Tag: Previews - Page 4
Hands On Creature In The Well Is The Most Beautiful Game We Played At E3
Stick with us on this one
You read that title right. Creature In The Well is indeed the most beautiful game we played at E3. Yes, we're aware of the shiny, toy-box wonderland that is the Link’s Awakening remake. We all know Cyberpunk 2077 is next level. Mosaic, the upcoming, multi-platform indie game that transforms
Hands On Mosaic Is A Game That Wants You To Feel Insignificant
Rage against the machine
There’s this split moment right after you wake up where you aren’t completely awake, but you’re not totally asleep. Mosaic, an indie game by Krillbite Studio, wants to take you there. In fact, it strongly suspects you’re probably living that moment right now. Mosaic is a single player, semi-linear narrative game...
Hands On Empire Of Sin Is A Complex Crime Caper Created By Video Game Royalty
"Prohibition strategy" is a genre now
During one of our E3 appointments, we sat in a tiny, packed room to observe a 20-minute gameplay demo for Empire of Sin, the upcoming 1920s-themed strategy game slated to release Spring 2020. Surrounding us were no fewer than five developers, including John Romero, famed creator of the original DOOM and Quake...
Hands On Zelda: Link's Awakening On Switch Treads A Fine Line Between Remake And Reimagining
Impressions from the E3 show floor
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could play a Zelda game on the go? Okay, okay, we know what you're thinking. Today, you could fill up a whole stadium with portable Zelda games alone. But in 1993? How would anyone ever get a Zelda game to fit onto a Game Boy cartridge? Impossible. Well, they obviously figured it out...
Hands On Luigi’s Mansion 3 Is Shaping Up To Be The Best In The Series
Can someone get Luigi a real estate agent?
Luigi’s Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch is exactly that: the third entry into the bizarre Nintendo series where brother Luigi is left to scour haunted locations in search of missing friends. It’s a game where you use a vacuum cleaner (The Poltergust 3000, mind you) to suck up ghosts, sort of like a...
Hands On Pokémon Sword And Shield’s Dynamax Mode Has Us Shook
Adding a whole new dynamic to battling
As our first Galar stadium demo battle began – our on-screen character stepping into the crowded arena to a roar of cheers – the ground was quite literally shaking beneath our feet. No, that’s not a metaphor. Thanks to the subwoofers installed in our station at Nintendo’s E3 booth, and the more...
Hands On Building Upon A Solid Foundation In Super Mario Maker 2
Making the Wii U look like a Super Mario Faker
If there’s one thing that still gives the Wii U life, it’s the excellent Super Mario Maker. That’s all about to come to an end now though, at least if our time with Super Mario Maker 2 is any sort of authority. The user-created colossus is making its way to Switch, and if you hadn’t quite...
Hands On Tucking Into The Meaty Challenge Of Automachef, A Tasty Puzzler Headed To Switch
A Switch console exclusive, actually
Today, Team17 has announced that it will be adding Hermes Interactive's puzzle game Automachef to its ever-growing games label. Thanks to this partnership, the game is headed to Switch this summer as a console exclusive, and we were lucky enough to check out an early build at Team17's lovely HQ. This one looks...
Hands On Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild VR Made Us Want To Puke
A link to the barf
It always seemed too good to be true. A virtual reality update to Breath of the Wild that enables you to play the entire game with the Labo VR Goggles? Blimey Charlie! Despite all our nagging doubts, the very fact that Nintendo was putting it out meant it must pass a minimum quality threshold, no? At the very least it wouldn't...
Hands On Third Time's A Charm With Dragon's Dogma On Switch
Back to Gransys, yet again
I've got quite an odd relationship with Dragon's Dogma. When it was originally released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 way, way back in 2012, I was fresh off the back of Dark Souls and was hungry for a similar swords-and-sorcery experience. With its grim fantasy setting and frenetic third-person combat, Capcom's...
Hands On Going Beyond The Blaster With Nintendo Labo VR On Switch
A deeper dive
If you’re a long-time reader of the site, you’ll probably know that we’ve spent a decent chunk of time talking about Labo VR already when we got a chance to have a go with it at Nintendo UK’s headquarters. But now we actually own the blooming thing and have spent more time than we’d deem healthy having a good old rummage with...
Hands On There's More To Nintendo's Labo VR Than Meets The Eye
Virtual Reality, the Nintendo way
Maintaining a healthy degree of scepticism is always a wise policy in life, especially when you're faced with a seemingly endless number of companies trying to tempt you to spend your hard-earned cash. It's a practice we regularly employ in both our personal and professional lives here at Nintendo Life, and it's...
