I don’t usually make sports analogies, but I will this time: the most recent Nintendo Direct wasn’t exactly a home run, but it was like a bunch of singles that added up into something meaningful. That is to say, there were no blockbuster announcements to counter the recent Zelda delay news, but there were lots of cool updates and fun tidbits that will hopefully lessen the sting and keep the Nintendo faithful happy.

What I Liked:

It’s no secret that Nintendo has me completely hooked on their collectable Amiibo figurines, so I’m definitely excited for all of the Amiibo news that came out of this Nintendo Direct. In addition to the previously announced 6 characters that were scheduled for May, Greninja and Jigglypuff are joining the lineup, plus Palutena, Dark Pit, Zero Suit Samus, Ganondorf, Dr, Mario, Olimar, and Bowser Jr. are coming later in the year. And that’s just for starters; we’re getting Splatoon Amiibo (the first Amiibo multipack, at that) and even plush Amiibo for Yoshi’s Wooly World. Granted, I’m more a plastic-figurine guy than a plush guy, but it fits perfectly with the game. The ability to use Amiibo to unlock pieces of Virtual Console games via “Nintendo’s Greatest Bits” for Wii U is kinda neat too, but it’s obviously just a marketing ploy, not a good way to actually enjoy said games. Speaking of Amiibo, with today’s announcements, the only Smash Bros. characters that haven’t been announced are Mr. Game & Watch, ROB, the Duck Hunt duo, Falco, and the Mii. There are some pretty obscure characters there, so I wonder if Nintendo will have something special in store for their release. By “special” hopefully I don’t mean “extraordinarily aggravating.”

Mario Maker! Mario Maker just looks better and better each time I see it. If Nintendo had released something like this when I was younger, I would have probably spent weeks on end designing my own levels. Alas, I don’t see that happening with the schedule I’ve got these days, but it still looks amazing. I especially love how some of the newer elements and enemies have been retrofit to work with the older Super Mario Bros. art styles. It’s also pretty cool that the game coincides with Super Mario Bros.’s 30th anniversary (and I love that logo), but I hope this isn’t the only thing Nintendo has planned to celebrate. I want this to be just the beginning!

Super Smash Bros.! We all knew that Mewtwo was coming, but Lucas was a huge surprise, as was the Mii costume DLC. Of course, I’m a sucker for Mega Man, so I’ll definitely be buying those Mega Man X and Protoman costumes. Who am I kidding? I’m probably gonna buy it all. And is Nintendo really taking new character suggestions through an open-ended poll?? That’s madness! I’d hate to be the guy going through all of those. Personally, I’d like to see The Amazon (from Pro Wrestling) join the roster, but I’m not gonna hold my breath.

Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem! Or, as they’re calling it now, the “Shin Megami Tensei & Fire Emblem Crossover Project.” Honestly, this wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. I don’t think it was like what anyone was expecting! I imagined we’d get a tactical game, not an RPG, but that’s fine by me; I’m definitely intrigued. I can’t claim to be the biggest SMT fan around, but regardless, the project looks very intriguing and I can’t wait to see more.

Virtual Console! Finally, Nintendo 64 and DS games are coming to Wii U Virtual Console. I haven’t quite downloaded Super Mario 64 yet, but believe me when I say I’ll do it soon. And I never expected we’d be getting Donkey Kong 64! Can’t say I like the game much, but it’s great for fans, and I always like to see long-lost titles making a return. DS is perhaps a bit less exciting, considering I can still easily play DS games on my 3DS, but I’m sure it’ll be a great opportunity to buy some hard-to-find gems.

Fatal Frame! Considering I’ve never been a big fan of the series, this isn’t at the top of my must-buy list, but I’m overjoyed to see a mature game aimed at core gamers heading to North America.

Yoshi’s Wooly World! One word: gorgeous! It’s also interesting to hear how Nintendo is addressing the difficulty to make it more accessible.

Fire Emblem! The game looks great — I’m loving the new art style — and the idea of two distinct storylines sounds very cool. Too bad it won’t be hitting until 2016.

Mario Kart 8! I wasn’t sure what was going to be shown on this Nintendo Direct, but I was definitely hoping that there’d be a fresh look at the new DLC for Mario Kart 8. And while they didn’t show that much, it’s pretty fantastic that it’ll be hitting a month early, and that there will be new Mii costumes and even a new speed class! Can’t wait!

StreetPass Mii Plaza! According to my 3DS, I’ve played the Mii Plaza more than I’ve played anything else on my 3DS. You could say I’m kind of obsessed with it. Heck, I’m STILL trying to grow more freaking flowers to appease that smug jerk Mr. Mendel. I didn’t expect more minigames, but I’ll take ‘em. Battleground Z definitely sounds more my style, but I’m willing to give Ultimate Angler a shot as well. And I don’t really understand what the purpose of StreetPass Mii Plaza Premium is yet, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying it considering how much time I spend with the Mii Plaza. And, hey, is that a new Splatoon hat I see? Gotta get those new hats, for sure.

What I Didn’t Like:

Amiibo! Yes, I now I spent a big paragraph up above discussing how excited I am about the new Amiibo. But I’m not at all excited about the fact that they continue to make some of them retailer exclusive. Wasn’t it enough that Toys R Us cancelled everyone’s Lucario preorder by mistake, or that the only way you could get Rosalina was by lining up outside a store at 6AM or placing a 3AM preorder on a random day? And now they want us to deal with more of that? Ugh. Not looking forward to it.

Pokémon Rumble World! If Pokémon Shuffle has proven one thing, it’s that free-to-play games on Nintendo systems can be just as mediocre as they are on smartphones. Pokémon Rumble World, with its touted simple gameplay, doesn’t seem especially compelling, and the thought of having to boy Pokédiamonds to reach new levels or continue sounds even less appealing.

Nintendo 3DS! Xenoblade Chronicles is right around the corner, but what will there be for handheld owners to sink their teeth into after that? Most of the other games, such as Puzzle & Dragons and the aforementioned Pokémon Rumble World shown seem pretty shallow, although I suppose Attack on Titan could hold some promise. Hopefully there will be some more big first-party games announced in the near future.

What I’m Unsure About:

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer! So it’s Animal Crossing with most of the gameplay removed? And it uses Amiibo cards that don’t have the cool collectible figuring aspect? Hmm. I won’t rule it out entirely yet, but it sounds a bit questionable to me.