Reminder Splatoon 3's First Splatfest Starts Today
Happy World Rock Paper Scissors Day from Nintendo!
News Nintendo Confirms That Splatoon 3's Shiver Identifies As Female
Confirmation fresh from Nintendo of America
News Game Freak Confirms Pokémon Legends: Arceus Started Development Before Sword & Shield's Launch
And Scarlet & Violet started in 2019
PSA Splatoon 3's Splatfest World Premiere Demo Is Now Live
Splatfest will take place on 27th August
News - 2022, Week 34
Sunday28th Aug 2022
Video Digital Foundry Investigates Switch's Lowest Resolution Games
Could a new Switch improve existing releases?
When the Nintendo Switch made its debut in March 2017, it was already lagging behind the competition in terms of performance. It's resulted in some rough-looking ports such as ARK: Survival Evolved as well as "impossible ports" including games like The Witcher 3 and Doom Eternal. With all the rumours...
Lost in plaaaaaaaay
Graphic adventures can’t seem to settle themselves. Most new games seem to have to start at first principles and decide on their own verbs, loops, control scheme, puzzle types, difficulty, hint system… and it feels like there are more misses than hits. Which makes it all the more impressive that developer Happy Juice Games...
News Sonic Frontiers Switch File Size Seemingly Revealed
Arriving this November
It's been another exciting week for Sonic the Hedgehog fans, with Sega not only releasing a new trailer for Sonic Frontiers at Gamescom's Opening Night Live but also confirming the title would be arriving on all platforms (including the Nintendo Switch) on 8th November. With this anticipated "open-zone" entry getting closer...
Video Masahiro Sakurai Talks About Frame Rates In Games
Sakurai: 60 fps is "ideal" and 30 fps is "adequate"
Masahiro Sakurai launched his very own YouTube earlier this week, and he's already discussed a number of interesting subjects about game development. In his latest video, he talks about how frame rates work in video games. He's also included his own thoughts about frame rates in games - mentioning...
News Nintendo And Mattel Appear To Be Releasing A Mario Movie UNO Set
Targeting a March 2023 release
The Super Mario animated movie starring Chris Pratt as Mario was delayed earlier this year until April 2023. When it does eventually release, it seems there'll be some merchandise. A new listing on Amazon (as spotted by @necrolipe) seemingly reveals Mattel is releasing a "Super Mario Bros. movie" UNO set. There are no...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time
Turtle-y brawling
Happy Bank Holiday weekend to you folks in the UK, and welcome everyone to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, it was the turn of Wave Race 64 to come under BAB scrutiny — which was fitting as the game launched on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass service. it was a close (wave) race between the top two, but...
Round Up Pokémon World Championships 2022 - Was It Worth The Three-Year Wait?
Pokkén and Sword & Shield have left the building
It has been three years since the last Pokémon World Championships, so the excitement for the 2022 event had been building for a long while. For the first time ever, the Pokémon World Championships were held outside of North America, taking place in the UK at the ExCeL London and it brought...
Saturday27th Aug 2022
Reminder Splatoon 3's First Splatfest Starts Today
Happy World Rock Paper Scissors Day from Nintendo!
Splatoon 3's Splatfest World Premiere is home to Splatoon 3's first Splatfest, and the event kicks off today in all regions! Aptly taking place on World Rock Paper Scissors Day, you'll be able to try out the new Splatfests, including the brand new Tri-Color Turf War, in online matches throughout the...
News Netflix Cancels Resident Evil Series After First Season
Run, and don't look back
Deadline has revealed Netflix's live-action Resident Evil series has been axed after its first season. The streaming service will not be ordering a second season of the action-horror series based on Capcom's popular video games. Although it debuted in the top 10 on Netflix, Resident Evil went outside of the most watched...
Feature Super Mario Kart At 30: How 16-Bit Limitations Created A Franchise-Defining Mechanic
The gift of the drift
The landscape of the Mario Kart series looks very different today than it did back in 1992 when Super Mario Kart was released for the Super NES. Of course, there is a clear improvement with respect to visuals and we now have new characters, karts, and courses dropping all the time thanks to the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster...
News Nintendo Has Already Started Banning Splatoon 3 Cheaters
Cracking down on naughty Inklings and Octolings
Splatoon 3 isn't officially out until next month, but it seems Nintendo is already taking action against cheaters. Well-known Nintendo dataminer OatmealDome has revealed the company's anti-cheat measures are already in place for Splatoon 3 - targeting players who modify the new entry in the series. It...
News A New Limited-Time Pokémon Distribution Event Has Been Announced For Japan
A Clefairy for Sword, Shield, BD, SP & Arceus Legends
Although there's already a limited-time Pokémon Sword and Shield distribution event taking place, The Pokémon Company has announced one. This time it's a "special Clefairy". The catch is it's a Japan-only distribution... at least for now. This event will run from 3rd September - 11th September...
News Watch Us Play The Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere Demo - Live!
And we're team Big Man
You didn't think we would be missing Splatoon 3's first Splatfest, did you? Taking place from 9am until 9pm BST, the Splatfest World Premiere brings us our first taste of what Splatoon 3's Splatfests will feel like. While they look pretty similar to Splatoon 2's own, the added three-team aspect and the Tricolor Turf War are...
News Koei Tecmo Teasing New Title From Atelier Developer Gust
All will be revealed at TGS 2022
If you've played and enjoyed the most recent Atelier game on the Nintendo Switch, you might be interested in reading on... Koei Tecmo appears to have teased some news for its Tokyo Game Show 2022 line up and it seems there'll be a mystery title from Atelier's developer Gust. The company's TGS 2022 announcements will...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 27th)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Weekend
As the great Captain Haddock once said, 'what a week, huh?' It seems that in the run-up to Splatoon 3's release, Nintendo has been hitting us with inky news left, right and centre (splaturation, if you will). This week, we got a chance to go hands-on with the upcoming game, and we are sure that some of you will be...
