December2023
Soapbox In 2023, Mario Got Weird Again
The Year of Mario?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Richard looks back on a year when Nintendo let Mario get a little loose... If 2013 was the Year of Luigi, 2023 may as well have been the Year of Mario. Though only three new...
Guide Switch Guide: Ultimate Nintendo Switch Resource - Everything You Need To Know
A complete guide to the Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The Switch launched worldwide on 3rd March 2017 and sported the unique ability to be used as both a home and handheld console — switching things up. Get it? Now approaching its eighth year on the market, whether you're a first-time...
News Splatoon 3 Version 6.0.2 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
The Big Run reward bug appears to have been fixed
2023 is almost over but Nintendo is still busy rolling out regular updates for its popular multiplayer squid shooter Splatoon 3. Following an update earlier this month, Version 6.0.2 has now arrived. It doesn't include any new content but does feature fixes for the multiplayer, Salmon Run mode and...
News Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Director Makes 2023 'Variety500' List
Shuntaro Furukawa & Doug Bowser also featured
Nintendo is made up of all sorts of talented individuals but one person who probably deserves a little more respect is Hidemaro Fujibayashi. He's been a director on the series since 2001 and was most recently credited on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. With this in mind, he's now been...
Japanese Charts It's A Wonderful Life For Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Switch scores a full house in the top 10
Famitsu has revealed the latest box charts from Japan (thanks, Gematsu) and it's another resounding triumph for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which scored an additional 94,682 units sold. It's also a full house for the Switch once again, with every space in the top ten taken up by Nintendo's hybrid console...
News Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick Will Step Down Later This Month
While ex-Nintendo employee Jill Braff will lead ZeniMax/Bethesda
Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard earlier this year (finally, right?), it's been announced that Bobby Kotick will step down from his role as CEO on December 29th, 2023 (thanks, Eurogamer). Kotick became CEO of Activision all the way back in 1991 and was integral...
News Nintendo Offering Free Pikmin Greeting Cards And Decorations
Happy holidays!
The Pikmin series has been paired up with holiday celebrations in the past, and Nintendo seems to be doing it again this year in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways. On its UK website, you can currently grab some "free Pikmin greeting cards" as well as some fancy paper decorations. "There are three card designs and two tree...
News 'Year In Numbers' Infographic Highlights Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Sales Success In 2023
Nintendo had another fantastic year
As we get closer to the end of 2023, a lot of sites are starting to compile all sorts of data to illustrate the year in games. The team at GamesIndustry.biz has put together its own "year in numbers" infographic, and one game that features throughout is the award-winning title, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the...
News Super Mario Run Scores A Super Mario Bros. Wonder Event Update
"Wonder Flowers are blooming"
Nintendo's mobile runner Super Mario Run has received a new special update which brings the "Wonder Flowers" from Super Mario Bros. Wonder to smart devices. Players can find these Wonder Flowers in the Toad Rally mode between now and 14th March 2024. Here's the official rundown: "In Toad Rally, your gauge will fill...
News Fighters From Smash Bros. For 3DS Were Leaked By Former NoA Employee's Child
Well, partially
In August 2014, photos and videos of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS were leaked online, demonstrating evidence of unannounced fighters. The leaks were seemingly confirmed following a copyright strike from Nintendo of America before being proven irrefutably real upon the game's eventual release later that year. Since then, the...
News Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Has Been Rated For Nintendo Switch
Luigi time!
Earlier this year during a Direct broadcast, Nintendo announced its 2013 3DS game Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon would be returning on the Switch with HD visuals. More recently in September, it was confirmed Luigi's Mansion 2 HD would be launching on the hybrid system platform in Summer 2024, and now in another update, the title has been...
News F-Zero 99 New Update Now Live, Adds "Limited-Time" Frozen Knight League
Watch the snow fall across each course
One of the highlights of 2023 has been the surprise release of F-Zero 99 - a new battle royale racer exclusive to Switch Online members. While Nintendo said no more new tracks would be added to the game, it's not completely done with content updates. In a new update today, it's added the "limited-time" Frozen...
Random Luigi's Mansion 2 Was Inspired By The British Sitcom 'Mr. Bean'
Can't unsee now
In 2013, Luigi's Mansion fans rejoiced when a sequel to the 2001 GameCube classic finally launched on the Nintendo 3DS. Now, thanks to a new video from Did You Know Gaming, we now know that Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was greatly inspired by none other than the iconic British sitcom Mr. Bean. According to the video, developer Next...
