Latest Features
Feature 16 Best Nintendo Switch Soundtracks Of 2023
The Sounds of the Switch
2023 hasn't just been a banger year for quality video game releases — it's also been a bloomin' good year for video game music. We're living in a time where video game music is becoming more recognised and celebrated worldwide — earlier this year, the Grammy's gave out its first-ever award for 'Award for Best Score...
Feature 25 Stardew Valley Secrets And Easter Eggs You Might Not Have Known About
More like ConfidentialApe
Fancy yourself a Stardew Valley nerd? Do you feel like you know the game inside and out? We're here to challenge that, with 25 niche and surprising things that you may (or may not) already know about the game! 25 Things You Didn't Know About Stardew Valley: Rarecrow references The Rarecrows, which as rare scarecrows...
Soapbox It Feels Like Everyone Forgot The Best Switch RPG Of The Year
Eight's not a crowd
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana is talking about her favourite RPG of 2023, one that everyone seems to have completely forgotten about... Eight travellers. Eight stories. These eight adventurers’...
Soapbox In 2023, Mario Got Weird Again
The Year of Mario?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Richard looks back on a year when Nintendo let Mario get a little loose... If 2013 was the Year of Luigi, 2023 may as well have been the Year of Mario. Though only three new...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (Christmas 2023 Edition)
Let's-a snow, let's-a snow, let's-a snow
With just two sleeps to go before the big day, we are unwrapping a present early here at Nintendo Life. It's a festive edition of What Are You Playing! Something about 'What Are You Sleighing' sounded a little too sinister... Before we sledge into our gaming plans over the holiday period, however, let's take...
Feature 13 Best-Looking Switch Games Of 2023
Really, really, ridiculously good-looking games
Throughout the year, we've seen thousands of games launch on Nintendo Switch, from the lowliest of scammy cash grabs and shovelware to some of the highest-quality video games ever conceived. Despite approaching its eighth year on shop shelves, and with some Switch ports delivering a less-than-smooth...
Soapbox Kieran’s Hatred Of You In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's DLC Almost Makes It Good
Fumbled PokéBalls
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Lowell laments the Scarvi DLC, but finds a diamond in its rough. The following article contains story spoilers for The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk... Pokémon stories suck...
Feature Game Of The Year 2023 - Nintendo Life Staff Awards
Our personal picks for the best Switch games of 2023
2023 is all but wrapped up. It's been a colossal year in terms of the quantity and quality of software on all platforms. The mass layoffs we've seen across the industry in recent months are a worrying sign for anyone who cares about video games, not least for the creatives affected — all the...
Soapbox Chants Of Sennaar Is The GOTY Candidate That Nobody Is Talking About
Strange, for a game all about language...
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim sings (or should that be 'chants'?) the praises of one of his GOTY picks... Let me make something clear right from the jump: Chants of Sennaar is a...
"You cannot go through your life punching everything"
The Prince of Persia series is held near and dear to the hearts of many, whether you fell in love with the original platformers and their revolutionary rotoscope animation, The Sands of Time for its rewind mechanic and magical atmosphere, or maybe even the reboot from 2008 — which we're sad...
Soapbox Mega Man X's Tutorial Is The Perfect Intro To Capcom's Sublime Sub-Series
Wall-to-wall perfection
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of Mega Man X in Japan, Ollie dives into what makes its introductory stage so darn good... The original Mega Man series is...
"We actually don’t like to talk about Worldless as a Metroidvania"
Fans of 2D platformers in the Metroidvania mould aren't exactly lacking for excellent examples of the genre. It feels like every other game launching at the moment is either a roguelite deckbuilder or an explorative action platformer. It's a brave developer who dips a toe into this...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 16th)
We have liftoff!
