Latest Interviews
October2020
Feature Nintendo And Velan Studios On Bringing Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Into The (Real) World
"This is perhaps the most technologically complex and riskiest project I've worked on"
Following its announcement back in September, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit recently sped into homes across the land, and no doubt many of you have been crafting intricate circuits around your home, pulling off daring manoeuvres between chair legs, leaving tyre...
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 Playing The Name Game - Developers Discuss 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...
Exclusive Torchlight III Character Class Guide - Best Builds And Tips, Straight From The Devs
Our beginner's guide to classes, Relics, Forts and more
Torchlight III arrives on Switch on 22nd October, just a week and change after its full launch on consoles and PC (it spent several months this year in Early Access on PC). This second sequel to the beloved original from Runic Games switched form during development from a free-to-play title to...
Feature Skyforge Developer On Bringing The Fantasy Sci-Fi MMORPG To Switch
"Switch porting became one of the first big tasks done entirely remotely due to Covid"
A Switch release for fantasy sci-fi MMORPG Skyforge was announced by MY.GAMES and developer Allods Team recently with a 'Fall 2020' launch date. While the exact release date hasn't been announced, this is coming from the same team that dropped F2P tactical team...
Feature Moon Studios On Ori And The Will Of The Wisps' Journey From Xbox To Switch
"A lot of us questioned if this wasn’t just a foolish dream"
The previously unannounced appearance of the remarkable Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Switch eShop last month was a huge and very pleasant surprise. Of course, the really big surprise came last year when Microsoft permitted developer Moon Studios to bring its predecessor Ori and the...
Feature No More Robots Boss On How Switch eShop Is Pushing Publishers To Game The System
"I had to grit my teeth and try a 'can't beat them, join them' approach"
Since Switch launched back in March 2017, we've spoken to developers several times about the eShop, its discoverability problems and the tactics being employed to get noticed and sell games on Nintendo's digital storefront. At launch, the eShop was very much in line with the...
September2020
Feature Jankenteam On Reviving Alex Kidd For A Whole New Generation Of Players
"He's my little son"
The first new Alex Kidd title since 1990's Alex Kidd in Shinobi World is coming to the Switch in 2021, and it's a fresh coat of paint for a franchise-defining Sega classic, in the form of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. Remaking a game as widely-played and beloved as Miracle World raises all manner of challenges; how will it...
Feature Behind The Music Of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition
We speak to the people behind this wonderous soundtrack
A little while ago Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition arrived on Switch and took many of us on a nostalgia trip to the beloved GameCube original from 2003. While the launch of the remaster perhaps wasn't as smooth as you might hope, one area where it really excelled was the...
"The biggest thing that hasn't really changed is that it's always changing"
The long-awaited release of Kingdom Hearts III on other console platforms last year brought a conclusion, of sorts, to a storied saga which began way back in 2002 on PS2. We say 'of sorts' because the notoriously unwieldy narrative of this series will naturally continue in...
Feature Bounty Battle Dev On Building A Smash-Style Brawler With Indie Game Heroes
"There are 23 characters from other games ... that involved contracts and a lot of emails!"
When you look at the behemoth that is Super Smash Bros. these days, game developers with an idea for all-star brawler could be forgiven for thinking 'what's the point?'. Nintendo's series has grown to become the byword when it comes to frantic fighters, and...
August2020
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...
Feature A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Ary And The Secret Of Seasons
"When you’re shipping a game, slow internet is never good"
First announced for Switch back in 2018, Ary and the Secret of Seasons is an upcoming action-adventure game from developer eXiin and Modus Games. It was originally scheduled for a July launch but was pushed back thanks to a cer
Feature Evergate Developer Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of The Upcoming Puzzle-Platform Adventure
"[It's] a game that we're truly proud of"
Later this year, Switch's impressive library will gain a gorgeous, otherworldly platforming adventure by the name of Evergate, the debut game from Boston-based indie outfit Stone Lantern Games. Following a successful round of crowdfunding early last year, the game is coming courtesy of publisher PQube and...
July2020
Exclusive Lego Super Mario Lead Designer On 3D-Printed Prototypes, Aborted AR And Meeting Koji Kondo
Qs around the blocks
Jonathan Bennink, the lead designer on LEGO Super Mario, has spent an astonishing four years working out how to align Nintendo’s IP with the Danish firm’s perennially popular toy bricks. In an exclusive interview for Nintendo Life, he talks about how the two companies collaborated to create an interactive Lego Mario...
"I still can’t believe we had the opportunity to do that!"
