Timeline
TodayMon, 22nd Dec 2025
Talking Point Does It Bother You That Big Games Companies Are Using GenAI?
The GenAI-ration game
What a week. On Tuesday, comments from Larian founder and CEO Swen Vincke to Jason Schreier at Bloomberg (paywall) created headlines we've grown all too used to over the last couple of years. Following the reveal of a new Divinity game at The Game Awards, Vincke said that the studio was actively using generative AI for concept...
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...
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...
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...
Random The Japanese Football Team Sponsored By Nintendo Now Has Pikmin On Its Shirt
It's no Fiorentina jersey, but it's something
Nintendo has a long history of sponsoring professional sports teams, and one club it's continued to support over the years is the Japanese football side, Kyoto Sanga, which currently competes in Japan's top-flight competition known as the J-League. Nintendo owns 16.6% of this club, and ever since it...
News "I Skipped School To Play" - Hideo Kojima Cites Super Mario Bros As The Reason He Makes Games
"I can't really play it now though"
Hideo Kojima has rightly cemented himself as a legend in the games industry, having created iconic titles such as Metal Gear Solid, P.T., and Death Stranding. Although it probably shouldn't come as a surprise, however, Kojima cites Super Mario Bros. as the reason he started making games in the first place. In a
Reminder Two More Mega Evolution Are Now Available In Pokémon Unite
Mega Gyarados and Charizard Y join the fray
A major game update for the free-to-play Switch and mobile title Pokémon Unite was released earlier this month. Now, before we get to the end of the year, the development team has added Mega Charizard Y. This follows Mega Gyarados, which joined the fray earlier this month. Before this, trainers got Mega...
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 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...
YesterdaySun, 21st Dec 2025
Opinion Who Needs Link? This Top-Down Metroidvania Is The Best Zelda Game Of 2025
A String Between Worlds
When you start up a top-down Zelda game, you usually know how things will start. You’ll get some scrolling exposition text setting up the events of the game, and you’ll either be plonked in the middle of a room or a field, ready to save the princess, or wake up after a dream or a shipwreck or something. I’m...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Ice Climber
'Tis the season
Ho, ho, ho, everyone! Welcome to a particularly festive edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week saw two covers for Mega Man 6 going head-to-head, and it was a little closer than we expected. The yellow Japanese variant (this writer's favourite) just clinched it, however, taking 54% of the vote and leaving the North American design with...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Review Despelote (Switch) - An Irresistible And Appropriately Beautiful Game
Back of the net
Editor's note: This game launched in North America on 11th December, but won't hit European eShops until 13th January. For some, football is something to play; for some, it’s something to watch; for others, it’s something to be scared of in the playground. But in 2001, in Ecuador, football meant just about everything to just...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th December)
Ho, ho, ho!
Ah yes, the weekend. Not just any ol' weekend either! No, it's the weekend before Christmas, which means it's time to start preparing your stomachs for an avalanche of food and chocolate. This week in the world of Nintendo, it seems that there may be an alternative to those ruddy Game Key Cards after an announcement from ININ Games. We...
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...
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...
News Splatoon 3's Annual In-Game Event Frosty Fest Returns Early Next Year
"Who do you spend the holidays with?"
Although Nintendo ended Splatoon 3's "regular updates" some time ago now, it's been revived this year with the release of a free Switch 2 update and some major game patches. Now, as 2025 comes to a close, the return of Frosty Fest has been announced. This time the question is: "Who do you spend the holidays...
Friday19th Dec 2025
"They've done an amazing job"
Square Enix had a holiday treat in store for us earlier this week, when it dropped the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade demo on the Switch 2 eShop. Before the full game launches next year, you can now get an idea of what to expect by playing through the iconic opening sequence for free. But how does it hold up from...
News Neopets Makes Its Big Console Return In 2026 With Classic Mini Game Collection
Just don't forget to feed them
Those of you of a certain age will remember Neopets. Arriving with a bang in 1999 as a free-to-play virtual browser game where you look after digital pets, it exploded in popularity, spawning merchandise, toys, video games, trading cards, and more. It's still pretty massive today, even! On the video game side, things...
Opinion Marvel Cosmic Invasion Caps Off A Great Year To Be A Superhero Fan
Flying high
Cards on the table: I am a big superhero fan and I always have been. I've read the comics, I've played the games, I've watched the movies, I've got the tattoos *gulp*. I am usually pretty adept at bending things to see the positives — heck, I can even defend Thor: The Dark World on a good day — but the last few years have been real...
