Tag: Talking Point
Talking Point How Do You Feel About Series-Branded Consoles?
Tri hard
It took Nintendo a little under a year and a half to reveal its first special edition Switch 2, and what do you know, it's a Zelda-branded one. To celebrate the series' 40th anniversary, we're getting a special Triforce-emblazoned system, complete with patterned green and black Joy-Con and a swanky gold dock. We got all of the natural...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th September)
That's Fire, bro
Happy weekend, citizens of Dagsion! This week might have felt a little quiet after the double-Direct blowout of the last, but we still got a new first-party launch, some news from Capcom out of Tokyo Games Show, and Nintendo satiated our need for that electronic Ocarina by finally putting the damn thing up for pre-order. The big...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th September)
The calm after the storm
Hey y'all. What a week, huh? What a week. The big highlights, of course, were the two Nintendo Directs. First up, Nintendo treated us to a substantial glimpse at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2, confirming that it will launch very soon on 5th November 2026. We then got a second Direct the day after...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th September)
The one and Oni
Ah, the weekend! With the working week behind us, it's finally time to put our feet up and tuck into some games. It was a reasonably quiet one in the world of Nintendo this week, but a Sony State of Play brought some announcements our way. Final Fantasy VII Revelation finally got a release date, Final Fantasy Resonance landed a
Talking Point Nintendo Directs September 2026 Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
Two Directs, Nintendo?! That's insane!
The rumour mill was a-churning about an upcoming September Direct, but even the most inside of insiders couldn't have seen this coming: two Directs! One day after another! Yes, Nintendo has announced that it'll hold a duo of presentations next week, starting with a special Zelda 40th anniversary show on 8th...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (29th August)
Kept you waiting, huh?
Well folks, the weekend is here, which means it's time to kick back, forget the stress of the working week, and play some games. It's been quite the week for Nintendo fans. Gamescom ONL revealed some pretty sweet treats for us, not least in the form of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt- Remastered for Switch 2, an improved version...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd August)
Arise, Bloodsworn
Ahoy! The weekend is here once again – joy! Before we get into what we're playing, however, let's just see what's been going on this week. First up, Nintendo finally confirmed what the newly-revised Switch 2 price will be in the UK. It's not terrible news, to be honest, but it does put the console over the £400 threshold...
Talking Point 'Pokopia 2' Feels Inevitable, But Do We Really Need A Sequel?
Pikatwo
If Pokémon Pokopia isn't in my top five games of 2026 come December, we will have had an astonishing four months. At launch, this game had me in a chokehold and refused to let me go until I found myself weeping at its finale. It's heartwarming and creative and immensely popular, so much so that a sequel feels inevitable. But I don't know...
Talking Point Is An Analogue 3D Worth The Money?
'logue squadron
With the price hikes for the current-gen consoles, the prospect of an even pricier generation to come, and all the doom and gloom in the games industry, it's no wonder that a portion of players are taking solace in the world of retro. Whether it's the comfort blanket of nostalgia as you revisit a childhood classic, or a back...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th August)
Let's dive in
Hello everyone, and well done for making it to the weekend once again. Give yourself a pat on the back. This week in the land of Nintendo, Super Mario Sunshine was added to Switch Online, bringing back one of the most divisive Mario games and – for those who don't own 3D All-Stars – rounding out the collection of 3D entries on...
Feature One Year On, Is Anyone Still Playing Drag x Drive?
Drag x Thrive?
Despite what some might think, Nintendo is always releasing games under new IP. It’s not all just Mario and Pokémon. In late May, they released Pictonico! on mobile, and in early August they released D-Hopper on Virtual Boy (technically an old IP that finally saw the light of day). And on 14th August 2025, Nintendo gave us Drag x...
Talking Point Which Developer Is Working On The Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake?
Who's driving the boat?
Since the announcement of the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake in this year's June Nintendo Direct, we've had two main questions, with only a sliver of teaser footage and some narration to go on: Will this be a ground-up reimagining for the Citizen Kane of Video Games™ or a faithful 1:1 remake? Who's on development...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (8th August)
What's this I detect?
