Talking Point What Were The Biggest Highs And Lows From E3 2018?
What kind of impact did Nintendo have on this year's show?
Talking Point Nintendo's E3 2018 Went Big On Smash Bros. But Left Us Wanting More
A bloated presentation, or a case of bloated expectations?
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From Nintendo At E3 2018?
We predict... some predictions
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Talking Point - News
June2018
Talking Point What Were The Biggest Highs And Lows From E3 2018?
What kind of impact did Nintendo have on this year's show?
E3 is finally over for another year, bringing to a close the biggest event yet. From surprise promotional crossovers on the Ubisoft conference to a certain game pretty much taking over Nintendo's big summer Direct, there's been plenty of topics to talk about now the dust is beginning to...
Talking Point Nintendo's E3 2018 Went Big On Smash Bros. But Left Us Wanting More
A bloated presentation, or a case of bloated expectations?
So, Nintendo's E3 2018 presentation is over and done with, and it's time to mull over the announcements and digest all of that lovely new content. As was anticipated, a lot of screen time was given to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and with good reason – it's easily going to be the Switch's...
E3 2018 What Do You Want To See From Nintendo At E3?
It's nearly time…
Today Nintendo will broadcast its E3 'Direct' presentation and let the world know about the biggest and best Switch (and perhaps 3DS) games that will be releasing cross the next year or so. Nintendo's been a pretty leaky ship of late, and if rumours are to be believed we already know some of the titles Nintendo will be...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From Nintendo At E3 2018?
We predict... some predictions
With E3 2018 set to kick off this weekend with the showcases from many of the big publishers and platformer holders in the video game industry, we thought it was high time we cooked up a fresh batch of predictions. Team Nintendo Life has gathered together its collective hopes and dreams for the show - some realistic,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
It's the weekend once more, which means it's time to break out your favourite Nintendo console and catch up on some of that much-needed gaming time. This week, Team Nintendo Life are giving a new free-to-play title through its paces, joining up for a tennis tournament and playing some rather unexpected games...
May2018
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend is here, and about time, too. It's finally time to catch a breather and pick up your favourite Nintendo console for much-needed gaming time. And if you're here in the UK, it's a Bank Holiday weekend so you even get an extra day to belt around Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or head out on an unforgettable...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend has arrived, just in time to rescue us all from the dread and gloom of the working week. Even if you've got to work a little more this weekend, hopefully you'll have the time to play some new (or old) games on your Nintendo console of choice. The team at Nintendo Life certainly are, so here are our...
Talking Point Could Sony Or Microsoft Release Their Own Nintendo Switch-Style Hybrids?
Digital Foundry pops the question, and comes up with some amazing data
Some of the Nintendo Life team were lucky enough to pop down to sunny Brighton a few weeks back, base of Gamer Network - the group of gaming sites with which Nintendo Life and Push Square are affiliated. While we were down there dodging vegan food stalls and resisting the urge to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend is here, so to celebrate the end of the week, team Nintendo Life has covered together its collective opinions on what we'll be playing over the coming days. As always, be sure to drop a vote or two in the poll and a comment below with what you'll be playing in your spare time. Have a great weekend!...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend is here, so we've got a lovely Talking Point to get that much-needed break going. Team Nintendo Life has plenty of titles on its collective 'to-do' list, with everything from sports sims and paint-addled shooters to music creation suites and vibrant RPGs. We're an eclectic bunch. Be sure to leave...
April2018
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend is here so it's (hopefully) time to sit down, grab a few quiet minutes and enjoy some time with your favourite Nintendo console. The Nintendo Life are right in the thick of it this weekend, with Nintendo Labo, Splatoon 2, NBA 2K18 and even some classic retro titles getting a bit of love. We'd love...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With the week drawing to a close, it's finally time to kick back and play some games on your console of choice. Here at Nintendo Life, our time of intrepid writers, editors and video producers will be delving into our backlogs (and covering plenty of things for review), so expect a diverse melting pot of...
Talking Point Does Sega's AGES Announcement Mean The Virtual Console Is Dead?
And if it is, does it really matter?
