Latest Features
Feature Behind The Scenes On Collection Of Mana And Trials Of Mana
"The original games were very popular"
Of the many surprises we got at E3 2019, the confirmation that the Mana series would be getting a much-needed shot in the arm was one of the most pleasant. Not only was it revealed that Collection of Mana – containing the localised version of the legendary Seiken Densetsu 3 – was coming to the West, we...
Guide How To Find Your Rhythm In Zelda: Cadence Of Hyrule
Beginners' tips for starting out in the latest Zelda adventure
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (to give it its full, unruly title) is an excellent game that combines the classic adventure of top-down Zelda with the beat-based gameplay for Brace Yourself Games’ indie hit Crypt of the NecroDancer. It...
Hands On Creature In The Well Is The Most Beautiful Game We Played At E3
Stick with us on this one
You read that title right. Creature In The Well is indeed the most beautiful game we played at E3. Yes, we're aware of the shiny, toy-box wonderland that is the Link’s Awakening remake. We all know Cyberpunk 2077 is next level. Mosaic, the upcoming, multi-platform indie game that transforms
Hands On Mosaic Is A Game That Wants You To Feel Insignificant
Rage against the machine
There’s this split moment right after you wake up where you aren’t completely awake, but you’re not totally asleep. Mosaic, an indie game by Krillbite Studio, wants to take you there. In fact, it strongly suspects you’re probably living that moment right now. Mosaic is a single player, semi-linear narrative game...
Feature Xeno Crisis Is Smash TV Meets Aliens, And It's Looking Incredible
It's coming to Mega Drive, NEO GEO and... Switch?!
It's hard to make games. When you have absolutely no idea how to actually make a game, that might seem like a naive understatement, but we imagine it's true. Games today are massive, epic ventures; collaborations between hundreds, if not thousands of talented individuals all striving toward a common...
Hands On Empire Of Sin Is A Complex Crime Caper Created By Video Game Royalty
"Prohibition strategy" is a genre now
During one of our E3 appointments, we sat in a tiny, packed room to observe a 20-minute gameplay demo for Empire of Sin, the upcoming 1920s-themed strategy game slated to release Spring 2020. Surrounding us were no fewer than five developers, including John Romero, famed creator of the original DOOM and Quake...
Feature Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov On Tetris 99, Tetris Comics And His Favourite Tetris Piece
"I don’t like the square. It’s dumb"
How long does it take for someone to realize they’ve made something that will outlast themselves and everyone they know? For Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, he is on a mission to make sure that moment of realization lasts his entire lifetime. So far so good; the simple block-stacking puzzler has...
Feature The Making Of The PC Engine, The 8-Bit Wonder That Took On Nintendo
With new 'Mini' hardware on the way, we look back at this 8-bit wonder
This piece was originally published in 2012. With the news that Konami is producing a PC Engine Mini, we thought you might like a fresh look. Enjoy! Western gamers tend to consider Nintendo and Sega as the two major players in the 16-bit war. On European and American soil this...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 15th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
What a busy, busy week it's been in the Nintendo world. E3 has now come to an end, and a good 90% of the Nintendo Life team is feeling ready to retire to our beds for long, well-deserved naps. Before that, though, it's time once again to share with you our weekend gaming plans. As always, we invite you to join...
Feature We Don’t Want To Be Shackled To Our Rare Past, Says Yooka-Laylee Studio Playtonic
"Everything we do from this point on is a brand-new concept for us"
A lot has happened since we last had the good fortune to visit Playtonic Games. The previous time we popped by the studio's offices outside the rural English town of Burton-on-Trent (acclaimed actor Paddy Considine was born and still lives there, fact fans), the team was still in...
Hands On Zelda: Link's Awakening On Switch Treads A Fine Line Between Remake And Reimagining
Impressions from the E3 show floor
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could play a Zelda game on the go? Okay, okay, we know what you're thinking. Today, you could fill up a whole stadium with portable Zelda games alone. But in 1993? How would anyone ever get a Zelda game to fit onto a Game Boy cartridge? Impossible. Well, they obviously figured it out...
Feature The Big Nintendo Summary From E3 2019 - Day Two
Juicy details, sales and hands-on with Pokémon, Luigi's Mansion 3 and more
With the excitement of the Direct out of the way, we've settled into the comfortable trickle of additonal announcements and details that follow the opening bonanza. The Treehouse livestream has thrown up the odd tidbit of information and publishers are sending out further...
