Latest Soapbox
October2021
Soapbox Let's Get Happy Home Designer Into Animal Crossing: New Horizons
My villagers have no RESPECT for interior design
So, unlike most people, I have actually played Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. I don't blame those of you who didn't — it's a weird little spin-off that peters out pretty quickly, and lacks a lot of the liveliness of Animal Crossing itself, but... well... there's something special about it all...
Soapbox Why Apollo Justice Might Be The Best Ace Attorney Game
How's that for a Turnabout
Can you imagine celebrating your 20th birthday, and someone comes up to you and tells you that your nervous, short friend/mentee is much more interesting than you? Well, it's Ace Attorney's 20th birthday, and while that's not exactly what I'm doing (and I'll explain why in more detail in a moment), I have to say: as a...
Soapbox Paper Mario: TTYD Is 17 Years Old Today, But It's Still A Masterpiece
A paper cut above the rest
From the very first second of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, I was hooked. The game begins with a gentle twinkling music and a book opening to tell you the story of an ancient, ruined town lost to time, and the fabled treasure buried there; once you've listened to the whole story (and seen Peach herself buying a...
Soapbox Joy-Con Aren't Perfect, But They're Great For Sick Day Gaming
Everybody hurts (themselves) sometimes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been pondering. Today, Kate discusses rediscovering the joy of Joy-Con following a recent mishap, and her dreams of Joy-Con 2.0... I'm about to turn 30, so of course, the natural...
Soapbox What Makes A Game A Good Metroidvania Anyway?
Similar differences can make the genre hard to pin down
You’d be forgiven for thinking that nothing could be simpler than working out the secret formula that binds all of the great games in this popular genre together — the clue’s in the name! They need to be just like Metroid, with all the shooting and the aliens and the sci-fi-ness and the...
Soapbox We Need To Talk About The One Thing Nintendo Got Wrong With The Switch OLED
We hope you have long fingernails
Yesterday, we published our review of the Switch OLED, the latest hardware iteration of Nintendo's incredibly popular hybrid gaming platform. Boasting a gorgeous 7-inch OLED panel and a revised dock, it's an upgrade that improves on the original design in many meaningful ways – apart from one. As we noted in the...
Soapbox 10 Reasons Why Metroid Fusion Is The Best Game In The Series
You clear Fusion
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been pondering. Today, as we look forward to the coming release of the next instalment in the 2D Metroid lineage, Stuart takes a look back at his very favourite game in the series... Hello. Did you know...
September2021
Soapbox 4 Years On And Switch Finally Got Bluetooth Audio, So Voice Chat Next?
Go on Nintendo, party like it's 2009
I can hear the pitchforks sharpening so let me just say it right away — I really like Nintendo. I spend the majority of my day focused on its hardware, games and related fun times. So I tease the company with affection, but good grief it deserves a little bit of gentle mocking from time to time. And so this...
Soapbox The Era Of Rock Band, Guitar Hero And Plastic Instruments Was Silly But Special
Wish fulfilment
Over the past few weeks it's been a lot of fun to share a huge range of music-themed features as part of the Nintendo Life VGM Festival. Much of our focus, quite rightly, has been on highlighting the amazing talents behind the soundtracks and audio design that we enjoy in games. For a little change, though, I wanted to reflect on a...
August2021
Soapbox Music Just Don't Come Spookier And Sadder Than Zelda: Majora's Mask
The moon, masks, and melancholy
I didn't play Majora's Mask when it first came out, and thank heavens I didn't — I probably would have just quit playing video games then and there. I mean, I used to have nightmares about the wind sound effects in Ocarina of Time (in my defence, they're creepy); I don't know how I would have handled the existential...
Soapbox Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Was The Basis For My Taste In Music
Sick jams, dude
The year was 2005. iPods were the hot thing, YouTube had just been launched, Twitter didn't exist yet, and the words "podcast" and "social media" had only just been added to the dictionary. It was, in short, a great time to be a kid, as well as the nexus point of many of our modern everyday experiences, like being able to listen to...
Soapbox Life Is Strange On Nintendo Switch Signals Better LGBTQ+ Rep To Come
Visual novels and narrative adventures are leading the way
Note. Spoiler warning! Plot details from Life is Strange and its prequel, Before the Storm, are discussed in this article. There's a lot to be disappointed about in the way the games industry has historically handled LGBTQ+ representation, and believe me, I'm dismayed by it, too. It was...