Friday26th Aug 2022
News Game Freak Confirms Pokémon Legends: Arceus Started Development Before Sword & Shield's Launch
And Scarlet & Violet started in 2019
Game Freak held a talk during the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference 2022 (CEDEC) yesterday, 25th August, and the company shared a lot of information about how it developed assets for every Pokémon game, from Pokémon Red & Blue all the way through to the most recent entry in the series, Pokémon...
Cloverfield meets Pokémon
The Pokémon GO Fest reaches its finale tomorrow (August 28th) with a number of one-day events ensuring that the celebrations go out with a bang. Perhaps the biggest of these events will be the arrival of four Ultra Beast Pokémon who will be making their way into five-star raid battles over the course of the day. In...
Poll Splatoon 3's First Splatfest Takes Place This Weekend - Which Team Are You On?
Take a side
Tomorrow is World Rock Paper Scissors Day — which also means that Splatoon 3's first-ever Splatfest begins! Thanks to the Splatfest World Premiere Demo, you can join in on the game's first Splatfest a few weeks before we officially get to paint the town blue, yellow, and red. But before you get started in this fierce competition,...
Deals Capcom's eShop Sale Gives Up To 67% Off Switch Games, Finishes Sunday (North America)
Mega Man, Mega Savings
The end of summer is always about the negatives — colder weather, longer nights and the like — but Nintendo is here to keep the sunshine coming with the Capcom End of Summer Sale over on the official Nintendo site. You'll need to be quick, as the sale is only running until August 28th. You have just a few days left now to...
Round Up The Reviews Are In For Pac-Man World: Re-Pac
Out today on Switch
Bandai Namco is apparently making this summer one for PlayStation platforming remakes! Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is out today on Switch, and — following on from Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series — shows the Japanese developer is acknowledging and showing a little bit of love to some of our childhood favourites. Early reviews have...
Review Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3 (Switch) - Another Pair Of Lesser-Known RPG Gems
Another two RPG classics to dive into, dood!
The Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volumes 1 and Volume 2 each brought a different pair of games to Switch. The third volume brings a PlayStation classic to modern consoles as well as the Western debut of an obscure but well-loved game in the NIS stable. Die-hard tactical RPG fans might have heard of La...
News Nintendo Is Apparently Not Involved In The New Switch DRM Initiative
Demand supposedly came from Denuvo's "existing clients"
Earlier this week at Gamescom, Denuvo by Iredeto launched a "Nintendo Switch Emulator Protection Solution" to safeguard games launched on the hybrid system. Essentially, it's going to be inserted into Switch games in an attempt to prevent them from being played on emulators. Denuvo, as you...
News Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Updated To Version 11.0.2, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Download it now
Capcom has released yet another update for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. This bumps the latest version of the game up to 11.0.2 on the Nintendo Switch. According to a brief summary via social media, this update fixes some issues, along with some equipment loadout and "other" miscellaneous bugs. As usual, you'll need to update to...
News Jump Force Update For Nintendo Switch Shuts Down Online Services
Regular online matches should still be available
Earlier this year in February, Bandai Namco pulled its all-star fighting game Jump Force from the Nintendo Switch eShop and multiple other platforms. This week, scheduled maintenance was spotted (via the Twitter account @NinStatusBot), which raised some eyebrows. This is the
Watch How To Get Good At Collecting Retro Video Games (Without Breaking The Bank)
Time to haggle!
Video gaming has to be one of the more expensive hobbies out there, right? Other than, like, yacht collecting or space travel, of course, but out of the normal hobbies, it's up there. Games themselves tend to cost anywhere from $20 to 80, and that's before you get into things like physical versions and collector's editions and DLC...
News CNBC Sources State Amazon Is Not Planning To Buy EA
Update: USA Today's FTW responds
Update #2 [Fri 26th Aug, 2022 19:00 BST]: FTW has now updated its original story, stating that "unnamed and unvetted sources" were cited in the reporting on this rumour. Here is the editorial statement in full: "Earlier today, GLHF — a gaming/e-sports outlet and content partner of For The Win — ran a version...
News Embracer Group Completes Acquisition Of Various Square Enix Studios And IPs
The $300 million deal has been finalised
Following news that Embracer Group would be acquiring a number of Square Enix's western studios and IPs back in May, the company has today announced that it has completed the purchase. This means Embracer now officially owns Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, and Square Enix Montréal, and holds the rights to...
Rumour Nintendo Dataminers Think They've Uncovered A Splatoon World Map
Texture extracted from Ammo Knights
Ahead of the Splatoon 3 World Premiere Splatfest this weekend, Nintendo dataminers think they've uncovered something special. It apparently could be an official Splatoon world map, discovered alongside texture files associated with the in-game shop Ammo Knights. The Splatoon series has always been filled to the...
News Yep, Big The Cat Has Been Spotted In Sonic Frontiers
And of course there's a fishing minigame
Everyone's favourite fishing feline is back! Big the Cat has been spotted in the Sonic Frontiers demo on the Gamescom showfloor, Eurogamer has reported. Sharing the news on Twitter, @Bibouboul posted a photo of someone playing the demo with the large purple cat standing behind Sonic. The blue blur can also...
