Feature 33 Games With 'Secret' Performance Bumps You Should Revisit On Switch 2
Update: Now with even more games
Guide Kirby And The Forgotten Land Walkthrough + Star-Crossed World Guide
Updated with Star-Crossed World on Switch 2
Guide 35 Upcoming Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 Games To Look Forward To In 2026
The very best Switch 1 & 2 games coming soon
News Nintendo's Ability To Ban Switch 2 Consoles Has Landed It In Hot Water
Just another day for The Big N
Guide Best MicroSD Express Cards For Nintendo Switch 2
Your old Switch cards won't work, it's time for an upgrade
So that puts it at an M, right?
Nintendo Switch 2 News
TodayMon, 29th Dec 2025
UK Charts Nintendo Holds 12 Spots In The All-Formats Top 40
Mario Kart cleans up (again) while Metroid drops
The last full week of 2025 UK charts data is in, and for the most part, it's a minor reshuffle of the usual suspects, with EA SPORTS FC 26 sitting pretty at #1 and Mario Kart cleaning up twice over and first-party Nintendo (published) games taking up more than a quarter of entries in the all-formats...
Talking Point Our 2026 Nintendo And Switch 2 Predictions
What's in store?
Well, folks, it seems like only yesterday we were looking ahead at Nintendo's 2025 with a sense of unwavering optimism, and now here we are – it's certainly been a year. The Switch 2 finally arrived, bringing with it a plethora of goodwill and controversy alike, ushering in a new generation that, if initial sales are anything to...
News Pikmin 3 Deluxe Nintendo Switch 2 Rating Pops Up Online
Could an upgrade be on the way?
Since the Switch 2 generation got underway, many Nintendo fans have been hoping for the Pikmin titles to receive a next-generation upgrade. Now, in an interesting development, a Switch 2 rating has surfaced on the European age rating board PEGI for Pikmin 3 Deluxe. This rating was apparently filed by 'Nintendo of...
YesterdaySun, 28th Dec 2025
News Square Enix Teases More For Dragon Quest, NieR and Final Fantasy In 2026
But try not to get “too excited”
Next year marks even more anniversaries, and one other big one coming up is for Dragon Quest. This classic role-playing series will hit its 40th birthday, and in the same end-of-year wrap with 4Gamer.net (via Gematsu), Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito mentions how the company is looking forward to everyone...
It can’t wait to make “another announcement”
Persona 3 Reload only arrived on the Switch 2 in October, but there’s plenty more to come... Speaking to the Japanese website 4Gamer.net as part of its annual end-of-year developer interview feature recently, Atlus producer and director Kazuhisa Wada (who has worked on Persona 5 Royal and Persona...
News Here Are Japan's Best-Selling Switch and Switch 2 eShop Games For 2025
Mario Kart World and Pokémon top the list
It’s once again that time of year where companies sum up all sorts of things about the year that was, and with this in mind, Nintendo’s Japanese branch has revealed the best-selling games on the Switch and Switch 2 eShop in 2025. This covers January through to December, and everything else in between...
News Arcade Archives Celebrates 500 Retro Releases With Special Commemorative Game
The classic Space Invaders returns
Last year in January, Hamster’s Arcade Archives series for the Switch and multiple other platforms reached 400 releases. Now, in an update at the end of 2025, it’s been officially confirmed that the retro-specialist has now hit 500 releases! Arcade Archives originally began life on 15th May 2014, and more...
ICYMI Stardew Valley - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Is Now Available, Will You Be Getting It?
The new version is now live
In case you missed it, following ConcernedApe’s status update last week, Stardew Valley – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is now officially available. This particular version comes loaded with mouse controls, four-player split-screen as well as eight-player online multiplayer. There’s also GameShare support for Switch...
Saturday27th Dec 2025
Feature "It's Huge For Us" - Devs Talk Switch 2 Reactions, Dev-Kit Disparity, Future Plans
What devs make of Switch 2
Over the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This article was originally published in April. Enjoy! In case you somehow missed it, Nintendo has officially lifted the lid on Switch 2, cueing all sorts of excitement and apprehension from those...
Talking Point Does Switch 2 Have Nintendo's Best Launch Line-Up Ever?
Let's see how it matches up
Over the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This article was originally published in April. Enjoy! I don't know about you, but I'm already giving my shelf space a worried look as I consider the number of Switch 2 launch titles I want to...
"In this age of diversity, the manufacturer itself has stubbornly refused"
Nintendo may have originated the concept of the cross D-Pad, but the company has practically abandoned this control method on both the Switch and Switch 2 (although thankfully not on the Switch Lite and Pro Controller), leaving some old-school players feeling a little left...
