Latest Features
Feature What's Your Most Treasured Club Nintendo Possession?
In da Club
Accumulating points to save money on Switch eShop purchases is all well and good, but Nintendo's current rewards system for loyal customers arguably lacks the pizzazz of the old Club Nintendo days. That's not to say that the more recent My Nintendo physical goodies are bad. In fact, the swag you can redeem Platinum coins for nowadays is...
Back Page Things That Will Absolutely Definitely Happen During Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct
Disclaimer: Some, or all, of these predictions are jokes
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 12th)
More watching than playing this weekend
All aboard the E3 Hype Train! Choo-choo! Yes, after a year off, E3 returns this weekend. We’ve already seen the opening show of Summer Game Fest and with Nintendo’s Direct coming up next Tuesday, we’ve got our fingers crossed for megatons. In other news, some Switch owners reported problems with the...
Hardware Genki Shadowcast Review - A Solution In Search Of A Problem
No TV, no problem?
With a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign behind it, the Genki Shadowcast has every right to be seen as a must-have accessory for Nintendo Switch owners. Indeed, its status as one of the world's smallest capture cards makes it eminently noteworthy, and it comes with some other cool tricks which might not be all that obvious...
Feature Nintendo's Most Iconic E3 Moments
5 of the best, from live shows to pre-recorded puppets
E3 2021 is just around the corner, though with a whole lot of competing events and streams it's not quite the industry-defining occasion of the past. Yet Nintendo will be 'there' with a day that'll feature an E3 Nintendo Direct and three hours of Treehouse demonstrations streamed for your...
Community 12 Nintendo Switch Games We Missed, Recommended By You
Part 3: Another dozen gems that escaped us
The success of Nintendo Switch has led to a flood of quality games on the platform that not even the most optimistic Nintendo fan could have dreamed of in the leaner Wii U years. The constant stream of games from studios large and small means that even in the quieter periods between tentpole releases —...
Random Fortnite's Ska Dance Emote Foreshadows A Ska Revival
Oh boy, it's time to skank
Fortnite is a bundle of memes and dances taken from TikTok, so let's take a look at what this latest alien-themed season has brought us, because it's no doubt something timely and trendy, like... Ska? Huh. Okay! Well, actually, ska is experiencing somewhat of a revival. Drawing its inspiration from the original ska...
Soapbox Without A Dedicated Handheld Division, Is Nintendo Less Weird?
Missing the micro-games
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their own opinions on hot topics or random stuff they've been thinking about, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Nathan discusses the sense that Nintendo's handheld hybrid approach with Switch has led to fewer experimental...
Talking Point How Good Are You At Games?
Skills to pay the bills, bro?
Back in the olden days, when my world was decidedly smaller, I used to think I was pretty handy when it came to video games. When schoolmates came over to play GoldenEye or Mario Kart 64, I'd wipe the floor with the lot of them and I naively believed it was down to my unrivalled reaction speed and prowess with the pad...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - May 2021
May's best Switch eShop games!
May was a little on the quiet side in terms of quality eShop greats, but there were still a number of titles released that are absolutely worthy of your time. These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love and attention to the games that could so easily be missed in the Switch's...
Feature Our Predictions For Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct
Switch Pro, BOTW2, and high, high hopes
It's been a long, weird year, but E3 is back after last year's COVID cancellation. It's still a digital event, as we're not out of the woods yet, but that means we'll be seeing all the big names on the (virtual) stage again. But will Nintendo give us everything we've hoped for, or will we be left a little...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 5th)
Before all the Summer Fest / E3 events steal our time
Another week has passed, with lots of intriguing news and a certain thing still not appearing [yeah, let's forget about that for now - ed]. We're in that pre-E3 / Summer Game Fest period of leaks and rumours, so much fun for all! This week's big news was confirmation of the date and time of...
Talking Point With Sony And Microsoft In Next-Gen Limbo, E3 Is Nintendo's For The Taking
Software sells systems, after all
It's a strange time in gaming, especially if your main platforms of choice are PlayStation or Xbox. Both systems do — despite often hysterical takes found on social media — have plenty of games to play. What PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S don't have is an overabundance of new 'next gen' exclusives...
