Latest Features
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - April 2020
April's best Switch eShop games!
With April all done and dusted, we somehow find ourselves a whole third of the way through the year. Where on Earth does the time go? As such, it's time to once again visit our tried and trusted Nintendo Life eShop Select awards! These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 2nd)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
So, yet another week has been and gone, bringing with it a new Switch system update, new fish and bugs to catch in Animal Crossing, and even the wonderful fact that Tom Nook somehow made it on to the front page of the Financial Times
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 25th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Yet another week has passed by, this time with the return of Crazy Redd in Animal Crossing, a welcome Switch eShop update and concerning reports of Nintendo Account hacks
"We’re super proud of the result on Nintendo Switch"
Last month Firesprite Games announced that it was bringing its first-person sci-fi horror game The Persistence to Switch in 2020, and the release date has now been confirmed for 21st May. The studio, originally formed by veterans of
Feature Trials Of Mana Producers On The Challenges Of Remaking A Classic 16-Bit RPG
"We wanted to give the player more freedom and made drastic changes to the overall direction"
Last year Switch owners in the West were able to get their hands on a previously-unavailable RPG treasure for the first time when Square Enix put out an official localisation of Super Famicom classic Seiken Densetsu 3 from 1995, renamed Trials of Mana and...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 18th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
After a new Nintendo Switch update (remember to update those Joy-Con, too!), rumours of a Resident Evil 4 remake and the last few days of the
Talking Point What Does That New ESRB Loot Box Warning Actually Mean?
Or 'surprise mechanics', as certain companies prefer
A few days ago, the ESRB made a blog post detailing a new descriptor it will be adding to many game ratings going forward, which essentially is going to be a loot box warning. Many have praised this move, as the prevalence of loot boxes in modern games is something that’s met with casual...
Soapbox This Little Plastic Disc Has Enriched My Animal Crossing: New Horizons Experience
Should you also join the (N2) Elite?
The arrival of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has predictably triggered a surge in demand for Animal Crossing amiibo cards required to invite certain villagers to your island, so much so that some of them are now trading hands for
Poll Does Resident Evil 4 Really Need The REmake Treatment?
And why isn't Capcom bringing them to Switch?
Following whispers last week that the next numbered Resident Evil game was in the works, further rumours surfaced over the weekend of an incoming remake of Resident Evil 4, a game originally developed as a GameCube exclusive as part of the fabled
"There is definitely room for us to consider other titles for [Switch] going forward"
Last year NIS America confirmed that it was bringing JRPG The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III to Switch in 2020, with the game scheduled to arrive on 30th June. The long-running Legend of Heroes series has over a dozen entries to its name, and for fans...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 11th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another busy week has flown by, with Cooking Mama's troubling cryptocurrency allegations, Pokémon player ban threats and a ridiculously large Switch sale
Talking Point We Should Brace For A Huge Games Industry Knock-On Effect Following The CERO Shutdown
Down to CERO
Today's news that Japanese video game rating organisation CERO--that's the 'Computer Entertainment Rating Organization'--is closing temporarily in response the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have far longer lasting repercussions on the video games industry than recent cancellation of annual events such as E3 and GDC. Japan's response to...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - March 2020
March's best Switch eShop games!
March was a yet another busy month on the Switch eShop, with plenty of seriously exciting titles popping up all over the place. As such, there's never been a better time to dig out the good old Nintendo Life eShop Select awards! These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love and...
Feature Why We Think Crazy Redd Will Bring His Artwork To Animal Crossing: New Horizons
We're Redd-y for ya, cousin
For those who have played any of the previous entries in the Animal Crossing series, you're all-too-familiar with that crazy black market-dealing fox named Redd. Love him or hate him, he carries wares that are impossible to find anywhere else – including counterfeits and fakes. The paintings, statues and sculptures –...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 4th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
What a crazy week we've had this week with a huge Switch eShop sale, ridiculous levels of Animal Crossing creativity, and even reports suggesting that 2020 is set to bring l
Poll Animal Crossing: New Horizons - What Would You Like To See Added In An Update?
Solid suggestions or gilding the lily?
It's safe to say that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has gone down rather well with fans of the series and new players alike. Social media has been absolutely swamped posts as people get busy on their deserted islands, filling their Critterpedias with bugs and fish, designing their own clothes, remodelling their...
Poll Has Your Family Bought A Second Switch To Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons 'Properly'?
One Switch, One Island. Two Switches...
Resisting this beauty was hard to begin with, but it's even harder if you're sharing your island with someone else. The reception of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has arguably exceeded the lofty expectations of even the most discerning fans, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Millions of people are...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 28th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
So, we've reached the end of yet another hectic week full of sneaky, surprise Nintendo Directs and a whole bunch of people who have been angrily slating Animal Crossing. Thankfully, then, it's finally time to have a quick rest. Members of Team Nintendo Life have shared their gaming plans for the weekend...
Poll What Did You Think Of The Nintendo Direct Mini?
