News - 2018, Week 09
Sunday4th Mar 2018
Review Super Toy Cars (Switch eShop)
Tabletop chaos
Everybody loves a bit of Micro Machines, right? Driving toy cars around the most ordinary bits of scenery you can imagine is strangely fun; many kids can happily drive their parents round the bend by whizzing little plastic vehicles up and down the walls, and a whole host of video games have tried to replicate the very idea over the...
Talking Point Nintendo Life's Favourite Games From Switch's First Year
Here are the games we loved the most on Switch
This weekend, Nintendo Switch will blow out the candles on its very first birthday cake, marking 12 months of incredible sales, a mainstream takeover and a raft of third-party support. It's been a dream scenario for Nintendo, placing the publisher firmly back in the pantheon of modern gaming, and it has...
Saturday3rd Mar 2018
Review Outlast: Bundle Of Terror (Switch eShop)
Hide and eek
As shock Switch releases go, Outlast: Bundle Of Terror didn't so much sneak up on us as jump out at us with a knife. Not that we're complaining about this surprise attack. When it comes to horror games, Switch owners have had to take the rough (Hollow) with the smooth (Resident Evil Revelations). Thankfully, Outlast joins...
Feature Nintendo Switch Year One: A Review
As Switch turns one, we look back at an incredible year
The Nintendo Switch, eh? Inaugural years don’t come much better than this. Not since the debut year of PlayStation 4 has a modern console enjoyed such a meteoric rise on all fronts. Ever increasing sales; exclusives that are both critical and commercial successes; the new wave of...
News HAMSTER Drops Next Batch Of ACA Neo Geo Titles (And The Mic)
SNK: The future is the past
Warning: Spoilers ahead! If you want to be surprised every week with upcoming Arcade Archives Neo Geo titles you should click onto the next article. If you're okay to living a life without weekly eShop surprises, read on. Coinciding with Nintendo Switch's very first anniversary, HAMSTER has revealed the upcoming ACA Neo...
News Switch Programming Glitch Is Forgetting Your Game Playtimes
Song of Time not solving the issue
You will be in for quite a shock if you happen to go revisit your memories of the first year of Nintendo Switch by taking a look at your profile, because you'll likely find your total amount of play time on The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild is now a lovely round zero. These widespread reports have...
Video Every Single Switch Game Released in Year One
No game left behind
The Switch, as it stands, is an unmitigated success both commercially and critically. Developers are flocking to release their games on the system as soon as they can, but just how many games have been released in the first year of this console's life? Short answer, 404 in Western territories. That's over 100 more than the...
Friday2nd Mar 2018
News Shopkeeping RPG Adventure Moonlighter Will Go Physical On Switch In 2018
What's in the box?
11 Bit Studios will be teaming up with fellow publisher Merge Games to bring Digital Sun Games' upcoming RPG/shopkeeping simulator that is Moonlighter to retail. The game, which is due out in 'early 2018', mashes up the responsibilities of a shopkeeper by day (including crafting items and interacting with your fellow villagers)...
News Zelda: Breath of the Wild Gets Stunning 5-Disc Soundtrack Release
Another Japan-only treat
To celebrate The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's upcoming one-year anniversary, Nintendo has announced a stunning 5-disc soundtrack which is set to be published by Nippon Columbia. The initial print run for this soundtrack will come with a fancy three-sided slipcase, a 'The Legend of Zelda Field Music Collection', and...
Awesome Meet The Ultimate Nintendo Switch Game Collector
Gotta collect 'em all
As Nintendo Switch approaches its one year anniversary tomorrow, it's a great time to take stock and consider the multitude of games which have already been released on the portable powerhouse. While many worried in the early days that there might be a Wii U style drought of games, this has definitely not been the case. Aside...
News Kirby Star Allies Has a Demo Live on the eShop Now
Give it a go!
Kirby Star Allies is the biggest release of this month on the Switch, and with just two weeks left until the game launches, excitement has never been higher. To capitalize on this, and perhaps to sway those who are on the fence, Nintendo has put out a short demo to give fans a taste of what’s to come. The demo still isn’t live on...
News Spellbound Is A Wizard School Sim From The Publisher Behind Stardew Valley
"We're all massive fans of the Switch at Chucklefish..."
There's no getting around it, Stardew Valley remains a huge hit on Nintendo Switch and continues to perform well in the eShops, and Chucklefish - the publisher behind the game - is hoping to replicate that success with its next game. A wizard school simulator with added exploration and a...
A whole other world
Mulaka is an adventure game that draws full inspiration from the Tarahumara people of Mexico, offering a very different cultural palette wrapped up in a much more commonly understood action-adventure package. The game feels like it’s trying to not only teach us about the traditions and mythology of these people, but also act as...
Rumour Is Blizzard Teasing A Nintendo Switch Port Of Diablo 3?
