A recent Nintendo Direct presentation, held shortly after the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, has unveiled a peculiar theme emerging in the company's 2027 lineup: games centered around eating. While the presentation featured a number of ports and updates, the inclusion of Metroid Ravenous, Kirby and the World Beyond, and Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya's Tasty Tale points to a growing trend of games where consuming creatures and items plays a central role.
Kirby's inherent ability to inhale enemies and gain their powers continues in Kirby and the World Beyond. HAL Laboratory executive director Shinya Kumazaki previously explained that Kirby's consumption is depicted humorously rather than graphically, with enemies disappearing and reappearing elsewhere in the game world. This approach ensures the game remains approachable, avoiding potentially jarring depictions of digestion. The trailer for Kirby and the World Beyond suggests this playful approach to eating will continue.
Metroid Ravenous introduces a darker take on the theme. In this upcoming 2D Metroid title, protagonist Samus Aran finds herself stranded on a hostile moon where survival depends on her newly awakened Metroid abilities, including feeding on her prey to regain energy. The game's official site details how players will need to stun enemies and quickly drain their energy, framing Samus as literally ravenous in this desperate environment. The gameplay appears to blend 2D platforming with 3D cutscenes.
The third notable title exploring this theme is Bandai Namco's Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya's Tasty Tale. Inspired by Southeast Asian cultures, this puzzle-adventure game features a young protagonist who wields a magical spoon. While the trailer does not explicitly show consumption, the game's mechanics and themes, including references to flavor profiles and a character labeled with a "report card" for taste, suggest that eating will be a significant element. The name itself refers to ondeh-ondeh, a type of sweet treat.
This convergence of food-centric mechanics in upcoming titles follows a pattern of emergent microtrends in the gaming industry, similar to past fads like narrative games set in the Pacific Northwest, the proliferation of fishing minigames, and the resurgence of space horror. The trend suggests that 2027 may be a notable year for games with culinary or consumption-based gameplay.