Latest Features
First Impressions Splatoon 2 - What We Learned About Weapons, Visuals and Controls
A step up on Nintendo's latest hardware
Over the past few days Nintendo Switch owners had a chance to try out Splatoon 2 in its first Global Testfire. There's no firm release date for the colourful shooter as yet, and much about it remains a mystery; as a result it's not unreasonable to wonder whether it was simply the first Global Testfire with...
Poll What Did You Think of the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch?
We have an inkling that you had fun
Well, it was fun while it lasted - the past weekend brought us six hours of gameplay in the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire. Thanks to timezones it's likely most missed a session or two, but nevertheless it was a chance to try out two new stages, an all-new weapon and various adjusted old favourites. We played it a...
Live Blog The Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch - The Final Session!
Ink the town red one last time
Well, there have been five opportunities to play the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire, and now we're into the sixth and final session. It all goes down at 4-4:59 a.m. PT / 7-7:59 a.m. ET / 12:00 - 12:59 BST / 13:00 - 13:59 CET; it's the final splatdown...
Live Blog The Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch - Round Four!
We still think Spla2oon is a cooler name
We're now on the home stretch of one hour sessions in the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire, with this upcoming slot arguably the most convenient of the lot. It's all going down at 12-12:59 p.m. PT / 3-3:59 p.m. ET / 19:00 - 19:59 GMT / 20:00 - 20:59 CET. Let's get splatting!...
Live Blog The Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch - Round Three!
Let's go round again
We're now well into the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire weekend with session three rolling around. This arrives at a nice early evening time in countries like Japan and Australia and late morning in Europe, so hopefully there'll be plenty of players. It all goes down at 4-4:59 a.m. PT / 7-7:59 a.m. ET / 11:00 - 11:59 GMT / 12:00 -...
Live Blog The Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch - Round 2!
Let the splatting commence
If you missed your chance to play a bit of Splatoon 2 in the first session of the Global Testfire, don't despair - turn that frown upside down. The second session falls right into Friday night in North America (or Saturday morning in Japan and Australia). While sane Europeans get some sleep, have some fun splatting others...
Live Blog The Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on Nintendo Switch - It Begins!
Featuring the Nintendo Treehouse team in a live broadcast
Though it's yet to get a formal release date, we can now enjoy a bit of Splatoon 2 in the first session of its Global Testfire. Kicking off at 12-12:59 p.m. PT / 3-3:59 p.m. ET / 19:00 - 19:59 GMT / 20:00 - 20:59 CET, we'll have about an hour of play while the Nintendo Treehouse team will...
Poll Is the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire Boosting Your Nintendo Switch Hype?
Nintendo goes early in comparison to the original's online demo
When Nintendo unveiled some early retail release dates and windows, we couldn't help but ponder the gap between The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With ARMS still sitting in a vague 'Spring' window and a number of third-party retail relea
Editorial After The Bold Brilliance Of Breath Of The Wild, Where Can Zelda Go Next?
Will we ever see another traditional Zelda outing?
It's fair to say that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ranks as one of the finest video games of recent times, and is arguably the best title in the franchise so far. It has been showered with positive reviews and has contributed massively to the success of the Nintendo Switch launch; this is...
Editorial Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the Most Accessible of Nintendo Switch Games
Fun for anyone, defying series convention in the process
When the Nintendo Switch Teaser Trailer was unveiled in October, my family were among many - seemingly - that loved the idea and the concept. My brother, who hadn't been in on the Wii U generation, was very much attracted to it and wanted one, while my mum is a Nintendo enthusiast in any case...
Talking Point Nintendo's Upgraded Confidence in Switch is a Relief
Likely points to major game reveals still to come
When assessing the general interest in Nintendo Switch, the various metrics - in firm figures and from surveys and so on - show a system with a decent chance at success. The important work is still to come for Nintendo, but while there was always the uneasy sense that the wider public never truly...
Site News A Massive Thank You To All Our Viewers On YouTube
You really are lovely people
If you're a regular viewer of the Nintendo Life YouTube channel then you will no doubt have noticed that we passed the 100,000 subscribers mark a short time ago - an incredible achievement of which we're very, very proud. The man who almost single-handedly made it possible is Alex Olney, Nintendo Life's resident video...