Soapbox Chiptune Is Great, But The Impact Of A Full Orchestra Is Unbeatable
Elevated storytelling
It's wonderful to see the love for video game music in our current Nintendo Life Video Game Music Festival; it'll rightly celebrate all sorts of audio and soundtracks across varied games and genres. When the right music combines with an outstanding game, there is arguably no more satisfying experience in entertainment; the...
Soapbox Spin-Offs Can Be A Way In Rather Than A Sell-Out
Playable windows into other worlds
Ah, spin-offs. The cynical shareholder-approved cash-grab created for a series that’s got a little too big for its boots. The desperate last-ditch attempt at trendy relevance for a fading favourite. A shoddily resurrected IP’s woefully undercooked stab at attracting a new audience. They’re the “Grandma...
Soapbox Playdate Sold Out In 20 Minutes - Is It Time For A New Nintendo Handheld?
The Game Boy... 2
Many of us at Nintendo Life have been patiently, excitedly waiting for the Playdate to go on sale, because we're suckers for bits of colourful plastic. Well, it did, and we missed it, because all 20,000 initial units (for the 2021 batch, at least) sold out in just 20 minutes. [Not all of us missed it! - smug Ed] It's hardly...
Soapbox A Strange Desire For Switch Sports And A Return To Wii's Wuhu Island
Yes, including the cycling
The Wii, the Revolution, the era of motion controls, bathroom scales as peripherals and fun for all. It can be a bit of a trendy thing to tease the Wii, as if its concept of introducing new control schemes and luring traditional 'non-gamers' into being gamers was somehow bad - well, it was actually brilliant. Sure, the Wii...
July2021
Soapbox The Hidden Delights Of The Great Ace Attorney
Or, why TGAA is the LOTR DVD of video games
Did you know that Viggo Mortensen, the actor who played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies, broke his toes on-set by kicking a helmet? The take ended up in the final cut, and Aragorn's cry of frustration, grief, and despair is made all the more real knowing that poor Viggo's toesies were probably...
Soapbox In Praise Of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Two Years On
Support systems have never meant more
This past week marked the second anniversary of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the latest entry in Intelligent Systems’ popular tactics series. Ten years ago, you would’ve been forgiven for believing that the Fire Emblem series was going the way of the dinosaur, and yet Three Houses now sits at somewhere around...
Soapbox Parallel Play Is The New Couch Co-Op, And Minecraft Is Perfect For It
My couch isn't that nice anyway
I haven't seen some of my friends in months. Others, I haven't seen in years. It's partly the pandemic, and partly because I moved country four years ago, and also partly because I have a flawed grasp of object permanence, so if I can't see someone's face on a regular basis, I might forget that they exist. But with...
Soapbox Space Jam 2 Is A Video Game Cash-In That Doesn't Quite Get It Right
Do any of us understand video games, really?
Let's get this out of the way: watching Space Jam: A New Legacy feels a lot like watching a timeshare presentation run by every cartoon and comic character you've ever known. It has that same greasy "please give us money" feeling to it, as Warner Bros. parades its various intellectual properties past you...
Soapbox Nintendo Switch Online's Library Is A Snapshot Of '90s Gaming Shelves
Nintendo took its rose-tinted specs and threw them in the bin
Another trio of classic games have just been announced for Nintendo’s subscriber-only Virtual Console replacement, this time Claymates, Jelly Boy, and Bombuzal. They all have one very special thing in common: They’re all games nobody asked for, and nobody wanted. Nintendo could have...
Soapbox Indies Lead The Way But Nintendo Shows Progress Representing People Of Colour
A significant increase in positive representation in recent years
Before we begin, let me address one thing: media representation is important. Always has been, always will be, but many keep questioning why. Whenever this subject appears, comments like “why does it matter? Why can’t you just play the game?” appear and if you’ve ever thought...
Soapbox Can We Just Announce All Platforms At The Same Time Already?
PC and 'consoles', eh? Hmm...
The absence of E3 last year created a PR vacuum which publishers, media organisations and even noted figures in the world of gaming raced to fill with their own events. Geoff Keighley, bless him, attempted to wrangle it all — indie and triple AAA alike — under his Summer Game Fest umbrella, but ultimately Summer...
