Timeline
Monday27th Oct 2025
News Level-5 Flexes Its Upcoming Titles In New Anniversary Art
More games teased for the future
Level-5 is celebrating its 27th anniversary tomorrow (28th October), and to mark the occasion, company president Akihiro Hino has shared a sweet piece of new birthday art. The illustration packs in characters from Layton, Inazuma Eleven, DECAPOLICE, Fantasy Life and even Holy Horror Mansion — about which we still...
News Two Point Museum Goes Wild With The 'Zooseum' DLC Expansion This Winter
Rawr
Two Point Museum is just about to launch on the Switch 2, and to celebrate, Sega has announced another new DLC expansion scheduled to launch this winter. Dubbed 'Zooseum', it's essentially, well... a zoo. It's a brand new location that will no doubt introduce a smorgasbord of interesting creatures to care for as you look to expand your...
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Scored US' Biggest Physical Game Launch Since TOTK
Link cable
Pokémon Legends: Z-A might not have flown off the shelves quite as fast as its series predecessors around the world, but that's not to say that its launch has been anything to scoff at. In fact, it has put up the US' biggest physical game launch in over two years. That's according to Circana's Mat Piscatella on Bluesky, who noted that...
News Takaya Imamura's Comment On Super Mario Odyssey's 8th Anniversary Makes Us Feel Very Old
"It's unbelievable"
Eight years ago today, a little game called Super Mario Odyssey launched on the Nintendo Switch. We've said so much over the years about this incredible entry from Nintendo, we won't go over it all again here. But a recent post from ex-Nintendo developer Takaya Imamura caught our eye and we simply felt compelled to highlight it,...
News EA Staff Are Reportedly Less Than Happy With Their Much-Hyped AI "Helpers"
EA's internal chatbot, ReefGPT, is making life harder, not easier
Despite the negative press and questions surrounding the ethical use of training data, Generative AI is making a significant impact on game development, with many of the industry's major players now utilising the technology to help create and enhan
Review Two Point Museum (Switch 2) - Probably The Best Game In The Series, But No Mouse Mode?
It belongs in a museum
Universities and hospitals: they’re well-known money spinners (assuming you ignore socialised healthcare) and make perfect sense for a management sim. What doesn’t strike me as such a lucrative institution is a museum. I went to a lot of them as a child specifically because it was a cheap day out, and as I rocket closer...
News "Go Tell Nintendo" - Ex-Blizzard President Responds After Xbox Calls Exclusives "Antiquated"
"Nintendo has continually dominated with outstanding games"
Xbox has been making headlines recently with the news that Halo: Campaign Evolved would be making its way to the PS5 in addition to Xbox Series X|S. Halo had always seemed like the last bastion of exclusivity for Microsoft's platform, and now that it's going multi-platform in 2026, it...
News Team Zombie Gobbles Up A Win In Splatoon 3's Splatoween Splatfest
Monster mash
Nintendo has announced that the next seasonal Splatfest is right around the corner, with Splatoon 3's Splatoween event returning next month. Running from 25th-26th October (depending on your region), this event will see the return of the monster-based teams, with us all once again having to decide between Team Zombie, Skeleton, and...
"It took time for us to convey the concept clearly to Retro"
Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective launches this month, and it includes plenty of insight into how Retro Studios and Nintendo worked together on the famous trilogy, as recounted by series producer Kensuke Tanabe. As spotted by our friends over at
UK Charts Pokémon Legends: Z-A Is The Smallest Retail Launch Since 'Let's Go!' In Europe
Sales roughly 28% lower than Arceus
We're back with another look at the UK boxed charts and, surprising no one, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has maintained its lead in the second week, with original Switch sales now starting to outpace Switch 2. Heck, with 150 million+ consoles out in the wild, we expected nothing less. However, according to Chris Dring...
Sunday26th Oct 2025
Opinion One Year On, Every Positive 'Pokémon TCG Pocket' Update Still Comes With A Catch
A flip-flopping Magikarp
About a year ago, I reviewed Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket here at Nintendo Life, awarding it a respectable 7/10, largely because collecting ‘mons from that initial set of packs felt kinetic and exciting. Sure, there was far too much monetisation in the form of multiple different currencies, and the battles lacked a...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Interest-Ing
Hello hello, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we looked at Hey You, Pikachu! for the N64, and although neither version was particularly popular, it was the North American version that won the day with 61% of the vote. This week, we're back with the Metroid franchise with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the...
