Fizza

Was an inevitability after the 3DS eShop servers closed but man this sucks to see all the same. Cloud servers are undoubtedly more convenient for storing Pokemon than the hoops you had to jump through from Gens 3-5 but they always have the looming problem of existing with an expiration date attached to them at all times. Still though, 14 years is a damn respectable amount of time to be online for and hopefully HOME can last even longer than its predecessor.

Ah man that simultaneously has me over the moon and breaks my heart all over again 😭

Echoing a similar sentiment to others here but King Hyrule would be a perfect role for him and the fact that his last live-action role will be in a movie that was filmed in his home nation of New Zealand is truly bittersweet. Rest in peace once again to one of my favourite actors and I can't wait to see him one last time (regardless of whether the actual movie is any good or not XD).

I am unfortunately not too familiar with Latukefu as of now myself but judging by the pics and clips I've seen of him in the wake of this news coming out, this feels like an unreal bit of casting 🤯

A game which shines in its gameplay and world but struggles with technical aspects like performance and visual fidelity? That sounds like a Game Freak game alright XD

I've always held a soft spot for Game Freak's non-Pokemon works as they tend to offer a pretty distinctive flavour of their respective genres so I'd love to give Beast of Reincarnation a go in the near future myself, though preferably on a discount 🙏

I think its interesting to use Metroid Prime as an example for why a series should stick to what its best at because I'd argue none of the later Prime games ever really go for the same 'Super Metroid in 3D' vibe that MP1 did. MP2 was far more influenced by Link to the Past, MP3 had a very Halo-esque narrative and presentation involving other space hunters and a Galactic Federation congregation while MP4 basically fused MP2/3's ideas together into a BotW/Halo Infinite style package. I'm not opposed to playing things a bit safe if there's a large enough gap in time between releases (see Castlevania Belmont's Curse and how its connected to the game which the Netflix show was based off of) but Metroid Prime has basically defined itself through reinterpreting its core FPS/Metroidvania hybrid gameplay entry by entry (for better and for worse) and retreating into basically just making MP1 again without much distinctive flavour would be a bit disappointing IMO.

then again MP1 is one of my favourite games ever so I would also not be opposed to it XD

@bransby They're still about half the price of their competition even after the price hikes come into effect so I think they'll be alright for the time being XD

could do with €80 physical games getting done away with ASAP though 💀

Its interesting to observe Nintendo's gradual pivot since the Switch era began (though you could also argue this started as early as Wii/DS) into being a more general entertainment/leisure company that utilises their IPs in more than just video games like they have in the past. Almost harkens back to their early pre-Famicom years where they were throwing every business idea at the wall to see what would stick from Ultra-Hands to love hotels XD

I imagine it'll be similar to Ninja Gaiden Ragebound from last year where that launched at 30FPS on Switch before getting a 60FPS patch for Switch 2 later on but given how wishy-washy Konami have been with discussing the Switch port of Belmont's Curse this past while, a part of me is mentally bracing myself for a technical state comparable to launch-day Bloodstained Ritual of the Night XD

Alright so we got new Donkey Kong and Peach games for the first movie and new Star Fox and Yoshi games for the second; naturally I expect to see a new Wario Land and Mole Mania for the third XD

A part of me does wanna be a bit cynical that they only got new entries because of cross-promotion with a movie but its still really cool that we've gotten stuff like DK Bananza and Star Fox NS2 as a result of all this 🙌

@Teksette Took the words right out of my mouth and then some XD

Would like to add as well though that its strange that so many people (especially industry analysts like Piscatella) view the downturn in physical game demand in such a nihilistic light, where physicals either keep getting made or go extinct entirely, when the film, music and book industries had this dilemma sorted years ago: keep physical options around in smaller supplies as a boutique item for more hardcore consumers.

of course the actual reason why these companies want physicals gone is so that they can control every purchase and revenue stream produced for their consoles but they'd never actually admit that 🙃

Heartwarming: 136-year-old company still practices anti-consumer mentalities the old-fashioned way 🙃

I still wouldn't say Nintendo is on the same level of debauchery as Sony/Microsoft right now but you always get the cold hard splash of reality every now and then that Nintendo can be just as slimey as every other corporation when they want to be (even if they don't do it quite as often as their competitors XD).

