Tag: Talking Point - Page 2
Talking Point Nintendo Is Laser-Targeting Your Toddlers With This New 'My Mario' Line
Full-on Disney mode engaged
Of the big three platform holders, Nintendo is the 'family-friendly' one. Did you know that? Of course you did - you're an intelligent human being. And over the course of the Switch generation, with all the company's eggs now in a single console basket, Nintendo has diversified its business, leaning into non-gaming areas...
Talking Point Nintendo Indie World Showcase Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
It's Nintendo's Indie World, we're all just living in it
Nintendo is going absolutely crazy as tomorrow, 7th August 2025, we're getting our second video game showcase for the Switch 2 and Switch. And it's an Indie World. Indie World showcases are always a nice surprise, and given that this is the first for the Switch 2 gen, we might well be seeing...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (2nd August)
Another weekend with the King of Swing
Welcome to August, folks! Let's kick things off right with a fresh edition of What Are You Playing. It was Direct week over in Nintendo Land, with a Partner Showcase delivering us 25 minutes of... meh. There were some big hitters that we're pleased to see (Persona 3 Reload, Octopath Traveler 0,
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th July)
I'm gonna wreck it
Here we are once more at the end of July. DK arrived on Switch 2 over a week ago and it seems that most people are absolutely loving Bananza - most, but not all, unfortunately! Nearly 1 in 10 players responding in our poll say they're getting sick when playing the game. The exact cause is up for debate, with the camera's...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th July)
Dee-Kay
Well folks, another weekend is here, which means it's time to get some gaming done! Before we find out what we're all up to, however, let's see what's been going on this week. First up, of course, Nintendo released the wonderful Donkey Kong Bananza to widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 review from us. We also found out who will...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th July)
Fun in the sun
It's looking like it'll be a hot one this weekend, and while gaming may not be the first thing that comes to mind, you know we're all going to need some time chilling in the shade at some point. Before we get into this week's What Are You Playing, let's recap the major news from the past seven days. The biggie was a tasty slice of...
Talking Point One Month On, How Did Nintendo's Switch 2 Launch Go?
Are you satisfied with yours?
Yes, believe it or not, it's been a full month since the launch of the Switch 2 - it's certainly been a busy few weeks. Now that the dust has settled, let's take a look back at how the long-awaited console came out of the gate, from the perspective of Nintendo, players, and media... Coming in hot has been business as...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th July)
Go on and tell us
The weekend is here, which means it's time to kick back, relax, and play some games. Looking back on this week first, Nintendo released Super Mario Strikers for the GameCube NSO app on Switch 2. It's a solid title, and you can see exactly where it lands in our GameCube ranking for Switch 2 so far. Elsewhere, it emerged that...
Talking Point With Bigger GameCube File Sizes, Should Nintendo Let Us Download Individual NSO Games?
1.21 gigabytes!?
Switch 2 brought with it something we'd dreamt about on the original Switch: GameCube games on NSO. With the new GC controller giving Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur II that authentic feeling (while also adding wireless without a WaveBird and sneaking in some
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th June)
Dude! That is so (Cyber)punk rock!
Ah, another week in Switch 2 paradise and the news is still coming thick and fast. This week, Nintendo finally revealed the release date and price for Drag x Drive, we learnt that Super Mario Strikers will be
Talking Point Do You Have A New Go-To Racer In Mario Kart World?
Cowtastrophe
After the best part of a decade with Mario Kart 8, we'd wager that you had probably grown pretty close to your main. You know, your main. The character that you picked to sit behind the wheel, regardless of the situation, because their weight class, look, or general vibe matched your playstyle perfectly. But then Mario Kart World came...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st June)
Gaming like a dragon
Gosh, can you believe it's already been over two weeks since the Switch 2 launched? Where does the time go? Alas, it's true, but this week brought even more news with the big Donkey Kong Bananza Direct! It revealed a boatload of new information and made many of us here at NL infinitely more excited for its relea
Talking Point What Are You Hoping To See In The Donkey Kong Bananza Direct?
Great ExpectAPEtions
What's that? You thought the arrival of Switch 2 a mere two weeks ago would be enough to halt the hype train for a while? Oh no, no, dear readers, Nintendo is full steam ahead, reminding us what's next for the freshest console on the block. The next station stop: Donkey Kong Bananza. A Direct presentation focused on DK's...