News Bethesda Releases Skyrim Switch 2 Patch Addressing Input Latency Issues
Available to download now
The Nintendo Switch 2 port of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim hasn't exactly been well received for a number of reasons, but among the most criticised aspects is the input latency, which Digital Foundry tested and claimed was worse than most cloud-streamed games. Yikes. Well, Bethesda has managed to squeeze a patch out just...
News Nintendo Has A Game-Key Card Alternative In The Works With Smaller Switch 2 Carts
Update: ININ Games confirms smaller carts
Game-Key Cards have been perhaps the hottest topic of the Switch 2's lifecycle so far. Outside of particularly large releases, the running theory is that many studios are turning to a Game-Key physical release because Nintendo has failed to offer small/cheap options for those who don't want to cough up for...
News Patapon 1+2 Replay Teases New Game Mode, Coming Early Next Week
Pata! Pon! Pon!
We thought developers and publishers would be winding down right before the holidays, but Bandai Namco has dropped a little teaser for Patapon 1+2 Replay, the collection of the two classic PSP games, for some brand new content on 22nd December 2025. Ultimately, the teaser gives us nothing but a cute little animation, before capping...
Guide 100 Switch 1 & 2 Games To Check Out In Nintendo's Holiday eShop Sale (UK)
Every game we scored 9/10 or above
Nintendo has launched its latest eShop sale in the UK, discounting a bunch of titles for the Christmas season. Ignoring the fact that the UK eShop site has it titled as the ‘Holiday Sale’ and not the ‘Christmas Sale’ – we're on the other side of the pond, after all – there’s a lot to like here. To...
News Get A Closer Look At Dave The Diver's Upcoming 'In The Jungle' DLC In New "Dev Dive" Trailer
Back on dry land
It was almost exactly a year ago that we first heard about Dave The Diver's 'In the Jungle' DLC at The Game Awards 2024. We got a brief look at the expansion in the November Xbox Showcase, but today, developer MINTROCKET has fully lifted the lid on what we can expect. In a new 'Dev Dive' video, the team gives us our best look yet...
News No Gravity Games Is Giving Away 10 Free Switch Games This Month (North America)
Update: The final day brings three freebies
Update: The final day of No Gravity Games' 'Switchmas Giveaway' is finally upon us, with three new Switch freebies for all those who have followed the chain up until this point. You'll find the complete list of every game in this year's giveaway, and all the info on how to get involved, in our original...
Video Digital Foundry Reviews Skyrim On Switch 2, And Yeah, It's Bad
Sort it out, Bethesda
The fine folks over at Digital Foundry have provided a full tech review of Skyrim on the Switch 2 and, well, when you look at some of the figures presented here, it really makes you wonder what the heck Bethesda is even doing right now. Naturally, as highlighted in our original review, the input lag is potentially the biggest...
Rumour Bethesda's Newest IP Is Still Reportedly On Course For Switch 2
Can we expect Starfield to make contact in 2026?
Following a rumour in August about Bethesda's newest original IP Starfield landing on the Switch 2 in 2026, a new story is now making the same claim. This information comes from Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden
News Dispatch Switch 2 And Switch Frame Rate & Resolution Officially Revealed
Here's how it holds up
The "superhero comedy" Dispatch got announced for the Switch and Switch 2 this week, and following the initial reveal, we've now got some details about the game's performance. The Switch 2 version (which is a free upgrade for anyone who has the game on Switch) will offer "enhanced performance" of up to 60fps with 1440p...
News Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 5
"It's really moving along now"
Before the year is out, Undertale creator Toby Fox has shared a "status update" about Deltarune Chapter 5. The good news is the fifth chapter is "really moving along" now. In saying this, the official release date could still be "several months" out. Fox also expects the team to be focused Chapter 6 in just "a few...
Download it now
Nintendo has been rolling out updates for many of its games in the lead up to the end of the year, and today, it has sent new patches for Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 live. Here's the full rundown, courtesy of the official Nintendo support pages. This update apparently improves the "gameplay experience" on both the...
News Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Decayed Master Sword "Life-Size" Statue Pre-Orders Live
Exclusive Edition also available
If you played Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you're probably familiar with the Decayed Master Sword. First 4 Figures now has plans for a "life-size" statue of it, with pre-orders scheduled to open on 18th December 2025. Pricing hasn't been revealed just yet, but if you sign up to the First 4 Figures email, you can get...
