Latest Features
Feature 7 Things From Zelda: TOTK's First Hours That Had Us Grinning Like Mad
Take my breath (of the wild) away
We're pretty sure that most of you reading this will have spent a good chunk of the weekend tucking into this delightful little indie effort that launched last Friday. It's a follow-up to a little-known open-world adventure that, as we understand, was much loved by the few who bothered to play it back in 2017...
Soapbox Obstinate And Addictive - Playing Final Fantasy For The First Time In 2023
OG fantasy
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Henry experiences his very first Fantasy... I admit it – I’ve never played Final Fantasy. It wasn’t on my radar as a kid, and by the time I was paying attention, it had jumped to...
Soapbox If Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Isn’t Switch’s Swan Song, It Really Should Be
The most poetic end possible for a legendary console
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 ruminates on the perfect end to a glorious Nintendo generation... When looking back at a console’s lifespan, there’s always a game...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 13th)
No prizes for guessing what we're playing
It's real. It's happening. This is another edition of What Are You Playing and we can finally, finally, say it: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out!!! It will come as no surprise that we have gone a little Zelda-mad this week. We saw how the game's trailers were lighting up Piccadilly Circus,...
Poll What's Your Game Plan For Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
Roll credits? Collect everything? Visit EVERYWHERE?
If you are anything like us (and since you are reading this article, we assume that you probably are) then you will have been thinking about the release day of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for a good long while now. It took a little while for the marketing campaign to get into full...
Anniversary LostWinds First Launched 15 Years Ago Today
Let's Toku 'bout it
Today marks the 15th anniversary of LostWinds in North America, a launch title for WiiWare and (in this writer's opinion) one of the console's finest bite-sized games. The title was developed and published by Frontier Developments out West, though Square Enix took care of publishing duties for LostWinds' Japan release in...
Soapbox Game & Watch Still Scratches A Very Particular Itch, And I Need More
An itch the Switch can’t fix
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nile is pining for something a little smaller and simpler on his commute... Not too long ago, my niece taught me something heartening about the staying power of old...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - April 2023
Our picks for the best eShop games in April
Whoosh! What that was? April, mate. Which means it's time to look back on the gems that glittered on Switch eShop during the most foolish of months. As if your wishlists weren't already groaning with the sheer number of great games you're waiting to pick up, we're here with our monthly reminder of ones...
Feature Best Royals In Nintendo Games - Who's Your Favourite?
Dauphindom
Nintendo games are filled with royals and, for the most part, they are significantly less controversial than any real-world monarchs. You won't catch HRH Princess Zelda yawning during a Hylian military parade, or King Boo claiming he's physically incapable of perspiring (although that might make sense in his case). Nintendo Land tabloids...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 6th)
Tears of the countdown
We are so nearly there, folks. We have hit our final What Are You Playing discussion before all of our entries become "Tears of the Kingdom, duh" from next week — relish the variety in our plans while you can! This week has been a bit of a 'calm before the storm' in the world of Nintendo, but that doesn't mean that we...
Feature "What If The Celebrated Detective Was Actually A Bit Of A Bumbling Fool?"
How lockdown led to comedy-mystery 'Loco Motive'
Creating an engaging and humorous point-and-click adventure can be a hefty challenge at the best of times, but for developer Robust Games, the endeavour provided a much-needed release from the isolation that the nationwide lockdowns spawned during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Since its initial...
Feature How Metroidvania 'Afterimage' Crafts A Gorgeous Visual Identity In A Crowded Genre
"It has to be the cats!"
We've gushed plenty of times over the stunning-looking Metroidvania Afterimage by developer Aurogon Shanghai. From its beautiful animation style to stunning watercolour backgrounds and hand-drawn characters and world, amidst the bustling genre of Metroidvania, it stands out in the best possible way. The blend of colourful...
