Latest Features
Feature Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 10 Years Of Nintendo's Straightest, Greatest Sequel
So much more than Wii DLC
Nintendo doesn’t make straight sequels. That’s the received wisdom, anyway. Kyoto's premier game designers need a really good reason—a jump in technology, or a novel new control input, for example—to warrant revisiting a franchise. They're apparently not interested in churning out more of the same for mere profit...
Feature Nintendo Life's Alternative Game Awards 2020
Best Switch Icon, Most Long-Winded Title, Best Late Arrival and more!
It's GOTY time, people! Yes, as 2020 draws to a close, the internet is flooded with customary lists touting the best whatever of the year (with Hades rightfully being at the top of most of them). We've had our say — and so have you — but today we're going to have some
Feature Perfect Dark Turns 20 - The Definitive Story Behind The N64 Hit That Outclassed James Bond
"We had a lot of ideas, and lots of clever people working out how to do them"
How do you follow GoldenEye 007? In the summer of 2000 – that's 20 years ago this month – Rare presented its answer: Perfect Dark, a sci-fi spy shooter centred around an alien conspiracy. It delivered a cool, competent heroine, a single-player campaign bursting with...
Feature The Game That Starred Mickey Mouse, Ghostbusters Or Garfield, Depending On Your Region
Navigating Kemco's Crazy Castle series
Three huge licences. One average game. Every weekend here at Nintendo Life we take a look at regional box art variants for retro video games and run a poll on which one is best. It's a fun, light-hearted exercise; really just an excuse to look at fantastic (and some not-so-fantastic) old-school cover art,...
Feature The Dark Secrets Of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Stalk Market
What kind of turnip trader are you?
If you’re anything like millions of other global-pandemic-lockdown Switch gamers, you’re on a vicarious head-in-sand holiday in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Strolling the beach, shopping windows, listening to chirping insects and lapping waves… you’ve seen this “Stalk Market” thing – interesting,...
Feature Sam Barlow On Bringing Telling Lies To Switch, His Directing Style, And His Next Project
"Being an intense, memorable experience up front is more important than replayability"
For many gamers the term 'FMV' may still be loaded with memories of shlocky 'cinematic' clips crammed into games in the early 1990s. The memory space of the CD-ROM enabled developers to 'wow' people who had invested in their first personal computer with compressed...
Feature Switch Developers Open Up About The Impact Of COVID-19
We speak to Dotemu, Image & Form, SMG Studio and Playtonic Games
Most of you reading this will have encountered some sort of social restrictions over the past month or so due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is currently experiencing. While security measures designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus vary on a per-country basis, necessary...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (Christmas Special)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With our Game of the Year decided and our bellies gratefully full of Christmas dinner, we're here to chat about our weekend gaming plans for one last time in 2020. Members of the NL team have done exactly that below, and we'd love for you to join in with your own entries via our comment section. Enjoy! Oh,...
Feature Zelda: Majora's Mask At 20 - The Enduring Appeal Of Nintendo's Strangest Game
No fate but what we make
There are many things The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is not. It is not the prettiest Legend of Zelda game. Exactly 20 years since its Japanese debut, the discernible polygons that make up the world and characters of Termina locate the game squarely in the fifth console generation. While we respect its Expansion...
Feature Nintendo Console Codenames And Product Codes
Do you know your DMGs from your DOLs?
If you happen to have any official Nintendo console or peripheral to hand, turn it over and hidden in the legalese and small print on the underside you'll find a code which typically begins with three letters. Flip over your Switch, for example, and you'll find the code HAC-001, with an extra (-01) if you've got...
Feature How Nintendo Killed The Best Version Of Tetris
"Heartbroken is a good summary"
Ed Logg knew a thing or two about lines. He’d co-created Asteroids at Atari, a game where players piloted a ship and blasted the eponymous space rocks into smaller and smaller bits. Released in 1979, Asteroids was in black and white, but the animation was slick and fluid thanks to vector graphics, a technique that...
Feature Now Is A Great Time To Support Your Local Retro Computer Museum
Preserve And Protect
In 2020, the majority of our interactions with video games is virtual – games are easily accessible and available online 24/7. However, there are plenty of people who have fond memories of the more physical side of games, whether that be browsing racks in dedicated video game shops, visiting sensory-overload arcades or getting...
