F-Zero X
Image: Nintendo

We've needed a calm week here at Nintendo Life, and it sure seemed that way until the release of Wave 1 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. If you're not a Mario Kart Tour fan, then this DLC is for you! Plus you can check out what we think of wave 1. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax also got a Switch port, and in our review we say that more Persona on Switch is a good thing!

On to the news, we got a surprise in the form of three new Sega Genesis games for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass. The final trailer for the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie dropped, and the poster is a cheeky nod to the original game's box art. We also found out the Mario Strikers series could've been a platforming one, and we now know that Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is out on 30th June

Now it's time to chill out and discuss our weekend gaming plans. A few members of the Nintendo Life team have done just that below, so feel free to give our entries a read and then join in with your own via our comment section. Enjoy!

Alana Hagues, staff writer

It's time to boot up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the first time this year! And, to be honest, the first time in a long while. I'm worried I'm a little bit rusty - especially since I've challenged my partner to a few games. Last time we played anything competitively against each other, he beat me pretty soundly. He'll be glad to see me admitting this. He'll be less glad reading this after I've annihilated him in the new Booster Course Pass tracks, though.

I also think I'm going to give the Kirby and the Forgotten Land demo a whirl. Confession: I've never beaten a Kirby game that isn't Kirby's Dream Course. I love the little guy, I've just never made a conscious effort to get to the end of one. Perhaps it's time to change that this year.

What would you all suggest be my first Kirby game other than Forgotten Land?

Ollie Reynolds, staff writer

I’m playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe this weekend - surprise! Yes, I’ll be jumping into the new Booster Course Pass and living it up in Choco Mountain. I’m loving the “new” courses so far and it’s also inspired me to go back and work my way through the original Grand Prix cups. In other words, I’ll be knee-deep in Mario Kart for a solid few days!

I haven’t got a whole lot else on the go at the moment. I’m still dipping into Resident Evil to try and improve my speedrunning skills a bit, and I’ve been sampling a few games in the Sega Mega Drive - Nintendo Switch Online service; I’ll try out a few titles I’ve never played before, but somehow I always seem to fall back onto Sonic the Hedgehog 2...

Tom Whitehead, deputy editor

I'll certainly be enjoying more of the Mario Kart 8 Booster Pass, trying to 3-star everything; that's much easier said than done in 200cc! Beyond that, I'll definitely be playing more Triangle Strategy, which I've adored so far. It's a real gem, so anyone that enjoys tactics games should at the very least give the prologue demo a shot.

Elsewhere I'm still very early in Elden Ring, so I'll try (and probably fail) to make some meaningful progress!

Gonçalo Lopes, reviewer

A nice package from the country next door delivered three physical versions of games I always wanted to give a shot, namely Maglam Lord, Death’s Gambit: Afterlife, and (at long last) Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. Chapter XII is coming up next in Triangle Strategy so that is my weekend sorted.

Game of the week would again be F-Zero X if not for my abysmal inability to play it properly with the Pro Controller. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe takes the pole position this time with the new tracks becoming the perfect excuse to hop back into blue shell inferno.

Zion Grassl, video producer

Don’t tell my partner, but I’ve been in a committed relationship with Pokemon Legends: Arceus for the past two months, and I think it's time I finally break it off. I’m nearing the official end with only a few mon left to add to my dex and I’m just not sure I have the strength left in me to finish things. If I would have paced myself a bit better, maybe I’d still be enjoying my time but I’m feeling quite a bit burnt out, especially since the last few I need to catch are either locked away behind a save data wall or have somewhat grindy and lucky requirements. Maybe I'll come back to it again if the game gets a new event or some fun DLC, but for now I think I'm putting it to rest.

That being said, I’m taking a flight to GDC next week to sit down for some developer discussions and to play some indies, and I think I’d love to start something new on my flight there and back! Maybe something supposedly short and sweet like Later Alligator or Octodad? The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has been on my list since it released last summer, but I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to another 50+ hour dialogue heavy adventure. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is another one I’d love to remove from my backlog of shame! Oh, and Triangle Strategy is basically begging me for its attention and I really would love to fall face first in the HD-2D world but the commitment is another big one! Any recommendations?


As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to leave us a comment below with your weekend gaming plans!