Latest Features
Poll Do You Want Weapon Degradation To Return In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Break it down
When it comes to ways that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild flipped the script for the wider series, there is a list of 'em so long that it almost rivals the number of those darn Korok Seeds out there. *shakes fist to the sky* One of the changes that we almost can't believe actually happened, however, was the sheer number of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 21st)
Flame on
January has felt like a long one, we'll admit, but we are almost at the end of it now and we have Nintendo's first big release of 2023 to show for it! After all the character profiles, gameplay trailers and developer interviews, Fire Emblem Engage is finally here in all of its tactical glory. In recognition of the gaming year starting to...
Talking Point In 2023, Do You Still Care About amiibo?
Or are you amiibored?
Nintendo's amiibo line has been going for over eight years now. Originally launched back on November 21st, 2014 in North America alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the toys-to-life figurine series has maintained relatively steady interest while competitors like Disney Infinity and Skylanders have completely fallen by the...
Talking Point Does Nintendo's Next Console Have To Be 'Another' Switch?
Bait and Switch?
Let’s talk about comeback stories. The Mighty Ducks. Robert Downey Jr. Rocky. Nintendo in 2017. Yep, after the launch of the Wii U, many may have thought that the Big N was out for the count (well, not completely, but certainly left licking its proverbial wounds), but did this come to pass? You bet your chunky GamePad it didn’t...
Talking Point What Is The Most Frustrated You've Ever Been With A Video Game?
From button mashing to controller smashing
We love playing video games. It can be a mode of escape, a time to relax, a story to get deep into, or something to stimulate the mind. But the fact of the matter is, we also hate playing video games. They can be really hard, we lose unfairly, a mechanic doesn't sit right, or we forget to save. Of course,...
Feature 19 Things That Were Added In Stardew Valley Updates (That You Might Not Have Noticed)
And it's all free!
One of the most remarkable things about Stardew Valley is how different it is now to when it first came out, and that's down to developer ConcernedApe continuing to add features and content in free updates. We're currently up to 1.5, which added a whole new area and several new characters amongst a ton of other new stuff, but for...
Soapbox Whether The Rumour Is True Or Not, Baten Kaitos Deserves A Remake
A white whale
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, rumours of a potential Baten Kaitos remake have got Alana all fired up... Of all the wild remake rumours I thought I would hear in 2023, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost...
Soapbox Zelda Should Be Given The Paper Mario Treatment
Paper Zelda: The Thousand-Year Door (of Time)
Nintendo struck gold when they made the first Paper Mario. They figured out how to take a beloved series like Super Mario, put a slight twist on it, and create something entirely new that doesn't feel stale, doesn't feel like a flimsy spin-off, and best of all, is better than most Super Mario games...
Guide Best Zombie Games On Nintendo Switch
Undead and docked
Every decade or so, something big happens to bring zombies back into our lives. Whether it was the release of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead in 1978, the publication and subsequent adaptation of The Walking Dead, the hugely popular 'Zombies' mode in the Call of Duty series, or the meteoric rise of The Last of Us, we love a...
Feature Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider's JoyMasher On Dev Nightmares And Changing Direction
"It was originally supposed to be more linear, like Dracula X"
Publisher The Arcade Crew and developer Joymasher have just launched their latest retro-inspired title Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, an homage to classic 16-bit action platformers like Shinobi III and Hagane: The Final Conflict. The game is a remarkably authentic retro experience that...
Soapbox All Fish Pokémon Are Bad, And There's A Good Reason Why
Go (away) fish
I'll start this with a confusing admission: My favourite thing in the world is a trip to an aquarium. I could spend days gazing through the curved glass of a tank, watching sharks glide past me, pressing my hand against the smooth, white underbelly of a stingray, and taking note of the clownfish darting in and out of the swaying mass...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 14th)
Game on
With the Christmas chocolates finally dwindling in number, we think it's fair to say that 2023 is well under way. And as the year kicks off, so too do we see the return of gaming news — nature is healing, people! This week at Nintendo Life, we have been welcoming in the new year with open arms, looking to the months ahead and talking...
Back Page EVERYONE STAY CALM. Here's How To Game Safely On Friday 13th
It's that dreaded day again!
