Tag: Talking Point - Page 10
Talking Point Are You Preparing Your Island For The Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update?
Time to get back to work?
It's been about a year since I last visited egg, my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island. I played a lot of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, so I knew what to expect when I booted it up again, following the jam-packed Animal Crossing Direct recently: weeds everywhere, cockroaches in my house, and villagers being more disappointed...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 30th)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
Another week down as we head into the spookiest weekend of the year and onward into November. This week Nintendo launched its Switch Online Expansion Pack to a mixed response, we got our first look at
Talking Point Five Years On From The Frenzy Of 'NX' Becoming The Switch
The more things change, the more they stay the same
This week marked five years (yikes) since the mysterious Nintendo 'NX' became the Switch. It was a pretty big deal and, to the relief of Nintendo, it was received well. Let's be honest, the reaction wasn't going to be worse than the Wii U E3 reveal, when most follow-up questions were "so is the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 23rd)
Tell us your weekend gaming plans
We made it through another week, well done everyone! There was a varied slate of news this week, with one of the slightly disappointing stories being allegations of poor management practices at Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam, but in happier news we also had the arrival of Sora in Smash, we confirmed that
Talking Point How Many Hours Is A 'Short' Game For You?
It's what you do with it that counts
There was a time when we wished every video game were never-ending. Back in the old days we'd save up all our pocket money and wisely invest in only the very finest games after weeks and months of meticulous research; consulting reviews, collating opinions and perhaps even renting or borrowing from a pal to make...
Talking Point Do You Have A 'Way' You Play Certain Switch Games?
Metroid Dread = portable + headphones + a dark room, right?
The Nintendo Switch has various strengths, but the key aspect of its design that has helped to fuel its success is flexibility. It's a concept that is ultimately more than the sum of its parts — when you break it down, it's a tablet with mid-2010s technology and a USB-C connector to hook...
Talking Point The Metroid Dread Credits Debate Is Sadly Common
The video game development industry needs to respect its contributors
The conversations around Metroid Dread have been mostly positive since its launch, but a recent topic that has caused a good deal of debate and criticism of developer MercurySteam has related to the game's credits. Multiple contributors to the game have raised the fact that...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 16th)
Dread to think what you're up to this weekend
This week we closed out with an Animal Crossing Direct broadcast that detailed the final free content coming to the game, plus the Happy Home Paradise paid DLC. The broadcast also confirmed
Talking Point What Would You Like To See From The Animal Crossing Direct?
Brewster's certain, but what else?
Alright, we're FINALLY getting Brewster and The Roost in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, after what feels like years of people asking. So, we're all totally satisfied and content now, right? Of course not. Brewster was just the beginning. There are still plenty more features that people would love to see in New...
Poll So, Which Switch OLED Did You Buy?
Red, White and Blue
It seems that Switch OLED has got off to a strong start sales-wise, so many of you reading this must have picked up Nintendo's new console SKU over the last week or so. We're fans of the lovely new screen and the various refinements to the basic design that gives the consoles a marginally more premium feel over the trusty...
PSA Sensitive To PWM Flicker? You'll Want To Keep The Switch OLED's Screen Nice And Bright
New screen uses Pulse Width Modulation to control brightness
Nintendo's premium iteration of the Switch launched on 8th October 2021 and while it was far from the long-rumoured 'Switch 2', the screen on the Switch OLED model is a beautiful thing and has led to the new Switch SKU receiving generally positive reviews. It doesn't hurt that incredible...
Talking Point Should We Be Worried About Screen Burn-In With Switch OLED?
"You don’t see a lot of burn-in in modern OLED panels"
Editor's note: This piece was originally published when the Switch OLED was announced and has been updated with new content for the console's launch. Now the Switch OLED is with us, it's perhaps worth revisiting the topic of screen burn-in. We know, thanks to Bloomberg, that the screen on...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 9th)
Yes, a lot of us are playing THAT game
It's been a particularly crazy and busy week in the world of Nintendo, as you've no doubt noticed! The biggest event was undoubtedly Masahiro Sakurai's final presentation for Smash Ultimate which confirmed the arrival of Sora. There've been two huge arrivals; you can check out our Switch OLED hardware review...
