As I've been snowed under a ton of work for the past weeks, which tends to continue until September, there's been little time for gaming, unfortunately. What I've been trying to do is using gaming time in short bursts to unwind from work. That means a couple of moons in Super Mario Odyssey each day or a small section of a platformer such as a stage of Tasukete Tako San or advancing a little bit through the incredible The Messenger DLC
As mentioned in the article, it could be more comprehensive but it doesn't mean it should be overlooked. I am personally very interested in it (as in everything retro M2 works on). I'll be picking it up in 2 or 3 months
If you just compare what you could buy at a supermarket in the Wii era vs what you can buy now for the same amount of money, you'll see that the share price out of context doesn't really reflect an actual twofold increase
I'm under the impression our money is worth s**t these days, it doesn't matter where around the world you live
I have a considerable number of 8bitDo controllers and they've never disappointed me. The SN30 Pro is noisy, but that's far from being a deal breaker. All controllers in the Pro line feel incredible. I'm looking forward to getting the Pro 3 as soon as possible
So far, the soundtracks I've listened to more frequently on Nintendo Music are two NES albums: Metroid and Super Mario Bros 3. I dont know if these new additions can be called "albums" because the number of tracks in each is so small, but there are a bunch of tunes in today's release that can make a great playlist!
It's good to see this still exists. I'm under the impression that internal artwork has been largely abandoned by most publishers after getting so many white, blank, soulless, arid ones in my S1 cases. It's depressing to open the box to get the cart and see nothing, just that blank sheet. Feels like a mix of cheapness and despise
everything can be broken, but that doesn't mean everything should be. Each layer is set up not to be destroyed, but to be explored
This in itself makes grabbing each collectible a puzzle/challenge, and if the team somewhat followed what they did in Odyssey, that's a brand new game to explore after you beat the final boss. As I love collectibles in platformers, I consider this a treat
some sections see hundreds of objects, each with their own physics, realised on screen at once, lifting the lid on a new console generation in style.
I love that freedom and level design when it comes to platformers. It makes each stage a whole new world that needs to be absorbed before you can master it
can I say that Donkey Kong Bananza is better than Super Mario Odyssey? No, I can't. And honestly, what is?
If that's the kind of Droid we're looking for, we just won't be happy with hardly anything. Great level design, creativity and the reinvention of a classic character that deserves all the love in the world suffice.
And I like that the reviewer pointed the frame drops as a con. I'm not sure that's what made it a 9 instead of a 10, but although I'm not expecting anything to run perfectly (virtually nothing does even on PS5), we deserve top notch optimization
It looks that had it been developed for the S1, we would have had very familiar graphics, if you know what I mean, with very familiar hiccups, too, given what the system is capable of
By asking the questions they want to ask, they just won't get the responses they MUST get. The type of communication that's been harming Nintendo lately is very clear in these questions: it all could and should be more direct. This sounds like politicians going around topics without hitting them between the eyes
@Oldstalk And in the end, gameplay quality somehow screams louder than the negative aspects Nintendo has been criticized for lately. Maybe great gameplay quality has never been as necessary as it is now, given the recent backlash they've been getting. I really think Bananza can become a huge game! Let's see
As an admirer, I buy games/works of art. As a consumer, I don't mind paying for great products/games. It's all about the perspective you take, but if the game is good, I don't care how he views it, as long as he keeps doing what he's been doing for over 40 years: delivering great games
"Mega Man is one of our most important IPs. That's why we keep releasing all sorts of Monster Hunter and Resident Evil games. As far as Mega Man is concerned, we understand one release per decade suffices"
@HeadPirate Thanks for your reply and the info you've shared. I totally agree that being owned by a large corporation doesn't necessarily mean having to make the same FPS or live service game again or be shut down. It's not a universal rule. And of course there are smaller studios releasing nothing new or innovative. But the recent (or not so recent) steps Microsoft (and other big ones) have been taking make me question every decision they make. That's a bad choice after another and it seems that nothing good will ever come out of it
I know it's not without its mistakes, but Nintendo (and related studios) seems to be miles ahead in terms of management and choices. We'll, at least considering what has been revealed to us, because maybe there are some practices in the shadows that we're not aware of, but the games that have been released point to a "nicer" direction
I don't know if that's because of the darker tones, but you need to look at it for quite some time to understand better what's going on in the JP cover. NA is much clearer and shows you precisely what you're gonna find in game
@JS_Comics Can you imagine a world without small studios? A world where 99% of games are released by giants like Ubisoft, Bethesda, Activision...? That's total doom!