It's fair to say that the Virtual Console was quite a significant part of Nintendo's plans back when the Wii launched; it was certainly significant in the development of the site you're reading now, which some of you may remember as Virtual Console Reviews prior to the triumphant merger with Nintendo Life in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another weekend is upon us, and that means making time - be it five precious minutes or a whole 48 hours - of quality 'you' time on your Nintendo platform of choice. This week we've got plenty of love for Nintendo Switch with some slices of retro goodness, some newly released indies and the usual devotion to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend is finally here, so it's time to grab a few precious moments of free time and fire up your favourite Nintendo console for a little R&R. This week, Team Nintendo Life are playing action-RPGs, cutesy detective sims, virtual pinball tables, retro shmups, horror romps and, of course, Splatoon 2. As...
March2018
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Easter is upon us, so that must mean it's time for an extended Bank Holiday weekend. For those with a little free time to spare over the next few days, it's time to jump back into best of past times - a good game or two! This weekend, Team Nintendo Life is playing some Neo Geo classics, an N64 throwback,...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The weekend has arrived, just in time to take the stress off a long and productive week. Of course, there's a good chance you might be working over the weekend too, so what better way to unwind when you're finally free to do your own thing than a little bit of Ninty gaming? This week, Team Nintendo Life has...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
This weekend, Team Nintendo Life are giving their respective Nintendo consoles a good workout with all manner of virtual gems. We've got plenty of Neo Geo action; some 'Nindies' for good measure; the occasional shooter; and lots and lots of a certain game involving Inklings (can you guess which one?). As...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
It's a packed session this week as a veritable stampede of writers on Nintendo Life share their chosen gaming goals for the weekend. As you might imagine, there's a lot of Splatoon 2 to be had over the next couple of days, but there's also a handful of unexpected entries, a few predictable entries and even a...
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...
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...
February2018
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another week has come to an end, and that can only mean one thing - the weekend is upon us, in all its glory. Some of you might be off relaxing, some of you might have work, but there's still going to be a little time for some Switch, 3DS or Wii U-based gaming. So, to get you in the mood for a little virtual...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
These are our picks, but what are yours?
It's that time of the week yet again. The working week is finally at an end (well, for some of us, we feel your pain if you have to go to work this weekend), so we're ready to share with you the games playing on our Nintendo Switches and 3DS in the next couple of days. It's a diverse buffet on offer, ranging...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here's what Team Nintendo Life is playing...
Talking Point is back (and fashionably late) so it's time for team Nintendo Life to share the games they're playing here in the warm embrace of the weekend. This week, we've got Darren heading back to a neon-tinted co-op shmup, Glen strapping on his golden boots, Dom continuing his Dark Brotherhood...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?
Here's what Team Nintendo Life is playing...
After a long vacation overseas, our weekly 'What Games Are You Playing This Weekend?' feature is back, refreshed, revitalised and ready to go it again in 2018. Talking of 2018, we're barely a month in and we've already been treated to some great new games on Nintendo Switch, with countless more gems on...
December2017
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend - Countdown to the Holidays
Yep, it's December
Over the past couple of months we've brought back WGAYPTW™, in which a number of our team talk about the games they'll be playing over the weekend. With Switch and 3DS releases we haven't exactly been short of options, and as we head into December there's plenty to play. The big arrival this week is certainly Xenoblade...
November2017
Talking Point The Dust Settles on a Giddy Retail Period for Nintendo Switch - What's Next?
Looking ahead with the hybrid delight
We are, slowly and surely, exiting the 'silly season' of game releases. From late September to mid/late November each year all of the biggest companies push out their premium games, hoping to capitalise on the tendencies of many to spend big ahead of the festive period. It works, too, and every year we see...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - There Are So Many...
Get some gaming in before the debt collectors arrive
Let's be truthful, 2016 was quite a quiet year for Nintendo gaming. This year's been rather different, however, which helped inspire the return of WGAYPTW™, in which we all talk about our weekend gaming plans. Last time out we had a Halloween edition where, to be completely honest, most people...
Talking Point Nintendo Has Embraced DLC, But Must Resist The Worst Industry Norms
Easy does it, Nintendo
If you follow multi-platform websites or other systems on social media, one term will be familiar - loot boxes. After a few years where they've crept into games, plenty of gamers have decided that recent examples take things too far. A recent tipping point seemed to be Middle-earth: Shadow of War, a single player...