Welcome, weary traveller. You have made it to the weekend. Please, sit and partake in some gaming. But wait! Allow us to regale you with some newz. First up, we had a Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Direct this week, showcasing many of the game's mechanics and characters, so that was cool. Two cancelled V
Talking Point So, What Did You Think Of The Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Nintendo Direct?
Dagdan it
More than six weeks out from its 17th September launch, Nintendo has put out a Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Direct broadcast with over 20 minutes of details covering a bunch of characters, story points, and combat features. If you missed it, scroll down to catch up on the archived version. It certainly gave a comprehensive overview of the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st August)
Poké Preparations
The weekend is here, and all of us are hungry for a spot of gaming. It was a reasonably quiet week in the world of Nintendo this time. We finally got a release date for 'Part 1' of the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass and our first look at 'Part 2', Nintendo announced
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th July)
Splat's life
Wahey, you made it through another week! Well done, good job. The big highlight for this week was, of course, the release of Splatoon Raiders for the Switch 2. Our 9/10 review is live and you should definitely give it a read if you're on the fence. If you need any help, we also have a bunch of guides available, so be sure to check...
Poll How Would You Rate Nintendo's Switch Online Offering In 2026?
NSOMG
Nintendo Switch Online is approaching its ninth year soon (yes), having launched on 18th September 2018 and steadily built a library of games and features spanning both Switch 1 and its successor. Compared to online services on other consoles, an NSO subscription is significantly cheaper and arguably easier to parse, with just two tiers...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (18th July)
A Roomfinder with a Viewfinder
We are back, back, back with another edition of What Are You Playing! It was another rather quiet one in the land of Nintendo this time, with the biggest stories feeling a far cry away from the stacked months prior. Square Enix announced new Switch 2 versions for Octopath Traveler 1 & 2 (without any upgrade path,...
Talking Point New Ocarina = New amiibo? Nintendo Needs To Make These Zelda Figurines
amiibocarina time
With an Ocarina of Time remake coming later in the year, it's got me looking at my bookshelf of Ocarina-related knick-knacks and wondering what else Nintendo might have planned for release. Coming in Zelda's 40th anniversary year, I'm expecting a tempting Limited Edition with a Steelbook, an artbook, a Triforce paperweight -...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (11th July)
Finding the Groove
Hello everyone, and well done on making it to another weekend. It's been another fairly quiet week for us as the gaming industry continues to come to terms with Sony and Microsoft's shenanigans. It's probably a good idea for Nintendo to just sit down, shut up, and don't do anything stupid. There were still a few notable events,...
Talking Point What Are Your Pokémon GO Launch Day Memories?
Welcome to the world of Pokémon
Get those Saving Private Ryan GIFs at the ready, folks, because it's time to feel old. 10 years ago today (yes, ten), Pokémon GO began its global rollout, taking the whole world by storm as it went. 6th July 2016 marked the AR 'mon's arrival in their first regions (Australia, New Zealand, and the US), before...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (4th July)
Every Day's Great At Your Junes!
Hello everyone, and great job on making it through another week! It's felt like a bit of a quiet week in the world of Nintendo, despite the release of Rhythm Heaven Groove and a fairly meaty Splatoon Raiders Direct. Yet all eyes have been on Microsoft and Sony: the former for its impending studio closures and...
Talking Point As Sony Bins Physical, How Long Until Nintendo Follows Suit?
The first of the Big Three to pull the plug
The day we've known for years was coming has finally arrived - or its arrival has been announced. From January 2028, Sony will not release physical disc versions of any PlayStation games. Coming shortly after Rockstar went digital-only with its GTA6 pre-orders and taking advantage of the latest avalanche...
Talking Point Have You Bought A 1TB Micro SD Express Card Yet?
This is one steep bill...but it's worth it?
Switch 2 recently turned one year old, and we asked you lovely NL readers what your essentials were - the games and accessories you've found indispensable after a year with the console. With an impending price increase on 1st September, and with hardware
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th June)
Do a barrel roll!
Well done folks; you made it through another week. For those in Europe at the moment, that's a mighty fine achievement considering how bloody hot it's been the past few days. We hope you've been keeping cool and safe! This week, Sonic celebrated his 35th anniversary with a few key announcements. First, a couple of "new"...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th June)
Be there or be Square
After last week's showcase shenanigans, we've welcomed a slightly quieter one here at Nintendo Life. We started the Ocarina of Time remake sleuthing as a new description appeared online, and ran through some of the game's funniest moments that we can't wait to revisit. Switch 1 & 2 got
Poll Will You Be Replaying Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Before The Remake Arrives?