Deals Splash Your Rupees On This Amazing Legend Of Zelda Merchandise
Digging Breath of the Wild? Check out this cool gear
Hopefully you're enjoying the amazing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on your shiny Nintendo Switch (or well-loved battered Wii U). Such is the effect that this open-world adventure has had on you, now you want to showcase your Zelda passion to the world. With this in mind here's some of...
Book Review The Unofficial NES/Famicom: A Visual Compendium
Could this be the perfect coffee table book?
We've seen an explosion in books celebrating retro video game history lately. One of the most prolific publishers is UK-based Bitmap Books, which is responsible for many of our favourites - including the excellent Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection. Their catchily titled 'Visual Compendium' series has...
Feature What Happens When you Play Breath of the Wild as a Multiplayer Game?
Adventuring together
In this article Nintendo Life regular Alan Lopez gives an account of his attempt to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with his partner, as real life didn't suit his desire for diving into the lengthy adventure on his own. I've always gotten a chill before I started something I knew was going to be really great. I...
Editorial On the Road With the Nintendo Switch
Putting the portable to the test
If you need any indication of how the 'hybrid' form factor of the Nintendo Switch means different things to different gamers, just chat to half a dozen system owners about how they play the console. For my part it's been mostly a home console, with the tablet spending a lot of time in the dock; yet I know quite a few...
Feature Bringing The Sega Classic Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap To A New Legion Of Fans
"The game is full of subtleties and secrets"
For anyone who grew up playing the Sega Master System it is likely that Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap will bring back fond memories. This was a Metroidvania-style title before the term was even coined; its superb combination of action platforming, puzzle-solving and exploration held its own against...
Talking Point Nintendo Switch Has Started Well - Now the Real Challenge Begins
Nintendo has every right to be pleased with the system's launch
After a tough four years for Wii U and the direct correlation between Pokémon hype and 3DS hardware sales, it was easy to approach the Nintendo Switch launch with trepidation. At different times since mid-January many observers and followers of the company have likely gone through...
Feature Our Team Reflects on a Week With Nintendo Switch
We like it, as a decent summary
With the Nintendo Switch now out for a week, plenty of eager Nintendo fans have put down a lot of money and jumped into the company's latest hardware offering. Various members of our team are in that group, as you'd expect, and having spent the past seven days playing around with the hardware we thought it worthwhile...
Poll One Week On - How Do You Feel About the Nintendo Switch?
As launch hype fades and normality returns
When any new console launches, from Nintendo and otherwise, it's a period of excitement, buzz and plenty of irrationality online. Advocates and critics have blazing arguments, praise is high and issues are blown out of proportion, and actually understanding the cold reality is tricky. Nintendo has been able...
Matters Of Import Fusing Classics In Puyo Puyo Tetris On Nintendo Switch
We go hands-on with the import version ahead of the western release
Tetris is a pretty significant title in the history of Nintendo - had the company not been able to license the seminal Russian puzzler back in the late '80s then it's likely that the Game Boy wouldn't have been the massive global success it was. Long seen as the game which sold the...
Hardware Review My Arcade NES Classic Mini Controller
Looks aren't everything
Given how hard it is to actually find a NES Classic Mini right now, it should come as no great shock to also learn that spare controllers for the console are also in very short supply. While Nintendo seems incapable of meeting demand for this clone system and its accessories, third party peripheral makers are having a field...
Feature We Grade the Various Nintendo Switch Launch Complaints from the Web
'Valid', 'Fair-ish' and 'Are you kidding me?!'
The internet is great for many things. It's an incredible resource for information on how the universe works, societies and cultures of the world and how to make a nice dressing for your salad. It's also home to people's passions that they can then share with others - in the gaming space alone people...
Feature Ten Useful and Fun Little Details to Know About Nintendo Switch
Some of the icons are quite small, after all
A number reading this page will have spent the last weekend dabbling around with the Nintendo Switch. We've been doing this too, of course, and have also observed friends and family doing the same. Add to that the power of the internet and some interesting little discoveries have been made, some of which...
Feature David Wise On Creating "Aztec Rock And Roll" For Snake Pass
"I'm a Nintendo-influenced fan boy at heart"
David Wise is something of a legend in the realm of video game music; plucked from the obscurity of Leicester's high street by the Stamper Brothers, he would become Rare's in-house composer for many years, almost single-handedly creating the aural accompaniment to the studio's NES, SNES and Game Boy...