Nintendo dropped a Mini on us
Well, after what seemed like an absolute age Nintendo finally ended 2020's Direct 'drought' without warning by dropping a 28-minute Nintendo Direct 'Mini' on us. Featuring a varied collection of games both new and new on Switch, along with a peppering of fresh announcements and updates to existing titles, it seems to...
Feature Capcom On Bringing Shinsekai: Into The Depths To Switch
Diving deep into an underwater mystery
Today, Capcom surprised us all by launching its underwater exploration title Shinsekai: Into The Depths on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Previously an Apple Arcade exclusive, the game places you in the role of a lone explorer who is determined to unravel the secrets of a vast ocean world. We spoke to Peter...
Feature Which Nintendo Switch Game Did We Miss?
Tell us and we might cover it!
When we first started covering digital downloads back in the Virtual Console Reviews and WiiWare World days of the site’s history, we made it our goal to review everything. Every single title – no matter how small – would get a review. It was a policy that worked well in those early years, and even when the Wii U...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 21st)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
It's been a hugely busy week this week with all sorts of Animal Crossing shenanigans going on around the world, so we couldn't be more pleased to have finally reached the weekend. Members of Team Nintendo Life have shared their gaming plans for the next couple of days below, and we'd love for you to join in...
Talking Point Jargon-Heavy Xbox Series X And PS5 Reveals Vindicate Nintendo's Approach
Show, don't tell
Cast your mind back to when Nintendo lifted the lid on the Nintendo Switch. The reveal trailer was packed with footage of people playing the console, showing how the machine seamlessly transitioned from home system to handheld in the blink of an eye. You could take your AAA games with you, finally, and the detachable Joy-Con...
Guide 8 Steps To Making Your Gaming Backlog A Thing Of The Past
Sure you still want everything on Switch?
The backlog is a dangerous beast, one that haunts players far and wide. You can see all of the new games upon the horizon that you’re itching to get your hands on, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal and someday even Metroid Prime 4. But what about the pile of games waiting for you at home?...
Hands On The Dongii Is A Switch Dock That Fits In Your Pocket, And We Love It
Update: Kickstarter campaign is live once more
Update #3 [Sun 15th Mar, 2020 15:00 GMT]: The Kickstarter is now live again, and we've had an official statement from Better Digi: Dear Dongii fans, First of all, thanks to all backers’ love right from the beginning. A few days ago we got a little problem with Nintendo copyright. Our company highly...
Feature Oxenfree Developer On Mixing Up Demons, Drinks, And Drama In Afterparty
"We wanted to make something that felt [...] like an R-rated Pixar movie"
Just last week, Night School Studio put out Afterparty on the Switch, a release that we absolutely loved. The follow up to 2016's Oxenfree proves itself to be a worthy successor, mixing a darkly humorous story with a cutting edge focus on directly marrying cutscenes with...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 14th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
It's been another busy old week in the world of Nintendo, with more Joy-Con drift legal woes, the world's first Animal Crossing: New Horizons review and a potential slip up regarding a Nintendo Direct all coming in
Feature Animal Crossing: A Brief History
Looking back on Nintendo's most evergreen of series
Like most games made by Nintendo, the story of Animal Crossing – Nintendo’s charming social life-sim series – begins in Japan, with a man named Katsuya Eguchi. After he nabbed a job at Nintendo in 1986 he was forced to move away from his hometown of Chiba and relocate to Kyoto, the city where...
Talking Point Has Coronavirus Finally Put E3 Out Of Its Misery?
Game over?
Update: And it's official - E3 2020 has been cancelled. News that E3 2020 is on the verge of being cancelled makes us think of years gone by. There was a time when the mere mention of the Electronic Entertainment Expo gave gamers the world over a spurt of the old dopamine. E3 may have been a comparatively small industry-only event but it...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - February 2020
February's best Switch eShop games!
Yet another month has flown by (and a whole other week at this point), and there were plenty of cracking games flooding onto the Switch's eShop over that 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...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 7th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Yet another week has flown by, with several interesting tidbits from a Shigeru Miyamoto interview appearing online and even news of an upcoming
Hands On Dipping Into Island Life In Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Book with the Nook
Animal Crossing games don’t come around all that often – at least not mainline games – so it’s hardly an understatement to say that hype surrounding Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a touch feverish recently. Well, we were lucky enough to get our hands on i
Feature Castlevania Season 3 Review - Netflix Ups The Ante With A Darker, Raunchier Series
Did anyone order burning devil goat turds from the sky?
Warning: The following review contains outright spoilers for the first two seasons of Castlevania, as well as slight spoilers for the third season. Consider yourselves warned! After enduring a development period that stretches back an entire decade, Warren Ellis' vision of the Castlevania...
Talking Point Nintendo Switch Turns 3: Challenges Await, But What A Ride So Far
Switch is maturing like a fine wine
It's a cliché that the latest thing is often branded the greatest thing, but when it comes to video games it's a difficult notion to escape. Every piece of software and hardware builds on the foundation of what came before and, more so than in any other medium, a sequel or successor stands a very good chance of...
