Even for 1H you cant say that they "they don't exist" or Nintendo dont "holding back" when there annuced and relased games like like Mario + Rabbids Pokemon Tournament DX and Bayonetta 1 and 2, only 2-3 before launch. They will definatly continue doing thing like those.

I dont think that DK IF port is counting like big games, its mid sized game not big game.

Maybe Smash Bros 4 DX, or Smash Bros 5 that would be actualy be all content from Wii U and 3DS versions of Smash + some other new staffs. Maybe we could have even AC in May-June instead posible Smash Bros. We will see.

Doesnt change, and fact is that we had Mini Direct in any case, not regular Direct. They went with Mini Direct and that aporuch this time beacuse they didnt had big or new games, only ports/remasters of smaller games, its most likly they used it to clear of smaller and less important things in that way. Biggest news was basically Dark Souls Remaster, and Nintendo used this Direct to announced Dark Souls firstly on Switch beacuse that same day game was annouced for other platforms also. In other words, we yet need to have normal Direct.

Actually there are few more things that are point that regular Direct will be out maybe even in next few weeks (link down). Most likly they will announce some more 1st party, 2nd party or exclusives, and espacily 3rd party games for 1H of 2018.  Actualy it makes much more sense that in that regular direct they focused on bigger and more more important things, because this Direct Mini had smaller and less important things, Mini Direct is by definition less important than regular Direct.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/7pzqb6/direct_on_the_22nd_speculation_compiling_all_of/

I don't think you're gonna get a lot more before June ...

Feb - Bayonetta 1/2
March - Kirby
April - Hyrule Warriors DX (?)
May - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
June - Mario Tennis Aces

Seems to be like how it'll play out. Nintendo usually doesn't release two games in a month, especially in the first half of the year.

Maaaaaybe Animal Crossing somewhere in there (around Golden Week in Japan I would have to think) but I dunno.

My personal feeling is Dragon Quest XI for Switch is coming April/May in Japan, and Nintendo will publish for the West in summer 2018. 

Why do they do these mini directs? Is it because putting them in the Big directs will make it much longer?

My guess would be that they want to control the conversation around their games and use this to highlight games that, in a bigger direct would get lost in the stream.

Who would be talking about Mario Tennis if we had gotten animal crossing footage, for example? This way they all get to have their day in the limelight.

By the time the bigger games are revealed, the audience will have already made a mental note of the smaller ones they find interesting and otherwise might not have payed attention to.

Ah I see

Agree, because after a mini direct, there won't be any direct in near future

Despite being called Mini, it was handheld like another ND, just cut short.

You could be right and the big announcements will come in the normal ND. But that's just you ignoring how they handheld the Mini and ignoring how the first half of 2018 is pretty much booked.
If you want to act as if that's not relevant, you can do that. Just don't expect people to agree with you.

Even if there's a BIG game coming, it won't changes things: the first half of 2018 is lackluster. And that's even before we compare it to what we had in 2017.

"Most likly they will announce some more 1st party"
Did they even announce a single 1st party game?
I checked: not a single one.

Again, not having a really big title announced is not proof that they have one and are saving it. It could very well mean that they might not really have one.

Look, if this had been just another Mini Direct, i could agree with in that there would be an ND soon to reveal the remaining games coming in the 1stH. But the Mini already did that.

About the article:

The 1st point completely ignores the fact that this Mini was completely different from the ones before it; It also ignores how the release Schedule is booked for 1st half, if we remembre how Nintendo wants to have one big name/game each month.

The 2nd point is but a rumor. 
Even if it was true, there's really nothing there that suggests that those 10 games are all surprises or mean that the real line-up for this semester has yet to be revealed.
again, if that's what it's implying, it's again ignoring Nintendo's one big name/game per month mantra.

The 3rd point on the blank space doesn't really add anything besides the "another ND is coming".

The last point is pure conjecture: Nintendo has a lot to talk about (true!), therefore they will do it now... although also understands it's not done now.

Just some FYI, it is a literal fact that EVERY mini direct that Nintendo has put out has ALWAYS had a full direct follow it up in less than 20 days.

Just thought you all should know...look it up if you don't believe me.

Even with ports alone, the line up is great.
Btw, I have a question.

Namco announced that they are going to release 3 exclusives on Switch during spring and summer, but so far no mention of it. DSR is multiplatform, so it does not count.

Also, POT was announced for spring 2018 or only 2018? What about DQXI? So many questions...

But fact is that is not, its managed like MIni Direct not like normal Direct: its short, no earlier announcement for Direct around 2 days before Direct like we have with regular direct, we didn't had Koizumi or some other big Nintendo executive running Direct like was case with last two normal Directs when Koizumi was runing directs, no big announcements. Its clear fact that this was not managed like regular Direct, there is reason why Nintendo done all that and why they called this Mini Direct, not normal Direct.

Like I wrote, you are one that ignored how they manged Mini Direct. Maybe it seems that there are enough games for now for 1H 2018. but that doesnt mean we will not have more announcements for 1H 2018.

I dont agree it look lackuster, curent 1H 2018. looks decent, and we will probably have more 1H 2018. announcements. We already agreed that Nintendo hardly can have so many heaviy hiters like it had in 2017. but that regardless that Switch can have strong year.

Mario Tennis and DK TF are 1st party games, Hyrule Warriors also caould be calle 1st party game basically (exlusive game with Nintendo IP).

Offcourse its not proof, but also is not proff they don't have one because they didn't announce it in Mini Direct.

Article actualy have some good points that we could easily have another DIrect in near future. Fact is that this was Mini Direct and that we alaways had regular Direct less than a month after Mini Direct. Blank space for Direct actually always is sign that new Direct is coming in near future (it can be few weeks). Other points just give more chances that we will have Direct in next few weeks.