Latest Features
Feature Playing With Power: The Nintendo Story Is A Fun Documentary With Some Critical Flaws
An entertaining mini-series that misses some key beats
"When you think of video games, the very first thing that comes to your mind is Nintendo." Minutes in, Tommy Tallarico sums it up perfectly. Anyone who’s ever heard relatives calling a random console "The Nintendo" can attest to this statement. Nintendo’s history is well recorded but, for...
Feature A Tribute To Bobby "The Nintendo Guru" Pauls
"A truly special person who can never be replaced"
The Nintendo community is a tight community. It is a community of joy that is shared online and at events. One of the community's most loving, energetic, and hard-working members was Bobby Pauls – also known as The Nintendo Guru. After a long-fought battle in the hospital with COVID-19, Bobby...
Feature Capcom On Monster Hunter Rise's Rampage, Wirebug Exploration And Alien Wyverns
"This is the first time that we're using the RE engine for a Monster Hunter title"
Our readers may have felt a bit left out after the Monster Hunter series skipped Nintendo platforms with Monster Hunter World back in 2018, but all of that is about to change as the latest entry in the series, Monster Hunter Rise is hitting Nintendo Switch on March...
Feature Forget Saving Hyrule, Zelda: Ocarina of Time Is All About Fishing For Me
Lure of the wild
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, we're running 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, Kerry admits that she didn't always stick to the proposed path when playing one of...
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're running 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, Kate talks...
Feature After Fire Emblem And Famicom Detective Club, What Comes Next From Nintendo's Vault?
Raiders Of The Lost Games
Between the eclectic selection of NES and SNES games served up as part of everyone’s Nintendo Switch Online subscription, Fire Emblem's long-awaited (if time-limited) English language release thirty years after its Japanese debut, and the upcoming remake of their Disc System adventure game Famicom Detective Club, it
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - February 2021
February's best Switch eShop games!
Can you believe we're already two months into the year?! Well, thankfully, no matter how quickly time passes by, the Switch eShop seems to offer up dose after dose of great digital content to enjoy and February was no different. These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love...
Memory Pak When Harvest Moon Taught Me About Death
You can't just save scum this one away
Welcome to the latest instalment in our new column, Memory Pak, where we're going to be doing a deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. We hope you've got some tissues ready because this one's going to be a bit of a weepy. People play Harvest Moon games for their...
Feature Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link Taught Me The Value Of Perseverance
And save states
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, we're running 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, Gavin looks back at the first sequel in the series, and one of the last entries he...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 27th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Phew! With news of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes – and a new open-world Pokémon game, too – it was a super busy end to the week. Thankfully, though, it's now time to relax and have a chat about our weekend plans. Members of the Nintendo Life team have done just that below, so feel free to give our...
Feature Hyperkin Explains How The RetroN Sq Is Bringing The Game Boy To Your Living Room
Update: Pre-orders go live on Amazon
Update: Pre-orders are now available! Original Story [Wed 22nd Jan, 2020 14:00 GMT]: Hyperkin has been one of the biggest names in 'new' retro products for quite some time now, thanks to products like the RetroN 5 and Supa Boy. The company is back with a new device – the
Soapbox Pokémon Diamond And Pearl's Greatest Contribution To The Series Was The Underground
And sort of inventing Pokémon God
There's a Pokémon Presents tomorrow - the Pokémon-flavoured version of a Nintendo Direct - and I should be feeling like a kid on Christmas, since the announcement of a remake for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl seems almost certain. But I feel more like a kid on someone else's birthday: wishing I could
Feature We Worked Out The Best Zelda Game Once And For All, Using Maths
...and it took a really long time
We could argue all day about which Zelda is technically the best. In fact, we often do, especially with the 35th Anniversary of the series this year. But no matter how many times we yell at each other that Majora's Mask is better than Ocarina of Time, or that Oracle of Ages and Seasons a
Feature The Making Of Star Fox Adventures, The Game That Was Once Dinosaur Planet
An exclusive behind the scenes look at one of Rare’s most maligned outings
Last week, we got the news that a playable version of Dinosaur Planet had leaked onto the web, giving us a hands-on look at the game which eventually became Star Fox Adventures on the GameCube. Therefore, we thought you might like to revisit this piece from 2012, in which
Feature 8 NES Games That Were Better On Famicom Disk System
Saves + Synth > Passwords
The Famicom Disk System (or the Family Computer Disk System to give its full title) released in Japan — and Japan only — on 21st February 1986. This Famicom add-on came with a wave of new games on bespoke Nintendo-branded floppy discs which had several advantages over cartridges at the time, plus one or two drawbacks...