@OldManHermit I put off Castlevania 2 for a long time, then I got back to it but had to rely on a guide to beat it. Interestingly, after I beat it and saw everything it has to offer, I understood its purpose and started to love it and respect it more, but it's still a virtually unbeatable game without a guide. Not because of difficult passages, but due to the game design aspects that are widely criticized
Definitely gonna get this one soon! Technical hiccups and cheap traps/deaths aside, I'm into everything I've read, so why not face the challenge? I understand it's not for everyone, maybe especially for younger players, but without a doubt I'm their target audience
@somnambulance I love Aces! Maybe it's the best sports title Nintendo has released for the past few years. I know, I know, competition hasn't been quite hard to beat (namely, Battle League), but Aces gameplay and content are awesome in my opinion
It's very good to have a relevant platformer receiving a ton of love and resources and being released this early! If Nintendo didn't "trust" Bananza, they wouldn't release it in the second month of Switch 2's lifespan. I hope it's a wonderful game
Oh Lord, why do they do this? I can hear in my mind that a certain game is "out now", even though I know ir would never happen with this kind of release.... or that a certain pair of games is out now to pave the way for the release of MP4.... Let's keep waiting
Tears of the Kingdom enhances every aspect of Breath of the Wild, which makes it more fun to play, but I guess nostalgia screams louder and places the latter above the former on the list
@Truegamer79 The Batman 89 soundtrack is pure gold! And it's even more shocking after you watch videos of Prince recording it in the studio. That's magic!
As for the cassette boxes, they're awesome! And I think they're a perfect match for the small game cards S1 and 2 use. Beautiful and virtually pocket size
That's great! I know it's wishful thinking, but having the whole Switch library with full compatibility would be amazing. I hope they keep working on it
Listen to your customers and you'll sell more. If people are screaming all over the internet they aren't buying game key cards, maybe they're telling the truth.... Cyberpunk gives you the full game on the card. And it curiously sells better than other third party games....
Moreover, games are so expensive. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think average people, me included, can afford a lot of games and a console at the same time.... And I believe many people who bought (or will buy) a Switch 2 will do it for Nintendo and exclusive titles, which are all expensive, by the way
@montrayjak Holy Lord, I'm not an online player, so I've never had this problem but it baffles me it hasn't been solved. It's been 6 years!!!! One of the craziest bugs I've heard of
Whoa! I'm glad this time they're celebrating the 10mi figure and not repeating the same measures they took when they knew Crash 4 had sold 'only' 5 million copies
I'm surprised. I thought I'd find the 'mantra' that was repeated many times here for S1 releases: the latest release is the new #1. Not the case this time
@MathByThePixel @OwenGamer22 Both Kaze and The Messenger are love letters to great gaming ideas, adding particular special touches that make them so fun and highly replayable. I'm replaying both and will be doing the same again in the near future
They sure are among my favorite indie games - and not only indies, but considering most games I've played for the past ten years
The Messenger - 100% the base game again, now I'm playing the super fun DLC, which is a really hard challenge to collect everything. After 7 years, this game remains an indie masterpiece. Everything I'm it screams passion and quality Bloodstained Ritual of the Night - unfortunately this one still doesnt offer a 100% smooth experience on the Switch, so I only use my day one physical copy as a piece of decoration and play it on the PS5 for a decent experience. Albeit not in its title nor in its budget, it's a wonderful Castlevania experience that deserves to be played and replayed Pippistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - a really cool metroidvania by a Brazilian studio that oozes charm with a lot of great old school references. It's skill tree and improvements make it a very interesting game, super fun! Kaze and the Wild Masks - a wonderful tribute to classic platforming with great controls, old school level design and beautiful pixel art. This one adds great challenge in case you want to collect everything it has to offer. It's great fun both for a casual playthrough or to collect all letters and items