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 (paper) pages on the internet, but we still love...
Feature What Is The Difference Between Story Of Seasons And Harvest Moon? A Handy Explainer
I was elected to weed, not to read
We've finally done it. After starting every article that concerns either Story of Seasons or Harvest Moon with a potted explainer of the schism between Natsume and Marvelous XSEED, we've finally sat down and put (electronic) pen to (electronic) paper and written out a long-form explanation of what "Harvest Moon"...
Feature Fire Emblem Narratives, Ranked – Which Fire Emblem Has The Best Story?
More Dark Dragon Demon Gods than you can shake a Falchion at
Since Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade — or just Fire Emblem as it was known in the West — made its way to the West on the Game Boy Advance thanks to the popularity of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the series has filled a cutthroat, tactical RPG void on almost every Nintendo...
Guide Disney Speedstorm Characters - Every Racer Revealed So Far
Update: Figment joins the race
Gameloft's upcoming free-to-play racer, Disney Speedstorm, will be speeding into early access on 18th April, and we are already starting to get a pretty good idea of which classic Disney characters will be donning a racing suit and heading to the tracks. It seems that with each trailer and Dev Diary, we see the...
Feature Which Zelda Games Should You Replay Before Tears Of The Kingdom?
Time to do your homework
It’s hard to believe that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will finally be launching on May 12th, nearly a full four years after its initial announcement during E3 2019. We don’t know about you, but we’re already sharpening our Master Swords and ironing our green tunics in preparation; it’s going to be a fun...
Talking Point After Pixel Remaster, What's Next For Final Fantasy On Switch?
The final countdown?
At the end of 2022, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy PIxel Remaster, a collection composed of revamped versions of Final Fantasy I through VI, would finally be making its way to Nintendo Switch, putting to rest many months of speculation from eager fans. It’s big news, as its release means that FF-loving Switch owners...
Talking Point So, When Will Nintendo Announce Its Next Console?
Grab your dartboard
Another year, another round of 'New Nintendo Switch Pro/2/+/On/Up/Over' rumours. Whispers of new or updated Switch hardware have been doing the rounds since practically the launch of the console back in 2017, and the start of 2023 has brought with it a fresh round of speculation as to when exactly Nintendo will debut its next...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - December 2022
The best eShop games of December, chosen by us!
Happy new year readers! Okay, so we're over a week into 2023 already — you might be moving on from last year, trying to look ahead to the best to come. But we just need to look back at 2022 one last time for the best eShop games in December. Now, December is normally a quiet month for game releases...
Feature The 15 Best Zelda Bosses, Ranked
Mmm, Ganon
We must admit: Zelda rankings tend to look a little samey, perhaps with a few spicy changes based on the person. But you'll never find Breath of the Wild at the bottom, or Tri Force Heroes at the top, even if the person making that list is the world's most contrary list-maker. So, we've been mixing things up by celebrating the individual...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 7th)
A new year dawns
It's 2023 and the lights are back on at Nintendo Life Towers. While January can often be something of a sleepy month as the gaming industry rears its head from a Christmas-induced slumber, we are up and raring to dive into what looks to be an interesting year for Nintendo. This week, we have shared our thoughts on 2023's first big...
Guide Best Nintendo Switch Anime Games
Jojo Pose
Anime! Who doesn't love anime? No one who's clicking on this list, hopefully, because all these games are anime as heck. We've compiled a list of the very best anime video games on the Nintendo Switch — the games which take the action, charm, and/or personality of popular and beloved anime and manga series and squish it into a video...
Feature Our Gaming Predictions For 2023
Look into the crystal ball...
After the bonkers bonanza of Game of the Year and holidays and wrapping up everything in a neat little bow that happens at the end of every year, the slate is finally wiped clean for 2023. This is, arguably, one of the most exciting times in gaming — when the year is fresh and unblemished like newly-fallen snow, and...
Feature "Arcade Games Are Poetry" - 'Strider' Director On The Return Of 'Cannon Dancer'
"Now you can enjoy the miracle of a timeless classic of the past"
One of 2023's biggest surprises is the return of Cannon Dancer - Osman. Developed by Mitchell Corporation and released in arcades in 1996, thanks to a limited run of arcade machines for the game in the west, this side-scrolling gem was once lost to time. But very soon — 9th March...
