Latest Features
Guide Best Cooking Games On Nintendo Switch
The Michelin stars
Food is one of the many joys of life, and for many, cooking is part of the fun. And as with all everyday activities, cooking has made its way into many a video game. Whether it's the central mechanic or a big part of character customisation and building, cooking has become a staple not just in the kitchen, but in many Switch...
Poll Have You Ordered Physical Switch Games That Came With The Cart Missing?
MariNo Cart
If you hadn't already guessed, we on Team Nintendo Life love a bit of physical media. Yes, the convenience of downloading a game from the eShop is unbeatable, but if we have the chance to get one of those red-spined boxes on our shelves, we'll take it. We do have one insistence, though: those boxes have to come with a cartridge inside...
Talking Point How Do You Store Your Games Collection?
Shoebox showcase
Call us sentimental, call us paranoid, call us what you will, but around these parts we still love the physical article when it comes to our media, especially video games. While many of us have gone at least part-digital for the sake of saving space and sheer convenience, especially with the portable Switch, even the eShop-only...
Feature So, Which Zelda Games Aren't On Switch Yet?
Missing Link
Thanks to the wonders of the Nintendo Switch Online retro games libraries (and some pretty top-notch remasters along the way), the Switch is now home to a whopping 16 different Zelda titles by our count, covering everything from Link's first outing to his latest adventures, plus remakes, remasters and spin-offs. Most recently, Oracle...
Talking Point Would A Third Wave Of Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Have Been Too Much?
Riding the waves
The Nintendo Switch was a bonafide hit basically right out of the gate. With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at launch and Super Mario Odyssey not long after, many of Nintendo’s tentpole titles were quickly showing up on their hot new handheld hybrid. It was only a matter of time until we received another...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 29th)
Taking hearts
The weekend is here once again, folks, so it's time to recap some of our biggest news items of the week before we settle down for some good ol' fashioned comfort gaming. First up, of course, we reviewed the rather excellent Disney Illusion Island for the Switch and gave it a resounding score of 9/10. Be sure to check the link below to...
Soapbox Oatchi Is The Star Of Pikmin 4, And He Deserves To Stay For Good
#OatchiForSmash
Every so often, a long-running series will throw a brand new feature into a game that makes me think to myself, "I hope that they never drop this". The Melee Counter from Samus Returns; Animal Crossing: New Horizons' crafting system; and, most recently, Tears of the Kingdom's Ultrahand and Ascend abilities. I simply can't understand...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Pikmin 4?
Throw Oatchi a bone?
Pikmin 4 has been out for a few days now, which means it's time to start gauging what you fine people make of Nintendo's latest real-time strategy adventure. It's been an awful long time coming (pretty much a decade since Pikmin 3, in fact), but it appears that the wait has been more than worth it, with the game receiving...
Feature How Summer Holidays And Childhood Nostalgia Revolutionised Pokémon
20 years of Ruby & Sapphire
In 2003, Pokémon was at a bit of a crossroads. The first two sets of entries in its canon — Game Boy debuts Red and Blue, followed by sequels Gold and Silver — had cemented the series as one of the biggest of all time in gaming, defining millennial pop culture. With the arrival of Nintendo’s new handheld, the Game...
Soapbox Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Fixed The Yiga Clan, And Now I Want More
Come on and join the Kohga
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim chews over how Tears of the Kingdom is a step in the right direction for the series' banana-loving bandits... Let me start with a confession. When I initially...
Soapbox Catching Legendary Pokémon The Old-Fashioned Way Was So Much Better
Mewsings
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kevin remembers a time when getting your hands on a legendary involved going on a real-life journey... The '90s were a fun time, weren’t they? AOL was brand new, The Simpsons was still...
Poll Final Fantasy IV - Do You Prefer The Original Or The DS Remake?
Throwing down the gauntlet
The DS remake of Final Fantasy IV turns 15 today in North America - can you believe it? If the copious social media posts earlier this week about Nolan's The Dark Knight didn't make you feel old, then perhaps this will. Regardless, it still stands to this day as one of the most impressive remakes we've seen. Granted, the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 22nd)
Ready to party?
Well folks, we're edging ever closer to the end of July. Mad, right? It'll be 2024 before you know it. Before we all experience an existential crisis, however, let's take a look back on what's been going on this week, shall we? First up, Pikmin 4 has only bloomin' gone and launched! It's pretty good, too, as our review will tell...
