
Hopefully by now you've heard the news that our illustrious editor Tom will be leaving Nintendo Life in a mere matter of hours. It's been quite an adventure over the last 6.9 years and it simply wouldn't be right to not take a dive into the numbers, Tom style.
In The Beginning
It was Saturday, 22nd January, 2011 and a fresh faced Thomas decided to complete the 'Join The Team' contact form we had put up on the website with an unusually thorough and lengthy application.
Part of the application form was a subtle but important question, Why do you want to write for us? His reply:
I am a daily visitor to Nintendo Life and enjoy reading Nintendo related reviews and articles. It seems that the coverage given to the Wiiware and DSiWare on this website is far more comprehensive than elsewhere. I also appreciate the community elements on the site and post regularly (as ThomasBW84) on the Goldeneye thread for online matches, and playing with fellow Nintendo Lifers is always good fun. I want to extend my writing to games journalism and think that the environment on this website will help me to do that.
An internal conversation between myself, Darren, Jonathan, Zach, Corbie and James then happened and it was decided that we would give him a shot.
Within only a few days Thomas had his first review published of the mediocre WiiWare (remember that?) title Spot the Differences! which received a harsh (but fair) 6/10. A slew of other DSiWare and WiiWare games followed before moving on to some meatier 3DS and Wii retail titles throughout 2011.

6.8
In total, Tom has had 237 reviews published on the site and ended on a high with Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for Nintendo Switch which received a "Excellent" 9/10.
While this final game didn't quite get the top score, Tom dished out only 7 reviews with a 10/10 score. They were:
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS)
- Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)
- Super Mario Maker (Wii U)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
The majority of games reviewed scored 9/10 (46 times) with 8/10 (40 times), 7/10 (43 times), 6/10 (43 times), 5/10 (33 times), 4/10 (11 times), 3/10 (7 times), 2/10 (7 times) - and never did Tom score a game 1/10.
Add all that up and you'll find that Tom's average review score was 6.8/10.
Beyond Reviews
Whilst Tom was initially taken on for reviews, he quickly cemented himself in the wider team and started to write his trademark long-form "Talking Point" features on a regular basis.
He became the features guy and took on a new role of 'Features Editor' as he developed new ideas while also starting to post more news articles in 2012.
In 2013 Thomas went full time for Nintendo Life and shortly after in 2014 became our top dog, the Editor.

4.8 million
As of today, 31st December 2017, Thomas has written a total of 10,571 articles, which doesn't even include any that were published under our 'Nintendo Life' team author.
He won't appreciate me saying, but he's written 4,790,745 words during his time here. Which at an average reading speed of 200 words minute for 8 hours a day would take you around 50 days to read. Eek.
His articles have also caused you guys to react with a comment 626,507 times. I think it's safe to say he hasn't read all of them, though.

Leaving On A High
Thomas has had an unmistakable and unforgettable impact on Nintendo Life, he's been involved for over half the time the site has been online and for an entire console generation, with Wii U and 3DS.
While it's no secret that 2016 was a difficult year for Nintendo fans (and especially for writers), it's safe to say that Nintendo Switch has gone a long way to restore the losses suffered by Wii U. Thomas worked extremely hard during the Wii U era to keep the faith for you guys and retain the traffic levels of the website. His commitment and effort will never be forgotten.
We're not even one year into Nintendo Switch but 2017 has been incredible for Nintendo Life and Tom will be leaving on a high; the best ever year in our history.
See You Again...
On behalf of all the Nintendo Life team and readers, Thomas, Thank You For Playing.
On a more personal note, I'm happy to say that I won't miss Tom... because I know we'll remain close friends long, long into the future.
~ Ant
Comments 89
Could not have asked for a better farewell review than "XC2". Take care Thomas!
Absolutely touching.
