: I play games that catch my interest or are widely talked about, but recently I have especially enjoyed indie games that offer short yet distinctive experiences. As a game fan, that has been very exciting. Of course, as a horror fan, I have also been enjoying horror titles such as SILENT HILL f.

ANN: Do you have any final words for our readers?

MS: In this remake, we preserved the original story and setting while rebuilding the game into something close to a brand-new experience. The story has been expanded with side stories, a new ending, and new exploration elements using the Camera Obscura. Both longtime fans and players who have never experienced the series can enjoy an accessible and fresh horror experience. We hope you look forward to it.

Many thanks to Mark Bianchi for facilitating the interview, and to Makoto Shibata for taking the time to answer our questions. Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly releases this March 12 on Steam, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A demo will be available this March 5.

That'll do it for this week! As mentioned earlier, this week's State of Play ran too close to our deadline to include it—we'll catch up next week on that and the new Silent Hill news. With any luck, we won't see too many live-service titles announced! Be good to each other, I'll see you in seven.

This Week In Games! is written from idyllic Portland by Jean-Karlo Lemus. When not collaborating with Anime News Network, Jean-Karlo can be found playing Japanese RPGs, eating popcorn, watching v-tubers, and tokusatsu. You can keep up with him at @ventcard.bsky.social.