Talking Point The Case for Super Mario Odyssey as the Greatest Mario Game
Breaking boundaries
Super Mario Odyssey has been out in the wild for a week, and it's safe to say that its launch couldn't have gone much better. Critically acclaimed, to the sort of levels seen with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it's also been a notable commercial success. Switch owners have rushed to buy it, breaking sales
October2017
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - Halloween Edition
Yeah, we all know the answer...
A couple of weeks ago we brought WGAYPTW™ back here on Nintendo Life, and everyone seemed to have a jolly time. With Halloween right around the corner it's time to pick it up once again. Of course, a certain incredible game is out now, so plenty will be playing that - but it's the spookiest time of the year and...
Talking Point An Era Ends As Nintendo Continues to Ignore 3D on the 3DS
First-party games ignore the once important feature
When it comes to playing habits on the 3DS there are three distinct camps of gamers - those that leave the 3D slider up, some that alternate and adjust the setting depending on the game, and others that prefer viewing their screens in 2D. This scribe has always been in the first camp, cranking the...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch is Modernising, But Has a Long Way to Go
Slow and steady wins the race?
This week brought us the latest notable update to the Nintendo Switch system, taking us to version 4.0.0; there was also an update to the Joy-Con controllers that does... something. It was a notable update in that it added a few major changes - the main additions were the ability to capture the last 30 seconds of...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing This Weekend? - The Triumphant(?) Return
Because there are so many games to play
A little while ago a Nintendo Life regular sent us an email to ask where the 'What Games Are You Playing This Weekend' (WGAYPTW™) series had gone. Of course, our chums over at Push Square have never stopped doing it, but we drifted away from the series a few years ago here on Nintendo Life. Why? Partly...
September2017
Talking Point Nintendo Switch and Third-Parties - Let's Be Realistic
It's exciting, but don't get carried away
The past few months has brought a steady stream of good news for Nintendo Switch owners. For fans of the eShop it's been a terrific period, with lots of varied and talented developers confirming their games for the hardware. We've also - gradually - seen an increase in third-party support from the big...
Talking Point The Apple Event - It's Worth Looking Out for Nintendo and Pokémon GO
A sign of the times
A few years ago your humble scribe was advised it may be worth 'keeping an eye' on an Apple event, to which the response was a raised eyebrow. Sure enough, nothing happened; in fact Apple straight up copied the Wii with its motion controllers for a gaming-focused Apple TV, an initiative that didn't quite take off. In any case,...
August2017
Talking Point Capcom, the Nintendo Switch and Gaming Business Realities
Sometimes Capcom and Nintendo are close partners, but not always
At the moment some Switch aficionados are a little baffled and frustrated with Capcom. There are multiple reason for this, but Monster Hunter: World (coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC) is arguably top of the list. Capcom has only shown limited support for the Switch so far, with a...
July2017
Talking Point Splatoon 2's Salmon Run Shows Off the Switch's Local Multiplayer Strengths
Flawless fun
When Nintendo confirmed that the co-op Salmon Run mode in Splatoon 2 would take place in specific limited time windows, there were some understandable groans. Nevertheless since the game's launch it's not been much of an issue, as the mode has been available pretty much whenever we want to play it. The function of the time windows is...
June2017
Talking Point How ARMS Can Punch Its Way Into Competitive Gaming
As long as Nintendo doesn't keep it at arm's length
In this feature Funké Joseph considers where ARMS can be a breakthrough title for Nintendo in competitive gaming. After hours of sweating buckets during the Global Testpunch, days of watching gameplay previews, and long nights thinking about an ugly green slime man, one thing has become...
Talking Point Five Key Areas Nintendo Must Get Right at E3 2017
A chance to set the tone
E3 is starting to pick up momentum with Microsoft, EA and Bethesda among the big names to have made their pitch so far. Like every other year the reactions have been mixed - there have been some positive reveals and there have also been cringe-worthy moments. So far we've only seen a couple of glimpses of Nintendo content,...
Talking Point EA and Bethesda Highlight Nintendo Switch as a Portable Powerhouse at E3
A tough tablet to swallow?