Update: "We can assure you we’re not that clever"
Update: Blizzard has told Polygon that the tweet was just a spot of fun: We can assure you we’re not that clever. [It was] meant to be a fun community engagement piece. We have nothing to announce. Original Story: Rumours of Diablo 3 - Blizzard's aging but still much-loved dungeon crawler -...
News Tiny Yet Beefy USB-C Power Supply Has its Kickstarter Eyes Set on Switch
And it's dock compatible as well
As most of you know, NL Towers and many of its staff are plonked lovingly in the middle of the United Kingdom, a land of fish, chips, and offensively bulky power plugs. Electronics manufacturer Mu has been producing a folding plug design for a few years now, and now they've turned their focus towards USB-C and...
News Hyperkin's New SupaBoy Has Superior Coloured Buttons And A 4:3 Screen Option
The best portable SNES just got better
The Hyperkin SupaBoy has already been revised once - resulting in 2016's SupaBoy S - but the company isn't done with the machine yet. The SupaBoy SFC is the latest variant and brings with it some notable upgrades. The most welcome is the ability to toggle between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio by holding down...
Review Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated (Switch eShop)
Papers, please.
War. War never changes. But Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated? No, those don’t change either. We first stumbled upon iFun4all tower defence game back in 2011 where a very wise man stated the Wiiware offering was “(...) far from the worst game ever”. Seven years later, does this new entry bring anything new to the paper...
Soapbox Nintendo Switch Learned A Lot From Wii U’s Struggles During Its Own First Year
Why the two consoles performed so differently over 12 months
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 today's article, editor Dom explores the very opening 12 months of Nintendo Switch and its predecessor, Wii U. We all know Switch's...
Review Grid Mania (Switch eShop)
A puzzling great
Looks can be deceiving, and when it comes to Grid Mania, what appears to be an inherently simple puzzle game is actually anything but. With an incredibly reasonable price point to boot, developer QubicGames’ latest Nintendo Switch title deserves a place on your system. Played out on a 4x4 grid that can extend to 6x6 when things...
Gallery Tokyo's Latest Pokémon Cafe Is Full Of Delicious Poké-Treats
We'll have one of everything, please
We know, we know - Japan gets all the cool stuff! Nintendo-centric stores and restaurants aren't all that rare in Japan, with Pokémon in particular being the focus of a number of stores in the country's capital, but this new Pokémon cafe has definitely risen towards the top of our 'must visit' list. Opening...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend has arrived, and with it comes (we hope) a little free time to do we all love best... play video games. If you're in the UK like us, you'll likely be knee-high in snow, so get you feeling warm and toasty why don't you gather round the fire and warm your hands on our fiery hot picks for the next...
Video Koei Tecmo Unleashes New Attack On Titan 2 Trailers
Titanic stuff
Attack on Titan 2 launches on March 20th, and to drum up some interest publisher Koei Tecmo has released a trio of new trailers showing off various elements of the game. The game's online multiplayer features get detailed in one trailer. Annihilation Mode offers 4v4 action where players have to compete for the highest possible score...
Video Bask In The Gory Glory Of Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night's Soundtrack
More OST videos!
What's that? You'd like Nintendo Life to post another video offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making and recording of a video game soundtrack? Well, as we're feeling generous this Friday night, how about five minutes of insight into the new tunes of Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night? Michiru Yamane and company are on hand to...
News Nintendo Switch Horror Title Kaet Must Die! Aims To Scare You Witless And Kill You Often
"Be prepared to die. A lot."
Indie studio Strength in Numbers has revealed that its forthcoming horror title Kaet Must Die! is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Described by the developer as the most "brutal, unforgiving game ever made" and packed with "plenty of jump scares and unlimited deaths thrown in for good measure", Kaet Must...
News Flinthook Releases on the Switch eShop on 9th March
Avast!
Last month, it was revealed that Tribute Games would be bringing its latest action platformer, Flinthook, to the Switch eShop, while Limited Run Games also confirmed that it would be doing a batch of physical cartridges later on down the line. Evidently, the announcement came relatively far along in the poritng process, as the studio just...
News Neonwall Is Set To Light Up The Nintendo Switch Later This Month
Aim and shoot with the Joy-Con
Jandusoft has announced that Neonwall will be arriving on Nintendo Switch on 15th March. Neonwall tasks you with guiding a small yoyo-looking ball through neon courses, solving puzzles and overcoming a variety of challenging levels along the way. Over the course of the game you will need a combination of skill,...
News Nintendo Switch Helped UK Games Market Grow More Than 12 Percent In 2017
Market was worth £5.11 billion
The UK games market grew 12.4 percent in 2017 to £5.11 billion, thanks in part to the incredible success of the Nintendo Switch. The introduction of Nintendo's new console saw hardware sales jump 29.9 percent. Sales of physical software rose 3.1 percent, but the pre-owned market fell by 15.1 percent, a...
