Latest Features
Feature Our Verdict On Minecraft's Caves & Cliffs Update, Parts One And Two
Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low
After diving deep into the new Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part II update (all the way down to Y-64), our resident Minecraft expert Kate Gray is ready to declare her verdict on the whole thing. Do new caves and cliffs make that much of a difference to a game that's all about caves and cliffs? Read on to...
Feature How One Small Company Is Making The Switch Joy-Con You Always Dreamed Of
"There’s kind of something for everyone"
If there's one aspect of Switch which has allowed players to truly make the console their own, it's the ability to chop-and-change the Joy-Con which ship with the system. Many different colour combinations are available thanks to the various packs Nintendo sells, and the company has even gotten into the...
Talking Point Are Nintendo's Exclusives Enough To Win A Next-Gen Handheld War?
The 'next Switch' will need to match the current system's all-round strengths
When it comes to the world of entertainment technology, everyone likes to get ahead of themselves. Everything is 'the next big thing', until about a year later, that is, when it's evident that the tech isn't ready yet. Augmented reality and virtual reality are good...
Feature The Best (And Worst) Of Nintendo At The Game Awards - Zelda, Smash, And More Zelda
Two Nintendo franchises are top of the Keighley tree
Nintendo often marches to the beat of its own DK bongos, hoarding its own first-party announcements for sporadic Nintendo Direct presentations – bar one exception, that is: Geoff Keighley’s yearly awards bash, The Game Awards. Over the years we’ve seen some surprising announcements and...
Talking Point Should The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Library Expand Faster?
Paper Mario is the first addition after nearly two months
It's fair to say that the announcement and launch of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack could have gone better. The Nintendo Switch Online Subscription service wasn't exactly blessed with a spotless reputation prior to the reveal of the premium tier, either. Though some of the YouTube...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - November 2021
November's best Switch eShop games!
Yet another month of very decent Switch eShop releases has flown on by, so it's time once again to bring out the trusty Nintendo Life eShop Selects! These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love and attention to the games that could so easily be missed in the Switch's...
Back Page We Fed The Ace Attorney Scripts To A Bot, And It Wrote Its Own Court Case
"Your Honor! Please tell me why you want justice!"
A couple of weeks ago, we enlisted the help of a bot (or two) to help us imagine the Nintendo news headlines of tomorrow. After all, AI is probably going to be the new frontier in journalism some day, and we might as well get on board early. However, the results were... mixed at best, with the bot...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 4th)
Will you be putting your brain to work?
It's been another interesting week in the Nintendo Life as we all head towards the Holiday season. We learned that you can pump iron in Animal Crossing, there was a welcome new look at Triangle Strategy, someone
Talking Point What Can The $1200 Aya Neo Tell Us About The 'Switch Pro'?
We go hands-on with the Aya Neo 2021 Pro
Next year, the Switch will be five years old – a fact which makes the continued demand for the console all the more remarkable. Despite being powered by technology that, even back in 2017, could hardly be described as cutting-edge, the hybrid system has shifted over 90 million units worldwide and shows no...
Poll What's The Worst Legend Of Zelda Game?
Whisper it
The Legend of Zelda has celebrated its 35th Anniversary this year, with Nintendo releasing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD along with the rather handsome Game & Watch. Interestingly, those releases alone have included two titles that can certainly be described as 'divisive' — we're thinking Skyward Sword's arm-waving controls...
Talking Point Great Game, Poor Performance - When Does A Bad Frame Rate Not Really Matter?
Shh, don't tell Digital Foundry
It seems that no game release is safe nowadays without frame rate graphs and resolutions being counted. That is fair enough, as games should ship in a competent and playable condition, but it's easy to forget that we're often spoiled in this modern gaming era. We gasp if gameplay regularly dips below 30fps, and with...
Talking Point Mario Kart 7 And Its Infamous Course Skip Are Now 10 Years Old
One of the earliest Nintendo game updates we can remember
We're in a gaming era of plentiful patches, where it's common for games to get frequent updates starting on day one. There are some rare releases even today that receive either no updates or very few — unless there are frequent DLC additions — and one of Nintendo's selling points is its...