EA did something interesting with its official pitch for FIFA 18 on the Nintendo Switch. It said it is the "most technologically-advanced portable FIFA experience ever", and only showed one glamour shot of a docked Switch running the game (which didn't focus on the visuals and blurred out the TV). Its entire focus was on...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Online Service Promises a New Approach to Retro Gaming
Delayed, yes, but more relevant in its new guise
It may not be a trend that suits creators, but the public don't like paying for things as much as they used to. It's the great revolution that the internet has delivered - news is free, lots of video streaming is free or has a lower monthly cost, so as a result gamers want their content for less...
May2017
Talking Point From Joy-Con to 8Bitdo and Beyond, Switch Delivers a Revolution in Control
Play any way you want
There are still some that bemoan the fact that the Nintendo Revolution became the Wii; it's an interesting perspective to take, as it's quite likely the console would have been hobbled by a clunkier name. Think about how iconic the brand became, right from the start, with Wii Sports. Would Revolution Sports have had the same...
Talking Point ARMS Has Plenty to Prove In Its Nintendo Direct
Needs to come out swinging
The Nintendo Life team enjoys a good old-fashioned gaming debate, and one game is guaranteed to split the team roughly down the middle - ARMS. During Nintendo's January reveal of the Nintendo Switch the company unleashed a couple of oddball reveals - there was the quirky advert for 1-2-Switch, and then there was a battle...
Talking Point Nintendo Sets the Scene for Mario and the Switch at E3
A return to form?
Nintendo's last two years at E3 are perhaps best described as being 'mixed'. Though there was an appreciation for the Star Fox puppets in 2015 - which sadly represented the last E3 appearance of Satoru Iwata, who provided voice acting - the actual announcements generated some controversy and dissent online. High profile examples...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Has a Chance for Significant Success, Especially as a Portable
Nintendo is aiming for multiple systems in each household
Not long after the Nintendo Switch launched your humble scribe wrote a lighthearted article about taking it on a weekend roadtrip. Its hybrid nature means that it's either a quirky Nintendo home console or, alternatively, a powerful mainstream gaming portable. Ultimately it's both, even if...
Talking Point Weighing Up the Logic Behind the New Nintendo 2DS XL
Final hurrah or testing the waters?
A funny thing happened with an article we wrote regarding comments from Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils Aime on the reasoning behind the New Nintendo 2DS XL. Our 'tagline' was from his TIME interview - ""Boy, I wish there was something in between", a snippet that reflected Nintendo's claim that it's a...
April2017
Talking Point As Nintendo Switch Looks to Rapidly Overtake Wii U Sales, 3DS Lives On
Nintendo backs both systems, but needs improvement in mobile and amiibo
As we await full publication of Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima's annual financial results presentation, early snippets from journalists on the ground in Japan suggest it won't pull up any trees. There's confirmation of unannounced games still to be revealed for Switch this...
Talking Point Nintendo Needs to Learn Lessons From Its NES Mini Mistakes
A simple product turned into a messy saga
Based upon the various decent emulators out there, it's not hard to run NES games. They're 30+ years old, and in this modern era of GPUs and accessible operating systems people are playing 8-bit games on a dizzying range of devices. Some of us, of course, spend decent money for official ROMs from Nintendo,...
Talking Point PS4 Pro and Xbox Scorpio Draw Battle Lines, But Nintendo Goes Its Own Way With Switch
Nintendo's bubble exists outside the 4K wars
These are strange times in the game console industry. It used to be that major rivals would release gaming machines that simply plugged into your TV and they'd battle against each other for around five years before upping the ante with new technology. Systems didn't always go head to head in terms of...
Talking Point One Month of Nintendo Switch - Early Momentum Brings Optimism
Nintendo now heads into a critical period to sustain early success
The Nintendo Switch launch hasn't been a flop. That might seem to be a peculiar standard to target, but let's consider the scenario before the system arrived. Counterbalancing excitement about the console and its concept, prior to launch, there were equally valid concerns that had...