Hands On Getting Our Hands Dirty With My Time At Portia On Switch
Your next Switch time sink?
Team17 has revealed that its RPG/crafting sim My Time at Portia is building up to a 16th April release on Nintendo Switch. Being the lucky so-and-sos that we are, we were recently invited to the studio's headquarters in sunny Wakefield, UK to spend some quality time with the game, giving us the chance to see what all the...
Hands On Should You Buy Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker's Special Episode DLC?
Time to explore (again)
Just yesterday, Nintendo released the full DLC package for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker on Switch and - being the ever helpful folks that we are - we thought we'd give it a go and share our findings with you lovely lot. The DLC, called 'Special Episode' contains 18 new challenges (some new, some remixes of old) among five...
Hands On Getting Arty In Yoshi's Crafted World On Nintendo Switch
Where there's a will, there's a PVA
When we first clapped eyes on Yoshi’s Crafted World, we’d be lying if we said our first thoughts weren’t something along the lines of ‘oh look, another Yoshi game’. That’s not to say we didn’t like what we saw, but the Yoshi series has always played things a little bit safe in the past, and at first...
Hands On Hacking Into The Cyberpunk World of Observer On Switch
With Blade Runner's Rutger Hauer, no less
Recently we were invited down to Kraków, Poland, to have a bit of an old hands-on with Observer, courtesy of its creator, Bloober Team. After Layers of Fear scared the nonsense out of us, we had high hopes for this new game, based on the promise that it builds heavily on what Bloober's previous Switch game...
Hands On Digging Deep Into The Weird And Wonderful World Of The Unlikely Legend Of Rusty Pup
Dog days
First impressions are important, and The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup wastes no time in underlining how refreshingly unique it is. This mechanical puzzle-platform game – which was originally slated for the Wii U and 3DS but is now on the way to the Switch – has been developed over the past four years by UK studio Gory Detail, which is...
Hands On What We Learned From Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Near-Final Preview Build
New details on World of Light, Spirit Board and more
At the time of writing, we’re mere weeks away from Nintendo’s most hotly-anticipated game of the year: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With the game’s final direct having aired a few weeks ago, many were left wanting to know more about the game’s particulars, especially with regard to the...
Preview Battle Princess Madelyn Effortlessly Steps Into Sir Arthur's Boots
Ghouls 'n Ghosts fans, rejoice
It’s been well documented by the team at Causal Bit Games that Battle Princess Madelyn is both a love letter and spiritual sequel to Capcom’s Ghouls ‘n Ghosts series. As for the rest of the title, the inspiration comes directly from the mind of a child who happens to be one of the creator’s daughters. As you...
Hands On Starlink: Battle for Atlas Feels More Like A Star Fox Game Every Time We Play It
Foxy stuff indeed
Ubisoft's upcoming Starlink: Battle for Atlas is so much more than the latest attempt at a toys-to-life game. Starlink is, if our recent hands-on preview is anything to go by, a family-friendly space opera with compelling characters, interesting worlds to explore and - for Nintendo Switch users - the best Star Fox game since Star...
Hands On Getting Fancy With Shovel Knight: King of Cards And Showdown
Hail to the king, baby
It’s not often that you see a preview for a four-year-old game, but in the years following Shovel Knight’s original release, Yacht Club has kept busy introducing add-ons to the popular retro platformer, each as good as - if not better than - the last. We already deemed the game a must-have, and if the time we spent playing...
Hands On Rolling The Dice With Super Mario Party On Switch
Mario shows us his new party trick
At PAX West this week we were given the opportunity to play the latest entry in the Mario Party series, Super Mario Party. We played a handful of minigames and spent some time in the newly-announced river survival mode, but what was most striking about this new Mario Party is how much it drew us in. Based on what...
Hands On Streets Of Rage 4 Is A Grand (Upper) Revival
Nostalgic hearts a-Blaze
It’s been a wild ride for fans of SEGA fans the last few years. Lately, it seems as though the forgotten series of their past are returning in spades, thanks to the efforts of smaller indies the world over: Wonder Boy, Shenmue, Monster Boy, and finally, Streets of Rage. That last one is a big deal for a particularly loyal...
Hands On Things Are Hotting Up In The Kitchen Thanks To Overcooked 2
Are you a professional cook?
Anyone who has played Ghost Town Games’ indie darling Overcooked is sure to harbour a love-hate feeling for the little cooking simulator. It’s a game where you must work together inside a kitchen to piece together meals for needy customers. The only problem is you are timed, you bump into each other a lot,...