Talking Point How Do You Feel About Pokémon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl's Affection Rates?
STOP LOVING ME SO MUCH
How can your pets loving you ever be a bad thing? Well, in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it can very easily ruin your strategies. In the Pokémon games, there is a statistic that's often called "friendship" or "affection", which can affect a few different mechanics in the game. It tells the player how close...
Feature Psychologists Talk Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 And Keeping Fun Ahead Of FOMO
Keep the "happy" in Happy Home Paradise
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was supposed to be just a game. Through a series of weird coincidences, it instead became a cultural phenomenon, and a record of the first few months of a global pandemic. It’s not surprising that a lot of us have complicated feelings about it. Granted, a lot of those feelings...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 27th)
Playing some freshly acquired bargains?
It's the end of another week, and there've been plenty of quirky developments and storylines in the world of Nintendo. GTA Trilogy stayed in the headlines to an extent and had its first notable update, sequence breakers struck again in Metroid Dread, Mario Golf: Super Rush
Feature 10 Pokémon That Deserve A Hisuian Evolution In Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Scyther shouldn’t get all the love
With Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl releasing last week, we’re now all aboard the Pokémon Legends: Arceus hype train, and we don’t expect it to stop chugging along until the game drops early next year. From the Pokémon Presents last August, where we learned of new evolutions for the oft...
A complete round
When Mario Golf: Super Rush launched it was enjoyable but a bit 'b-tier', as we argued in our review. While it's still not matching the quality set by some other first-party titles on Switch, three major updates have greatly enhanced the content on offer. Online play is much improved, and there have been multiple new courses and...
Are we in the best timeline, or the worst?
If you could hop into a time machine and fly back to the early '90s and tell a young gamer that one day, Nintendo would make a piece of Sega hardware, they'd probably spit out their sugary Sunny D and laugh in your face. "Sega and Nintendo are mortal enemies," they would retort; "what planet on you from,...
Talking Point 5 Reasons That Nintendo Switch Is Still A Hot Product
Even if it doesn't feel that way to long term fans and owners
Many reading these pages have owned a Switch for nearly 5 years. We likely have extensive game libraries, a wonky Joy-Con stick or two, and a lot of fond memories. Yet the feverish attempts to wish a Switch 'Pro' into existence this year, as opposed to whenever Nintendo is good and ready...
Back Page We Forced A Bot To Read Nintendo News, And It Wrote Its Own Headlines
We're out of a job
In the game magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit into the rest of the pages. 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...
Gyroids? Brewster? The return of Tortimer?
It's been about two weeks since the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' massive 2.0 update, as well as the Happy Home Paradise DLC, so hopefully most of you have had a good crack at it so far! With two weeks of Brewster,
Feature Pokémon Donuts: A Review - Pokéheads Or Pokébutts?
Which taste best?
In celebration of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl’s release, The Pokémon Company had the brilliant idea to partner with Japanese company Mr. Donut and release throughout Japan a lineup of fried dough inspired by some of our favourite Generation IV Pokémon. We can’t think of a better way to herald the release of a...
Feature A Link To The Past's Dark World Changed Zelda Forever
"Everyone who wanders into this land is changed to a shape that reflects his true nature"
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, we ran a series of features looking at a specific aspect — a theme, character, mechanic, location, memory or something else entirely — from each of the mainline Zelda games. Today, on the 30th...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 20th)
Pokémon, back catalogue or another new gem?
It's been another big week in the Nintendo Life, with a significant arrival on the Switch. That's Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl of course, which we naturally reviewed for your reading / viewing pleasure. Elsewhere there was
Soapbox Wii Sports Wasn't Just Waggle, It Was An Important Gateway To Gaming
Mii Masters
The Wii is 15 years old, words to make this writer feel a little bit old. It was an era when HD was a bold new frontier in gaming, and Nintendo decided 'nah, we'll just do something fun instead'. It's extraordinary to consider that the Wii and DS shared the market, creating a boom for Nintendo that even the current Switch success can't...
Talking Point Is There A Better-Looking 20-Year-Old Game Than Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II?