Talking Point Which Zelda-Themed Nintendo Console Has The Best Design?
Special addiction
When it comes to console special editions, Nintendo takes the biscuit. Whether it's a colour variant, a game release exclusive, or a nod back to retro consoles of the past, the company is constantly looking for ways to get a 'new' model out on the market and, so it seems, get the money out of our pockets. No more so is this the...
Back Page Why Don't Nintendo Games Get Gritty TV Shows? Here Are Some Pitches
Answering the question, "what if Kirby had an eye patch"
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 (paper) pages on the...
Feature How Do Game Developers And Artists Feel About The Rise Of AI Art?
Should we all be worried, or is it just a fad?
If you've had your ear to the ground for the past couple of years, you'll have heard at least some of the rumbles of debate over the ethics and impact of AI art. You may have even heard the names of some tools used to create AI art, like Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DALL-E. But you may also be...
Soapbox After 10 Years I Finally Got A Wii U, Here’s What I Thought
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, following up on his piece from a few weeks back, Jim delivers his verdict on the ten-year-old console and how it holds up in 2022 ... Picture the scene. The year...
Feature Mecha And Memories - How 16-Bit Nostalgia Influenced SNES-Style JRPG 'Chained Echoes'
"Xenoblade Chronicles 3 nearly caused a delay"
A world where dragons exist and people pilot mechs? Not the most common of combinations — despite both elements often appearing in RPGs frequently over the years — but for SNES and PS1-inspired JRPG Chained Echoes, this is completely the norm. Revealed back in 2019, the game blasted through its...
Talking Point Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
Where should you start if you're new to The Legend?
The announcement of a solid release date for BOTW2 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom marked the beginning of a new, more intense phase of enthusiasm for one of the most anticipated sequels of the decade. Sure, a new Zelda game is always big news, but when it's a follow-up to one of the most...
Feature How Stardew Valley Grew The Farm Sim While Harvest Moon Went To Seed
The Concerned Ape and the Golden Egg
In August of 1996, the same year that Spice Girls released their debut single and The English Patient swept awards season, a little game called Bokujō Monogatari came out in Japan on the Super Famicom. All signs pointed to it being a flop: its development had been plagued by bankruptcy and downsizing; it came...
Soapbox If You Thought Last Year Was "Sad" For Switch, 2023 Might Be Hard To Handle
Am I in a different timeline?
I'm not even going to mention this one below, but this was another great 2022 game 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 glances at some hot 2022 takes and instantly transforms into that confuddled...
Feature "No Man's Sky Will Never Run On That" - Sean Murray Talks Defying The Odds On Switch
"I have a good history of being right sometimes and totally wrong other times"
Anyone who has played or has even been remotely interested in No Man's Sky over the past six years will most likely have heard of Sean Murray. The founder of development studio Hello Games and creator of No Man's Sky's ever-expanding universe, Murray's name sits above the...
Talking Point What Game Do You Replay Every Year?
New year, old game
We did it everyone! 2022 is finally behind us and 2023 stretches happily into the great beyond. This is to be a year full of promise, a year of hope, a year of enough Nintendo releases (with any luck) to squeeze out an almost literal cry from our bank accounts. But for the moment we're not thinking about the future, we're looking...
Editorial Happy New Year From All Of Us At Nintendo Life
Here be 2023!
Congratulations — you made it through 2022! Welcome, one and all, to an entirely brand-new year of sweet, sweet vidyagames. Yes, lovely people, meet 2023. 2023, lovely people. Now the introductions are out of the way, what's on the menu in the coming months? We've recapped last year enough already — we were all there, we've all...
Feature Why Is Splatoon So Popular In Japan?
Nintendo is squids in
It happened almost overnight. One day in May 2015, Splatoon merch appeared everywhere in Japan. Baby inklings dangled from kids’ backpacks. Squid-girl stickers adorned pencil cases. Convenience stores advertised raffles for figurines, coffee cups, and Splatoon-branded bags. This explosion of Splat-swag was perhaps more of a...
Talking Point What Was The Video Gaming 'Theme' Of 2022?