Thursday1st Mar 2018
Guide Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games And Accessories For March And April 2018
And a 3DS release for good measure!
The year may be dashing past at an alarming rate, but it's a great time to be a Switch owner; February saw the release of Bayonetta 2 (with the original Bayonetta included of course) and Payday 2. 2018 may have gotten off to a slow start compared to last year's amazing release schedule, but now we're on a roll...
News Nintendo Has No Plans For A Switch 2.0, Sources Claim
Company will use accessories to drive sales instead
Nintendo has a long history of revising its hardware; there were multiple editions of the Game Boy, DS and 3DS, and taking this into account, it's understandable that some are expecting the Japanese company to announce a "new" Switch model in the next 12 months (the DS Lite, lest we forget, came...
Feature Remembering Toys R Us, The '90s Gamer's Paradise
As the toy chain circles the drain, we remember its contribution to gaming
Retailer Toys R Us has been in dire straits for some time now, with the US side of the operation filing for bankruptcy in 2017. This week has brought us the news that the UK arm of the business is going into administration, putting 3,000 jobs at risk. You may view this news...
News NIS America's Online Stores Hacked, Credit Card Details Compromised
"We are committed to earning back your trust and confidence"
Publisher NIS America is contacting customers to inform then that the company's online stores have been hacked and user information - including credit card details - has been stolen. The attach occurred sometime between January 23rd and February 26th on the...
Nintendo Download 1st March (North America)
Every new game and piece of DLC hitting the eShops in NA
March is here, and we're only a couple of days away from Nintendo Switch's first anniversary. So to celebrate, here's a ton of new games for your favourite handheld console. Okay, it's technically Nintendo Download day, but there's still good reason to celebrate. This week there's plenty of...
Zelda: BOTW book included
If you're a fan of video game books then chances are you'll already be familiar with the name Third Editions. This French publisher has produced some incredible books in the past and recently translated some of them into English - including an excellent analysis of the Zelda series. The company is now seeking
Review The Men Of Yoshiwara: Kikuya (Switch eShop)
Kimono Friends
While we’ve seen all sorts of titles make their way to Nintendo systems in recent years, one genre that’s been distinctly underrepresented - and largely confined to PlayStation Vita - are otome games: romance titles starring female protagonists and marketed to women. D3 Publisher’s The Men Of Yoshiwara: Kikuya is the first title...
Video Check Out How Kirby Star Allies Plays Out in Co-Op
You've got a friend in me
Although the idea of a co-op Kirby game has been done before in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, it's still a fun and refreshing way to float, fly, and gorge on your enemies as the amorphous pink blob. We decided to take this feature of Kirby Star Allies for a spin in the video above to see how it stacks up, so make sure you...
Nintendo Download 1st March (Europe)
The EU eShops have been updated, and we have all the details
March is here, and while the snow is falling in the Europe as the Beast from the East brings a late haul of snow, the Nintendo Download rolls on regardless. So if you're planning to increase the games in your digital library, you'll find a must-have set of new titles to tempt you and...
News This Zelda: Breath of the Wild Guardian Nendoroid Is Much Cuter Than We Remember
"And he shall be my squishy"
Collectible figures don't usually come much cuter than Good Smile's Nendoroid range and, while we never expected to find The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Guardians cute in any way whatsoever, we suddenly find ourselves in a position where we are contemplating purchasing about 20 of the things just to dot...
Video See The Real-Life Mario Players Recording Super Mario Odyssey's 'Jump Up, Super Star'
Jump up, don't be scared
Whether it's a behind the scenes sneak peek or a director's commentary, there's nothing quite like learning how the sausages are made. Especially so when you're talking about a bona fide banger in the form of 'Jump Up, Super Star' the big band hit that plays as you finish up in Super Mario Odyssey's New Donk City. So here's...
News Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics - The Forest of Fear Is Heading To Nintendo Switch This Year
Fight the good fight
Auroch Digital and Ripstone have announced that Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics - The Forest of Fear, their collaboration with table-top gaming publisher Modiphius, will hit the Nintendo Switch later this year. Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is a World War II themed strategic role-playing game which sees players take control...
Random Nintendo Labo Isn't The Only Way To Combine Cardboard With Your Switch
That's handy, if you like Mahjong
Some days you do just have to chuckle to yourself when covering the latest gaming news. While some were skeptical of Nintendo Labo when it was first revealed, the concept seems to have won a lot of people over and the use of cardboard alongside the Labo games is genuinely innovative. And then we have the photo...
News Time To Celebrate As Happy Birthdays Brings The Party To Switch This June
Birthdays The Beginning gets a new name
Previously released on other platforms as Birthdays The Beginning, the world-building ecosystem simulator is now called Happy Birthdays and it's set to arrive in North America on 5th June and 8th June for Europe. The game will also include the 'Monuments' DLC which enables you to decorate your world with even...