March2017
Talking Point Defining a Sequel and How It Affects Games Like Splatoon 2
Choose your own Electric Boogaloo meme
Sequels, everyone has an opinion on them. A bit like talk around 'soft launches' and 'lazy ports', sometimes the wider consensus that follows games or systems isn't always accurate or fair. Yet that's the beauty of the internet, and sometimes its biggest flaw - the agenda isn't entirely set by public relations...
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...
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...
February2017
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...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Could Revive Local Multiplayer
Get ready to call up some friends and start playing
In this guest article Funké Joseph, who attended a Nintendo Switch preview event, shares his thoughts on why Switch can be integral to local multiplayer. Local multiplayer is dead. Well, it's almost dead, some would argue. There are still a few games that are carrying the split-screen torch like...
Talking Point The Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC is Both Surprising and Inevitable
Hands up if you expected that... erm, no-one?
In the 3DS and Wii U era Nintendo slowly adopted some modern trends, embracing necessity in order to keep games active and - in the process - make some extra money. DLC emerged in ho-hum form as 'Coin Rush' packs in New Super Mario Bros. 2 on 3DS, but then there was no going back. New Super Luigi U...
Talking Point Splatoon 2 is Set to be a Vital Early Arrival on Nintendo Switch
The Global Testfire adds some extra spice
When Splatoon was unveiled at E3 2014, this writer was initially unsure of its appeal. Then the reaction of the community on these pages began to take shape, and fans tweeted, and the fan-art began - it was evident that Nintendo had produced a new IP with huge potential. By the time we got closer to its...
Talking Point Considering Nintendo's Portable Future
It's all about the target audience
The DS attracted an incredibly broad range of gamers, as its sensational sales attest, and the 3DS has also achieved positive results drawing in gamers of various types. Nintendo has also released variations of the 3DS for different audiences, too, with the 2DS - as an example - primarily pitched as a budget option...
Talking Point The State of Play - amiibo and Its Next Big Move
Pokémon, probably
When Nintendo unveiled its amiibo range in Spring 2014 with the codename of "Nintendo Figurine Platform", it came at a time when the toys-to-life market was near its peak. After Skylanders had blazed a trail Disney Infinity had followed, and it had become a lucrative sector in the market. Nintendo's initial pitch was enticing -...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Super Bowl Ad Was a Huge Success, But Why?
Making people believers
https://youtu.be/h-v_0gunpT4 The Nintendo Switch featured prominently during the recent Super Bowl (or Superb Owl, we're not sure yet) and the ad that featured it has been very well received by the press and the public. But why? What was it about this ad that went down so well where some previous efforts by Nintendo have...
January2017
Talking Point The Nintendo 3DS, A System That Still Has a Role to Play
It's not going anywhere yet
With the Switch coming out in just a couple of months, it seems that Nintendo is truly committing to a future in which it invests in just one platform that fulfils the needs of both portable and home console gamers (though it should be noted that it's pitched primarily as a home console at present). Obviously, the Wii U...
Talking Point Important Features Yet to be Revealed for the Nintendo Switch
There's still time before launch
When Nintendo gave its major Switch Presentation earlier this month, following it up with details in press releases, social media and interviews, there was a fair bit of information that was shared. While the Presentation had the task of giving the first major showcase for the system, it did however skip over quite a...
Talking Point Is the Nintendo Switch a Handheld or Console? Does it Matter?
It's a Switch, that's all we need to know
Over the years we've had some quirky exchanges with Nintendo's PR department, but one of the best related to a light-hearted article about Yoshi. It turned out that an official Nintendo Character Guide from 1993 had said that Yoshi is "properly known as T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas" and is a 'young dinosaur',...
Talking Point What We Hope to See in the Fire Emblem Nintendo Direct
Switch and mobile to the fore
If early year intentions can be taken as an indication of Nintendo's eagerness to have a big year, then so far things bode well. Despite the various positives and negatives around the Nintendo Switch and its launch offerings, Nintendo did at least go wholeheartedly into presenting it. The live event from Tokyo was...
Talking Point Considering the Paid Online Service for the Nintendo Switch
An inevitable gamble
One of the surprise announcements from Nintendo's big Switch presentation was that it would be introducing a new subscription-based online service for which fans will need to pay a monthly fee. This seems as though it could come as something of a double-edged sword, so we're going to break down some of the pros and cons of this...