Poll Who's Your Favourite Champion In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
No time for losers
Everyone's going down with Zelda fever at the minute, as previews for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrive and get us in the Hylian mood once again. By all accounts, the follow-up to the beloved Breath of the Wild is shaping up to be a sprawling sandbox with even more opportunities for experimentation and exploration...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 29th)
On the Zelda home straight
Welcome back to another edition of What are you Playing, where we give you a brief rundown of the week in Nintendo before discussing what gaming we're all up to this weekend. The big news this time around is (deep breath) there are less than two weeks to go until Tears of the Kingdom!! This week, we shared our thoughts on...
Feature Cassette Beasts Dev On Doing What Pokémon Doesn't In A Zelda-Inspired Overworld
"We wanted to do something with a bit more maturity"
“How can two people make a monster-collecting game that does stuff that Pokémon doesn’t do?” This question was at the forefront of Jay Baylis and Tom Coxon’s early discussions on what would later become Cassette Beasts, a creature-collecting RPG with an emphasis on good tunes that...
Hands On Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Indulges Your Idiocy In The Very Best Way
This just in: Bokoblins hate apples
To say there’s been hype surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would not just be an understatement, but a fairly poor opening line to any sort of hands-on feature. On an unrelated note, Nintendo recently invited us to go and have a go at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at their...
Soapbox Torna - The Golden Country Is One Of The Best DLCs Of All Time
Future established
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 proclaims that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 has one of the best pieces of DLC ever in Torna - The Golden Country, and ponders what that could mean for Xenoblade Chronicles 3:...
Talking Point What Is A 'Traditional' Zelda Game, Anyway?
And does Breath of the Wild fit the mould?
Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when it launched back in 2017, there are undoubtedly those who yearn for a return to what they deem to be a more “traditional” Zelda experience. With its open world, shrines, weapon degradation, and ‘rune’...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp?
Hot takes deployed
We had to wait a while for this one, and we don't just mean due to the 'global events' (also known as the Russian invasion of Ukraine) that caused Nintendo to delay Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp for a year. Nope, ever since Fire Emblem took off in the West, the Advance Wars series has taken a back seat to turn-based tactical...
Feature Paranormasight Devs On Urban Legend, CRT TVs, And Potential Sequels
"We’re looking at a completely blank slate in terms of future developments"
Square Enix's stuffed slate of releases over the past year has given us some stellar titles, but among some of their biggest releases, this year's Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo should not be overlooked. Revealed during a Japanese Nintendo Direct in February...
Community 22 Switch Games We Missed, As Recommended By You
Part VI - Return of the Gem-i
It's been over six months since our last round, so it's time for another batch of NL 'reader recommendations' with Part 6 of our Games We Missed series. We asked you recently to send us your nominations for Switch games we weren't able to review for one reason or another that you think deserve highligh
Poll What Do You Think Of The New Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Font?
Font-tastic? Or font-al?
Has it sunk in yet that almost every single mainline Final Fantasy game between I and XII is now available on the Switch? That's thanks to this week's release of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, which was long, long overdue. Back when the games launched on Steam and mobile between 2021 and 2022, lots of people were...
Talking Point Which Is Your Favourite Nintendo Controller? Every Nintendo Pad Ranked
Note pad
Nintendo has always been one for pushing the boat out with its hardware designs, and no more so is this the case than with its controllers. Yes, those of the NES and SNES were pretty conventional by today's standards (though they were remarkably innovative at the time) but in the ensuing years, the Big N's controllers have had us waving...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 22nd)
Our not-so-final fantasies
Who would have thought that in the run-up to the release of Tears of the Kingdom, we would have so much Switch news to talk about in the space of a week? Nintendo was really firing on all cylinders this time around, as we got an official release date for Xenoblade Chronicles 3's final DLC, four new games added to the
Talking Point Which Is Your Favourite Quest In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
Rise and Shrine
It feels like just yesterday that we got the first announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (affectionately called "the Breath of the Wild sequel" at that point) back in 2019's E3, doesn't it? No. Of course it doesn't. To tell you the truth, we have been counting down the days for this one over the past four years,...
Anniversary Five Years Ago, Nintendo Unboxed Its Most Joyful, Harebrained Experiment
A Labo of Love
Five years ago today, Nintendo told the world to get creative and create pianos, fishing rods, and — eventually — a giant cardboard VR headset. That's right, Nintendo Labo is half a decade old, and as we look back, we're feeling a little bit fond. Debuting in April 2018, this quasi-toys-to-life creation may have essentially been...