Rogue Leader standing by
Feel old, everyone — Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is now two decades old. The GameCube-exclusive title launched alongside the console itself in the US and was something of a show-stopper in the visuals department. Developer Factor 5 had turned in an excellent arcade-style X-Wing action game with the original...
Gallery You Can Put Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Gyroids In The Bath... Or The Microwave
Don't worry, they don't mind
Gyroids are somewhere in-between pets, instruments, and weird little guys that live in your house. But one of their secret features is that they come with a little shelf, so you can put them on the wall... and some people have discovered that they can clip through furniture to create the effect of being in, or on, the...
Soapbox Even If GTA Trilogy Were Perfect, I'd Rather Be Shooting Balloons And Burying Gyroids
Scale vs. scope
The wider gaming internet is currently in a funk of bitter disappointment due to the launch state of GTA The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, an anniversary package which, unfortunately, isn't so definitive. For Nintendo gamers who have waited years to be able to play a fully-3D Grand Theft Auto of any sort, it's infinitely sad to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 13th)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
We're almost at the halfway point through November, and it's been a busy old time all right. With Pokémon arriving very soon, we've been digging into the minutiae of the excellent Animal Crossing DLC while we have the time. Elsewhere, Twitch appeared o
Hardware Skull & Co. NeoGrip For Switch OLED Review
My name is Neo(Grip)
For gamers that tend to play their Switch more in handheld mode than docked, Switch OLED is an impressive upgrade that expands the size of the console's screen by reducing the size of the bezel. The console itself is almost the same size as the original — we say almost because the OLED unit is a teeny 0.1 of an inch longer...
Feature Metroid Dread Has Plenty Of Other M's DNA, And That's No Bad Thing
Another M
Editor's note: This article discusses an audio-based character moment near the end of Metroid Dread. If you're sensitive to spoilers, you may want to finish the game and come back to this article later... For 15 years, Metroid Dread was just a rumor. Now, it’s real, it’s been out for over a month, and it’s fantastic. Samus Aran’s...
Feature Our Verdict On Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Update 2.0, The "Last Major Free Content"
Was it worth the wait?
After playing the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update for the last week, our resident representative extraordinaire Kate Gray delivers the Nintendo Life verdict on what Nintendo has stated is the final "major" free update for many a Switch owner's Game of the Year 2020... Stop me if you've heard this one before. I...
Talking Point The Transformative Impact Of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 2.0
Team NL has a virtual chat in The Roost
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has had its major version 2.0 update, which includes a bunch of freebies and also the paid DLC option of Happy Home Paradise. A number of Team NL have been enjoying its charms, and a topic that kept coming up was the new content's ability to bring back lapsed players. It's also...
Talking Point Will Nintendo Abandon The Switch Concept For Its Next Console?
Could we see another Wii – or another Wii U?
Nintendo isn't a company that likes to stand still for too long. It has often innovated and driven the entire industry forward, such as when it popularised motion-control gaming with the Wii and touch-based interfaces with the DS. However, this desire to experiment hasn't always worked out; the Virtual...
Soapbox Can We Please Retire The Phrase 'Lazy Devs' Already?
A tough job under difficult circumstances
There’s one magic word that gets trotted out all the time in this hobby, a handy term used to describe all digital ills — lazy. ‘How did this bleh of a game end up on the eShop?’ ‘Who couldn’t be bothered to finish this puzzle / minigame / character’s face properly?’ ‘How much more effort...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - October 2021
October's best Switch eShop games!
October was yet another cracking month for eShop gems, with plenty of new games to choose from that are worthy of your time. These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love and attention to the games that could so easily be missed in the Switch's ever-growing library. So,...
Feature How United Games Entertainment Is Bridging The Gap Between Japan And The West
"Nothing is more fun than creating products and services that people love"
Chances are, you might not have heard of the German company United Games Entertainment, but you'll almost certainly have heard of one of its sub-brands. Strictly Limited Games, for example, is one of the many firms currently pushing special editions of modern titles, while...
Poll Are You Enjoying Animal Crossing: New Horizons Version 2.0?
And are you in the DLC club?
