Wow, where to start? It’s official, though. It’s been 20 years since I sat down and cobbled together the somewhat infamous 'Our Nintendo Life Begins…' article back in late 2005, a world before iPhones, iPads, Fortnite, and YouTube wasn’t even a year old yet.
How times have changed. Both generally and specifically, the video game industry.
When I wrote that first article, we were technically still in the GameCube era. I had really enjoyed my brief stint putting together 'GameCube UK', a website all about… (you guessed it) GameCube in 2001-2002. Then, with the Nintendo 'Revolution' on the horizon, I was getting the itch to get back into running a website about games, and Nintendo Life was born.
Back when the site turned 10, I penned an article that details the early years of Nintendo Life, if you are interested in that.
The site's name truly is fitting, though, considering that over the years it has become a bigger and bigger part of my life, dominating my entire adult existence. There can’t be many days over the last 20 years that I haven’t interacted with it in some way or at least read/replied to a related email.
Anyway, enough self-indulgence. I’m incredibly proud of Nintendo Life reaching this milestone. It is a testament to all the lovely people who have been on our team, both the amazing staff we have today and all who have come before over the decades. Without them, the website would simply be a shell.
Nintendo Life (mega)evolved from a hobbyist project into a fully fledged business and helped launch the careers of lots of people, most of whom are still working in the games industry today.
We also have to thank Nintendo itself for simply doing what Nintendo does. Given the turbulent times they have faced over the last two decades, I think this particular anniversary finds them in a pretty good position, all things considered. They’ve clearly evolved during the Switch 1 era, mainly for the better, but like any corporation driven by profits, they still have some negative aspects that concern me, as a fan.
Nintendo UK and Nintendo of America have been very supportive of Nintendo Life over the years, and we continue to appreciate their cooperation and respect.
Last but certainly not least, we have to thank you. Yes, you, the reader, the viewer, the user, the watcher. If you are reading this, you are part of our journey. Some of you have been around since the beginning, and for some maybe this is your first ever article. Without you, our audience, there would be no Nintendo Life. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for visiting.
Everything may have started with Nintendo Life, but in those 20 years, we also started a family. Our company name became Hookshot and spawned new sites that you all (hopefully) know and love with Push Square, Pure Xbox, and Time Extension. Although each site has its own dedicated staff, Hookshot itself is one big team, something we are all incredibly proud of.
Only yesterday, the Hookshot team grew once more as we launched the new Digital Foundry website, a new partnership between the newly independent Digital Foundry and Hookshot.