Fairy 'nuff
Sitting in our Monday meeting, a theme emerged when answering the standard question, "Play any games over the weekend?" Following on from last week's announcement (and months of rumours), we've all got Ocarina of Time on the brain. Jim and Ollie have been replaying via NSO, and the rest of us have only resisted the urge thanks to other...
Talking Point Starter Pack - What Are Your Nintendo Switch 2 Essentials?
Switchy world
Switch 2 has been out for over a year now, and a good percentage of Nintendo Lifers have picked one up in the last 365 days. However, it's also quite possible you haven't jumped on Nintendo's latest console just yet. With Switch 1's colossal library, not to mention the great games on other consoles (we're reliably informed they do...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th June)
Direct inspiration?
What a week, eh? With every other showcase under the sun taking place last week, we knew it was only a matter of time before Nintendo followed suit. And follow it did. This week's Nintendo Direct revealed first looks at the likes of Ocarina of Time, Xenoblade
Talking Point Switch 2 Console Special Editions - What Would You Like To See?
Spice, Spice, baby
Switch 2 has been on shelves for over a year now - still early days if it lasts anything like as long as its predecessor. Compared to the popping colours of the Switch 1's Joy-Con, though, the younger console launched with a more subdued hue. Certainly, the hallmark red-blue stylings are present and correct, but concealed along...
Talking Point What Do You Think Of Link's New Ocarina Of Time Design?
Links of the Past
It might not have been the biggest surprise out there (thanks, leaks), but yesterday's Direct brought with it the news that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Switch 2 remake is real, and it's launching at some point this year. The
Talking Point Nintendo Direct June 2026 Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
Take the hype train
A Nintendo Direct? In June? Who could have possibly guessed!? Yes, Nintendo has announced its next presentation, promising 50-ish minutes of full-fat Direct goodness followed by an hour and a half of Nintendo Treehouse. With Star Fox, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Splatoon Raiders coming in the near future, it's probably safe to...
Feature Switch 2, Year One - How Closely Did Nintendo Follow Its Own Playbook?
Super Mario Spreadsheet Revisited
Exactly two years ago, I made a bold prediction of every first-party Switch 2 release over the first five years of its lifespan. My forecast wasn’t based on leaked insider information or baseless speculation. Instead, I crunched the numbers (check out the full breakdown here) to find trends and repeated...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th June)
Finally, Fantasy
Everyone ready for a spot of What Are You Playing? Oh, go on then! Showcase season is officially upon us, folks. This week's PlayStation State of Play brought some nice Switch 2 announcements, including a new Rayman game, a Tomb Raider remaster
Talking Point One Year On, How Pristine Is Your Switch 2?
Scratch that
If you picked up a Switch 2 on launch day, then you've been caring for your console for almost a whole year now. Compared to those launch-day Switch 1s that some of us still have kicking around, I know that a measly 364 days is small potatoes, but it's still a mighty long time to keep your tech in tip-top condition. And that's the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th May)
Burrowing In
With another week of heatwave under our belts (here in the UK, at least), it's time for a much cooler edition of What Are You Playing. While there were no mega busters this week, there was a steady stream of Nintendo news to keep us all entertained. There was a bunch of Dragon Quest news from the 40th anniversary stream, including the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd May)
A new challenger approaches
Welcome to the weekend! No megaton announcements over the past seven days, but plenty going on. Nintendo revealed a new mobile game and released a Switch 2 exclusive, The Pokémon Company is looking to use government ID to combat TCG scalping in Japan,
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th May)
What treasures await?
Ahoy! You've made it to the weekend; give yourself a pat on the back. It's been a little quieter this week after Nintendo's recent financial report and Star Fox announcement, but there are still a few things worth highlighting. First up, a new limited 'Choose Your Game' Switch 2 bundle was announced for the US, which should...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (9th May)
Barrel rolling towards summer
At last, the weekend. It's been a surprisingly busy week, hasn't it? Let's start with some good news... In case you missed it, Fox McCloud is back! Star Fox, a new reimagining of Star Fox 64, is coming to Switch 2 this June with AR avatar filters,
Talking Point Will You Be Getting A Switch 2 Before The Price Goes Up?
