Latest Features
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 9th)
Star gazing
The weekend has once again rolled around and that means that it is time for another edition of What Are You Playing! Before we dive into our plans, though, let's first take a look at some of the highlights from Nintendo Life this week. Kicking things off with the Nintendo big boys, we learnt from Eiji Aonuma that there are no plans for...
Feature 'Rugrats' Dev's Mission To Make NES-Style Games "That Should Have Existed"
"I want people to feel like they're a 10-year-old kid again"
While sauntering through the Seattle Convention Center at this year's PAX West, we saw hundreds of developers showing off their biggest, flashiest games to the enthusiastic crowds — many of which had already been announced and were highly anticipated by fans. However, in a tucked-away...
Talking Point Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom DLC - What Would You Have Liked To See?
Maybe... less game?
We all know that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the gift that keeps on giving — even without additional content. But with how many juicy new skills and items, and with what Breath of the Wild's DLC delivered, yes, we are indeed still hungry for more. But in a recent interview with Famitsu, Zelda series producer...
Feature 'Break The Game' Tells Speedrunner Narcissa Wright’s Story Through The Language Of Zelda
The new documentary charts a legend's return
It’s January 13, 2017 – the day of the Nintendo Switch Presentation. Unbeknownst to anyone until today, Nintendo’s latest console is going to be released in under two months, and with it the latest installment in The Legend of Zelda series, Breath of the Wild. A hush goes over the crowd as the final...
Hands On Super Mario Bros. Wonder Lives Up To Its Name In The First Hour
Isn't it a wonder
A funny thing happened at (well, near) PAX West 2023. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest two-dimensional Mario game — and the first original one in over 10 years — was surprisingly made fully playable for Nintendo Live attendees and media alike ahead of its October 20th release on Nintendo Switch. Anyone who’s watched...
Feature Is 8BitDo’s N64 Controller Mod Kit A Better Buy Than Nintendo's Switch Online Pad?
Can’t find a wireless N64 controller? 8BitDo has the answer
Nintendo’s official Switch-compatible wireless controller Nintendo 64 was announced nearly two years ago but has been elusive to many. Supply seems to have finally caught up with demand, with the pad currently still available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers via Nintendo's website...
Soapbox Rayman Legends Blew My Mind Then Broke My Heart
Prince of Persia fans beware - he may suffer Rayman’s fate yet!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Francisco shares his love of Rayman Legends as it celebrates its 10th anniversary — but also laments that it may have been a...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - August 2023
Our picks for the best Switch eShop games in August
Pinch yourselves — it's eShop Selects time again! Autumn (or fall, depending on where you are in the world) is just around the corner. The leaves will start going brown, and the temperature will start cooling off — or maybe it's getting warmer if you're on the other side of the hemisphere. This...
Feature Harvest Moon 64’s Relationship With Alcohol, The "Magic Liquid" Of Flowerbud Village
Surviving the censors
Alcohol takes on an almost spiritual quality in Harvest Moon 64 Nintendo games are usually all-ages affairs, but every once in a while a game breaks the family-friendly mold the company's consoles are known for. One example, Natsume's Harvest Moon 64 (Bokujō Monogatari 2 in Japan,) is set to be released on Japan’s Nintendo...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 2nd)
Go on and tell us
Good grief, is it really the weekend again? Bonkers. It's also September, which means that 2024 will be here in the blink of an eye. Before we all wallow in existential despair, however, let's take a look back at what went on this week in the world of the Switch. The biggest event this week was undoubtedly the Super Mario Bros...
Guide Best Space And Sci-Fi Games On Nintendo Switch
The answer to the Ultimate Question
Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the — sorry, er, these are the best space and science fiction games that can be found on Nintendo Switch, despite the fact that none of the developers in this list has actually been to space. What makes a good space game? Well, first it has to take place in...
Feature Super Mario Bros. Wonder Direct - All Announcements, Features, Power-Ups, Worlds
How wonderful
A brand new 2D Mario is just months away, and today, we got an in-depth look at Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the first new 2D Mario in almost 11 years. Today's Nintendo Direct didn't give us any shocks, per se, but we have a better idea of what to expect from the Flower Kingdom, how to play online, and some new enemies and power-ups...
Poll Mario & Sonic Face Off On Switch This October - Whose Corner Are You In?