Talking Point Do You Want To See More Apple Arcade Games On Switch?
Core, what an a-peel-ing thought
It has not escaped my notice that lately, a few games are coming to the Nintendo Switch that were previously Apple Arcade-only. Now, a fun fact (and also a disclaimer) about me is that I actually worked on an Apple Arcade title — I was the writer for Winding Worlds — but I know nothing about how the contracts...
Hands On NEO The World Ends With You Has Us Caught In A Twister
A true evolution of touch controls
If you were a Kingdom Hearts kid back in 2008, you probably played or at least had ambitions to try out The World Ends With You on DS. Between its sharp, stylized visuals, pull no punches attitude, a bopping soundtrack, and the way it utilized touch and button controls, there's plenty of reason it sits very high on...
Community Played A Great Switch Game That We Missed? Send Us Your Noms
What are your 'hidden gem' eShop recommendations?
Another month, another deluge of software hitting our favourite handheld hybrid console's eShop. The flow of new games coming to Switch has varied over the first months of 2021, but in general there are still far too many games arriving for us to be able to review them all, and unfortunately some of...
Soapbox Why Harvest Moon 2 GBC Is Still The Best Farming Game Around
Less is more
We recently published our reader-ranked top 50 Game Boy Color games, and we've taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC carts. Today, Kerry reminisces about her very favourite farming sim... There have been a lot of Harvest Moon games over the y
Talking Point What Do You Think The "Switch Pro" Will Actually Be Called?
New Super Nintendo Switch Pro XL Ultra Reloaded
Another day, another ten thousand Switch Pro rumours with not much to add. Trust me, we're as bored of the "BREAKING NEWS: SWITCH PRO TO HAVE BUTTONS????" as you are, but the latest is that the founder of XboxEra on Twitter is predicting Thursday as the announcement, but the more interesting thing is...
Talking Point Do You Replay Games?
Live, die, repeat
There are some conversations that I had as a kid that, for whatever reason, I still remember clear as day. It's weird to remember discussions I had when I was little, because my brain transplants a very adult version of me into the memory, since that's my perception of myself, and then I'm just a large human talking to a very small...
Soapbox Is The Best Harry Potter Game On Game Boy Color? Quite Possibly
FLIPENDO
We recently asked you Nintendo Life readers to rate your favourite Game Boy Color games, and as we're preparing to publish the Top 50 results, we're taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC games. Here, Kate remembers one particular handheld Harry adventure — the one where the Philosopher and the Sorcerer bickered about whose...
Feature More Than Just Pokémon - Japan’s Secret World Of Game Boy Color
Hidden handheld happiness
The Game Boy Color was the immensely popular home of a wide range of handheld classics, from multi-million sellers such as Pokémon Gold and Silver and Link’s Awakening DX to the now painfully expensive Metal Gear Solid, not to mention the non-Color original Game Boy library it played, too
Memory Pak My Nostalgic Sonic 2 Playthrough Was A Treasured Gaming Moment
You only have one life
It's a big anniversary year for various Nintendo franchises, but it's easy to forget that it's also a whopper for SEGA's mascot, with June bringing the 30th Anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. We'll have various articles celebrating that milestone, but a little ahead of time I thought I'd share a fun memory I have with the...
Feature A Perfect Metascore? We Play The Switch Game "Better Than Zelda: Breath Of The Wild"
The House In Fata Morgana Game Diary, Part 1
This is going to take a little bit of explaining. There is a game called "The House In Fata Morgana" that first came out in Japan in 2012. It eventually trickled its way onto more platforms, including iOS, PS4, and 3DS, but it wasn't until 2016 that Western audiences were able to play it. And then, just...
Soapbox Resident Evil Gaiden Is Good, Actually
“Good luck Barry”
We recently asked you Nintendo Life readers to rate your favourite Game Boy Color games, and as we're preparing to publish the Top 50 results, we're taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC games. Here, Kerry defends the Resident Evil game that NL readers voted the worst in the series... A long time ago we were...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 29th)
Well, what are you playing?
Another week has passed, with lots of intriguing news and a certain thing not appearing. You know what we mean, but let's focus on stuff that actually happened. SEGA hosted its first Sonic Central, which confirmed three games and various other cameo appearances to celebrate 30 years, more games arrived on Nintendo Switch...