When it comes to all-conquering multiplatform games these days, there are a few titles which tend to dwarf the rest through mainstream cultural saturation. If you're not in their target demographic, it might be possible to miss these games, but you can't escape their influence. Minecraft...
Feature Warface Devs On The Challenges Of Bringing CryEngine To Switch
"The longer you work with a tool, the better you become at using it"
The release of Crysis Remastered on Switch has left many a gamer who remembers trying to get that massively taxing game running well on a PC back in the late 2000s scratching their heads in disbelief. We're still putting the game through its paces for review but, by most accounts,...
Feature I Am Dead Drops On Switch This September, And We Speak To The Devs To Find Out More
"The Switch audience has shown they are receptive to new types of game"
Revealed as part of the Nintendo Indie World Showcase back in March, colourful puzzle adventure I Am Dead will be landing on Switch in September this year, courtesy of publisher Annapurna Interactive. In it, you take control of museum curator Morris Lupton, a deceased resident...
"If it’s not 60 FPS, it’s not Burnout"
When word broke that 2008's Burnout Paradise would be returning to consoles in remastered form, Switch owners got nervous when there was no mention of Criterion's seminal open-world racer releasing on Nintendo's platform. It took nearly two years, but a Switch port did eventually materialise and we've been...
Feature Missile Dancer Dev Terarin Games On Shmup Design, Future Plans And Embracing Western Players
"Shmups have a simple mechanism, but making good shmups is difficult"
Like so many Japanese gamers, Terarin Games' Junichi Terayama grew up with Nintendo. "The first video game I played was Xevious on the Famicom. However, I didn't have a Famicom as a kid; I was playing it at my friend's house." Despite the lack of unrestricted access to the...
June2020
"Every one of these journeys has been special"
Shantae and the Seven Sirens released for Switch and console platforms back at the end of May after debuting (in parts) on Apple Arcade last year. You can read our review for the full verdict, but given the series' history of top-quality entries in the Metroidvania platforming genre, it'll come as no...
Feature Biped Producer On The Cute Co-op Platformer's Journey To Switch
"We naturally took a lot of inspirations from various Nintendo games"
Earlier today we reported that Biped, the cute robot puzzle platformer from NExT Studios, is coming to Switch on 2nd July. The game released a couple of months ago on PS4 and PC, but with its local cooperative gameplay and accessible controls, it sure looks tailor-made for...
Feature Golf With Your Friends Dev On Community Feedback And The Secrets Of A Great Hole
"The game changed as we gained more knowledge and experience"
12-player mini-golf game Golf With Your Friends snuck out onto the Switch fairway for a cheeky few rounds towards the end of May and brought with it a dose of party-like levity to a sport that can get a teensy bit serious in real life. We recently caught up with Kailan Clark, CEO of...
Feature Fallout Creator On The Outer Worlds, Working Partnerships, And The Games He Plays These Days
"I’m playing a lot of Minecraft. I find it very relaxing."
Eleven years is a long time. As the last few months have proved, an awful lot can change in a short period, and that's doubly true when it comes to game development. Following over a decade of working on separate projects as different companies, you'd be forgiven for thinking that 'getting...
May2020
Feature XCOM 2 Collection Port Specialists Virtuos On Bringing The Series To Switch
"This process is like squeezing water from a sponge"
Virtuos has made a name for itself with Switch gamers as one of the premier developers of quality ports on the platform. With impressive Switch versions of L.A. Noire, a clutch of Final Fantasy remasters, Starlink: Battle for Atlas and
Casual mode, 20 hour epilogue and more!
Famitsu recently had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A with Monolith Soft President Takahashi Tetsuya, and discuss topics surrounding Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. In it, they talk about what was updated, new features and details surrounding Future Connected. We've taken the time to translate...
Feature Moving Out - SMG Studio On 'Pre-Gaming' Apartment Moves And Collaborating Across Continents
"I’m not sure what hours [Jan] kept in Sweden as he always seemed to be up"
When it comes to great co-op games to enjoy with your friends and family, competition is certainly fierce on the Switch. Moving Out is Australian developer SMG Studio's latest offering and follows on from Death Squared, a brilliant local-co-op title that proved that the...
"Some Dark-Soulish interactions [...] A Hat in Time cuteness, with maybe a Zelda base"
Cast your minds back to Nintendo's Indie World Showcase in March this year and you may well remember the intriguing reveal that kicked off the presentation. Blue Fire is a mysterious 3D combat platformer from Argentina-based Robi Studios which piqued our interest,...