News Square Enix Wants Feedback About The Final Fantasy Series In Its New Survey
Go on, tell 'em
Fans of the long-running RPG Final Fantasy have a chance to tell Square Enix their thoughts about the series in a new online survey. It’s available until 9th January 2026 and features over 30 questions. Unfortunately, there’s no reward at the end of it, so if you do plan on doing this survey, it's mostly to tell Square Enix how...
"We look forward to your support"
We’re now in the final days of 2025 and many development teams are signing off for the year. This includes the talented Japanese developer Monolith Soft, best-known during the Switch generation for its work on the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Now that another year has passed, the company has taken a brief moment...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th December)
What did Santa bring?
Well folks, that's another Christmas done for the year – we hope you've had a peaceful, relaxing time, whether you celebrate or not. It's been a pretty quiet week, understandably, but Nintendo managed to squeeze in a cheeky update for Donkey Kong Bananza on the Switch 2, so make sure to download that. Nintendo also hit us...
Friday26th Dec 2025
"We resolved to move forward with our original vision"
As you'll know if you've read our review, we adored Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and consider it to be one of the highlights of the Switch 2's library. However, with a Metacritic rating of 79 at the time of writing, it's clear that Samus' latest adventure didn't strike the same chord with many pla
News Surprise! Stardew Valley - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Is Now Available
A free update for existing Switch players
[Thu 18th Dec, 2025 04:30 GMT]: In September, the Stardew Valley creator Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone lifted the lid on a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of his farming and life sim. During the Nintendo Direct reveal, it was noted how this version would be arriving in "Fall 2025". We're now just weeks out from...
Feature Nintendo Life's Alternative Awards 2025
Best 'squirrel with a gun' game, most 'Huh?' Nintendo moment, and more!
Hello, well met stranger, and welcome to Jurassic Park! Nintendo Life's Alternative Awards 2025! It's been...well...it's been a year in which we have all existed, that's for sure, and as a result games happened. Loads of them, in fact. Of course, and as is tradition at this...
Quiz How Well Do You Remember 2025? Nintendo Life's Gaming Quiz Of The Year
Mo' consoles, mo' questions
Ah, 2025 is almost behind us. That was a pretty quiet year in the world of Nintendo, right? Wrong! 2025 was a jam-packed, bumper year for the House of Mario, with games, apps, movie news, and a little thing called 'Switch 2' to write home about. It was so full of good stuff, in fact, that we thought it only right to...
Mini Review Layers Of Fear: Final Masterpiece Edition (Switch 2) - Handsome But Humdrum Horror
Tormented souls
Switch owners already have access to Layers of Fear: Legacy and its sequel, but Bloober Team is back with a new port for Switch 2. Utilising Unreal Engine 5 to achieve some truly impressive visuals, Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition is neither a sequel nor a remake, but rather the definitive vision of the series so far,...
Thursday25th Dec 2025
Guide Got Yourself A New Nintendo Switch 2? Here's What To Do First
Ahh, new hardware smell
If you've recently come into possession of a new Nintendo Switch 2, first of all, congratulations! You're in for a treat, since the Switch 2 not only has a rapidly growing library of games, but you can also play almost every game from the original Switch, too. But what the heck are you supposed to do first? Well, we've got...
Wednesday24th Dec 2025
News Cyberpunk 2077's Massive Switch 2 eShop Discount Was An "Error"
But you can keep it anyway
Earlier this week, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for the Switch 2 was spotted going for 75% off its regular price in the US, reducing it from $69.99 down to just $17.49. Fans were convinced it was an error, and now, sure enough, CD Project Red has confirmed the price displayed on the Switch 2 digital store "in the...
Review The Rogue Prince Of Persia (Switch 2) - A Worthy, Approachable Follow-Up To Dead Cells
PoP it like it's hot
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been the better part of a decade since the launch of Dead Cells, though its absurdly long stretch of post-launch DLC expansions and updates certainly helped to keep it in the average player’s consciousness. The original Dead Cells developer, Motion Twin, actually passed the buck in...
News Fantasy Life i's Big Free DLC Is Out Now, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Welcome to Snoozaland
At last, after assuring fan's that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time's free DLC would be out "around Christmas", Level-5 has delivered the goods right on time. Version 2.0.0 is available to download now on Switch 1 & 2 and i
Opinion After A Few Missteps, Story Of Seasons Finally Nailed The Formula With Grand Bazaar
We're so back, baby
If you don't already know about the schism between Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon, read up on it! But TL;DR, Story of Seasons is the OG – the original farming game series that sparked thousands of copycats hoping to carve out a slice of that cosy game pie. And who can blame them? The farming game genre is a fantastic,...