News Nintendo Once Again Reassures It Has No Plans To Increase Switch Prices
Following Sony's announcement
Nintendo has confirmed that it will not be increasing the price of Switch models any time soon. VGC reached out to the UK arm of the company to confirm that Nintendo does "not have any plans" to bump up the prices of the console yet. This statement follows the news that Sony would be increasing the price of both...
News Asterix & Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia Barrels Onto Switch This October
Update: Limited and Collector's Editions announced
Update [Fri 26th Aug, 2022 11:15 BST]: Microids has finally given us a firm release date for the next Asterix & Obelix game! The upcoming action-adventure/beat 'em up will be launching on the Switch on 13th October, just in time for the chilly season. (Thanks, Gematsu!) Not only that, we'll be...
News Switch eShop Pre-Orders For Dragon Ball: The Breakers Go Live
Due out October 14th
Bandai Namco's upcoming title Dragon Ball: The Breakers is rather different from previous entries in the series. In this online asymmetrical action game, you'll mostly be running around as "ordinary citizens" trying not to get killed by enemies such as Cell, Frieza and Buu. This game previously locked in a release date of...
News Netflix's BioShock Movie Gets 'I Am Legend' Director And 'Blade Runner 2049' Writer
No gods or kings, only men
We have been eagerly anticipating news of Netflix's BioShock movie ever since the media giant announced its plans back in February, and last night the studio provided some fresh details by revealing both the film's writer and director. In a tweet, the streaming service announced that the upcoming adaptation would be...
News Cursed To Golf Gets New Update On Switch, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Out of the bunker
The rather weird and wonderful golf-like (that's a golfing roguelike) Cursed to Golf is proving itself to be pretty popular on the fairway. We really enjoyed our time with it, scoring it 8/10 in our review. Now, developer Chuhai Labs has released a patch that looks to smooth out the bunker and will help make your golfing experience...
News BPM: Bullets Per Minute Sets Its Sights On Switch This September, Pre-Order Now
A "rhythm-action FPS rogue-like"
Awe Interactive has announced it will be celebrating its 2nd year anniversary of the rhythm-action FPS rogue-like BPM: Bullets Per Minute with a Nintendo Switch release. Fans of Nintendo's hybrid system can get ready to "rock 'n' rogue' on 8th September for £19.99/€21.99/$24.99. Playtonic Friends are publishing...
News New Minecraft Legends Trailer Gives A First Look At Fiery Foes
The power of Piglins
Nintendo has shared a new look at Mojang's much-anticipated Minecraft Legends across its social channels, this time introducing us to a clan of fiery creatures who we can only assume will be your central opponents in the game. Seriously, have you ever seen a good guy living in a castle of flames? The trailer carries some...
News TinyBuild Just Paid $3m To Own Surgeon Simulator And I Am Bread
Bossa Studios is pivoting to co-op PvE
American-European developer and indie publisher TinyBuild announced today that they have acquired the developmental rights for several of Bossa Studios' IPs, namely Surgeon Simulator, I Am Fish, and I Am Bread. TinyBuild's stable of games currently includes Potion Craft, Hello Neighbor, Totally Reliable...
Thursday25th Aug 2022
News Nintendo Confirms That Splatoon 3's Shiver Identifies As Female
Confirmation fresh from Nintendo of America
Last week, we reported on fan speculation that Shiver, a member of the band Deep Cut in Splatoon 3 and one of a trio of new announcers in the game, could potentially be Nintendo's first major non-binary character. Compelling evidence from the recent
PSA Splatoon 3's Splatfest World Premiere Demo Is Now Live
Splatfest will take place on 27th August
Update [Thu 25th Aug, 2022 01:30 BST]: Part of this Splatfest World Premiere Demo is now live. You'll be able to try out the tutorials, get some practice in, and explore the city of Splatsville. Enjoy! Original article [Fri 19th Aug, 2022 10:30 BST]: Splatoon 3's first-ever Splatfest takes place next...
Round Up All The Nintendo Switch Titles From The Future Games Show 2022
17 new games are on the way
The Future Games Show took place last night at Gamescom and was streamed live thanks to the folks over at GamesRadar. While the focus seemed to be mainly on PC, there were a number of titles revealed that will be coming to the Switch. We have rounded up all of the games that we could confirm are coming to Switch below...
Review Cursed To Golf (Switch) - A Spooky Roguelike That's More Than Up To Par
"You're not being the ball, Danny"
Halloween might still be a couple months away, but Chuhai Labs has seen fit to kick off the spooky season early with its latest release, Cursed to Golf. Starring a person who basically escapes from hell using nothing but their god-tier golf skills, it’s certainly a memorable adventure and we’re happy to say...
News Cult Of The Lamb Version 1.0.3 Live For Switch, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Fixes softlock and temple issues
We think Cult of the Lamb is pretty darn good, but if there's one issue we highlighted with the cult-forming roguelike, it's the game's various performance bugs. Fortunately, we haven't had to wait long for a patch that will fix these issues, and the developer has shared what to expect in version 1.0.3. Sharing...
Review I Was A Teenage Exocolonist (Switch) - Beautiful, Generous, And Too Nice For Its Own Good
Personal space
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, the latest game from indie publisher Finji, developed by Northway Games, is a nice game. It looks nice, sounds nice, features nice characters being nice to one another, and is so nice to the player that you’ll breeze right through it – for better or worse. This is a game where the sheer word count and...
Video Square Enix Releases New Official Trailer For Dragon Quest X Offline
Launching exclusively in Japan next month
Square Enix has released a third official trailer for Dragon Quest X Offline, due out for Switch, PlayStation and PC in Japan on 15th September. This latest clip highlights the heroes. In case you've missed our previous coverage, this is a new version of the MMORPG that can be played completely offline...