Been personally holding off on getting a Switch 2 ever since I first heard rumblings that they'd be implementing a new replaceable-battery model so I'm glad to see it finally be confirmed for later this year. Not sure when exactly I'll get one but rest assured that I'll be hopping on current-gen as soon as I'm able to now XD

can't say I was ever expecting a subheading like that on a Nintendo Life review XD

I will always be frustrated that this is yet another remake of Star Fox 64 but with that being said, this certainly looks to be the best version of that game we've had so far and I can't deny: as someone who loves SF64 to bits already, I'm genuinely getting very excited to re-experience it all over again with a shiny new coat of paint 🥰

now can this PLEASE lead to an actual new game for once Nintendo I'm on my hands and knees here-

Kinda mad to think this will be the first time Tekken has shown up on a Nintendo console in ages (I think the last time was with Tag Tournament 2 back in 2012?) but I'm certainly not complaining XD

now bring over T2/3 next Hamster 🙏

While I'm perpetually annoyed at Capcom not porting DMC4 SE to Switch beforehand (I know its a divisive and wonky as hell experience but I still cherish it all the same XD), I'm thrilled tons more people get to experience what is, in my eyes, the absolute pinnacle of one of my favourite Capcom series around. The cutbacks to achieve what they needed to on a portable system are a bit of a shame (though to be perfectly frank I don't think losing LDK Mode is a particularly big deal) but maintaining a consistent 60FPS at all times in both docked and handheld is well worth the tradeoffs IMO 🙌

Can't say I expected Velan to be the devs in a million years given their previous release history but they do have a good relationship with Nintendo following MK Live Home Circuit and they seem to be putting in a pretty good job with Star Fox NS2 so kudos to them for landing such a big opportunity 😄

Free demo is lovely too, will definitely check that out in due time after I go through a marathon of earlier Star Fox games XD

The best 1st-Party announcement of the whole show honestly (which I know isn't saying much but shh XD). I've been eager to see what Monolith could do with hardware more comparable to current-gen systems and the results are absolutely breathtaking. I haven't played Xenoblade yet myself but between this and the new NS2 Editions, I'm incredibly eager to start the series ASAP!

I have no idea why Nintendo are so attached to these Sportsmates when everyone can't stand them in comparison to Miis XD

this felt like a Sony/PlayStation trailer tbh (derogatory XD)

I'm happy its finally confirmed but I'm already not a huge fan of OoT to begin with (7/10, its alright but pales in comparison to Majora's Mask) and I doubt this remake is gonna do much to change that, especially if it goes open-world a la BotW/TotK 😅

@Serpenterror That may be the case for every other gaming showcase but Nintendo games tend to come out pretty soon after their reveals (typically 1-2 years at most) XD

A summer showcase season wouldn't be complete without Nintendo so I am very happy we finally have another proper Direct to look forward to again XD

Don't have a ton of hopes/expectations for this going into it but if I can get something that makes me happy (such as a 3D Castlevania collection or the mythical Ace Attorney 7) then this will be a success in my eyes 🙏

I knew development for DQ12 was not going particularly well but I don't think I could've ever anticipated a full restart 😳

Nice to see some actual gameplay footage now at least, even if I feel like the character designs don't quite do it for me right now (though they could definitely grow on me in due time). The environments look great though (and very DBZ-esque I might add XD) and hopefully it isn't too long until DQ12 actually materialises a release date 🙏

I feel a bit prickly over the FRLG rerelease doing as well as it did when, in my eyes, it was very overpriced for what it was offering but at the same time I certainly won't complain if it leads to games like RSE getting the rerelease treatment next (though I probably will still moan about the pricetag all the same XD).

Pokopia doing 4M+ units right out the gate is excellent news to hear as well; I never imagined it'd be a system seller on the level of something like Mario Kart but I have no qualms with it whatsoever 🙌

Always felt like an inevitability given the state of other console/hardware manufacturers but man it still hurts to see all the same 💔

For what its worth, this is actually a smaller increase than I was anticipating after Sony/MS bumped their consoles up by at least 100 bucks each (Switch 2 is only going up by €30 here in EU for instance) but a price increase is still a price increase and it sucks that, despite all their attempts to avoid it, Nintendo was not immune from raising costs across the board (especially in Japan).