Talking Point The Challenges and Opportunities of the Nintendo Switch Presentation
It can provide vital early momentum for 2017
With just days to go until Nintendo's Switch Presentation, anticipation is building for the first substantial official look at the system and - presumably - a number of games and launch details. Putting aside rumours and leaks, relatively little has been said since the initial preview trailer, beyond a...
December2016
Talking Point Splatoon May Be Winding Down, But Its Legacy Could Be Significant
Modern trends with a Nintendo touch
In the remainder of 2016 we'll re-share some of our favourite feature articles from the year. This article from 4th August reflects on the end of an era after the final Splatoon Splatfest, and how the colourful shooter established a DLC model for Nintendo that's sure to return in the future. Recently we had the...
Talking Point The Leaps and Falls of Super Mario Run's Launch
Records broken, positive press, negative user reviews, connection issues
Last week Super Mario Run was released after what seemed like an age of waiting, particularly for investors demanding that Nintendo make a big move on mobile. Though we had Miitomo earlier in the year, and of course Pokémon GO succeeding for Niantic and The Pokémon Company,...
Talking Point Nintendo Will Rely on Switch Word of Mouth Due to Strange Presentation Timing
A very Nintendo move, it must be said
Nintendo is gearing up to kick off 2017 with a bang, unveiling the Switch in detail on 12th / 13th January, in the process ensuring that early-year momentum and attention goes its way. With a March release and so little officially known about it, that seems like a smart way to go. Oddly, however, Nintendo has...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Has the Potential to Deliver the Ultimate Virtual Console
An opportunity for a special retro experience
Over the past decade or so Nintendo has made significant strides in its online / download stores, with the eShop platform becoming vital for both 3DS and Wii U. Those stores both learnt lessons from their predecessors - on Wii and DSi - in terms of becoming more accessible and rewarding for Indies, while...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch Pitch - A Jack of All Trades
Tough to predict whether Nintendo's next-gen system will take off
As we get closer to the early January online event that should blow the lid off more Nintendo Switch details, most of which will have probably been leaked with varying degrees of accuracy beforehand, opinions are starting to crystallise. The flashy millennial-filled reveal trailer...
November2016
Super Mario Run is also trying new things with the bankable franchise
When New Super Mario Bros. came out on DS, the excitement was palpable. After all, it was the first 2D Mario platformer in about 15 years, which seems amazing to consider nowadays. Some of you may raise your eyebrows at that statement, and may argue that it's incorrect, but let's...
Talking Point What We'd Like To See In Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo Switch
Assuming it's a port…
With all the hype that the Nintendo Switch is generating, it's only natural to speculate on what titles the system will offer upon its launch. If Nintendo's upcoming console could learn anything from the launch of the Wii U, it's that launch titles do indeed matter. This can also mean ensuring popular titles that consumers...
Talking Point A New Nintendo 3DS Price Drop Can Prolong the Portable's Lifespan
New Black Friday options in North America are a smart idea
We've been wondering when it would happen, and it's finally come. Nintendo has bitten the bullet and confirmed New Nintendo 3DS models for North America that will cost under $100. Now, you don't need to be a genius to proclaim that selling goods at a budget price is a way to attract...
News Talking Point: Ports vs. Sequels On The Nintendo Switch
A unique switchuation...
In this Talking Point, Arjun gives his perspective on the ports vs. sequels considerations for the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo NX - erm, Switch - has finally been unveiled, and it's arguably the lion's roar that the big N needed after troubles with its last home system. The Wii U has suffered a similar fate to that of the...
October2016
Talking Point Imagining a Future Nintendo Switch Budget Spin-Off - A Non-Switching Microconsole
A 2DS equivalent for the price conscious consumer
Now that the dust has settled on the reveal of the upcoming Nintendo Switch, everyone seems to have shared their opinions on Nintendo's chances of turning the concept into a success. While many are very positive about the Nintendo Switch reveal, there are also some analysts who have raised concerns...
Talking Point The Nintendo Switch May Divide Opinion, But It's Made a Splash
It's trending, which helps
When Nintendo unveiled the Wii U at E3 2011, some were confused about whether it was a Wii add-on or a new system. By the time it was unveiled at E3 2012, it felt like even getting a broader audience to look at and consider the system was an issue. We suspect many have encountered the following scenario since the console...