News Plants Vs. Zombies: Replanted Has Been Updated, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Another patch is on the way
Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted launched for the Switch and Switch 2 this week, and PopCap has already rolled out some updates. These patches will be arriving on both platforms soon. First up, is Patch 1.2. Here are all the changes for this patch, including updates to graphics, the Vs Mode, gameplay, audio and more. Here's...
Saturday25th Oct 2025
News Fire Emblem Shadows Gets A Free Update Adding New Story, Map And More
Play through 'Book 2 episodes 1-4' today
In case you missed it, Nintendo shadow-dropped the new mobile game Fire Emblem Shadows in September. If you haven't given this free-to-play title a go just yet, now might be the time to take a look. A new story "and more" has been added in a free update. Book 2 - Wolf Brother adds episodes 1-4. You can...
Book Review Metroid Prime 1-3: A Visual Retrospective - Stunning Art, Though Lacking Context
The real logbook
It often feels like Metroid fans are starved for new goodies these days; doubly so for fans of Retro Studios’ Prime series. Yet just over a month before the highly anticipated fourth mainline entry for Switch and Switch 2, you can get your hands on an absolutely stunning hardback art book from Piggyback covering the first three...
Guide Best Pokémon Games Of All Time
Where does Legends: Z-A rank?
Updated with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest mainline entry. Enjoy! Ranking the best Pokémon games is no easy feat given that many of them are considered among the best games of their particular hardware generation. Then you have to consider just how many spin-off Pokémon games have come out over the last 30 years...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th October)
Baller
Hello folks, and welcome to that wondrous occasion commonly known as 'The Weekend'. Before we dive into what we're playing, let's quickly recap this week. First up, Masahiro Sakurai presented another hour-long Direct for Kirby Air Riders, and it was a doozy. We've compiled all the major announcements in one place, so be sure to check it out...
News Sakurai Confirms Day One Update For Kirby Air Riders On Switch 2
Launching this November
Although there are no current plans for Kirby Air Riders DLC, during the recent broadcast, game director Masahiro Sakurai has confirmed there will be a day one update. Yes, like many other games nowadays, this patch will apparently be adding some of the "things" discussed during the latest broadcast. Masahiro Sakurai:...
News Xbox Reiterates Its Support For Switch 2
Halo was announced for PS5 this week
In some absolutely huge industry news this week, Microsoft yesterday announced the Halo series would be coming to PlayStation 5 in 2026, with a new Unreal Engine 5 remake of Master Chief's original campaign. While there have been rumours for some time now about this iconic serie
News Factorio - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Announced, Free Upgrade For Existing Owners
Space Age DLC also confirmed
Since the launch of the Switch 2 in June, many developers have been announcing upgrades for existing Switch releases. With this in mind, the construction and management title Factorio will be getting a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. This title was originally released on the Switch in 2022, and the Switch 2 version will be a...
Friday24th Oct 2025
Review Night Striker Gear (Switch) - The Shining Apex Of The 'Super Scaler' Concept
All the gear, and a great idea
Imagine, if you will, an alternate timeline where 3D graphics never happened. Instead, Sega's 'Super Scaler' concept — popularised in games such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run and After Burner — evolves to the point where 2D sprites can not only be scaled without any degradation in visual fidelity, but are...
News Ball X Pit Will Breakout On Switch 2 Next Week, Free Upgrade For Switch 1 Owners
What X Timing
Well, we didn't have to wait long for that! The acclaimed brick-breaking roguelite mashup BALL x PIT will be getting a Switch 2 version on 28th October 2025. For those of you who couldn't wait and grabbed it on the Switch 1 — like, uh, a lot of us here at NL Towers — then the Switch 2 version will be available for free! Kenny Sun...
News Mario Is Getting His Own Balloon At The 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Just don't jump up and pop it
Nintendo of America has announced that Mario himself will be making an appearance at this year's 99th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on Thursday, 27th November 2025. This marks the first occasion that Mario has joined in on the celebrations, and his balloon will feature the character's iconic flying pose...
"Breath of the Wild was hugely influential"
Even just a handful of months after its launch, the Switch 2 is proving to be a particularly compelling console for third-party developers. One of the biggest surprises was the announcement that not only would Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launch on 22nd January 2026, but it would be followed by both...
News Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Trailer Sets Up The Imprisoning War
Unite against the Demon King
We're less than two weeks away from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment's release on Switch 2, and so, what better time for Nintendo to drop a brand new story trailer? The new trailer showcases what looks to be the beginnings of the Imprisonment War, giving us a look at the Demon King himself, Ganondorf, as well as the...