News Last Year Was Particularly Good For Pokémon Sales In Europe
It's super effective!
Sometimes it's easy to just think of Pokémon as a very successful video game franchise, with recent releases such as Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon on 3DS and Pokémon GO on mobile both performing really well. Of course, the Pokémon franchise is so much more than just video games and today we got an update from...
News Goby Arena Gets Added to the Splatoon 2 Map Rotation Tomorrow
Slam dunk
Following hot on the heels of a sizable balancing update to Splatoon 2 that went live only yesterday, Nintendo has announced today that more notable content will be releasing tomorrow. Goby Arena was revealed along with the Pearl and Marina amiibo figurines earlier this month, and you’ll get to play on this basketball court-turned-turf...
News Clustertruck Has Gone Gold, Now Pending Final Approval
Now that's some bad traffic
A few weeks ago, Indie developer and publisher tinyBuild unveiled six games that it has in production for the Switch, following on from the successes of Phantom Trigger and Mr. Shifty last year. One of the titles revealed was that of Clustertruck, an odd first-person platformer wherein you must survive by deftly jumping...
News Nintendo Power Podcast Episode 3 Is Now Available for Streaming
Celeste gets the spotlight
The Nintendo Power Podcast was a lovely Christmas gift to receive from the company, starting a tradition of bringing eager fans an in-depth discussion of the hottest things happening with Nintendo once every month. Last month’s episode was focused around the recent unveiling of Nintendo Labo, and now the third episode is...
Wednesday28th Feb 2018
Queasy does it
Hollow is a difficult game to play. We don't mean that in the sense that it requires great skill to complete, or that its dark sci-fi horror world is especially harrowing. Those would both be valid, even praiseworthy qualities. No, Hollow is difficult to play in mostly all the wrong ways. The game is perhaps best described as a...
Hardware Review Hyperkin Supa Retron HD: Time To Dust Off Those SNES Carts
UPDATE: UK launch now confirmed for March
For a wide range of reasons, the public's interest in retro gaming has arguably never been higher. New players are being drawn into this fascinating corner of the industry to explore the origins of characters like Mario and Sonic, while veterans who still bear the scars of the '80s and '90s console wars are...
Review Radiation Island (Switch eShop)
Caution: Video gaming hazard
The year is 1943. You were having a fantastic day in your highly-paid, no-questions-asked US Navy post until you took part in the top secret ‘Philadelphia Project’. It was supposed to make the ships invisible to radar but something went terribly wrong and suddenly an entire island materializes out of thin air next to...
Feature These Five Switch Accessories Are Too Stupid to be True
And yet here they are
As with any successful video games console, many manufacturers out there have been trying their hand at creating accessories they believe people will want. Most of the time these are fine or forgettable, but these five are so ridiculous it's amazing they exist at all. This one doesn't really need explanation. The only time...
Review The Final Station (Switch eShop)
All aboard the apocalypse train!
Do My Best's very first game is now boarding on Nintendo Switch with The Final Station. From afar it might look like a mere curious train simulator/zombie shooter hybrid presented in a retro pixelated wrapper. However, once you board this train you will quickly realise you are quite unable to stop this journey...
News The Internet Is Pouring Some Serious Salt On That PC Port Of Chrono Trigger
Why couldn't it just port the DS version?
Let's not beat around the bush, Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest RPGs of all time, so it's understandably one of those games treated with an almost palpable sense of reverence. So when Square Enix, seemingly out of nowhere, released a port on PC, fans old and new rejoiced. Until, that is, they realised...
News And Just Like That, Customer Reviews On The Nintendo Site Are No More
"We currently have no estimated date on when an update will be provided"
It was only yesterday we were reporting on an unprecedented move for Nintendo as it introduced user reviews to select Switch games on the official North American Nintendo website. Well, it looks like that lack of precedence was short-lived because the big N has already pulled...
Rumour A Trio Of LEGO Games Are Getting A 3-In-1 Collection On Switch
Danish blocks en masse
Nintendo Switch's first year is almost complete, and the console already has a slew of LEGO games to its name. And if you were thinking of adding one of them to your collection, then this next rumour might give you reason to hold fire: according to Nintendo 'insider' Pixelpar, a new collection is on its way that packs in LEGO...
Review A Normal Lost Phone (Switch eShop)
No signal
There’s something to be said about the power of telling a story through the environment, utilising details and objects to portray a simple narrative in a more tactile way than simple text or dialogue. What would it be like, then, if this kind of storytelling was attempted in a digital environment? Using pictures and smartphone apps to...
News Square Enix Discusses Big Changes For Dragon Quest Builders 2, Addresses Multiplayer
Expect a big upgrade for the sequel
If you've read our review for Dragon Quest Builders, you'll know how much we enjoyed the smooth and rewarding port that hit Nintendo Switch earlier this month. However, all that slime-bashing and town-building has made us hungry for more, so the latest insights into the sequel have us chomping at the bit. In the...
