Latest Features
Poll What's The Best Final Fantasy Game? Rate Your Favourite Mainline & Spin-Offs
It's all up to you
Final Fantasy. Probably the most well-known RPG franchise in the world (besides Pokémon), Square Enix (formerly Square) has been churning out Final Fantasy titles for over 35 years. Beloved by millions, the franchise is still proving popular today on multiple different consoles. With its humble beginnings on the NES, to us, it's...
Feature Nintendo NY Got A Royal Makeover For The 'Princess Peach Showtime!' Meet & Greet
It’s showtime for Peaches Peaches, Peaches Peaches Peaches
As they often do for tentpole characters, Nintendo —at their flagship store at Rockefeller Center in New York City— held a special launch event for their leading lady, Princess Peach. Having recently (as of The Super Mario Bros. Movie) stepped out of Mario’s portly shadow and into...
Talking Point What's Your Perfect Sunday Morning Game?
Sunday brunch
The sun's streaming in through the crack in the curtains. Perhaps last night was a large one and you're a little fuzzy, maybe the kids are awake, jumping on you or haring around the house, or maybe your partner is already up and the smell of a fresh brew is drifting from room to room. Lovely. There's not much better than a Sunday...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd March)
Perfect organism
Hurray, it's the weekend! Before we dive into what we're going to be playing, let's take a look at what's been going on this week. For starters, we reviewed Princess Peach: Showtime! for the Switch, and surprise surprise, it turned out to be much better than we were expecting. We also got some really cool tidbits of information...
Feature 33 Games We're Surprised Still Aren't On Switch
MORE!
In the last seven years, the bounty of software that has come to Switch is really remarkable. You might argue that, in fact, there's too much great stuff being released — too much to be able to play everything you'd like, at least. Let's get things straight — we ain't complaining! But given the games that have come to Switch, you look at...
Talking Point Should 'Third' Pokémon Games Make A Comeback?
Crystal clear
If you can believe it (and, to be honest, we can't) it has been a whopping 15 years since Pokémon Platinum first arrived on Western shores. It has been a decade and a half since we first met Giratina and co. A decade and a half since we stepped foot in the Distortion World. And, most importantly perhaps, a decade and a half since we...
Round Up Every Switch Announcement From Future Games Show: Spring Showcase 2024
Every game, trailer, and release date
The first Future Game Show presentation of the year is here. The Spring Showcase 2024, which was broadcast earlier today, gave us a look at over 40 different games across all genres and platforms. Broadcast live at PAX East 2024, the showcase was hosted by Samantha Béart (Baldur's Gate 3) and Ben Starr (Final...
Talking Point Should We Be Expecting More From Remakes And Remasters?
History in the making (of)
With Switch now into its eighth year and Nintendo's head chefs deep into software prep for the next console, remakes and remasters are the order of the day, with a platter of old favourites being served up in this twilight period for the current system. We got the excellent Super Mario RPG late last year and the Mario vs...
Soapbox 30 Years Later, Super Metroid's Foreboding Atmosphere Is Still Unmatched
Zeb-easily the best
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 Super Metroid's 30th anniversary, Ollie sings the praises of the game's enduring foreboding atmosphere... The Metroid series is perhaps best known for its...
Talking Point What's Your Personal Favourite Super Mario Game?
Not the best
MAR10 Day might be over, but hear us out-- Nintendo said that every day is MAR10 day with Nintendo Switch. So we're going to take that statement to heart and talk about our favourite Mario games. Yep, not the best, not the worst, but our personal favourites. And no, they don't have to be on Switch. Everyone has a different favourite...
Gallery You Lovely People Have Been Photoshopping Our Video Producer Into Games
Here are some of our favourites
Did you know that we have a Nintendo Life Discord server? Well, you do now! It's a wonderful place full of video game chatter, Nintendo chatter, Photoshopping our video producer into iconic games chatter — wait, what? Yes, the Nintendo Life Discord recently came together with one goal, to edit a particularly...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th March)
Seeing an X
Today we ask the age-old question... Will it corndog? Wait, no... What are you playing this weekend?! Before we take a look at the staff picks this week, let's take a look at what's been going on the last few days or so. First up, we got word that The Pokémon Company has set up a new subsidiary called 'Pokémon Works', but no one knows...