Feature Pokémon TCG Community Engulfed In Potential Fraud Scandal
Conflicting details have been shared online
The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) community is knee-deep in the biggest scandal it has ever known. Over the weekend, a picture was posted on the subreddit r/PokemonTCG by user GuavaWave, along with the caption, “Saw this on a (Facebook) group.” The image depicts what appears to be an unruly amount...
Round Up Everything Announced In Nintendo's April 2023 Indie World Showcase
All 21 games and trailers from the April 19 presentation
Nintendo delivered its latest Indie World Showcase today (Wed 19th April 2023), a 20-minute presentation of games from independent developers coming to Switch soon, with 'soon' being 'today' in some cases! Below you'll find the video of the full Indie World Showcase April 2023 presentation,...
Community Have You Played A Great Switch Game We Missed? Let Us Know About It
Let us know what passed us by
Just four months into 2023, and well, it's been a bit of a banger year for games so far, hasn't it? So Nintendo has been a little bit quiet in the run-up to a certain Zelda game launching in May, but in terms of indie titles and smaller games, we've barely been able to keep up. So, it's about that time of the year when...
Poll Breath Of The Wild Vs. Tears Of The Kingdom - Which Final Zelda Trailer Was Better?
The true Battle of Hyrule
With a little under four weeks remaining until the worldwide launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it's still a little early to debate whether or not the game itself will be superior to its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You know, seeing as nobody's played it yet, an' all. We here at...
Talking Point Which Nintendo Franchise Should Illumination Tackle Next?
Gruigi time?
The box office for The Super Mario Bros. Movie is huge. Like, record-breaking huge. It feels like yesterday that cries of "the video game movie curse" filled the air whenever a new take on a game hit cinemas, but now we know that these adaptations can be both good and big. Really big. The Mario Movie's success at the box office will...
Feature Music Review: Fair Winds & Following Seas - An Ambitious Rendition Of A Zelda Masterpiece
The Wind Waker revisited by ZREO: Second Quest
The music of The Legend of Zelda is as much a part of the series’ identity as any of its characters, locations, and items. Though the specific arrangements change throughout the series, there are always familiar tracks and themes for fans to hear. This unique but similar philosophy to Zelda music...
Talking Point Should Link Have Voice Acting In The Next Zelda Game?
Fears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was revolutionary for the Zelda series in a number of ways. You can talk all day about the stunning open world, the tonal shift, the slew of characters and references, and the change in the overall structure of a Zelda game. But maybe the biggest surprise was that it was the first game in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 15th)
Vidya gaemz!
It's the weekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend *cough cough splutter*. We made it through another week, folks. Well done. It's been quite an interesting one, hasn't it? With only one month to go until the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo graced us with the third and final trailer for the game, and boy, was it a good one!...
Feature Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer #3 - Every New Detail Revealed
Epic doesn't even begin to cover it
With just under a month to go until the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo has dropped its third and final trailer for the game, and wow, what a trailer! This is undoubtedly one for the ages; a trailer to surely rival the Switch Presentation trailer for Breath of the Wild from 2017...
Talking Point Which Other Mega Man Games Could Come To Switch?
Mega Man Mop Up Collection, anyone?
With the release of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection for the Switch this week, it joins an already-impressive catalogue of Mega Man re-releases from the past several years. If you combine the titles from Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 & 2, and Mega Man Zero/ZX...
Talking Point With One Month 'Til TOTK, What's Left For You To Do In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
It's crunch time
The clock bell has tolled. Only one month remains before the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. One. Month. Suddenly, this game that we have been anticipating for the last six years is almost here and out of nowhere a realisation struck us, one powerful enough to send a cold chill down anyone's spine: we still...