News Splatoon 2 Version 2.3.0 Is Now Live
Wow, it’s a doozy
Even though the major content updates to Splatoon 2 have been growing more and more scarce as time has passed, Nintendo has been good about keeping the game balanced and patched as the available array of weapons and stages has progressively grown. Keeping to this, the company recently put out a patch that makes a series of tweaks...
Review Ace Of Seafood (Switch eShop)
Making anemones
The Japanese have a word for "bad" video games: Kusoge. It is used to describe titles which, despite the best intentions of their creators, fall desperately short in terms of quality and contain many moments of (perhaps unintentional) humour and mirth. Ace Of Seafood most certainly feels like Kusoge; clearly produced on a small...
News Nintendo Is Shutting Down StreetPass Relay Stations In Japan
A passing craze?
StreetPass is one of the coolest elements of the 3DS hardware and was encouraging people to venture outdoors long before Pokemon GO turned up. Sadly, Nintendo chose not to continue the service on Switch, and we're slowly but surely seeing it fade into history as the 3DS winds down. A sign of things come to has just been announced...
News Peter Molyneux's The Trail: Frontier Challenge Is Out Right Now On Switch
Walk on by
Did we miss a memo? Is this the week for developers to stealth release their games, seemingly out of nowhere? First there was Outlast: Bundle Of Terror and now here's 22Cans' The Trail: Frontier Challenge, right there on the eShop without warning or fanfare. The latest game from the indie studio set up veteran developer Peter Molyneux...
Review Escape Trick: 35 Fateful Enigmas (Switch eShop)
Derren Brown's knock-off
Whenever someone reminisces about the “escape from a locked room” genre, their first thoughts are usually of the Nonary games, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on Nintendo DS and its follow up, Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward on Nintendo 3DS. They were defining releases on their respective consoles, and for...
News Wild Guns Reloaded To Shoot Its Way Onto Nintendo Switch This April
You can also pre-order it digitally or at retail
It was only last week that Nintendo Life was reporting on news that Wild Guns Reloaded - the remake of the Natsume classic - was due this spring, and now it's been confirmed the gunslinging retro revival is headed to Nintendo Switch this April, with both a digital and a physical version of the game...
Review Twin Robots: Ultimate Edition (Switch eShop)
Dōmo arigatō, mister roboto(s)
Watt and Volt, the two robotic protagonists (whom we still can’t believe are not related to Chibi-Robo) have been around since 2013 when Twin Robots debuted on the Ouya. They have since trekked their way over to Steam and Wii U, now returning for the ‘Ultimate Edition’ on Nintendo Switch. So is this truly t
News Move Over Baby Mario, Coffin Dodgers Is Bringing Geriatric Kart Racing To Switch
Youth has no age, but Death has a scythe!
Just when you thought we couldn't get another kart racer, here comes Coffin Dodgers to give you yet another alternative to the rather lovely Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Wales Interactive and Milky Tea Studios are bringing their dark comedic kart racer to the Switch eShop on 13th March 2018. Coffin...
Rumour Amazon Spain Listing Suggests Mario Tennis Aces Will Take Centre Court In June
New balls, please
We've always been partial to a little court-based entertainment here at Nintendo Life - especially when it contains Mario and pals - so the prospect of playing a brand new incarnation on Nintendo Switch has everyone excited. Mario Tennis Aces promises to be the upgrade everyone has been hoping for, and a new listing on Amazon Spain...
Feature The Harp Twins Reflect On Their First Ever UK Tour
"We felt so honored to be so warmly welcomed by our UK fans"
We last spoke to The Harp Twins way back in 2012, but we've featured their music in various articles over the years since, especially when they do anything Zelda-themed! Musicians Camille and Kennerly Kitt combine the serene sound of the harp with a dynamic live shows and...
News 2064: Read Only Memories Integral Hits Switch In April
Snatcher look at this one
Cyberpunk visual adventure title 2064: Read Only Memories will be hitting the Switch this April, it has been confirmed. We already knew that the unique visual adventure - which owes a massive debt to Hideo Kojima's iconic Snatcher - was headed to Switch, but it's good to have a solid release date.
Video Gekido Kintaro's Revenge Will Roundhouse Kick Switch This March
The GBA classic gets another title shot
Developer Naps Team has confirmed the Game Boy Advance beat-'em-up Gekido Kintaro's Revenge will be getting a brand new port on Nintendo Switch in March. The new version, which has been retooled to fit Nintendo's shiny new hardware, will feature two-player co-op and a new Relic Hunter mode where you fight...
News Real Bout Fatal Fury Is Reality Next Week On Nintendo Switch
Calling all wolves
You can't keep a good bad guy down and Geese Howard certainly just keeps on going; the proverbial thorn on the Bogard brothers and South Town paw is coming back next week once again to make life miserable for people of good values and kittens... probably kittens (he always seemed like a dog person to us). HAMSTER is keeping up its...