I have enjoyed all Thomas' articles, editorials and live stream chats and he will be missed. I look forward to playing the fun games put out by his new employer (more like Kamiko please!) and also eagerly anticipate watching Nintendo Life continue to grow and thrive with Dom at the helm. This is by far my favorite gaming site. It's the only one where I feel connected to the community and actively participate. Thank you Thomas and thank you to the whole Nintendo Life team. Happy 2018!
@JHDK you're very welcome!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Jv3cAxHthUs
Thank you for work on this site.
I think I wrote about 26k of those 626k comment's so I know I'm going to miss him a lot. Wish he could have at least stuck around for the probable ND in January, should be a good one, but life, even at NL, must go on.
Hey Thomas thanks for making this place fun. Will you stick around in the community?
Hey Thomas, we hope you drop by the comment sections here from time to time. This can't be a forever "goodbye", but more of a see-you-later-type of "goodbye". You will be missed here.
Thanks so much for all your hard work. You’ve made this site the first one I visit when I pick up my phone in the morning.
@erv I'll still post some comments here and there, probably
@rjejr Prob 30k
Fingers crossed for a January Direct, that'd be cool.
So...This is it then.
I have enjoyed Thomas's articles (well, the ones I've read, anyway ) since I started visiting the site as a guest sometime in 2011. Interestingly enough, what initially drew me to the site were the reviews for the DSiWare and eshop titles that no other website seemed to take the time for. NL is a fun community, and @ThomasBW84 has been an integral part of my enjoyment here.
Good luck with your new (and awesome!) job, and I don't think I'm just speaking for myself when I say that you're always welcome in the comments sections and forums.
@ThomasBW84 Thank you Thomas-sama. I have been reading articles of NL since 2012 and always enjoyed reading your reviews and conclusions on various games!
@rjejr You probably also had about 65k mentions that you responded to. 😛
Tom I have always loved reading your talking points! Even if I didn't fully agree with what you wrote, every article was always an interesting read. Every time I opened up this site after coming home from school, I was so happy to see a talking point Why do I read Nintendolife over other sites? First of all, this site never forgets about reporting news for Europe because you're British-based, the articles are well structured, the reviews are great and the community is always thriving!
Farewell @ThomasBW84 Hope to see you pop in from time to time,especially in the live chat for the next Direct, it's going to be a good one. Hopefully it won't be at silly o'clock as you'll have work to go to in the morning. Good luck pal.
Happy New Year to you and all the NL staff.
We love Tom! May your future adventures be plenty full of shenanigans and tomfoolery (no pun intended)!
Tom, congratulations! It was a pleasure to work with you back in the day, definitely one of the highlights of my time here. You really deserve the bigger and brighter things you’re headed toward.
So long, @ThomasBW84. Thanks for all your contributions and dedication to the site over the last 7 years. I know you worked some long hours, especially around E3s, Directs, EGXs, etc, and it's always been appreciated (by me at least).
I wish you the very best in your future endeavours. Happy new year!
Have a great one!
@ThomasBW84 I still have great memories playing GoldenEye with you on the Wii. Heck iirc your first thread post was in the GoldenEye thread.
Take care Tom and thank you for everything. Good luck to you in 2018 and beyond.
I'm not sure I can match anything as touching as the above message, so let me say this:
Tom, u da bomb. CIRCLE couldn't have a more balanced and well-rounded person.
As the only editor that’s been here for the time I’ve been on the site, it will be really sad to see you go. As the guy who’s helped make Nintendo Life so enjoyable and effortlessly readable, it will be great to see how well you inevitably do in the future.
All the best, Tom!
Thanks Thomas! Playing MK8DX with you was a lot of fun (even if I was awful at it) in the NL tournament. Great writing, and good luck at Circle, I hope that you have a ball there!
All the best and who is Jude
@ThomasBW84 Thank you for the excellent reviews Thomas! I could always count on you to review a game or comment on a particular aspect thoroughly and with proper analysis. Good luck in your future endeavors!
@antdickens Great job to you and the rest of the staff for maintaining this excellent site! I look forward to what this site will offer in 2018!