Maybe it was just "more video games"
Hey, remember in 2022's Summer Game Fest when every other trailer was about scary things happening in space? It was like, "hey, what if Dead Space was everything"? What a fun time that was. But it highlighted something important in video games: The fact that every year more or less has a trend. Like how 2017 was...
Another year in the bag
Well, folks, 2023 is almost here. Another year has passed us by and it was undoubtedly an interesting, busy period for Switch owners, even if it lacked a mainline Mario or Zelda. We've seen major industry players make huge acquisitions, two major new Pokémon titles launch, and the delay of what may well be the most...
Noir goes lucid
One of the biggest surprises and standouts during the 13th September Nintendo Direct was the reveal of Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, a brand new mystery game from Kazutaka Kodaka, the creator of the Danganronpa series. Set in a rainy city full of bright lights, and embracing a more dark fantasy style compared to the pink...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 31st)
High res resolutions
Happy New Year's Eve good reader! Congratulations! You've almost made it through 2022 and we think it is fair to say that we have had some good gaming to show for it. Here at Nintendo Life, we have spent the week looking back over the past year with fondness, re-reading some of our favourite pieces from 2022 and putting them...
Feature Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer Breakdown - Theories And Speculation
A thorough Sheikdown
We've finally found out the title of Breath of the Wild 2 (which means we can stop calling it Breath of the Wild 2) alongside a brand-new trailer in the latest Nintendo Direct — and it's called Tears of the Kingdom, which has already set off a ton of theories. You know what that means, Zelda fans — it's time to put our...
Feature The History Of Monolith Soft - From Baten Kaitos To Xenoblade And Zelda
A monolithic tale
Monolith Soft has become one of the most recognisable of Nintendo's first-party developers in recent times. Led by legendary RPG writer and director Tetsuya Takahashi, the studio is renowned for the monolithic (pun intended) Xenoblade series. Combining MMORPG-style, memorable worlds, stunning music, and philosophical writing, the...
Soapbox 2022 Was A Watershed For Companies Taking Retro Compilations Seriously
Eclipsing the competition
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 is encouraged to see how old games have been getting the appropriate TLC on Switch this year... We've had plenty of retro compilations and collections come to...
Soapbox Splatoon 3's Midnight Launch Felt A Bit Different
Veteran video game journalist James Mielke camps out
Ah, the venerable midnight launch. The once-expected tradition of camping out for midnight game launches — so timed as to technically adhere to official game street dates while still capitalising on gamer obsessions and enthusiasm — is, at least in New York City, on the verge of extinction...
Feature "Unfinished Business" - Why Gilbert & Grossman Returned To Monkey Island
Working with Disney, Devolver, and fans
Does Guybrush Threepwood still want to be a pirate? This, after all, was the Monkey Island protagonist’s very first proclamation 32 years ago: “My name is Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!” But given the fact that he’s only set sail in five previous Monkey Island adventures sprinkled...
Feature 25 Years Of GoldenEye 007 - 25 Facts You Didn't Know (Or Forgot You Knew)
I watched you from the shadows as a child
As you've probably noticed, GoldenEye 007 is now 25 years old and can legally hire a car in a foreign country. The influence of Rare's seminal shooter on the FPS genre and console video gaming in general is enormous, and gamers have now been poring over it and picking apart its secrets for the last...
Soapbox This SNES-Style RPG Is The Biggest And Best Surprise Of 2022
Links to the past
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. And with Chained Echoes finally releasing in December, Alana is begging you to consider it as a GOTY candidate despite its late release... I'm about two-thirds of the way through...
Soapbox Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Is Still One Of The Greatest Adaptations Ever
Shoooryuken!
If you're into anime, then chances are you can remember the first movie or TV show that got you hooked on the medium; your "gateway drug", if you will. For some, it might be TV shows like DragonBall Z or One Piece, others perhaps a specific movie like Ghost in the Shell or Akira (indeed, I had to really go back through the memory...
Soapbox Crossing The Line: How I Helped Corrupt The Animal Crossing Economy
New Horizons for NMT fungibility
It's midnight by the pier. I check I’m alone, feel nervously into my pocket and count the money with my fingers. It's all there: 40 massive sacks of coins. Big pocket. I flip up the lid of the wheelie bin and dump the lot. 4 million bells erased from the universe and no one need ever know. How did it come to this?...