@Medic_alert Same here. Unfortunately, it's the same for all fighting games. Every year they release a new "pass" with some extra fighters. In the end, the full experience might end up costing over a hundred bucks. That's crazy, imo
@Cheez Unfortunately, the only reason for that is to make you fork out 80 dollars to be able to turn on your console. That's absolutely ridiculous in my opinion, but if people are happy buying the pro 2, to each their own
@The_Nintend_Pedant I feel the same. And I feel absolutely disrespected when I buy a game and it's running like garbage, such as Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. I only make an exception and go back to it if I really want to play the game (Cyberpunk 2077, for example, which I decided to buy later because I felt the developers had credit for the superb work they did in The Witcher 3)
Unfortunately, it's become common practice in the industry: release the game as it is and let's see whether we'll fix it or not later
I'd really like to play Another Crab's Treasure, but even after updates, it doesn't run well enough on the Switch. If there's a decent sale, I might end up buying in on the PS5, but that's the kind of game I like to play handheld, so...
I didn't know Nintendo Life got a Switch 2 before Jun 5, which i reckon to be much harder than receiving a copy of the game from the publisher to have the available time to engage in the entire review process
Comments 2,129
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th August)
As I've been snowed under a ton of work for the past weeks, which tends to continue until September, there's been little time for gaming, unfortunately. What I've been trying to do is using gaming time in short bursts to unwind from work. That means a couple of moons in Super Mario Odyssey each day or a small section of a platformer such as a stage of Tasukete Tako San or advancing a little bit through the incredible The Messenger DLC
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th August)
@Zuljaras Shadow Warriors? Nice to know that. I didn't know NG1 was renamed Shadow Warrior. Where's that cart from?
Re: Nintendo Download: 14th August (North America)
Looking forward to Shantae Advance!!
Re: Bubsy's Physical Switch Collection Pre-Orders Open Later This Week
With Bubsy 3D confirmed, I just can't miss it LOL
I'll never forget what i felt trying to play that game back in the day
Re: Review: Gradius Origins (Switch) - An Almost-Perfect Package For Shoot 'Em Up Fans
As mentioned in the article, it could be more comprehensive but it doesn't mean it should be overlooked. I am personally very interested in it (as in everything retro M2 works on). I'll be picking it up in 2 or 3 months
Re: Nintendo's Share Price Is Now Double The Height Of The Wii Era
If you just compare what you could buy at a supermarket in the Wii era vs what you can buy now for the same amount of money, you'll see that the share price out of context doesn't really reflect an actual twofold increase
I'm under the impression our money is worth s**t these days, it doesn't matter where around the world you live
Re: Review: 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Controller - TMR Sticks And Hall Effect Triggers Elevate This Switch 2-Compatible Pad
I have a considerable number of 8bitDo controllers and they've never disappointed me. The SN30 Pro is noisy, but that's far from being a deal breaker. All controllers in the Pro line feel incredible. I'm looking forward to getting the Pro 3 as soon as possible
Re: Feature: What We Expect From Nintendo For Super Mario Bros.' 40th Anniversary
I just remember fans' high hopes for his 35th anniversary and guess what Nintendo delivered...
I just won't expect anything
Re: Nintendo Music Update Adds 26 "Old-School" NES And Famicom Game Albums
So far, the soundtracks I've listened to more frequently on Nintendo Music are two NES albums: Metroid and Super Mario Bros 3. I dont know if these new additions can be called "albums" because the number of tracks in each is so small, but there are a bunch of tunes in today's release that can make a great playlist!