Well, the weekend has rolled around once again so it's time for a spot of gaming, we'd say. Before we get to that, however, does anyone fancy a quick round-up of the Nintendo highlights from this week? We've been taking a look at what classic SEGA franchises you'd like to see return, keeping up with everything going on in Fo
Feature Nintendo Switch Year In Review 2023 - Our Most Played Games
...it's Zelda, isn't it?
What happens every December? Christmas Day. New Year's Eve. A bunch of sales as we approach the end of the year. Oh, and our year-end video game wrap-ups. Nintendo Switch Year in Review 2023 is officially available, meaning you can scour over every single second of your video game habits for the year. The stats range from...
Guide LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fornite Festival - Which Is Best? Everything You Need To Know
(Battle) Royale with cheese
Fortnite is changing. Of course, this is hardly a new realisation. We distinctly remember when Thanos started popping up and things became a little cash-grabby, or when the map was completely remodelled, or when, out of nowhere, a blooming 'Creator Mode' made it a challenge in itself just to find the blasted Battle Royale...
Talking Point What Classic Sega Franchises Do You Want To See Rebooted?
Power Surge? More like Nostalgia Surge
Segaaaaa~ Ahh, the sweet sound of nostalgia. Yes, despite being Nintendo Life, Sega is unmistakably a part of our childhoods. Equally important, it's also a part of the Big N's history. From the great rivalry of the late '80s and early '90s, to Mario and Sonic teaming up and facing off in more recent years,...
Soapbox If You're Not Playing LEGO Fortnite, You're Missing One Of The Best Survival Games
One of this year's biggest surprises
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate delves into a new addition to a f2p indie minnow called 'Fortnite' that turns out to be one of 2023's best surprises... I've been playing Fortnite for the...
Hands On Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Royally Delivers On Switch
You dropped this, Sargon
Back in June, we went hands-on with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a new 2D Metroidvania take on the long-running dashing and slashing franchise. We were thrilled to learn that Ubisoft Montpellier is the team crafting this new adventure as its past games like Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends were incredibly unique works...
Feature Dragon Quest Monsters Producer On Introducing Series To A Whole New Audience
Revisiting Chapters of the Chosen
As a beloved RPG series in Japan, Dragon Quest took a pretty long time to make waves in the West. In Japan, games in the mainline series get released on the weekends to stop people skipping work and school, and the franchise has sold millions just in its native home. Dragon Quest XI changed that. Originally...
"My personal favorite is "Turnabout Reclaimed"
Ace Attorney fans have had a lot to love over the past few years. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and the surprise localization of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles on Switch gave us a lot to celebrate. But, as far as the main series goes, there's long been a gap that's been waiting to be filled on...
Soapbox Donkey Konga Introduced Me To One Of My Favourite Songs Ever
A mighty impression
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Donkey Konga in Japan, Ollie recounts how the game introduced him to a song that remains one of his all-time favourites... I used to love...
Soapbox This Year, The Game Awards Failed The Industry
Please Wrap It Up
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Zion speaks about his feelings after attending The Game Awards 2023, and why the show needs to do better at celebrating game developers. When you first hear the name of the...
Hands On Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Lays Out A Compelling Case On Switch
Turnabout Triumph, or Turnabout Tragedy?
They've done it again. Capcom has done it again! Only this time, they've done it better. Following on from the success of the Ace Attorney Trilogy, which brought the first three games in the beloved series to Switch, PC, and other consoles, Capcom has taken the next three games (Apollo Justice, Dual...
Guide Best Pokémon-Likes On Nintendo Switch - Games To Play After You've Finished Pokémon
The Mimikyus of video games
Updated with Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Enjoy! When they said "Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em all", we all assumed that they meant catching all the pocket monsters. But actually, what they were talking about was catching all the Pokémon and Pokémon-like games out there — of which there are many. And now, at...
Feature Zelda, "Linguistic Chaos", And The Challenges Of Bringing 'Outer Wilds' To Switch
"We love Outer Wilds and we’re thrilled it’s on the Nintendo Switch"
It's finally here — Outer Wilds has finally landed on Nintendo Switch, two years after it was originally meant to crash onto the system. And we've been champing at the bit to try out this indie darling. Incredibly immersive and visually arresting, Outer Wilds was critically...