Nintendo Download 25th August (North America)
The Cowabunga Collection! Tinykin! HAAK!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy! Switch eShop - Highlights: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The...
News Sonic Frontiers Pre-Orders Come With Famous V-Tuber DLC In Japan
Fast fashion
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 officially revealed Sonic Frontiers' release date as November 8th (though many of us had seen this coming thanks to a leak earlier in the day). Since this announcement, Sega has been moving fast to release new info about the game, including what we can expect to see in the different pre-order packages.
News Pokémon Unite Reveals Roadmap For New Trainers, Pokémon and Legendary Battles
The first anniversary celebrations continue
The Pokémon World Championship 2022 might be over, but that doesn't mean that there will be no more quality Poké-content coming your way. Today, Pokémon Unite has taken to Twitter to lay down the roadmap for the next month of updates, detailing which fighters will be the next to join the battle, and...
Random Nintendo Teams Up With Baskin Robbins To Make Inkable Splatoon Ice Cream
Japan-only :(
Last month, Nintendo and the US chain Cold Stone Creamery teamed up to make Kirby ice cream. This month, it's Baskin Robbins' turn to make Splatoon-themed ice cream ahead of the imminent release of Splatoon 3. And while the Kirby ice creams sounded delicious... these ones let you decorate the sweets with blue and yellow ink! There are...
News Guitar Hero Meets Street Fighter In This Rhythm-Based Brawler Coming Soon To Switch
Rock and brawl
Gamescom's Future Games Show might have just revealed the most unexpected genre mashup of the year. God of Rock is a fighting game in which your success in combat is dependent on your ability to keep rhythm with a Guitar Hero-esque music tab at the bottom of the screen. We have all felt the pressure of losing your groove on Guitar...
News We're Getting A New Four-Player 'Puzzle Bobble' Exclusively On Switch Next Year
Everybubble celebrate!
Puzzle Bobble — once known as Bust-A-Move in the west — is one of our favourite Taito franchises, so we're always happy to see more entries in this Bubble Bobble spin-off series. And Taito has today revealed the next new entry, coming exclusively to Switch in 2023. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! doesn't just come with an...
News Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Teases Free Title Update 2, Landing Next Month
The Flaming Espinas arrives "late September"
Now that Free Title Update 1 for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak has been delivered, all you monster hunters out there might be wondering when the second update is coming. Capcom has now committed to a "late" September launch for the second free title update. This will include the Flaming Espinas and...
Watch Nintendo Treehouse Live Presentation August 2022 - Splatoon 3 And Harvestella
New details incoming
Rather than holding a Treehouse Live presentation close to E3 or another Direct, Nintendo likes to keep up on our toes and will be holding one such showcase today. In an announcement that went out on Tuesday, today's presentation will be a standalone feature focussing on the unlikely pairing of Splatoon 3 and Harvestella. This...
Video Here's A Teaser Of Fear Effect Reinvented, Coming Soon To Switch
See the third-person gameplay in action
We feel like we've been waiting forever for the original Fear Effect to make its return, ever since the remaster Fear Effect Reinvented was announced for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. As you might recall, this version of the action-adventure title will capture the "same spirit and atmosphere" as the original...
Japanese Charts Kirby’s Dream Buffet Makes Sweet Debut Thanks To eShop Cards
Absolutely delicious
It's back to our regularly scheduled Nintendo Switch Sports dominance in the Japanese charts. For the last few months, we've seen a handful of different games grab the number one spot in the weekly Famitsu charts, but last week saw Nintendo's family-friendly online sports game reclaim number one from Xenoblade Chronicles 3. And...
News 'A Little To The Left' Will Come Out A Little To The Later On Switch
PC and Mac release is in November
For fans of indie smash-success Unpacking, which was a game about taking things out of boxes and putting them on shelves (it's better than it sounds, promise), A Little To The Left should be on your radar, too. Except where Unpacking's villain was "not knowing whether items belong in the kitchen or bathroom", A...
News Footage From Sonic Frontiers' Cyber Space Stages Emerges From Gamescom
Cyber Space, the final frontier
Sonic Frontiers' latest story trailer gave us a release date for Sonic's open-zone adventure, and it looked pretty darn good, too! The game is currently at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and fans can go hands-on with the game at the convention. Our sister site Push Square has shared the footage from Twitter, and demos...
News Cadence Of Hyrule Dev Shares First Look At Its Brand New Rhythm Game Spinoff
Introducing Rift of the Necrodancer
Following on from an announcement earlier this month, Brace Yourself Games - the developer behind Cadence of Hyrule - has now officially given fans a first look at its brand new rhythm game known as Rift of the Necrodancer. This is apparently a spinoff - with players required to help Cadence navigate the modern...
News Chibi-Robo Director Doesn't Think Skip Ltd Will Release Another Entry In The Series
"Most of the staff have moved on to other companies"
There's nothing quite like Chibi-Robo. The teeny, tiny little robot came out late in the GameCube's lifespan in the west and never really got the love he deserved. We never forgot about him at least, but it's been a quiet few years since developer Skip Ltd and Chibi-Robo have plugged into...
News Mattel Announces A Big, Buildable Pikachu, And It Has Moveable Legs
And a shocking amount of bricks
We can never have enough Pokémon toys, especially buildable ones! And today, The Pokémon Company and Mattel have announced a brand new Pikachu that's bound to set off sparks in your heart. This MEGA Pokémon Motion Pikachu Building Set lets you build an adorable, elaborate electric mouse to display or play with...
News Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 Is Getting Five Huge Free Updates, First Out Thursday
Well that was lighting fast!
