Pikmin 1
Image: Nintendo

Well, we're halfway though 2023. That's quite a thought, huh?

The first six months of the year may be behind us, but Nintendo is showing no sign of slowing down. This week, we asked you to rank every N64 3D platformer in celebration of Banjo-Kazooie's 25th birthday, while we went head-to-head with Horace the Horse in our Everybody 1-2-Switch! hands-on and also got the chance to preview some Pikmin 4 prior to the demo's release.

It's also been a busy week for reviews. We were brought back to two Tomb-Raiding treasures with The Lara Croft Collection, had an overall good time in Master Detective Archives: Rain Code and were left a little disappointed by Sonic Origins Plus. Fortunately, the DS all-timer Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective was there to pick us back up again.

Now, we're ready to spend the weekend chilling out and playing some games. Take a look at what some of us at Nintendo Life are up to and then take to the comments to get involved too.

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

"I'm not that big of a Pikmin fan," I thought to myself as I downloaded Pikmin 1+2 last week. Well reader, after speeding through the first and clearing off a good chunk of the second, I can confirm that I am well and truly back in my Pikmin phase. I adored the demo for Pikmin 4, so let's get 2 cleared up this weekend.

Otherwise, I will be very tempted to dive into Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. I never played the original on DS, but the demo for this one has me intrigued. You still get to pluck and chuck little plant people in Ghost Trick, right?

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

After finishing up Master Detective Archives: Rain Code for review, I’ve decided to give Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony another go. It actually feels quite pacy when compared to Rain Code, so I’m definitely enjoying my time with it again.

Elsewhere, I’m still working my way through Final Fantasy XVI on the PS5, and my goodness, what a cracking game it is. It’s definitely in the running for GOTY for me so far, and I’m just finding my eyes are completely glued to the screen during the incredible boss fights.

Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor

With my Nintendo 64 deep-dive nearly complete, I should have more free time to stay retro elsewhere, namely Dreamcast and GameCube. Not only I am (re)addicted to San Francisco Rush 2049 and Hydro Thunder on Dreamcast, but I am also starting a new Gauntlet: Dark Legacy campaign on Gamecube. On the Switch side of things, I must complete the brilliant Pikmin 4 demo. From the generous slice of content offered here, it was well worth the wait… less than one month to go. Will also give Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition a go since my physical copy showed up. Wonder if I am the replicant this time…

Game of the week is AEW: Fight Forever! To fill in the shoes of wrestling games of the N64 and Gamecube era is no easy task. Plus Unreal Engine 4 on the Switch is often touch and go. Fortunately, all my worst fears were put to rest as I snapped up a copy of the game early in the wild. At long last something to challenge Wrestling Empire from the top of the food chain. I hope they patch the game to fix the slightly annoying stoppages mid-gameplay, otherwise this is one solid rasslin’ package for players who prefer the over-the-top arcade action to the more recent simulation aspects of the WWE 2K series.

Craig Reid, Pure Xbox Video Producer

Ahoy NL gang! This weekend is a funny one for me, primarily because I’m knee-deep in Final Fantasy XVI on PS5, and I’ve recently bought Elden Ring on my Xbox. I want to get stuck into the achievements before the inevitable DLC comes out.

Despite all of these plans to play massive RPGs, however, all I really want to do is dive into Super Mario Maker 2. I think I can blame this craving on the Super Mario Bros. Wonder reveal during a recent Nintendo Direct. Just to pile on top of it all, if I can grab a couple of friends to play with, I’d love to give Zelda: Tri Force Heroes a whirl on my 3DS. Sheesh, busy weekend for me, huh?


Well, that's all that we have planned for this weekend, but what about you? Drop the game that you are going to be focusing on in the poll and then take to the comments to let us know if you have anything else on the cards.

What are you playing this weekend (1st/2nd July)?