"It's a niche, but it's a dedicated niche, you know?"
If you have even a passing interest in video games (and we assume that you do, since you have found yourselves here), then you probably will have heard of Did You Know Gaming? Since its launch in 2012, the trivia-focused website and YouTube channel has amassed a huge following, showcasing...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 9th)
Out of this world
The weekend has rolled around once again so it's time to put those gaming plans into effect. Before we dive into all that though, let's take a look at some of the highlights from this week in Nintendo. The big news this time around was, of course, The Game Awards, which saw a whole bunch of titles announced for Switch as well as...
Round Up Everything Announced At The Game Awards 2023 - All Switch Game Reveals & Trailers
The "World Premieres" are back
That's it, folks. Another year, another Game Awards ceremony has come and gone. And what a night, hey? It was a pretty good night for Nintendo at The Game Awards 2023, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder taking home Best Family Game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom winning Best Action / Adventure, and Pikmin 4...
Talking Point What's Next For The Super Smash Bros. Series?
Smashing expectations
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is celebrating its 5th anniversary today, 7th December 2023, and we're publishing a handful of pieces to celebrate. Here, we'll be discussing the future of the Smash series — what's next? Is there even a next? And where do we think Sakurai will be involved? It's hard to believe that Super Smash...
Feature The Best Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Trailers, Ranked By You
Who is the winner?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is celebrating its 5th anniversary today, 7th December 2023, and we're publishing a handful of pieces to celebrate this gargantuan fighter's birthday. First up, we asked you to vote for your favourite Smash Ultimate character reveal trailers... Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a phenomenal game; of that,...
Round Up Wholesome Snack Indie Game Showcase 2023 - Every Switch Announcement & Trailer
All seven Nintendo Switch games featured
Wholesome Games brings its bite-sized indie game showcase to The Game Awards 2023 with Wholesome Snack. The 30-minute presentation returns from last year and brings us a plethora of cute, cuddly, and cosy titles coming to multiple platforms. A handful of these games are coming to Switch, so we wanted to...
Round Up Every Switch Announcement At Day Of The Devs - The Game Awards 2023 Edition
A handful of indies to look forward to in 2024
Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards kick off on 7th/8th December but the celebrations have got underway early this year. Today, the Day of the Devs Digital Showcase popped up to reveal a handful of indie goodies that will be coming our way soon enough and a few of them are even coming to Switch! Yes,...
Talking Point What Are The Worst Parts Of Your Favourite Games?
Ugly ducklings
When we talk about some of our favourite games of all time, it's natural to focus solely on the positives. After all, we love them for a reason, right? Yet no game is perfect. If there's one thing we can agree on, it's probably that. Even the very best of the best are likely to have something that doesn't look or feel quite right,...
Hands On Atari 50 Gets Even Better With Adventure II, Warbirds, And More
Home-brewing a winner
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was already a remarkably comprehensive package when it launched back in 2022, boasting over 100 games from Atari's history from its humble arcade beginnings to the ill-fated Jaguar console. Seemingly not content to leave it as it is, however, developer Digital Eclipse has launched the...
Soapbox 20 Years Later, Why Do We Still Not Have A New Sonic Battle?
Bare Knuckles
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on the 20th anniversary of Sonic's last fighting game, Paul looks back and wonders why Sonic hasn't in two decades... In the early- to mid-2000s, Nintendo handhelds were home to many...
Poll What Is Your Favourite Character Reveal Trailer For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate?
Get hyped
Believe it or not, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is going to be five years old this week - on Thursday 7th December, to be exact! Since its launch, which was already packed to the rafters with content, the game has been updated with free content and paid DLC via the Fighter Pass Volumes 1 and 2, which added a boatload of brand-new characters...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - November 2023
Our picks for the best eShop games in November!
