Latest Features
Guide Best James Bond Games On Nintendo Systems
Nobody does it better
This article was originally published in July, but in honour of 'James Bond Day' — the 60th anniversary of Dr. No's cinematic release on October 5th 1962, don't you know — we thought it the perfect time to revisit it. Remember, the ranking below is not set in stone, but is governed in real-time by each game's User Score on...
Exclusive SunnySide Teams Up With Gardening YouTuber To Make Their Farming Game More Realistic
Green thumb meets gamer thumb
Farming games often don't replicate real-world farming too closely — they prefer to strike a balance between fun and accurate, in which plants need watering every day, but pesticides, fertiliser, and maintenance aren't really on your to do list. But upcoming game SunnySide is aiming to take a more realistic approach...
Feature Backlog Club: Portal 2 Made Me Feel Clever, Despite My Minor Case Of Serious Brain Damage
Sweet Caroline
Rule number one of Backlog Club: Work through your pile of unplayed video games one at a time, and discuss them with other people. Rule number two of Backlog Club: Don't talk about Backlog Club. Just kidding! Tell everyone. Please. This article is part of our new experimental series, Backlog Club, where we (Nintendo Life!) pick a...
Feature "No Man's Sky Will Never Run On That" - Sean Murray Talks Defying The Odds On Switch
"I have a good history of being right sometimes and totally wrong other times"
There are just a few days until No Man's Sky makes the journey onto Switch on October 7th. Anyone who has played or has even been remotely interested in No Many's Sky over the past six years will most likely have heard of Sean Murray. The founder of development studio...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - September 2022
Nintendo Life's picks of the best eShop games in September!
We're sorry, when did it become October? Well, we suppose it's time to look back at September for our monthly dose of eShop Selects! It's autumn (or fall depending on what term you like to use for the crispy leaves season). The nights are drawing in. The temperature is dropping. And the...
Talking Point It's About Time Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night Came To Switch
Seminal action-RPG celebrates its 25th anniversary
Note: this article contains minor spoilers for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. "What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets." These words, uttered by Dracula Vlad Țepeș during the opening exchange with Richter Belmont in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, have become completely...
Talking Point What's The Worst Game That You Still Love For Some Reason?
All your perfect imperfections
Today marks the 15th anniversary of NBA Live 08 on the Wii. Quite why there wasn't a national holiday and organised street parades for this excellent game is beyond us. Except, of course, it isn't excellent at all. The game was, for all intents and purposes, objectively bad, and yet there is a very large part of this...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 1st)
Ladies and gentlemen, the Winter
We did it folks! We made it through the barrage of game releases — more commonly known as 'September' — and we live to write another day! Though October is looking just as packed... *gulp* Here at Nintendo Life, we've played through the unofficial Super Mario Bros. 5 fan game made entirely in Super Mario Maker...
Guide Best Time Loop Games On Nintendo Switch
Live die repeat
Most video games are either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Most... but not all. Today, we're celebrating the games that dip their toes into the underappreciated and underexplored fourth dimension: Time. Unfortunately for us 3D peasants, we are forced to experience time in a linear fashion, going from Tuesday to Wednesday like...
Feature We Take The Fan-Created 'Super Mario Bros. 5' For A Spin
Spoilers: It's a blast
Although Nintendo seems to have largely forgotten about it, Super Mario Maker 2 still has its fans. Indeed, so it should; it's a remarkably accessible creative tool for users to turn the Mario levels of their dreams into a reality with an incredibly intuitive UI and toolkit that built on the foundation of the remarkable Wii U...
Community Found A Great Switch Game We Didn't Review? We Want To Know
Highlight a 'hidden gem' with a shoutout
With the busy month of September coming to an end, publishers are shadow-dropping great-looking games on Switch eShop even in these closing days. Dropsy is the latest one, a point-and-click adventure coming hot on the tail of the most anticipated point-and-click adventure of the last decade or more, and from...
Talking Point Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
Where should you start if you're new to The Legend?
The announcement of a solid release date for BOTW2 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom marked the beginning of a new, more intense phase of enthusiasm for one of the most anticipated sequels of the decade. Sure, a new Zelda game is always big news, but when it's a follow-up to one of the most...
Back Page 8 Completely Real 'Life Simulators' That We Want To See On Switch
Reporting live from MUGS
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes —...