Feature Our 17 Favourite Dogs In Games - Canine Companions & Memorable Mutts
Good boi gaming
Link, Mario, Samus, a whole hoard of beautiful folk from the Fire Emblem series. We all love a good hero and Nintendo has become pretty darn great at creating them. You know what we all love more than a good hero though? A good boy. We are, of course, talking about dogs. Regardless of whether you are a 'dog person' or a 'cat person'...
Video Disney Illusion Island's Creative Director Discusses Art Style, Inspirations And More
Mouse in the house
We are rapidly approaching the release of Disney Illusion Island in just a few weeks on 28th July, and we grow more intrigued by the combat-free metroidvania by the day. At this year's Summer Games Fest, two of our wonderful team (video producer Zion and staff writer Ollie) were lucky enough to go hands-on with the game and have a...
Poll How Many Of You Have Actually Visited 'Minus World' In Super Mario Bros.?
Minus points
In terms of video game legends, it's up there with the best of them. A secret world accessible in Super Mario Bros.! A gateway to an underwater stage you can never leave! A hidden, secret zone that only the most elite Mario Bros. enthusiasts will ever find!... It was the stuff of playground hearsay back in the '80s and '90s, but...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 15th)
Game on!
And just like that, it's the middle of July... happy weekend, everyone! We might be out of summer showcase season, but there has still been plenty of good things on the table here at Nintendo Life this week. We ran through 21 vintage Nintendo games that you can only buy for original hardware, saw lots of goodies at the Limited Run Games'...
Anniversary Nintendo Famicom, The NES' Japanese Sibling, Is 40 Years Old
History was made
40 years ago today, video game history changed for the better. That might sound a bit hyperbolic, but there's no denying that Nintendo's first home console — or at least the first one with interchangeable cartridges in a form we still recognise as a 'console' today — made a huge impact. Video games would not be where they would...
Hands On Pokémon Sleep (Open Beta) - An Absolute Snoozefest
Pokémon Let’s Go (to bed)
Pokémon Sleep was finally released in select regions earlier this week as an open beta for Android devices. After being the butt of all jokes when it was originally announced and then experiencing a series of delays, it now officially “launches soon” according to The Pokémon Company. Developed by Select Button...
Soapbox It's Time To Admit That F-Zero X Is The Best F-Zero
You got boost power!
F-Zero X launched on 14th July 1998 in Japan, meaning the N64 entry in this dormant Nintendo racing series is, somehow, inexplicably, 25 years old now. A quarter-century! Blimey. As such, we're republishing this article from 2019 penned by Nintendo Life founder and CEO Ant Dickens to curry favour with top brass celebrate an...
Poll Super Mario All-Stars Is 30 Years Old - Do You Prefer The NES Or SNES Versions Of The Classics?
NES is more?
Video game compilations might feel like a new-ish thing — a bevvy of digital treats all packed into one cartridge (or disc, or download), but they're practically as old as the medium. When we think of classic compilations, one of the first that springs to mind is the SNES's Super Mario All-Stars. This 16-bit collection launched on...
Feature 21 Vintage Nintendo Games You Can Now Only Buy For Original Hardware
'80s and '90s Nintendo games on the 'endangered' list
You may have read a recent study by the Video Games History Foundation that suggests an eye-watering 87% of video games are "critically endangered". The organisation, which is devoted to video game preservation and archiving, found that just 13% of games released prior to 2010 were still 'in...
Feature That Time Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Made Mario Bros. Go Full Inception
Pi’illo fight
The worlds of Mario and Christopher Nolan rarely overlap, and for good reason. Cillian Murphy may make an excellent Oppenheimer, but he’d be a painfully miscast Professor E. Gadd. Yet somehow, ten years ago, that didn’t stand in the way of AlphaDream adding a strong vibe reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dream heist in...
Feature What's The Best Version Of Street Fighter II On Nintendo Systems?
All Nintendo versions of Street Fighter II, ranked by you
Street Fighter is having its time in the light once again. Street Fighter 6 is pummeling down the competition on PS5, Xbox, and PC, and it feels like another jewel in the crown of Capcom's resurgence over the past five years. But while we Switch owners can't join the likes of Luke and other...