Rumour Call Of Duty's Nintendo Release Is Apparently On Target For 2026
"The first CoD Switch version is nearly done"
Following a rumour last week about Bethesda's Starfield coming to the Switch 2 next year, there's now been a supposed update about the Nintendo version of Call of Duty. According to Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden, the "first" Call of Duty Switch release is "nearly done" and could be...
News Kirby Air Riders New Event Starts This Week, Includes Kirby Santa Hat Reward
After a bug almost cancelled Christmas!
Although it seems to be the end of the road for the development of Kirby Air Riders, in-game events will still be taking place over the next year. In case you missed it, the event that was previously scheduled had to be suspended due to a bug. Thankfully, just in time for Christmas, the updated event has now...
News Switch Online App On Switch And Switch 2 Adds "Happy Holidays" Theme
Nintendo is feeling jolly
When the Switch 2 was announced, many Nintendo fans were already calling for themes to be added to the HOME Menu. While there have been no developments on this front, there is something else that some fans are excited about. From the system HOME Menu, if you navigate to the 'Nintendo Switch Online' icon, you'll be...
News One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 "Special Selection" DLC Launches Next Month
Following the recent Switch 2 game upgrade
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 originally sailed onto the Switch in 2020 and last month got a Switch 2 Edition upgrade. Now, to bring in the new year, Bandai Namco has unveiled Character Pack 8 "Special Selection" is launching on 22nd January 2026. This paid pack contains the characters Eneru, Z and King...
News The Danganronpa Series Has Now Sold Over 10 Million Copies
With a new entry due in 2026
Publisher Spike Chunsoft has announced that the Danganronpa series has now shipped over 10 million copies worldwide. Beginning on 25th November, 2010 with the Japanese release of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc on the PSP, the series has since spawned three mainline entries on multiple platforms (including localised...
Tuesday23rd Dec 2025
Every game we scored 9/10 or above
For those of you in North America giving the gift of Switchmas (sorry...) this year, then the Nintendo eShop 'Hits For The Holidays' has come to the rescue to help fill up that gaming library. From now until 4th January 2025 at 11:59pm PST, there are tons of discounts on classic Switch titles to Switch 2 editions...
News Batman: Arkham Knight For Switch Receives Another Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility Update
Update: Digital Foundry investigates
[Wed 17th Dec, 2025 02:45 GMT]: Batman: Arkham Knight wasn't in the best state when it landed on the original Switch in 2023, but the Switch 2 has given it a second life. Now, following a backwards compatibility update in November (which addressed some progression issues), another patch has been rolled out...
News Censored Dispatch Artwork Spotted On Nintendo's Digital Storefront
Cover up
When the Switch generation was in full swing, there were stories about games being censored in some way or form, and even blocked from being published on the eShop. With this in mind, it seems fans of the "superhero comedy" Dispatch have spotted a potential cover up on Nintendo's digital storefront in
Fans of Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil and more will "feel at home"
Bloober Team has recently been busy with the Switch 2 versions of Cronos: The New Dawn and Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition, but did you know it's got one other mysterious Nintendo release in the pipeline? In case you missed it, in July last year, the Polish-based...
News Persona 3 Reload Switch 2 Performance Update Now Live, Targets 60fps In Docked Mode
It's a Christmas miracle
As the holiday celebrations get underway, Atlus has this week delivered a new update for Persona 3 Reload on the Switch 2. We noted in our review here on Nintendo Life how the "biggest drawback" of P3R when it launched in October on the new hybrid system was the 30fps performance. Thankfully, the latest update (Version...
News Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Direct Showcases New Modes Bad Boy Dragon And Hell's Arena
Update: Check out 6 minutes of gameplay
SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced that they will be airing a Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Direct next week, which launches on Switch 2 on 12th February 2026. The Direct will be a late one for UK and European folks, with the stream kicking off on 23rd December 2025 at 1am GMT / 2am ET — that's 22nd...
News Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds NiGHTS DLC Pack Launches For Free This Week
Get it downloaded
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds fans will have a very Merry Christmas this year, as Sega will be launching the free 'NiGHTS DLC Pack' this week on Christmas Eve – that's 24th December 2025, just to make it crystal clear. The pack will include NiGHTS as a playable character, the Dream Sleeper vehicle, and new emotes and sounds. The...
News IO Interactive's '007 First Light' Hit By Two Month Delay
Never say never again
007 First Light, a brand new James Bond game from the developers of the Hitman series, has been delayed, IO Interactive has announced. The game will now launch on 27th May 2026, two months after its original 27th March release date. Sharing a statement on social media, IOI CEO Hakan Arbak called First Light "our most ambitious...