Feature Sam Barlow On Bringing Telling Lies To Switch, His Directing Style, And His Next Project
"Being an intense, memorable experience up front is more important than replayability"
For many gamers the term 'FMV' may still be loaded with memories of shlocky 'cinematic' clips crammed into games in the early 1990s. The memory space of the CD-ROM enabled developers to 'wow' people who had invested in their first personal computer with compressed...
Feature Spirit Of The North Developers On The Challenges Of Bringing Their Fox To Switch
"It was very important that the game be as perfect as possible on the cart"
Following Spirit of the North's debut on PS4 last year, Merge Games revealed back in February that it was heading to Switch (and PC) this year in the Spring. Well, despite many of us having been stuck indoors for the last few weeks, Spring 2020 has indeed sprung and Infuse...
April2020
"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 Switch Developers Open Up About The Impact Of COVID-19
We speak to Dotemu, Image & Form, SMG Studio and Playtonic Games
Most of you reading this will have encountered some sort of social restrictions over the past month or so due to the COVID-19 pandemic the world is currently experiencing. While security measures designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus vary on a per-country basis, necessary...
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...
Feature Now Is A Great Time To Support Your Local Retro Computer Museum
Preserve And Protect
In 2020, the majority of our interactions with video games is virtual – games are easily accessible and available online 24/7. However, there are plenty of people who have fond memories of the more physical side of games, whether that be browsing racks in dedicated video game shops, visiting sensory-overload arcades or getting...
"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...
"It’s very much like being in quarantine and lockdown all the time"
Last month music label Materia Collective put out the original soundtracks to both Yooka-Laylee and its sequel Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair on a host of digital storefronts and streaming platforms. The music from both of Playtonic Games' love letters to platformer
March2020
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 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...
Feature NES Creator Masayuki Uemura On Building The Console That Made Nintendo A Household Name
"Back then, we didn’t know if it was going to be popular or not"
There's no denying that the NES – or Famicom as it was known in its native Japan – is one of the most important pieces of video game hardware ever made. Not only did it turn Nintendo from an outsider player to industry leader, it laid down the foundations of an industry which...
February2020
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 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...
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...
Feature Media Molecule Veterans On Bringing Co-Op Coming-Of-Age Adventure Knights & Bikes To Switch
"One of the biggest challenges [was] switching the confirm and cancel buttons in the menus"
Announced last week as coming to Switch in the first week of February, Knights and Bikes is a beautiful-looking co-op puzzle adventure set in Britain in the '80s. Developed by indie outfit Foam Sword, it follows Nessa & Demelza as they bike around...
January2020
"We used to be the only band with a computer on stage"
Almost anyone can hum the original NES theme of Super Mario Bros., but if you asked them what genre of music it fell into, most probably wouldn't know what to say. Sure, one could just describe it as video game music, but it could also be described as chiptune. The word chiptune is used to...
Feature Liberated Developer On The Challenges Of Creating A Truly Playable Comic Book
"We just figured: why the hell hasn’t anybody done this yet?"
Announced during last year's Indie World Showcase in December, Liberated is an upcoming noir graphic novel game coming from to Switch this year. Developed by indie team Atomic Wolf and L.INC, it blends the darkness of a branching dystopian comic book narrative across chapters with...
Feature Hyperkin Explains Why Its Next Console Is Bringing The Game Boy To Your Living Room
Forget those "streetlight-lit car rides home"
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 RetroN Jr. – which plays the ent
Feature 17-BIT's Jake Kazdal On The Journey From Nintendo Game Counsellor To Making Games In Japan
"I’m a lifelong hardcore Nintendo fan"
You could say that Jake Kazdal stands out as he walks the streets of Kyoto on the way to the office of his company, 17-BIT. Thanks to his towering presence and a look that wouldn't be out of place in a metal band, he's not what you would call your "typical" Kyoto-based games developer – but then this is an...
Feature HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed Developer On Raiding The Toy Box To Fill Switch's FPS Gap
"We had to share this with other Switch gamers who are just as FPS-starved as we are"
The Switch has been blessed with a multitude of great games of all sizes and sizes since launch, although there are a couple of genres which were lacking until relatively recently. Racers, for example - especially more realistic ones - were thin on the ground for a...
Ninterview Super Mario Faker - The Man Behind An Unobtainable Dream Factory
If you can think of it, Tim can fake it
It's been a little while since our last Ninterview, but we're bringing back our series of articles which see us interviewing people with unique and shining a spotlight on their interesting roles within the gaming community. This time, we meet Tim aka Super Mario Faker from Instagram, a graphic design artist...