Guide All The Games Featured In The E3 2019 Nintendo Direct
Every last title from the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation
This year's Nintendo Direct featured a varied and wonderfully large number of games - some already known, some brand-spanking-new. If the excitement of the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC announcement somehow overwhelmed your memory banks (don't worry, we understand), fear not -...
Hands On Luigi’s Mansion 3 Is Shaping Up To Be The Best In The Series
Can someone get Luigi a real estate agent?
Luigi’s Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch is exactly that: the third entry into the bizarre Nintendo series where brother Luigi is left to scour haunted locations in search of missing friends. It’s a game where you use a vacuum cleaner (The Poltergust 3000, mind you) to suck up ghosts, sort of like a...
Hands On Pokémon Sword And Shield’s Dynamax Mode Has Us Shook
Adding a whole new dynamic to battling
As our first Galar stadium demo battle began – our on-screen character stepping into the crowded arena to a roar of cheers – the ground was quite literally shaking beneath our feet. No, that’s not a metaphor. Thanks to the subwoofers installed in our station at Nintendo’s E3 booth, and the more...
Feature The Big Nintendo Summary From E3 2019 - Day One
Zelda, Animal Crossing, Witcher 3, No More Heroes III, Banjo and much more
And they're off! E3 2019 is officially one day old and all the big presentations have given way to Treehouse broadcasts and demos on the show floor. Yesterday's Nintendo Direct and following Treehouse livestream gave as a proper look at several games we already knew about,...
Gallery Luigi's Mansion 3 Artwork Appears Out Of The Shadows
Mm..mm..mario?!
During today's Nintendo Direct, Nintendo gave us a peek into Luigi's latest ghostly adventure in Luigi's Mansion 3 that will come to Switch later this year. Along with the reveal trailer, a bunch of artwork was released which we've compiled here ready to give you nightmares.
Feature Nintendo E3 2019 - What Are You Hoping For?
New IP? Returning favourites? Reggie's replacement?
As LA slumbers ahead of the first day of E3 2019, us Europeans are already up and hyped for this evening's Nintendo Direct. We've already seen some presentations, with big ones from Ubisoft and Square Enix last night providing some Switch-based announcements, as you can see from the main page of...
Feature Looking Back On Nintendo’s E3 2018
Remembering Reggie and that Smash Bros. deep dive
It’s been quite a year for Nintendo fans, with a bounty of software coming to Switch from every direction. While things have been relatively quiet on the first-party front (especially considering the one-two punch of flagship Zelda and Mario games in 2017), Switch is enjoying the sort of...
Soapbox EA’s Approach To FIFA On Switch Is Typically Short-Sighted
Used to be in the game
'EA Sports: it’s in the game'. Ah, we all remember that slogan from the old days, although the news over the weekend that FIFA 20 on Switch will be a ‘Legacy’ rehash makes you realise that while EA’s head might be ‘in the game’, its heart certainly isn’t. We won't get the new Volta mode on Switch or any of the...
Soapbox The Nintendo World Championships Is Tired, And So Am I
Alan Lopez reports from the event
I just went to the Nintendo World Championships and I am tired. This ballyhooed Nintendo game extravaganza, typically hosted on the same week as the gaming industry’s flagship Electronic Gaming Expo, originated from a fandom-fueled 1990 tournament of the same name. Way back then, the Nintendo World Championships...
Feature Bit Summit 7 Was Bigger, Better And Packed With Switch Goodness
Our report from the show floor
Based in beautiful Kyoto, Japan, in what started out as a sparse event in something close to a gymnasium, Bit Summit has rapidly become the second-largest independent games showcase in the country, just behind the grand spectacle that is Tokyo Game Show. Now situated in central Kyoto's Miyakomesse event centre, this...
Feature Dormant Nintendo Franchises We'd Like To See Return On Switch
No, not just F-Zero
Nintendo is such a celebrated and storied developer that there’s very little in its back catalogue that lies undisturbed. The company is adept at recycling their vintage IP and adapting it with new mechanics and a fresh lick of paint, and even long-forgotten peripherals turn up in Smash or make surprise appearances in WarioWare...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 8th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Phew, thank goodness it's the weekend! This week has brought with it all the drama of a Pokémon Direct, fresh Banjo-Kazooie rumours and even more games for the Sega Mega Drive Mini, but now we can finally calm down and talk about o
Feature E3 2019 Nintendo Switch Games Lineup: Pokémon, Mario, Zelda And More
The big games confirmed for E3 2019, plus the ones we expect to see...