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is a fabulous sequel that scratches that Mega Man Zero itch we've been craving, and after the man series' long absence, it's great to revisit Gunvolt and friends. And Inti Creates has revealed that we'll have plenty more reason to keep coming back to the game, as it will be bringing five big...
Random Sakurai Originally Wanted Kirby To Grab Enemies With His Tongue
Beating Yoshi to the punch
We've been talking about Masahiro Sakurai a lot recently, haven't we? The creator of Kirby and Smash Bros. has started up his own YouTube channel, where he's already amassed over 200,000 subscribers, and he's already released one video about 'hit stops'. Sakurai has also started a miniseries on the channel called 'Game Co
News Magnet-Magic Metroidvania Sequel 'Teslagrad 2' Confirmed For Switch
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
As part of the Future Games Show at Gamescom, we saw a little bit more of Teslagrad 2 — the sequel to critically-acclaimed metroidvania Teslagrad — as well as a release date and a confirmation that it'll come to Switch. Like the original game, Teslagrad 2 is all about using...
Nintendo Download 25th August (Europe)
Islets! I Was a Teenage Exocolonist! RITE!
The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy! Switch Retail eShop - New Releases: Are You Smarter than a 5th...
Wednesday24th Aug 2022
News Good Smile Shares First Look At Figma Samus Aran: Metroid Dread Prototype
Update: New photos surface
Update [Wed 24th Aug, 2022 02:45 BST]: Some new pictures of the Samus Metroid Dread figma have surfaced online following its reveal earlier this month. They've been shared on social media courtesy of the Twitter account amiamihobbynews (via Nintendo Soup). You can cycle through these new shots in the tweet below:
Review Islets (Switch) - A Wholesome, Hand-Painted Metroidvania That's Stunning To Look At
A tale of the small but mighty
Kyle Thompson, the creator of Sheepo, is back with another weird yet wonderful addition to the Metroidvania genre. Islets is a gorgeously hand-painted story of connection and adventure through a world quite literally torn apart. Taking on the role of a self-doubting mouse whose dream is to reconnect to the world and...
News Masahiro Sakurai Has Launched His Own YouTube Channel About Creating Games
Smash director wants to help "make games more fun"
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai yesterday teased a new announcement, and today he's revealed it's his very own YouTube channel titled Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games. As the title suggests, this channel will be focused on game development and what exactly makes games fun to...
News New Denuvo 'Switch Emulator Protection' Tech Launches, And Players Are Worried
DRM a little DRM
Cybersecurity company Irdeto has revealed some brand new tech to help protect Switch games from piracy. Denuvo — a somewhat controversial DRM technology first used on FIFA 15 back in 2014 — aims to integrate effortlessly into the developer's build toolchain without impacting the game itself as well as inserting checks into the...
News Nintendo Asks Players To Select Local Region For Splatoon 3 Splatfest Demo
For the best experience possible
The Splatoon 3 Splatfest "World Premiere" starts later this week, and it seems Nintendo has issued some additional advice via its Japanese social media channels. When you first boot it up, be sure to pick the correct region. Once you've selected a region, you won't be able to undo it in the demo. If you select a...
News Pokémon Says Goodbye To Pokkén Tournament World Championships After Six Years
Can we have Pokkén 2 now?
Last weekend, the Pokémon World Championships held the final Pokkén Tournament DX competition. As you might recall, The Pokémon Company announced this back in May. The Pokkén official competition originally started out with the Wii U original in 2016. To say goodbye to this game after six years, the Pokémon social...
Hands On Splatoon 3 Brings New Ideas, But Nothing Revolutionary
Ink, splat, swim, repeat
Recently we were tickled pink to be invited by Nintendo to have a go at Splatoon 3, and as you might expect we accepted the offer. We got to play for about an hour or so, running through a few of the single-player levels, two rounds of Turf War, and three rounds of the new and improved version of Salmon Run — but how did...
Video Hogwarts Legacy Gets A New Trailer Introducing The Dark Arts
Launching in 2023
The upcoming action RPG Hogwarts Legacy - based on the Harry Potter series - was one of the many games showcased during Gamescom's Opening Night Live event. This latest video (above) introduced the Slytherin student Sebastion Sallow. In the game, it'll be the player's choice whether they "embrace or reject" the Dark Arts in order...
Random What Do You Mean Super Mario's Donut Blocks Aren't Based On Donuts?
"Jelly-filled are my favourite"
Donut blocks. We all know them, and we all either love them or hate them as they collapse under the weight of our platforming plumber Mario. These platforms have been around since Super Mario Bros. 3, always waiting to lure us in with the safety of a flat surface, before falling and taking us Mario to his demise...
News 'Bullet Soul' Shmup Duo Get Short Delay On Switch, Still Releasing Fall
Update: Now launching a few weeks later
Update [Wed 24th Aug, 2022 10:30 BST]: Bullet Soul and Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst are getting a slight delay on Switch, MAGES. has announced on Twitter. This pair of shmups will now be releasing a few weeks later worldwide on Switch — on 29th September as opposed to 9th September in the west (and 22nd in...
News Dev Delays 'A Space For The Unbound' After Feeling 'Exploited' By Publisher
Update: PQube responds
Update [Wed 24th Aug, 2022 16:35 BST]: PQube Games has provided us with the following statement responding to Toge Productions' Twitter post: “We have honoured all obligations of our publishing agreement and have supported Toge Productions at every stage of product development throughout their delays and difficulties. This...
News Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Continues To Look Stunning In New Trailer
With returning characters from Rising
We now know that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, the turn-based Suikoden successor from series creator Yoshitaka Murayama, is coming to Switch thanks to a Kickstarter update back in May. But we haven't seen much of the game for a while except through continued monthly development updates — and in part...
News Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! 'Let's Sing ABBA' Brings Band's Biggest Hits To Switch
Will you spend the money, money, money?
After revealing which pop hits would be landing on Let's Sing 2022 last week, Ravenscourt is back with more news on their ABBA karaoke sing-along, Let's Sing ABBA. Setting up shop at Gamescom this week, the studio has announced that the Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid classics will be making their voyage...
News Are You Ready, Kids? New SpongeBob SquarePants Gameplay Footage Revealed
Sharing the game's secret formula
After its announcement last year, we have been eagerly awaiting updates on Purple Lamp Studio's SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake. While we are still without any sign of a release date (guess the mail must be slow out of Bikini Bottom), we have now received the first look at some gameplay footage. Showcased...
UK Charts Two Point Campus Drops Out Of Top Ten, Switch Sales Still Impress
Elsewhere, the classics return
Last week's UK charts saw the meteoric rise of Two Point Campus on Switch, with the Nintendo console accounting for a huge percentage of the game's sales. While Sega's university sim has fallen out of the top ten this week (down to number 14, in fact), the Switch has remained the title's dominant home, with the current...
News Never Played Splatoon? Nintendo's Splatoon 3 Beginner's Guide Will Help
Squid study starts now
Before Splatoon 3 splats onto our screens on September 9th, Nintendo has released a new five-minute trailer which serves as a beginner's guide to the world and shenanigans of Splatsville. (Thanks, GoNintendo!) We have learned much about the upcoming sequel over the past few weeks, and with a
Talking Point Can We Predict The Other Two Stories In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
Treasure, school, and evil...
One of the details revealed in the latest Pokémon Scarlet & Violet trailer was that the game would have three main stories, which could be played in any order. We were told about one of the three: The story of battling through all the gyms to get to whatever this game's equivalent of the Pokémon League is...
Random Splatoon 3 Takes To The Stairs In This Massive South Korean Poster
Works on so many levels
Splatoon 3 is now just around the corner and we are being drip-fed more content on it each day, with the adverts getting bigger and bigger. Sure, you could watch Nintendo's new five-minute-long trailer published just today, but for those of you who want to step up your Splatoon consumption ahead of launch, look no further...
News 'Fall Of Porcupine' Is A Scrubs-Inspired Look At The Hardships In Healthcare
No eagles here
Here's a combination of things we never knew we needed in our lives — Scrubs and Night in the Woods. But that's what publisher Assemble Entertainment has cited as the inspiration for BUNTSPECHT.GAMES' debut title, Fall of Porcupine, a lovely adventure game full of humour, emotion, and profound stories. Choosing to focus on the...
News Gothic Horror Dating Sim/Murder Mystery 'Mask Of The Rose' Delayed To 2023
"We’ve been seeing signs of an over-tight schedule"
Failbetter announced last week that their new game Mask of the Rose — a dating sim visual novel based around their Victorian-London-but-spooky setting of Fallen London and Sunless Sea — would be pushed back from its initial release date of Q3 2022 all the way to April 2023. The delay is due...
Tuesday23rd Aug 2022
Random Vintage Nintendo Playing Card Opening Ends In Disaster For Collector
“I cannot overstate how excited I was"
We've covered Nintendo's history a lot here at NL, and not just the video game side. At this point, it's pretty well known that before Nintendo jumped into gaming, it was well known for producing handmade hanafuda playing cards. And if you're a hardcore Nintendo collector, you'll likely want to get your hands...
News Masahiro Sakurai Shares His Final Smash Bros. Ultimate Screenshot
And teases "something new"
At the beginning of this month, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai mentioned how he would run out of screenshots of the debug version at some point in August. Well, that day has finally come - with the much-loved game developer today sharing his final screenshot, taken from the debug version of the game...
News Nintendo Prepares For 3DS & Wii U eShop Closure With Scheduled Maintenance
We're in the endgame now
This week is pretty significant in the world of Nintendo - with the Japanese company previously announcing it would "no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account on Nintendo eShop for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS". This will take effect "as of" 29th August 2022, and it seems Nintendo has now taken...
News Open The Early Access Gates With Disney Dreamlight Valley's Founder's Packs
The bear necessities?
Disney's lovely, magical take on the life sim genre, Disney Dreamlight Valley, hits Early Access at the beginning of September. And while the upcoming game is going free to play in 2023, if you want to get in early, you'll have to pay the price of admission from one of three Founder's Packs. All three Founder's Packs are...
News Stardew Valley Creator Uploads New Screenshot Of His Next Project
Introducing the Bee Boss
Stardew Valley creator "Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone has already shared a new screenshot of his next project Haunted Chocolatier earlier this month, and now he's released another one. It's perhaps the sweetest one yet - revealing one of the boss enemies in game. This one is simply referred to as "Bee Boss" for now, and as you...
News Sonic Frontiers Story Trailer Officially Confirms November Release
Update: After Sega accidentally leaked earlier
Update #2 [Tue 23rd Aug, 2022 19:55 BST]: Right on time! Well, maybe a little late after Sega accidentally shared its advert earlier today. But hey, at least we know officially when Sonic Frontiers launches at last! Sonic made an appearance at this year's Gamescom Opening Night Live and during its...
News Vernal Edge Is A Fast-Paced Metroidvania With Family Drama, Coming To Switch
Metroidvania takes to the skies
A mysterious floating city, estranged father figure and sword-wielding combat are but three of the features that seem to run throughout Vernal Edge — the pixel art Metroidvania soon to come to Switch — and this level of mystery has certainly piqued our interest. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign,...