Talking Point How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
Free to roam
Many of us have just wrapped up our second weekend with Mario Kart World, and by this point you've probably seen most of the Grand Prix mode and had your rear end handed to you various times in Knockout Tour (I swear, there's no middle ground with that one - I either do really well or go out in the first two laps!), and are starting to...
Poll Do You Three-Star-Gold Every Mario World Grand Prix Before Moving On To The Next?
Or are you an agent of chaos?
I have been wanting to ask a bunch of people this question for a while now, and it seems this is as good a time as any! It's a question of gaming habits really, and how you approach doing things within them, that I'm sure holds up a mirror (mode) to our personalities in the 'real world' and all that, but I'm not a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
Wait, is there a new console out or something?
Our fingertips are blistered, our eyes are square, and that blasted Mario Kart World music won't get out of our heads, but we've had a full week with Switch 2, and the smiles are still large on our faces. Expectedly, it's been another big one at Nintendo Life this week. We got the first official sale...
Poll So, What's Your Favourite Course In Mario Kart World?
Track mania
We're willing to bet there are a fair few of you out there who spent the weekend up to your elbows in axle grease with Mario Kart World - would that be a fair assessment? It's a big old game and we're still working on finalising our review of the Switch 2 launch game after getting our hands on it last Thursday, and while you can read...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (7th June)
Gee, I wonder
Ahh, another quiet week in the world of Nintendo... Sorry, what's that..? New console..? Hmm. Ah yes. The Switch 2! The Switch 2 launched; it's finally here, folks. Literal years of rumours and speculation can now end. Well... until whispers of the Switch 3 begin – hehehehehe. Our coverage this week has been mainly getting all...
Talking Point Does Your Switch 2 Vent Smell?
Not unpleasant, necessarily
Most of us here at Team NL, like many of you, have been unwrapping shiny new consoles today as Switch 2 arrives, finally. Nothing like the smell of new hardware in the morning, right? Having said that, while we've been getting to grips with the new console, some of us have noticed an aroma. Not an unpleasant one, you...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st May)
So long, Switch 1
It's finally upon us, the last weekend before Switch 2. We have one last chance to throw our backlogs a concerned look before a line-up of launch games gets added to the pile, so let's go out with one last hurrah, shall we? You'd think that this week would have been a little 'quiet before the storm' vibes, but there's actually...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (24th May)
Ready..? Fight!
Well folks, the weekend is finally here... Wait, what do you mean it only feels like yesterday when we did our last What Are You Playing? Yeah... time flies, huh? The Switch 2 will be here before you know it! Anyway, this week saw the release of four new titles for the Game Boy app on Nintendo Switch Online, which is awesome. We...
Talking Point The Switch 2 Pre-Order Situation Sucks, But Can Nintendo Do Anything About It?
503sier said than done
We're a little over two weeks out from the launch of a new console and after eight years of Switch 1, there are plenty of Nintendo fans eager to get going with the next generation. If retailer website chaos is any indicator, demand for the next Switch has been very strong and Nintendo will be encouraged to see the enthusiasm...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (17th May)
What's that coming over the hill?
Howdy partners! It's time for another good old natter about our weekend gaming plans. Before we dive into what we're all up to, however, let's look back on the week's highlights. There were a couple of big Switch 2 drops as Nintendo revealed the console's final tech specs, announced what we can expect from its free...
Talking Point Are You Ghosting Switch 1 To Save Yourself For Switch 2?
The best is yet to come
2nd April 2025 will go down as a big day in Nintendo history for a lot of reasons. For one, it was when Nintendo finally lifted the lid on Switch 2, showcasing the console, its games and the all-important price and release date. It was also when, for some of us, our Switch 1 playtime tanked. The new console may have ignited...
Talking Point How Can The Next Animal Crossing Improve Crafting?
Tools of the trade
If you happen to live in the UK, then you’ll know that the weather this week has been pretty glorious – mostly. So, as I was out on one of my evening walks with the dog, I gazed out toward the horizon as the sun was setting. Crepuscular rays pierced through the clouds and trees, butterflies erratically flip-flopped around my...
Talking Point Are You Excited At All For Switch 2 GameChat?
