Latest Features
Hands On The Tomb Raider Returns To A Nintendo System In A Promising Package
A Lara Lara laughs
It’s been a bit of a barren six years or thereabouts for Switch-owning Tomb Raider fans, without so much as a remastered golden oldie or even (mercifully, perhaps) a quickie cloud version of one of the new-fangled reboots to enjoy on Nintendo’s platform. However, all of that is just about to change with the imminent arrival of...
Guide Best Switch Games In Nintendo's eShop Summer Sale (Europe)
Update #2: Ends this weekend!
Update 2: You've only got a few more days to snap up some cheap Switch games on the eShop. the sale ends on 25th June, so check out our picks for the best of the best. Update: Now Wave 2 has washed over us, we've added another 31 games to the list, taking the total of 9 or 10s up to a staggering 94! All of the games...
Feature 17 Reasons To Be Excited About The Super Mario RPG Remake
Pieces of a superstar remake
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES is hugely important for many reasons. We would've been happy to see it get a simple rerelease on Nintendo Switch Online, but Nintendo has jumped way above our expectations and is giving us a remake. Now with the shorter title, Super Mario RPG, Nintendo and Square...
Talking Point Is Super Mario Bros. Wonder Really A Departure From The 'New' Series?
Out with the New?
Nintendo confirmed rumours during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct that a brand new 2D Super Mario game will be making its way to Switch, and the world felt a little bit brighter, if only for a moment. Yes, Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be launching on October 20th, 2023, and many folks immediately noticed that not only is this the...
Feature Nintendo Direct June 2023 - Every Announcement And Game Reveal
Mario RPG! Mario Wonder! Mario Kart (sorta)!
The second full-fat Nintendo Direct presentation of 2023 is over. It was a relatively slow starter, but things soon picked up and we ended up with over 30 announcements in 40 minutes, with fan-favourite series making comebacks on Switch and plenty of Mario — some expected Mario Kart DLC, a rumoured SNES...
Poll What Did You Think Of Today's Nintendo Direct?
A whole lotta Mario
Well, there we have it folks. After more rumours than we care to count, a summer Nintendo Direct has been and gone and so we enter the time for reaction. Before we get to offering you the chance to give your personal thoughts, however, let's briefly round up the biggies. We kicked off with a little more information about...
Back Page What Would An Illumination Zelda Movie Be Like, Anyway?
The Minionish Cap?
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so...
Feature The Mysterious Absence Of A Famicom Gem On Switch
Castle's in the air
Update [31st Oct 2023]: Well, would you believe it? Nintendo only went and dropped the game on Switch Online as a Halloween treat. Enjoy! Something very mysterious is going on with a sadly obscure but fondly remembered gem from the Famicom era. It was built on the same game engine as the original Legend of Zelda, but unlike...
Poll Are You Still Playing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Or have you moved on?
It's been over a month since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched; can you believe it? It seems only yesterday that we witnessed the first trailer from Nintendo confirming the game's development, yet here we are, and many people will have likely finished the main story by now. In an age where games seem to come...
"To some extent, all of the characters in the game reflect the theme"
Nintendo's 2023 started off with a bang. Fire Emblem Engage launched in January and brought the series back to its combat-focused roots, forgoing the relationship-sim elements that had worked so well in its predecessor, Three Houses, for a game where the action came thick and...
Feature A Kou Shibusawa Production - Changing History With Koei Tecmo's OG Strategy Studio
“The more we learn…the more it fuels our creativity”
History fans love to ask a good 'what if?' question. A completely hypothetical situation to explore how small changes could impact the course of world events. Video games that explore these kinds of questions usually fall into the grand strategy genre, putting players at the head of a...
Feature Head Of Gust On 'Atelier Marie Remake' And Returning To Series' Alchemical Roots
Alchemical Origins
The Atelier series has, believe it or not, been with us since 1997 back when Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg was first released on the original PlayStation in Japan. In the years since, we've seen a pretty staggering number of additions to the franchise, with 25 mainline entries alongside a smattering of spin-offs. There's...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 17th)
Another day of sun
After this week, we think it's fair to say that showcase season is well and truly upon us. Coming off the back of Summer Game Fest, a collection of our brilliant writers came together to give their hands-on impressions of a boatload of games coming to Switch including the excellent Metroidvania Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown,
Soapbox For This First-Timer, Summer Game Fest Felt Like A Perfect E3 Antidote
Many meetings
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie recaps his first trip to LA and Summer Game Fest... “Hey look, Katsuhiro Harada’s over there.” “Oh my God, Phil Spencer’s walking right towards us!” “Dude, was...