Feature First Impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Wii U
A solid start
We've been absolutely blown away by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch, awarding it the maximum of 10/10 in our review. As a game to introduce players both to a revolution in the IP and new hardware it delivers in spectacular fashion. Yet, of course, just like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess it is st
Poll Merry Switchmas - Has the Nintendo Switch Launch Got You In a Festive Spirit?
That new console vibe
Happy Switchmas Day everyone! It was like the day would never come. No, seriously, this writer thought the wait would never end. The system is here though - its launch line-up has The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and some other stuff at retail, while the eShop line-up fleshed out a little prior to launch (especially...
Feature A Nintendo Switch Launch Day Report from Tokyo, Japan
Ready to flip the Switch
The day is finally here! The third day of March, 2017. The day the world can finally line up and purchase Nintendo's seventh home video game hardware iteration. I've actually been around for all of them and specifically I've been living in Japan since the Game Boy Advance days, so I've seen a lot come and go. The release of...
Feature The Long Journey to Lead the Nintendo Switch Line - CND and TriForce
"There have been countless wonderful moments"
The Nintendo Switch has already arrived in some houses courtesy of early deliveries, and fans around the world are gearing up for midnight launches. One tradition is set to continue in the US, too, with a 30 day journey by a super-fan to be first in line for the official debut sale in the country...
Feature Some of Our Favourite Legend of Zelda Games
Looking back before we look forward with Breath of the Wild
With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild so close that we can almost touch it, the famous franchise is on everyone's lips once again. Before the Switch / Wii U entry arrives to rock the boat, we thought we'd celebrate some of our favourites in a snappy and personal article. Four of our...
Hardware Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Review
Play like a Pro
Nintendo has created some truly amazing controllers over the past three decades, from the ergonomic SNES pad with its industry-defining four-button cluster and shoulder buttons to the groundbreaking Wii remote. It might sounds a little like hyperbole to suggest that the new Switch Pro Controller tops all of these in terms of being a...
Hardware Review Nintendo Switch: Nintendo's Most Important Console Yet
Time to make the Switch?
It's no exaggeration to claim that the Switch is Nintendo's most important console release so far. After the commercial disaster that was the Wii U and the decision to reshuffle internal teams to remove the schism between handheld and home development, the Switch represents a one-shot strategy for the Kyoto giant; while the...
Feature Snipperclips - Working With Nintendo To Create A Switch Co-Op Classic
"We knew the game's strength was local co-operative multiplayer"
Since we grabbed some time with it at the end of a January Nintendo Switch preview event, we've been looking forward to Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!. Conceptually it is a game that can work on any system with at least two pads, but the 'play anywhere' multiplayer of the...
Feature A Breakdown of the Nintendo Switch eShop Games of 2017
The key releases not featured in the Nindie showcase
Today brought us the Nintendo Switch Nindie Showcase, which contained a whole lot of intriguing reveals of download games. If you want to catch up on all the notable announcements check out our Nintendo Switch and Switch eShop channels (mainly the latter). In addition, though, Nintendo unveiled...
Feature Zoink Tells Us About the Big Switch with Flipping Death
Zombie Vikings could be re-animated on Switch too
Nintendo's 'Nindie Showcase' delivered on its promise, unveiling some intriguing titles for the new system that could certainly prove interesting in the coming days, weeks and months. One title that stood out was Flipping Death by Zoink Games, or just Zoink for short. Very much adopting the comedic...
Hands On Striking a Chord with Yooka-Laylee
UPDATE: Switch version reconfirmed, coming "very soon"
UPDATE: Mere moments after we published this feature, it was confirmed during the Nindie Direct that the Switch version of Yooka-Laylee will be launching "very soon" and will feature all of the game's multiplayer modes. ORIGINAL STORY: The employees over at Playtonic have been through a lot to...
Feature Five Things We Expect From the Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase
Time for downloads to shine
Update: The Showcase happened and, well, we should have stuck with lots of games. Original Article: We expected a presentation in early- to mid-February to fill in gaps on the Nintendo Switch, but the big N has waited until just a few days before launch to roll out a 'Nindies Showcase' focused on download games. As is...
Feature A Chat About Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Evolution of the Franchise
What we're allowed to talk about, anyway
A common (and fair) request often made of us is to share multiple perspectives on major releases beyond the main reviewer. While not always possible, in the case of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild it's been on the cards, with a couple of members of our team tackling the adventure in order to produce...
Poll Nintendo Switch Countdown - Less Than a Week to Go, Is the Hype Building?