Hi all
I would like to give my personal thanks to you all for the parts you have played in Thomas’s time at NintendoLife.
As a parent, you always want the best for your family and I know Tom will always treasure what he will see as one of the best things in his life. I also know that Thomas has seen you all as part of his Nintendo family, and thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. So thanks to all of you in the NL community for being there.
Another big thanks to all the staff and writers for being so supportive and for being his friends over the years. You all share such a passion for Nintendo, definitely one of the positives in life.
Finally, a special thankyou to Ant. I know you guys became good friends and will remain so going forward. You welcomed us all to your home town when Tom was sorting out his move down there, and you visited us when you ran the Edinburgh 10K for charity with Tom. You went to rugby and football together, and gave him somewhere to stay whenever he visited. Thank you.
So, a new chapter begins in life with Tom taking on a different challenge and responsibilities, but I’m sure it’s not goodbye from him, more of a ‘see you later’
Happy New Year everyone. 😊
Good luck with your new exciting job mate. You earned it.
It was nice having you around man! Best of luck to you!
@ThomasBW84 Thanks for everything you've done on the site, especially last year when there was nothing to write about!
You will be missed. Good luck in the future...
@ThomasBW84 @rjejr
Speaking of which...
18 Unannounced Switch Listings "Announced At Nintendo Event"
Granted six or seven of those are probably the special editions. But that still leaves close to a dozen new games to be announced.
@rjejr
You think that average review score was slid in at request after all the complaints people make about reviews? I always tell people they only seem to pay attention to the high scores.
@ThomasBW84
I’ve been a steady reader and commentor since late 2013 and I’ve enjoyed all of your articles and I’ve especially enjoyed all the fun times in the direct chats. Thanks for staying up with us. Hope you stay around in the comments!
@ThomasBW84 nice that makes me happy. All the best in your new job, hope to keep seeing you around
@ThomasBW84 - Goodbye, we'll miss you.
I didn't get to really know ya, but I sure will miss you!
I found this site from a google search looking for a WiiWare review, and I’ve been here ever since for the quality of writing. I’ll venture to say all 10,571 of Thomas’ articles were, at the very least, well written. I’ll miss his in depth reviews as they provided so much more information than the typical synopsis with a silly number at the end that most other sites provide. Thanks Thomas, and best of luck.
It’s always been a pleasure reading Nintendo Life. I think I started around the time Thomas did. His writing was always enjoyable and fair and his contribution to this site will be missed by me (even if I didn’t add to that impressive number of comments all that much). All the best in your future endeavors, Thomas!
@antdickens Excellent sendoff article, thanks for writing it.
@ThomasBW84 I'll miss you being our humble scribe, but I am happy for your new job at Circle. Don't forget to comment regularly here! (Is once per article too much to ask? )
@ThomasBW84 Come back for that January Direct! I found this website late 2016 and have honestly checked this website about twice a day, every day since. Honestly! I found your articles especially great! Thanks for making Nintendo Life my favourite place on the internet and I can't wait to find out some of the games you will be producing!
Smart guy, leaving at a time when Nintendo is doing well. Too many articles and reviews to edit now, it's no longer an easy job...
@ThomasBW84... I'm genuinely happy for you with your new, exciting opportunity... but this particular reader is really gonna miss you. Happy New Year Sir, thank you for everything!
@ThomasBW84 It's not the quantity, it's the quality.
@JaxonH Hey Jax, been meaning to update you on our Switch usage, but I don't function well in the cold. Expect a long email next year after the thaw. I don't' know how you live there, took me only 48 hours to crash my car in Michigan, much respect. As for the review scores, I think AntDickens, man behind the machinations, is just a number crunching guy who appreciates all that TW has done here over the years and just started posting everything number related he could think of. Or maybe hes just caught the "end of year lists" bug that all our brains fall victim too this time of year.