News Disgaea 7 Officially Announced For Switch, And Things Are Getting Bigger
Out in Japan in January
Nippon Ichi Software has revealed the next entry in the popular Disgaea franchise. This over-the-top strategy RPG series' new entry — Disgaea 7 — launches in Japan on 26th January next year, and the developer also shared a ton of details about the game. An English localisation hasn't been announced yet, but we usually get...
Review Dusk Diver 2 (Switch) - An Anime Hack 'N' Slash That Misses The Mark
Livin' La Viada Loca
After launching on PC earlier this year, JFI Games’ Dusk Diver 2 has made its way to consoles three years after the original game. While Dusk Diver was seen as a solid foundation, it lacked in several departments. Sadly, while Dusk Diver 2 makes some steps in the right direction, it comes with a host of its own problems that...
News Nintendo Treehouse: Live Presentation Set For This Thursday
Featuring Splatoon 3 and Harvestella
Nintendo has announced a presentation — no, not a Direct, but a Treehouse: Live presentation. These presentations normally take place during and around E3 or other Directs, but it looks like this will be a stand-alone one, taking place on 25th August. The Treehouse will be split into three segments; the first...
Random Minecraft's Steve Gets His Beard Back, Confirming It Was Never A Smile
Goatee simulator
For the first time in over a decade, Mojang has updated Minecraft's character skins for both Steve and Alex and we are pleased to see a certain hairy chin chum making its long-awaited return. As noted on Reddit (thanks Eurogamer), the updated character models now have certain 3D elements to their base blockiness — rolled sleeves!...
Mini Review RITE (Switch) - A Short And Very Sweet Precision Platformer
A platformer done Rite
Precision platformers—such as Slime-San, The End is Nigh, or Celeste—can be tough to pull off given their razor-sharp requirements. Make the game too frustrating, and most players won’t even try to overcome the devilish challenges laid out for them. Make the game too easy, and it’ll lose a lot of its ‘hardcore’...
News Splatoon 3's Splatfest World Premiere Will Include "A Whopping 26 Weapons"
Try before you buy
Splatoon 3 is fast-approaching, and later this week there's a Splatfest World Premiere demo going live - where players can see what the game has to offer and get a little bit of practice in before the big release next month. If you have been wondering just how much of the game will be on offer, Nintendo has now revealed on its...
News Return To Monkey Island Gets A Release Date And A Horse Armour Pre-Order Bonus
P-arrrr-ty time
The long-anticipated next entry to Monkey Island series, cleverly named Return to Monkey Island, has just been provided with a release date and brand new trailer at Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live. Excitingly for fans of the classic point-and-click adventure series, the game is landing on Switch less than a month from now, on 19th...
Random BMW Reveals Pokémon-Themed Mini Aceman Concept At Gamescom
BM double-Mew
BMW has revealed a Pokémon-themed version of its all-electric Mini Aceman concept car as part of a MINI x Pokémon collaboration. Shown during a slightly bizarre segment of Gamescom's Opening Night Live, as hosted by Geoff Keighley, there was lots of flowery brand-focused language but not much in the way of specifics. It's a concept...
News 20th Super Mario Kart Championships Start Their Engines On Twitch Today
Off to the races
We are rapidly approaching the 30th anniversary of Super Mario Kart's Japanese release on the Super Famicom, but what if we told you that there is another SMK-adjacent anniversary happening today? We are, of course, talking about the Super Mario Kart Championships, which will be racing off the start line today in its 20th year of...
News Combat Android 2B Stars In New NieR: Automata Switch Trailer
"Everything that lives is designed to end"
Square Enix and PlatinumGames' masterpiece NieR: Automata launches on Switch in early October alongside some exclusive costumes, and Square is reintroducing the game's central characters to the world before we make our journey to the future to fight a war with the machines. Today, we get to meet 2B (or...
News Introducing Koco, A Cute New Character Appearing In Sonic Frontiers
Tune into Gamescom ONL for a new trailer
Gamescom Opening Night Live is taking place soon, and ahead of the showcase hosted by Geoff Keighley, Sega has been hyping up a new Sonic Frontiers trailer that will be airing at the event. Now, in another new screenshot, fans have been formally introduced to Koco - a "lil" creature that will likely feature...
News My Nintendo Store Has Reopened After Weeks Of Maintenance (EU)
Our wallets are ready, again
After being closed for maintenance for a number of weeks, the My Nintendo Store online shop has reopened for business in Europe! This was sent to us from Carlos A. Yllobre at Nintenderos, who informed us that the new store also comes with pre-order bonuses for Splatoon 3 as well as lower shipping rates — for Spanish...
News New Tales From The Borderlands Officially Revealed, Hitting Switch In October
Update: Gearbox confirm
Update [Tue 23rd Aug, 2022 19:45 BST]: Gearbox has officially confirmed New Tales from the Borderlands for Switch (and other platforms) with the above trailer at Gamescom 2022. Bringing back people from the now-defunct Telltale Games who developed the first Tales from the Borderlands game, it's launching on 21st October...
Watch Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022!
World premieres from Germany
It's back. Gamescom kicks off as a hybrid online and in-person event this week, and who else would be starting proceedings but Geoff Keighley? Hasn't it only just been Summer Game Fest? Opening Night Live is finally here, and just like last year, Nintendo itself isn't present at the show, so we'll be on the lookout for...
News The Brilliant Couch Co-Op Game 'Moving Out' Is Getting A Sequel With Online Multiplayer
And they said FART
We love a good couch co-op game here at Nintendo Life, and Moving Out is one of our favourites. So we're delighted that SMG Studio is developing a sequel to this delightful little game. Moving Out 2 was announced during Opening Night Live 2022 at Gamescom, and you'll be able to play both online and locally on your own, with a...