Preview Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection Is Going To Hurt You, A Lot
Hell and high water
Blood is red, spirits are blue, here come Ghosts ’n Goblins, to murder you. If you’re a gamer of the old-school persuasion or just a masochist who enjoys agony, you will be undoubtedly titillated by the torture that Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection promises to deliver later this month. The first new console game in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 20th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
After what has been the busiest week in the Nintendo world for some time – feel free to catch up on everything that was announced during this week's Nintendo Direct here – it's finally time for us to catch a breather and chat about our weekend gaming plans. Members of the Nintendo Life team have done just...
Soapbox The Modern Games Industry Has A Hype Problem, And It Needs To Stop
When will it be enough?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Mitch talks about the problem with video game hype... Look up any news about the upcoming Bayonetta 3 and you’re sure to notice a fascinating trend. Even...
Round Up Everything Announced In The February 2021 Nintendo Direct
Splatoon 3! Fall Guys! Zelda: Skyward Sword HD!
Yesterday gave us our first Nintendo Direct broadcast, and it was pretty packed. Not only did we see updates on titles we already knew about, but we also got brand-new announcements in the form of Splatoon 3, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Fall Guys and much more besides. Below you'll find a rundown of...
Talking Point What We're Hoping To See In Today's Nintendo Direct
IT'S TIME
Well, well, well. We may have been disappointed when our 2020 Direct predictions failed to come true, but what's 530 days of waiting between friends? Besides, we've been really busy in the intervening months, haven't we? We don't need you, Nintendo. We've got, er, a global pandemic. We're just kidding, Ninty. We love you. Please come back...
Memory Pak When Link Left The Temple Of Time In Zelda: Ocarina Of Time And Everything Changed
Lesson learned: touching swords makes you get old
Welcome to the first instalment of a new column, where we're going to be doing a deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. We're starting off strong with a moment that cemented the Zelda series as one of the all-time greats, in celebration of Link's 35th birthday...
Guide How To Spot Fake Nintendo Video Games
Keepin' it real fake
Bootleg video games have been plaguing the industry for a while, but as time goes on it's become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between an official cartridge released by Nintendo and a fake. Take these copies of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Game Boy Advance. To the naked eye, they look strikingly authentic,...
Feature Five SNK Neo Geo Pocket Games We Want To See On Switch
More than a fighting chance
With excellent ports of Fatal Fury First Contact, King of Fighters R-2, Samurai Shodown! 2, Gals' Fighters and The Last Blade soon to be joined by the magnificent
Hardware Review The Retro-Bit Prism HD Is Another Great GameCube HDMI Adapter
With an added bonus...
HDMI output on the GameCube has been around for a while. Back in 2018, we got the rather rough-and-ready GC Video Plug 'n Play 3.0, which did the job but came in a rather ugly 3D-printed case. Shortly afterwards there came the EON GCHD adapter (and, not long afterwards, its
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 13th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With a brand new Mario game, new titles to check out on Switch's NES and SNES apps, and a whole lot of scalper sneakiness going on at McDonald's, it's been another hectic week in the world of Nintendo. Thankfully, it's now time to relax and chat a
Hardware Review MiSTer FPGA - A Tantalising Glimpse Into The Future Of Retro Gaming
Hands-on with the DIY wonder box
There's really never been a better time to be a retro gamer. Thanks to digital stores, micro consoles and DIY emulation boxes, we now have access to decades of gaming content – most of which can be played on our modern-day HD televisions without having to invest in expensive custom AV cables or dust off original...