Hands On Starlink Scratches That Star Fox Itch, But We're Not Sure Who It's For
Getting to grips with Ubisoft's space shooter at Comic-Con 2018
Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a homage to the sci-fi games of right this very second. Or, you could also choose to see Starlink as mostly a rip-off. Or instead, maybe as a really cute entry point into planet spelunking spaceship genre. After some hands-on time with the game at the San...
Hands On Taking The Path Less Traveled In Octopath Traveler
Yes, it's just as good as you've hoped
In 2018, it can be rather difficult for a JRPG to set itself apart from the crowd, even more so if it attempts to emulate the style or look of the grand adventures of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. Still, if there were ever a company that could pull it off, it would be Square Enix. With Octopath Traveler, the...
Hands On Getting On The Go In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker On Switch
Time for adventure! On Switch!
The reasons for future retro collectors to pick up a Wii U are shrinking ever further with Nintendo’s plans for the Switch. Next on that list of games that didn’t deserve exclusivity to a commercial flop of a console is Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, a spinoff from Super Mario 3D World that stunned audiences for...
Hands On Falling Into Endless Spike Pits In Mega Man 11
It's good to have you back, old friend
In the aftermath of the dramatic departure of Keiji Inafune from Capcom back in 2010, it seemed that he had taken Mega Man with him. Capcom cancelled all existing projects and relegated the Blue Bomber to a footnote in the broader company portfolio. There was hope that the spirit would live on in Inafune’s...
Hands On Settling The Score In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ridley and able
There are certain games you can count on making an appearance on every Nintendo console: Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and more recently, Super Smash Bros. Since the N64 days, Smash has been one of Nintendo's major tentpole franchises drawing millions of new fans into Nintendo's orbit, so the company's announcement of a new Smash...
Hands On Catching A Curveball With The Poké Ball Plus, The Switch's Latest Must-Have Accessory
I Choose You!
Since my first playthrough of Pokémon Blue back in 1998, I’ve had a bit of an on-again, off-again relationship with Game Freak’s monster-collecting magnum opus. I certainly consider myself to be a fan, but I haven’t finished a main game since SoulSilver, and a 2016 summer spent scouring the countryside for Kanto critters in...
Hands On Revisiting Kanto With Pokémon: Let’s Go! Pikachu And Let’s Go! Eevee On Switch
Blending the new with the old in fresh ways
Suffice to say, fans were suitably surprised when Nintendo lifted the lid on Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!; instead of the follow-up generation to Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon that many expected, Nintendo teased a reimagining of one of the first games, with some Pokémon GO...
Hands On Prepare For the Fight of Your Life in Octopath Traveler
Eight ways to die
JRPGs have been having a bit of a renaissance recently haven’t they? The genre’s been dying for a good bit of mixing up, and we’ve seen a bit of that in games such as Bravely Default, but with Octopath Traveler things have really begun getting refreshed. The same basic mechanics you’d expect from a turn-based JRPG are...
Hands On Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Ultimate Edition
Worth the double dip?
About a year ago, WayForward released Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, the fourth entry in the studio’s popular platforming franchise. Since then, the developer has been busy working on various side campaigns that were promised during the original Kickstarter run, releasing a new one every few months. Now, WayForward has bundled...
Video Diving Head-First into the World of Nintendo Labo
Will you be my Labo partner?
We don't think anyone can deny that Nintendo Labo has caused a stir amongst the gaming community, and even far beyond. The idea of a cardboard construction toy being used in conjunction with an already versatile console is unusual, and unashamedly "Nintendo". We were lucky enough to get our hands on some Labo at a...
Preview Getting Funky in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Switch
We've got the funk
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Wii U game in possession of great critical acclaim, must be in want of a port. And cor ruddy blimey does Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze fall into line with that as well. One of the more forgotten gems of 2014, if only for the fact that it was on Wii U, is also the titular...
Preview Getting Gruesome In Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus On Switch
Taking down Nazis on the go
As we played through the Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus demo at PAX East this weekend, two showgoers stopped to catch a glimpse of what we were playing. “Let’s head over to the Nintendo booth next,” says one. “This is the Nintendo booth,” says the other. What followed were comments and genuine shock that such...
Preview Cracking The Case With Detective Pikachu On 3DS
Initial investigations
With no solid news as of yet on the Pokémon game(s) destined for Switch, the attention of Pocket Monster fans around the globe will no doubt be falling onto Detective Pikachu, scheduled to release on 3DS later this month. The game, which has already seen a staggered release in Japan, seems to be part of a franchise that the...