News Chill Landscaping Puzzler Dorfromantik Is Coming To Switch
Maps and naps
Sometimes, you want a game like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or Elden Ring: One that eats up all your free time, requires careful attention, and takes hundreds of hours to properly understand. Sometimes, you want a game that you can half-pay attention to while you watch Better Call Saul and eat an entire bag of cheese-covered snack items...
Soapbox Ace Attorney: Trials And Tribulations Is The Perfect Tragedy
With the perfect villain
Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations on the DS turns 20 today (although the GBA version is a few years older). To celebrate, we're reminiscing on what makes it one of the most beloved games in the series... Massive spoilers for Ace Attorney 1-3 below!! Anyone who's ever played an Ace Attorney game knows the score by now...
News Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Smashes Past 4 Million Sales Worldwide
Now that's a lot of hunting
A little over a month ago, we were impressed by the announcement that Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak had sold three million units worldwide, and August has only seen the popularity of the DLC continuing to increase. In a tweet shared from the official Monster Hunter Twitter account, the developers announced that sales of...
Monday22nd Aug 2022
Rumour Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG Has Zelda: Breath Of The Wild-Style Visuals
And it could be out soon
Last weekend, we found out about a new Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG through an Amazon Japan listing. Titled Avatar: The Last Airbender - Quest for Balance, nothing has been confirmed by the supposed developer GameMill at the moment. But Avatar fansite Avatar News states that it has seen the game, along with knowing when...
Random These Pokémon Cushions Offer The Perfect Post-Training Relaxation
Dedenne, use Hug!
Here at Nintendo Life, we love Pokémon merchandise. There was the life-sized Lucario plushie that we were fawning over this month and who can forget the giant Snorlax bed? What we struggle to get over, however, is when these adorable collectables are available only in Japan (please, TPC, we need them). As of today, we have...
News Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Announces Season Pass And Gold Edition
A gold star for you
In just two months, Mario and friends — both old and new — will be returning to space in the sequel to Ubisoft's surprise strategy hit, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. And Nintendo has revealed that the upcoming game will be getting a Season Pass! This probably isn't too much of a surprise, as Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle...
News Turn-Based Cyberpunk RPG 'Jack Move' Will Boot Up On Switch Next Month
Wake up, hacker
So Romantic's Jack Move, the futuristic grid-based RPG where you play as a hacker, will be tapping into our Switch's mainframe on 20th September. This beautiful, neon, pixel art RPG made a splash on Steam with its prologue demo earlier this year, and it's now bringing the whole adventure to consoles (and PC) later this year. Steam,...
Feature Kirby Café Tokyo - We Go Full Mouthful Mode Beneath The World's Tallest Tower
Kirby and the Forgotten Diet
If you’re a long-time Nintendo Life reader, or a devout Kirby fan, then you might remember that time Nintendo opened a small chain of Kirby-themed pop-up restaurants across Japan – christened Kirby Café, appropriately enough – in 2016. Beginning with its first temporary location in Osaka, that was quickly...
News Hooray! Hooray! We're Getting A New 'Adventures Of Tintin' Game In 2023
"What a week, huh?"
It's not even Wednesday yet, readers! But don't worry, we're only delivering good news here; the famous Belgian comic series The Adventures of Tintin, penned by Hergé, is getting a brand new video game adaptation next year thanks to publisher Microids and developer Pendulo Studios. Tintin Reporter - Cigars of the Pharaoh, based...
News Flashback 2 Will Now Launch Sometime In 2023
Update: Originally slated for winter release
Update [Mon 22nd Aug, 2022 15:15 BST]: Before this summer, we'd been waiting a little while for some more Flashback 2 news, hadn't we? Now, publisher Microids has shared an update for this long-awaited sequel, and it means we're going to have to wait a bit longer. In a press release shared by Gematsu,...
Random Wait, Is Scarlet & Violet's Newest Pokémon Related To The Legendaries?
Fans take to Twitter to crack the case
The closing ceremony of the Pokémon World Championship was packed full of new information about Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the most notable reveal being the identity of a brand new 'mon, Cyclizar, who will be landing in the Pokédex on November 18th. This Dragon/Normal type Pokémon will possess a new...
News Live A Live Producer: Nintendo Wanted Game On Virtual Console, Led To Remake Conversation
Nintendo lived for the game
For a long time, we didn't think we'd ever see an official localisation of Live A Live, but it's 2022, and we're still pinching ourselves over the existence of the HD-2D remake. Live A Live is brilliant, and we're glad we finally got to experience it, but the game's director (and remake's producer) Takashi Tokita has...
News Take A First Look At Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Updated Battle Stadium
Ranked, Casual and Online Battles return
The closing ceremony of the Pokémon World Championships provided us with some more information on the creatures that we can expect to encounter in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, revealing the new Dragon/Normal type, Cyclizar as well as some more details about the new Terrastalizing ability. But the news...
News Train Valley: Console Edition Update Adds Switch Touchscreen Support
Lay track with pin-point precision
The popular PC train management game, Train Valley: Console Edition, arrived on Switch last month and publisher Blitworks Games has notified passengers of service improvements introduced to make the most of the console's touchscreen capabilities. The transport and train management genre appears to have found its...
News Fight Monsters And Clear Hairballs In This Upcoming 1-Bit Feline Dungeon Crawler
Paw Swords
How many times have you thought, "yes, this dungeon crawler is great, but I wish there was the option to play as a cat"? Well, UnderDungeon, developed by Josyan, might be just the game to fill this retro feline-focussed hole in your gaming collection. The newest release from publisher RedDeerGames will see you taking on Zelda-inspired...
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