@Spoony_Tech "65k mentions that you responded to"
Every one of them individually until you got all "Save the Earth, conserve the thread count!" on me. Hope you and the fam have been having a good holiday.
All the best Tom, enjoy your new job!
I've not been on this site for that long but have totally appreciated your reviews and articles.
All the best for your future Tom.
Thomas was my favorite staff member at NL so I'm super sad to see him go but I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. @ThomasBW84, don't be a stranger. Post on the comments section from time to time will ya? Good luck!
@BrianW hello Mr. Whitehead, wow that is a nice touch coming here and leaving that lovely message! Your son has made my daily visit, (OK multiple daily visits), genuinely enjoyable and he will be greatly missed... but we are all excited and delighted for him. Happy New Year to you all!
@ThomasBW84 Thanks for all you did! You will be sorely missed. I pray that you are extremely successful in your new job and it brings great joy.
Thanks again Thomas, you were an incredible addition to the NL team. I loved your writing style, and it made for great conversation pieces in the comments below. You will be missed, but the best of luck on your future endeavors!
Nice try, Mr. Dickens but Tom’s style and charm is irreplaceable. As was James’ and Corby’s. Dom will really have to make his personality shine through to follow that lineage. Best wishes for the site in 2018
Good luck in your new job @ThomasBW84, CIRCLE/Flyhigh Works are certainly going to get one talented bloke!
Godspeed, Tom! We’ll miss you
@rjejr where at in Michigan? Does @JaxonH also live in Michigan and I didn't know that?
Goodbye, good luck and thank you.
@Spoony_Tech
Southern Wisconsin, actually, in between Madison and Milwaukee, 3 hours north of Chicago, IL.
Upper Michigan borders WI though. Lower MI does not, but its directly across the Great Lakes.
Thanks for your service Thomas!
It’s dangerous to leave Nintendo Life alone! Take this... fond farewell!
@JaxonH So in other words you're colder then me lol. 15 for a high today. I'm just south of Detroit.
Goodbye, Thomas. You've done a great job keeping the site going strongly. You've always engaged readers and dealt with users brilliantly, even when some (like me) were being prats. Although you do overrate Mario games. XD
I respect the hard work you have put into this site, you will be missed. Good luck for the future!
I’ve been reading this site several times a day for maybe 4 years. It’s honestly my favorite site. Tom’s name is so familiar to me. I’ve linked his name and the site together to be nearly synonymous. I’ll miss him.
Nooo..... now whos going to cover the commentary for the livestreams??????
..Thanks for all the great reads Tom..it's been fun...

...Good luck on your next level!
For what it's worth, @ThomasBW84 was my favourite writer on this website and the only one I wouldn't have strangled in these 7 years. Good luck mate.
Big shoes to fill here. Thomas’ strongest trait is his trustworthiness. I love his viewpoints and reviews. Also does a great job quantifying his criticisms. Wherever he is headed they’ll be lucky to have him. Luckily, this is nintendolife and they’ll have the best coverage as always! @thomasbw84
@ThomasBW84 You're a cool dude, thanks for putting up with my rubbish emails lol 😎
Auf Wiedersehen
I've been around since 2013, so I might know what I'm talking about when I say it was good to have you, Tom. Very much so. Good luck at CIRCLE.
Farewell, my friend.
Farewell.
Goodbye, and thank you for all the work you've put into this wonderful site! May you have success in your future endeavors.
Best of luck in 2018 and beyond, Thomas. Come back and visit us on the site and leave some comments. Nintendolife is one of my two or three main Nintendo websites so I have faith the site will carry on and be great. Happy New Year everyone!
What a great tribute. Nicely done.
Cheers, mate! Will miss your work.
Farewell Tom enjoyed ur reviews and chatting on Nintendo Life and Happy New Years!!!! To everyone Blessed 2018!!!!
You helped make Nintendolife what it is! May the best be put unto yours Thomas into the future, for whatever it is you choose to do I'm sure it will be spectacular! Cheers and thanks for everything; you will be badly missed!