Guide Animal Crossing: New Horizons: All Villagers and Special Character Confirmed So Far
Update: Over 50 Villagers Added!
A major part of what makes the Animal Crossing series so memorable is its wonderful and wacky characters. Anyone who's played any of the previous entries can most likely list a few of their favourite villagers off the top of their heads. So with the latest entry in the series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, landing...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 29th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
In celebration of Pokémon Day, this week we got quite a lot of pocket monster news. One of the highlights was the reveal of the new mythical Grass/Dark-type Pokémon Zarude. Greninja was announced as Google's Pokémon of the Year, and Mewtwo is also
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 22nd)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Hello one and all, and welcome to yet another weekend. This week has seen more info on the future of the Super Smash Bros. series, Animal Crossing in-game purchase shenanigans, and the surprise launch of a new Switch FPS
Feature WayForward On Vitamin Connection's Switch Exclusivity, Challenges And Influences
"[We looked] closely at games like Jet Set Radio, and the Katamari series"
In the three years since the console launched, the Nintendo Switch has firmly established itself as the king of the hill when it comes to local multiplayer gaming. There's certainly no shortage of great co-operative games on Switch, and the ability to slide off Joy-Con...
Feature Samurai Shodown Director "Cried Out In Surprise" When He Saw The Switch Version
He wants to reboot Garou: Mark of the Wolves next
Switch fans have had to wait a little longer than their PS4 and Xbox One-owning pals when it comes to SNK's Samurai Shodown reboot, but the important thing is that the game has made it to Nintendo's hybrid console intact – and it's really quite an achievement. We were fortunate enough to get the...
Feature Super Rare Games On 2 Years Of Switch Releases And The Future Of Physical Media
"The key thing will be keeping the younger generations interested in physical releases"
Switch is many things to many people, and that fact is arguably the key to its success. The way it fits into your life whether you're reclined at home on the sofa, playing in handheld mode when the TV is taken or curled up in bed with Nintendo's console, it's...
Feature Warface Producer On Switch Port Parity, Crossplay And The Element Of Surprise
"We experimented with a lot of different launch tactics"
One of the joys of Switch is the sheer variety of games available on the platform. The breadth of experiences across genres and the frequency of releases has made the last three years exciting ones for Switch owners, with many surprises popping up along the way. Earlier this week online...
Talking Point Is Nintendo Switch Online Good Value Compared To PlayStation Plus And Xbox Live Gold?
How does Switch Online compare to its rivals?
It's been nearly a year and a half since Nintendo Switch Online was belatedly introduced on Switch and in that time Nintendo has been slowly and surely adding to the value of the service. The growing catalogue of retro classics added to the NES and Super NES game libraries is an obvious highlight, and...
Feature Cosmic Defenders Dev On Partnering With Natsume And Life As A Tokyo-Based Indie
"Living in Japan has been an amazing experience"
Last year Natsume announced details of a new Indie developer partnership program with 2D revolving shooter Cosmic Defenders (originally Cosmos Defenders) the first title scheduled for release this year. The game charges you with defending the universe from chaotic aliens who want to steal the Tree of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 15th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
The end of yet another busy week is upon us, and after all the Pokémon Sword and Shield leak drama, news of more NES and SNES games, and review bomb shenanigans, it's time
Round Up The Sonic Movie Reviews Are In, And They Don't Make For Pretty Reading
"It was a terrible idea from the start"
After a campaign to change the way the lead character looked and a short delay in its release, we're finally getting to see what the much-hyped Sonic the Hedgehog movie is like. Based on Sega's long-running series of video games which have spanned the past few decades (not to mention a wide range of gaming...
Mario Memories Playing Super Mario Bros. 3 In The Garden
Darren recalls a stolen moment in his back garden with Mario
Today is the 30th anniversary of the US release of Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES! That's right, boomers - you're getting old. In honour of the occasion we're republishing this article originally posted as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations for the iconic Mario franchise as a...
February 2020 Pokémon GO events bring a plethora of pink Pokémon
February 2020 is shaping up to be one of Pokémon GO's busiest months ever with developer Niantic announcing a whole bunch of events across the month. Below we've rounded them all up in roughly chronological order (there's a lot of overlap!) so you don't miss out on catching 'em all...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 8th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Here we are at the end of yet another week, and what a busy few days we've had. There have been all sorts of Animal Crossing cloud save shenanigans, the Wonderful 101 Kickstarter, and plenty more besides, but now it's finally time to take a breather. Members of the Nintendo Life team have gathered b
Feature Best Pokémon Starters From All Gens, As Voted By You
You voted, we counted
At the end of last year we asked you to pick your favourite Fire-, Grass- and Water-type starter Pokémon from across the Pokémon series to discover y
Feature It's Been Nearly Five Years, So Where In The World Is Pikmin 4?
We propose and pick apart Pikmin 4 theories
Last year we looked at the dormant Nintendo franchises we'd like to see return on Switch, and our desire to see any or all of those series again still burns strong in 2020. With Nintendo's biggest money-spinners having received a Switch entry already, it's now time to bring back some of the company's...