Hands On We've Played Bravely Default II On Switch, And Here's What We Think So Far
Classic gameplay meets classic grind
The original Bravely Default launched during a time where it felt like everyone had moved on past the tried and true turn-based RPG. Even the king of the formula, Square-Enix, seemed like it had given up on the genre as it had been (unfortunately) pouring its everything into the action RPG, Final Fantasy XIII,...
Feature Curse Of The Dead Gods Devs On Early Access, Switch Challenges, And Hades Comparisons
"One can only be flattered by such a comparison"
Fans of the roguelike and roguelite genre have had some real gems to enjoy over the last couple of years, with excellent games like Dead Cells and last year's award-sweeping Hades serving up some incredibly satisfying run-based dungeon-crawling on Switch.
Soapbox Super Mario 3D World Is The Closest To A Super Mario Bros. 2 Sequel We'll Ever Get
Sub-consciously influenced
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot games, trends and topics — opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Jon Irwin discusses how Nintendo seems reluctant to return to the mechanics of Super Mario Bros. 2... When Super Mario 3D World first...
Feature Takaya Imamura - The Man Who Named Majora's Mask And Created Nintendo's Coolest Characters
And Slippy Toad
On 20th January 2021, Nintendo artist, designer, producer and director Takaya Imamura posted his first ever tweet announcing that he was leaving the company after thirty-two years. Imamura isn't retiring — he's only 54 — but his departure signals the end of an impressive Nintendo career spanning the 16-bit era to Switch. While...
Soapbox Timeloop Games Are Strangely Comforting In Times Like These
Every day feels the same, so let's play games where every day IS the same
Right at the end of last year, Natasha Lyonne — star of Groundhog Day-inspired TV show, Russian Doll which sees her character Nadia (a software developer, no less) stuck repeating the same night over and over again — shared a tweet that made everyone collectively start...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 6th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
With yet another week behind us, this time bringing news that Nintendo is finally updating its multiplayer server system and a pretty bare-looking 2021 release schedule, it's time to sit back, relax, and chat about our weekend gaming plans. Members of the Nintendo Life team have done just that below, so f
Soapbox Retro Nintendo Games Cost Too Much, But Nostalgia Is Expensive
Second-hand Nintendo games are notoriously pricey, but why?
The year is 1999. I'm in a GAME, in Loughborough town centre. The grey carpet is sticky, the awful fluorescent lights are so dim I can barely see, and everything sort of smells like stale sweat. I'm standing in the N64 section with my brother, both of us clutching a small fortune in pocket...
Exclusive Nyamyam On Bringing The Award-Winning "Game Sitcom" Astrologaster To Switch
"The Switch version will get the 'sitcom' element across the best"
Those of you with very good memories might recall the UK studio Nyamyam, which was responsible for the gorgeous Tengami on Wii U. Fronted by former Rare developers Jennifer Schneidereit (Kinect Sports) and Phil Tossell (Star Fox Adventures), Nyamyam created a game engine which...
Talking Point So, What Are The Chances We'll See A 'New' Nintendo Switch In 2021?
A Pro-mising year?
What's that? Did someone say 'Switch Pro'? Oooh, 'New Nintendo Switch', is it!? A more powerful variant with 4K resolution Deep Learning Super Sampling? 60 frames-per-second? Carbon fibre styling? Swiss Army Switch?... It wasn't long after the Switch launched back in 2017 that rumours of a hardware revision started circling. You...
Feature Blessed By Hermes - A Peek Inside The Hades Speedrunning Community
We speak to Supergiant Games and two prominent Hades speedrunners
When you think of speedrunning in games, where does your mind go? Is it Super Mario 64? Breath of the Wild? Dark Souls? Undoubtedly, the 'classics' are popular choices with speedrunners, but there are plenty of others which defy expectation;
Feature "You Have To Rewire Your Brain To Accept The Absurdities I'm Going To Lay Out"
The legendary Mat Dickie talks wrestling, Switch and dealing with critics
While Wrestling Empire is no critical darling, sole developer Mat Dickie is used to that reception, having been making his own professional wrestling games since 2000. Despite unusual visuals and unpredictable gameplay, these titles have achieved a cult following – it's not...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - January 2021
January's best Switch eShop games!
