Nintendo Life Postbox
Image: Nintendo Life

Gaming is pretty great these days, but there are a handful of things we miss from the olden times before everything went online. Game stores are a big one — there's nothing like wandering down to your local emporium and seeing row upon row of actual genuine video games, consoles and accessories old and new. You know, as opposed to a wall of Funko Pops, a chair with blinking lights, and a cabinet of secondhand Samsung Galaxies.

Game magazines are another thing we miss. There are still some stalwart publications hanging in there, thankfully, and there's something intimate and special about holding print in your hands and poring over physical pages for your gaming news and reviews. It's a feeling we do our best to replicate on the site, which leads us to our newest regular feature. Introducing the Nintendo Life Mailbox.

Readers' Letters?! Great, but what about the comments section? Well, that's not quite the same, is it? Don't worry, the comments and the forums aren't going anywhere — we're just eager to recapture some of that old-school, monthly Letters page spirit!

Animal Crossing Pete
Image: Nintendo Life

To be clear, these mails will still be electronic, we'll just be showcasing a handful of them via our new and monthly Mailbox article that gives readers the chance to get in touch in a slightly different, retro-flavoured way. Want to get an opinion on a specific game or series or console off your chest? Want to know our thoughts on a certain gaming topic? A question about the site, perhaps? A desperate need to hear Jim's thoughts on the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy 3 versus the previous two entries and the wider MCU audioscape? Now's your chance!

If you think back, you might also remember that mags would often highlight a 'Star' letter, and we'll be doing the same. We recently started up our Supporter scheme for NL readers who enjoy the site and would like the option to experience it ad-free (you may have seen the little pulsing '' badge next to users' names, or even signed up yourself — thank you!), and every month a Star letter of our choosing will receive one month’s free subscription to our Supporter programme.

Check out the article below for the full lowdown on our Supporter scheme. To reiterate, we have zero plans to paywall content in any way. Every article on the site will remain available to all readers — this is just an alternative way to support what we do for anyone who prefers an ad-less reading experience.

Okay, I'm game. But where do I send my missives? you cry. Glad you asked, and great to see 'missives' being deployed appropriately. Details below:

Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelines

  • Letters, not essays, please - Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn't likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you're after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)
  • Don't go crazy with multiple correspondences - Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!
  • Don't be disheartened if your letter doesn't appear in the monthly article - We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we'll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn't chosen for the article, please don't get disheartened!

How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life Mailbox

  • Head to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Reader Letters" from the drop-down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully-crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you're done!

We look forward to rifling through our mailbox! If you've got any questions, let us know below. Otherwise, we'll see you soon once we've cracked open your considered, cultured correspondence.