Feature Feral Interactive On The Pleasures And Pitfalls Of Porting To Switch
"Setting the bar high is good for everyone, players, platform holders and developers"
Against all the odds, Nintendo Switch has hosted some stunning third-party ports since launching back in 2017. Disproving the idea that third-parties and Nintendo platforms don't mix well, Switch has attracted some truly excellent (and unexpected) games that manage...
December2019
"Publishing our own title has been one of the goals since we established Good-Feel"
Japanese developer Good-Feel is the company behind a host of heart-warming Nintendo games, including the excellent Kirby's Epic Yarn, Yoshi's material-based platformer Yoshi's Woolly World on Wii U and the more recent Yoshi's Crafted World on Switch. A couple of...
Feature What Is A Wunderling? Developer Retroid On Its Upcoming 2D 'Goomba Sim'
"Mango, Potato, Lime, Lemon, Pear, Fat Banana Man, Pumpkin... we seriously don't know"
Another day, another Goomba. It's World 1-1 and Mario sets off on another adventure. He runs to the right to find the obligatory '?' Blocks and the first Goomba dutifully trundling towards him. The lowly henchman - if that label is appropriate for a 'mushroom'...
Feature Jez San On Star Fox, Super FX And Teaching Nintendo How To Fly
"They’d never trusted a western company in that way before"
Jez San occupies a pretty unique place in the world of video games. He founded his company, Argonaut Software, while he was still a teenage schoolkid, and his free-roaming 3D shooter Starglider would become a critical and commercial smash-hit, paving the way for a relationship with...
November2019
Feature Donkey Kong 64 Devs On Bugs, Boxing And 20 Years Of The DK Rap
Put your hands together if you want to clap
In the last few days we've had a spate of video game anniversaries with Pokémon Gold and Silver, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong Country and
Feature The Story Behind New Super Mario Land, The Homebrew Marvel Intended As A Christmas Gift
"As far as I'm concerned, the project is terminated already"
Yesterday's news that a talented modder had managed to 'update' (if such a term could be used) Super Mario Land in the form of New Super Mario Land – and get it working on a SNES, no less – caused quite a stir online. We've been lucky enough to not only play this incredible feat of...
Feature Hopoo Games On Bringing Risk of Rain 2 To The Switch
Coming soon to a storeshelf near you
Earlier this fall, Hopoo Games opted to release Risk of Rain 2 on the Switch and its fellow console brethren, setting another milestone moment in the long and ongoing development cycle that's been taking place since the title entered early access on PC in March. We were quite pleased with the build that was made...
Feature FAST RMX And Nano Assault Dev Shin'en On What Exactly The Touryst Is All About
"A game about being on vacation, but a vacation that goes strange"
Way, way back in the depths of the past (mid-August to be exact), you may recall Nintendo's Indie World presentation that highlighted a trove of upcoming indie treasures heading to the Switch eShop. In the months since then we've seen many of the announced games released, and one in...
"I’m really glad for the chance to expose the world to this game"
With the release of the Romancing SaGa 3 remaster on Switch on 11th November, the game is finally getting a western localisation 24 years to the day after the game first launched on Super Famicom. With a choice of eight characters, a deep battle system and an expansive adventure...
"What’s changed? So far as I can tell, not a lot!"
Earlier this week, Playtonic Games announced that veteran character artist Ed Bryan was joining the team behind Yooka-Laylee on a full-time basis. The ex-Rare man has been away from the games industry since leaving Rare eight years ago, but now reenters the fray as Playtonic enjoys the success of...
September2019
Feature Twirlbound On Pine's Open World And The Inevitable Zelda Comparisons
"Our game world and game structure is vastly different"
Now confirmed to arrive on Switch on 10th October, open world adventure Pine puts you in control of a young human named Hue and pits you against tribes and animals in an emergent simulation where territory is constantly shifting, survival is a struggle and there's always something new to...
Feature Beamdog On Bringing Baldur's Gate And Classic D&D RPGs To Switch
"Anyone that’s sick of codes in a box is going to be in for a treat"
There was a ripple of excitement amongst old-school RPG fans at the end of May when it was announced that a raft of D&D classics were heading to consoles, including your favourite Nintendo handheld hybrid. Beamdog, the developer behind the Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate,...
Feature Puzzle Quest Creator On Remastering A Classic For Nintendo Switch
"We’ve been very careful not to break the feeling of the original game"
Back in 2007, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on Nintendo DS was an innovative blend of match-3 and RPG mechanics which created an entirely new take on the puzzle genre and went on to influence a swathe of hybrids in a similar vein. Publishers D3 Go! have now announced...