Preview Fighting Foes With Friends In Kirby Star Allies For Nintendo Switch
Three's company, four's a party
With the first month of 2018 having gone by, many of us are looking to the horizon for the next big Nintendo Switch games to hit. The console remains every bit as popular as it nears the end of its first year on store shelves as it did in the weeks and months following in its launch. At E3 2017, Nintendo...
Preview Hands On And Flying High With Dustoff Heli Rescue 2
Get to da choppa!
Much like its mobile and PC-based predecessor, Dustoff Heli Rescue 2 is arcade-style helicopter sim that sees you moving left and right across a 2.5D plane in a variety of customisable whirly birds. Only three of this skyward machines were available in the first game, which increases to a much more satisfying nine this time around...
Hands On The Future Of Gaming Is Cardboard, Thanks To Nintendo Labo
First impressions of Nintendo's latest left-field revolution
Whenever an invite is extended to check something new and interesting at Nintendo's offices immediately after a Nintendo Direct broadcast, it's easy to fall into the trap of making rash assumptions. Given that it has just been confirmed that Dark Souls is Switch-bound, we took it almost as...
Preview Returning to a Strange Universe in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
It's time, but without Reyn
A number of years ago this scribe was sitting playing Xenoblade Chronicles when a relative walked into the room - what they saw was weird characters and a jumble of text, icons and assorted madness. As we tried to explain what was going on it became clear that it was a doomed task - "it's a quirky RPG" was the...
Feature We Try Out Upcoming Switch eShop Titles from Merge Games
Including The Count Lucanor and The Long Reach
While a little bare at launch, Nintendo Switch’s library of eShop titles has exploded in recent weeks, now making it a virtual hotspot for new and exclusive releases. Joining the party with a few titles of its own is Merge Games, a game publisher that has been working with a number of different indie...
Preview Fire Emblem Warriors Could Be The Best Musou Game Yet
A perfect tactical mix
Despite its incredible popularity in Japan, Koei Tecmo's Warriors (or, if you prefer, Musou) series has never really captured western hearts and minds in quite the same way. To the outside observer, the series appears to be little more than mindless button-bashing, with no tactical nuance or depth. As fans of the franchise...
Hands On RiME Lights Up On Nintendo Switch
Time to shine
RiME is a secluded, visually stunning adventure arriving on Switch soon. If you managed to miss its original release a few months back on various systems, then that may end up becoming a blessing in disguise. Undocked the game lights up the screen, lending its art-style nicely to the Switch screen. Tequila Works may have...
First Impressions Hell in a Handbasket - DOOM on Nintendo Switch
Big, dumb, and lots of fun
Now, with the Bethesda published 2016 iteration coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year, DOOM can be small and dumb, while still having its trademark 'BFG'. We got our chance to try out id Software’s upcoming port of its DOOM franchise reboot at a Bethesda event earlier this month; look, we know what questions you...
Preview Solving the Puzzle of Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy
A new generation with a familiar name
For some gamers, including this writer, the DS and 3DS generations of hardware simply wouldn't be so complete without the Professor Layton series of games. Across six adventures - seven with an Ace Attorney tie-in - the puzzle solving gentleman charmed us all, had numerous cups of tea and saved villages and...
First Impressions Defying Gravity in Skyrim for Nintendo Switch
Better than an arrow to the knee
Hail and well met, travelers! Come, rest your weary feat at our fire as we regale you with stories of our time spent in the world of Skyrim! You maybe be inclined to ask, “but noble bard, wasn’t Skyrim released over half a decade ago?”, and you wouldn’t be too far off - but this, dear friends, is Skyrim on...
First Impressions Traversing Titans in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Arts of Fighting
Of all the big Switch exclusives due this year, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 might just be the biggest; Splatoon 2 may be racking up big sales, and Super Mario Odyssey may hold more space in the collective imagination, but there’s no arguing with the vastness of Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles series. The Wii original
Hands On Super Mario Odyssey Looks Set To Continue Switch’s Year of Hits
We get to grips with the game at Fan Expo Canada 2017
In January 2017, at the Nintendo Switch reveal event, Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi touted that the upcoming Super Mario Odyssey would follow in the footsteps of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. For long-time fans, this announcement of Mario’s return to an open-world sandbox adventure was a...
First Impressions Finding Our Way in Lost Sphear
Not all who wander…
Along with the open-world intrigue of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the retro goodness of Hamster’s ACA Neo Geo releases, the Switch’s launch lineup included I Am Setsuna, a retro-styled JRPG from Square Enix subsidiary Tokyo RPG Factory that delivered an old-school adventure in a snowy modern package. It’s...