Soapbox Nintendo Is More Collaborative And Open Than Ever, Which Benefits Us All
Everyone's a winner
Nintendo is a company that has never been particularly good at communication. But it is a company that is good at learning from their errors. You remember that infamous Skyward Sword demo at E3 2010, right? The one where Miyamoto walked out onstage, waggled his controller around, and couldn’t get it to work (that sounded...
Soapbox Could Switch OLED Actually Make A Reality Of Nintendo's Cheesy Tabletop Dream?
Time to annoy fellow coffee shop patrons
The Switch 'hybrid' concept has, over the course of four years, proven to be a significant and important success for Nintendo. It's not just about the sales figures and huge profits, but it's lifted Nintendo's brand back to the sort of influence last enjoyed in the days of DS and Wii, albeit the outrageous...
Soapbox It's The Summer Of Visual Novels On Switch, And It's Just The Beginning
I should probably learn to read
Visual novels. Are they games, or are they slideshows? Well, let's get one thing straight, because this is a soapbox: I personally don't particularly care. I enjoy an evening curled up with a good book, and likewise, I enjoy an evening curled up with a good visual novel on auto-play, occasionally unfurling my hand...
Soapbox Super Metroid Showed Me I Had The Right To Exist
Samus & Me
My first experience with the Metroid series was relatively unremarkable: I just bought Super Metroid for my SNES, back when a brand new SNES game was something you could just walk into a local shop and buy. I took its oversized box home, flipped through the glossy Player’s Guide, and noticed something odd — Samus Aran, the...
Soapbox The Founder Of Newgrounds Will Receive An Award At GDC - Here's Why That Matters
More than just a Flash in the pan
There are things that I could say right now to accurately determine the age of most of our readers. "But I am le tired." "Badger badger badger." "Wiggle jiggle, yellow middle." But, more than anything else, I can ask: which website did you visit the most in the early 2000s? If the answer is anything other than...
June2021
Soapbox Sonic Adventure 2 Turns 20 — It’s Time For A Chao Garden Comeback
Forget the Chaos Emeralds; I just want Chaos
Alright, a quick disclaimer before I start spouting off about Sonic like I know what I'm talking about: I have only ever played one Sonic game. Properly, at least. I've certainly had a go on friends' copies of the older games, and I watched the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, if that counts — but the only...
Soapbox The Zelda: Breath of The Wild 2 Trailer Is Already Spawning Theories
Reversed music, new mechanics, and long hair
The best part of working in games journalism is when you get to wildly speculate about a split-second thing in a trailer, and so, here we are. It's speculatin' time! Get yer binoculars and magnifying glasses ready, and take copious meaningless notes! You may have noticed (unless you were screaming...
Soapbox Without A Dedicated Handheld Division, Is Nintendo Less Weird?
Missing the micro-games
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their own opinions on hot topics or random stuff they've been thinking about, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Nathan discusses the sense that Nintendo's handheld hybrid approach with Switch has led to fewer experimental...
Soapbox Why Harvest Moon 2 GBC Is Still The Best Farming Game Around
Less is more
We recently published our reader-ranked top 50 Game Boy Color games, and we've taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC carts. Today, Kerry reminisces about her very favourite farming sim... There have been a lot of Harvest Moon games over the y
May2021
Soapbox Is The Best Harry Potter Game On Game Boy Color? Quite Possibly
FLIPENDO
We recently asked you Nintendo Life readers to rate your favourite Game Boy Color games, and as we're preparing to publish the Top 50 results, we're taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC games. Here, Kate remembers one particular handheld Harry adventure — the one where the Philosopher and the Sorcerer bickered about whose...
Soapbox Resident Evil Gaiden Is Good, Actually
“Good luck Barry”
We recently asked you Nintendo Life readers to rate your favourite Game Boy Color games, and as we're preparing to publish the Top 50 results, we're taking a look back at a handful of our favourite GBC games. Here, Kerry defends the Resident Evil game that NL readers voted the worst in the series... A long time ago we were...
Soapbox Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Release Date Worries Me, But Hopefully I'm Wrong
A potential Poké-hit, if it's treated with respect
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics or random stuff they've been thinking about, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Ryan talks about the surprisingly early release date for a big-name Pokémon title. Pokémon...
