Review Stray Children (Switch) - A Surreal, Captivating, Undertale-Inspired RPG
Don’t talk to strangers
- Reviews
- Switch eShop
Issue #31 - December 2025
- Mailbox
- Reader Letters
- Nintendo Life
- Site News
Feature I Play This One Particular SNES Game Every Xmas As A Personal Tradition
Please help me
- Features
- SNES
- Retro
- Christmas
Opinion My Daughter Made Me Realise That Mario Wonder's Difficulty Options Need Work
Yoshi or Nabbit, make your choice
- Features
- Opinion
- Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch
- Super Mario
Guide Got Yourself A New Nintendo Switch 2? Here's What To Do First
Ahh, new hardware smell
- Guides
- Nintendo Switch 2
Latest News
TodayThu, 25th Dec 2025
Review Stray Children (Switch) - A Surreal, Captivating, Undertale-Inspired RPG
Don’t talk to strangers
Stray Children launched on the Japanese eShop on 26th December 2024. We weren't able to review it back in October when it arrived in the West, but we've now managed to catch up with Onion Games' latest... Your dad’s missing and some weird “uncle” is at the door, claiming to know you. Stray Children just chucks you...
- Reviews
- Switch eShop
Time Extension And how it almost didn't happen...
It's hard to imagine now, given the incredible popularity of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games in the West, but it wasn't always a given that Capcom was going to release the series outside of Japan. Back when Capcom launched the very first version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo Game Boy...
- Features
- Phoenix Wright
- DS
- Best Of 2025
Opinion My Daughter Made Me Realise That Mario Wonder's Difficulty Options Need Work
Yoshi or Nabbit, make your choice
Over the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This article was originally published in January. Enjoy! I suspect many of my fellow parents can relate to this, but when you have your first child, a whole bevvy of problems that never...
- Features
- Opinion
- Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch
- Super Mario
Issue #31 - December 2025
Welcome, one and all. We're back for another festive rifle through the Nintendo Life Mailbox. Yes, it's time for our monthly letters page feature. Got something you want to get off your chest? We're ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of...
- Mailbox
- Reader Letters
- Nintendo Life
- Site News
Feature I Play This One Particular SNES Game Every Xmas As A Personal Tradition
Please help me
It was the Christmas of 1992. Mr Blobby was the funniest thing on television (according to your parents), and Whitney Houston had been tricked into singing a love song about everyone's favourite sentient cardigan, Kevin Costner (I feel like I'm having a war flashback now). And me? Well, I was having a great time despite all of this,...
- Features
- SNES
- Retro
- Christmas
Guide Got Yourself A New Nintendo Switch 2? Here's What To Do First
Ahh, new hardware smell
If you've recently come into possession of a new Nintendo Switch 2, first of all, congratulations! You're in for a treat, since the Switch 2 not only has a rapidly growing library of games, but you can also play almost every game from the original Switch, too. But what the heck are you supposed to do first? Well, we've got...
- Guides
- Nintendo Switch 2
Editorial Happy Holidays From Everyone At Nintendo Life
So here it is...
And here we are once more! It's Yule! Navidad! Xmas! Chrimbo! Rudolphtide! Grinchtingle! Erm... Richard Curtistime? Hmm. Merry Christmas, everyone. It's been a big year for Nintendo fans and the wider gaming industry, with new hardware, a load of new games, even more new versions of old games, plus plenty of challenges, with life's...
- Editorial
- Features
- Christmas
YesterdayWed, 24th Dec 2025
News Cyberpunk 2077's Massive Switch 2 eShop Discount Was An "Error"
But you can keep it anyway
Earlier this week, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for the Switch 2 was spotted going for 75% off its regular price in the US, reducing it from $69.99 down to just $17.49. Fans were convinced it was an error, and now, sure enough, CD Project Red has confirmed the price displayed on the Switch 2 digital store "in the...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Switch eShop
- US
- North America
Guide Best Tactical RPGs - 20 Turn-Based Strategy Classics You Should Play
Time Extension One good turn deserves 19 more
Tactical RPGs, or strategy RPGs, offer a completely different flavour of role-playing game, well-suited to those of us who like our RPGs to feel a little bit more like board games, or prefer games you can take your time over, with a nice cup of hot coffee in one hand and the controller in the other. Below you will...
- Guides
- Best Games
Review The Rogue Prince Of Persia (Switch 2) - A Worthy, Approachable Follow-Up To Dead Cells
PoP it like it's hot
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been the better part of a decade since the launch of Dead Cells, though its absurdly long stretch of post-launch DLC expansions and updates certainly helped to keep it in the average player’s consciousness. The original Dead Cells developer, Motion Twin, actually passed the buck in...
