Latest Features - Page 4
Round Up 10 Switch 1 & 2 Games We Played BitSummit 2025 - Here's What We Thought
So many Bits to Summit, and not enough time
BitSummit has once again come and gone, and unlike last year where it was a bit difficult to find indie developers committing to a Nintendo Switch release well before the Switch 2 was announced, we found a renewed enthusiasm for Nintendo as we pursued the two floors BitSummit took over in Kyoto’s Miyako...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Donkey Kong Bananza?
Return of the Kong
Last week Donkey Kong returned to the world of 3D platforming over 25 years since his last fully-3D outing in DK64 - and what a return it was! Donkey Kong Bananza scored an 'Excellent' 9/10 in Jim's review, and most of Team NL has spent this weekend having a smashing time catching up with DK, Diddy, Dixie, and (Void) co. in what...
Feature 10 Top Mario Kart Cosplays - From Blue Shells To Bowser
Who makes the podium?
Mario Kart has been a core part of the Nintendo family for over 30 years, first appearing on the SNES with Super Mario Kart, and the popularity of the kart racing series has seen it expand to 11 games across consoles (and mobile), with Mario Kart World launching alongside the Switch 2. The games have vastly expanded since...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Weaponlord (SNES)
Oh lord
Greetings – welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we looked at Disney's Magical Quest 3 Starring Mickey and Donald on the GBA, and it was a surprisingly close battle. In the end, Japan won with 42% of the vote. Europe came in second place with 30%, and North America bagged 27%. This time, we're going back to the SNES to...
Opinion Celebrating 20 Years Of Baseball In The Mushroom Kingdom
Mario Superstar, that is what you are
Monday 21st July marks the 20th anniversary of Mario Superstar Baseball, so to celebrate Jonny is taking us out to the ball game... My first gaming memory: waking up in the middle of the night, heading downstairs, and booting up Mario Superstar Baseball's campaign mode on my GameCube. It was completely out of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th July)
Dee-Kay
Well folks, another weekend is here, which means it's time to get some gaming done! Before we find out what we're all up to, however, let's see what's been going on this week. First up, of course, Nintendo released the wonderful Donkey Kong Bananza to widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 review from us. We also found out who will...
Opinion Honestly, I'm So Glad We Had To Wait For Donkey Kong Bananza
Who knew Shy Guys liked camping?
I saw this item shower for the first time after more than 60 hours of play. Guys, I've played so much Mario Kart World. I've done all the Grands Prix (on three stars, obviously), and the Knockout Tours (not on three stars, life is short). I've had an ongoing competition with friend
Poll Box Art Brawl: Disney's Magical Quest 3 Starring Mickey And Donald (GBA)
Oh boy!
Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Looking back at last week, we checked out Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for the N64, pitting North America and Europe against Japan. It wasn't even close either, with the western design winning with a resounding 89% of the vote. 89%! We quite like the Japanese design too... This...
Feature 33 Games With 'Secret' Performance Bumps You Should Revisit On Switch 2
Update: Now with even more games
Update: And we're back for a final (hmm, we'll see, but probably final!) round of 11 more Switch 1 games that are worth revisiting on Switch 2. To check those out, head to the bottom of this page and click on page 3 to see even more improved goodness! One pleasant surprise of the Switch 2 launch, beyond the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th July)
Fun in the sun
It's looking like it'll be a hot one this weekend, and while gaming may not be the first thing that comes to mind, you know we're all going to need some time chilling in the shade at some point. Before we get into this week's What Are You Playing, let's recap the major news from the past seven days. The biggie was a tasty slice of...
"I believe it could continue for a long time, just like The Simpsons"
At the time of writing, we're now just a few short weeks away from the launch of No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES for the Switch and Switch 2 on 25th July 2025. It's the third entry in the AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES series following the launch of the original game...
Poll How Are Your Download Speeds On Switch 2?
On the download
It's now well over a month since Switch 2's June launch, and it seems the majority of owners are happy with their new console. Gripes about the screen, battery life, and how quickly the internal memory fills up are
How about a map marker?