News EA Is Diving Headfirst Into Generative AI With New Partnership
"Together, we’re opening new creative frontiers"
Electronic Arts (EA) has already caused some controversy in recent weeks when it announced it had been acquired by the PIF (Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners for a cool $55 billion. Now, the company is back at it again. In a new announcement,
News Bluey Is Going On A New Quest And It's Coming To Switch And Switch 2 In 2026
"A brand new, original story-led adventure"
Bluey, the popular Australian animation for children, is getting a new video game on the Switch and Switch 2 in 2026. It's officially titled Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen and is an "original story-led adventure game" by the show's creator Joe Brumm. Halfbrick – the Fruit Ninja studio based
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Sold 5.8 Million Copies Globally In Its First Week
Approximately half of the sales were for Switch 2
The Pokémon Company has announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A has sold a total of 5.8 million copies worldwide in its first week. This includes the combined sales of the Switch and Switch 2 physical releases as well as digital downloads. According to the official press release, approximately half of...
News Sakurai Has No Plans For Kirby Air Riders DLC: "Everything Is Here"
Also, he's not planning to make it an "ongoing series"
So many games nowadays come loaded with DLC, or at least plans for some other paid content drop in the future, but when it comes to the upcoming Switch 2 release Kirby Air Riders, you'll be getting the full package on release. Towards the end of the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast, the game's...
Reminder Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws Demo For Switch 2 Is Now Available
Update: Download it from the eShop today
[Tue 9th Sep, 2025]: Star Wars Outlaws launched for the Switch 2 last week, and if you're still not sure whether or not to check it out, a demo is on the way. Following the release of a demo on other platforms earlier this year, Ubisoft has confirmed via the game's "Switch 2 Release FAQ" that a demo will be...
Thursday23rd Oct 2025
News Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition Brings The Apocalypse To Switch 2 In 2026
Save those caps
Today's Fallout Day Broadcast delivered a very nice surprise to Switch 2 owners: Bethesda is bringing Fallout 4 to the hybrid console in 2026 in the form of Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition. The Anniversary Edition includes the base game and all six official add-ons — Automatron, Far Harbor, Nuka-World, and the three Workshop...
News Nightdive's Excellent 'System Shock' Remake Is Getting A Switch 1 & 2 Port
Now that's a shock
Yes, Nightdive Studios is bringing yet another game to the Switch later this year — and Switch 2 as well. This time around, the developer has revealed that it's porting its acclaimed 2023 System Shock remake to both consoles in 2025 with the full game on the cartridge. The news dropped during the Indie Horror Showcase, and it...
Nintendo Download 23rd October (North America)
PowerWash Simulator 2! Full Metal Schoolgirl! Chicken Run!
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 eShop - Highlights: Plants vs...
News Switch 2's First Warhammer 40,000 Game Isn't The One You Might Expect
Update: Now with a release date!
Switch 1 was home to plenty of Warhammer 40,000 titles, so it was only a matter of time before Switch 2 got in on the fun. Well, that time is finally upon us, and the first series title on the new hardware is... the classic RPG Rogue Trader! Wait, that's not Space Marine II. Yep, there was a part of us that expected...
Guide Kirby Air Riders Direct #2: Every Announcement - How Would You Rate it?
You're joking... ANOTHER one?
What's that? You thought we had already heard everything there was to know about Kirby Air Riders? Think again! Sakurai returned with another 60-minute Direct on the upcoming Kirby racer, going into detail on just about every feature that the game has to offer. Honestly, it was a lot. So, to help digest it all, we've...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Lands New Expansion As App Surpasses 150 Million Downloads
New features also get a release date
As we approach the one-year anniversary of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, The Pokémon Company has lifted the lid on a brand new expansion that will be arriving in the app next week. The "Mega Rising' expansion bursts onto the scene one week today, on 30th October, and, as the name suggests, it'll bring a...
News It's Official, Assassin's Creed Shadows Comes To Switch 2 In December With Cross-Progression
Sneaky...
Nintendo and Ubisoft have finally confirmed the world's worst-kept secret: Assassin's Creed Shadows is launching on the Switch 2 on 2nd December 2025. Darn, that is a packed first week of the last month of 2025, isn't it? Rumours have been swirling about this one for
Mini Review Silver Bullet (Switch) - A Gothic Arcade Shooter Full Of Tricks
Treat or Treat?
Silver Bullet’s aesthetic is dark, cartoony, and full of Halloween charm. But beneath its playful premise of a pint-sized Van Helsing rescuing puppies from the forces of darkness lies a razor-blade-stuffed apple - an arcade game with a wicked edge. Mashing genres into something unique, its crosshair shooting setup is reminiscent...