Feature Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Foreshadowed Breath Of The Wild's Big Changes
A Link to the Past Between Worlds
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, we're running a series of features looking at a specific aspect — a theme, character, mechanic, location, memory or something else entirely — from each of the mainline Zelda games. Today, Kate marvels at the way A Link Between Worlds snuck in a bunch of...
Soapbox Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Release Date Worries Me, But Hopefully I'm Wrong
A potential Poké-hit, if it's treated with respect
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics or random stuff they've been thinking about, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Ryan talks about the surprisingly early release date for a big-name Pokémon title. Pokémon...
First Impressions 10 Things We Learned About Game Builder Garage
We'll be in the garage if you need us
For the most part, all of the big-name console developers have tried their hand at giving the everyday Joe a fun and approachable way to make their own games. Sony and Media Molecule released Dreams last year, Microsoft dropped Project Spark back in 2014, Nintendo released a couple of games that gave us the keys...
Memory Pak My Very First Shiny Pokémon
A tale of heartbreak, loss, and sparkles
Earlier this month, there was a news story about a Pokéfan who had managed to catch not only every single Pokémon, but also every single shiny. Considering that the likelihood of finding a shiny Pokémon is around 1/4096 — although you can increase the rate slightly with various methods — this is a...
Gallery Check Out These Famicom Detective Club Original Vs. Remake Shots
Over 30 years of technological advancement
The Famicom Detective Club titles were a fascinating recent arrival on Switch, with The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind both available. Quite a few members of the Nintendo Life team are playing them, and the general consensus i
Soapbox How Resident Evil 4 Taught Me To Stop Hoarding And Love The Grenades
Thanks, Leon, you idiot beefcake
A friend of mine once told me something that stuck with me: "don't defer pleasure". It sounds like one of those Instagram quotes on a background of a sunset, I know, but it's actually become somewhat of a motto for me, because I'm the sort of person that hoards things in video games and real life. My Skyrim house is...
Talking Point amiibo Have Always Been Physical DLC, Skyward Sword HD Is No Different
Buy it or don't, but it isn't surprising
This week Nintendo unveiled a particularly charming amiibo that'll tie in to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, and it's arguably one of the most handsome figures yet. It's also caused a bit of a storm on social media and in comments sections here on the site, with plenty of vitriol to go around. The...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 22nd)
What to play, what to play
What's that sound? Well, if you listen very closely you can just about hear the E3 hype train approaching in the far distance. Ready to jump aboard? In the past seven days Nintendo announced a bunch more retro titles for Nintendo Switch Online, as well as a lovely new Skyward Sword amiibo that's caused quite the sti
Guide Best Miitopia Miis - Access Keys For Zelda, Mario, Sonic And More
The best Mii codes we've found online
With the arrival of Miitopia on Switch, the ability to make and share your own Miis has been greatly expanded over the 3DS original. We've seen some stunning custom Mii's shared online since the demo hit the Switch eShop, with some of gaming's greatest
Hands On Book4Games "Precision Game Storage" - Fancy Warehousing For Your Loose SNES Carts
We go hands-on with the fanciest alternative to a shoebox yet
Many years ago, some wise penny-pincher at Nintendo decided that shipping games in flimsy cardboard boxes was a sound business decision, and as a result, NES, Game Boy, SNES and even N64 owners had to endure packaging that was annoyingly delicate when compared to that seen on rival...
Talking Point When Was The Last Time A Game Cracked Your Top Five?
Also, what *is* your Top Five?
As Abraham Lincoln once said, "boy, do I love a good video game." But since his time, how many of those video games have actually been life-changingly good? How many video games can we truly describe as "The Shawshank Redemption of shmups" or "The Shrek 2 of JRPGs"? Well, I put that answer to you, dear readers. We all...
Hands On From Xbox Series X To Nintendo Switch, The Falconeer: Warrior Edition Soars
An impressive port of a fascinating game
The Nintendo Switch has a broad library of multi-platform games, but publisher Wired Productions has confirmed one of the more intriguing download titles to transition to the hybrid system. Yes, it was beaten to the punch by an early eShop game page, but The Falconeer: Warrior Edition is announced and...