Soapbox How Resident Evil 4 Taught Me To Stop Hoarding And Love The Grenades
Thanks, Leon, you idiot beefcake
A friend of mine once told me something that stuck with me: "don't defer pleasure". It sounds like one of those Instagram quotes on a background of a sunset, I know, but it's actually become somewhat of a motto for me, because I'm the sort of person that hoards things in video games and real life. My Skyrim house is...
Soapbox Game Genres Are Broken
I love AAA F2P VR PvE FPS MMORPGs
If your mum asked you if you wanted to watch a romantic period drama with her for Mother's Day, you'd know what to expect. Two hours of unrelenting pining between two extremely good-looking people in silly outfits, kept apart by some ridiculous social convention, at least one ludicrously sexy scene where one of the...
Soapbox I Miss My Friends, But I Don't Want To Kill Them
Well, maybe a little bit
I highly doubt any of the people reading this have the power to change anything in the games industry, but just in case: my thesis here is that the world is craving online co-op games, and it's crazy that we don't have more of them. Or, at least, more of them that don't involve shooting my friends in the face, or hanging out...
Soapbox Is It Time For Game Rental Stores To Return?
Bust out the Blockbusters
I feeeeeeeel like I know the answer to this one already. With the closure of Blockbuster ten years ago, and the liquidation of Family Video in January this year, it doesn't take a marketing genius to come to the conclusion that no one wants to rent games any more. Sure, some services, like Gamefly and
Soapbox Hurry Up And Release The Switch Pro Already, My Switch Is Dying
Update: The plot thickens (in video form)
Getting a new piece of technology is a lot like getting a puppy on Christmas Day. The rest of the afternoon and evening are likely to be spent playing with your new present, marvelling at how perfect and new it is, and changing all the settings so it's just the way you like it. Fast forward a couple of...
April2021
Soapbox Animal Crossing Is A Daily Delight, But These Aren't Really 'Updates', Are They?
Old horizons
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Tom talks about the lack of substantial updates for a game he's been playing on the regular for some time now... I should start this with a disclaimer: I like Animal Crossing: New...
Soapbox An Anniversary Ode To Okami, The Best Zelda Game That Isn't
Fifteen years of Clover's classic
Ever since the The Legend of Zelda turned 35 back in February, we've been looking back over the mainline games with a series of features celebrating and examining each one from a personal perspective. However, today it's the 15th anniversary of another fine action-adventure — a game which may not have the name...
Soapbox 'I'll Play It On Game Pass' Is Becoming Common, But Does That Affect Switch eShop?
The stats say perhaps not
Though the Nintendo Switch is my most-played system, I have a confession, dear readers. I also play a fair bit on the Xbox Series X, which I somehow pre-ordered in the distant time of 2020, and it actually arrived. Sure enough the devil is banging on the door demanding payment of my soul, but I'll just keep playing games...
Soapbox After 17 Years, Monster Hunter Rise Finally Made Me Kind Of Competent
Rising up
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Kerry looks at how Capcom's latest Monster Hunter game empowered her for the first time to feel adequately skilled when it comes to hunting big ol' monsters... I have been terrible...
Soapbox It's Time For Nintendo's Sonic Mania Moment
Go on, cheer us all up
I remember a strange night live blogging the worst Anniversary celebration ever. You know the one, Sonic fans! But it wasn't all bad; we didn't know it at the time, as the widely leaked Switch hadn't even been officially revealed as the NX at that point, but Nintendo fans weren't far away from playing the best Sonic game in...
Soapbox The Insect Glaive Is Still Awesome In Monster Hunter Rise
Wirebug Deluxe Edition
A little before the release of Monster Hunter Rise I looked up a few weapon tier lists, not to influence my choice of starter weapon but to affirm my choice. At that point, the lists were based off demo impressions, and it was ugly reading. The Insect Glaive was considered to be 'nerfed', and was sitting at the uncool table...
March2021
Soapbox Monster Hunter Rise Is The Perfect Hybrid Game
Rising to the challenge
A little game called Monster Hunter Rise launched last week, shipping an impressive four million copies through its opening weekend. Its release was so significant in Japan, particularly, that many players tried to book days off, with one CEO getting attention for giving in to
Soapbox How One Large Vegetable Highlights The Issue With Japan-Only Merch
I want the Big Turnip
While perusing news on the upcoming release of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town - a game I am reviewing, and a series I love - I stumbled upon something special: a limited edition turnip plushie, available only in Japan. I... love the big turnip... And, you see, the thing is, I want the Big Turnip. But more than just...