"It’s very much like being in quarantine and lockdown all the time"
Last month music label Materia Collective put out the original soundtracks to both Yooka-Laylee and its sequel Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair on a host of digital storefronts and streaming platforms. The music from both of Playtonic Games' love letters to platformer
Feature 6 Things My Three-Year-Old Taught Me About Video Games, Via Animal Crossing
Moo.
When a cutie-bunny-hedgehog-kitty game comes out alongside Doom Eternal and Doom 64, it’s a test of self-confidence for a grown man to take it to the shop counter. Failing that test despicably, I invented the weak and unnecessary excuse that I could play Animal Crossing: New Horizons with my little boy. Working at home during the UK's...
Feature The Twelve Games Of Christmas - A Dozen Festive Memories
The games of Christmas past
As we're often told, Christmas is a special time of year, a season of goodwill, generosity and gift-giving. For gamers, festive memories are often tied in with the excitement of receiving a brand new game, perhaps something that released months ago that we had been waiting for, and sliding that lovely cart or disc into...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
What a year it's been...
When we wished you many happy returns this time last year, we had no idea we'd be typing the same message in 2020 during a global pandemic. Despite assurances that it would "all be over by Christmas," the world is still gripped by the COVID-19 outbreak, with little sign that 2021 is going to be much different. (Wow. This is...
Feature The Minds Behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons
And all the other Animal Crossings
We recently we took a brief look at the history of Animal Crossing, from Japan's Animal Forest for Nintendo 64 and its GameCube conversion up to and including the latest entry on Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Obviously there are many unsung heroes when it comes to the development of any video game, with...
Feature Best Nintendo Switch Ports Of 2020
The 10 most remarkable ports to come to Switch this year
For nearly four years now, we'd estimate there's one question more than any other that developers and PR people of the world's cutting edge video games have heard and perhaps come to dread: "Is it coming to Switch?". Those responsible for delivering the latest and greatest video games must be...
Feature Nintendo Life's Switch Game Of The Year 2020
NL's staff picks for the Nintendo Switch GOTY 2020
As 2020 draws to a close (finally!) and the fresh-faced 2021 peeks at us from over the horizon, it's time to look back at the best Switch games to release over the past 360-odd days. In what ended up being an extremely tough year for many people, there were positives to be found — at least in the...
Reminder What's The Best Switch Game Of 2020? It's Time To Rate Your Favourites
Switch GOTY 2020 incoming!
Update: Thanks to everyone who has participated so far! We'll be publishing the full top 50 tomorrow, but there's still time to rate your favourite games of 2020 beforehand. We've tinkered around behind the scenes and the not-very-shortlist below now only includes 2020 games we've reviewed on Nintendo Life. If you want to...
Feature NES Creator Masayuki Uemura On Building The Console That Made Nintendo A Household Name
"Back then, we didn’t know if it was going to be popular or not"
There's no denying that the NES – or Famicom as it was known in its native Japan – is one of the most important pieces of video game hardware ever made. Not only did it turn Nintendo from an outsider player to industry leader, it laid down the foundations of an industry which...
Feature 10 Nintendo Games We'd Love To See Finally Come To The West
Nintendo games that never officially left Japan
These days there are very few first-party or Nintendo-published titles that don't get an international release, but back in the day it was common for games to remain in their Japanese homeland for months or even years, if they ever came overseas at all. No, we're not just talking about the countless...
"We used to be the only band with a computer on stage"
Almost anyone can hum the original NES theme of Super Mario Bros., but if you asked them what genre of music it fell into, most probably wouldn't know what to say. Sure, one could just describe it as video game music, but it could also be described as chiptune. The word chiptune is used to...
Feature Star Trek On Nintendo Consoles - Where Are The Great Star Trek Games?
Live long, and prosper
Whether you're a final frontier fan or not, you've probably noticed the onslaught of advertising for the latest entry in CBS' ever-growing catalogue of Star Trek series. The impending return of Jean-Luc Picard to television screens this week is a massive media event and seeing the iconic captain once again going boldly in the...