Random Hyrule's Shrines Serve A Secret Peace-Keeping Purpose, Says TOTK Director
It's a kind of magic
We had assumed that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would be pretty rich in lore, but we weren't fully prepared for just how much would be thrown our way — think you know the creation of Hyrule? Think again. There is so much packed into this game, in fact, that we are sure we will be discovering more and more about...
Poll What Do You Think Of The Demo For Another Code: Recollection?
Go on, tell us
Last week, Nintendo shared a demo for Another Code: Recollection on the Switch eShop, giving fans a chance to try out the game before its January 2024 launch. Now that more people have had time to play it, it's got us wondering what the community here on Nintendo Life thinks of the experience so far. So vote in our poll and tell us...
News Zelda Producer Explains Why A Mario Maker Style Game Probably Won't Work
Nintendo doesn't want to "force" creativity
We've heard Nintendo dismiss the idea of a Mario Maker style Zelda game in the past and even though it's been a while since the last update, it seems the Japanese video game company still isn't keen on the idea. Speaking to Polygon recently, series producer Eiji Aonuma explained how Nintendo doesn't...
News Here's A First Look At The Animal Crossing LEGO Box Art
This new LEGO line launches in 2024
Earlier this year in October, Nintendo announced five Animal Crossing LEGO sets would be launching in March 2024. While there's already been plenty of official pictures of these sets shared, we've now got a "first look" at the cute and charming packaging. These designs have been revealed by UK retailer Smyth Toys...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Trace Memory
Remember remember
Welcome back to another edition of Box Art Brawl, are you ready to rank some covers? Before we head into this week's competition, however, let's check out what happened last time. We got all agricultural as we matched up two covers for Harvest Moon 64 in celebration of it landing on NSO. They were both pretty sweet options, but...
News A New Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Distribution Event Has Been Announced For Japan
Appearing in next month's issue of CoroCoro
Updated: There's already been a distribution event for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet announced earlier this week, and now to add to this, it seems another one has been confirmed for Japan. This one is a little bit different! As explained by Serebii.net, the codes for this particular distribution will be...
News Fan-Made 'Link's Awakening DX HD' Port Taken Down By Nintendo
It was inevitable...
Remember the stunning The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX PC port we reported about just the other day? Well, it's sadly no longer. Nintendo has issued a takedown notice for the fan-made port, and it has now been removed from its itch.io page (thanks
News Nintendo Launches 'Festive Offers' Switch eShop Sale, Discounts On Over 3,000 Games (Europe)
Anyone would think it's the end of the year...
What's that? You thought that the discounts were over because Black Friday is finished? Ohh no, no, no. It is December in Nintendo land, and if that means anything, it means that the discounts are never over. Yes, that's right, Nintendo has today launched its Festive Offers sale on the Switch eShop,...
Reminder Tetris 99's Super Mario Bros. Wonder Event Is Now Live
Unlock a Wonderful new theme
2023 has been quite the year for Mario, huh? Nintendo's prize plumber has had his own movie, a brand-new 2D platformer and an RPG-make thrown in for good measure. Just to put the icing on the cake, he's now appearing in a handful of Tetris 99 crossover Grands Prix too, with the Super Mario Bros. Wonder event now...
News Nintendo Releases Switch eShop Demo For Another Code: Recollection
And there's a new overview trailer to go with it
One of the surprise announcements of 2023 was the news Cing's classic point-and-click adventure series Another Code would be getting a remake on the Nintendo Switch. It will contain both Another Code: Two Memories (known as Trace Memory in North America) and the sequel Another Code: R – A Journey
News Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's 'Game Awards' Artwork Is Now A Reward On My Nintendo
Get it while you can
During The Game Awards, Nintendo shared a new (and stunning) piece of artwork for its award-winning game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, featuring Link against the backdrop of the sky islands. Many fans were quite taken with it at the time, and if you have been eager for a wallpaper version of this new artwork, you...
Japanese Charts Pikmin 4 Passes One Million Physical Sales
Mario Wonder reclaims the lead, once again
The latest Japanese charts are in from Famitsu (via Gematsu) and despite making a monster debut last week, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince has slipped down into third place, leaving Super Mario Bros. Wonder to once again jump into the top spot with another 82,470 copies sold. The only new entry this...