Re: ICYMI: Here's A Look Inside Donkey Kong Bananza's Switch 2 Game Case
It's good to see this still exists. I'm under the impression that internal artwork has been largely abandoned by most publishers after getting so many white, blank, soulless, arid ones in my S1 cases. It's depressing to open the box to get the cart and see nothing, just that blank sheet. Feels like a mix of cheapness and despise
Re: Review: Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2) - Absolutely Smashing, But Can It Beat Mario Odyssey?
This in itself makes grabbing each collectible a puzzle/challenge, and if the team somewhat followed what they did in Odyssey, that's a brand new game to explore after you beat the final boss. As I love collectibles in platformers, I consider this a treat
I love that freedom and level design when it comes to platformers. It makes each stage a whole new world that needs to be absorbed before you can master it
If that's the kind of Droid we're looking for, we just won't be happy with hardly anything. Great level design, creativity and the reinvention of a classic character that deserves all the love in the world suffice.
And I like that the reviewer pointed the frame drops as a con. I'm not sure that's what made it a 9 instead of a 10, but although I'm not expecting anything to run perfectly (virtually nothing does even on PS5), we deserve top notch optimization
Re: Here's What Donkey Kong Bananza Looked Like On Switch 1
It looks that had it been developed for the S1, we would have had very familiar graphics, if you know what I mean, with very familiar hiccups, too, given what the system is capable of
Re: Nintendo Is Seeking Player Feedback On Game-Key Cards In Japan
By asking the questions they want to ask, they just won't get the responses they MUST get. The type of communication that's been harming Nintendo lately is very clear in these questions: it all could and should be more direct. This sounds like politicians going around topics without hitting them between the eyes
Re: DK Bananza Devs "Needed To Know More About Donkey Kong," So They Went To Miyamoto
@Oldstalk And in the end, gameplay quality somehow screams louder than the negative aspects Nintendo has been criticized for lately. Maybe great gameplay quality has never been as necessary as it is now, given the recent backlash they've been getting. I really think Bananza can become a huge game! Let's see
Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev
As an admirer, I buy games/works of art. As a consumer, I don't mind paying for great products/games. It's all about the perspective you take, but if the game is good, I don't care how he views it, as long as he keeps doing what he's been doing for over 40 years: delivering great games
Re: Mega Man Is One Of Capcom's "Most Important IPs" Despite No New Games In 7+ Years
"Mega Man is one of our most important IPs. That's why we keep releasing all sorts of Monster Hunter and Resident Evil games. As far as Mega Man is concerned, we understand one release per decade suffices"
Re: Romero Games Reportedly Shut Down Following Xbox Layoffs
@HeadPirate Thanks for your reply and the info you've shared. I totally agree that being owned by a large corporation doesn't necessarily mean having to make the same FPS or live service game again or be shut down. It's not a universal rule. And of course there are smaller studios releasing nothing new or innovative. But the recent (or not so recent) steps Microsoft (and other big ones) have been taking make me question every decision they make. That's a bad choice after another and it seems that nothing good will ever come out of it
I know it's not without its mistakes, but Nintendo (and related studios) seems to be miles ahead in terms of management and choices. We'll, at least considering what has been revealed to us, because maybe there are some practices in the shadows that we're not aware of, but the games that have been released point to a "nicer" direction
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
I don't know if that's because of the darker tones, but you need to look at it for quite some time to understand better what's going on in the JP cover. NA is much clearer and shows you precisely what you're gonna find in game
Re: Romero Games Reportedly Shut Down Following Xbox Layoffs
@JS_Comics Can you imagine a world without small studios? A world where 99% of games are released by giants like Ubisoft, Bethesda, Activision...? That's total doom!
Re: Video: 15 Exciting New Games Coming To Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 In July 2025
Well, well, well, the hype for Ninja Gaiden is real! Can't wait!
Re: Review: Chronicles Of The Wolf (Switch) - A Spot-On Castlevania Tribute That May Test Your Patience
@OldManHermit I put off Castlevania 2 for a long time, then I got back to it but had to rely on a guide to beat it. Interestingly, after I beat it and saw everything it has to offer, I understood its purpose and started to love it and respect it more, but it's still a virtually unbeatable game without a guide. Not because of difficult passages, but due to the game design aspects that are widely criticized
Re: Review: Chronicles Of The Wolf (Switch) - A Spot-On Castlevania Tribute That May Test Your Patience
Definitely gonna get this one soon!