Hands On Oxenfree II Is Shaping Up To Be A Huge Improvement On The Original
If the first 30 minutes are anything to go by
After spending half an hour with Oxenfree II: Lost Signals at Summer Game Fest, there's an immediate sense that the sequel is shaping up to be a much bigger, bolder, and indeed stranger experience than its predecessor. As it probably should be. In speaking with developer Night School's founder and...
Hands On Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Is Dread-ful, In The Best Possible Way
Shaping up well on Switch
It’s not everyday that we demo a game at an event and immediately ask to go back for seconds. The upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown managed to quickly sink its daggers into us with its punishing but rewarding combat, breathtaking vistas, and flashy animations. So naturally, we couldn’t walk away without taking...
Hands On This Kitty Turned Out To Be Our Biggest Summer Game Fest Surprise
Dream big, little kitty
Cats are sneaky little gits. They scratch, they hiss, and they're rarely, if ever, cute. Hey, we're dog people, what can we say? [Disclaimer: Hmm, we're probably 50/50 on staff. And dogs are smelly. - Ed.] When you finally get your hands on Little Kitty, Big City in 'early 2024', however, we wouldn't begrudge you instantly...
Round Up All Switch Games Announced At Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2023
A summer sizzler
GamesRadar's very own gaming showcase returns during this year's Summer Game Fest extravaganza. Future Game Show Summer Showcase 2023 followed this year's Wholesome Direct with a mix of multiplatform titles to suit everyone, and it was a jam-packed showcase. Hosted by world-class voice actors Yuri Lowenthall (Spider-Man) and Laura...
Feature Nintendo Fans Needn't Lose Sleep Over Foamstars, Square Enix's 'Splatoon Rip-Off'
Fun-but-messy foamin'
When Square Enix's Foamstars was announced during the recent PlayStation Showcase, Nintendo fans everywhere were thinking one thing: "Er, Splatoon-much!?" After going hands-on with this PlayStation exclusive for 45 minutes at Summer Game Fest, this exclamation still rings true. It definitely looks like Splatoon, and it also...
Hands On Disney Illusion Island Is A Spectacular Platforming Surprise
We're not taking the Mickey
Sitting down with Dlala Games’ (Battletoads) CEO AJ Grand-Scrutton at Summer Game Fest to play Disney’s Illusion Island, there’s an immediate sense that this might well be the developer’s most accomplished title yet. We spent 30 minutes playing a solid chunk of the game ahead of its launch on July 28th, 2023, and...
Round Up Every Game From Wholesome Direct 2023 Coming To Switch
Get cosy
Your cosy Saturday afternoon showcase has come and gone, and the Wholesome Direct 2023 was full of some lovely little surprises as part of this year's Summer Game Fest showcases. Over 70 indie titles were shown off during the presentation, and plenty of them aren't just PC exclusive. We've got all of the Switch announcements from the...
Hands On Sonic Superstars Is Exactly What Sonic 4 Should Have Been
A triumphant return
Despite the promising debut trailer for Sonic Superstars, a niggling feeling of doubt had crept into our minds prior to our hands-on session with the game at Summer Game Fest. After all, this latest side-scrolling effort from Sonic Team really has two things going against it straight away. Number one; aside from the spectacular
Soapbox Modern Zelda Bosses Are Getting Harder, But They're Nothing Compared To The Oldies
Fairies at the ready
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 gets bossy... Note. This article discusses certain elements of some Regional Phenomena boss battles, including tactics and screenshots. If you are still maintaining an...
Hands On Mortal Kombat 1's Stunning Presentation Has Us Anxious About The Switch Port
Can this really hold up on Nintendo's platform?