Talking Point Where Are All The Lord Of The Rings RPGs On Console?
Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a RPG
The year was 2002. Peter Jackson was about to release the second instalment in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, EA had bagged the rights to the video game adaptations of the films and Vivendi was just about to release its own console adaptation, not of the New Line Cinema property, but adapted directly from...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 24th)
The splat-best of the Splatfest
After last week's Nintendo Direct extravaganza, this week has seemed a little more relaxed by comparison. As we have prepared ourselves for the weekend's coming Splatfest (go Team Fun!) we have taken our time recuperating from what is already shaping up to be an amazing slate of upcoming games. In the Direct's...
Feature With Sales Outpacing Pokémon, Why Is Splatoon So Popular In Japan?
Nintendo is squids in
It happened almost overnight. One day in May 2015, Splatoon merch appeared everywhere in Japan. Baby inklings dangled from kids’ backpacks. Squid-girl stickers adorned pencil cases. Convenience stores advertised raffles for figurines, coffee cups, and Splatoon-branded bags. This explosion of Splat-swag was perhaps more of a...
Talking Point What Do You Think Of The Harvestella Demo?
Is it a JRPG with farming, or a farm sim with JRPG elements?
Ahead of its November 4th release date, Square Enix's take on the farming game genre, Harvestella, recently received a demo on Switch, so you can try before you buy. The save will transfer over to the full game, if you decide it's worth the £50 / $60. As part of a farm sim-filled...
Noir goes lucid
One of the biggest surprises and standouts during the 13th September Nintendo Direct was the reveal of Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, a brand new mystery game from Kazutaka Kodaka, the creator of the Danganronpa series. Set in a rainy city full of bright lights, and embracing a more dark fantasy style compared to the pink...
Exclusive 'Penko Park' Combines Pokémon Snap's Cuteness With Majora's Mask Creepiness
Coming to Switch soon!
Do you love Pokémon Snap, but hate waiting 20 years for new instalments? Do you wish that Pokémon would lean way more into its darker side, like all the ghost Pokémon that steal children? Do you enjoy Take a good look at Penko Park, an upcoming Switch game that draws its inspiration from the animal photography gameplay of...
Talking Point What On Earth Is Going On With Square Enix?
We don't have enough gil!
If you take even a quick glance at a release schedule for the next six months, you'll see that there are a heck of a lot of games coming out. Look a little closer, though, and you'll spot that maybe 50 of them are from Square Enix. And that's just on the Switch! We're exaggerating, of course, but it's hard to ignore the...
Guide Best Contra Games On Nintendo Systems
Compare and Contra-st
Contra is one of a handful of franchises that have become completely synonymous with gaming; indeed, chances are if you haven't played any Contra games, then you'll have at least heard of them. Konami's shoot-em-up behemoth may have lost a lot of its lustre in recent years (pretty much par for the course with Konami these days,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 17th)
A post-Direct blowout
*deep breath* There was a Nintendo Direct this week! And it was chock-a-block full of games. But the big news is that we, at last, know the name (and release date) of Breath of the Wild's follow-up. RIP The Sequel to... The Legend of Zelda:
Talking Point What Did You Think Of The Latest Nintendo Direct?
"Zelda blowout", they said
Nintendo Direct week is both the joy and the bane of a games journalist's work week. So much to talk about! So little time! So much hype! And then you spend the next two weeks slooowwwwly dissecting it all, discussing it all, and finding out the details that the Direct didn't tell you. This Direct was a pretty good one by...
Feature Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer Breakdown - Theories And Speculation
A thorough Sheikdown
Update: We've added our YouTube discussion to the pile! It mostly concerns the same theories, but with some extra added insights, and our lovely voices. We've finally found out the title of Breath of the Wild 2 (which means we can stop calling it Breath of the Wild 2) alongside a brand-new trailer in the latest Nintendo...
Feature Rayman Is Back In 'Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope' - So Is He Actually Cool Now?
It'll take an arm and a leg
The '90s gave us a ton of platforming mascots — Sonic, Gex, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Aero the Acro-Bat, James Pond, and the list goes on. Plenty of fun, cute animals who can do all sorts of fun things like run fast, glide around, spin rapidly, and trap enemies in bubbles. And then there's Rayman. So what is Rayman? He's...