- Reviews
- Nintendo Switch 2
Guide Best Nintendo Switch 1 & 2 Games Of 2025
Get your Switch GOTYs here
2025 was filled with brilliant games, large and small, launching every single month. It's the year that both Switch 2 and Silksong finally came out. Wowzers. The quality has been exceptionally high for both the original Switch and the newer console. Below we present the top 50 best games of the year for Switch 1 and 2...
- Nintendo Switch
- Guides
- Switch Essentials
- Best Switch Games
- Best Games
News Fantasy Life i's Big Free DLC Is Out Now, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Welcome to Snoozaland
At last, after assuring fan's that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time's free DLC would be out "around Christmas", Level-5 has delivered the goods right on time. Version 2.0.0 is available to download now on Switch 1 & 2 and i
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- DLC
Rumour Call Of Duty's Nintendo Release Is Apparently On Target For 2026
"The first CoD Switch version is nearly done"
Following a rumour last week about Bethesda's Starfield coming to the Switch 2 next year, there's now been a supposed update about the Nintendo version of Call of Duty. According to Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden, the "first" Call of Duty Switch release is "nearly done" and could be...
- Rumours
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Call of Duty
- Activision
Opinion After A Few Missteps, Story Of Seasons Finally Nailed The Formula With Grand Bazaar
We're so back, baby
If you don't already know about the schism between Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon, read up on it! But TL;DR, Story of Seasons is the OG – the original farming game series that sparked thousands of copycats hoping to carve out a slice of that cosy game pie. And who can blame them? The farming game genre is a fantastic,...
- Opinion
- Features
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Story of Seasons
- Harvest Moon
Feature Citizen Sleeper Dev Talks Sequels, Stress & Creating "My Own Take On The Mass Effect Series"
Wake up, Sleeper
Over the holiday season, we're republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This article was originally published in January. Enjoy! Citizen Sleeper was, coincidentally, one of 2022's sleeper hits. With its combination of top-tier writing and decision-based gameplay, this...
- Features
- Interviews
- Switch eShop
- Best of 2025
News Kirby Air Riders New Event Starts This Week, Includes Kirby Santa Hat Reward
After a bug almost cancelled Christmas!
Although it seems to be the end of the road for the development of Kirby Air Riders, in-game events will still be taking place over the next year. In case you missed it, the event that was previously scheduled had to be suspended due to a bug. Thankfully, just in time for Christmas, the updated event has now...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Kirby
- Updates
News Switch Online App On Switch And Switch 2 Adds "Happy Holidays" Theme
Nintendo is feeling jolly
When the Switch 2 was announced, many Nintendo fans were already calling for themes to be added to the HOME Menu. While there have been no developments on this front, there is something else that some fans are excited about. From the system HOME Menu, if you navigate to the 'Nintendo Switch Online' icon, you'll be...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch Online
News The Danganronpa Series Has Now Sold Over 10 Million Copies
With a new entry due in 2026
Publisher Spike Chunsoft has announced that the Danganronpa series has now shipped over 10 million copies worldwide. Beginning on 25th November, 2010 with the Japanese release of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc on the PSP, the series has since spawned three mainline entries on multiple platforms (including localised...
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch 2
News One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 "Special Selection" DLC Launches Next Month
Following the recent Switch 2 game upgrade
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 originally sailed onto the Switch in 2020 and last month got a Switch 2 Edition upgrade. Now, to bring in the new year, Bandai Namco has unveiled Character Pack 8 "Special Selection" is launching on 22nd January 2026. This paid pack contains the characters Eneru, Z and King...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- One Piece
- Bandai Namco
- Anime
Tuesday23rd Dec 2025
News Batman: Arkham Knight For Switch Receives Another Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility Update
Update: Digital Foundry investigates
[Wed 17th Dec, 2025 02:45 GMT]: Batman: Arkham Knight wasn't in the best state when it landed on the original Switch in 2023, but the Switch 2 has given it a second life. Now, following a backwards compatibility update in November (which addressed some progression issues), another patch has been rolled out...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Batman
- Updates
Every game we scored 9/10 or above
For those of you in North America giving the gift of Switchmas (sorry...) this year, then the Nintendo eShop 'Hits For The Holidays' has come to the rescue to help fill up that gaming library. From now until 4th January 2025 at 11:59pm PST, there are tons of discounts on classic Switch titles to Switch 2 editions...
- Guides
- Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch 2
- US
News Censored Dispatch Artwork Spotted On Nintendo's Digital Storefront
Cover up
When the Switch generation was in full swing, there were stories about games being censored in some way or form, and even blocked from being published on the eShop. With this in mind, it seems fans of the "superhero comedy" Dispatch have spotted a potential cover up on Nintendo's digital storefront in
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo
- US
Feature The Best Hidden Gems And Underrated Switch 1 & 2 Games Of 2025
Celebrating the small(er)
2025 has been a bit of a loud, bonkers year for video games. Big title after big title, a brand new console in the Switch 2, and a new GOTY contender almost every other week. It's been breathless, but not without industry struggles, mass layoffs, cancellations, and closures. Which is why now, more than ever, it's important...