Mario Kart World has been on the circuit for over a month now, and after a decade of its predecessor, it's great to be playing something that feels fresh. That's not to say all of its innovations have gone down well, with a vocal contingent of players taking against Nintendo's updates and approach to Grand Prix mode, with...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects (June 2025)
Our picks for the best eShop games on Switch and Switch 2
Well well well — one month with the Switch 2, and we're still swimming in eShop games. Yep, it's time for eShop Selects for June 2025! Who needs Mario Kart World when you've got backwards compatibility, eh? Just because we have a new console, doesn't mean we're just looking at Switch 2...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Always two, there are
Hello there, young Padawans, are you ready to continue your training in the art of Box Art Brawl? Before we become one with the Force, let's look back to last week, where we saw a duel (of the fates) between two covers for Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. It was the European and Japanese cover that took the high ground...
Talking Point One Month On, How Did Nintendo's Switch 2 Launch Go?
Are you satisfied with yours?
Yes, believe it or not, it's been a full month since the launch of the Switch 2 - it's certainly been a busy few weeks. Now that the dust has settled, let's take a look back at how the long-awaited console came out of the gate, from the perspective of Nintendo, players, and media... Coming in hot has been business as...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th July)
Go on and tell us
The weekend is here, which means it's time to kick back, relax, and play some games. Looking back on this week first, Nintendo released Super Mario Strikers for the GameCube NSO app on Switch 2. It's a solid title, and you can see exactly where it lands in our GameCube ranking for Switch 2 so far. Elsewhere, it emerged that...
Talking Point With Bigger GameCube File Sizes, Should Nintendo Let Us Download Individual NSO Games?
1.21 gigabytes!?
Switch 2 brought with it something we'd dreamt about on the original Switch: GameCube games on NSO. With the new GC controller giving Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur II that authentic feeling (while also adding wireless without a WaveBird and sneaking in some
Preview Donkey Kong Bananza - DK's Getting His Own Odyssey, And It's A Helluva Trip
Gotta respect the Rambition
Nintendo has a real knack for testing my attention span. I felt it in the subtask-filled Hyrule of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but, far more importantly for this preview, it's Super Mario Odyssey that most effectively bombarded me with distractions. Even a simple 'Walk to that giant building in New Donk...
Poll What's Your Switch (2) Game Of The Year So Far?
'25 vibe
Somehow, we've made it halfway through the year — congrats on surviving 2025 so far! Now that many of us have a shiny new console in our hands, we've got a lot to look forward to. But before we look at the future all starry-eyed, it's time to look back at the year's very best for the first six months. Sure, the Switch 2 is a highlight,...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Itchy...
Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we looked at Donkey Konga 2 for the GameCube; a rather lovely sequel that never quite became the hit it deserved to be. In a classic three-way brawl, Japan came out on top with 47% of the vote, but goodness, it was close. North America just missed out with 46% of the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th June)
Dude! That is so (Cyber)punk rock!
Ah, another week in Switch 2 paradise and the news is still coming thick and fast. This week, Nintendo finally revealed the release date and price for Drag x Drive, we learnt that Super Mario Strikers will be
"Maybe I should start calling them chunks?"
June 5th marked the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, but that very same day (or the day before on other consoles), the highly anticipated continuation of Deltarune, in Chapters 3 and 4, also hit digital shelves. If you've had the chance to catch our review, you'll know we fully believe this Undertale...
Feature Every Switch 2 Launch Game, Ranked
25 games, ranked by you
While Switch 2's software lineup at launch was filled with various known quantities, the breadth and quality of the games featured at the system's 5th June debut made for a very strong offering - perhaps one of the best of any console launch ever. We've done our best since the hardware's launch to review as many of its games...
Back Page Every Game Should Have A Cow
No bull
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. 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 jokes — so welcome to our...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Donkey Konga 2
Bongo Brawl
Mmm, bananas. Ahem, sorry about that. We meant to say, welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we swing over to this week's bongo brawlers, let's quickly recap what happened last time when three covers from the Dreamcast's Jet Set Radio went head to head (to head). There was a decent spread of votes, but the funky Japanese...
Talking Point Do You Have A New Go-To Racer In Mario Kart World?