Nintendo will create a world where Star Fox 64 lasts forever

I feel so immensely conflicted about this in so many ways. The new realistic visual style was very off-putting at first but I have grown to like it the more I see of it (even if I do prefer the anime stylisation of older games) and the gameplay looks like more of the classic rail-shooter action I've loved the series for in the past....but man why is it Star Fox 64 AGAIN 💀

This series is in perpetual arrested development narratively and it drives me absolutely bonkers 😭

Regardless though, I am fairly intrigued by this but am heavily skeptical at the same time XD

Thrilled its coming out so soon and for such a low pricepoint but a part of me is genuinely wondering how Yacht Club won't go under with all the pro-consumer moves they've made throughout their existence as a studio XD

The demo for Mina was very good though so I'd be down to give it a go whenever possible (especially for such a low pricetag 🙌).

I've heard rumblings that Nintendo wants a potential Metroid movie to be positioned as 'Alien for all ages' which has me somewhat concerned though at the same time you could definitely make the argument that that's what Metroid already is for almost every entry aside from Fusion XD

This would still be years away from being a thing (especially if it would only enter production following the Zelda movie's release) but Metroid has some pretty fascinating stories that I'd love to see done justice on the big screen (Zero Mission feels like it'd be a perfect base to build off of in particular).

@anoyonmus On the cheaper end for first-party Nintendo games shockingly enough: $50 digitally and most likely $60 physically.

Nintendo this is the second time in a row you've jumpscared me with info on this game, my heart can't take this XD

Certainly wasn't expecting Raiders to be essentially a full Salmon Run game, though this time with permanent upgrades, map exploration and base building elements, and while I am a little bit worried that'll result in it feeling a bit repetitive (since Salmon Run typically works best as a palette cleanser between the core Splatoon gameplay loop), the trailer footage looked very promising and I'm excited to see how it fares around July! ❤

Been a big fan of Vampire Survivors for quite some time ever since they initially offered it as a NSO Game Trial on Switch years back so naturally I'm all over Vampire Crawlers as well, especially given how one of my other roguelike loves is Slay the Spire XD

I've got some work to take care of beforehand but once that's out of the way, I'll absolutely be jumping into poncle's latest (magic) banger 😎

@Glassneedles Christ you're right, I forgot about that too 😭

@EarthboundBenjy The crazy thing about this game in particular is that it isn't just ripping off Pokemon either: the MC is the spitting image of BotW Link, there are FF14 save crystals everywhere across the map and, in the most ironic fashion imaginable, Palworld's own knockoff mons get copied here as well XD

anything besides another damn Star Fox 64 remake ideally XD

In all seriousness though, I'd like to see them revisit some of the non-rail shooter concepts they had back in Star Fox Assault, particularly in regards to the third-person shooter segments, but with the knowledge that we have now on how those kinds of gameplay styles work in the modern age. I definitely think the core rail-shooter gameplay the series is known for should be the primary gameplay loop but I wouldn't mind additional grounded segments which break up that gameplay in the vein of something like Kid Icarus Uprising ^_^

Such a heartbreaking bit of news to hear. Blaney's performance as Wolf was so well-done that his quotes in Star Fox 64 have become eternally iconic to pretty much everyone who's heard them despite only having about a minute of spoken dialogue . Rest in peace to a legend of the radio/voice acting space ❤

Purposefully skimming through the review to avoid spoiling myself but hearing that Pragmata was worth the six-year wait has me absolutely elated after having my own anticipation for it reach a boiling point after the past couple trailers its had XD

Hoping to snag this on or as close to release as possible and am over the moon that Capcom has been able to continue its 2026 hot-streak 🙌

Pretty much every Level-5 fan on the Western side of the world, with the exception of Layton fans, has been left absolutely dejected by this presentation and unfortunately I'm joining them in feeling that way as well.