Technical hiccups and cheap traps/deaths aside, I'm into everything I've read, so why not face the challenge?
I understand it's not for everyone, maybe especially for younger players, but without a doubt I'm their target audience
Re: Best Mario Sports Games Of All Time
@somnambulance I love Aces! Maybe it's the best sports title Nintendo has released for the past few years. I know, I know, competition hasn't been quite hard to beat (namely, Battle League), but Aces gameplay and content are awesome in my opinion
Re: Preview: Donkey Kong Bananza - DK's Getting His Own Odyssey, And It's A Helluva Trip
It's very good to have a relevant platformer receiving a ton of love and resources and being released this early!
If Nintendo didn't "trust" Bananza, they wouldn't release it in the second month of Switch 2's lifespan. I hope it's a wonderful game
Re: Metroid Fans Rejoice, New Switch Icons Are Now Available Just For You
Oh Lord, why do they do this?
I can hear in my mind that a certain game is "out now", even though I know ir would never happen with this kind of release.... or that a certain pair of games is out now to pave the way for the release of MP4.... Let's keep waiting
Re: Disney Speedstorm Is Getting A Free Switch 2 Upgrade
Can't wait to play the Disney version of Stunt Race FX!!
Re: Feature: Every Switch 2 Launch Game, Ranked
Tears of the Kingdom enhances every aspect of Breath of the Wild, which makes it more fun to play, but I guess nostalgia screams louder and places the latter above the former on the list
Re: Random: Don't Like Switch 2's Physical Game Cases? Try Some Cool Cassette-Styled Ones Instead
@Truegamer79 The Batman 89 soundtrack is pure gold! And it's even more shocking after you watch videos of Prince recording it in the studio. That's magic!
Re: Random: Don't Like Switch 2's Physical Game Cases? Try Some Cool Cassette-Styled Ones Instead
This is just wonderful!!! LOL
As for the cassette boxes, they're awesome! And I think they're a perfect match for the small game cards S1 and 2 use. Beautiful and virtually pocket size
Re: More Switch Titles Get Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility Fixes
That's great! I know it's wishful thinking, but having the whole Switch library with full compatibility would be amazing. I hope they keep working on it
Re: Third-Party Launch Games On Switch 2 Reportedly Sold "Very Low Numbers"
Listen to your customers and you'll sell more. If people are screaming all over the internet they aren't buying game key cards, maybe they're telling the truth.... Cyberpunk gives you the full game on the card. And it curiously sells better than other third party games....
Moreover, games are so expensive. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think average people, me included, can afford a lot of games and a console at the same time.... And I believe many people who bought (or will buy) a Switch 2 will do it for Nintendo and exclusive titles, which are all expensive, by the way
Re: Capcom Spotlight Announced For Next Week, Here's A Teaser Trailer
A new Mega Man game, it doesn't matter if it's a new entry for the classic or X series. Just a new game!