Hands On 'Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes' Is 'Suikoden' In All But Name
It's destiny
If you’ve ever played a Suikoden game, it’s hard not to tear up at the opening sequence of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. It’s particularly hard watching this following the passing of series creator and the director of this spiritual successor Yoshitaka Murayama at the age of 55. Character montages, a swelling orchestra,...
Soapbox As Splatoon's Online Wraps Up Nearly 9 Years On, How Does It Compare To Splatoon 3?
Dye hard
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, as its online days draw to a close, Nile bids farewell to Splatoon on Wii U, a shining proof of concept... On 8th April 2024, Nintendo will be
Feature "The Odds Seemed Just Astronomical" - Reviving Lost Media With Shantae Advance
"Decisions made by younger me created a ton of headaches for modern me"
It's not often that a developer gets to revisit a chapter of their past and pick up where they left off on a project two decades prior, but the revival of Shantae Advance in the form of Risky Revolution has given WayForward creative director Matt Bozon just that opportunity...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From The Next Super Mario Bros. Movie?
A certain 'je ne sais qWAHH'?
In perhaps the least shocking news of MAR10 Day 2024, Nintendo revealed that another Super Mario Bros. Movie is on the way and it's coming in 2026. A sequel should come as no surprise, let's not forget that the first film pulled in 168 million views at the global box office and went on to become one of th
"I almost put a reference in there..."
We were lucky enough to play a lot of great games at Summer Games Fest 2023, but perhaps the biggest surprise was Little Kitty, Big City, an exploration-focused adventure from Double Dagger Studio where you play as a cat on its journey home. From our hands-on preview, the game really dug its claws in and we'd...
Poll Do You Want To See 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder 2'?
Addressing the other elephant in the room
Today is MAR10 Day (MARch 10th, get it??), so it's no surprise that we are once again thinking about Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the first new 2D Mario game in 11 years. Wonder flipped the script on 2D Mario. The 'New' series had lasted for a whopping 17 years and the visuals and level design were very much...
Feature Is Any Mario Game Genuinely 'Underrated'? - 10 Super Mario Games To Reconsider
Appropri-rated
When the word 'underrated' is used in reference to entries in series as venerated as, say, Super Mario or the Zelda, it never quite feels right. Sure, perhaps there are some early oddball entries that people missed — games that were crafted when the template and direction of the series was still in flux — but it's hard to argue...
Soapbox It's Time For Mario's Weird Minigames To Make A Comeback
The Mansion always wins
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's after some more bitesize Mario weirdness, which he got his fix of on the DS... Super Mario Bros. Wonder was great. It had elephants, it had sweet little blobs of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 9th)
We're not over Overlord
The week is almost over and that means it's time for another edition of What Are You Playing! This week was a little quiet in Nintendo Land after last week's Pokémon shenanigans, but there was still plenty to keep us entertained. We got a free demo for Princess Peach: Showtime! which might have even given us a sneak
"Tackle life with as much energy as Goku! I'll try to do the same!"
It's impossible to overstate the impact of Akira Toriyama, the legendary manga artist and character designer who has been working in the manga industry since 1978. His death at 68 years old has thousands around the world mourning his loss. Toriyama was, to me, comfort on sick days...
Soapbox Help! I Can't Stop Playing Card Games On Switch
Deal me in
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 is laying all his cards on the table... It's early March and I am already filled with embarrassment at the thought of my 2024 Nintendo Year in Review. Last year's results were to be...
Talking Point What DS & 3DS Games Would You Still Like To See On Switch?
Dual-screen dreams
We are still receiving top-notch releases by the bucketload on Switch, but as the console enters the latter phase of its lifespan, we are well and truly in remake & remaster territory. The Wii U barrel has quickly run dry (though some remain that we'd like to see make the jump to the hybrid) and recent years have seen Nintendo...
Reaction Nintendo's Switch Emulator Fallout Is Shocking Only Because It Took This Long
Emulator action
Well, that was quick... But also slow. That Nintendo would take action against programs that circumvent security and open up obvious avenues to playing Switch games without having purchased them is entirely unsurprising given the platform holder's historic 'emulation is piracy' stance. But the speed with which Tropic Haze, the...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects & Readers' Choice (February 2024)
The best eShop games of February, chosen by you and us!