Oh no! Goodbye Tom, you will be missed!! You were my favorite
@ThomasBW84
Thanks once again for all the hard work. I enjoyed the thorough, thoughtful reviews and appreciated the sense of community you helped bring to the website.
Good luck Thomas, wherever you will be
Hah, love all the stats. Feels like we should have NintendoLife staff baseball cards
Anyway, thanks for all your hard work Thomas. You brought us awesome gaming news and reviews. I hope where ever you land next is just as fun. We'll miss ya.
Apart from one moderator, I like all of the Nintendo Life staff! I do not agree how you report on certain subjects, and how many articles are click bait, but NL is still the best Nintendo news site.
@ThomasBW84
I liked your writing, but especially loved your live reports.
Good luck in new job!
@Spoony_Tech What Jax said. I was in the capital Lansing, the place where they like their snow virgin so nobody shovels, plows or salts it. Then when they do get around to removing it they only do the main roads, not the side roads, makes for a rough transition. On the bright side, I learned what a "lower control arm" is and that they are easily bent.
Are you around there? I thought you were upstate NY but I may have confused you w/ arronsullivan. Now that I think about it I do think I recall you also being upper mid-west.
Well this is a right proper send-off for TW. rjejr, derailing threads since 2008. June 23 is my 10 year anniversary, no joke I may actually have 30k posts, 25k of which are off-topic. I wonder if that date is only for NL or if it covers VC-reviews? NL must have the worst wiki entry ever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Life
@JaxonH I just clicked on that link you provided for 18 unannounced Switch listings and the Shovel Knight Treasure Trove amiibo says Wii, Gamecube. Not Wii U or Switch, Wii and Gamecube. That's gotta be the funniest listing ever.
Shovel Knight Treasure Trove 3 Pack - Nintendo Wii, GameCube Yacht Club Games
https://www.amazon.com/Shovel-Knight-Treasure-Trove-Pack-3ds/dp/B075XT9XDT/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1514817714&sr=1-3&keywords=nintendo+switch
The rest of the list wasn't as impressive but seeing Bayonetta 2 + Bayonetta at the bottom of the page gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Not that I'll double dip that's just how Cereza makes me feel.
@rjejr Just south of Detroit. So about 35 minutes from the Ohio boarder
@Spoony_Tech You should tell people you live just north of Toledo.
Though if you're 35 minutes north of Ohio you're pretty much in Detroit. We take 80-75-475-23, always used to stop at Cabela's in Dundee for the kids but they've out grown that now. My sister has been in Lansing for 20 years and we don't fly so there have been a lot of car rides through there. When I was in grad school at UK I had a friend in Saginaw my sister started dating, that's how she wound up there from NYC. I'm never going back again for Christmas though, MI winter broke me, I'll stick to 4th of July weekends and Lugnuts games like we usually do (don't knock minor league baseball just b/c you live in the big city w/ your Tigers, it's a fun family time.). And if you haven't already done so, the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids is really nice. I've been to zoo's all over the world and it's up there. Not a day trip for you, but if you're vacationing on lake MI it's worth half a day. The Potter Zoo in Lansing is cute for kids under 5 for an hour or 2.
Thank you for your fabulous articles!
HAPPY New year
And good luck on your next adventure
Thomas has had a lot to do with this site being, my go-to place on the internet. I appreciate what this place has done for my english writing skills too, since it is my second language. So, in a way @ThomasBW84 has been an english teacher as well.
Thank you so much, Thomas, and Nintendo Life staff and the community for being such a fun part of my life.
@ThomasBW84 Thanks for all your writing, especially during the lean years! Good luck with the new job, and don't be a stranger.
...and there goes the last reviewer on this site I had any respect for, and one of the editors that I've seen interact with the community the most. Gonna miss ya, man.
@ThomasBW84 You truly meant so much to the dedicated NL community Tom. You will be missed.
Thanks for all your hard work! The features were always great
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