With a brand new year comes brand new Switch games, and while January is traditionally a quiet month for new releases, there were still some absolute crackers to enjoy this time around. These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love and attention to the games that could so...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 30th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another busy old week has flown by, with Nintendo revealing a new Monster Hunter Switch console and an Animal Crossing amiibo card rerelease, and PlatinumGames telling us we should probably forget about Bayonetta 3 for a while
Poll Which Is Your Favourite GameCube Console Variant?
Well-handled
We recently ran a poll looking at the sexiest consoles Nintendo and the company has put out some mighty fine-lookin' hardware over the years. There was one system that gets us particularly excited, though — the good ol' GameCube — and it seems you readers are in agreement judging from the results of that poll. Yes, the Japan-only...
Soapbox Grinding Is Poor Gameplay Design That Doesn’t Respect Your Time
Who wants to spend hours mowing down low-level enemies?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Henry discusses how he's fed up of being ground down by grinding... We really are spoiled for choice these days and, in part...
Hands On We've Played Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, And Here's What We Think So Far
Cat's entertainment?
When it started to become clear that Nintendo was porting many of its Wii U games to the Switch, a lot of fans naturally hoped that Super Mario 3D World would be one of the games making the jump. It's hard to believe it’s taken nearly four years, but we're finally just a matter of weeks away before this much-requested Mario...
Soapbox I Never Completed Breath Of The Wild, And I Never Will
Sorry, Zelda, you'll just have to keep waiting
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate makes a groundbreaking admission about one of the Switch's most popular titles... I put at least 150 hours into Breath of the Wild...
Feature 6 Huge Video Game Franchises Missing From Nintendo Switch
They've all played with power in the past
Unless you've been living on a deserted island for the past four years (hey, lucky you — wish you'd stayed there now, right?), it's hard to miss how Switch has taken Nintendo back to the sort of mainstream success is achieved with the Wii two console generations ago. Wii U might have bombed commercially...
Feature Best Nintendo Switch Stealth Games
"!"
For all the gun-blazing, whip-cracking, all-out action and mayhem there is to enjoy in video games, sometimes a change of pace is needed. All that one-note violence can get boring, no? Why not eliminate that patrolling guard or spittle-covered demon in a more sophisticated manner; something more understated than a rocket launcher to the face?...
Feature Cyber Shadow Dev On 8-Bit Classics And How We Can Thank Yacht Club For The Switch Launch
"I can’t comprehend how it happened, must be dark magic"
It's true that there's no shortage of retro-inspired, nostalgia-drenched Switch games to enjoy these days. It's something of a golden age for anyone who loves the pixel aesthetic, tight controls, incredible chiptunes and purity of classic NES games from the '80s and early-'90s. Now there's a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 23rd)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
It wasn't the busiest of weeks this week, with our most popular headlines revolving around an accusation against Apex Legends and Starter Pokémon fan rankings, but we're still ever grateful for a chance to relax and chat about our weekend gaming plans. Members of the Nintendo Life team have done just that...
Soapbox Video Game Injuries Are No Laughing Matter
Technology is incredibly unfriendly to our frail human bodies
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate discusses the issue of video game injuries... It's a little embarrassing to say that I permanently messed up my...
Soapbox It’s Time For A Pokémon Trading Card Game Reboot On Switch
But only if it's done right
My old, beloved (and slightly grubby) copy of Pokémon TCG on Game Boy. Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Ryan explores the idea of a Pokémon TCG video game reboot and why now could be the...
Feature Limited Run Games On The Process of Bringing Scott Pilgrim To Physical Shelves
"It has been requested on an almost daily basis"
Fans of the Scott Pilgrim series far and wide have been begging the series creator, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Ubisoft, Oni Press, and physical game publishers like Limited Run Games to release a physical edition of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game ever since it was delisted from online storefronts back...
Soapbox The NYT Thinks We're Gaming Too Much, But It's One Of The Only Things Keeping Me Sane
This again?
It's that time of year again: a large publication has had decided that kids play too many games, and this time it's a COVID-flavoured special, courtesy of the New York Times, designed to make parents feel guilty for letting their energy-filled children play video games after being cooped up all day doing online school. I won't pretend...
Video We've Ranked All 55 Kongs From Donkey Kong, For Science
Wait, how many?