Cowtastrophe
After the best part of a decade with Mario Kart 8, we'd wager that you had probably grown pretty close to your main. You know, your main. The character that you picked to sit behind the wheel, regardless of the situation, because their weight class, look, or general vibe matched your playstyle perfectly. But then Mario Kart World came...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st June)
Gaming like a dragon
Gosh, can you believe it's already been over two weeks since the Switch 2 launched? Where does the time go? Alas, it's true, but this week brought even more news with the big Donkey Kong Bananza Direct! It revealed a boatload of new information and made many of us here at NL infinitely more excited for its relea
Opinion I Never Felt True Nostalgia Until I Played GameCube On Switch 2
Ahh, memories
I still remember the day I got my GameCube. It wasn’t the launch day, because I remember getting Super Smash Bros. Melee alongside it, which to my knowledge released a few weeks after the console itself in the UK. Oh gosh, I was so excited though! I pored over early issues of NGC in the weeks leading up to The Big Day (somehow,...
Opinion I'm Completely In Love With Mario Kart World's Photo Mode
Plus Team NL's best shots
Mario Kart World is the biggest Mario Kart to date. The map is huge, with Easter Eggs and little secrets hiding under bridges, atop towering buildings, and in the middle of sprawling oceans. Knockout Tour is the most chaotic concoction of multiplayer I've ever seen. And I'm still knee-deep in unlocking characters (darn,...
Gallery Here's What You Get In The 'Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma' Limited Edition
I'm a fan... Get it..? Fan!
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is out now on Switch and Switch 2, and we thought it was really rather good. In our 9/10 review of the Switch 1 version, we said it's "a must-play for Rune Factory fans and would be well-enjoyed by newcomers to the series as well," praising the sheer amount of compelling stuff to do...
Reaction Donkey Kong Bananza Has Instantly Become My Most Anticipated Game Of 2025
Sorry, Samus
I have to admit, before the recent Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, I wasn't massively enthusiastic about Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 platformer. I played about 20 minutes of it at one of the Switch 2 Experience events back in April, and although I was charmed by the aesthetics and the ability to smash up pieces of the environment, I...
Talking Point What Are You Hoping To See In The Donkey Kong Bananza Direct?
Great ExpectAPEtions
What's that? You thought the arrival of Switch 2 a mere two weeks ago would be enough to halt the hype train for a while? Oh no, no, dear readers, Nintendo is full steam ahead, reminding us what's next for the freshest console on the block. The next station stop: Donkey Kong Bananza. A Direct presentation focused on DK's...
Poll Has Your Switch 2's Screen Got Any Nasty Scratches Yet?
Be careful
If you're anything like us, then chances are you've been handling your Switch 2 like it's a ticking timebomb. There's nothing quite as soul-crushing as when a new piece of tech gets a nasty dent on the casing or a horrible scratch on the screen. It feels like the end of the world. With the Switch 2, reports are starting to emerge that...
Talking Point How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
Free to roam
Many of us have just wrapped up our second weekend with Mario Kart World, and by this point you've probably seen most of the Grand Prix mode and had your rear end handed to you various times in Knockout Tour (I swear, there's no middle ground with that one - I either do really well or go out in the first two laps!), and are starting to...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Jet Set Radio (Dreamcast)
The concept of love
Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl. Before we get cracking, let's see how things panned out last time, hm? We looked at Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition for the 3DS. North America and Europe joined forces on this one, and together, they managed to bag an impressive 72% of the vote. Well done, indeed...
Poll Do You Three-Star-Gold Every Mario World Grand Prix Before Moving On To The Next?
Or are you an agent of chaos?
I have been wanting to ask a bunch of people this question for a while now, and it seems this is as good a time as any! It's a question of gaming habits really, and how you approach doing things within them, that I'm sure holds up a mirror (mode) to our personalities in the 'real world' and all that, but I'm not a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
Wait, is there a new console out or something?
Our fingertips are blistered, our eyes are square, and that blasted Mario Kart World music won't get out of our heads, but we've had a full week with Switch 2, and the smiles are still large on our faces. Expectedly, it's been another big one at Nintendo Life this week. We got the first official sale...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Mario Kart World?