Japanese Charts Surprise, Surprise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A Leaves The Competition In The Dust
Switch 1 version outsells Switch 2
The latest look at the Japanese charts are in from Famitsu, and, surprising absolutely no one, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has started with a bang. TPC's latest takes the top two spots this week, with the Switch 1 version putting up 872,552 sales and the Switch 2 hitting 612,905. Combined, this puts Z-A just shy of 1.5...
News Three More Kirby Air Riders amiibo Have Been Announced
That'll hurt your wallet...
Kirby Air Riders has more amiibo that Mario Kart World — that was already true when they were revealed during the September Nintendo Direct, but a second one (that just aired) has unveiled three more. Meta Knight and Shadow Star, King Dedede and Tank Star, and Chef Kawasaki and Hop Star will be joining the pricey set...
News Elden Ring Delayed On Switch 2 "To Allow Time For Performance Adjustments"
Tarnished Edition pushed to 2026
Bandai Namco and FromSoftware are delaying the planned launch of Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Switch 2 until next year. Originally scheduled to arrive on Nintendo's console before the end of 2025, a post from the game's official X account apologises to players and says the delay into 2026 is "to allow time for...
News Watch - Kirby Air Riders Nintendo Direct #2 - Live!
Sakurai 2.0
Yes, you read that right, Masahiro Sakurai is back for another Nintendo Direct presentation all about Kirby Air Riders. The game's second showcase gets underway today at 2pm BST / 3pm CET / 6am PT / 9am ET, and promises another 60 minutes of info about the upcoming Kirby racer — pfft, and there we were thinking that we had seen...
News Vampire Survivors Goes Full "Everyone Is Here" In New 'Ode To Castlevania' Update
"We could only go so far with the current licenses"
Vampire Survivors dev Poncle continues to drop hints about the upcoming ver. 1.14 update — planned for release at some point next week — and the latest reveal is a fresh batch of content for the sublime Ode to Castlevania DLC. As seen in the above trailer, the 'vania DLC will soon be treated...
News Two Unlisted Metroid Prime 4 Commercials Reveal New Boss Fight
"Power up your holidays"
Two new unlisted Switch 2 lifestyle commercials for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond have been spotted on Nintendo's official YouTube page. They're titled "Power Up Your Holidays", so we'll seemingly be seeing them in the lead up to the Christmas season. Although these new trailers are only around 16 seconds each and spend a lot of...
News Tales Of Xillia 2 Remastered On The Way, With More To Come
Multiple projects are in development
If you haven't been keeping a close eye on the Tales Of series, Bandai Namco is reviving Tales of Xillia as a remaster next week. So, what about Tales of Xillia 2? According to a new Famitsu interview, series director Yusuke Tomizawa has mentioned how a remaster of the sequel is "still in progress" – it just...
News Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Team Open To More DLC: "Tell Us What You Want"
Update: Game surpasses one million sales as Joker arrives
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has already got a huge cast of characters and apparently Sega might not be done just yet. Speaking to Polygon at the Brasil Game Show recently, the series producer Takashi Iizuka mentioned how DLC could potentially stretch beyond a year. It all depends on how much...
News My Nintendo Store Adds A New Metroid Reward For Switch Online Members (US)
Get it while you can
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lands on the Switch 2 and Switch this December, and ahead of the long-awaited release, Nintendo is celebrating the Metroid series in all sorts of ways. It's now offering a special Metroid Desktop Metal Display, based on the original NES release. It's exclusive to Switch Online members in the US right...
Wednesday22nd Oct 2025
Opinion Pokémon Legends Z-A Is The Creepiest Entry Yet, Not In A Good Way
Move!
There’s been quite a lot of talk recently about the lack of voiceover work in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and I can understand why. Game Freak has made some pretty decent strides with its cutscenes, depicting characters that animate realistically right down to their facial expressions and mouth movements. Yet they don’t actually talk. It’s...
News Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 Topped The Best-Selling Switch Games... In September?
But it came out in October!
We knew Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the Switch would be popular, but according to the latest figures from Circana's Mat Piscatella, the game topped the best-selling titles on Nintendo platforms in September. Wait a minute... September? But it launched on 2nd October, right? Yes, that's right. But...
News Marvel Cosmic Invasion Scores December Release Date And Two New Fighters
On your left
Dotemu has finally revealed that the hotly anticipated beat 'em up MARVEL Cosmic Invasion will assemble on Switch and Switch 2 on 1st December 2025. What's more, it's lifted the lid on two new characters in the roster. Aside from giving us the release date, the all-new trailer also gives us our first look at Iron Man and Phoenix, the...