Talking Point #ThankYouSakurai For Smash Ultimate, Now He Should Choose His Own Path
Sakurai-san's creative spark can go even further than Smash Bros.
This week Masahiro Sakurai gave his last character presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with interest and anticipation for the final broadcast reaching a fever pitch. With over 24 million sales at last count and substantial DLC uptake thanks to the m
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 2nd)
Got gaming plans?
Another busy week in the world of Nintendo comes to a close. This week saw a bunch of Switch OLED videos popping up on the interwebs as the consoles find their way into the wild ahead of next week's launch, a new Pokémon was unveiled, the rebooted GamesMaster
Poll Do You Use The Black Or White Theme On Your Nintendo Switch?
There's a correct answer
Among all the talk of big games coming up, the imminent double release of Metroid Dread and the OLED Switch model, we like to consider the big questions here at Nintendo Life. Stuff that matters. So we return to Themes, and the seminal choice that faces all Nintendo Switch owners - Basic White or Basic Black? It's a tough...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 25th)
Got gaming plans?
Well, it's been a Nintendo Direct week! The new voice of Mario has been revealed, Brewster's back in Animal Crossing, Kirby's gone all Last of Us in
Talking Point A Nintendo Direct With Something For Everyone, And Quite A Few Surprises
Aside from a couple of leaks and old rumours, Nintendo kept its cards close
The latest Nintendo Direct was quite something, one of Nintendo's longer broadcasts and positively packed with reveals and updates. The structure was clever in terms of getting maximum attention, too, showcasing long awaited titles, entirely new games and getting broad...
Poll Do You Call Handhelds Like Game Boy And Nintendo DS 'Consoles'?
Inconsole-able?
In a recent chat with a friend, we somehow strayed onto the topic of our 'favourite consoles'. I expected some light-hearted bants and joshing as we proposed winners and defended our favourites but the conversation took an unexpectedly contentious turn when I mentioned the 3DS while umming and ahhing. My pal responded and it went...
Talking Point The Switch Is Following Nintendo's Successful Portable Playbook
Slowed down, but familiar
With the Nintendo Switch OLED model now just a couple of short weeks away, we're heading into the system's fifth Holiday season with three distinct 'tiers' in its hardware family. We've written previously about how each Switch iteration offers something different, in terms of features and price points, and how that stacks...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 18th)
Got gaming plans?
Another busy week in the world of Nintendo has flown by. We've seen the return of a famed arcade racing series, a price 'adjustment' for Switch in Europe, the 20th anniversary of a treasured console, and a surprise Switch firmware update that included a much-requested feature:
Talking Point Was The GameCube Really A Portable Console In Disguise?
Love handles
If you're a Nintendo fan, then since day one you've probably always had at least two consoles on the go: one for the TV, and one for the car/bus/plane/bed. From 1989's Game Boy to Nintendo's boundary-blurring hybrid Switch, there has always been an option for players on-the-go. But the Nintendo Switch isn't their first foray into home...
Talking Point What Games Are You Looking Forward To Playing On Switch OLED?
14 games we're dying to (re)play
It's an odd phenomenon when new hardware comes along which makes you delve into your back catalogue for gems you might have missed, or perhaps just revisit classic titles to see how they look and perform on your shiny new system. It's something that PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers have encountered over the last year,...
The battle for Holiday sales is about to begin
Nintendo can't be accused of being reactive with the Switch ahead of the fast approaching Holiday season. In a time where sales and demand remain strong, the big N has been lining up a steady flow of varied games to keep the console on the wider gaming public's agenda. There are major first-party titles...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 11th)
Big games, or micro games?
It's been another busy week of the Nintendo Life, with plenty of news and points of interest to chew over. There were some shenanigans and surprising visual glitches in Sonic Colors Ultimate, we shared our review of WarioWare: Get It Together!, a LEGO Super Mario 64 '?' Block was revealed, so
Talking Point Which Nintendo Console Has The Best Start-Up Sound?