Against all odds, Mortal Kombat 11 turned out pretty well on the Nintendo Switch. Like many ports from the PS4 and Xbox One, there was always a concern that Netherrealm Studio’s cinematic fighter wouldn’t be able to cut it on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Still, with 60fps performance and all the...
Talking Point What Do You Wish You Knew Sooner In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Wait, you can fast travel??
Having been out for the best part of a month now, we think it's fair to say that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is going to be one of those games where we never stop discovering new things. In our playthroughs so far, these discoveries have had us grinning cheek to cheek on a pretty consistent basis, but that...
Vatar you going to do about it?
If you're of a certain vintage you may just about remember being thoroughly impressed with the graphical prowess of Starbreeze Studios' Enclave when it first released on the original Xbox all the way back in 2002. Starbreeze was about to have a great big Vin Diesel-shaped success in the form of The Chronicles of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 10th)
Switchin' it up
Things just start to quieten down after the release of Tears of the Kingdom and then before you know it, BAM, you walk head first into summer showcase season. This means that it has been a reasonably busy week at Nintendo Life. We broke down everything announced for the Switch in the Summer Game Fest Opening Showcase (which wasn't...
Soapbox The Shame Of Revisiting My Abandoned Pokémon Ranch
See you, PokéCowboy
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 15th anniversary of the game's release, Ethan heads back to the ranch... It’s a guilty feeling that Animal Crossing fans know all too well — the shame that comes...
Round Up 27 Switch Games Announced At Guerrilla Collective Showcase 2023
Terra Memoria! Quest Master! Nova Lands!
The summer of video game announcements has begun. Guerrilla Collective Showcase 2023 has kicked off what looks to be a bonanza, and in the absence of E3 this year, Summer Game Fest will also be kicking off proceedings tomorrow. But today, it's all about the indies. And Guerrilla showcased tons of stand-outs...
Soapbox Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Busier Hyrule Is Making Me Miss BOTW
The call of (Breath of) the Wild
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie wants to explain why Breath of the Wild will remain his go-to open-world Zelda, despite Tears of the Kingdom's improvements... I’ve been playing The Legend...
Talking Point Which Version Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Is Your Favourite?
Three decades of dreamin'
Link's Awakening turns 30 today, having launched in Japan on 6th June 1993. Despite the very modest hardware that hosted it, the developers turned out a full-featured, full-fat Zelda adventure on Game Boy which left a mark on the series. It was in Link's Awakening that trading sequences were introduced, not to mention...
Round Up SGDQ 2023 - The Best Nintendo Speedruns
Thank you, chef
Games Done Quick's second speedrun marathon of 2023 is over, and what an event it was. Held much earlier than previous years, Summer Games Done Quick 2023 kicked off on 28th May and concluded on 4th June, raising a staggering $2,239,204 (and counting) for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. Jam-packed with hundreds...
Poll Will There Be A June 2023 Nintendo Direct?
What are Nintendo's post-Zelda plans?
June is here, which means that multiple publishers are just about ready to showcase their gaming plans for the months — and years — ahead. We like to think of it as 'Gaming Christmas', if you will — lots of game news goodies coming all at once (as opposed to actual Christmas when there's not a lick of game...
Talking Point Is Tears Of The Kingdom The Scariest Zelda Game Ever?
The horrors of Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is pretty darn scary. I don't mean in the same sense that Majora's Mask is unsettling for its whole run-time, and there certainly isn't a moment like that cutscene in Twilight Princess. But even now with my ridiculously overpowered, full hearts Link, Tears of the Kingdom has me on the...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - May 2023
Our picks for the best Switch eShop games in May
Welcome, welcome. Yes, it really is June already, which means it's time for another eShop Selects! But wait, what was that? Other games came out this month? Yep, we know Yes, we know most of you have been playing a certain open-world wonder on Switch for the majority of May. But that's why this...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 3rd)
Would you kindly tell us?
Well, folks, another week has come and gone. In terms of straight-up news, it was undoubtedly a bit of a quiet one... until it wasn't! Yes, at the tail-end of the week, Nintendo decided to announce Everybody 1-2 Switch!, a sequel to the polarising launch game, 1-2 Switch!, launching on June 30th, 2023. Not only that, but...