Student lounge around
It's been nearly six weeks since the Switch 2 Direct, and we're now only three-and-a-half more away from the system's launch. Overall, we were pretty impressed with the hour-long presentation Nintendo assembled to officially pull back the curtain at the start of April. Yes, some mixed messaging and unanswered questions could...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (10th May)
Break out the banjo
Say hello to the weekend folks, because it's here. Before we get into what we're playing, however, let's just recap the week so far. Nintendo released its latest financial data, confirming that it is forecasting a total of 15 million Switch 2 sales within the next fiscal year. It also reconfirmed its upcoming slate of games,...
Talking Point With Prices Rising, Are Your Gaming Habits Changing?
Feeling the squeeze
If there’s one thing we can all agree on in 2025, it’s that gaming is becoming a pretty expensive hobby. Not that it was ever ‘cheap’, of course, but recent price hikes have caused quite a stir within the community, perhaps most notably that of Mario Kart World on the upcoming Switch 2. With the physical edition set at...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd May)
Invaders must die
We're another week closer to the Switch 2, folks! We can't almost taste the new cartridges... (bleugh!) Anyway, let's see what's been going on this week. First up, we had the big 20.0.0 update on Switch, which added both Virtual Game Cards and GameShare, along with a few other minor bits and bobs. On a similar topic, it seems more...
Talking Point Will You Be Buying Any Game-Key Card Switch 2 Games?
Oh boycott
The death of physical media has been looming for decades now, essentially since the internet made digital downloads a viable option for purchasing games - or purchasing your licences to play games. While Nintendo got involved relatively quickly (for Nintendo, at least) with WiiWare and Virtual Console digital downloads, there's still...
Talking Point Which Nintendo Series Are You Most Excited To See Return On Switch 2?
Playing favourites
We're on the cusp of a new console generation and naturally thoughts are turning to games we know are coming and games we know must be coming. News flash: Nintendo is making another one of those Mario games. They seem to go down well? So far, only Mario Kart and Donkey Kong have been confirmed for brand new, Switch 2-specific...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th April)
Zero dawn
Can you believe we're now less than 40 days away from the launch of the Switch 2? Gosh, it feels like yesterday we were sat peering at blurry photos of the motherboard, and now here we are. In the meantime, we have some games to play, but let's first recap some of the most interesting stories from this week. First up, it appears that the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th April)
Whatever will we Pik?
You wait six months for a Nintendo Direct and then three come along in a matter of weeks! There's no rest in the world of Nintendo at the moment, and we're excited about it. This week's showcase put Mario Kart World in the spotlight. The presentation didn't have all that much newness to show, but we got a better idea of
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th April)
Still reeling?
Well folks, another week has come and gone, and it was another doozy. We're still kind of reeling from the onslaught of Switch 2 news that followed Nintendo's recent Direct, and to kick the week off, we showcased our big interview with Nintendo's own Nate Bihldorff, in which he confirmed that the new Joy-Con 2 controllers don't...
Talking Point How Does Switch 2's Launch Price Compare To Past Nintendo Systems?
Launch sequence initiated
The big talking point out of last week's Switch 2 Direct hasn't been the system deep dive, the Donkey Kong reveal, or the weird little camera; it's mainly been about Nintendo's approach to pricing. The messaging was non-existent in the Direct itself, but in the minutes and hours after it ended, we learnt that games would...
Talking Point Zelda: Wind Waker Is On Switch 2 - Do You Still Want A WW:HD Port?
Can't always get what U want
Wind Waker is coming to Switch 2! With a whole load of classic GameCube games too! And a nice optional CRT filter! In a week with more official Nintendo announcements than we've had in the last year combined, this news could be seen as minor, but it ticks off yet
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th April)
What a week, eh?
We have started the odd What Are You Playing post in the past with some comment about "gosh, that was a busy week!", but this week really has been the granddaddy of them all. Just in case you somehow missed it, Nintendo finally lifted the lid on Switch 2! In an hour-long extravaganza of a Direct, we got our first proper look at the...
Talking Point What We Expect From The Switch 2 Direct
The clock is ticking...
A few weeks back, we gathered our thoughts and put down in words what we on Team NL are expecting from the upcoming Switch 2 Direct. We're mere days away from the presentation now, so we're republishing this article, updated with our lovely video team's hopes and dreams above. Enjoy! In exactly four weeks, we're all going...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (29th March)
A storm is coming...