No magnifying glass needed
Recently we've been getting quite a bit of use out of our classic handheld systems. It can be a lot of fun to jump back to your original Game Boy or Game Boy Color to play one of the first Pokémon games, or to see how high of a score you can line up in Tetris. If you're playing with a standard non-backlight screen you may...
Talking Point If Nintendo Released Them, Would You Play Virtual Boy Games Today?
Virtually unheard of
Nintendo's Virtual Boy was an inarguably strange system, although mentioning its name can elicit markedly different responses. To many, the little tabletop non-HMD is little more than a punchline; a hilarious blink-and-you'll-miss-it example of Nintendo toying with an idea that was sabotaged from the off by hopelessly inadequate...
Memory Pak Playing Through Ghost Trick For The First Time
Life-changing death-changing
There are a handful of games that I find it difficult to talk about, because my calm, collected journalist demeanour gets overtaken by my extremely over-enthusiastic inner fan. I can't tell you how much I adore Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, because I'll legitimately get too emotional about how utterly brilliant...
Soapbox Be Happy, This Is The True Golden Age Of Gaming
Technology has transformed gaming and made it better than ever
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics or random stuff they've been thinking about, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Tom talks about why this is the greatest era of gaming. So stop complaining, ok? I'm...
Soapbox Game Genres Are Broken
I love AAA F2P VR PvE FPS MMORPGs
If your mum asked you if you wanted to watch a romantic period drama with her for Mother's Day, you'd know what to expect. Two hours of unrelenting pining between two extremely good-looking people in silly outfits, kept apart by some ridiculous social convention, at least one ludicrously sexy scene where one of the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 15th)
Solving the mystery of what to play
Well, another week of Nintendo news and quirky weirdness has passed. We had even more stability for the Switch thanks to a firmware update, rumours of the Super Mario Odyssey team making a DK title, the internet making a meme out of an overprice
Feature Castlevania Season 4 Review - An Epic Ending To Netflix's Hugely Satisfying Series
Netflix's adaptation comes to its dramatic conclusion
And so it ends. After four seasons which have defied expectations of what a long-form episodic adaptation of a video game series can really be, Netflix's macabre vision of Konami's Castlevania comes to a close in a 10-part epic which does a better job than you might expect of tying up all those...
Poll Are You Excited About E3 2021?
Come for the reveals, stay for the cringe-factor
It perhaps wasn't surprising that E3 2021 was announced as an online-only affair; the logistics involved in staging an expo, not to mention all of the preparation and traveling for global exhibitors, made an in-person event impossible in the current circumstances. For the vast majority of those that...
Soapbox I Miss My Friends, But I Don't Want To Kill Them
Well, maybe a little bit
I highly doubt any of the people reading this have the power to change anything in the games industry, but just in case: my thesis here is that the world is craving online co-op games, and it's crazy that we don't have more of them. Or, at least, more of them that don't involve shooting my friends in the face, or hanging out...
Feature Toys For Bob On Crash 4 For Switch And The 'Dream' Of Smash Bros.
"If I had any influence, I sure would love to see that"
Nintendo Switch has lots of major exclusives and its share of awesome download titles, but the little hybrid system can still hold its own and join in with major multi-platform titles. A recent example is Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which arrived earlier in the Spring; in our review we...
Feature Game Builder Garage Could Help Make The Next Generation Of Game Devs
"Anyone can be a game programmer"
Most of the game developers you know today, and even the ones you don't, grew up making games with some extremely arcane tools. Nintendo's newest game, Game Builder Garage, might look like it's aimed at kids — but it's part of a new era of game development that's more accessible than ever. Back in the day, a lot...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 8th)
So many choices!
Well, it's been another week in the Nintendo Life. We had Star Wars Day and some nice discounts, all sorts of juicy gossip from the Epic Vs. Apple court case, the announcement of Game Builder Garage, and we learnt that
2018's burning question, now updated for 2021!
Update: In the light of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling an incredible 10.6 million copies in 2020 alone, we've decided to resurrect this piece, which was originally published in July of 2018. Back then, we asked if you wanted to see Nintendo support the game with more DLC, and almost three years on, we're...