August2019
News Inti Creates Explains Why It Didn't Stick Around To Finish Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night
"It was felt best that our involvement ended after completing the alpha"
When Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night smashed its Kickstarter goal a few years back, former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi was quick to enlist the help of industry veteran Inti Creates, a studio famed for its 2D action titles. Inti Creates – which also co-developed...
Feature Inti Creates On Mega Man, Working With Nintendo And Staying True To Its Japanese Roots
"We don’t really know what really appeals to people outside the Japanese market"
Inti Creates is arguably one of the most talented game developers working in Japan today. The company – formed by ex-Capcom staff – has produced self-made hits like Azure Striker Gunvolt and Gal*Gun, but has also worked extensively with other firms to produce...
News Inti Creates President Elaborates On 'That' Zelda II Remake Comment
"That story kind of blew up"
A short time ago, Inti Creates boss Takuya Aizu was asked in an interview if he would like to make a game featuring a Nintendo character. His response caused quite a stir, as Aizu picked Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the second title in the Legend of Zelda series. Given that we've seen
Feature Frogwares On Porting The Sinking City's Open World Lovecraftian Horror To Switch
"We are really happy with how the game looks and plays on the Switch"
Combining detective mystery, supernatural Lovecraftian horror and good old fashioned action adventure into one wet and slimy noir-ish tale, The Sinking City released on other platforms back in June and was announced at E3 to be coming to Switch "later this year". Developer...
Feature 7Levels On Jet Kave Adventure And Its Donkey Kong Country Inspiration
Jet Kave Radio
Revealed earlier this month, 7Levels' upcoming Switch exclusive Jet Kave Adventure channels the classic gameplay of the Donkey Kong Country series, with colourful environments, chunky mechanics and madcap action. Mixing prehistory with a pinch of sci-fi (resulting in what the trailer dubs 's
July2019
Feature Yooka-Laylee's Audio Identity Is More Than Just Famous Ex-Rare Composers And Soggy Socks
"There’s quite a lot of pressure on us to start matching Dave and Grant"
When you think Rare and video game music, then chances are two names will spring instantly to mind: David Wise and Grant Kirkhope. These two massively influential composers are behind some of the company's greatest soundtracks and are now in huge demand as freelance...
June2019
Feature Meet Axe, The Smash Bros. Underdog Who Changed The Competitive Scene Overnight
"I see myself as an underdog every time"
There must be something in the water lately at Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments. A few weeks ago, Melee player Wizzrobe, real name Justin Hallett, won Smash’N’Splash 5, a major Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament with over 800 entrants. His character of choice was Captain Falcon, a mid-tier staple...
Feature Behind The Scenes On Collection Of Mana And Trials Of Mana
"The original games were very popular"
Of the many surprises we got at E3 2019, the confirmation that the Mana series would be getting a much-needed shot in the arm was one of the most pleasant. Not only was it revealed that Collection of Mana – containing the localised version of the legendary Seiken Densetsu 3 – was coming to the West, we...
Feature Tetris Creator Alexey Pajitnov On Tetris 99, Tetris Comics And His Favourite Tetris Piece
"I don’t like the square. It’s dumb"
How long does it take for someone to realize they’ve made something that will outlast themselves and everyone they know? For Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris, he is on a mission to make sure that moment of realization lasts his entire lifetime. So far so good; the simple block-stacking puzzler has...
April2019
Feature Keeping The Game Boy Retail Dream Alive, 30 Years After Launch
"It’s a borderline addiction"
The Nintendo Game Boy turns 30 this Sunday, and to celebrate this amazing occasion we'll be running a series of related features this week, right up to the big day. The Game Boy may be 30 years old this week, but that doesn’t mean the system is dead and gone from a retail perspective; over the past few years...
Feature How R-Type Was De-Made For The Game Boy, Before Demakes Were A Thing
"It was thought it would be impossible to convert it to the Game Boy"
The Nintendo Game Boy turns 30 this Sunday, and to celebrate this amazing occasion we'll be running a series of related features this week, right up to the big day. The concept of 'de-making' a game is one that most modern players will be familiar with; you take a recent title,...
Feature What Developers Really Think About The Nintendo Game Boy
"It was literally a game changer"
The Nintendo Game Boy turns 30 this Sunday, and to celebrate this amazing occasion we'll be running a series of related features this week, right up to the big day. The Game Boy turned 30 at the weekend, marking three wonderful decades of portable brilliance. Released in 1989, this monochrome marvel is arguably one...