FOPI gonna get ya?
Well, there it is. Last month, I wrote about how two things were making me recommend Switch 2 to family and friends despite the hefty price tag and the lack of a truly killer 'OMG I need one to play this life-changing video game' to call its own: the convenience of GameChat versus scratchy speakerphone while visiting my mum's
Talking Point Star Fox Old Vs. New Designs Compared - Which Do You Prefer?
See every Hare
The rumours were true! Star Fox is indeed returning to Nintendo consoles on 25th June in another Star Fox 64 remake. In yesterday's surprise Direct, Nintendo billed this one as a "cinematic take" on the N64 on-rails classic, complete with a visual overhaul, fresh multiplayer modes, and, of course, some character redesigns. "Fox and...
Talking Point Do You Prefer Big Directs Or A Steady Flow Of News From Nintendo Today?
Drips and drabs
In case you hadn't noticed by now, the Nintendo Today! mobile app has become the go-to place for The Big N to make its first-party announcements. Granted, it's been a key marketing tool ever since its launch back in March 2025, but there's a keen sense that Nintendo is leaning more and more on the Today app for, well, all of its...
Talking Point Will These Upcoming Star Wars Games Make The Hyperspace Jump To Switch 2?
Jar Jar Thinks
The two suns have risen on yet another Star Wars Day — May the Fourth be with you, my fellow Rebels — so my thoughts have naturally drifted to what we can expect to see from Switch 2 in the coming years, as far as a galaxy far, far away is concerned. The console has been treated to just the one Star Wars game thus far (I won't...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (2nd May)
Goin' shopping
Greetings, humans. Well, it's been a slightly quieter week, mostly likely due to the fact that it's Golden Week over in Japan, so many folks will be taking a much-needed break. Still, there have been some interesting stories, so let's go through a few of them here. First up, it seems the streaming release date for The Super Mario...
Talking Point Is Legend Of Zelda's Link Left Or Right-Handed? Let's Look At The Evidence
Rightward Sword or A Left to the Past?
The Zelda series has a passionate and devoted fanbase. Over the years, timelines have been debated, settled, shaken up, or outright ignored. Storylines have been contested, shredded apart, put on a pedestal. But nothing, not even recovering the Triforce, is more important than making sure Link is holding his...
Talking Point Do You Play Zelda Games For The Story?
So THAT was the Imprisoning War...
After 40 years and 21 mainline games (counting the multiplayer ones, discounting remakes and remasters), we like to think that we've got a pretty good grasp on the Zelda formula by now. Sure, there's every chance that the series will have a 'Breath of the Wild moment' again somewhere down the line, but for the most...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th April)
Habitat Hunting
It has been quite the week for Nintendo news, eh? Things kicked off with a sneaky look at Zelda Movie's Link (or is it?), then the floodgates opened on Splatoon Raiders news, as we got a release date, price
Talking Point Star Fox Zero Is 10 Years Old - Have You Actually Played It?
And would you want a Switch port?
Today marks the 10th anniversary of Star Fox Zero's North American launch, the last release in the series at the time of writing. In fact, it shares that honour with Star Fox Guard, but as an eShop game whose only physical version came bundled with Zero, the tower defence spin-off tends to get overshadowed. After a...
Talking Point So, What Are Your First Impressions Of Splatoon Raiders?
Raiders of the lost Shark
Splatoon Raiders has made a big splash today thanks to a big release date trailer. It's our first proper look at the upcoming Splatoon game, which swaps the focus from online multiplayer to single-player, and it's swimming onto Switch 2 on 23rd July 2026. And, amazingly, this is the first time we've seen more of the game...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (18th April)
Taking the Pragmata approach
Hello. Okay, enough waffling, for goodness' sake. This week saw the release of Pragmata from Capcom for the Switch 2, and though it should really come as no surprise, the action title is really darn good. We awarded it a score of 9/10. We also received news that the Legend of Zelda movie has now officially wrapped...