Spring is about to...spring. But do you know what else is waiting for us? Nintendo Life eShop Selects and the new Readers Choice winner for February 2024. As always, staff and contributors at Nintendo Life decide on the top three by an internal vote, all from eShop games we've reviewed on the...
Feature Meet Morphcat Games, The New-Gen NES Devs Pushing The 8-Bit Envelope
"No one has come close to exhausting its full capabilities"
Four decades after it became an international sales phenomenon and dominated a crowded games market, the Nintendo Entertainment System – the 8-bit box that gave birth to some of the medium’s biggest enduring franchises – today finds itself playing host to something else entirely: new...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 2nd)
Wish upon a card
We made it out of February and it is finally the weekend! Keen to keep the good vibes going, this week on Nintendo Life we celebrated the first Pokémon Presents of 2024. And what would you know, it wasn't all that bad! The big takeaway was the grand reveal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A coming to Switch in 2025, but we also got to see a...
Retro revival
For many younger gamers, the idea that Atari was once the undisputed king of console gaming might seem somewhat farfetched. Yet in the late '70s and early '80s, the gaming giant dominated the market with the Atari 2600, introducing audiences to the likes of Adventure, Yars' Revenge, and Haunted House. However, after a wave of...
Talking Point What Would Make You Happy To Give Up Physical Games And Go 100% Digital?
Concessions stand
While the demise of physical media has seemed like an inevitability for many years now, boutique publishers are helping to keep a passionate base of physical-only fans with a stocked game library. The scenario right now isn't ideal, with eShop releases often only getting a physical version months later (once a publisher has gauged...
Community What's The Best Switch eShop Game We Missed? (February 2024)
Your favourite game for eShop Selects
Update: In response to many comments and a surge of votes, we will be reviewing Balatro for the Switch! Thanks to all of those who shared their thoughts with us on the game! It's back! We're almost at the end of February already — yes, even with the extra day in this fine Leap Year. Our monthly Nintendo...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 24th)
Jockey up
The weekeeeeeeeeeeeend *cough cough, splutter*. Sorry. Yes, it's the weekend, which means it's time to kick back and relax with some games. First, let's recap what's been going on this week. So the big news is, of course, that we had a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, where the likes of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Epic Mickey:...
Talking Point Which Xbox Games Would You Like To See Come To Switch?
Halo, is it me you're looking for?
After what felt like months of rumours, Microsoft and Nintendo finally put us out of our misery during the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase by confirming that, yes, select Microsoft-published Xbox games will be making their way to the Nintendo Switch to join the likes of Banjo-Kazooie on NSO, and the Ori duo...
Talking Point Pokémon Presents Predictions - What Are You Expecting?
'mon Dieu
Following hot on the heels of the February 2024 Nintendo Direct, the inevitable announcement of a Pokémon Presents broadcast to coincide with Pokémon Day on 27th February came along. It's traditional to have a broadcast on this date — the anniversary of the first Pokémon games' Japanese debut way back in 1996 — and it's been a busy...
Feature Shiren The Wanderer Devs On Preserving Series' "Difficulty" And "Uniqueness"
"I made sure to preserve what I believed to be valuable"
Shiren the Wanderer is one of the longest-running roguelike series in the world. Debuting back in 1995 as the second entry in the Mystery Dungeon series, Mystery Dungeon 2: Shiren the Wanderer introduced the world to the young boy who would explore many procedurally-generated dungeons over the...
Talking Point Nintendo Direct Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
Howdy, Partner
There she is! After waiting patiently for the first Nintendo Direct of 2024 — looking back to determine the most probable date Nintendo would unleash its next bumper crop of Switch game reveals and news — we finally have the time, date, and flavour confirmed: 21st February, and it's a Partner Showcase. <related...
Hands On We've Played Princess Peach: Showtime! - Is It Any Good?