Talking Point Just How Old Is Mario In The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
It's not a birthday, it's a 1-Up
Back when Mario was nothing more than an 8-bit sprite on our NES consoles, we were not all that concerned about age. After all, he's the jumpy mushroom guy, who cares how many birthdays he's seen? This is the kind of mentality that's been carried through into most of the subsequent games. Even as the character's...
Poll Did You Use Motion Controls In Mario Kart Wii?
Wii Wheel, Wii Wheel rock you!
Picture the scene: the year is 2008 and you, a massive Nintendo fan, are gearing up for the next instalment in the Mario Kart series after the incredible online experience of Mario Kart DS and having poured many, many hours into the former home console endeavours on Mario Kart: Double Dash!! But something is different...
Soapbox Can We Stop Pretending Switch Can't Run Call Of Duty?
Let's stop with the hyperbole, shall we?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Rory looks at all the doubters, then at all the 'miracle' Switch ports, then back at the doubters, then back again to the... I don’t know who needs to...
Splitting hares
Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and a happy long weekend to all. We're sure you'll all be tucking into some chocolate, hot cross buns, or simnel cake as you sit down for your daily Nintendo Life browsing. And just like last year when we looked at the best eggs in video games, we'll be looking at something else we associate with...
Feature Call Of Duty On Nintendo Systems - A Brief History
Wii U ever come back?
Call of Duty is coming to Nintendo platforms. At least, that’s what Microsoft would have us believe. As part of their proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard, the American console maker has pledged to bring the franchise to Nintendo gamers in an effort to alleviate market regulators’ concerns of anti-competition and...
Talking Point The Super Mario Bros. Movie - What Are Your Favourite Moments?
A galaxy of possibilities
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is on everyone's lips right now. And why? Because it's a pretty darn big deal. We've talked about the movie at length, looking at its Easter eggs to simply just having a chat over a cuppa. But two Nintendo Life staffers still have stuff to get off of their chests, and this is their chance to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 8th)
Easter gaming
We did it, everyone! We made it through the opening week of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and still live to tell the tale. Yes, this week finally saw the release of the hotly anticipated Nintendo and Illumination co-production and was it worth the wait? Well, sort of. While we certainly had mixed feelings in our review, the stellar box...
Feature The Best References And Easter Eggs In The Super Mario Bros. Movie
It's-a tough one
Lots of us have already seen the long-awaited The Super Mario Bros. Movie and if there is one thing to take away from our initial viewing, it's that this thing is absolutely jam-packed with Yoshi Easter eggs and references. We sort of knew that this was going to be the case. Each trailer gave us a taste of what was to come, but...
Poll What Score Would You Give To The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
A super debut?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out now in several regions, bringing an end to months, if not years, of speculation and anticipation. We've provided our own thoughts in our review of the movie, along with a video discussion for your perusal, but what we'd really like to find out now is what you fine folks make of it. We've started...
Hands On Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Slicker, Shinier, Sassier Strategy
Modern warfare
After numerous delays to an initial proposed launch date of December 2021 due to real-world events that Nintendo evidently felt made launching a light-hearted warfare game problematic, Wayforward's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is finally almost here. Featuring the classic Game Boy Advance campaigns from both Advance Wars and Advance...
Feature What's The Best Way To Play Super Mario Bros. In 2024?
Flag poll
We originally published this article back in 2020 as part of Super Mario Bros.' 35th anniversary year covering all the ways you can play the very first Super Mario game. Check out the poll at the very end to have your say. Note. We've removed Super Mario Bros. 35 from the options as it's no longer playable. Enjoy! The next major...
Ninterview Menko Cards And Niche Nintendo History - The Hunt For Mario's Rookie Card
A different kind of 'game card'
If you have ever read up on the history of Nintendo, you know that before it went into the video game business, the company began life by making cards and other novelties. The hanafuda and playing cards which Nintendo produced from its formation in 1889 took a back seat following the popularity of toys like the Ultra...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - March 2023
Our picks for the best eShop games in March
A previous version of this article included the February 2023 poll. We've since updated this list with the March 2023 poll. We apologise for the error. We're officially one-quarter of the way through 2023. Time really needs to slow down, because our backlog and wishlist are expanding at pretty much the...