Layton does look very good so far and there does seem to be a lot of genuine HUMAN-MADE craft behind it but everything else they showed here either feels like vaporware with constant delays and nebulous release windows (Decapolice....) or has Gen-AI gobbledeegook thrusted in your face expecting you to not bat an eye at the elephant in the room (the Yokai Watch-adjacent projects were especially guilty of this).

I hate being so cynical about Level-5 because they've been a long-time favourite developer of mine for many years, particularly with how much effort they put into giving each of their IPs these elaborate multi-media expansions. But I must say: when the AI bubble inevitably pops, Level-5 will have nobody but themselves to blame when all the short-term solutions they've been using to shore up their self-inflicted efficiency problems start blowing up in their face.

@Thomystic I believe they said in the commentated trailer that a major theme of the game is 'corruption' so I imagine this is a zombified version of Joan of Arc corrupted by the antagonist (especially given how the real-life JoA died in 1431, about 60 years before BC takes place).

There's also a cool adherence to Castlevania's lore where she labels the Belmonts as 'those who commune with dark and evil powers' since the clan were viewed as heretics up until Trevor in 1476 which she obviously wouldn't be aware of since she was....well, dead XD

While I do lament (of innocence 🥁) that this trailer was basically just elaborating on what we had already seen back in February, a lot of my own personal concerns regarding Belmont's Curse were assuaged with this latest showing, particularly in regards to the RPG elements which have been faithfully (and thankfully) retained in all their glory. I imagine Konami's probably waiting until something like a Direct or State of Play to properly share new info but for now? This will do nicely 😎

also good lord that music was rocking XD

name a better duo than Nintendo and dropping critical info out of the blue XD

Happy to see Rhythm Heaven Groove finally get a release date confirmed (especially after such a long period of radio-silence since its reveal) but a part of me is definitely curious as to why Nintendo hasn't done a standard Direct yet when they've clearly had more than enough announcements to fill one up over the past month and a bit 🤔

@somnambulance Please god no, the absolute last thing I need right now is Castlevania derailing my plans for the month XD

I love this series but I also wanna play Pragmata and Vampire Crawlers over the next two weeks, I quite literally cannot afford another game right now 😭

@Tempestryke I believe they confirmed its a brand new trailer in advance (plus they'll also be elaborating on it further in the post-show) 👍

I was initially surprised that the Triple-I Initiative managed to bag the next proper trailer reveal for CV Belmont's Curse....and then I learned that the dev team behind BC are also the same team who created the event and suddenly everything made sense XD

I've been massively looking forward to this ever since they announced it a couple weeks back. The past couple Triple-I events have been very entertaining and Castlevania is currently my most anticipated release of 2026 so I'll absolutely be there frame-one🔥

@Mgalens I think YuGiOh Master Duel is an excellent comparison point for Champions personally: a live-service game designed to be analogous with an existing competitive scene which is definitely in a better state nowadays but was plagued by a horrendous gameplay format and many technical problems at launch which caused new people looking to get into YGO to completely bounce off of it and resulting in only those already entrenched with YGO sticking with it in the long-term.

@BrazillianCara Not much better from what I've gathered 😅

A lot of the same complaints as those on the Western side of the world keep cropping up (particularly in relation to bugs occurring in the middle of matches).

@UpsideDownRowlet The most damning indictment I've seen so far on my end is Joe Merrick of Serebii, typically the most charitable of Pokemon fans around, plainly saying that VGC should be played on SV instead of Champions for the foreseeable future 💀

I understand that live-service games are designed to grow and improve over time but a critical aspect that so many game companies seem to forget is that the launch experience has to be up-to-snuff as well in order to actually keep people invested for future updates.

There's the bones of something good with Champions but right now its plagued with an insane amount of bugs, confounding design choices which seem to incentivise forking out extra cash above all else (see Floette being a dominant mon when the only way to acquire it is by playing through PLZA) and a general lack of polish which makes it very hard for me to see a future where its adopted en masse for competitive play like TPC desperately want it to be.

Its really funny how announcing that your physical release isn't using a GKC is basically free positive publicity at this point XD

Certainly not complaining though, I'm thrilled a game as beloved as Absolum is getting the proper physical it deserves 🙌

I wanna love Level-5 so badly but god they have made it very difficult to do so lately XD