Feature 17-BIT's Jake Kazdal On The Journey From Nintendo Game Counsellor To Making Games In Japan
"I’m a lifelong hardcore Nintendo fan"
You could say that Jake Kazdal stands out as he walks the streets of Kyoto on the way to the office of his company, 17-BIT. Thanks to his towering presence and a look that wouldn't be out of place in a metal band, he's not what you would call your "typical" Kyoto-based games developer – but then this is an...
Feature No Anime Please, We're Westerners - When Anime Was Taboo In Western Games
A time when anime and western games didn't mix
Japanese animation – or 'anime' as many call it – is huge business these days. While it is naturally most popular in its homeland, we've seen numerous anime properties cross over to the west and find the kind of success that is usually reserved for home-grown cartoons and media franchises. Series...
Feature Feral Interactive On The Pleasures And Pitfalls Of Porting To Switch
"Setting the bar high is good for everyone, players, platform holders and developers"
Against all the odds, Nintendo Switch has hosted some stunning third-party ports since launching back in 2017. Disproving the idea that third-parties and Nintendo platforms don't mix well, Switch has attracted some truly excellent (and unexpected) games that manage...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 19th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The fantastic Horace is discounted to just over £1 on the eShop at the moment! It's been a busy old week in the world of Nintendo, with a brand new Smash fighter, more retro NES
Soapbox Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Easily My Most Nerve-Racking Game Of 2020
Cute and calming, but there's a catch
If you're a fan of nerve-shredding tension, there are plenty of video games that'll get your pulse racing. Love a steep challenge? Why not test your reflexes against a rock hard shmup or grind through an intimidatingly expansive RPG? Want to give your grey matter a workout? There's no shortage of mind-bending...
Hands On We Test Our Cheeks On The Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair
If it's good enough for Reggie...
Back when the all-powerful Reggie Fils-Aimé announced his retirement from Nintendo in 2019, he shared a photo online through his brand spanking new Twitter account, and some eagle-eyed office chair aficionados noticed that Reggie had been sitting his readied body in an outdated 12-year-old office chair – a Herman...
Round Up Cats And Betrayal Were Big Themes In Nintendo's Indie World Showcase
A-meow-ng Us. Yeah? No?
Fluffy cats!! All your friends are aliens and they want to kill you. Adorable creatures!! Existential horror. Did that Indie-themed direct leave you with emotional whiplash? Yeah, us too. On the one hand, a whole host of cuteness is coming to the Switch: Calico has you running a cat café (we hope cats tip big) and...
Feature Dynasty Warriors: A Series That's Remarkably Adept At Producing Spin-Offs
Omega Force's crossovers which led to Persona 5 Strikers and Age of Calamity
When you consider how few main Dynasty Warriors / Musou entries have come to Nintendo platforms, it’s almost strange how much influence Koei Tecmo’s hack-and-slash series has upon the Switch library. Developed by Omega Force, their main Nintendo output has mostly been...
Feature Why Open A Video Game Shop During A Global Pandemic?
How one man is bucking the trend
2020 may have been a bumper year for video game sales, but it's impacted other businesses in a very negative way. Cinemas and restaurants have been forced to close to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and while video game sales have been buoyant thanks digital and online purchases, physical retail stores with no means...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 12th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With another week down, this time bringing with it the news of a brand new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighter and (finally) the launch of DOOM Eternal, we can start to wind down and discuss our weekend gaming plans. Members of Nintendo Life have done just that, and we'd love for you to join in via our comment...
Feature What Does Nintendo Have Planned For Zelda’s 35th Anniversary?
Our predictions for 2021's biggest gaming birthday
The 35th anniversary year of Super Mario Bros. will soon draw to a close and although Nintendo has extended the celebrations to 31st March 2021 (a day which Mario himself will do well to survive, it seems), 2021 marks the 35th birthday of the next-most celebrated series in the Kyoto company's...
Feature No Pain, Just Game - Healthy Gaming Tips To Help Avoid Common Issues
Stay at the top of your game
Whatever your age and whatever the context, taking decent care of yourself and recognising potential health issues before they become serious problems is always good advice. Anybody who plays video games will likely have experienced related physical discomfort of one form or another, be it a cricked neck from hunching...