News Chicken Wiggle Workshop Kickstarter Opens On 6th March
“This is no yolk!”
Chicken Wiggle—the latest new release from Atooi—saw a release on the 3DS eShop late last year, and we thought it was pretty good. Unfortunately, releasing the title so late in the console’s lifespan led to it being overlooked, and the developer wasn’t overly pleased with how sales turned out. Last month, Atooi showed...
Tuesday27th Feb 2018
Guide Pokémon GO Castform Forms Explained: How To Use The Weather To Get Each Form
What's the forecast?
Castform is a curious type of Pokémon in Pokémon GO, in that it has four different forms you can catch. The form you encounter depends on the weather you're experiencing in the real world at the time you try to catch it. In this guide, we're going to explain exactly how to catch each of the four different forms of Castform...
Guide Pokémon GO Star Pieces And Stardust Explained - What They Do And How To Get Them
Catch a falling star
If you want to evolve your Pokémon in Pokémon GO, you're going to need stardust – and an awful lot of it. That's fine at the beginning, when you only have a few Pokémon, but when your collection grows into the hundreds, you're going to find it at very short supply. That's why we've compiled this guide, to help you gather...
Guide Pokémon GO Super Incubator - What It Does And How To Get It
It's quite the hatch
The super incubator was a new type of incubator introduced in Pokémon GO back in the September equinox event. As you might suspect, it speeds up hatching by applying a distance multiplier, which basically requires you to walk less to meet the hatching requirements. In this guide, we're going to go through exactly how the super...
Review Detention (Switch eShop)
Best in class
Every so often, a little-known game with much smaller expectations than its AAA counterparts will come along and completely knock your socks off. Celeste managed it last month with its intricate 2D platforming, and no less than a month later, another crowning achievement has made its way onto the Nintendo eShop. Detention, from...
News You Can Now Talk To Pikachu With Amazon Alexa Or Google Home
This is the best day. EVER.
Continuing today's celebrations of Pokémon Day (the original games were released 22 years ago today in Japan), news has surfaced that the Pikachu Talk service - which was previously exclusive to Japan, is now available in western territories. Available to use with Amazon Alexa in "most countries" and Google Home in...
Art Check Out This Incredible Zelda: Breath Of The Wild x Splatoon Mash-Up
Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Inkling Bokoblin?!
As you are probably aware, we're pretty big fans of Splatoon here at Nintendo Life. Then Breath of the Wild came in to our lives, and - even though it was only one year ago - we really don't know how we coped without it. Imagine our shock and delight, then, as we stumbled upon illustrator...
Review Mercenary Kings Reloaded (Switch eShop)
Mercenary hunter
Expectations can be a funny thing. Try as we might to avoid it, there's a whole list of assumptions we make after seeing even a single screenshot of a game, hoping to fit it into a certain genre and quickly gauge the kind of experience we'll have. Buff, '80s-style action heroes toting huge guns in a jungle setting naturally brings...
News 8Bitdo's Latest SN30 Pro Controller Firmware Update Improves Analogue Accuracy On Switch
Firmware gets bumped up to version 1.25
8Bitdo has just issued a new firmware update for its excellent SN30 and SF30 Pro controllers, which are of course compatible with the Nintendo Switch. According to the patch notes, this update has been issued to "enhance the accuracy of analog on Switch mode", which should be of particular interest to those...
News Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Gets a Japanese Soundtrack Release on 23rd May
THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME?
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was a wonderful way to end the first calendar year that Switch was available for, offering a suitably massive RPG experience that served as a nice on-the-go follow up to Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. The game also featured a fitting soundtrack, filled with sweeping, epic tunes, and it was just recently...
News Shock Horror! Outlast: Bundle Of Terror Is Out Now On The eShop
It's the first game and the DLC
We knew Outlast was coming to Nintendo Switch - in fact, we've been expecting Red Barrels' first-person horror hit to drop sometime in Q1 2018 - but it's just made a surprise jump scare on the eShop. Outlast: Bundle Of Terror collects together the first game and The Whistleblower DLC into one package, slaps on a...
News Takara Tomy Is Building A New Zoids Game For Switch
Let's hope it doesn't lose all those little rubber bits
Hey, remember Zoids? Well they're back, in Nintendo Switch form! That's right, the popular '80s toy line is getting a brand-new interactive outing on Nintendo's console, thanks to Takara Tomy. It will be based on the new anime series Zoids Wild, which airs this year in Japan. While Zoids hit...
News Tony Hawk Laments The Fact That He Doesn't Own The Pro Skater Brand
The team behind Descenders are keen to work with him on new game
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is one of the most iconic brands in gaming history. From its humble origins during the mid-'90s the franchise became a genuine must-have title, even making fans out of people who have zero interest in skateboarding. It also elevated Tony Hawk - then one of the...