Jump up, Superstars?
In October 2023, two of video gaming's biggest rivals will go head-to-head in a historic showdown pitting the platforming heroes and erstwhile rival mascots against each other in a manner that hasn't been this on-the-nose since the infamous console wars of the early '90s. In the blue corner, Sonic Superstars launches on Switch...
Feature "I Don't Want To Copy" - Paying Homage To Childhood RPGs With Sea Of Stars
"We just make the games that we want to make"
Back when Sea of Stars — Sabotage's follow-up to its hit genre-bending platformer The Messenger — was unveiled to the world in 2020, there was a sparkle in many an RPG fans' eyes. The game's stunning SNES-style aesthetic, the combo-centric turn-based combat, and the beautiful music, brought forth...
Soapbox An Ode To A Lost Pokémon TCG Deck, And My Quest To Recreate It
TCGee, I don't know
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Mahin laments the loss of a treasured deck, and recounts his quest to build it anew. For real, this time... There was once a time I was doing moderately alright at the Pokémon...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 26th)
Return to Bright Falls
Ah, the weekend is here once again. That means it's time to wind down and get some gaming done. Before we do so, however, let's take a look at what this week brought us on the news front, shall we? The biggest surprise was undoubtedly the news that Charles Martinet will no longer be voicing Mario and Co., and will instead be...
Round Up Every Switch Announcement At Future Games Show Gamescom 2023
AK-xolotl! Bloomtown! Dome-King Cabbage!
Returning to Gamescom 2023 is GamesRadar's Future Games Show. Following on from its showing during Summer Game Fest, Future Games Show @ Gamescom 2023 was full of an eclectic variety of titles — many of which are coming to both PC and Switch. The showcase was hosted by voice actors Troy Baker (The Last of...
Soapbox Red Dead Redemption Ignited My Enduring Love Of The Old West
"We die alone, but we live among men"
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie describes how Rockstar Games' seminal Western influenced his love for the American Frontier... Growing up, I knew what kind of genres I was interested...
Round Up All Nintendo Switch Games From Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023
Sonic Superstars! Little Nightmares III! Mandragora!
Gamescom 2023 has finally kicked off with Opening Night Live, and while this year's opening ceremony was expectedly light for Switch announcements, there were still plenty of interesting reveals and release dates. While Alan Wake 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom...
Video Konami's Most Exciting New Release Isn't Metal Gear Solid
Time to wiggle
Of all the games featured at a recent preview event held by Konami, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle was admittedly not a game that we were frothing at the mouth to play from first impressions. The game is – to us at least – a little unassuming at first glance, but once we actually had a go with it, our mindset shifted just a bit...
Soapbox Charles Martinet Made Gaming's Greatest Accident A Real Character
Star power
[video: Ryan met Charles. Good times! Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Gavin reflects on how Charles Martinet helped craft a character that, somehow, isn't the most irritating stereotype imaginable... How many times...
Round Up Pokémon World Championships 2023 - The Best And Most Controversial Yet?
Pokémon came home
After the Pokémon World Championships made its long-awaited return in London last year, it was announced that the 2023 Championships would be taking place at the Pacifico Yokohama in Japan. This would be only the second time the tournament has been held outside of North America, making this truly a monumental announcement —...
Hands On Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 Could Be So Much More, But Isn't
Not for honour
We recently got the chance to have a pop at Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 at the invite of Konami. We had around an hour or so to dig into Metal Gear Solid and its two sequels (as well as have a quick gander at all the bonus content on offer), which isn’t a huge amount of time for games of this scale, but we were able to...
Feature Meet The Virtual Boy Fan Making New Tech And Games For Nintendo's Console Curio
"I thought, 'Hey, I can probably do that'"
As the reputed black sheep of the Nintendo console family, one might think 1995’s Virtual Boy to be the last piece of hardware capable of garnering an enthusiast following today. Discontinued after less than a year on the market and never released in Europe, the elusive red-and-black headset is remembered...
Feature TikTok, Smash Bros., And Shaking Up 'Samba De Amigo' With Series Creator Shun Nakamura
"I hope that Samba [...] will become a major music game in the modern era"
If you know your Sega history, then you most likely know — and love — the maraca-shaking monkey Amigo. Samba de Amigo was a cult hit on the Dreamcast back in 1999, and this little monkey rattled his way into many a heart over the years. Laced with catchy Latin American...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 19th)
Just one more run...