Thursday18th Dec 2025
News Fitness Boxing 3's 1.3.0 Update Adds New Instructor & Workouts, Here Are The Patch Notes
Now with added Tai Chi
Nintendo has been on a bit of a roll with the first-party updates this week, and now it's Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer's turn for a refresh. The game has today been updated to ver. 1.3.0, with the big addition being Kurogane, a new instructor who can help guide you through easier workouts. Fresh Tai Chi sessions...
Guide Best Switch 2 Ports - The Most Impressive Third-Party Games On Nintendo Switch 2
It takes all ports
Since its launch, Switch 2 has quickly followed in its predecessor's footsteps, attracting impressive ports from other consoles which belie the modest power of its mobile chipset. It's a massive jump up from Switch 1, but we're still talking about a tablet smaller than the average paperback, and it's mightily impressive to see it...
Japanese Charts Switch 2 And Mario Kart World Continue To Obliterate The Competition
Even Pokémon can't keep up
The latest Japanese charts data is in from Famitsu, and surprising no one, Mario Kart World is once again at the top of the pile, shifting another 103,861 units. Not even the combined sales of Pokémon Legends: Z-A across Switch and Switch 2 can keep up, though it's safe to say that the lifetime sales are closing the gap...
News PowerWash Simulator 2's First DLC Pack Will Take Us On An Adventure Next Year
Come on, grab your friends
PowerWash Simulator racked up some pretty impressive crossover DLC in its time, and its sequel looks like it'll start doing the same next year. FuturLab has today lifted the lid on PowerWash Simulator 2's first DLC pack, featuring none other than a handful of locales from the beloved Cartoon Network series, Adventure...
News Absolum's First Major Update Arrives Early Next Year, Here's What's Included
Absolumely Fabulous
Dotemu, Crush Guard Games, and Supamonks have today announced that big things are coming to their fantasy 'rouge 'em up', Absolum, next year, starting with the game's first major update. The ver. 1.1 update, 'The Threads of Fate', will launch at some point in "Early 2026" (the studios haven't been more precise than that at the...
Nintendo Download 18th December (North America)
Games! Games! Games!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy! Switch 2 eShop - Highlights: The Rogue Prince of Persia (Ubisoft, 16th Dec,...
Review System Shock (Switch 2) - Performance Woes Tarnish A Classic
What a hack
I absolutely adore the System Shock remake from Nightdive Studios. When it launched on the PS5 last year, this reimagining of Looking Glass' 1994 classic was just about all I could think about for weeks on end thanks to its immersive gameplay, oppressive atmosphere, and stunning visuals that blend pixel-art textures with advanced...
News Trails In The Sky 2nd Chapter Continues Estelle's Journey In Fall 2026
Coming to Switch 1 & 2
Nihon Falcom and publisher GungHo Online Entertainment have confirmed that Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is coming to Switch 1 and Switch 2 in Fall 2026, around a year after the first. That means those of you champing at the bit after that cliffhanger at the end of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (and the subsequent teaser...
News GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition Is Racing Onto Switch 2 In Early 2026
With quality and performance modes
Feral Interactive had announced that GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition will be making its way to the Switch 2 in early 2026. The enhanced port will boast improved optimisation with toggles for quality and performance modes, with further options for those in handheld mode. If you like taking your Switch 2 out and about,...
News Nintendo Wins $8.2 Million In Damages Over Wii Controller Patent Infringement
15 years leads to big(Ben) payout
Nintendo has been locked in a long-running legal battle with BigBen Interactive — now known as Nacon — over an infringement relating to the patent of the Wii controller for a full 15 years. That's a long time! Now, though, and as reported by The Games Fray (thanks, Games Industry.biz), the J
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Ranked Battle Season 4 Is Now Live, With Another Mega Stone Reward
Baby got Baxcalibur
The latest Ranked Battle Season is now underway in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, granting you yet another opportunity to nab a new Mega Evolution stone. Ranked Battle Season 4 kicked off today (18th December) and will run through until 8th January at 5:59am UTC. Those who reach S Rank or higher in this period will be rewarded with a...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Has Sold Over 6 Million Copies
Square Enix must be pix-elated
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series has sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Although initially receiving a staggered release between 2021 and 2022 on Windows, iOS, and Android, the series arguably saw a huge boost when it made its way to the Switch and PS4 in 2023, with a release on...
News Guilty Gear Strive Switch Edition Update And DLC Finally Available
"We sincerely apologize to everyone waiting"
[Sun 23rd Nov, 2025 07:00 GMT]: Guilty Gear -Strive- Nintendo Switch Edition arrived earlier this year in January, but fans on the hybrid platform were left behind when the new DLC and other updates never showed up. Now, alongside an apology about missing the previous window, Arc System Works has...