Donkey Kong is a franchise that has been passed around numerous developers over the years, resulting in a lovely array of different genres and interpretations of the series. It also had a TV show made about it, which is something that some people would probably like to forget. After being banded around for 30 years as of 2021 it's...
Feature How Takara Brought SNK's Arcade Fighters To The Humble Game Boy
Battery-powered brawlers
Between 1994 and 1998 Takara Co., Ltd. brought some of SNK's most successful Neo Geo arcade hits — Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters, and Fatal Fury 2 — to the humble Game Boy via a series of 'demakes'; streamlined and simplified releases of the infinitely more powerful arcade originals rebuilt from the ground up...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 16th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
Another week has whizzed on by, giving us lots of exciting news on Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and New Pokémon Snap, as well as the announcement of a brand new Switch console edition and a
Poll Which Is Your Favourite Nintendo 64 Console Variant?
Nintendo Sixty-Phworrr
Recently, we took a look at what we consider to be the sexiest consoles Nintendo has ever created. Team NL convened in our online office space to assemble a fine-looking shortlist which you lovely people have been voting on. We were very happy with that line up, although eagle-eyed readers may have noted one particularly curvy...
Soapbox Oh No, I Accidentally Made Animal Crossing Into A Time Capsule Of Misery
Also, I haven't paid my mortgage in MONTHS
It's fairly safe to say that we were all pretty depressed at the start of 2020, what with all the *gestures at everything*, and in March, I was in the same boat. I had just come back from a trip to Boston for PAX, a gaming expo, and the whole COVID thing started happening for real about halfway through the...
Feature What’s The Sexiest Nintendo Console Ever?
Hardware to get you hot under the collar
Throughout its many years of operation as a producer of video games and platform holder, Nintendo has created some of the most desirable objects in the history of video games. The company is renowned for making digital novelties to delight players of all ages, but it's also capable of building staggeringly...
Soapbox When Is The Next 'Big' Nintendo Direct? Oh, Does It Really Matter Anymore?
No Direct-ion home
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Gavin wonders aloud if the old-style 45-minute Nintendo Direct format might have run its course... It’s been 495 days since the last Nintendo Direct. A proper one,...
Feature Remembering Super Mario 3D Land, 3D World’s Oft-Forgotten Predecessor
A stepping stone in Mario’s history that’s worth a second look
You don’t need me telling you how 2020 was a challenging year, but for dedicated Super Mario fans there were small comforts to be found. After months of rumours, Nintendo celebrated the series’ 35th anniversary in dramatic fashion and this brought about no end of content. Before...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects - December 2020
December's best Switch eShop games!
December was yet another busy month on the Nintendo Switch eShop, with plenty of fantastic games to choose from for some holiday fun. Naturally, then, we should probably crack out the good old Nintendo Life eShop Selects awards! These awards aim to celebrate the best of Nintendo's digital store, giving some love...
Feature Dicey Dungeons' Terry Cavanagh And Chipzel On Inspirations, Characters, And The Crystal Maze
"The game made me feel like I was on a '90s game show"
Roguelite deckbuilder Dicey Dungeons surprise-launched on Switch in the middle of December and has been keeping us busy over the holidays with its addictive blend of eye-catching art, cheeky humour, brilliant soundtrack and — of course — dice-based dungeon crawling. We recently caught up...
Feature Why Not Patch These Switch Games To Work With The Ring-Con, Nintendo?
Some fun ideas to get us off our backsides
Remember when the Nintendo Labo VR Kit launched and a small handful of Switch games — including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Super Mario Odyssey — received improbable Labo VR mode updates? We might not have spent hours exploring Hyrule with Nintendo
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 9th)
Here are our picks, but what are yours?
We're at the end of yet another week – this time bringing with it another mass DMCA takedown from Nintendo, and then ironically a case where Nintendo appears to have used a piece of fan-made art on its own website – so it's finally time to take a bit of a breather and think about the games we'll be...
Talking Point How Are You Keeping Fit And Active In 2021?