Review Little Triangle (Switch eShop)
The right angle?
Despite what the game tittle may suggest, you need no advanced degree in geometry to enjoy Dreamoji’s new action 2D platformer, but a good grasp of parabolas will certainly help with the hundreds of jumps you will be executing to conquer it. Little Triangle is a game of two halves and far more than meets the eye... Invasion! Of...
News Stardew Valley Creator Is Working On A New 'Secret' Game
And it won't be a sequel to Stardew
The creator of farming, chilled vibes, and time-sinking simulation game Stardew Valley has revealed that he is working on a new "secret" project, two years on from Stardew's initial release. The announcement came in the form of a tweet from Eric Barone's account which promises "lots to look forward to". While...
News You Can Now Pre-Order An EU Retail Copy Of Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Let's get physical
If you're counting down the days until Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection rumbles onto Nintendo Switch - and you happen to live in the EU - you'll be pleased as punch to learn you can now pre-order a retail version of the game direct from lesser-known retailer Base. There was some concern as to whether the EU was going to...
News Metacritic Ranks Nintendo Second In Its 2017 Game Publisher Rankings
GG, Bethesda
Every year, Metacritic tallies up all the review data it collects and publishes a report that summarizes how each publisher did overall for that past year. Naturally, this makes for some interesting reading, as it provides a wider snapshot of how the industry is doing, as well as how each company has been performing year on year...
News Nintendo Switch Is Now The Fast-Selling Console In France With 1 Million Units Sold
De bonnes nouvelles
Nintendo Switch is continuing to show strong sales across Europe, with news that the handheld wonder has now sold over a million units in France, making it the fastest-selling console in the region. According to French newspaper Le Figaro, the handheld machine just passed the milestone having shifted 911.000 units in 2017...
News Danmaku Unlimited 3 Will Fire Onto Nintendo Switch Next Month
Not long to wait!
Doragon Entertainment has revealed that Danmaku Unlimited 3 will be bringing its intense, bullet hell shenanigans to Nintendo Switch on 13th March. Inspired by legendary classics like Ikaruga, Dodonpachi and Touhou, and attempting to be a medley of the best aspects of Japanese bullet hell games, Danmaku...
News The Coma: Recut Will Be Getting A Hellish Physical Edition This May
School's out for summer
The remastered version of Korean cult curio The Coma is already available on the eShops - in fact, we recently reviewed it and gave it a 6/10 - and now publisher/PR firm Digerati is teaming up with fellow publisher Merge Games to bring a physical edition of The Coma: Recut to retail. Yes, a boxed version for all your...
News It's Pokémon Day, So Every Pikachu Now Has A Festive Hat In Pokémon GO
There's also some new FireRed/LeafGreen avatar items
It's the 27th February 2018, so that can mean only one thing - it's Pokémon Day! Yes, it's the 22nd anniversary of the Japanese release of Pokémon Red and Green, so to celebrate, the Pokémon Company is adding new content to everyone's favourite AR hit, Pokémon GO. How many...
News Rocket League Is Teaming Up With WWE This Spring
This is awesome!
Rocket League, that stealth hit that blended genres before going supernova in 2015, is getting another licensed tie-in - this time in the form of big-time wrestling promotion, WWE. The partnership will see some new 'rasslin-related items added to the mix, although the developer hasn't officially revealed what they'll be just yet...
News Brand New Yoku's Island Express Trailer Shows Off Some Quirky Abilities
And it's all pretty adorable, too
Team17 has released a brand new trailer for the upcoming pinball-platformer Yoku's Island Express, showing off some of the abilities that will available to you as you play. As Yoku the dung beetle, you'll be bouncing your way around Mokumana Island pinball-style as you attempt to save the world and...
Monday26th Feb 2018
Review Crypt Of The NecroDancer (Switch eShop)
How low can you go?
When it first released on PC in 2015, Brace Yourself Game’s Crypt Of The NecroDancer was an unexpected delight: a personable dungeon crawler on a rhythm game base, it combined the procedurally-generated levels and relentless challenge of the roguelike genre with the beating heart of a dance game. Now that it’s out on Nintendo...
News Playerunknown's Battlegrounds On Mobile Gives Hope For Switch Port, Says Digital Foundry
"PUBG on mobile is a bit of a game-changer"
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds is one of the world's biggest games right now, attracting millions of players with its intense Battle Royale action. It's also exclusive to the PC and Xbox line of platforms at present, but that's going to change soon and the developers have stated that they want to bring it...
Review Dragon Sinker (Switch eShop)
Legendary Sinker or Legendary Stinker?
If you were around playing games in the late '80’s and early '90’s you might have caught a fever, a JRPG fever. More often than not you would spend hours reading and gazing at the images on video gaming magazines at Japan-exclusive titles that were deemed unmarketable in the West. Among many of those games...