Community 12 Switch Games We Missed, As Recommended By You
Part 2: A dozen more that slipped through our fingers
The Switch eShop is stuffed to the brim with downloadable video games that run the gamut when it comes to quality. In an ideal world we'd review absolutely everything, but that's simply not possible. Therefore, we endeavour to pick and choose games that look interesting and that we think will...
Talking Point Nintendo's Focus On Younger Players Is A Positive, Not A Negative
It means more fun for everyone in the end
Remember the days of the NES, Game Boy and SNES? Back then, video games seemed to be the sole domain of children. Every commercial showed a kid playing the console, games were marketed in comics and other children's publications, and a vast array of licenced titles were released which covered everything from...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - November 2020
November's best Switch eShop games!
It hasn't been the strongest of months for top digital releases, but November still offered up a decent number of eShop treats to keep us busy and entertained. 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...
Feature 10 Years Later, We Return To Our Abandoned Animal Crossing: Wild World Village
Never go back?
For much of this year, Nintendo's latest entry in the Animal Crossing series has been a safe space for many Switch owners who have started a new life on Tom Nook's deserted island. Today marks 15 years exactly since the brilliant DS entry first arrived in North America, so it's the perfect time to revisit this feature — originally...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 5th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another week has come and gone, with festive toys appearing in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the announcement (finally!) of a release date for
Community Found A Great Game On Switch eShop? Send Us Your Recommendations
Let us know the hidden gems we've missed
As we roll into the final month of the year, it's natural to be looking back over the Switch games that have come and gone and wondering if you've missed anything. Many of us here at Nintendo Life are trying to catch up with things that slipped our personal nets and, as we've noted before, there are...
Soapbox If The Smash Community Wants To #SaveSmash, It Needs To Start From Within
The community needs to deal with the abuse scandals of 2020 first
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Alan Lopez discusses the recent online campaign to "save" Super Smash Bros., and why it's papering over a far more...
Feature Atelier Ryza 2 Producer On Exploration, Censorship, And The Potential For Seeing More Ryza
"There is definitely a possibility of Ryza starring in another sequel"
Koei Tecmo and Gust Co.'s Atelier RPG series has been going for for well over twenty years now — debuting back on Playstation with Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg back in 1997 — and Switch has several entries in its library already. Each game in the series usually has...
Feature DOOM Eternal Finally Gets A Switch Release Date - We Speak To Port Wizards Panic Button
"We had to take it to eleven"
It's taken a little longer than originally anticipated, but after battling through this calamitous year to get to Nintendo's console, Doom Eternal is finally coming to Switch on 8th December. Following its release on other consoles back in March (on the same day as Animal Crossing: New Horizons,
Guide Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday 2020 Best Deals - Console Bundles, Games, Micro SD Cards And More
Grab yourself a bargain
Cyber Monday 2020 is here, and if you're anything like us you're keeping an eye out for Nintendo Switch best deals this Monday 30th November. Jostling for deals in crowded stores isn't something we'd recommend at the best of times, but this year the Black Friday 2020 weekend is more of an online extravaganza than ever before...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 28th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another long week has now been and gone, with huge Nintendo eShop sales across Europe and North America, an internet-melting Pokémon character voice reveal, and
Feature Ace Attorney's Hidden Legacy: The Evidence Capcom Didn't Present To The West
Despite long-standing objections, it seems the Great Ace Attorney is finally being localised
To say Capcom is having a rough time recently would be putting it mildly. Having been subjected to a "customised ransomware attack", we’ve witnessed no end of leaks about upcoming plans for the next few years, but amongst this all,
Soapbox 10 Years On, We Need More Brave, Worthwhile Experiments Like Epic Mickey
The Brave Little 'Failure'
In some ways, the Wii era feels further away than it actually is. The modern gaming landscape, though certainly influenced by Nintendo's approachable little console, seems so laser focused on pixel counts, framerates and raytracing that Wii feels incredibly old-school in 2020. The idea that just ten years ago we were still...
"I’d love to bring back F-Zero, SSX or Ridge Racer"
Nintendo Switch may have been slow off the starting line when it came to racers, 'realistic' or otherwise, but in the years since launch it's slowly but surely built up a fine catalogue of racing games in addition to everyone's favourite kart racing plumber. Criterion's evergreen Burnout Paradise...