Ding! Boop! Click! etc!
Look, I know what you're thinking. You're already pre-emptively scrolling down to the comments to say "OBVIOUSLY it is the GameCube, Lord of All Noises", but just hold fire, okay? Let me at least make the case for some of the others. Before I do, though, a quick note as to why I'm not including the Nintendo 64, since I know...
Talking Point Just How 'Finished' Is Your Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Save File?
Any% of the Wild
It's four-and-a-half years since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched on Switch (and Wii U — don't be forgetting the Wii U!) and it's one of those evergreen games I've been dipping back into ever since. That's not to say I'm constantly restarting the game (although there are plenty of people who begin again on the...
Talking Point What's The Best Sound In Video Games?
Our favourite bleeps, bloops, and vwoops
Our summertime Video Game Music Festival has largely, if not entirely covered the wonderful world of soundtracks, which you could probably have guessed from the name. But what about all the stuff that isn't-quite-music? Don't noises deserve love too? YES. So, here you go: Our favourite sounds in video games...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 4th)
Well, what ARE you playing?
It's been another fun week of the Nintendo Life, with some interesting news and announcements giving us plenty to chew over. A big one was the report that Nintendo is set to add Game Boy / Color to Nintendo Switch Online, there was intrigue around updated PEGI rating requirements around gambling, we shared our
Talking Point It's A Golden Era For Video Game Music Fans, So How Do You Listen?
When you're not playing the games, obvs
Being a fan of Nintendo-based video game music has historically been pretty tough. Older aural aficionados would cling tightly to their Killer Cuts CDs, dedicated collectors wept at the triple-digit pricing of rare Japanese CD sets containing most, but never quite all, of a popular '90s RPG soundtrack, and...
Talking Point If Nintendo Switch Online Adds Game Boy, Why Not Throw In GBA, Too?
Imagine the entire 2D Metroid timeline playable before Dread...
Nintendo Switch Online has been relatively static, as a service, for quite some time. We have had some turnover of free online games, most recently with Pac-Man 99, and a slow and steady influx of NES and SNES titles, but generally it's been a quiet time. Aside from some oft-demanded...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 28th)
No More Time
It's been another hectic week of the Nintendo Life. Let's see, there was a Monster Hunter Rise x Street Fighter free update, all sorts of reveals from Gamescom Opening Night Live and follow-up streams, accusations of foul play in the world of retro collecting, a surp
EMMIs in pursuit mode
Earlier today we reported that another impressive-looking fan-made Metroid game — a 2D reimagining of Metroid Prime this time — has been shut down after the makers received an inevitable cease-and-desist communique. Nintendo wasn't specifically named, but there are no prizes for guessing the "certain games-related company"...
Talking Point How Much Would You Pay For A Mint Copy Of Super Mario Bros.?
6 golden coins? 8 red coins?
Following on from the recent record-breaking sales for retro games, including $2 million USD for a copy of Super Mario Bros. and $870K USD for The Legend of Zelda on NES — not to mention the unf
Talking Point Million-Dollar Retro Game Auctions Help Remind Us What Matters Most
Passion and preservation
As you've no doubt seen over the past couple of years, there have been some high profile and eye-watering sales of retro games which have reached hundreds of thousands of US dollars, and now more than $2 million. It's been rather baffling to onlookers; these are copies of extremely common games, after all, and the downside...
Talking Point Which Video Game Song Could You Listen To For Ten Hours?
Ten hours is a loooong time
We've all been witness to the rise of "Ten Hour Versions" on YouTube, and while many of us may have scoffed — who wants ten hours of something that isn't either sleep or a Lord of the Rings marathon? — I will say that I have actually listened to some of them for way longer than I would like to admit. Except I will...
Talking Point Which Pokémon Legends: Arceus Starter Are You Going To Pick?
Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott, oh my
Rowlet. Wait, sorry, I have to write more words than that? Fine. The 2022 release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus was shown off earlier this week, during the latest Pokémon Presents, but we already knew that the game would feature three returning starters: Oshawott for the Water type, Rowlet for the Grass type,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 21st)
Go on, tell us...