Hands On The Witch Is Back - Bayonetta 3 Is Real, And We've Played It
It's about (witch) time
Believe it or not, it’s been nearly five whole years since the wickedly stylish witch Bayonetta revealed the fact her action combat series would become a trilogy, and it’s been almost eight years since Bayonetta 2 released on Wii U. That original reveal trailer showed so little and left us with so many questions. Would...
Round Up Everything Announced In The September 2022 Nintendo Direct - Every Game Reveal And Trailer
What were your favourite announcements?
Another Nintendo Direct has graced the internet, bringing with it a host of awesome announcements and updates. Clocking in at 40 minutes in length, we've got a hunch there was probably something for everybody here, regardless of what kind of games you're into! Not much murky space horror though. Read More:...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See At Today's Nintendo Direct Showcase?
Zelda? Metroid? More Zelda?
Update [Tue 13th Sep, 2022 12:15 BST]: The day is upon us and we are buckling up for what is sure to be 40 minutes of top-notch announcement content. Alongside the writers below, our wonderful video production team have now also given their thoughts on what to expect from the Direct. Check out their thoughts in the new...
Feature The History Of Monolith Soft - From Baten Kaitos To Xenoblade And Zelda
A monolithic tale
Monolith Soft has become one of the most recognisable of Nintendo's first-party developers in recent times. Led by legendary RPG writer and director Tetsuya Takahashi, the studio is renowned for the monolithic (pun intended) Xenoblade series. Combining MMORPG-style, memorable worlds, stunning music, and philosophical writing, the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 10th)
What a week for franchises
It's finally here, folks. After what feels like an age of trailers and Directs galore, this week finally saw the release of Splatoon 3! Here at Nintendo Life, we have you covered for all things concerning ink, squids and merchandise (or should we say Murch-andice?) We have put together a comprehensive Tips, Tricks and...
Guide Best Pokémon-Likes On Nintendo Switch - Games To Play After You've Finished Pokémon
The Mimikyus of video games
When they said "Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em all", we all assumed that they meant catching all the pocket monsters. But actually, what they were talking about was catching all the Pokémon and Pokémon-like games out there — of which there are many. And now, at last, we have caught them all, and wrangled them into this...
Soapbox Splatoon 3's Midnight Launch Felt A Bit Different
Veteran video game journalist James Mielke camps out
Ah, the venerable midnight launch. The once-expected tradition of camping out for midnight game launches — so timed as to technically adhere to official game street dates while still capitalising on gamer obsessions and enthusiasm — is, at least in New York City, on the verge of extinction...
Poll Is It Just Us, Or Was That Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Trailer A Little Confusing?
Time was clearly of the essence
After drip-feeding us Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reveals for the past few months, today saw the release of the newest ScarVi trailer (yes, that's what we're calling it, sometimes in our best pirate voice), which promised to be packed full of new information to get us pumped and ready to explore Paldea. While it...
Feature Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Trailer Breakdown - Everything You Missed
New Pokémon types, auto battling, and a car with a face
Another PokéScarVi (that's Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, don'tcha know) trailer has dropped, and we've got our magnifying glass in hand and speculation cap on, ready to dissect it into tiny little parts. Below we break down every detail we've found in the recent trailer. Shall we get going?...
Feature "Unfinished Business" - Why Gilbert & Grossman Returned To Monkey Island
Working with Disney, Devolver, and fans
Does Guybrush Threepwood still want to be a pirate? This, after all, was the Monkey Island protagonist’s very first proclamation 32 years ago: “My name is Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!” But given the fact that he’s only set sail in five previous Monkey Island adventures sprinkled...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - August 2022
Nintendo Life's picks of the best eShop games in August!
We're approaching the fall season very quickly, and that means it's time for another dose of our eShop Selects! While August may have been a quiet month for Nintendo first-party titles (save one little pink puffball who we'll be getting to in a moment), our eShop wallets have been crying at...
Soapbox Forget Marvel, The Perfect Capcom Crossover Is Simpler Than You Think
Ryu from Streets needs new challengers
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Scott saves Capcom a lot of money and bother with a crossover suggestion everyone can get behind... Sure, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may be the 'most...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 3rd)
Time for some downtime with our favourite games
In the week that brought us the results of Splatoon 3's first Splatfest, we have been busy with lots of quality gaming content over here on Nintendo Life. September is now upon us which not only means that we are preparing for a complete barrage of new gaming titles coming to our consoles over the next...