Re: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Has Sold 10 Million Copies Since Launch
@montrayjak Holy Lord, I'm not an online player, so I've never had this problem but it baffles me it hasn't been solved. It's been 6 years!!!! One of the craziest bugs I've heard of
Re: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Has Sold 10 Million Copies Since Launch
Whoa! I'm glad this time they're celebrating the 10mi figure and not repeating the same measures they took when they knew Crash 4 had sold 'only' 5 million copies
Re: Best Mario Kart Games Of All Time
@DjinnFighter That I just don't know because I still haven't played it. My current top 3 has DS, 7 and 8DX
Re: Best Mario Kart Games Of All Time
@Spider-Kev MK DS is wonderful. I've put a huge number of hours in MK8 but I believe my DS saw even more hours of MK than my Switch
Re: Best Mario Kart Games Of All Time
I'm surprised. I thought I'd find the 'mantra' that was repeated many times here for S1 releases: the latest release is the new #1. Not the case this time
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
@MathByThePixel @OwenGamer22 Both Kaze and The Messenger are love letters to great gaming ideas, adding particular special touches that make them so fun and highly replayable. I'm replaying both and will be doing the same again in the near future
They sure are among my favorite indie games - and not only indies, but considering most games I've played for the past ten years
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
@shonenjump86 Happy birthday! Have a great weekend playing games and enjoying your time
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
The Messenger - 100% the base game again, now I'm playing the super fun DLC, which is a really hard challenge to collect everything. After 7 years, this game remains an indie masterpiece. Everything I'm it screams passion and quality
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night - unfortunately this one still doesnt offer a 100% smooth experience on the Switch, so I only use my day one physical copy as a piece of decoration and play it on the PS5 for a decent experience. Albeit not in its title nor in its budget, it's a wonderful Castlevania experience that deserves to be played and replayed
Pippistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - a really cool metroidvania by a Brazilian studio that oozes charm with a lot of great old school references. It's skill tree and improvements make it a very interesting game, super fun!
Kaze and the Wild Masks - a wonderful tribute to classic platforming with great controls, old school level design and beautiful pixel art. This one adds great challenge in case you want to collect everything it has to offer. It's great fun both for a casual playthrough or to collect all letters and items
Re: Switch 2 Helps Street Fighter 6 Achieve Five Million Global Sales
@Medic_alert Same here. Unfortunately, it's the same for all fighting games. Every year they release a new "pass" with some extra fighters. In the end, the full experience might end up costing over a hundred bucks. That's crazy, imo
Re: Switch 2 Helps Street Fighter 6 Achieve Five Million Global Sales
@Solid_Python All right. Now it makes sense! Thanks for the info
Re: Switch 2 Helps Street Fighter 6 Achieve Five Million Global Sales
@Jack_Goetz All right. No worries. Now it makes sense! LOL
Re: Switch 2 Helps Street Fighter 6 Achieve Five Million Global Sales
@Jack_Goetz wait! There's no way to buy the full package digitally for the same price as the GKC?
Re: Switch 2 Is Nintendo's Biggest UK Console Launch Of All Time
@electrolite77 Thanks for sharing that piece if gaming history. I appreciate it!
Re: Poll: Switch 2 Battery Reportedly Lasting Under Two Hours With Mario Kart - How Is Yours Holding Up?
I never had less than 3 hours of gameplay on my Switch 1 V1, not even in 2017. It was always 3 hours (minimum) playing Breath of the Wild and MK8
Re: Review: Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller - A New Benchmark In Comfort And Design
@Cheez Unfortunately, the only reason for that is to make you fork out 80 dollars to be able to turn on your console. That's absolutely ridiculous in my opinion, but if people are happy buying the pro 2, to each their own
Re: Review: Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition (Switch 2) - Just One Caveat Holds Back Capcom's Finest
@The_Nintend_Pedant I feel the same. And I feel absolutely disrespected when I buy a game and it's running like garbage, such as Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. I only make an exception and go back to it if I really want to play the game (Cyberpunk 2077, for example, which I decided to buy later because I felt the developers had credit for the superb work they did in The Witcher 3)
Unfortunately, it's become common practice in the industry: release the game as it is and let's see whether we'll fix it or not later
I'd really like to play Another Crab's Treasure, but even after updates, it doesn't run well enough on the Switch. If there's a decent sale, I might end up buying in on the PS5, but that's the kind of game I like to play handheld, so...
Re: Review: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (Switch 2) - A Superb Port Of An Incredible RPG
I didn't know Nintendo Life got a Switch 2 before Jun 5, which i reckon to be much harder than receiving a copy of the game from the publisher to have the available time to engage in the entire review process
Re: Review In Progress: Mario Kart World (Switch 2) - The Perfect Introduction To A New Console Generation?
The "Highway to Shell" subheadline is just awesome!!!!!! LOL
@raymond23 Only one lap???? But how can you enjoy the courses this way? I'm shocked