Talking Point What We Hope to See in the Nintendo NX Preview Trailer
A clear, concise demonstration of the concept
Nothing has been conventional about Nintendo's approach to unveiling the NX system. Initially announced in early 2015 by former President Satoru Iwata - in a bid to calm nervous fans after announcing Nintendo's plans for smart devices - it's always been expected as a 2016 reveal. Yet Nintendo has been...
Talking Point The Problems With My Nintendo So Far, and Why All's Not Lost
A slow start
Just recently we ran some polls to gauge your opinions on My Nintendo, as the service is now a little over six months old. The majority of the Nintendo Life community that voted are unimpressed with it, to put it mildly, with a high percentage opting for the two most negative answers in the relevant polls. It's not new for an initiative...
Talking Point Nintendo Has No Set Formula for Hardware Reveals, But NX is Testing Fans' Patience
Remember to count to 10
As someone who spends their days immersed in the weird world of Nintendo, at times I can't decide whether the current online climate is entertaining, frustrating or baffling. Perhaps a mix of all three. I'm referring, of course, to the ongoing obsession with Nintendo NX, with a lot of vocal online followers of the big N...
September2016
Talking Point The Pros and Cons of Nintendo's NX Secrecy
Time ticks down for a reveal ahead of planned March release
In recent days there have been some interesting observations around the web, namely that the current timeline for reveal-to-release of the Nintendo NX could be the shortest in the company's history. That's assuming the system arrives in March 2017 as planned, and if you also disregard some...
Talking Point Nintendo's Continued Commitment to the 3DS Makes Sense
Sales in the US enjoy a boost as Nintendo keeps the portable going
It wasn't that long ago that we had a rather encouraging 3DS Nintendo Direct, even if the short term memory of some means it may as well have been a decade ago. The reaction to it was generally positive, a reward for the fact that Nintendo revealed some genuine surprises, including...
Iterative generations and shrinking technical leaps change the game
It's been a slightly peculiar week in the gaming industry. Nintendo made an appearance on stage with Apple to announce Super Mario Run, which was both smart business and a strange landmark moment; it's not often you see Shigeru Miyamoto pitching a Mario game on someone else's stage...
Talking Point The Inevitability of Super Mario Run, Nintendo's Ace for the Mobile Market
Nintendo's giving mobile a run for its money
When the Nintendo and DeNA corporate partnership was announced in early 2015, the most obvious concept that came up in the Nintendo Life team's conversation was a Mario runner. It's hardly rocket science - franchises such as Rayman and Sonic the Hedgehog have had multiple runner iterations of different...
Talking Point The Scale of the Mobile Industry Makes it an Important Market for Nintendo
Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem are only the beginning
As the Summer months drift towards their conclusion (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) we head into Fall / Autumn, and what that brings is a period of great intrigue in the world of Nintendo. On the one hand the company will eventually need to spill the beans on its NX system and - in one...
Talking Point What Approach Should Nintendo Take With Its NX Reveal?
Sudden and viral, a Direct, or a conventional press-focused event?
The silly season of rumours has been underway for a while now with the Nintendo NX, and some have recently focused on how the system will be revealed. It's a welcome change of pace from figuring out what the system is, admittedly, and it's raised an interesting question - how should...
Talking Point The 2017 Role of the 3DS Was Established in its Nintendo Direct
Ports, updates and occasional big-hitters to keep it ticking
It's not uncommon that, with new hardware around the corner, console manufacturers keep some content trickling onto the soon-to-be last-gen hardware. Often they rely upon third-party multi-platform titles, as we saw with PS3 and Xbox 360 after the arrival of their successors, though in...
August2016
Talking Point Mario's Cameo in Rio Showcases Nintendo's Enduring Brand Power
A much needed reminder of the big N's ongoing popularity
Sports fans have no doubt spent decent chunks of the past two weeks tuning into various events from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. For many observers sports like Synchronised Diving, Handball and Taekwondo are only particularly interesting once every four years, as dedicated athletes have their...