It's Saturday and you know what that means. That's right, it's time for a spot of the ol' gaming. There have been a good number of highlights at Nintendo Life this week. We got a large helping of Splatoon 3 news as we received a first look at the upcoming Drizzle Season and new Deep Cut amiibo — we're still in love with Bi
Talking Point Zelda: TOTK Isn't A Shoo-In For GOTY 2023, And That's A Good Thing
Whoever wins, we all win
2023, eh? What a year for games. We’ve still got several months to go before we say hello to 2024 but during internal discussions between the Nintendo Life team, we’ve all acknowledged that 2023 may go down as one of the best years in gaming history, proudly standing alongside the likes of 1998 and 2007. For Switch...
Talking Point The Games We Got Rid Of - What Were We Thinking?
Give it away, give it away now
We've all done it. Whether through necessity to fund a new purchase or streamlining our collection during a spring clean, we've all sold, traded, donated, or just given away a game or console at some point and then wished we hadn’t. Sometimes cold hard cash was required, other times we were just in a different...
Memory Pak Making Contact With The "Ungoogleable" Game I Couldn't Quite Remember
What's that one with the plumber and the mushrooms again?
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today, Jim is reflecting on a years-long dilemma he faced over an oft-forgotten DS game, and wonders how we deal with "video...
Talking Point After Three Months, What's Your Zelda: TOTK Completion Percentage?
Tears of Completion
Believe it or not The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has now been out for just over three whole months. In that time, many of us have spent 100+ hours exploring the multiple layers of Hyrule, taking on familiar faces and getting lost in the adventure of it all. It's a sobering feeling, therefore, when you beat the game's...
Review 'The Art Of The Box' Celebrates A Time When Cover Art Could Sell A Game
Judge a book by its cover?
When you're looking to make a video game purchase these days, chances are there are many factors which contribute to your ultimate decision. Pre-release hype and online opinion will almost certainly influence your choice, but the image on the cover on the box is unlikely to carry quite as much weight. We're not saying that...
Feature The Rise Of 'Scam Games' And 'Keyword Bingo' Firms Flooding Switch eShop
Sea of low-quality
It's difficult now to remember a time when the Switch eShop wasn't rammed with low-cost, low-quality games making it laborious to find the great new releases amongst all the dross. What began as an immaculately clean, functional store back in 2017 quickly ballooned and before long Nintendo was inundated with software submissions...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 12th)
Pokémehn
Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend. For a slightly quieter one, this week was packed full of highlights here on Nintendo Life. The August Pokémon Presents happened and it will undoubtedly go down as one of the showcases of all time — but we did get a release date for the Scarlet and Violet DLC and two new NSO games, which is good. Quake...
Gallery Here's A Look At The Gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles Original Soundtrack Trinity Box
A musical tri-umph
If you love the Xenoblade Chronicles series, regardless of what your favourite game in the franchise is, there's something everyone can agree on — the music is phenomenal. Earlier this year, not only did we get a long-awaited release date for the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 soundtrack, but we also got the reveal stunning new...
Soapbox Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Thunderous Callback To The Great Sky Island Is Perfect
Lightning in a bottle
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim sings the praises of one of Tears of the Kingdom's later-game areas... I will preface all of this with a thank you to every Zelda fan on social media. As I worked my way...
Feature "Madden Has Continued To Suffer" - Legend Bowl Dev On Their "Fresh" Football Game
"Legend Bowl was built to fill that void for football fans"
Over the past few years, the number of arcade-style American football titles on Switch has increased at a pretty steady rate. We recently saw Retro Bowl bring us back to the game's 8-bit roots, and Saber is looking to bring even more big-head Playgrounds-esque charm to the game with Wild...
Talking Point Should The Pokémon Company Stick To Just One Pokémon Presents A Year?
How would you rate the latest showcase?
Serious question There was a Pokémon Presents showcase today, and while they've gained something of a reputation for not being the most scintillating of Nintendo-related presentations, there's usually something worth tuning in for, even if you're a latent Pokéfan who drifted away after Gen I. Today,...
Soapbox Pokémon Scarlet & Violet DLC Is A Chance To Win Back Disenchanted Fans
Mask off
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Ahead of tomorrow's Pokémon Presents, Alana is hoping that The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is a real treasure for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s DLC, The...