Review Toki Tori 2+ (Switch eShop)
Top of the pecking order
Originally released on Wii U back in 2013, Toki Tori 2+ is a game that has seen continuous tweaks and improvements with almost every edition released. Despite the fact that the latest version on Switch hasn’t been called ‘Toki Tori 2+ Definitive Edition Deluxe Turbo-Supercharged XL & Knuckles’, the five-year gap...
News Super Mario Odyssey Was Always Planned To Be Released On Switch
Not destined for Wii U
It is no secret that the development process for games as large and beautiful as Super Mario Odyssey takes time, and with the last 3D Mario game Super Mario 3D World being released back in 2013, the development for Odyssey will have been well underway during the Wii U's active lifetime. As such, it would make sense to...
News Oh Boy, Sonic The Hedgehog Was Almost Human
"The main character was a human boy"
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming's most iconic characters, and ranks alongside Mario and Mickey Mouse when it comes to international recognition. However, Sonic designer Naoto Ohshima has revealed that the speedy chap was human like Mario in his original design pitch, rather than an animal. Speaking...
News These Retro-Themed Joy-Cons And Pro Controller Are An 8-Bit Dream
A modern throwback
Minnesota-based firm ColorWare has already made a name for itself with bespoke special edition consoles that mash modern hardware with designs that hark back to classic machines, and now it's giving its 8-bit-style retro design a glossy black makeover. ColorWare has released two designs - an Pro Controller 8-Bit and some Joy-Cons...
Random You Can Play Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack Right Now
The Sharp X1 version is finally free
Back in the '80s and the '90s, Nintendo worked with third-party developer Hudson Soft to bring many of its NES and arcade titles to Japanese personal computers. Most of these ROMS have made their way to the West over the years, but one has remained locked away. That game is Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack...
News Kirby Studio HAL Laboratory's Smartphone Game 'Part Time UFO' Is Now Available Worldwide
With all the cuteness you'd expect
You may remember that towards the end of last year, HAL Labaratory - the studio behind such franchises as Kirby, Earthbound, and Super Smash Bros. - released its first smartphone game in Japan. Now, and with a slight name change, the game has finally been released worldwide. Now titled Part Time UFO for western...
Feature You Can Now Leave User Reviews On Nintendo's Official Website
Everyone's a critic
In a bold move by Nintendo Of America, you can now add reviews for certain Switch games on its official website. So far games such as The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Splatoon 2 have garnered universal praise from customers, as you'd expect. So just to make sure the system was working correctly we headed over to...
News Celebrate Easter The Right Way With These Splatoon 2 Chocolate Eggs
Yum yum
It's probably quite safe to say that everyone here loves video games, and a healthy majority likely enjoy scoffing endless amounts of chocolate, so these Splatoon 2-themed chocolate eggs are sure to catch your eye. With 16 available figures hidden inside the eggs, with one of them being a 'secret', this Splatoon range of confectionery will...
News Hackers Are On A Mission To Port More Doom To Switch
We heard you like Doom
Last year, the unthinkable happened - the Switch got a new Doom game, the first since the '90s. A remarkable technical accomplishment, Doom gained rave reviews - but if industrious hackers have their way, it won't be the last slice of hellish FPS action we get on Switch. As reported by Kotaku, there are other Doom games...
News Bayonetta 2 Drops Out Of The UK Charts Top Ten As Mario Bounces Back
The witch falls to number 19
The latest Chart-Track data for UK retail is in, and it shows a really quiet week for games sales in Blighty. The combined charts show FIFA 18 continuing to hold onto the top spot, but the biggest news in the Nintendo sphere is the fate of the Bayonetta 2. The brilliant action-adventure port confidently landed at number...
Rumour Is Little Nightmares Switch-Bound? This LinkedIn Profile Suggests It Might Be
Fear comes in small packages
These days most rumours and leaks - be they Twitter-based 'insider claims' or tenuous retail listings - are 10 a penny, especially when it comes to Nintendo Switch, and today it's the turn of industry-based networking site LinkedIn to feed the rumour mill. According to one of its pages, a developer called Engine Room is...
Feature Getting Inside The Head Of Membrane Developer Seth S Scott
"There's always that moment when you realise how much freedom you have"
Membrane is a creative action puzzle game that's landed on the Nintendo Switch eShops and it's already made quite the impression on us - just check out our glowing review. It's the brain child of husband and wife development team Perfect Hat and it's proved to be one of the most...
News Fling Cubes Like Golf Balls As Midnight Deluxe Hits Switch On 8th March
A hole in one
Golf-like platformer Midnight has been out on PC since January 2016, but with many an update and a slew of new content, developer Petite Games has decided to bring a retooled version - known as Midnight Deluxe, no less - to Nintendo Switch. And, best of all, it's due out next week on 8th March. With its Limbo-esque shadowy art style,...
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