This week's big release on Switch, or update to be more accurate, was version 2.0 of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. A lot of the additions in the free update have been in demand for some time, with the likes of Brewster's cafe, gyroids, Kapp'n boat trips, tons of items and a whole lot more. Animal Crossing: New...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 6th)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
Another week down in the inexorable march towards 2021's holiday season, and it's been a busy one Nintendo-wise. The platform holder released its quarterly financial results — profits are down but on track, with industry-wide production issues being a particular thorn in Nintendo's side at present — and the...
Feature Animal Crossing Fart Jokes Remain Lost In Translation As Kapp'n Returns In New Horizons
puppuppu!
Christmas—or rather, Friday, November 5—came early yesterday when the long-awaited version 2.0 update to Animal Crossing: New Horizons was surprisingly released more than a full day ahead of schedule. While much of the early hype surrounding the purportedly last major free content update focused on the return of
Talking Point Switch Is A Juggernaut, But Nintendo Will Still Feel Investor Pressure
Production issues and no 'Pro' will remain topics
Today brought the Q2 Nintendo financial results, which would be easy to miss with the understandable excitement of Animal Crossing: New Horizons version 2.0 arriving a day early. In some ways they're results with two sides, though within Nintendo's boardroom they may feel like they're somewhat stuck...
Soapbox The Switch Online Expansion Pack Is Great Value – If You Love Animal Crossing
Just hear me out...
My name is Thomas Whitehead, and I am a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscriber. This is the point where you all smile and say "hello Thomas, you're with friends here". Because a lot of us are in this room, nervously clutching a cup of stale coffee, aware that out in the world there's judgement and downvotes galore...
Talking Point Are You Preparing Your Island For The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update?
Time to get back to work?
It's been about a year since I last visited egg, my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island. I played a lot of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, so I knew what to expect when I booted it up again, following the jam-packed Animal Crossing Direct recently: weeds everywhere, cockroaches in my house, and villagers being more disappointed...
Feature Horizon Chase Turbo's 'Senna Forever' Expansion Is A Fitting Tribute To A Racing Legend
"I am not designed to come second or third"
Like any true-blooded Englishman, I had a strange love/hate relationship with three-time world champion Ayrton Senna in the early '90s. To the pre-teen me, he was the enemy; the mortal foe of Nigel Mansell, Britain's first genuinely promising Formula 1 driver since James Hunt – who had won the World...
Feature Spookiest Video Game Music - Halloween Playlist
Darkness falls across the land
It is almost Halloween! Or, well, it was when we wrote this — but the Halloween spirit lives on all year long for some of us. Whether you're looking for a playlist to have on in the background of your Halloween party, or you just really love to live life on the edge of your seat by listening to creepy songs in the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 30th)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
Another week down as we head into the spookiest weekend of the year and onward into November. This week Nintendo launched its Switch Online Expansion Pack to a mixed response, we got our first look at
Feature The Scariest Game On Every Nintendo Home Console
Almost forty years of fear
“Family friendly” is a term often used to describe anything and everything Nintendo touches, but we all know better than that, don’t we? The famous Japanese card maker’s consoles have been knee-deep in the dead for as long as they’ve existed. So! In the spirit of this spookiest of seasons we’ve selected some...
Soapbox Nintendo's N64 Emulation Is Serviceable, But Treasured Memories Deserve Better
Hazy memories
Anyone who's ever spent a decent amount of time with video games probably has a small handful of momentous memories etched on their brains. Not just that time you beat a gruelling boss or played Mario Kart with your pals at Paul's birthday party — more pretentious than that. We mean a time when your perception of what was possible in...
March of the Pikmin
If playing golf is the best way to spoil a walk, Niantic's hope for Pikmin Bloom, the long-awaited follow-up/sister title to the wildly successful Pokémon GO, is to create the exact opposite — something to "spice up your daily walks" and turn an everyday stroll into something flower-filled and joyful. Rolling out across the...
Feature LEGO Designer Reveals Why The Super Mario 64 Set Is A '?' And Not An '!'
"With ? Blocks, you never know what you’ll find inside"
The Lego Super Mario 64 ? Block got Nintendo fans all hot under the collar when it was announced on social media. Its clever folding design in particular provides a real wow moment, as the innocuous block unfolds to reveal intricate, microscale recreations of iconic levels from Super Mario...