Show must go on
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a game that isn’t going to immediately appeal to many of the fans of big shooty bang-bang games like DOOM Eternal, but there’s a place for it still with an audience as sizeable as that of the Switch. Nintendo invited us to come along and give the game a go for ourselves ahead of its release on 22nd...
Talking Point If 'Switch 2' Isn't Coming Until 2025, What's Nintendo Got Up Its Sleeve This Year?
Is there enough in the tank to coast through 2024?
Reports that Nintendo's unannounced Switch successor may be subject to a behind-the-scenes delay suggest that the current console might have yet another Holiday season all to itself. In March, Nintendo Switch will enter its eighth year, and scuttlebutt from industry sources had previously pegged...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Mario vs. Donkey Kong?
Mario vs. DK vs. you
Last week, Mario and Donkey Kong's decade-old dispute bubbled back to the surface in the appropriately titled Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a Switch remake of the identically titled GBA original from 2004. NL's stalwart PJ O'Reilly enjoyed his time with it, awarding it a 'Good' 7/10 in his review and highlighting the new co-op mode as...
Feature "It Just Felt Right" - How Story Of Seasons & Piczle Cross Is The Perfect Union
"I am an unapologetic fan of the Story of Seasons series"
What's more relaxing than a farming sim? Many of us love to wind down with a few hours of tending crops, looking after cows, and taking in the seasons in a good ol' Story of Seasons game. And for almost 30 years, this hugely popular series has been sowing the seeds and setting the standard...
Back Page The Best Cows On The Nintendo Switch
We would never steer you wrong
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...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 17th)
Multi-platform plans
It has been another Direct-less week, but that isn't stopping us from taking our Switches for a spin this weekend. Welcome back to another edition of What Are You Playing! Yes, this week didn't bring the Direct announcement that many of us had foreseen, but there was still plenty of juicy news in the world of Nintendo...
Hands On Strategy Fan? You Need To Keep An Eye On Vanillaware's Stunning 'Unicorn Overlord'
Stable unicorns
Company president George Kamitani wasn’t kidding when he teased that the studio’s next project was “one of Vanillaware's biggest productions” last year. The game he was talking about was Unicorn Overlord, a tactical RPG that, on the surface, looks like a homage to the SRPG greats of the ‘90s. Compared to the hugely...
Hands On Quarter Arcades Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Machine
Let's kick shell
If you're a gamer over the age of 30 with a decent amount of disposable income, then you've almost certainly heard of the Quarter Arcades range. As the name suggests, these are 1/4-scale reproductions of famous coin-ops, and the company has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business to expand its lineup over the...
Hands On Splatoon 3's Spicy 'Side Order' DLC Isn't For The Faint Of Heart
Order from chaos
Online multiplayer, platforming, deckbuilding, horde rushes, bizarre missions that barely make sense even in context — it seems the wizards at Nintendo could put the Inklings and Octolings through just about anything and make it a blast. Now it’s time for the cephalopodic denizens of post-apocalyptic Earth to tackle the...
Soapbox With Switch Online, It's The Perfect Time To Bring Back These Wii U Gems
An absolute NES-cessity
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ethan looks back on a pair of Wii U games — and a 3DS sibling — which could help curious gamers navigate the Switch Online retro library if they were given a second...
Back Page 15 Superb Owls On Nintendo Switch
What a hoot
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 welcome to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 10th)
Go on and tell us
Well folks, with Nintendo releasing its financial results this week, many of us thought that a Direct announcement wouldn't be too far behind, but alas. Maybe next week. Anyway, we got news that the Nintendo Switch has now sold over 139 million units, which is just astonishing, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe passes the 60 million mark...
First Impressions Turn-Based Scrawler 'Inkulinati' Flows Well After A Wordy Intro (Exclusive)
Not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways
Yaza Games' Medieval scribe-inspired turn-based battler, Inkulinati, is coming to Switch on 22nd February. It's picked up several awards since its Early Access release on Steam, including Gamescom 2022's Best Indie Game and Most Original Game, so it's great to see the full version finally penned in on...
Soapbox I Hated Metroid: Zero Mission At First, Until I Loved It
We all make mistakes
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 Metroid: Zero Mission's 20th anniversary on 9th February 2024, Ollie looks back on his initial experience with the game, and why first impressions can't always be...