Monday22nd Dec 2025
Feature Games Of The Year 2025 - Nintendo Life Staff Picks
Our personal picks for the best Switch (2) games of the year
Every year in December, Team Nintendo Life puts our heads together and we combine our personal Top 5s into an uber, unranked GOTY list encompassing all the Switch games that got us hottest under the collar throughout the year. 2025 brought us Switch 2, of course, but it's been a very...
News Donkey Kong Bananza Has Been Updated To Version 3.0.0, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Download it now
Nintendo has released a new update for Donkey Kong Bananza on the Switch 2, bumping it up to Version 3.0.0. This is the first update since October. This one adds Thai as a supported language and you now also have the ability to set the camera's automatic tracking to 'on' or 'off' in the options menu. Last of all are "several other...
News Switch 2's Mario Kart World Bundle Has Apparently Reached The End Of Its Lifecycle
"According to an internal GameStop memo"
If you've got your eyes on the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle, you might want to get it sooner rather than later, as it's not going to be around forever. Following a reminder from Nintendo earlier this month that it's still only available in "limited quantities", a GameStop memo has supposedly been issued...
UK Charts Nintendo Performs Admirably In Its Last Christmas Push
Mario Kart once again appears twice in the top ten
The latest UK Charts data is in, and there's honestly very little change in the top ten this week, with EA SPORTS FC 26 once again claiming the top spot. In fact, the top eight games have all played a bit of a switcheroo, while the latter two spots in the top ten are taken up by Battlefield 6 and...
News Square Enix's HD-2D Series 'Octopath Traveler' Hits Another Sales Milestone
It's now sold over six million copies
Square Enix released the HD-2D RPG Octopath Traveler 0 on the Switch and Switch 2 earlier this month. Now, following this, it has provided an update about the lifetime sales of the series – revealing it has now sold over six million copies worldwide. This follows a sales update in December last year, when it...
News Cronos: The New Dawn Is Getting An Easy Difficulty Setting In Early 2026
"We've heard your voices"
Cronos: The New Dawn is a pretty challenging game. Featuring dark environments, limited ammunition, and enemies that can merge together to form stronger variants, it's one of the most taxing survival horror games out there. We happen to love the challenge, but it's clear that many folks want a bit more of a relaxing...
Sunday21st Dec 2025
News More Switch Games Have Received Compatibility Updates For Switch 2
Including Star Wars and a few other titles
The Switch 2 has now been available for six months, and during this time, there have been multiple Switch game compatibility updates. With this in mind, we've now got another batch of titles that are now fully functioning on Nintendo's new hybrid system. The highlight of the lot is the Aspyr release Star...
Must resist...
Skyrim didn't exactly launch in the best state when it got shadow-dropped on the Switch 2 earlier this month, and Bethesda has this week released a patch to address input latency issues. If you are considering giving the game a look (or a second chance) now that this update has been rolled out, there's currently a sale taking place...
But Aspyr "can't announce anything at the moment"
One of the many shadow drops recently was Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for the Switch and Switch 2. Aspyr teamed up with Crystal Dynamics to make it happen, and if you're wondering if we'll see the other two entries in the "Survivor" trilogy (that's Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb...
Saturday20th Dec 2025
Reminder It's Time To Rate Your Switch 1 & 2 Games Of The Year
A wild GOTY appears!
Just a reminder that we'll be publishing our 2025 GOTYs soon — both yours and ours! If you haven't rated the Switch 1 & 2 games you've played yet (or if you've played something new in the last couple of weeks), feel free to read on and have your say. And if you've rated them already? Nicely done, lovely person! As you were...
News Another Switch 2 Game Has Been Updated This Week, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Good news, Daemon x Machina fans
One game that you might have missed in the earlier months of the Switch 2's lifecycle was Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion. Although it was a bit clunky in some parts, it's still a decently deep mech combat experience. The game also got an eShop demo, and a roadmap was announced in September. Since then, it's been...
Video Pragmata Hands-On Impressions Shared By Capcom
Update: Capcom shares 'Part 2'
[Sat 13th Dec, 2025 00:35 GMT]: Capcom yesterday announced its new sci-fi action adventure Pragmata, starring Hugh and his android companion Diana, would be coming to the Switch 2 in April 2026. As you might have already heard, this title (where you explore a lunar research station) adds a "unique hacking twist" to...
News Marvel Cosmic Invasion "Bug-Blasting Patch" Update For Switch And Switch 2 Now Live
"We're back to take out the bugs"
Following the release of the beat 'em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion on the Switch and Switch 2 earlier this month, a new update for the title has now been rolled out. According to the development team, this new update is packed with fixes and quality-of-life tweaks. There's also plenty of "bug-blasting" in this latest...