It's all getting very real
With the non-stop circumspection, leaks and debates we have online, at times it can feel as if system launches will never actually arrive. For Nintendo fans, though, it's getting very real, as we enter the final week before Nintendo Switch launches. It's getting so close, and in the past week we had our hardware and The...
Feature FAST RMX - The Price, Modes and Performance of Switch's Futuristic Racer
Shin'en Multimedia aims to hit top speed
The launch line-up of the Nintendo Switch continues to evolve and grow, with FAST RMX by Shin'en Multimedia being a recent addition to the 3rd March line-up. A 'remix' of the excellent FAST Racing NEO, it's an exciting one for fans of the original fast-paced racer as it will add new content and improved...
Parent Trap A Family Gamer's Perspective On The Nintendo Switch
Andy Robertson has a new console in the house
Putting the Nintendo Switch in front of the kids was a fascinating experiment. They had, of course, heard of the console but beyond that knew very little about it. So far Nintendo aren't again the talk of the playground - although give it a few months and that seems likely to change. I got the console...
Preview Immersing Ourselves in the World of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A potential game changer
Nintendo faced a big challenge when developing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Primarily a Wii U project, since Summer 2014 series producer Eiji Aonuma has spoken of the most ambitious title yet in the franchise, of an open world that's truly alive and fantastical. Some remarked that we'd heard bold statements...
Gallery Let's Compare The Nintendo Switch To Other Handhelds
Because it's fun, that's why
Yesterday we gave you an exhaustive photo gallery which showed how Nintendo Switch game cards - and their packaging - compared to pretty much every other cartridge and card we could lay our hands on. Today, we're seeing how the console itself shapes up when placed alongside other systems. We've tried to include a good...
Preview Nintendo Switch Hands-On: UI, Size, Mii Maker, Micro SD Cards And More
Take a tour of Nintendo's new console
March 3rd is hurtling towards us and with it comes that most tantalising of promises: fresh Nintendo hardware. The Switch is just a matter of days away but we've been lucky enough to spend a substantial amount of time with the new hybrid console, putting it through its paces to give you - our dear readers - an...
Gallery Here's How Nintendo Switch Game Cards Compare To Practically Everything Else
Warning: Photo overload awaits
The Nintendo Switch is mere days away from release and many of you will no doubt have your pre-order secured, ready to collect the shiny new system on March 3rd. One of the biggest questions many prospective owners will have is which route to take when it comes to software; given the portable nature of the console you...
Guide Nintendo Switch Launch Games: The Complete List
Zelda! Snipperclips! Bomberman! Skylanders! FAST RMX!
The Nintendo Switch is so close we can almost feel the HD Rumble, and the hype is building. This may be an era of 24/7 opinions and debates online, but beyond all of that there are few things more exciting - in gaming, at least - than the arrival of new hardware. The Switch has huge potential, of...
Interview Tanukii Studios on Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D's Slow Dash to the 3DS eShop
"I always knew it would eventually be completed"
When considering the best DSiWare games, we think Go! Go! Kokopolo is most definitely in the discussion. A 'chase 'em up', it combined tough difficulty and twitch gameplay with an excellent sense of style and humour. Its high speed, quick-thinking strategy and elements of platforming made it an easy...
Feature Nintendo Switch Countdown - 1-2-Switch Would Have Been Ideal As 'Free-to-Start'
Even though some of us have succumbed to pre-orders
Slowly and surely, in the build-up to its launch on 3rd March, we're working through some 'countdown' articles around the Nintendo Switch. This time we're going to consider 1-2-Switch, and a similar angle to our first impressions article from back in January. In that piece we said it was an ideal...
Retro This Is Why We Should Probably Be Glad Nintendo Stuck With Carts For The N64
Think optical media is indestructible? Think again
Compact discs might not be considered new technology these days, but when they were first released they were marketed as practically indestructible. Compared to the two other audio storage mediums of the time - cassette tape and vinyl - that certainly seemed to be a easy claim to make. CDs later...
Talking Point Lack of Nintendo Switch Details Close to Launch Made Wobbly Cam 'Leaks' Inevitable
The big N underestimates fan desire to see the eShop, user interface etc
There have been good arguments in favour of the high intensity / short turnaround reveal and launch of the Nintendo Switch. The preview trailer - in October 2016 - got plenty of attention and seemed to be effective, gaining plenty of traction on social media and YouTube. The...