Talking Point Will You Pay $50 For Red Dead Redemption On Switch?
For the high-ridin'-est, rootin'-tootin'-est cowboy hero of all time?
$49.99. That's Rockstar's asking price if you want to jump on the critically lauded Red Dead Redemption on Switch from 17th August. £39.99 if you're in the UK — that's for the digital version, although there is a physical release in the works for October. Yep, it'll cost you...
Memory Pak Secret Of Mana's Dazzling World Of Colour Opened My Eyes
You're looking a bit green
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today, Secret of Mana turns 30 years old in Japan, and to celebrate this seminal action RPG's anniversary, Alana is reminiscing about how the game's use of...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - July 2023
Our picks for the best Switch eShop games in July
It's the beginning of a new month — well, we're almost a week in at this point — and you know what that means? It's Nintendo Life's eShop Selects. We're already comfortably into August, which means summer is drawing to a close in the northern hemisphere. Hopefully, it's cooled down a bit where...
Feature Pikmin Bloom Devs On The Joy Of "Human Connection" And The Absence Of Bulborbs
"Our Pikmin aren’t going to die"
While having a strong and deservingly passionate fanbase, it's fair to wonder if the Pikmin series has ever received the commercial success it deserves. Yet, Shigeru Miyamoto-san and Nintendo continue to nurture these little fellas and let them bloom however they like. The Nintendo Switch has just given us the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 5th)
Let's Gooigi
Woohoo, the weekend! Yes, another week is almost done, which means it's time to look back on some of the highlights from the last few days. First up, kicking off the week with a bang, it was rumoured that Nintendo is targeting a 2024 release for its next major piece of hardware. Details so far are scarce, but it sounds like the...
Talking Point Which Nintendo IP Should 'Switch 2' Launch With?
Prime picks
We have spent a lot of time thinking about the Switch 2 so far this year. In fact, we spent a lot of time thinking about it last year too. And the year before... and the year before that. And th... you know what? We've been thinking about it for a while. Our thoughts have covered everything from just how Switch-y Nintendo's next console...
Feature Best WarioWare Microgames Ever
Our Top 25, but what's at number WAAAAH-n?
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the sublime WarioWare Gold's US launch, we're republishing this celebration of the anarchic series' very best microgames. Here's hoping the upcoming Smooth Moves sequel, WarioWare: Move It!, will have some of its own all-timers to add to this selection come November...
Poll Do You Think Switch Can Catch PS2's Total Sales Before 'Switch 2' Arrives?
Hardware headscratcher
In case you missed it, the Nintendo Switch has now sold over 129 million units as of June 30th, 2023. That's frankly astonishing and it puts the console ever closer to reaching the lifetime sales of not only the Nintendo DS but Sony's PlayStation 2. Can it really reach those lofty milestones, though? Let's remind ourselves of...
Guide Best Cooking Games On Nintendo Switch
The Michelin stars
Food is one of the many joys of life, and for many, cooking is part of the fun. And as with all everyday activities, cooking has made its way into many a video game. Whether it's the central mechanic or a big part of character customisation and building, cooking has become a staple not just in the kitchen, but in many Switch...
Poll Have You Ordered Physical Switch Games That Came With The Cart Missing?
MariNo Cart
If you hadn't already guessed, we on Team Nintendo Life love a bit of physical media. Yes, the convenience of downloading a game from the eShop is unbeatable, but if we have the chance to get one of those red-spined boxes on our shelves, we'll take it. We do have one insistence, though: those boxes have to come with a cartridge inside...
Talking Point How Do You Store Your Games Collection?
Shoebox showcase
Call us sentimental, call us paranoid, call us what you will, but around these parts we still love the physical article when it comes to our media, especially video games. While many of us have gone at least part-digital for the sake of saving space and sheer convenience, especially with the portable Switch, even the eShop-only...
Feature So, Which Zelda Games Aren't On Switch Yet?
Missing Link
Thanks to the wonders of the Nintendo Switch Online retro games libraries (and some pretty top-notch remasters along the way), the Switch is now home to a whopping 16 different Zelda titles by our count, covering everything from Link's first outing to his latest adventures, plus remakes, remasters and spin-offs. Most recently, Oracle...