What games are Nintendo showing at E3 2019? Freshly minted Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser has said that “Games available this holiday season will be the focus of our booth”, as has been the case for the last few years. The confirmed lineup of playable games. Show...
Guide Pokémon GO Adventure Week - Research Tasks, Rewards, Shiny Pokémon And More
Bonuses, new shinies, new eggs and more!
It's Adventure Week in Pokémon GO, and that means there are plenty of uncommon Pokémon to catch, research tasks to complete, and other lovely bonuses to find while out and about. In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know to make the most out of Adventure Week. There are new shiny Pokémon to...
A brawl in the family
For a system that's no longer in active production, the Nintendo 64 has sure seen a lot of new controllers recently. We reviewed the Tribute64 pad not so long ago, and now it's the turn of the Retro Fighters Brawler64 – a pad that was crowdfunded on Kickstarter as a "next generation" offering for Nintendo's much-loved 64-bit...
Site News Say Hello To Zion, Our New Video Guy
(It's 'Zee-On', in case you were wondering)
You may have noticed we've got a new face around these parts, especially if you're a keen follower of our burgeoning YouTube channel. Unfortunately, because we're horrendously disorganised we haven't done a proper introduction, so here goes: say hello to Zion, who, practically overnight, has literally...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - May 2019
May's best Switch eShop games!
Another month down and yet another bumper list of eShop releases worth sinking your teeth into. Yes, May has now been and gone and the Switch is once again overflowing with new releases to check out and play. As such, it's time to bring out the trusty Nintendo Life eShop Selects awards. These awards aim to celebrate...
Feature Here's Why Perfect Dark Has Three Different Covers
Three regions, three covers - but why?
Perfect Dark is perhaps one of the most accomplished games in the N64 library. It built on the solid work seen in the sublime GoldenEye 007, pushing the host hardware to its limits and making excellent use of the N64 Expansion Pak to deliver the kind of visuals that rival systems could only dream of. It remains...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 1st)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Well, with one thing and another it's been a busy ol' week. We had some Pokémon announcements early on followed by some hands-on time with the upcoming Super Mario Maker 2 (plus some disappointing details, too), and not to forget the
Talking Point The Changing Definition Of ‘The Nintendo Difference’
How unconventional thinking sometimes sends Nintendo backwards
"Can you play with your friends online?" you ask. Odd question, but... erm, well no. Because that would introduce a conflict of interest with the game’s online leaderboards, you see. – Nintendo, 2019 After making a design decision that had many a journalist double and triple...
Feature The Black Shark 2 Is A Phone That Thinks It's A Nintendo Switch
Better specs, but does that mean a better experience?
Almost since their inception, mobile phones have played host to interactive entertainment. Older Nintendo Life readers may recall spending hours playing Snake on their battered Nokia whilst waiting for the bus to arrive, but more recently smartphones have totally revolutionised the way we play on...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 25th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Once again, we've made it all the way to the end of a busy week. We've had all the leaked images and info for Mario Kart Tour and a controversial Pokémon competition to keep an eye on over the last few days, but now it's time to sit down and chat about the games we'll be playing over the weekend. Several Team...
Talking Point Why Nintendo Is Right To Be Cautious With Mobile
Unsavoury aspects of the mobile sector limit cross-platform potential
After years of denying any interest and avoiding the issue, Nintendo has become a fully committed mobile developer. Yes, having the company mascot appear in its first game was a strong signal of how serious it took the mobile platform, but that was just dipping its toe – its...
Feature Hi-Rez Studios On Bringing Realm Royale To Switch
We chat with the team behind this fantasy take on the battle royale genre
Following weeks of rumours and leaks suggesting that Hi-Rez Studios was bringing its free-to-play battle royale Realm Royale to Switch, we can exclusively confirm that the game is coming to Nintendo's console. It joins team-based first-person shooter Paladins and MOBA
Guide Pokémon Rumble Rush Tips - Ores, Gears And Guide Feathers
Just starting out? Allow us to help...