Soapbox Endless Zelda Remakes Are A Poor Substitute For Backwards Compatibility
But we'll buy them anyway
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate discusses her love/hate relationship with remakes... There is nothing quite as emblematic of our lost and distant childhood than video games. They are one of the few...
Talking Point What Was Your First Mario Kart Game?
Let's-a goooo!
Today (September 1st, 2022) marks 30 years since the launch of Super Mario Kart in North America. In the years since, Mario Kart has gone on to be one of the most successful Nintendo franchises of all time, with the latest mainline release - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - topping the Switch's best-selling titles with over 40 million units...
Feature 12 Nintendo Games That Deserve An HD-2D Remake
Pretty in pixels
HD-2D has become the new lofty bar for retro-inspired RPGs or remakes of our favourite Super Nintendo RPGs. Square Enix's new trademark visual style started with 2018's Octopath Traveler and has also been used in this year's strategy RPG Triangle Strategy. But, arguably, its true potential has been realised in the stunning remake of...
Feature Which Region Has The Best Pokédex? Every Pokédex, Ranked From Best To Worst
Worst to best, actually, because SUSPENSE
Depending on how you feel about food and motorcycle themed Pokémon, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea region looks to have one of the more creative Pokédexes in recent memory. Both Lechonk and Fidough have garnered an unhealthy
Round Up Pokémon World Championships 2022 - Was It Worth The Three-Year Wait?
Pokkén and Sword & Shield have left the building
It has been three years since the last Pokémon World Championships, so the excitement for the 2022 event had been building for a long while. For the first time ever, the Pokémon World Championships were held outside of North America, taking place in the UK at the ExCeL London and it brought...
Feature Super Mario Kart At 30: How 16-Bit Limitations Created A Franchise-Defining Mechanic
The gift of the drift
The landscape of the Mario Kart series looks very different today than it did back in 1992 when Super Mario Kart was released for the Super NES. Of course, there is a clear improvement with respect to visuals and we now have new characters, karts, and courses dropping all the time thanks to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 27th)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Weekend
As the great Captain Haddock once said, 'what a week, huh?' It seems that in the run-up to Splatoon 3's release, Nintendo has been hitting us with inky news left, right and centre (splaturation, if you will). This week, we got a chance to go hands-on with the upcoming game, and we are sure that some of you will be...
Feature 25 Years Of GoldenEye 007 - 25 Facts You Didn't Know (Or Forgot You Knew)
I watched you from the shadows as a child
As you've probably noticed, GoldenEye 007 is now 25 years old and can legally hire a car in a foreign country. The influence of Rare's seminal shooter on the FPS genre and console video gaming in general is enormous, and gamers have now been poring over it and picking apart its secrets for the last...
Talking Point Can We Predict The Other Two Stories In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
Treasure, school, and evil...
One of the details revealed in the latest Pokémon Scarlet & Violet trailer was that the game would have three main stories, which could be played in any order. We were told about one of the three: The story of battling through all the gyms to get to whatever this game's equivalent of the Pokémon League is...
Hands On Splatoon 3 Brings New Ideas, But Nothing Revolutionary
Ink, splat, swim, repeat
Recently we were tickled pink to be invited by Nintendo to have a go at Splatoon 3, and as you might expect we accepted the offer. We got to play for about an hour or so, running through a few of the single-player levels, two rounds of Turf War, and three rounds of the new and improved version of Salmon Run — but how did...
Soapbox Ace Attorney: Trials And Tribulations Is The Perfect Tragedy
With the perfect villain
Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations on the DS turns 20 today (although the GBA version is a few years older). To celebrate, we're reminiscing on what makes it one of the most beloved games in the series... Massive spoilers for Ace Attorney 1-3 below!! Anyone who's ever played an Ace Attorney game knows the score by now...
Feature Kirby Café Tokyo - We Go Full Mouthful Mode Beneath The World's Tallest Tower
Kirby and the Forgotten Diet
If you’re a long-time Nintendo Life reader, or a devout Kirby fan, then you might remember that time Nintendo opened a small chain of Kirby-themed pop-up restaurants across Japan – christened Kirby Café, appropriately enough – in 2016. Beginning with its first temporary location in Osaka, that was quickly...