A brand new world?
Mario Kart World is finally out, making it the first proper new mainline entry in over a decade. Chances are if you've bought a Switch 2, then you've probably bought Mario Kart World too, so we're eager to see exactly what you make of it so far. Before we do, however, let's just remind ourselves of what we thought. Alana provided...
Hardware Review Nintendo Switch 2 - A Faster, Slicker, Sexier Switch
A worthy successor
Rumours of a successor to the Nintendo Switch started doing the rounds early in that console's life. While the Switch Lite and the OLED Model tweaked the base offering, it's taken over eight years for the 'prop
Opinion An Ode To The Fallen Arm, Xenoblade Chronicles' Best Map
How revenge falls
Among all the Switch 2 excitement, we didn't want this to get lost: Xenoblade Chronicles is now 15 years old! To celebrate, Alana recalls something which turned the game from a great one into a special one. Warning: This article contains spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles, so be wary if you haven't at least made it to the final...
Poll So, What's Your Favourite Course In Mario Kart World?
Track mania
We're willing to bet there are a fair few of you out there who spent the weekend up to your elbows in axle grease with Mario Kart World - would that be a fair assessment? It's a big old game and we're still working on finalising our review of the Switch 2 launch game after getting our hands on it last Thursday, and while you can read...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
Launch to launch
Hey, you. Yes, you! Wrap up that Knockout Tour, it's time for some Box Art Brawling. Last week, we hopped over to the Dreamcast and took a look at three different covers for Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. While there was a decent spread of votes, it was the Japanese variant that walked away with the win, taking 55% of the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (7th June)
Gee, I wonder
Ahh, another quiet week in the world of Nintendo... Sorry, what's that..? New console..? Hmm. Ah yes. The Switch 2! The Switch 2 launched; it's finally here, folks. Literal years of rumours and speculation can now end. Well... until whispers of the Switch 3 begin – hehehehehe. Our coverage this week has been mainly getting all...
Talking Point Does Your Switch 2 Vent Smell?
Not unpleasant, necessarily
Most of us here at Team NL, like many of you, have been unwrapping shiny new consoles today as Switch 2 arrives, finally. Nothing like the smell of new hardware in the morning, right? Having said that, while we've been getting to grips with the new console, some of us have noticed an aroma. Not an unpleasant one, you...
Opinion Nintendo New York's Switch 2 Launch Event Felt Like Coming Home
48th Street(Pass)
With the sounds of construction coming from every which way and the early June summer heat and warm afternoon sun rays shining down, it could have been a normal New York City day. But for today, anybody asking people on the line going along 48th Street had a new answer for the classic question of, “What are you all lining up...
Poll So, Did You Order A Nintendo Switch 2?
Are you sold?
On the eve of Nintendo Switch 2's global launch (OK, technically it's already the 5th in some locations), there is one burning question we have for you, the Nintendo Life audience: Will you be buying a Nintendo Switch 2? It's fair to say that Nintendo Switch 2 seems about the "safest" console Nintendo has ever produced, but with good...
Video "It's Actually...Really Good" - Our Hot 'Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour' Preview Take
"You've just gotta, like, tippy-tap it in"
On a recent trip to Nintendo's London HQ, our lovely video producer Alex-from-Nintendo-Life Olney was chained up in Nintendo UK's dungeon seated in a comfortable room and given a few hours to tinker with a Switch 2 and the platform holder's launch-day offerings, Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2...
Preview Mario Kart World's True Genius Is Its Movement, Not Its World
Moo-ve it on out, girl
It’s not much of a claim to fame to say you’ve played Mario Kart World at this point. After countless public preview events, the number of people lucky enough to have had a pop must at least be in the tens of thousands. But I’m special. I’m special because I got to play it for about four or five hours solid. I had a...
"We had a different vision for what this game should be"
Who had the return of Survival Kids on their bingo cards for 2025? Let alone as a launch title for a brand new Nintendo console? Amidst a storm of third-party ports and first-party giants, Survival Kids quietly sneaked into the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct back in April 2025. And when we saw the...