Pokémon Rumble Rush is the latest in a line of Pokémon Rumble games, where players are tasked to battle through short stages with their pint-sized buddy Pokémon, attacking hostile 'mon along the way in the quest to catch ‘em all. Despite this not being the first Pokémon Rumble game, it’s the first to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 18th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With that lovely Super Mario Maker 2 Nintendo Direct and the surprise launch of a new Pokémon smartphone game, it's been yet another busy week for us here at Nintendo Life. Still, it's now time to sit back and relax for another weekend, and we've gathered together to speak about our gaming plans. We'd love...
Feature The Ever-Changing World Of Nintendo Switch Menu Icons
Forgo the logo at your peril...
With all the struggles we face as we go about our daily lives, not to mention the larger challenges facing the world right now, it’s easy to look at an ugly icon on your Switch’s home screen and brush it off as totally inconsequential. After all, it’s the game itself that’s important, no? Would an ugly icon...
Talking Point Does The Nintendo Switch Game Voucher Programme Offer Value For Money?
Finally, it's time to bag Go Vacation...
The announcement during yesterday’s Super Mario Maker 2 Direct presentation that Nintendo is offering a new digital deal to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers has met with mixed opinion and a little confusion. Some fans have reacted with dismay that it’s a digital-only promotion and the savings tend to...
Talking Point Why Is It So Hard To Buy A Switch Dock Set?
A first world problem if ever there was one
We've just moved into a new office here at Nintendo Life, and one of the first things we decided we needed pronto was a second Switch dock for the TV, so we could bring in our consoles and use them when we were really supposed to be working. Back when the Switch was released, Nintendo made a point of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 11th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
And just like that, yet another week has gone and passed us by. We've had a pretty huge sale on the eShop and finalised Nintendo E3 plans to get all excited about over the last few days, but now it's time to sit back and talk about how we'll be enjoying our weekends. We've shared our gaming plans below, but...
Feature Every Nintendo Console Ranked From Worst To Best
Get your pitchfork ready...
Nintendo has a storied history of riding the crest of the video game wave, starting with 1977's Color TV-Game, which was exclusive to Japan and kicked-off the company's habit of revising its hardware (four iterations appeared between '77 and '80). However, it would be the NES that marked Nintendo's true entry into the...
Feature Eevee x Tamagotchi Is A Surprisingly Resilient Virtual Pet For A New Generation
Your very own pocket-sized Pocket Monster
A while back, we reported on the news that two of the world's most famous 'virtual pet' brands – Pokémon and Tamagotchi – were joining forces in the form of Eevee x Tamagotchi, a keyring-sized gadget which contains (you guessed it) your very own monochrome Eevee to look after. Now, several months after...
Feature The History Of Virtua Racing, One Of The Most Influential Coin-Ops Of All Time
Now the Switch version is with us, we look back on the arcade classic...
Far more than any other factor, it was undoubtedly the advent of new hardware that propelled Sega’s arcade games to a whole new level. The ‘90s saw video games make the transition from sprites to polygons, a charge Sega led from a position of uncontested leadership despite...
Feature 10 Things We'd Like To See In Animal Crossing On The Switch
"Booooo! Why can't the next Animal Intersection game come out sooner?"
Switch owners have had a very nice couple of years in terms of software released on the console. Nintendo’s trotted out some heavy-hitters early in the console cycle, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild soon followed by Super Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Bros...
Feature What It’s Like To Run An Online Game Store In Japan
“You could buy a car with this kind of money”
While a great many of the world’s best games come from western developers, for a certain sector of the gaming world, Japan is where it’s at. Not only is it the home of Nintendo, Sony, Sega and Capcom – as well as numerous other key players in the industry – but in the ‘80s and ‘90s it was...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - April 2019
April's best Switch eShop games!
Yet another month has been and gone and what a month it has been on the indie scene. An impressive number of great indies launched on Switch throughout April and, as such, it's time to boot up the old Nintendo Life eShop Selects machine! These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some...
Feature The Game Boy's Biggest Rival Gets Revived By The Modding Community
Where there's a McWill, there's a way
In the early 1980s, portable gaming was mainly limited to LCD-based games. Companies such as Casio, Grandstand and Tiger Electronics would all release various watches and devices to keep us entertained on those tiresome journeys. Nintendo wasn't really known here in the UK back then, but it stood out from the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 4th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Yet another week has flown by, and it's finally time for the weekend (with an added bank holiday in the UK - hooray!). This week we had the drama of an indie game being removed from the eShop for being a bit naughty, and a whole lot more drama with that Sonic trailer, but now it's time to chat about what we'll...