Latest Features
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...
Talking Point Five Years On From The Frenzy Of 'NX' Becoming The Switch
The more things change, the more they stay the same
This week marked five years (yikes) since the mysterious Nintendo 'NX' became the Switch. It was a pretty big deal and, to the relief of Nintendo, it was received well. Let's be honest, the reaction wasn't going to be worse than the Wii U E3 reveal, when most follow-up questions were "so is the...
Poll The Hype For Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Is High, Is It In Your Switch Plans?
And can it live up to that hype?
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition getting official release details, along with a trailer and lots of screens, was certainly the standout and dominant news item at the end of the week. Perhaps counter to expectations the visual overhaul is a bit more than a simple upscale, with the footage loo
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 23rd)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
We made it through another week, well done everyone! There was a varied slate of news this week, with one of the slightly disappointing stories being allegations of poor management practices at Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam, but in happier news we also had the arrival of Sora in Smash, we confirmed that
Talking Point How Many Hours Is A 'Short' Game For You?
It's what you do with it that counts
There was a time when we wished every video game were never-ending. Back in the old days we'd save up all our pocket money and wisely invest in only the very finest games after weeks and months of meticulous research; consulting reviews, collating opinions and perhaps even renting or borrowing from a pal to make...
Poll Which Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Games Should You Play First Via Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendone it
The announcement that Nintendo was expanding its Nintendo Switch Online library of classic games with an Expansion Pack that brings not only Nintendo 64 games to the subscription service, but also a selection of games from one-time Nintendo rival Sega's Mega Drive / Genesis library. The games are coming to Switch Online on 25th /
Feature We Take A Peek At Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp's Hype Cards And Story
Plus details on the Danganronpa 10th Anniversary: Ultimate Class Reunion
Danganronpa Decadence is coming to Switch on 3rd December and will pack a whopping four games in one bundle, all available separately on the Switch eShop, if you prefer. It will include the three main games in the visual novel adventure series (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc...
Talking Point Do You Have A 'Way' You Play Certain Switch Games?
Metroid Dread = portable + headphones + a dark room, right?
The Nintendo Switch has various strengths, but the key aspect of its design that has helped to fuel its success is flexibility. It's a concept that is ultimately more than the sum of its parts — when you break it down, it's a tablet with mid-2010s technology and a USB-C connector to hook...
Feature We Finally Finished The Game With An Almost-Perfect Metascore
The House In Fata Morgana Game Diary, Part 4
Writer's note: Although the previous diary entries have veered away from big spoilers for The House in Fata Morgana, this one does not, because it's hard to talk about the themes without specifics. Be warned! As a content warning, topics discussed in this piece will include trauma, gender, abuse, and...
Talking Point The Metroid Dread Credits Debate Is Sadly Common
The video game development industry needs to respect its contributors
The conversations around Metroid Dread have been mostly positive since its launch, but a recent topic that has caused a good deal of debate and criticism of developer MercurySteam has related to the game's credits. Multiple contributors to the game have raised the fact that...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 16th)
Dread to think what you're up to this weekend
This week we closed out with an Animal Crossing Direct broadcast that detailed the final free content coming to the game, plus the Happy Home Paradise paid DLC. The broadcast also confirmed
Soapbox Let's Get Happy Home Designer Into Animal Crossing: New Horizons
My villagers have no RESPECT for interior design
So, unlike most people, I have actually played Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. I don't blame those of you who didn't — it's a weird little spin-off that peters out pretty quickly, and lacks a lot of the liveliness of Animal Crossing itself, but... well... there's something special about it all...
Talking Point What Would You Like To See From The Animal Crossing Direct?
Brewster's certain, but what else?
Alright, we're FINALLY getting Brewster and The Roost in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, after what feels like years of people asking. So, we're all totally satisfied and content now, right? Of course not. Brewster was just the beginning. There are still plenty more features that people would love to see in New...
Poll So, Which Switch OLED Did You Buy?
Red, White and Blue
It seems that Switch OLED has got off to a strong start sales-wise, so many of you reading this must have picked up Nintendo's new console SKU over the last week or so. We're fans of the lovely new screen and the various refinements to the basic design that gives the consoles a marginally more premium feel over the trusty...
Feature Our Verdict On The LEGO Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
Best build on the block
At first glance, the Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block looks pretty uneventful; simple, in fact, especially following on from the interactive gamification featured in the previous Lego Super Mario sets. It’s just a solid Lego block, right? If that's what you're thinking... well, you obviously haven't been keeping an...
Down the path of a farming sim
This year's selection of Pocket Monster-catching video games has been a point of contention for fans since they were announced back in early 2021. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are from-the-ground-up remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS games that fans have been begging for for years, so what’s the issue?...
Soapbox Why Apollo Justice Might Be The Best Ace Attorney Game
How's that for a Turnabout
Can you imagine celebrating your 20th birthday, and someone comes up to you and tells you that your nervous, short friend/mentee is much more interesting than you? Well, it's Ace Attorney's 20th birthday, and while that's not exactly what I'm doing (and I'll explain why in more detail in a moment), I have to say: as a...
Soapbox Paper Mario: TTYD Is 17 Years Old Today, But It's Still A Masterpiece
A paper cut above the rest
From the very first second of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, I was hooked. The game begins with a gentle twinkling music and a book opening to tell you the story of an ancient, ruined town lost to time, and the fabled treasure buried there; once you've listened to the whole story (and seen Peach herself buying a...
Soapbox Joy-Con Aren't Perfect, But They're Great For Sick Day Gaming
Everybody hurts (themselves) sometimes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been pondering. Today, Kate discusses rediscovering the joy of Joy-Con following a recent mishap, and her dreams of Joy-Con 2.0... I'm about to turn 30, so of course, the natural...