We're here, everyone. The last weekend before Nintendo's big Switch 2 Direct. Give yourselves a pat on the back - we made it. As for this week..? Well, it was super quiet, nothing happened, man. Heh, only kidding, we had another Nintendo Direct. It was quite the surprise, but it was certainly packed with interesting...
Talking Point Which Switch Game Needs A 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' The Most?
Time for an upgrade?
Ever since Sony's PS5 adopted it as one of its main release points, we have been quietly hoping for Switch 2 to offer up enhanced versions of 'Switch 1' games. For a long time, this was nothing more than a dream (albeit a pretty realistic one, given Nintendo's remaster rate these days), but in the last few weeks, it has started...
Talking Point Nintendo Direct Predictions - What Do You Want To See?
No, not THAT Direct, THIS Direct!
After some vague rumblings earlier in the week, Nintendo has only gone and announced another Direct presentation for this Thursday, 27th March 2025. While we await the big Switch 2 blowout next week, this one will focus on games for the original Switch, clocking in at roughly 30 minutes in length. Nintendo, as...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd March)
Look in the Mira
Well folks, the weekend is here once again! We're getting so close to that Switch 2 Direct, we can almost taste it... Anyway, this week in the land of Nintendo, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition launched, and crikey-mikey, it's an absolute cracker. Shock, we know. We gave it the ol' review treatment, of course, but we also...
Talking Point What's Your Dream Pokémon LEGO Set?
Wish upon a Starmie
It's the collaboration that we only thought possible in our dreams, but LEGO and The Pokémon Company are officially teaming up on a set (dare we say "sets"?) in 2026. The problem is, we have no idea what's in store yet — the brief teaser from LEGO showcased a bricky Pikachu tail and that's about it. It's safe to assume that...
Talking Point Will Metroid Prime 4 Get A Switch 2 Release?
Beyond the realm
It's been 84 years since Nintendo first announced that the next chapter in the Metroid Prime series was in development. Then, in 1957, an apology was issued as the platform holder took things back to the drawing board, restarting development and shifting production from partner dev Bandai Namco back to Prime series founders Retro...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th March)
Wahoo!
One minute, you're revelling in the celebrations of MAR10 Day, the next, it's the weekend. Where does the time go? While not quite as big as last year's affair, MAR10 Day 2025 brought us some eShop savings, a new Alarmo theme, and a first look at a sweet 18+ Mario
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (8th March)
No luck Hunting them Monsters then?
The weekend has rolled around once more so it's time for another edition of What Are You Playing! After last week's Poké-fest, it's been a slightly quieter one in Nintendo land over recent days. The Game Boy NSO library was treated to a duo of new titles, Nintendo started slashing some prices ahead of MAR10 Day...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st March)
Hello, Hello Kitty
Hello folks, and good job on making it through another week! It's been a big week for Pokémon, with Thursday unveiling the latest Pokémon Presents. We got our first good look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the reveal of Pokémon Champions, and a whole bunch of oth
Talking Point Can Nintendo Keep Up The One-Game-A-Month Release Pace On Switch 2?
Keepie uppies
With Switch entering its ninth year on 3rd March 2025, and with over 150 million units sold and more million-selling games than we've had hot dinners, it's hard to remember a time when Nintendo pooling its portable and home console software teams behind a single system felt like a risky move. As Wii U foundered, it was the...
Talking Point Our 2025 Pokémon Presents Predictions - What Are You Hoping For?
Nintendo Life used Detect!
Much like the Mad Titan Thanos, the arrival of a Pokémon Presents showcase on Pokémon Day was inevitable. With the date now official and our faux surprise subsided, it's time to start laying down some predictions. To address the Phanpy in the room: yes, Pokémon Presents showcases can be a little dry. But aside from the...
Poll Which Pokémon Game Really Deserves A Remake Next?
Kanto blight
With a Pokémon Presents on the way soon, our foolish hearts have begun hoping for something a bit special. While Nintendo fans twiddle their thumbs awaiting the full reveal of Switch 2, an entire year without a Pokémon game releasing on Switch has helped us regain our appetite for console-based catchin'. It was a much-needed break,...