Another week of 2021 goes zipping by like a zippy thing in Zippy Mode — a zip, for instance — and we can but look back on the events of the past seven days as events dropped into the fast-flowing river of Time. Treasured memories, like that time when some Nintendo fan turned their N64 into a Switch, or when the Special Edition
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 14th)
Go on, tell us...
Another week of that Nintendo life has passed, and there were certainly some highlights. There were all sorts of gems in the Indie World showcase, a blabbing comedian may have given up a Mario movie character, while on the rumour front we have the likes of Xenoblade Chronic
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 7th)
Plenty to choose from!
Another seven days go by in the world of Nintendo. This past week the Streets of Rage series turned 30, Nintendo updated investors with its latest quarterly financial results, and both New Pokémon Snap and
Talking Point Nintendo's Business Remains Strong, But Is The Bloom Off Switch Lite?
The Switch that doesn't 'switch' likely needs a price drop
Nintendo published its Q1 financial results today and they were, largely, what was expected. The extraordinary boom in business from the equivalent period in 2020, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons took off and gamers around the world were forced to seek home entertainment above all else, was...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 31st)
Plenty to choose from!
Another week has passed, with plenty of Nintendo-related news that's kept us intrigued. There were our reviews for games like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and NEO: The World Ends With You, Streets of Rage 4's DLC finally arrived on Switch,
Talking Point What's Your Switch Game Of 2021 So Far?
Decisions, decisions...
We're well over halfway through 2021 and we're steadily sliding down the back half of the year, having negotiated the six-month hump. Holiday season is waaaay off in the distance and we've still got several months to go before we get into video game 'silly season', but while recently discussing the upcoming Sonic Colors...
Talking Point Which Game Stage Have You Replayed More Than Any Other?
Green Hill Zone Act 1 is my new-old timesink
The ability to devote entire days to nothing but video games is a past luxury unavailable to me right now, or in the foreseeable future, unfortunately. The addition to my life of small humans that look a bit like me has substantially diminished my available free time, and I've recently realised that it's...
Talking Point Every Pre-BOTW 3D Zelda Now Has A Remake, But Which Is Best?
Featuring *two* polls!
Like Disney remaking all of its old animated movies into live-action versions, Nintendo has slowly been remastering all of its old Zelda games to bring them to new audiences — and to remind old audiences why they loved the games so much. Unlike Disney's live-action movies, though, the Zelda remakes are fantastic, and now...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 24th)
What are your weekend gaming plans?
We're all another seven days older and in the past week we've seen (among other things) a bunch of leaked early designs for the Wiimote, possibly the rarest e-Reader card in existence sold for a five-figure sum, Nintendo announce th
Talking Point Nintendo's Quirky Creativity Hasn't Always Paid Off On Switch, But It Matters
Standing out from the crowd
Nintendo is in a particularly strong position in the games industry at present - it's a hugely popular, talked about brand, and the company is still selling tens of millions of systems each year that - by this stage - will be increasingly inexpensive to produce. When you take relatively old, readily available technology...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 17th)
Time for taking flight?
After last week's OLED shenanigans things were a little calmer this time around, though there was still some intriguing news. Atlus is teasing big things for the Persona series, there's a remarkably expensive Mario watch from Tag Heuer, and there has been a lot of focus on a
Talking Point Everyone Has A Bad Game They Love, So What's Yours?
"All that is gold does not glitter"
Recently, I set out on a quest to track down a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1 for the Super Nintendo – a game that I awarded a paltry 3/10 to some time ago. I didn't seek out a copy as a strange kind of punishment, or to be ironic – I wanted to re-own it because, despite being pretty...
Talking Point Can Metroid Dread Be The Franchise's 'Awakening'?
This could be a breakthrough for the series
Over the weekend our lovely folk in the video team posted a detailed chat, above, asking a simple but intriguing question — "Why hasn't the Metroid series traditionally sold well?" It's a good question, and it feels like one with a lot of varied answers. Let's summarise a few, before shifting to a fully...