Soapbox Getting The Master Sword In Tears Of The Kingdom Is Zelda At Its Best
Once more, with Fi-ling
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim gushes over the moment you retrieve the legendary sword in the newest Zelda game... There were several moments in my playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the...
Feature A Brief History Of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, The Series That Spawned Dynasty Warriors
Sangokushi, from NES to Switch
It is the third century AD and war rages across the region that would one day become China. To the north, the Cao Wei state has been founded, led by Cao Pi after the death of his father. In the west, Shu Han’s founder, Liu Bei, considers himself the rightful ruler of all of China in the wake of the Han Dynasty’s...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 8th)
Shed those Tears yet?
It's the weekend! Hooray! Before we dive into our gaming plans for this weekend, let's check back on some of the top stories for the week, shall we? To kick things off, Nintendo confirmed that the penultimate wave for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course pass will be launching on July 12th, 2023. It also dove into which...
Talking Point What Makes A Good Sidequest, Anyway?
Quest x64
What's more important — saving the world from impending doom, or rescuing the cat that's stuck at the top of a tree? Depending on who you ask, they might give you an answer you won't expect. I'm not saying that we should ignore the kitty cats at all, but when you're presented with the dilemma of missing a quest that's simply about...
Talking Point How Does Switch's Year 7 Compare To Previous Nintendo Consoles?
The magnificent seven?
Prior to the June 2023 Nintendo Direct, 2023 was looking decidedly quiet for Switch. In March, the system entered its seventh year on store shelves and with sales numbers slowing, it seems that the long-rumoured appearance of new Nintendo hardware may finally be on the horizon in the next 12 months or so. It is, after all, a...
Feature Pikmin Tier List - Which Pikmin Type Is The Best?
Pik of the bunch
We are just a few weeks away from the release of Pikmin 4, which is set to add two brand-new types of our leaf-headed companions into the Pik 'n' mix. Ice and Glow Pikmin will be joining the lineup of seven other mainline types on 21st July, so we thought that now would be the perfect time to take a look back and rank all of those...
The Big Score?
Editor's Note. Given the sheer number of releases these days, it is impossible for us to reassess individual games in the weeks, months, sometimes years after our initial review. When post-launch updates reportedly improve the experience, we insert a note at the top of our reviews stating such, but the body of the review text and the...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - June 2023
Our picks for the best Switch eShop games in June
Hello July! We're in the full heat of summer now, which means we're halfway through 2023. What a year for video games so far, eh? That means that it's time to look back at June for this month's eShop Selects. A lot of us are still playing Tears of the Kingdom, of course, but we've had a solid one on...
Poll What's Your Game Of The Year Of 2023 So Far?
Tears of the Switch-dom?
In case you missed it, we're already in July, and that means it's time to reflect on the first half of the year and talk about the best games of 2023 so far. Now, dear readers, you might be thinking "but wait, isn't it Zelda?" and to that we say "we're not restricted to just one game". While the latest Legend of Zelda will...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 1st)
Pik us a winner
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...
Feature 8 Strangest Super Mario Urban Legends - Which Mario Myths Are True?
The Mario franchise is full of odd stories
There’s nothing that the gaming community loves more than someone finding a ‘cursed copy’ of a beloved childhood game or a way to visit a secret world inside a game universe. The Mario franchise has been the source of a lot of myths and secrets, including the Paper Mario serial code mystery and
Hands On Everybody 1-2-Switch! Is Harmless Fun, But It's No Wii Party
Phone a friend
A sequel to the Switch launch title, 1-2-Switch, might not have made it onto our bingo cards for Nintendo's post-Tears of the Kingdom 2023, but the rumours have been around for so long that we shouldn't have been all the surprised when Everybody 1-2-Switch! was announced with little fanfare in the early hours on a Friday morning...
Hands On Pikmin 4 Promises Heaps Of Gorgeous Exploration For Fans And Newbies Alike
Freshly picked
Thu 29th Jun, 2023 09:30 BST - Updated with some gameplay videos. Enjoy! Prior to the September 2022 Nintendo Direct showcase, you would be forgiven for having given up hope that Pikmin 4 even exists. This was a seed that was planted by Shigeru Miyamoto way back in 2015, after all, and despite being drip-fed small updates over the...