- Features
- GOTY 2025
- Nintendo Switch
- Polls
Fans of Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil and more will "feel at home"
Bloober Team has recently been busy with the Switch 2 versions of Cronos: The New Dawn and Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition, but did you know it's got one other mysterious Nintendo release in the pipeline? In case you missed it, in July last year, the Polish-based...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Upcoming Releases
News Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Direct Showcases New Modes Bad Boy Dragon And Hell's Arena
Update: Check out 6 minutes of gameplay
SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have announced that they will be airing a Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Direct next week, which launches on Switch 2 on 12th February 2026. The Direct will be a late one for UK and European folks, with the stream kicking off on 23rd December 2025 at 1am GMT / 2am ET — that's 22nd...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Upcoming Releases
- Sega
News Persona 3 Reload Switch 2 Performance Update Now Live, Targets 60fps In Docked Mode
It's a Christmas miracle
As the holiday celebrations get underway, Atlus has this week delivered a new update for Persona 3 Reload on the Switch 2. We noted in our review here on Nintendo Life how the "biggest drawback" of P3R when it launched in October on the new hybrid system was the 30fps performance. Thankfully, the latest update (Version...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Persona
- Atlus
- Updates
Opinion This GOTY Pick Might Be My Most Morbid Yet
Belt and braces
If you haven't played the fabulous Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector yet, well, what are you waiting for? We'd recommend bookmarking this one if you haven't, as this piece contains major spoilers for the endgame. You've been warned... "Wake up, Sleeper." I knew next to nothing about Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector when a...
- Opinion
- Features
- Switch eShop
- GOTY 2025
News Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds NiGHTS DLC Pack Launches For Free This Week
Get it downloaded
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds fans will have a very Merry Christmas this year, as Sega will be launching the free 'NiGHTS DLC Pack' this week on Christmas Eve – that's 24th December 2025, just to make it crystal clear. The pack will include NiGHTS as a playable character, the Dream Sleeper vehicle, and new emotes and sounds. The...
- Nintendo Switch
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Sonic
News Nintendo Music Revives A Wii Banger In Final Update Of 2025
Wii like, Wii like to party
We're nearly done with 2025, and in the final update for 2025, Nintendo Music has this week added the Wii Party soundtrack. This party game originally debuted on the Wii in 2010 and the soundtrack comes loaded with 105 tracks and has a run time of 2 hours of 21 minutes. It's got some smooth and funky tracks in it like...
- Nintendo Switch Online
- Nintendo Music
- Wii
- Updates
News IO Interactive's '007 First Light' Hit By Two Month Delay
Never say never again
007 First Light, a brand new James Bond game from the developers of the Hitman series, has been delayed, IO Interactive has announced. The game will now launch on 27th May 2026, two months after its original 27th March release date. Sharing a statement on social media, IOI CEO Hakan Arbak called First Light "our most ambitious...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Upcoming Releases
Monday22nd Dec 2025
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...
- Features
- GOTY 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Donkey Kong
- Nintendo
- Updates
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Mario Kart World
- Nintendo
- US
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...
- Talking Point
- Features
- Polls
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...
- UK Charts
- Nintendo
- Nintendo Switch 2
- UK
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...
- Random
- Nintendo
- Pikmin
- Japan
- Sports
News Vince Zampella, Call Of Duty Co-Creator And Respawn Head, Has Died
He was 55
Infinity Ward co-founder and Respawn Entertainment head Vince Zampella has died in a fatal car crash, NBC4 Los Angeles reports. He was 55 years old. The crash was reported to have happened yesterday, 21st December 2025, in along Southern California's Angeles Crest Highway, at around 12:45pm local time. Tributes have been pouring in...
- Industry
- Call of Duty
- EA
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
- Nintendo
- Super Mario
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Square Enix
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
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...
- Reminders
- Switch eShop
- Nintendo Switch
- Pokemon
- Updates
Sunday21st Dec 2025
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Updates
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...
- Features
- Opinion
- Switch eShop
- GOTY 2025
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Tomb Raider
- Lara Croft
- Aspyr
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...
- PSA
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Nintendo Switch
- Updates
- UK
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...
- Features
- Polls
- Box Art Brawl
- NES
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...
- Reminders
- Community
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Switch eShop
- GOTY 2025
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...
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Updates
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...
- Videos
- Nintendo Switch 2
- Capcom
- Upcoming Releases
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...
- Reviews
- Switch eShop
