Episode 979: We All Struggle Under the Giant Thumb of Sportsmate – Radio Free Nintendo

There was a Direct. You know this.

You knew this even before it was announced.

It was, and remains, known.

Many details were likewise known, and presumably remain as such.

In a sense, it makes this RFN largely superfluous in the immediate window following the Direct. It weirdly becomes more informative with the passing of time and the fading of memories.

We do try to editorialize where appropriate, but the machinery of the Direct format almost demands an equally mechanical response. We try to break the cycle but the effect targets the subconsciousness.

Anyway: You know what the Direct was about, and if I recount it here I diminish the episode’s primary value. Instead, I will say the Sportsmate’s thumb is not a thing I wished to see a Nintendo executive struggle against – but I will enjoy all the reaction memes that video will create.

• June 9th 2026 Nintendo Direct, in order.
• (00:02:30) Rhythm Heaven Groove. Capcom bloc. Big Walk.
• (00:21:30) Kairosoft.
• (00:29:06) Pokopia. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. DK Challenge.
• (00:54:26) Jujutsu Kaisen Rumble: Survivaton. Cozy Darksoulslikes. Muramasa: Revenant Blades.
• (01:04:39) So much Xenoblade.
• (01:40:49) Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World. Kingdom Hearts 4.
• (01:50:11) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2026) glimpsed.
• (02:06:34) Star Fox (2026) demo.