NL staffers discuss how they're staying in shape
It's the end of the first full week of 2021! We hope you've had a pleasant and productive week despite general evidence to suggest that 2021 may end up being Part II to 2020's Godfather (or should that be Scary Movie II to 2020's Scary Movie?). While it arguably takes a brave person to make solid New...
Feature Ten Arcade Games We'd Love To See On Switch
Potentially portable ports
As we mentioned in our recent feature, the Switch's extensive and ever-growing list of retro arcade re-releases has given fans of this cozy niche plenty to celebrate — but there's always room for improvement, and there are plenty more arcade classics that haven't yet arrived on Switch (or any console, for that matter)...
Soapbox Since When Did Physical Releases Stop Being About Physical Games?
To have and to hold
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kerry Brunskill explains why the current trend for expensive (and expansive) limited edition releases is overshadowing the games contained within... Digital...
Feature Banjo-Tooie Turns 20 - The Rare Team Tells The Story Of Bombs, Bugs And Bottles
"Bottles got what was coming to him"
Nowadays, there's nary a game that doesn't finish with a post-credits tease to tee up a sequel or spin-off. There's always a tantalisingly loose thread or Easter Egg hidden in the DLC hinting at a further instalment. It would be a very bold move, though, to name your sequel and directly reference it in a game...
Soapbox An Ode To The 3DS, Nintendo's Workhorse Console
Kate Gray explains why this dual-screen wonder will be missed
Some people remember where they were when they found out about the assassination of President JFK. I can't tell you where I was when JFK was shot, but that's mostly because I hadn't been born, and therefore wasn't watching the news at the time, but I can tell you where I was when the...
Feature Switch Puts The Arcade Of Your Dreams In The Palm Of Your Hand
Insert coin?
The Switch can be anything anyone wants it to be. It has all the big Nintendo-magic hits you could hope for from the Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon series (we all continue to mourn the extended hibernation of Metroid and F-Zero), a slew of high profile cross-platform gems old and new to suit any budget and taste, and even quirky not-games...
Feature Horace Developers On Die Hard, Britishness, And Finding The Right Genre Label
"Maybe a AAA SNES game?"
The term 'hidden gem' is one that, unfortunately, crops up all too frequently these days. With wave upon wave of quality titles hitting digital storefronts every week, more games than ever risk getting carried away by the tide before you've had the chance to pick them up. Horace — ostensibly a 16-bit-inspired platformer,...
Feature Remembering The Shadow Dragon - A History Of Fire Emblem's Original Adventure
Don't let any of your characters die as you read this
You’ve likely seen the news that Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light is finally being localised in the west. Originally a Japan-only title, this NES game kicked off Nintendo’s prolific JRPG series and to celebrate Fire Emblem’s 30th Anniversary, it’s being re-released on...
Feature How Nintendo's Game & Watch Took "Withered Technology" And Turned It Into A Million-Seller
We take a look at the LCD range that sparked a portable revolution
This legacy feature was originally published in 2010 and revisited in September 2020 when Nintendo celebrated Mario's 35th birthday with a wide range of products, including the brand-new Game & Watch handheld based on the iconic LCD range from the '80s. Enjoy! When you look...
Feature Playing The Name Game - The Art Of Finding The Perfect Title
Game name: Origins
There was a time when naming your company's latest video game was simple. Just programmed the first golf game for your 8-bit system? Great! Slap Golf on the cover and print 200,000. Likewise Tennis, Baseball and so on. They were simpler times, and the following 16-bit console generation wasn't much more complicated. Anyone for...
Feature Drugged Coffee, Pirated Games And Empty Bank Accounts - The Story Of GameFan Magazine
"It remains one of the most defining parts of my life"
If you were a North American gamer who was active during the early '90s, then chances are, you've heard of GameFan magazine. The anarchic alternative to the likes of GamePro and EGM, it began life as a catalogue for a mail-order video game store before evolving into a monthly publication which...
Feature How Nintendo, Pokémon And Japanese Culture Shaped Global Tastes Through Pure Invention
Author and translator Matt Alt discusses his recent book
The Back to the Future movies might be best known for their seat-of-your-pants time-hopping sense of adventure, whip-smart structure and American nostalgia, but they also serve as a socio-economic lens on the time in which they were made. Marty McFly, for example, might not return to exactly...