Talking Point Nintendo's Future in Shared Gaming, From StreetPass Plus to Pokémon GO and AR
Playing up to the big N's strengths
If reports and common sense are correct, we're likely only 4-8 weeks from seeing Nintendo's next tilt at the gaming hardware market. Most bets - based on sources, patents and logic - are on a system that will primarily operate as a portable but also be usable on the TV, yet regardless of those reports a new...
July2016
News Talking Point: Nintendo NX Deal Is A Vindication Of Nvidia's Shield Program
A mutually beneficial agreement that could be a boon for gamers
Reports that Nvidia's Tegra tech is going to power Nintendo's apparently portable NX console triggered a fairly familiar reaction online yesterday. Perhaps not all that familiar to those of you under the age of 20, but veterans will surely have gotten a sense of deja vu as the
Talking Point Recent Sales Results Show That amiibo Needs Games For Success, Not Just Collectibility
A quiet quarter in sales is a rare market blip for the range
Nintendo's Q1 financial results were some of the most uneventful in recent memory; we're not expecting a President's Presentation or Q & A as they aren't the norm for the company's Q1 reports. What the financial results brought were losses and low sales, which weren't surprising in the...
Talking Point Considering the Angles of a Portable and Dynamic Nintendo NX
Detachable controllers, a home 'base' station? It fits some expectations
Earlier today our network colleagues at Eurogamer published details representative, potentially, of the Nintendo NX system that's currently out in the wild in dev kit form. Citing multiple sources it outlined a number of key details that you can read in summary here, though...
Talking Point Free and Early Access Downloads Like Metroid Prime: Blast Ball Make a Lot of Sense
Working harder for sales
Poor old Metroid Prime: Federation Force - following its bizarre and poorly received E3 2015 reveal it's been kept largely out of the spotlight, only emerging in the past week with Nintendo opening the doors for previews and, somewhat surprisingly, releasing Metroid Prime: Blast Ball for free. Essentially a bonus / training...
Talking Point SEGA Has the Right Idea With Its Upcoming Sonic Projects
Looking to the past for answers to the future
As many of you are no doubt aware, SEGA made two major announcements during its Sonic anniversary bash that gave a lot of insight into the near future of the Blue Blur. Sonic Mania appears – for all intents and purposes – to be the sequel to Sonic & Knuckles that many have been asking SEGA to...
Talking Point Nintendo's NES Classic Edition is Just One Way to Revolutionise the Virtual Console
It could be the beginning of a new approach
It was certainly a surprise today when the NES Classic Edition was unveiled (called Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe), a tiny little system that uses HDMI and will give access to 30 games right out of the box. With its extremely small form and accompanying classic-style...
Talking Point The Viral Reaction to Pokémon GO is a Surprise Gift for Nintendo
And it's not even a Nintendo game, in the typical sense
Pokémon GO was an app that bored quite a few observers during a lengthy E3 Q & A this year, a session most entertaining for Shigeru Miyamoto's "who's your daddy" moment when he unexpectedly announced a release date for the Plus add-on - to the bemusement and surprise of Niantic and...
Talking Point A Front-Row Seat For The Yo-Kai Watch Multimedia Juggernaut
Damien McFerran on witnessing the birth of a brand
Despite being involved with Nintendo Life, there are elements of the wider Nintendo world of which I am largely unaware and, until very recently, Yo-Kai Watch was one such element. Naturally, I knew of the series, its popularity in Japan and the
June2016
Talking Point Where Does The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Fit Into the Zelda Timeline?
Considering some clues
After Nintendo's glorious reveal of the new 2017 Legend of Zelda title - Breath of the Wild - we were given lots of trailer and gameplay footage to marvel at. Naturally, these kinds of revelations spark much debate and theorising amongst series enthusiasts, including where it could belong on the almighty Zelda timeline. Now...
Talking Point Our Hopes For Nintendo's E3 2016 Legend of Zelda (and Pokémon) Bonanza
Beyond gameplay, Nintendo can emphasize its unique strengths
Well, it's finally here. After 18 months of near-silence and zero footage, Nintendo is going to lift the lid on The Legend of Zelda for Wii U and Nintendo NX (and also show some Pokémon Sun and Moon). It's the Wii U version that'll be on display, due to the ongoing secrecy around the...
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