Soapbox I Somehow Bought Over $800 Of Animal Crossing Crap In One Year
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, stop foolin' me.
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Alan grabs his accountant visor and tots up how much money he wasted wisely invested in the Bank of Nook over the past year. On the...
Soapbox One Year On, Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is History
Learn from the past
I wish for vaccines If you asked me the question, "where were you when you found out about 9/11", then my answer is "in a car park in Loughborough". I remember it crisp and clear: the gravel underfoot, the way my mum's voice trembled a little when I asked her, with childlike sincerity, if there would be a World War Three. "I...
Soapbox Life Is Strange Belongs On Switch. So Why Isn't It?
Nintendo's console seems like a great fit
The Square Enix Direct Presents stream went up just a few hours ago, and despite knowing that we'd be left disappointed, a few of us at Nintendo Life tuned in, hoping to hear about games coming to Switch. Balan Wonderworld was featured, but we already knew about that, and the only other Switch game was...
Soapbox This Accessibility App For Animal Crossing: New Horizons Shows How Companies Must Do Better
Gamer Biggy is able to play the game with the use of a touchscreen
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Today, Kate asks why the games industry is still so far behind in accessibility features. It's something you never have to think...
Soapbox It's Time To Normalise Giving Up On Games Early
Real gamers quit
Ganon, you say? Hm, not sure I've met him, sorry Back in the day, a single video game would set you back a decent chunk of change. Most people would get just a couple a year, like Charlie Bucket and his single birthday chocolate bar, and they'd have a grand old time rinsing those games of content. I'm not here to say "games these...
Soapbox I'm Tired Of Ports And Remakes - Where Are All Nintendo's New Ideas?
I don't want to relive the 2000s! Once was enough!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. Having argued a defence of March 31st yesterday, Kate decides to take on another hot topic: Why is Nintendo so focused on remaking old games?...
Soapbox There Might Be A Bright Side To Mario's March 31st Doomsday, After All
The termination of various Super Mario games looms, but it's not all bad news
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate argues that Mario's Doomsday might not be as bad an event as you think... Let's begin with a tally of...
Soapbox Why Do People Love Games Like Stardew Valley And Animal Crossing?
Playing games shouldn't feel like work, right?
One of my favourite things to do after a long day of nine-to-five work is crack open a beer, get cosy on the sofa, and play two to five hours of a game where I have a nine-to-five job. It seems ludicrous to spend my free time doing exactly what I do in my non-free time, and yet, here I am - one of...
Soapbox The Nintendo Switch Was My Companion As I Travelled The World
Reflecting on four turbulent years with my steadfast console companion
Not my actual suitcase - mine had way more shoes, and no pliers (why do they have pliers?) When the Nintendo Switch came out in early 2017, I was adrift. I had moved out of London, I had gone freelance a few months before, and I was what people at the time called a "digital...
February2021
Soapbox Pokémon Diamond And Pearl's Greatest Contribution To The Series Was The Underground
And sort of inventing Pokémon God
There's a Pokémon Presents tomorrow - the Pokémon-flavoured version of a Nintendo Direct - and I should be feeling like a kid on Christmas, since the announcement of a remake for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl seems almost certain. But I feel more like a kid on someone else's birthday: wishing I could
Soapbox The Modern Games Industry Has A Hype Problem, And It Needs To Stop
When will it be enough?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Mitch talks about the problem with video game hype... Look up any news about the upcoming Bayonetta 3 and you’re sure to notice a fascinating trend. Even...
Soapbox Zelda: Skyward Sword Is Good, Actually
The Titled Groose Game
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate defends The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword against its many critics... I bet some of you clicked on that headline to yell "IT WAS ALWAYS GOOD", and you know...
Soapbox There's One Thing I Want To See In Tomorrow's Direct, And It's Pullblox
Smash Bros. who? Give me Mallo
To be a Nintendo fan is to be intimately familiar with disappointment. Each one of us has a particular game or series that we cling to like Rose on the Titanic door, desperately hoping that Papa Ninty will eventually notice us and give us the sequel (or at least a remake) we crave. It's their fault for making such good...