2023 is almost over, and it's time to start talking about "that" season. Although lots of us have already been doing that... More importantly, it's eShop Selects time here at Nintendo Life, and before the Holidays approach, we want to give you some ideas on some of the hidden gems that arrived on the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 2nd)
I am the night!
Well, it's the weekend once again. Crikey, we just keep getting them, don't we? It's time to kick back with some games, but before we dive into what we're playing this weekend, let's recap some of the week's biggest stories. First up, the delightful F-Zero 99 has added a 'Classic Race' function to the game, which no doubt will have...
Soapbox Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link Taught Me The Value Of Perseverance
And save states
Originally published back in February 2021 as part of our Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary celebration series, we're republishing this feature in honour of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link's 35th birthday (in North America — in Japan it launched in January 1987 on Famicom Disk System). Here, Gavin looks back at the first sequel in...
Round Up Everything Announced At The Level-5 Vision 2023 November Showcase
Release windows for Inazuma, Fantasy Life, Layton and more
Level-5 is back with its second-ever Vision Showcase, providing more information on each of its five upcoming games that will be heading our way over the next few years. The games were the same that we saw in the studio's March showcase, though the focus this time around was to provide...
Talking Point Would You Like To See More Streaming Media Apps On 'Switch 2'?
Jack of all trades
One of the Switch's greatest strengths is that it knows exactly what it is. You've got a small handful of streaming apps, sure, but there's no denying that Nintendo Switch is a game console, through and through. Could its eventual successor be more, though? Back in 2013 when Microsoft revealed the Xbox One, the company was widely...
Talking Point Would You Like To See A Professor Layton Collection On Switch?
A true gentleman never gives up on a dream
Somehow, it has been 15 years since Professor Layton and the Lost Future (or 'the Unwound Future', depending on your region) made its debut in Japan. As with every entry in the mainline series to date, it took another couple of years until the third entry received a Western release, but when it finally did,...
Soapbox Ocarina Of Time's Deku Tree Dungeon Is Still My All-Time Top Gaming Moment
Oh my Gohma
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. In this final feature, we're closing with an opener as Jim explains why the game's first...
Feature Why I Still Love My Wii U
Sticking up for Nintendo's much-maligned console
This feature is taken from The Console Chronicles, an upcoming book that we're working on in conjunction with Lost in Cult. If you like what you see, you can pre-order a copy using the link below. <products id="24929"> I began eighth grade in September 2014. After my first day of classes, I...
Soapbox Ganondorf's Villainous Intro In Ocarina Of Time Is One Of Gaming's Best
Less is more
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, Ollie recalls how Ganondorf's mysterious introduction is one of the very best in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 25th)
Deals or no deals?
The weekend has finally rolled around and it is time to kick back with a spot of the ol' gaming. Before we get to that, though, let's have a quick look at some of the highlights from the world of Nintendo this week. There have been two overarching themes in the last seven days: offers and ocarinas. In the former camp, we have...
Feature Zelda: Ocarina Of Time - Every Ocarina Song, Ranked From 'Worst' To Best
Spoti-Fi
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we are running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, we're ranking the titular instrument's choons... Here's a spicy take for you: The...
Soapbox Losing Control - Why Zelda’s ReDead Strike Fear Into Our Souls
ReDead and (not) loving it
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To mark this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, Alana wants to talk about the ReDead, the Zelda series' scariest...
Soapbox Ocarina Of Time's Water Temple Was Tough, But It Doesn't Deserve Its Reputation
Blue weighed shoes
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To mark this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, Jim looks back on one of the series' most notorious temples... The Legend of...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Super Mario RPG?
The Next Geno-ration
Last week, 16-bit classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars returned to a Nintendo console in glorious form in a Switch remake that ditched the subtitle and added a shiny coat of paint and a few mod-cons in a sensitive update that overhauls the original for a modern audience while preserving the essence of its...