Talking Point From The Sublime To The Ridiculous - Is Anybody Excited For Everybody 1-2-Switch!?
Everybody 1-2-Switch? Nah, you're alright
It's a strange thing to see Nintendo swing so wildly from one extreme to another, at least in such a short timeframe. Coming hot on the heels of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the company has gone and quietly — very quietly — announced Everybody 1-2-Switch!, the follow-up to 2017's launch...
Soapbox Returning To The Great Plateau In Zelda: TOTK Felt Like Coming Home
A truly GREAT plateau
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 argues that Breath of the Wild's starting area is still fantastic in Tears of the Kingdom... There are a lot of fantastic places that you can revisit in The Legend of...
Soapbox Pokémon Desperately Needs A Rival, But Who's Big Enough To Take It On?
Time to steal some of Pikachu's pie
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 considers how Pokémon could do with a rival to keep it hungry, and who might be able to step up... When Pokémon Sword and Shield brought Pikachu and...
Talking Point Could Nintendo Squeeze Another Zelda Game Out Of TOTK's Open World?
Lorule love? Termina time?
Prior to release — and especially before a couple of presentations gave us a better idea of what to expect in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — there were doubts as to exactly how different it would be from its immediate predecessor. & Kingdom. This made us chuckle. Reusing Breath of the Wild's open-world Hyrule...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 27th)
Is there any game other than Zelda?
Welcome one and all to another edition of What Are You Playing and with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still firmly set in our minds, we think you can see where this week might be going... again... Over on Nintendo Life, the Zelda content has been coming thick and fast. We dived deep into the game's...
Soapbox Modern Zelda Dungeons Are, In Fact, Divine
We owe the Beasts an apology
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 spreads some love for the modern-day Zelda dungeon. Be aware that he discusses Tears of the Kingdom below (not in detail, but he references a specific dungeon), so...
Feature 21 Amazing Shield Fuse Combos In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Shield with it
It was back in Eiji Aonuma's 10-minute gameplay demonstration for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that we first got a glimpse at the possibilities of shield fusing. The series producer took a Puffshroom, stuck it to Link's shield, and faced a Construct head on, sending up a cloud of smoke around them both. At the time, this...
Soapbox Zelda: TOTK's Shrines Are Brilliant At Making An Idiot Feel Like A Genius
I did it, mum!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie wants to share his love for Tears of the Kingdom's shrines and the newfound freedom they afford players... I'm really not a very clever man. Okay no, that's not entirely true;...
Feature Nintendo's Satellaview Blazed A Trail For Today's Season-Based, Ephemeral Games
Total BS-X
The most considerable game industry development in the last decade has been the rise of live-service games. When MMOs first launched, the idea of an always-online game was considered a novelty, but today most AAA studios are making live-service titles, and most non-live-service games from those companies have online features. The modern...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 20th)
Zelda, yeah?
Well folks, another week has come and gone, and it certainly feels like there's been a lot to talk about regarding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, right? First up, of course, we received full confirmation from Nintendo that the latest Zelda game managed to sell an incredible 10 million copies in just three days. That's...
Feature 26 Tweaks That Make Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Better Than BOTW
There's a change in the wind
Given the sheer amount of time that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had been in development, it was obvious that the game would make a number of quality-of-life improvements over its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. We won't lie, there were moments in the run-up to its release in which we wondered just how...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Tearing up?
"What do you mean? I've barely scratched the surface!" It's been one whole week since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched, and most of us have spent it in a glorious Zelda stupor, a little awestruck and baffled at its enormity and how — even hours into it and with a sound knowledge of Hyrule's layout from Breath of the...
Feature The Best Builds We've Seen In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom So Far
Ultra handywork
It was in the second official trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (the one that closed out the February 2023 Nintendo Direct) where we first got a snippet of Link driving around on what appeared to be a hand-made vehicle. We couldn't make sense of it. Are these cars dotted around Hyrule? Will someone make them for...
Soapbox Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Incredible Opening Is One Of Nintendo's Best
Sheik 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, Jim dives into that opening... Despite having been counting down the days until The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's release over the past four years or more, nothing could have...