Soapbox Super Mario 3D World Is The Closest To A Super Mario Bros. 2 Sequel We'll Ever Get
Sub-consciously influenced
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot games, trends and topics — opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Jon Irwin discusses how Nintendo seems reluctant to return to the mechanics of Super Mario Bros. 2... When Super Mario 3D World first...
Soapbox Time Loop Games Are Strangely Comforting In Times Like These
Every day feels the same, so let's play games where every day IS the same
Right at the end of last year, Natasha Lyonne — star of Groundhog Day-inspired TV show, Russian Doll which sees her character Nadia (a software developer, no less) stuck repeating the same night over and over again — shared a tweet that made everyone collectively start...
January2021
Soapbox Grinding Is Poor Gameplay Design That Doesn’t Respect Your Time
Who wants to spend hours mowing down low-level enemies?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Henry discusses how he's fed up of being ground down by grinding... We really are spoiled for choice these days and, in part...
Soapbox I Never Completed Breath Of The Wild, And I Never Will
Sorry, Zelda, you'll just have to keep waiting
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate makes a groundbreaking admission about one of the Switch's most popular titles... I put at least 150 hours into Breath of the Wild...
Soapbox Video Game Injuries Are No Laughing Matter
Technology is incredibly unfriendly to our frail human bodies
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kate discusses the issue of video game injuries... It's a little embarrassing to say that I permanently messed up my...
Soapbox It’s Time For A Pokémon Trading Card Game Reboot On Switch
But only if it's done right
My old, beloved (and slightly grubby) copy of Pokémon TCG on Game Boy. Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Ryan explores the idea of a Pokémon TCG video game reboot and why now could be the...
Soapbox The NYT Thinks We're Gaming Too Much, But It's One Of The Only Things Keeping Me Sane
This again?
It's that time of year again: a large publication has had decided that kids play too many games, and this time it's a COVID-flavoured special, courtesy of the New York Times, designed to make parents feel guilty for letting their energy-filled children play video games after being cooped up all day doing online school. I won't pretend...
Soapbox I Wasn't Going To Play Monster Hunter Rise, But The Game Art Is Too Cute
AND YOU CAN PET THE DOG
You know those friends that you communicate with entirely through gifs and TikTok links? Well, last week, my best friend sent me this: I've only ever played one Monster Hunter game, and it was Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on 3DS. I was enjoying it, for the most part - I played with a few friends that were a lot more...
Soapbox Oh No, I Accidentally Made Animal Crossing Into A Time Capsule Of Misery
Also, I haven't paid my mortgage in MONTHS
It's fairly safe to say that we were all pretty depressed at the start of 2020, what with all the *gestures at everything*, and in March, I was in the same boat. I had just come back from a trip to Boston for PAX, a gaming expo, and the whole COVID thing started happening for real about halfway through the...
Soapbox When Is The Next 'Big' Nintendo Direct? Oh, Does It Really Matter Anymore?
No Direct-ion home
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Gavin wonders aloud if the old-style 45-minute Nintendo Direct format might have run its course... It’s been 495 days since the last Nintendo Direct. A proper one,...
Soapbox Since When Did Physical Releases Stop Being About Physical Games?
To have and to hold
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Kerry Brunskill explains why the current trend for expensive (and expansive) limited edition releases is overshadowing the games contained within... Digital...
Soapbox An Ode To The 3DS, Nintendo's Workhorse Console
Kate Gray explains why this dual-screen wonder will be missed
Some people remember where they were when they found out about the assassination of President JFK. I can't tell you where I was when JFK was shot, but that's mostly because I hadn't been born, and therefore wasn't watching the news at the time, but I can tell you where I was when the...
December2020
Soapbox Mario And Zelda Were Great, But GoldenEye Really Switched Me On To Nintendo
It caught my 'Eye
These days, I'm very much living the Nintendo life, but rewind thirty years and I was a SEGA Mega Drive kid. I enjoyed Super Mario Bros. 3, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Duck Hunt and of course the seminal Rareware classic, Battletoads & Double Dragon on my brother's NES, but given the choice between Mario or Sonic back then,...
Soapbox There's No Shame In Playing On Easy, Even If You're A Pro
It’s still thrilling when you’re chilling
It’s time to make a ‘confession’ that will potentially see me getting shunned by some gamers. I have no shame in doing so, though, and I hope that by making this known about myself maybe others will also have the confidence to come forward too. Right, here goes. Sometimes I play games on Easy...