Soapbox It's The Port I've Dreamed Of, But Can Switch Deliver The Batman We Need?
Rocksteady? We'll see
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, basic Batfan Gavin considers if Switch can handle this much Arkham... Fair warning, DC fans. I'm the quintessential '80s kid for whom Keaton, the Burton Batmobile, and Elfman...
Feature The 15 Best Zelda Bosses, Ranked
Update: Now featuring some of TOTK's best
Note: there is specific mention of two Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom bosses in the following list. Only read on if you have finished the main game or are not concerned about avoiding spoilers! We must admit: Zelda rankings tend to look a little samey, perhaps with a few spicy changes based on the person. But...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 24th)
Shed enough Tears?
Another week has come and gone, but goodness, it was a great one, wasn't it? Yes, the surprise Nintendo Direct aired and brought with it some absolutely killer announcements, including the likes of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a Super Mario RPG remake, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, and Batman: Arkham Trilogy. Th
Feature 20 Things You Might Have Missed In The Super Mario Bros. Wonder Reveal
Power-ups, princesses, persons unknown
The June 2023 Nintendo Direct showcase gave us a lot to look forward to over the next year on Switch, but the star of the show had to be the reveal of a brand new 2D Mario game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thoughts after our first viewing of the trailer were mainly dominated by the elephant in the room —
Hands On The Tomb Raider Returns To A Nintendo System In A Promising Package
A Lara Lara laughs
It’s been a bit of a barren six years or thereabouts for Switch-owning Tomb Raider fans, without so much as a remastered golden oldie or even (mercifully, perhaps) a quickie cloud version of one of the new-fangled reboots to enjoy on Nintendo’s platform. However, all of that is just about to change with the imminent arrival of...
Guide Best Switch Games In Nintendo's eShop Summer Sale (Europe)
Update #2: Ends this weekend!
Update 2: You've only got a few more days to snap up some cheap Switch games on the eShop. the sale ends on 25th June, so check out our picks for the best of the best. Update: Now Wave 2 has washed over us, we've added another 31 games to the list, taking the total of 9 or 10s up to a staggering 94! All of the games...
Feature 17 Reasons To Be Excited About The Super Mario RPG Remake
Pieces of a superstar remake
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES is hugely important for many reasons. We would've been happy to see it get a simple rerelease on Nintendo Switch Online, but Nintendo has jumped way above our expectations and is giving us a remake. Now with the shorter title, Super Mario RPG, Nintendo and Square...
Talking Point Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder Really A Departure From The 'New' Series?
Out with the New?
Nintendo confirmed rumours during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct that a brand new 2D Super Mario game will be making its way to Switch, and the world felt a little bit brighter, if only for a moment. Yes, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be launching on October 20th, 2023, and many folks immediately noticed that not only is this the...
Feature Nintendo Direct June 2023 - Every Announcement And Game Reveal
Mario RPG! Mario Wonder! Mario Kart (sorta)!
The second full-fat Nintendo Direct presentation of 2023 is over. It was a relatively slow starter, but things soon picked up and we ended up with over 30 announcements in 40 minutes, with fan-favourite series making comebacks on Switch and plenty of Mario — some expected Mario Kart DLC, a rumoured SNES...
Poll What Did You Think Of Today's Nintendo Direct?
A whole lotta Mario
Well, there we have it folks. After more rumours than we care to count, a summer Nintendo Direct has been and gone and so we enter the time for reaction. Before we get to offering you the chance to give your personal thoughts, however, let's briefly round up the biggies. We kicked off with a little more information about...
Back Page What Would An Illumination Zelda Movie Be Like, Anyway?
The Minionish Cap?
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 we still love terrible jokes — so...
Feature The Mysterious Absence Of A Famicom Gem On Switch
Castle's in the air
Update [31st Oct 2023]: Well, would you believe it? Nintendo only went and dropped the game on Switch Online as a Halloween treat. Enjoy! Something very mysterious is going on with a sadly obscure but fondly remembered gem from the Famicom era. It was built on the same game engine as the original Legend of Zelda, but unlike...
Poll Are You Still Playing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Or have you moved on?
It's been over a month since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched; can you believe it? It seems only yesterday that we witnessed the first trailer from Nintendo confirming the game's development, yet here we are, and many people will have likely finished the main story by now. In an age where games seem to come...